Community Development in Rural Illinois: Lessons Learned

he following paper is a synopsis, examination, and reflection of my experience as a Peace Corps Fellow in the Applied Community and Economic Development Program at Illinois State University. Compiling and examining the experiences of my class work and practical experience have not been an easy chore. However, a more daunting task has been the reflection on my Peace Corps experience that lead me to Illinois State University and this program, the graduate classes and education I received here, and the application of that knowledge and experience in my professional practice. In an attempt to structure this paper I found myself confronted with the task of weeding through all the lessons I have learned to frame the ones I have found most valuable and will continue to utilize in the future

The Effect of Aquatic Physiotherapy on Low Back Pain in Pregnant Women

This study evaluated the effect of antenatal aquatic physiotherapy sessions on low back pain in pregnant women. Thirty-three subjects (31.8 + 4.8 years) participated in a prospective, quantitative, repeated measures within subjects design. Low back pain was measured using a Numerical Rating Scale immediately before and after each session. The subjects significantly improved their post session pain scores by an average of 44 percent. Pain did not increase significantly from the beginning to the end of the course of sessions as is normally expected in this population and the number of sessions made no significant difference. Conclusions: This finding suggests that attending once a week will effectively manage low back pain for pregnant women

The Effects of Kinesiotape on Scapular Kinematics in Symptomatic Baseball Players

Introduction Baseball players are at an increased risk for shoulder dysfunction due to repetitive overhead throwing. Patients with symptomatic shoulders present with altered scapular kinematics, with the greatest variations found in upward rotation and posterior tilt which modify subacromial space. Previous investigations of the effects of kinesiotape (KT) on scapular kinematics have been inconclusive. Objective To determine the effects of KT on scapular kinematics in symptomatic collegiate baseball players. Participants Six Division II and III baseball players between 21 and 25 years old (mean 22.7) with a symptomatic throwing shoulder. Four were right hand dominant. Methods Symptomatic was defined as a report or pain or dysfunction in their throwing shoulder Participants were screened by student physical therapists (SPTs) to determine if they fit the inclusion criteria Kinesiotape was applied via a mechanical correction stabilization technique by a certified KT practitioner (Figure 1) Scapular posterior tilting (PT) and upward rotation (UR) were collected by a designated SPT during three planes of shoulder humerothoracic (HT) elevation with the G4 electromagnetic motion capture system (Innsport , Chicago, IL) Scapular kinematics with and without KT were analyzed between 30-90 degree elevation Differences in PT and UR during the three planes of elevation were explored descriptively Differences between conditions were compared proportionally to the maximum range of motion available Results PT was consistently greater in the KT condition. The largest difference was in abduction, where PT was 2.92 degrees greater. UR was consistently less in the KT condition. The largest difference was in abduction, where UR was 3.22 degrees less. The difference in PT was a larger proportion of available motion in abduction and was an equal proportion of available motion in elevation in the scapular plane as compared to UR. The PT proportion in abduction was 16 percent. The UR proportion in scapular plane elevation was 13 percent. Conclusions Increased posterior tilting widens the subacromial space, which is thought to decrease risk of subacromial impingement in overhead athletes. 3 Kinesiotape increased posterior tilting in symptomatic subjects during elevation in all 3 elevation planes. This advantage is somewhat countered by the decrease in upward rotation. Future work with an increased sample size may determine if there are statistical or clinically significant differences. Matched pair t tests with a Bonferonni correction would be an appropriate analysis. Clinical Implications These results indicate that KT may be an effective non invasive intervention to improve scapular kinematics and/or decrease injury risk in individuals with symptomatic shoulders

The Politics of Misconduct: How the Social Sciences Improve Our Understanding

Why does police misconduct happen in the U.S.? Previous research on this topic has focused on individual traits of law enforcement officers to offer psychological explanations; however, little research has looked at broader aspects. Using data collected on all cases of police misconduct in the U.S. in 2009, several social, demographic, and economic factors are examined and tested for their correlative impact

Speleothem-Based Hydroclimate Reconstruction of Northeastern Mexico Across the Last Deglaciation

As anthropogenic global warming intensifies, climate models predict more frequent drought conditions across Northeastern Mexico, but regional paleoclimate data is necessary to inform the spatial extent and severity of these droughts. In this thesis, we present a centennial-scale resolution record of Northeastern Mexico hydroclimate spanning 21.77 to 11.56 ka using a speleothem from Rioverde, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. We use trace element ratio data to reconstruct local water balance (P - ET) and compare our results to neighboring proxies and climate models to investigate regional coherency and climate forcings. Our record captures wet conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum, dry conditions during Heinrich Stadial 1, and wet conditions during the Bolling-Allerod Warming, with implications for defining glacial climate and assessing the Mesoamerican North-South precipitation dipole on millennial to orbital timescales. Our results also demonstrate a dynamic control on precipitation via changes in the Atlantic-Pacific SST gradient. Furthermore, our results help fill a crucial gap in our knowledge of the climatic background of the First Peopling of the Americas and offer a potential route for the Peopling of Mexico between 15.5 and 13 ka. Ultimately, this work provides a precisely dated and high-resolution record in an understudied region to better predict future climate and reconstruct human history.S.B

Dataset of phytoremediation ability and growth of mycorrhizal fungi-assisted tomatoes in Pb-Cd-contaminated soil using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, light microscopy and observation

In this research, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (“AMF”) was introduced to Early Girl tomato plants grown in soil exposed to lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), common soil contaminants with detrimental developmental and neurological effects. After a two month growing period, vinegar-and-ink staining and light microscopy of roots was used to visualize structural characteristics of AMF (e.g. vesicles, hyphae, and arbuscules) and lead sequestration (e.g. complexes attached to the cell wall). Dry mass and height difference over time of individual plants was measured in order to document the effect of Pb-Cd and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on tomato growth, both paired and unpaired. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry was utilized to measure concentrations (ppm) of Pb and Cd within two samples from each group’s root, stem, and flower systems in order to quantify plant bioaccumulation and subsequently analyze phytoremediation efficacy