Mindfulness and Teen Behavior: Teenagers\u27 Perceptions of Behavior that led to Expulsion

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teaching specific mindfulness techniques to teens who have difficulty functioning in the classroom, using the Mindful Schools Curricula; the course includes 18 lessons on being mindful of sound, breath, movement, thoughts, and emotions. Specifically, the study was designed to determine whether a mindfulness course would be beneficial for South Parish High School teens who are expelled. The study design was mixed methods. Participants were administered pre- and post- scientific validated survey scales that measure mindfulness characteristics as one data source. Participants’ parents were given a questionnaire to return and interviews were attempted for all. Participants were guided in mindfulness sessions held twice a week for one hour per week for ten weeks during the 2017 fall semester. Benefits for participants in the study include increased awareness of their behaviors in present time in the hopes for them to respond rather than reacting

SUPPLY CHAIN COMPETENCY: RECIPE FOR CEREAL AND LIVESTOCK MARKETING IN ALBERTA?

This study examines the nature of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the Canadian barley industry, economic theories related to SCM, identifies SCM drivers and reviews the Canadian barley marketing system. Two surveys were conducted; one on the feed barley segment of the market; another on the malt barley segment of the market. These surveys provide an outline of the attributes sought by buyers of feed barley in Alberta and by buyers of malt barley in Canada and the United States. A further goal of these surveys was to assess the extent of motivations for SCM in the barley supply chain. Study methods include scaling, factor analysis and stated preference techniques to analyze purchasers' preferences for specific product attributes, business relationships and product source. The major attributes of feed barley sought by Alberta feed manufacturers appear to be physical characteristics such as moisture level, absence of foreign material, high bushel weight and uniform appearance of kernels. Features identified as of moderate importance included levels of certain key amino acids, starch level in the barley sample, as well as such seller characteristics as whether the seller was personally known to the buyer, and willingness of the seller to enter into a long-term supply contract. At the level of the Alberta feed mill industry, results therefore indicate that physical, readily identifiable attributes dominate in the selection of feed barley. As a result, the study identified that SCM is not yet a part of the awareness of barley buyers at feed mills. Among buyers of malt barley, physical or easily assessed attributes such as size of kernel, germination percentage, variety and location where produced ranked highly in a factor analysis as important to malt barley buyers. While results from the sample of Canadian and US buyers did not indicate strong potential for SCM in the malt barley sector, the study found there to be differences in attributes desired by US versus Canadian malt purchasers. Main differences were the concern of US buyers with the region where the barley was grown, and the apparently much higher willingness of US buyers to obtain their malt barley from more than one source. These differences may suggest a potential for SCM in malt barley focused on procuring supplies from regions identified as preferred locations for barley used in malt production.Industrial Organization,

The Use of a Quasi-Experimental Study on the Mortality Effect of a Heat Wave Warning System in Korea.

Many cities and countries have implemented heat wave warning systems to combat the health effects of extreme heat. Little is known about whether these systems actually reduce heat-related morbidity and mortality. We examined the effectiveness of heat wave alerts and health plans in reducing the mortality risk of heat waves in Korea by utilizing the discrepancy between the alerts and the monitored temperature. A difference-in-differences analysis combined with propensity score weighting was used. Mortality, weather monitoring, and heat wave alert announcement data were collected for 7 major cities during 2009-2014. Results showed evidence of risk reduction among people aged 19-64 without education (-0.144 deaths/1,000,000 people, 95% CI: -0.227, -0.061) and children aged 0-19 (-0.555 deaths/1,000,000 people, 95% CI: -0.993, -0.117). Decreased cardiovascular and respiratory mortality was found in several subgroups including single persons, widowed people, blue-collar workers, people with no education or the highest level of education (university or higher). No evidence was found for decreased all-cause mortality in the population (1.687 deaths/1,000,000 people per day; 95% CI: 1.118, 2.255). In conclusion, heat wave alerts may reduce mortality for several causes and subpopulations of age and socio-economic status. Further work needs to examine the pathways through which the alerts impact subpopulations differently

