Mental Health Following Traumatic Events

https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/gps-posters/1576/thumbnail.jp

A Visuomotor Perspective on Developing Temporal and Spatial Representations of Number

Despite being an abstract concept, our representation of number appears to be grounded in the physical realities of time and space. However, very little research investigates the relationship between these three concepts in children. Thus, this thesis investigated children’s ability to represent number temporally (pertaining to time) using frequency processing tasks, and their ability to represent number spatially using a novel adaption of a number line task. Firstly, two experiments (Chapters 2 & 3) revealed that children are remarkably accurate at recalling the frequency of both everyday events, specifically their intake of fruit smoothies, and of short term events, namely shape repetitions in a computer based task. Secondly, it was observed that Western educated adults have a default preference for representing number spatially with small numbers on the left and large numbers on the right (Chapter 4). Whilst these default preferences were not observed in children (Chapter 5), there was some evidence that cultural background can influence the direction of these preferences (Chapter 6). Nevertheless, irrelevant of directional preferences, children became more accurate at representing number spatially with age; this ability was related to both mathematical achievement and fine motor skills

Cortical gray-matter thinning is associated with age-related improvements on executive function tasks

Across development children show marked improvement in their executive functions (EFs), including the ability to hold information in working memory and to deploy cognitive control, allowing them to ignore prepotent responses in favor of newly learned behaviors. How does the brain support these age-related improvements? Age-related cortical gray-matter thinning, thought to result from selective pruning of inefficient synaptic connections and increases in myelination, may support age-related improvements in EFs. Here we used structural MRI to measure cortical thickness. We investigate the association between cortical thickness in three cortical regions of interest (ROIs), and age-related changes in cognitive control and working memory in 5–10 year old children. We found significant associations between reductions in cortical thickness and age-related improvements in performance on both working memory and cognitive control tasks. Moreover, we observed a dissociation between ROIs typically thought to underlie changes in cognitive control (right Inferior Frontal gyrus and Anterior Cingulate cortex) and age-related improvements in cognitive control, and ROIs for working memory (superior parietal cortex), and age-related changes in a working memory task. These data add to our growing understanding of how structural maturation of the brain supports vast behavioral changes in executive functions observed across childhood

Challenges of Data Management Training for Graduate Students at a Large Research University

Objective: To describe the challenges and outcomes of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries\u27 Data Working Group\u27s series of training workshops for graduate students on the subject of data management and preservation, with specific regard to the data management requirements of the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. Participants: The Libraries\u27 Data Working Group is composed of six members with expertise in project management, systems and web development, scholarly communication, digital archives and metadata, and science and social science librarianship. The Data Working Group is one of three subgroups of the Digital Strategies Group at the University Libraries. Description: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries provides a number of services to faculty and graduate students in support of research at an institution classified as a Research University with Very High research activity (RU/VH) by the Carnegie Foundation[1]. Recognizing a high demand for greater data education, the Libraries\u27 Data Working Group has conducted workshops for graduate students in specific disciplines -- humanities, social sciences, and sciences -- designed to address their data needs and highlight smart data management practices. Graduate students were also guided through the data management requirements of national funding agencies and potential solutions. Results: In its current capacity the Data Working Group provides educational workshops and individual consulting sessions for faculty and graduate students. The Data Working Group observed a significant portion of graduate students who had no prior experience with smart data practices or useful data management resources. This process has identified a clear need for wider, more intensive education for graduate students on data practices and the data management requirements of national funding agencies. [1] http://www.umass.edu/umhome/research.ph

S5. From Ballot Box to Document Box: Exploring Contemporary Challenges with Congressional Papers

Always at the forefront of archival challenges and in high demand by researchers, congressional papers are usually complex, large, and unwieldy collections that are found in archives of all sizes. Further complicating processing and reference, they often contain a variety of formats, subjects, and sensitive materials. Speakers in this session discussed their experiences working with the papers of members of Congress from New Jersey and South Carolina. They explored such topics as managing copyright, arranging and describing modern media, handling materials that evoke recent trauma, accessing restricted records, and managing a congressional collection at a smaller repository on a limited budget.Presentation from the MARAC conference in Newark, NJ on April 20–22, 2017. S5: From Ballot Box to Document Box: Exploring Contemporary Challenges with Congressional Paper

Preferred and actual place of death in haematological malignancies : a report from the UK haematological malignancy research network

