No Perfect Syllabus for Distance Learning: DBT Skills for Deciding How to Teach Throughout Uncertainty

The COVID-19 Pandemic presents a unique set of challenges as we work to continue teaching and learning in the midst of a shared crisis. The processes of sharing and acquiring knowledge that define pedagogical practice, though, is so much more than the sum of the “whats” and “hows” of teaching practice. As we consider how best to remain rooted to pedagogy within the confines created by the Corona Virus, the fusion of present-focused awareness and dialectical theory that is central to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides a framework through which to respond to uncontrollable circumstances with both acceptance and change. The core DBT skills (Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Walking the Middle Path) provide tools with which to maintain best-practice teaching expectations while also making room for the impact of a crisis on both teaching and learning. Remaining flexibly rooted in pedagogy allows instructors to extend their best practices outside of typical learning environments and to consider how best to support students and selves in continued learning and growth throughout trial and uncertainty

Clinician Heal Thyself: Turning the Mirror Inward to Dismantle the Barriers of Psychotherapy

The practice of psychotherapy developed in the United States within and in response to its sociopolitical context. As such it has always been unable to live up to its stated value of being accessible and effective for all people who are willing to seek and accept help. We explore the practice of psychotherapy within the larger field of Psychology and its ongoing commitment to capitalism and the social hierarchy at its center. We consider how Psychology’s intentional avoidance of class identity in the therapy space has allowed the field to justify and maintain this hierarchy while simultaneously ignoring its existence. We detail the ways in which Psychology packaged itself as a valuable tool for capitalism in a rapidly urbanizing and developing United States and explore our country’s historic use of class to create division between those on the lower levels of the social hierarchy in a way that allows power and privilege to remain concentrated at the top. This study sought to address the gap our field of psychology has intentionally ignored by exploring class identity and its influence on distress, attitudes toward therapy, and willingness to help-seek. First, we compared attitudes of working- and middle-class survey respondents regarding their sense of life satisfaction, stability, and expectations for the future to operationalize a definition of class. Next, we used this working definition to examine the impact of class identity on distress, attitudes toward therapy, and willingness to help-seek by comparing survey responses from middle- and working-class respondents. We then used semi-structured interviews to contextualize survey responses and identify overarching themes about attitudes toward therapy both within and across class status. Finally, we offer a model of critical narrative humility as a framework for clinicians interested in decolonizing their own practice and offer suggestions for use of this framework to extend individual dismantling to a systems level

BARRIERS TO WILDLIFE HARVESTING AMONG ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES IN CANADA AND ALASKA

A large body of research confirms that access to wildlife resources can reduce conditions of food insecurity and health-related illness among Aboriginal peoples in Canada and Alaska. This thesis is premised on the belief that food insecurity is experienced unevenly among individuals, households, and communities, and is socially and economically differentiated within Aboriginal communities. This premise was tested through research that was conducted in Alaska, Alberta, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut, and included an analysis of 2,463 household harvesting surveys. The purpose of this research was to examine the barriers that constrain Aboriginal households from harvesting wildlife resources to their desired extent. The objectives were to quantify the principle barriers that affect wildlife harvesting, examine how those barriers are experienced at various levels (e.g. age and gender) within the regions, and contribute to a more informed understanding of Aboriginal food security. The results demonstrate that the constraints experienced by Aboriginal peoples in Canada and Alaska in accessing wildfoods are experienced differently depending on region, community, age, gender, and the political environment in which wildlife harvesting occurs. These findings underscore the diversity of factors that can influence one’s access to wildlife resources, and one’s chance of being food insecure. These findings will contribute to a more informed understanding of Aboriginal food security in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Regions of North America and will lead to more flexible policies that can account for the social, economic and political diversity in which Aboriginal food insecurity is experienced

Streptavidin-biotin binding of DNA amplicons: methods for the typing and re-typing of forensically relevant short tandem repeats

