Ergonomics of Grab Unloaders for Bulk Materials Handling

An ergonomic study of operator cabs for grab unloaders is presented herein. Our results demonstrated that the drivers adopted poor postures, partially owing to the basic geometry of the situation and partially because they used only the central lower front window for downward vision and control boxes obstructed vision. These problems have been exacerbated by introducing extremely large bulk carriers that have a wider hold than the previous ships used

Healing from Racism with Compassion Meditation: Effects of Coping on Mental Health

This study examines whether Compassion Meditation (CM) can help ethnic minority college students heal from race-related stress. The present study hypothesized that through participation in a CM intervention, the augmentation of adaptive coping strategies (i.e., self-compassion) and the reduction of maladaptive coping strategies (i.e., internalization, defined as self-blame, and detachment, defined as social isolation) would reduce depression and PTSD. Participants (N = 9) participated in an 8-session weekly CM intervention and completed three questionnaires at the beginning, middle, and end of the intervention. Results demonstrated that increasing self-compassion predicted decreases in depression, and that reducing coping via detachment predicted decreases in PTSD. In addition, all nine participants met the clinical cutoff for major depression at pre-intervention, but only five remained above the cutoff point by post-intervention. Implications for future CM interventions, research, and prevention strategies are discussed

Measurement of visual lobe dimensions with a simultaneous foveal task

This experiment studied the effects of different levels of foveal cognitive load on the dimensions of the visual lobe. The dimensions of hard shell visual lobes were determined at the 50% detection threshold. The number of correct targets detected seemed unaffected by the foveal load in the near periphery but a decrement occurred beyond 7.7°, which indicates that there is no influence on the 50% hard-shell lobe value. But the tunnel vision found beyond this eccentricity decreases the detection probability of the soft-shell lobe. The target detection percentages obtained at no foveal load condition may give overestimates of detection probability for search condition with high foveal cognitive load.published_or_final_versio

Student at Risk Identification and Remedial Action System for Improving Retention on Computer Science Programmes

Retention has been a serious problem for computing programmes in the Computer Science and Creative Technology Department (CSCT) at the University of the West of England (UWE): for example in 2013-14 the BSc (Hons) Computer Science programme lost 18% of its year-one intake. Addressing this, CSCT developed a three-pronged strategy comprising retention research, the monitoring of module performance and the development of a student-at-risk-identification-and-remedial-action-system (SRIRAS). The last initiative was prioritised in 2015-16. An intern team was recruited to run a system to monitor student attendance and academic performance across seven CSCT programmes, identify those students most at risk and then, with the collaboration of programme leaders and year-tutors, help them. Help included phone calls, email warnings, and face-to-face meetings. The latter led to problem identification, advice on non-academic problems, encouragement to attend more lectures, tutorials and peer assisted learning (PAL) sessions, encouragement to engage with module staff, setting up special PAL sessions, and advice to attend catch-up programming sessions. Results indicated that many of those most at risk are struggling with non-academic concerns such as starting the programme late due to a visa problem, or not being able to attend due to a grant not arriving. Results also indicate that some students seem to be being “saved” while others do not. But overall, they indicate that the introduction of the retention system was mixed

Learning Circles as a Tool for Participant- Owned Evaluation

Learning circles are an approach where individuals with a common interest meet regularly to learn from each other about a self-identified topic in a format chosen by the group. Honoring a group’s collective wisdom, centering participants’ learning needs, and prioritizing relationships and trust are all features of learning circles. This practice is of increasing interest to funders and evaluators as a tool for practicing learning and evaluation aligned with the Equitable Evaluation Framework™. Kansas Health Foundation and its strategic learning partners, Innovation Network and Harder+Company Community Research, are exploring learning circles in two of the foundation’s initiatives: Integrated Voter Engagement and the Kansas Digital Equity and Inclusion Collaborative. The foundation further applied the learning circle approach to the evaluation of these initiatives as part of its own practice in equitable grantmaking. By doing so, it is strategically following the lead of and yielding power to initiative partners. This article shares the authors’ individual experiences and collective reflections on being in the EEF practice, striving to shift ownership of the evaluation from foundations to participants. We offer considerations on 1) the foundation’s transition to equitable grantmaking and evaluation, 2) the formation and evolution of each learning circle project, and 3) what it takes to practice this approach in line with the EEF

The Association Between Self-Rated Mental Health Status and Total Health Care Expenditure: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of a Nationally Representative Sample

Both clinical diagnoses and self-rated measures of mental illness are associated with a variety of outcomes, including physical well-being, health utilization, and expenditure. However, much of current literature primarily utilizes clinically diagnosed data. This cross-sectional study explores the impact of mental illness and health care expenditure using 2 self-rated measures: self-rated measured of perceived mental health status (SRMH) and Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6). Data from the 2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized individuals (n = 18,295), were analyzed using bivariate χ2 tests and a 2-part model (logistics regression and generalized linear model regression for the first and second stages, respectively). Although predictive of any health expenditure, SRMH alone was not highly predictive of the dollar value of that health expenditure conditional on any spending. By comparison, the K6 measure was significantly and positively associated with the probability of any health expenditure as well as the dollar value of that spending. Taken together, both the K6 and SRMH measures suggest a positive relationship between poor mental health and the probability of any health expenditure and total expenditure conditional on any spending, even when adjusting for other confounding factors such as race/ethnicity, sex, age, educational attainment, insurance status, and some regional characteristics. Our results suggest that psychological distress and SRMH may represent potential pathways linking poor mental health to increased health care expenditure. Further research exploring the nuances of these relationships may aid researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in addressing issues of inflated health care expenditure in populations at risk for poor mental health

