As You Like It: Costume Shop Management

The following thesis details my role and process serving as the Costume Shop Manager for As You Like It, which was produced in the University Theatre in the spring of 2014. I will describe how I facilitated the realization of the costumes designed by Cayla Greer through my management of the costume shop. This thesis includes the paperwork I created to manage the construction of the costumes, an analysis of the play, the costume renderings created by the designer, Cayla Greer, and photos of the final finalized costumes as well as an evaluation of the process

Textile Waste & The 3R's: Textile Waste Strategy Recommendations For The City Of Toronto

The outsourcing of manufacturing to low-wage countries in concert with the rise of fast fashion business models has resulted in an abundance of low-cost and low-quality textile products. This has led to increased consumption and shortened product lifecycles, the consequence of which is increased textile waste. This waste stream generates environmental, economic, and social consequences in countries of both production and consumption. As such, it is necessary for municipalities, like the City of Toronto, to adopt a comprehensive textile recycling strategy to divert these materials from landfills. The 3R Waste Hierarchy provides a framework on which to model such a strategy. Strategies based on the 3R components of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle help to minimize the amount of waste disposed while conserving natural resources and extracting the maximum value out of already produced products. The first component, Reduce, focuses on changing consumption habits to prevent the creation of waste, and in the context of textile waste aim to move consumers away from the purchase of fast fashion products. The fast fashion retail model is premised on introducing new products to stores as quickly as possible. In this model, clothing quickly becomes outdated or falls apart, leading to disposal. The second component, Reuse, focuses on using an item again and prolonging its life. Textiles can be sold or donated to second-hand retailers to be used by a new owner. Thrift stores comprise the largest portion of the second-hand market. They accept donations of used clothing, which are then sold in their retail stores or to for-profit recyclers to generate revenue. Lack of information is a major barrier to the success of reuse strategies. Consumers generally do not understand what can be donated, choosing instead to throw away items they thought donation centres would not accept. The final component, Recycle, involves recovering the valuable raw materials from a product and utilizing these as inputs into a new product. Mechanical and chemical textile recycling processes are used to break down textiles and produce new fibres. Depending on the process, the resulting fibres are either of lower or same quality as the original fibres, and can be utilized for a variety of applications. For each 3R component, strategies to address textile waste are identified and evaluated according to their potential efficiency, effectiveness, and feasibility. Textile handling and collection strategies are also analyzed using the same criteria. Accordingly, to address its textile waste, the City of Toronto is recommended to introduce voluntary reduction strategies, such as textile collection boxes and green procurement, and education campaigns. Over time the City should move towards full compliance using by-laws mandating building diversion levels and landfill bans. By implementing such a strategy, the City of Toronto can address the impact of its textile waste, and serve as a model for other Canadian municipalities looking to do the same

