Zipline-Related Injuries Treated in US EDs, 1997-2012

Purpose To investigate the epidemiology of zipline-related injuries in the United States. Basic Procedures The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was used to examine non-fatal zipline-related injuries treated in US emergency departments (EDs) from 1997 through 2012. Sample weights were applied to calculate national estimates. Main Findings From 1997 through 2012, an estimated 16850 (95% CI, 13188-20512) zipline-related injuries were treated in US EDs. The annual injury rate per 1 million population increased by 52.3% from 7.64 (95% CI, 4.86-10.42) injuries in 2009 (the first year with a stable annual estimate) to 11.64 (95% CI, 7.83-15.45) injuries in 2012. Patients aged 0-9 years accounted for 45.0% of injuries, females made up 53.1% of injuries, and 11.7% of patients required hospitalization. Fractures accounted for the largest proportion of injuries (46.7%), and the upper extremities were the most commonly injured body region (44.1%). Falls were the most common mechanism of injury, accounting for 77.3% of injuries. Among cases where the location of the injury event was known, 30.8% of injuries occurred in a residential setting and 69.2% occurred in a public place. Principal Conclusions This study is the first to characterize the epidemiology of zipline-related injuries using a nationally representative database. The rapid increase in zipline-related injuries in recent years suggests the need for additional safety guidelines and regulations. Commercial ziplines and publicly accessible non-commercial ziplines should be subject to uniform safety standards in all states and jurisdictions across the US, and homemade ziplines should not be used

Myth or Reality? Exploring Intergenerational Social Assistance Participation in Ontario, Canada

Is there an intergenerational causal link in social assistance (SA) participation? There is a dearth of research addressing this question, yet the discourse of ‘welfare dependency’ is hegemonic. The limited research that does attempt to tease out a causal link in intergenerational SA participation remains equivocal. Qualitative research is largely absent in welfare scholarship; research that might provide a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics underlying SA receipt. We employ an inductive qualitative analysis, using procedures from grounded theory, to understand SA participants’ experiences and perspectives on intergenerational SA usage. We find that the two causal mechanisms underlying intergenerational SA usage, the learning effect and conformity effect, require further investigation. The theoretical foundations fundamental in explaining a causal intergenerational link are shaken by our grounded theory approach

Leading Students to Empower their Peers in Undergraduate Research

UCF and FAU’s offices of undergraduate research have three separate opportunities for current undergraduate researchers to assume a leadership role and assist their peers in getting started in research. This presentation will lay out the three models, at each institution, for student leadership in undergraduate research: peer mentors/ student teaching assistants, student assistants who host peer mentor advising hours throughout the academic year, and student councils who focus on outreach across campus and serve in an advisory capacity. This session will provide an overview of these programs on the two campuses

Small magellanic cloud-type interstellar dust in the milky way

It is well known that the sight line toward HD 204827 in the cluster Trumpler 37 shows a UV extinction curve that does not follow the average Galactic extinction relation. However, when a dust component, fore-ground to the cluster, is removed, the residual extinction curve is identical to that found in the SMC within the uncertainties. The curve is very steep and has little or no 2175 A bump. The position of HD 204827 in the sky is projected onto the edge of the Cepheus IRAS bubble. In addition, HD 204827 has an IRAS bow shock, indicating that it may be embedded in dust swept up by the supernova that created the IRAS bubble. Shocks due to the supernova may have led to substantial processing of this dust. The HD 204827 cloud is dense and rich in carbon molecules. The 3.4 μm feature indicating a C-H grain mantle is present in the dust toward HD 204827. The environment of the HD 204827 cloud dust may be similar to the dust associated with HD 62542, which lies on the edge of a stellar wind bubble and is also dense and rich in molecules. This sight line may be a Rosetta Stone if its environment can be related to those in the SMC having similar dust

Silicon nanoparticles and interstellar extinction

To examine a recently proposed hypothesis that silicon nanoparticles are the source of extended red emission (ERE) in the interstellar medium, we performed a detailed modeling of the mean Galactic extinction in the presence of silicon nanoparticles. For this goal we used the appropriate optical constants of nanosized Si, essentially different from those of bulk Si due to quantum confinement. It was found that a dust mixture of silicon nanoparticles, bare graphite grains, silicate core-organic refractory mantle grains and three-layer silicate-water ice-organic refractory grains works well in explaining the extinction and, in addition, results in the acceptable fractions of UV/visible photons absorbed by silicon nanoparticles: 0.071-0.081. Since these fractions barely agree with the fraction of UV/visible photons needed to excite the observed ERE, we conclude that the intrinsic photon conversion efficiency of the photoluminescence by silicon nanoparticles must be near 100%, if they are the source of the ERE.Comment: Latex2e, uses emulateapj.sty (included), multicol.sty, epsf.sty, 6 pages, 3 figures (8 Postscript files), accepted for publication in ApJ Letters, complete Postscript file is also available at http://physics.technion.ac.il/~zubko/eb.html#SNP

Employing the Houseless as Corporate Social Responsibility

Purpose Many hospitality organizations see the benefits of engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR), which can take many forms. This study aims to examine one relatively unique form of CSR: hiring individuals experiencing houselessness. This research aimed to investigate the impact of hiring individuals experiencing houselessness on customers’ behavioral intentions, attitudes toward an organization and perceptions of CSR actions. Design/methodology/approach Across two experiments, this study investigated the impact of employing individuals experiencing houselessness on customers’ perceptions of the employee and organization using organizational legitimacy theory. Findings Results demonstrate that employees known to be houseless elicited more positive employee and organizational perceptions from the customers, mediated by CSR perceptions. In addition, the gender of the employees or the quality of the organization did not impact these findings. Practical implications Hospitality and tourism organizations should consider using available resources or tax benefits to make a deliberate effort to employ those experiencing houselessness. Originality/value Using organizational legitimacy theory, this study examines CSR perceptions as a potential explanatory mechanism between houselessness and customers’ reactions

Effect of coping strategies on patient and physician perceptions of disease severity and disability in systemic sclerosis

Objective. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) results in impaired function, disability, and reduced health-related quality of life. We investigated the effect of coping strategies on the patient global assessment of health (PtGA) and Health Assessment Questionnaire–Disability Index (HAQ-DI), after controlling for clinical characteristics and disease activity. We also explored the relationship between coping strategies and the correlation between the PtGA and physician global assessment (PGA) in SSc. Methods. We undertook posthoc analyses using baseline data obtained from the Raynaud Symptom Study (RSS). The PtGA, Coping Strategies Questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire were collected alongside the PGA, clinical characteristics, and patient demographics. Multivariable linear regression models and correlations were used to evaluate the relationship between coping strategies with the PtGA, HAQ-DI, and PGA. Results. Of the 107 patients with SSc enrolled in the RSS, there were sufficient data available for the analysis of 91 participants. The mean PtGA was 40/100 (SD 27) and the mean HAQ-DI was 0.87/3.0 (SD 0.73). After controlling for clinical and patient demographics, pain catastrophizing and maladaptive coping skills were significantly associated with the PtGA and HAQ-DI scores (P &lt; 0.05 for both), but not the PGA. Conclusion. The effect of coping strategies on PtGA and HAQ-DI (but not PGA in SSc) could influence the result of composite measures incorporating these outcome measures. Interventions to improve patient coping skills may support increased resilience and improve patient-perceived functional status and PtGA in SSc.</p