An Electric Dinner

Prepare a complete dinner without a range! Impossible you say? Not any more with the new power center in the Department of Household Equipment

Caution, Students at Large

A black bundle of fur hurtled through the doorway of Elm Hall and darted down the hallway. Wild-eyed, a coed shrieked her way after the little animal. Screams echoed through the dormitory as other occupants discovered the object of the chase- a tiny skunk

Get It in Writing: MOUs and Library/IT Partnerships

Increasingly academic libraries are partnering with other campus units to improve efficiency and to better serve students and faculty. This paper aims to focus on the importance of developing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to foster a relationship between an academic library and IT unit. It seeks to identify what the MOU should include, pitfalls to be avoided, and lessons learned. It also proposes demonstrating how the MOU has been used as a model for other alliances and how, because of the MOU, a partnership has flourished

Understanding Each Other In The Medical Encounter: Exploring therapists' and patients' understanding of each other's experiential knowledge through the Imitation Game

The ability of health-care professionals to understand the lived experiences of their patients has become increasingly important but has been a difficult topic to investigate empirically because it involves two distinctive research strands: interpretative phenomenological analysis and patient–provider communication. While interpretative phenomenological analysis focuses on experiences and illness narratives of patients, but not on therapist’s understanding of those, patient–provider communication surveys focus primarily on effective forms of communication without addressing the actual illness experiences of patients. There is a need for empirical research that combines both strands to investigate not only the experiences of patients but also whether professionals are able to understand these. This study combined both strands by means of a novel research method called the Imitation Game (combined with other qualitative methods). This sociological method was developed to investigate what different social groups know of each other’s lifeworld. It focused on the important domain of eating disorder treatment to investigate whether therapists were able to understand the experiences of their patients and vice versa. This study provides insights into the domains in which therapists and patients were able to develop insights into each other’s experiential knowledge (and where they had difficulties in doing so). The findings also implicate the high potential of the Imitation Game as an interdisciplinary research method. We propose that the Imitation Game may be particularly valuable as a ‘can opener’ that enables the development of in-depth, qualitative insights into the substantive themes that matter in the lifeworlds of patients and therapists. </jats:p

Effects of Equine Interaction on Mutual Autonomic Nervous System Responses and Interoception in a Learning Program for Older Adults

Equine-assisted learning (EAL) may improve the health of older adults, but scientific data are sparse. This study investigated whether people aged 55 and older show increased heart rate variability (HRV) during EAL and awareness of bodily sensations that are overall pleasant. Subjects (n = 24) participated in mindful grooming during which they slowed their breathing and brushed a horse while noticing sensations in their body and watching the horse’s reactions. The subject’s and horse’s HRV were recorded simultaneously before, during, and after mindful grooming. For control, the same subjects performed mindful grooming with a plush simulation horse. During exit interviews, participants described their sensations. Words and gestures were categorized as positive, neutral, or negative. During mindful grooming, human heart rate and HRV (standard deviation of interbeat interval, SDRR) increased compared to baseline (paired t-test, t = –4.228, p \u3c 0.001; t = –3.814, p = 0.001), as did the percent very low frequency (%VLF) component of HRV (t = –4.274, p \u3c 0.001). Equine HRV values remained in the normal range, mostly VLF. In 10 cases, during mindful grooming, horse and human HRVs showed matching VLF frequencies. Grooming the simulation horse significantly elevated SDRR but did not alter %VLF. Exit interviews revealed significantly more positive gestures (t = –3.814, p = 0.031) and fewer negative gestures (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Z-statistic = –2.12, p = 0.036, p \u3c 0.05) when participants spoke about the real horse compared to the simulation. These findings demonstrate that during mindful grooming people aged 55 and older benefit by experiencing increased HRV, heightened awareness of pleasant bodily sensations, and often some synchronization of their HRV frequency spectrum with that of their horse, possibly reflecting emotional bonding

Engaging ‘hard to reach’ groups in health promotion: the views of older people and professionals from a qualitative study in England

Background Older people living in deprived areas, from black and minority ethnic groups (BME) or aged over 85 years (oldest old) are recognised as ‘hard to reach’. Engaging these groups in health promotion is of particular importance when seeking to target those who may benefit the most and to reduce health inequalities. This study aimed to explore what influences them practicing health promotion and elicit the views of cross-sector professionals with experiences of working with ‘hard to reach’ older people, to help inform best practice on engagement. Methods ‘Hard to reach’ older people were recruited through primary care by approaching those not attending for preventative healthcare, and via day centres. Nineteen participated in an interview (n = 15) or focus group (n = 4); including some overlaps: 17 were from a deprived area, 12 from BME groups, and five were oldest old. Cross-sector health promotion professionals across England with experience of health promotion with older people were identified through online searches and snowball sampling. A total of 31 of these 44 professionals completed an online survey including open questions on barriers and facilitators to uptake in these groups. Thematic analysis was used to develop a framework of higher and lower level themes. Interpretations were discussed and agreed within the team. Results Older people’s motivation to stay healthy and independent reflected their everyday behaviour including practicing activities to feel or stay well, level of social engagement, and enthusiasm for and belief in health promotion. All of the oldest old reported trying to live healthily, often facilitated by others, yet sometimes being restricted due to poor health. Most older people from BME groups reported a strong wish to remain independent which was often positively influenced by their social network. Older people living in deprived areas reported reluctance to undertake health promotion activities, conveyed apathy and reported little social interaction. Cross-sector health professionals consistently reported similar themes as the older people, reinforcing the views of the older people through examples. Conclusions The study shows some shared themes across the three ‘hard-to-reach’ groups but also some distinct differences, suggesting that a carefully outlined strategy should be considered to reach successfully the group targeted.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

The effectiveness of enzymatic cleaner on rigid gas permeable contact lenses

A clinical study was conducted in order to detennine the effectiveness of enzymatic cleaner in the care regimen for rigid gas permeable contact lenses. Twenty six current rigid contact lens wearers served as the study subjects. Each subject received a newly manufactured pair of TRANS-AIRE rigid gas permeable lenses to be used during the study. One lens for each subject was randomly assigned to be cleaned according to a daily surfactant cleaning regimen for the duration of the study. The other lens for each subject was assigned a regimen of daily surfactant cleaning plus weekly use of Allergan ProFree GP enzymatic cleaner. After a study duration of approximately fifteen weeks the lenses were collected, filmed using a video slit lamp, and a deposit evaluation was conducted by the masked researchers. The lenses assigned to the enzyme cleaning regimen were judged to contain borderline statistically significant fewer deposit than the lenses assigned to the daily cleaning only regimen. (p = 0.0736) The study also evaluated subjective responses obtained by pre-study and post-study questionnaires concerning enzymatic cleaning

An artistic experience in dwelling : shell building and personal inhabitation

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1990.Includes bibliographical references.The shell is inherited from the city, not literally but psychically. It is an urban design response that relates to my sense of the neighborhood: its history, its growth, and its ability to provide opportunity in so many different forms within its overall continuity. The inhabitation is personal artistic expression: nest, home, and place within the neighborhood. It needs to satisfy body and mind, physical and aesthetic senses. The juxtaposition of these two elements is every person's journey to find their place in the world, between self and society. This design project is part of my journey toward finding a place between a piece of the city and a personal set of notions about physical space.by Ann M. Walters.M.Arch