Imaging fascicular organisation in mammalian vagus nerve for selective VNS

Nerves contain a large number of nerve fibres, or axons, organised into bundles known as fascicles. Despite the somatic nervous system being well understood, the organisation of the fascicles within the nerves of the autonomic nervous system remains almost completely unknown. The new field of bioelectronics medicine, Electroceuticals, involves the electrical stimulation of nerves to treat diseases instead of administering drugs or performing complex surgical procedures. Of particular interest is the vagus nerve, a prime target for intervention due to its afferent and efferent innervation to the heart, lungs and majority of the visceral organs. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising therapy for treatment of various conditions resistant to standard therapeutics. However, due to the unknown anatomy, the whole nerve is stimulated which leads to unwanted off-target effects. Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive medical imaging technique in which the impedance of a part of the body is inferred from electrode measurements and used to form a tomographic image of that part. Micro-computed tomography (microCT) is an ex vivo method that has the potential to allow for imaging and tracing of fascicles within experimental models and facilitate the development of a fascicular map. Additionally, it could validate the in vivo technique of EIT. The aim of this thesis was to develop and optimise the microCT imaging method for imaging the fascicles within the nerve and to determine the fascicular organisation of the vagus nerve, ultimately allowing for selective VNS. Understanding and imaging the fascicular anatomy of nerves will not only allow for selective VNS and the improvement of its therapeutic efficacy but could also be integrated into the study on all peripheral nerves for peripheral nerve repair, microsurgery and improving the implementation of nerve guidance conduits. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to vagus nerve anatomy and the principles of microCT, neuronal tracing and EIT. Chapter 2 describes the optimisation of microCT for imaging the fascicular anatomy of peripheral nerves in the experimental rat sciatic and pig vagus nerve models, including the development of pre-processing methods and scanning parameters. Cross-validation of this optimised microCT method, neuronal tracing and EIT in the rat sciatic nerve was detailed in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 describes the study with microCT with tracing, EIT and selective stimulation in pigs, a model for human nerves. The microCT tracing approach was then extended into the subdiaphragmatic branches of the vagus nerves, detailed in Chapter 5. The ultimate goal of human vagus nerve tracing was preliminarily performed and described in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 concludes the work and describes future work. Lastly, Appendix 1 (Chapter 8) is a mini review on the application of selective vagus nerve stimulation to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome and Appendix 2 is morphological data corresponding to Chapter 4

The relationship between the use of hormonal contraceptives and ligamentous knee injury in the female collegiate athlete

Female athletes are three to six times more likely than males to sustain a ligamentous knee injury due to hormonal risk factors. Hormones of the menstrual cycle have been shown to alter the physiological component of ligamentous structures during the three phases of the cycle. Use of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) may influence the incidence and severity of ligamentous knee injuries in female athletes. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between HC use and the type and severity of ligamentous knee injuries sustained among female collegiate athletes using an online survey distributed to NCAA female athletes who experienced a ligamentous knee injury during the study time period (n=336). The electronic survey assessed demographic information, ligamentous knee injury and menstrual cycle characteristics, and HC use. Chi-Square analyses showed significant relationships between injury type and severity of injury, and injury type and menstrual cycle phase. The majority of respondents sustained ACL injuries, were in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and HC users. Of the HC users, there were a greater number of respondents who were combined hormonal contraceptive users and oral contraceptive pill users. The type of ligamentous knee injury (ACL) impacted the severity of the injury. Female athletes were at the greatest risk for ligamentous knee injury in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Future work should aim to identify injury prevention programs, protective equipment, and HC for decreasing the risk for ligamentous knee injury

Agriculture in the Classroom Farm Day Lesson Plan

Nontraditional educational programs have been proclaimed desirable by many teachers, and proven effective through data collection and feedback (Coombs and Ahmed, 1974). Of the more popular unconventional educational programs, outside learning activities are commonly implemented as they are not only advantageous to students, but to teachers as well (Cengelci, 2013; Knoblock, 2008). Though nontraditional, much thought must be put into creating lesson plans for these educational programs. El Dorado County’s Agriculture in the Classroom program utilizes nontraditional outdoor learning activities to conduct “Farm Day.” This lesson plan, created for Farm Day, is to teach third graders the importance of composting through a hands-on lesson