Objectives Hospital death is comparatively common in people with haematological cancers, but little is known about patient preferences. This study investigated actual and preferred place of death, concurrence between these and characteristics of preferred place discussions. Methods Set within a population-based haematological malignancy patient cohort, adults (≥18 years) diagnosed 2004–2012 who died 2011–2012 were included (n=963). Data were obtained via routine linkages (date, place and cause of death) and abstraction of hospital records (diagnosis, demographics, preferred place discussions). Logistic regression investigated associations between patient and clinical factors and place of death, and factors associated with the likelihood of having a preferred place discussion. Results Of 892 patients (92.6%) alive 2 weeks after diagnosis, 58.0% subsequently died in hospital (home, 20.0%; care home, 11.9%; hospice, 10.2%). A preferred place discussion was documented for 453 patients (50.8%). Discussions were more likely in women (p=0.003), those referred to specialist palliative care (p<0.001), and where cause of death was haematological cancer (p<0.001); and less likely in those living in deprived areas (p=0.005). Patients with a discussion were significantly (p<0.05) less likely to die in hospital. Last recorded preferences were: home (40.6%), hospice (18.1%), hospital (17.7%) and care home (14.1%); two-thirds died in their final preferred place. Multiple discussions occurred for 58.3% of the 453, with preferences varying by proximity to death and participants in the discussion. Conclusion Challenges remain in ensuring that patients are supported to have meaningful end-of-life discussions, with healthcare services that are able to respond to changing decisions over time

Does digital, multimedia information increase recruitment and retention in a children’s wrist fracture treatment trial, and what do people think of it? A randomised controlled Study Within A Trial (SWAT)

Objectives To evaluate digital, multimedia information (MMI) for its effects on trial recruitment, retention, decisions about participation and acceptability by patients, compared with printed information. Design Study Within A Trial using random cluster allocation within the Forearm Fracture Recovery in Children Evaluation (FORCE) study. Setting Emergency departments in 23 UK hospitals. Participants 1409 children aged 4–16 years attending with a torus (buckle) fracture, and their parents/guardian. Children’s mean age was 9.2 years, 41.0% were female, 77.4% were ethnically White and 90.0% spoke English as a first language. Interventions Participants and their parents/guardian received trial information either via multimedia, including animated videos, talking head videos and text (revised for readability and age appropriateness when needed) on tablet computer (MMI group; n=681), or printed participant information sheet (PIS group; n=728). Outcome measures Primary outcome was recruitment rate to FORCE. Secondary outcomes were Decision Making Questionnaire (nine Likert items, analysed summatively and individually), three ‘free text’ questions (deriving subjective evaluations) and trial retention. Results MMI produced a small, not statistically significant increase in recruitment: 475 (69.8%) participants were recruited from the MMI group; 484 (66.5%) from the PIS group (OR=1.35; 95% CI 0.76 to 2.40, p=0.31). A total of 324 (23.0%) questionnaires were returned and analysed. There was no difference in total Decision-Making Questionnaire scores: adjusted mean difference 0.05 (95% CI −1.23 to 1.32, p=0.94). The MMI group was more likely to report the information ‘very easy’ to understand (89; 57.8% vs 67; 39.4%; Z=2.60, p=0.01) and identify information that was explained well (96; 62.3% vs 71; 41.8%). Almost all FORCE recruits were retained at the 6 weeks’ timepoint and there was no difference in retention rate between the information groups: MMI (473; 99.6%); PIS (481; 99.4%)

You Had Me at 3 Years: The Ethics and Practicality of Project Archivists

These slides were used as part of a discussion about ethical issues and the reality of life for project archivists, both from an employee's and institutional perspective.With the Society of American Archivists working to define standards for both intern and volunteer workers, it seems fitting to look now towards another hallmark of archival work: project positions. These positions work to both introduce new archivists to the field and get smaller scale work off the ground, but at the same time, create a volatile job market that not only exacerbates new archivists but also hinders institutional memory and creates a burden on permanent employees. Due to restrictions of grant funding and other institutional factors, these positions are not going away any time soon, and a need for guidelines in creating these jobs is crucial to the development of the field. This talk will look at ethical and practical considerations surrounding project work—both from the employee and hiring manager’s perspectives—and propose ways that institutions can approach project work in order to create better environments for their employees and themselves