Representation of Bed Stresses within a Model of Chesapeake Bay

This project focused on numerical modeling of the Estuarine Turbidity Maximum (ETM) with the goal of improving the representation of the bottom boundary layer and turbulent mixing within the Chesapeake Bay Program’s model [see Cerco and Noel, 2004]. The effort has been part of the EPA’s sediment modeling initiative for the Chesapeake Bay, in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC). Research activities focused on the Upper Chesapeake Bay and major tributaries in Maryland (such as the Potomac River); and assisted management of the U.S. EPA TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) project under the provision of the 1972 Clean Water Act. This document reports progress made during the study. Many of the analysis were extended beyond the Upper Chesapeake Bay so that the results included the entire Chesapeake Bay and major tributaries, to assist in ERDC baywide modeling efforts. Figure 1 shows the bathymetry of Chesapeake Bay, and a representative grid used by the ERDC hydrodynamic and water quality model. This effort was divided into three tasks: (1) estimation of bed shear stress, (2) data analysis, and (3) technology transfer. The following lists progress made within each task throughout the three year program

Occupational Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit

In recent years, the number of inpatient cardiovascular surgeries has significantly increased in hospitals around America. Occupational therapists in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (Burlingame, California) currently lack a standard protocol for addressing physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors in patients post cardiac surgery. Furthermore, interventions are frequently guided by professional experience and clinical reasoning instead of current evidence. The American Occupational Therapy Association’s Centennial Vision encourages occupational therapists to pursue science-driven practices and provide evidence-based interventions. In response to this vision, an extensive review of current literature was conducted and applied to develop an evidence-based clinical pathway for the occupational therapists at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center. The proposed clinical pathway includes intervention guidelines for physical recovery, early detection of cognitive impairment, and psychosocial health for patients post cardiac surgery recovering in the ICU. The clinical pathway would establish a standard of care and facilitate patients’ return to their highest level of function during post-cardiac surgery rehabilitation.https://scholar.dominican.edu/ug-student-posters/1032/thumbnail.jp

Addressing Bias in SLP Problem-Based Tutorials through Critical Reflexivity, Curriculum Development and Instructor Training

Racism is prevalent in the fields of healthcare and education in North America and speech-language pathology and audiology are no exception. Systemic and individual racism in educational, training, and clinical settings creates barriers for student entry and success, and negatively impacts client care. Although the ability to serve clients of diverse backgrounds is a crucial skill for students and clinicians, current educational curricula appears insufficient in supporting culturally diverse students and preparing all students to work with culturally diverse populations. This is, in part, due to a lack of diverse representation in education and clinical settings, bias experienced by SLP and audiology students in education programs, and problematic ways in which clinical information and race are presented in these educational programs. This paper aims to provide evidence informed guidance to SLP and audiology educators that will support their efforts to: 1. Develop students’ critical reflection and critical reflexivity skills. 2. Integrate racial and cultural diversity in the curricula. 3. Develop instructor competencies to create a safe learning environment. An example of a problem-based tutorial course in an SLP program is presented with a focus on clinical case development and small group learning experiences. Revision of curricula content with a focus on developing students’ lifelong skills in critical reflexivity may provide a foundation to equip SLPs and audiologists to address existing health disparities and improve client outcomes

Michigan Green Communities

The Michigan Green Communities network was formed in 2010 in order to connect communities throughout the state and encourage increased sustainability activity through capacity-building, information sharing, and teamwork among municipalities. Since then, the network has grown to over 100 members and features the Green Communities Challenge activity reporting program, an annual conference, monthly newsletters, and bi-weekly conference calls. The goal of this master’s project team of five graduate students at the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ross School of Business was to strengthen Michigan Green Communities’ (MGC) sustainability outcomes through three components: Policy, Economic Energy Analysis, and Outreach. The Policy component strove to incentivize sustainability actions in communities through guidance and friendly competition by revamping the Green Communities Challenge (GCC) to be more accessible, informative, and relevant to municipal needs. The team researched program models nationwide and collaborated with the GCC Advisory Committee and MGC members to develop, review, and launch new program features: Sustainability Action Lists, which are a collection of specific Action Items with comprehensive Action Guides, will direct and support community initiatives. A certification system will recognize differential levels of community achievement. A new web-based design will facilitate implementation, tracking, and updating of the program. The success of these initiatives depends on completion of their implementation, assistance to members transitioning over to the new GCC structure, and continued research into case studies and model programs to strengthen the resources available to GCC members. The Economic Energy Analysis component developed an Excel-based model using the city of Wyandotte as a case study to help communities determine their energy usage and related emissions and expenditures. Serving as an Action Item for the updated Green Communities Challenge, this baseline awareness should motivate municipalities to pursue other actions to reduce their consumption and long-term costs. The Outreach component worked to improve connections and information sharing between communities by developing an online map to illustrate sustainability actions around the state and by organizing three regional workshops. Hosted by regional energy offices, the workshops provided occasions for the team to present its tools to MGC members, a venue for non-profits to share their services, and networking opportunities for communities at the regional level for more targeted sustainability discussions. The enthusiasm of workshop participants illustrated the value of MGC and the master’s project; it was clear that Michigan communities are eager to improve their sustainability practices and appreciate opportunities to gain support and share ideas with their peers. The master’s project thus succeeded in directly strengthening the network by bringing new MGC members together in regional settings. Furthermore, the products created by the three components will serve as lasting tools for MGC and the GCC and function synergistically by providing motivation and information to feed into one another. Future work identified by the project team includes further developing these tools to incorporate new practices and resources, establishing a permanent nonprofit institution to host MGC, and pursuing coalitions with local, state, and regional entities and seeking financial support for network operation and community projects to ensure the growth and longevity of MGC.Master of Science (MS)Natural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90932/1/Michigan Green Communities Master's Project Report.pd