Social Ties over the Life Cycle in Blue Monkeys

The ways that individuals socialize within groups have evolved to overcome challenges relevant to species-specific socioecology and individuals’ life history state. Studying the drivers, proximate benefits, and fitness consequences of social interaction across life stages therefore helps clarify why and how social behavior has evolved. To date, juvenility is one life stage that field researchers have largely overlooked; however, individual experiences during development are relevant to later behavior and ultimately to fitness. Juvenile animals are subject to unique challenges related to their small size and relative inexperience. They are likely to employ behavioral strategies to overcome these challenges, while developing adult-like behavioral competence according to their species and sex. The research presented in this dissertation draws from long-term behavioral records of adult females and shorter-term behavioral records of juveniles from a population of blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni) in western Kenya. I combine data on social behavior, demography, and biomarkers related to energetic and metabolic status, to assess both short and long term corollaries of social strategies in this gregarious Old World primate. I first explored whether the quality of social ties predicted longevity among adult female blue monkeys. Controlling for any effects of dominance rank, group size, and life history strategy on survival, I used Cox proportional hazards regression to model the both the cumulative and current relationship of social ties and the hazard of mortality in 83 wild adult females of known age, observed 2-8 years each (437 subject-years) in 8 social groups. The strength of bonds with close partners increased mortality risk under certain conditions: females that had strong bonds with partners that were inconsistent over multiple years had a higher risk of mortality than females adopting any other social strategy. Within a single year, females had a higher risk of mortality if they were strongly bonded with partners that were inconsistent from the previous year vs. with partners that were consistent. Dominance rank, number of adult female group-mates, and age at first reproduction did not predict the risk of death. This study demonstrates that costs and benefits of strong social bonds during adulthood can be context-dependent, relating to the consistency of social partners over time. To understand the adaptive value of social behavior among juveniles, it was first necessary to understand the conditions under which their social behavior occurred and with which it co-varied. I examined the social behavior of 41 juvenile blue monkeys, using data collected over 8 consecutive months. I analyzed variation in social activity budgets and partner number related to life history characteristics, socio-demographic conditions, and seasonal environmental change. I examined partner preferences according to kinship, and relative age and rank. Lastly, I explored the stability of juvenile social tendencies over time. Males and females differed strongly in their social activity budgets and partner numbers: males spent more time playing with more partners than females, whereas females spent more time grooming and sitting close with more partners than males. Nevertheless, they were much more similar in terms of their partner preferences. Juveniles generally preferred to interact with partners with whom they were closely related and that were similar in age and maternal rank. Juveniles’ affiliative and aggressive behavior varied seasonally, suggesting that these two types of behavior were related. Rates of agonism given and received were the only types of social behavior to demonstrate repeatable inter-individual differences. This analysis provides a comprehensive examination of juvenile behavior in blue monkeys, synthesizing findings with those in other primate and non-primate species. I then explored the short-term costs and benefits of juveniles’ sociality in terms of their effects on allostatic load. I examined variation in energy balance (as measured by urinary C-peptide), social style, and their influences on allostatic load (as measured by fecal glucocorticoid metabolites, fGCs). Juvenile energy balance varied according to sex, availability of ripe fruit, and rainfall. Both energy balance and social style predicted fGC levels, such that juveniles that had a higher energy balance, groomed less, and played more had lower fGCs. Time spent grooming interacted with energy balance in their effect on fGCs, such that individuals with higher energy balance actually had higher fGCs the more time they groomed. Neither maternal rank nor involvement in agonism corresponded with juvenile fGC levels. These results suggest that juvenile blue monkeys experience energetic stressors and that navigating the social environment via overt affiliative behavior, namely grooming, is a potentially stress-inducing endeavor. Lastly, to further understand variation in social behavior during juvenility, I explored the role of mothers in shaping juveniles’ affiliative tendencies. I examined whether the social behavior of juvenile animals resembled that of their mothers and whether their social behavior was subject to maternal effects, using data from the 41 juveniles and their 29 mothers. Juveniles’ grooming time with peers corresponded with the amount of time they groomed with (primarily being groomed by) mothers as infants, and this relationship varied by sex. Females spent less time grooming with peers the more maternal grooming they received during infancy, whereas males groomed with peers more. The time juveniles spent in other types of association with partners did not correspond with the same behavior in mothers, nor were other types of association subject to maternal effects. This exploratory study suggests limited effects of maternal behavior during infancy, but also that females and males respond differently to maternal investment during the first year. The results of this dissertation emphasize the importance of long-term studies of natural populations in understanding the evolution of social behavior, particularly when examining the causes and consequences of social ties over the life cycle in a long-lived animal. Strategies of affiliation did indeed correspond with costs and benefits over the life cycle, as they were relevant both to mortality in female adults and metabolic hormones among juveniles. Further, individuals socialize during development according to their life trajectory as male or female, what seasonal changes in the physical environment require or allow, and early-life maternal effects