Detection of P2X3 in DRG Using an Automated Approach to Immunoblotting, Jess

Exaggerated cardiovascular (CV) responses to exercise can lead to adverse CV events. Previous studies have reported that P2X3 receptors, found on the peripheral endings of afferents, contribute to an exaggerated exercise pressor reflex in individuals with CV-related diseases. One way to investigate the role played by these receptors in CV pathophysiology is through immunoblotting. The Jess (Protein Simple) provides an automated option for the protein separation and immunoblotting of the traditional Western Blot and allows for total protein staining, an improvement over the use of loading controls to normalize for sample loading variability. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a protocol, using the Jess, for quantifying P2X3 receptor protein expression in the L4 and L5 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of healthy and type 1 diabetic rats. METHODS: Streptozotocin (STZ), 50 mg/kg, or a vehicle (CTL) was injected i.p into fasted Sprague Dawley rats (n=7 each group). After a minimum of 3 weeks, L4 and L5 DRG were excised, immediately placed in HBSS, and then stored at -80°C until subsequent analyses. For quantification, samples were lysed and protein was isolated (Macherey-Nagel) and then quantified (Qubit protein assay kit). For an initial Optimization Run a single test sample lysate was used; different protein concentrations (0.1 - 1.4 mg/ml) were tested against multiple Anti-P2X3 (Novus Biologicals) dilutions (1:25 – 1:250). Sample lysates (3 μl) and required reagents were loaded into a microplate as per manufacturer’s instructions and then the microplate and capillaries were loaded into the Jess. Over 3 hours; protein separation, antibody incubations, washes, and detection were all performed automatically within the Jess. The data from that run provided the optimal protein concentration and antibody dilution that were then used for the Sample Run, which involved running the CTL and STZ sample lysates. For the Sample Run, protein normalization reagent was added to the microplate in order to normalize for sample loading variability using total protein staining. RESULTS: Optimization Run - A protein concentration of 1.4 mg/ml and a dilution of 1:250 for the P2X3 antibody were found to be optimal. This determination was based on the combination of a low background signal from the antibody and a detectable target protein signal. Sample Run - We found that P2X3 receptor protein expression decreased in STZ rats compared to CTL rats (0.82 ± 0.09 vs 1.00 ± 0.19; n=7 both groups, p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Using the Jess, an automated protocol was developed that detected differences in P2X3 receptor protein expression in rats with and without diabetes. Advantages over the traditional Western Blot include: a run time of 3 hours, reduced user-associated variability thru automation, and the capability of using total protein staining to normalize for sample loading variability. Technological advances such as the Jess are a step towards addressing current rigor and reproducibility concerns

A study on modeling nitrogen dioxide concentrations using land-use regression and conventionally used exposure assessment methods

The land-use regression (LUR) approach to estimate the levels of ambient air pollutants is becoming popular due to its high validity in predicting small-area variations. However, only a few studies have been conducted in Asian countries, and much less research has been conducted on comparing the performances and applied estimates of different exposure assessments including LUR. The main objectives of the current study were to conduct nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure assessment with four methods including LUR in the Republic of Korea, to compare the model performances, and to estimate the empirical NO2 exposures of a cohort. The study population was defined as the year 2010 participants of a government-supported cohort established for bio-monitoring in Ulsan, Republic of Korea. The annual ambient NO2 exposures of the 969 study participants were estimated with LUR, nearest station, inverse distance weighting, and ordinary kriging. Modeling was based on the annual NO2 average, traffic-related data, land-use data, and altitude of the 13 regularly monitored stations. The final LUR model indicated that area of transportation, distance to residential area, and area of wetland were important predictors of NO2. The LUR model explained 85.8% of the variation observed in the 13 monitoring stations of the year 2009. The LUR model outperformed the others based on leave-one out cross-validation comparing the correlations and root-mean square error. All NO2 estimates ranged from 11.3–18.0 ppb, with that of LUR having the widest range. The NO2 exposure levels of the residents differed by demographics. However, the average was below the national annual guidelines of the Republic of Korea (30 ppb). The LUR models showed high performances in an industrial city in the Republic of Korea, despite the small sample size and limited data. Our findings suggest that the LUR method may be useful in similar settings in Asian countries where the target region is small and availability of data is low

Barriers to Growth Management: Local Challenges Implementing the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe

To combat urban sprawl and its negative effects on ecosystem services and human health, regional growth management and containment policies have been used with increased frequency to manage urban growth. Yet, local implementation of regional growth management planning policies across North America has had mixed success, often resulting in a mismatch between growth management planning objectives and the urban development reality. This research explores the reasons for the apparent mismatch by examining how barriers to local implementation are expressed, reinforced and perpetuated to prevent transformative change. Using Ontario’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe as a case study, the dissertation examines the barriers to implementation through a review of local contextual information and the perspectives of those tasked with implementing the Plan within three case study regions of the Greater Golden Horseshoe: Waterloo, Simcoe and Peterborough. A relational model of barriers reported in the literature is developed and tested against the barriers described by local planners, developers, the media, planning documents, and locally relevant academic literature and used to frame comparisons across case studies. Variations among the case studies are interpreted in light of the model using a conceptual framework that conceives barriers as institutions embedded within a hierarchical culture of planning. Case study results reveal that barriers to local implementation vary across regions. This variation can be attributed to particular local contextual pressures and differences in local planning environments that influence how broader, societal barriers are understood, justified, managed and reinforced. Planning environments in the more rural and exurban case studies regions of Simcoe and Peterborough demonstrated similar belief systems, values and planning goals that obstructed local efforts to manage growth. These same regions faced particular growth and economic pressures that reinforced existing value systems and reduced the range of perceived planning solutions and approaches to growth management. In contrast, planning environments in the more urban Waterloo case study region, as well as urban single tier municipalities within the rural case study regions, demonstrated planning environments that were more open to innovative and assertive planning approaches to manage growth. This research demonstrates how the interactions between local context and planning environments shape the interpretation and implementation of regional growth management plans. The research findings provide focal points for further research on growth management implementation by highlighting barriers and patterns of reinforcement that are less visible and rarely acknowledged in planning practice. As well, this research highlights the need for planning approaches that recognize the important role of the local planning environments in advancing growth management objectives. Failure to recognize and address the underlying barriers and their interdependencies may result in the development of regional growth management plans that fail to achieve their objectives

Effects of intergenerational Montessori-based activities programming on engagement of nursing home residents with dementia

Fourteen nursing home residents on a dementia special care unit at a skilled nursing facility took part in one-to-one intergenerational programming (IGP) with 15 preschool children from the facility’s on-site child care center. Montessori-based activities served as the interface for interactions between dyads. The amount of time residents demonstrated positive and negative forms of engagement during IGP and standard activities programming was assessed through direct observation using a tool developed for this purpose – the Myers Research Institute Engagement Scale (MRI-ES). These residents with dementia displayed the ability to successfully take part in IGP. Most successfully presented “lessons” to the children in their dyads, similar to the way that Montessori teachers present lessons to children, while persons with more severe cognitive impairment took part in IGP through other methods such as parallel play. Taking part in IGP was consistently related with higher levels of positive engagement and lower levels of negative forms of engagement in these residents with dementia than levels seen in standard activities programming on the unit. Implications of using this form of IGP, and directions for future research, are discussed

Evaluating Mediated Perception of Narrative Health Messages: The Perception of Narrative Performance Scale

Narrative media health messages have proven effective in preventing adolescents’ substance use but as yet few measures exist to assess perceptions of them. Without such a measure it is difficult to evaluate the role these messages play in health promotion or to differentiate them from other message forms. In response to this need, a study was conducted to evaluate the Perception of Narrative Performance Scale that assesses perceptions of narrative health messages. A sample of 1185 fifth graders in public schools at Phoenix, Arizona completed a questionnaire rating of two videos presenting narrative substance use prevention messages. Confirmatory factor analyses were computed to identify the factor structure of the scale. Consistent with prior studies, results suggest a 3 factor structure for the Perception of Narrative Performance Scale: interest, realism, and identification (with characters). In addition, a path analysis was performed to test the predictive power of the scale. The analysis shows that the scale proves useful in predicting intent to use substances. Finally, practical implications and limitations are discussed

Interprofessional Team Development in Student Led Clinics in Rural Northeast Tennessee

Background/Rationale - East Tennessee State University developed four interprofessional (IP) team-based education and practice clinics from within an already established network of nine nurse-managed clinics. The purpose of these IP clinic teams is to build capacity for interprofessional practice (IPP) and deliver effective health management to patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) through evidence-based practice to improve health outcomes in underserved populations. Description of Innovative Approach - This project took the innovative approach of acknowledging the specialized knowledge, skills, and contributions of nursing, pharmacy, and nutrition specialties, empowering each discipline to be an active decision-maker in the healthcare team. The IP team embedded themselves in existing nurse managed clinics, conducting “student led” clinics at the various sites. A Clinical Fellows Model was utilized to enhance the students learning experience and to promote IPP upon graduation. Challenges and Strategies of IP Team Development - During the first year of the project, the IP team overcame barriers with purposeful strategy which has created unique opportunities for the remaining grant period. Challenges and barriers were overcome with attention to building team collaboration through education and familiarity with working in the interprofessional setting. Discussion – The Clinical Fellows Model was derived from four IP competencies: roles and responsibilities, values and ethics, teamwork, and communication. The student led IP clinics have grown in the number of sites and disciplines supporting East Tennessee State University’s vision of true interprofessional education and practice for managing patients with MCC