A Product To Aid Adolescents In Re-Integration To In-Person Education And Social Activities During The Covid-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted individuals in several ways. “Home confinement can have negative effects on mental health and lifestyle behaviors including social participation and life satisfaction” (Ammar et al., 2020). Unfortunately, adolescents are more vulnerable than adults in regard to mental health problems during a lockdown because of the transitional life phase they are going through (Waters et al., 2021). Additionally, transitioning back to in-person education and social activities can become difficult for the adolescent population due to the mental health challenges and other various effects brought about by mandated isolation. A needs assessment and comprehensive literature review were conducted before the doctoral experiential placement began to determine the effects mandated isolation has on the adolescent population related to transitioning back to in-person education and social activities. Common themes were synthesized and identified from the literature review and skilled observations to assist with the development and creation of the product. The informal needs assessment and comprehensive literature review at the identified agency were used to determine themes to include within the development of the product. The Ecology of Human Performance model was used to guide the creation of the product. The completed product includes interventions honing in on common themes including intervention groups focusing on various coping skills, social skills, habit/routine building, and sensory tools. These intervention groups will provide the adolescents with the tools necessary to help with transitioning back to in-person education and social settings by being able to use the skills they learned from the group within their daily lives. Through the use of occupation-based strategies, occupational therapy practice can address the common themes that were found from the literature review and needs assessment by addressing improvement of social skills, demonstrating effective use of coping skills to assist with the mental health effects from mandated isolation, and establishing habits and routines to support a successful transition. The chosen group interventions within the product will address these theme areas and will assist adolescents who are addressing the transition back to in-person education and social activities during the COVID-19 global pandemic and far more

Sharing Stories, Building Bonds: The Reconciliating Power of a Narrative

The Vusumnotfo Persona Doll Programme is a program that incorporates Way of Council, traditional storytelling and dialogue together to enable community preschool teachers in rural Eswatini to use the Persona Doll Approach with their students. Many emaSwati are not given the support to develop their Emotional Literacy, leading to a continued cycle of emotional abuse and community trauma. The Vusumnotfo Persona Doll Programme is designed to give preschool teachers the necessary skills to navigate this shared trauma, create a safe space for these teachers to confront their own trauma and work together to create a culture of healing for the students they interact with. Due to the Covid-19 International Pandemic we were unable to implement this program for this paper, however we were able to develop the program fully, and create a plan to put it in place during the 2021 academic year, with all Eswatini Covid-19 restrictions being taken into account. Keywords: The Persona Doll Approach, Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Literacy, Pre School Children, Vusumnotfo, Kingdom of Eswatin

Including Students in Anti-Bias and Anti-Racism Work

This Practitioner Perspective describes how the anti-bias and anti-racism work began in our school district and specifically how it is going in the school where I work. I am part of the district’s Antibias Antiracist (ABAR) council and involved in bringing this information to the building’s staff, and I am also curious about investigating ways we can invite students into the conversation. Equity work takes time and not everyone feels equipped or able to have uncomfortable discussions with students. Regardless, we have a responsibility to do the work with our students every day. In her 2016 article “Don’t Say Nothing,” Jamila Pitts reminds educators that “we may be uncomfortable talking about race, but we can no longer afford to be silent” (Pitts, 2016). We are living in incredibly challenging times and now is certainly not the time to be reticent in teaching our students ways they can raise their voices

Mother-Bereaved Women and Death Anxiety

Death anxiety in mother-bereaved women versus women non mother-bereaved was investigated. Female graduate students and social service employees were taken from a non-random sample in the Midwest. There were 60 participants, 30 who were mother-bereaved and 30 who were non mother-bereaved. Participants were given the Templer Death Anxiety Scale and a demographic survey to complete. Dependent variables were the scores on the Templer Death Anxiety Scale. There was not a statistically significant difference in average death anxiety scores between mother-bereaved women and non mother-bereaved women. The ramifications of the results are discussed, and potential avenues for further research are suggested