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston UniversitySubmission of evidentiary samples to DNA units for exhaustive testing is becoming commonplace. For these samples, only one attempt at amplification is possible. However, more than one amplification may be necessary if the condition of the DNA causes poor amplification, more than one type of STR kit testing is required, or if there is an instrument malfunction during amplification. Current research into the re-amplification of already amplified samples focuses on placing the PCR product back into the thermal cycler with new reagents for additional cycles. These methods typically result in outcomes which are unsatisfactory for forensic purposes. As a result, there is a need for a forensic method capable of recovering the original template DNA for purposes of re-amplification. This study outlines the development of a novel method to recover the original template DNA in a condition that allows for re-amplification using new STR loci. A dynamic model was designed to assist in the experimental optimization. Amplification was performed using biotinylated primers and the post PCR 'work product' was subsequently cleaned using streptavidin coated magnetic beads to remove the STR amplicons. Centrifugal filtration followed in order to remove any remaining primers and salts that may interfere with re-amplification. Re-amplification was then performed with non-biotinylated primers. Re-amplification of the template DNA using a new STR locus was successful, making the amplification of limited DNA samples non-destructive and the notion of 'exhaustive DNA typing' obsolete

Preventative ibandronate treatment has the most beneficial effect on the microstructure of bone in experimental tumor osteolysis

We investigated the effect of ibandronate on three-dimensional (3-D) microstructure and bone mass in experimentally induced tumor osteolysis. Walker carcinosarcoma cells were implanted into the left femur of female rats that received 26-day ibandronate pretreatment followed by continued therapy or ibandronate posttreatment only. A tumor-only group received isotonic saline. At endpoint, excised femurs were scanned using microcomputed tomography (μCT) to assess bone volume density, bone mineral content, trabecular number/thickness, and separation for cortical plus trabecular bone or trabecular bone alone. Compared with the nonimplanted right femur, bone volume and surface density and trabecular number and thickness were reduced in the distal left femur following tumor cell implantation. μCT analysis revealed greater cortical and trabecular bone mineral content in the preventative and interventional (pre-post tumor) ibandronate group, and the interventional (post-tumor) ibandronate group, versus the tumor-only group. Bone volume density was significantly higher in pre-post and post-tumor groups compared to the tumor-only group. After preventative and interventional ibandronate, bone volume density and trabecular thickness were 13% and 60% greater, respectively, than in the post-tumor treatment group. 3-D μCT images confirmed microstructural changes. We conclude that combined interventional and preventative ibandronate preserves bone strength and integrity more than intervention alon

Spiritual Formation Training in the George Fox University Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

Spiritual formation training in the George Fox University Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology is described. An evangelical Quaker institution, the ethos of George Fox University is intended to foster experiential spiritual development and reflective self-awareness. In a 2008 curriculum revision the faculty attempted to strengthen the experiential dimensions of spiritual formation training even at the risk of reducing training in more academic dimensions of theology and integration. A 2013 program evaluation solicited student and alumni perspectives on the effectiveness of the spiritual formation training they received. Results of the program evaluation suggest areas for future development

Assessing the magnitude and uncertainties of the burden of selected diseases attributable to extreme heat and extreme precipitation under a climate change scenario in Michigan for the period 2041–2070

Abstract Background Extreme heat (EH) and extreme precipitation (EP) events are expected to increase with climate change in many parts of the world. Characterizing the potential future morbidity and mortality burden of EH and EP and associated costs, as well as uncertainties in the estimates, can identify areas for public health intervention and inform adaptation strategies. We demonstrate a burden of disease and uncertainty assessment using data from Michigan, USA, and provide approaches for deriving these estimates for locations lacking certain data inputs. Methods Case-crossover analysis adapted from previous Michigan-specific modeling was used to characterize the historical EH-mortality relationship by county poverty rate and age group. Historical EH-associated hospitalization and emergency room visit risks from the literature were adapted to Michigan. In the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s BenMAP software, we used a novel approach, with multiple spatially-varying exposures, to estimate all non-accidental mortality and morbidity occurring on EH days (EH days; days where maximum temperature 32.2–35 C or > 35 C) and EP days. We did so for two time periods: the “historical” period (1971–2000), and the “projected” period (2041–2070), by county. Results The rate of all non-accidental mortality associated with EH days increased from 0.46/100,000 persons historically to 2.9/100,000 in the projected period, for 240 EH-attributable deaths annually. EH-associated ED visits increased from 12/100,000 persons to 68/100,000 persons, for 7800 EH-attributable emergency department visits. EP-associated ED visits increased minimally from 1.7 to 1.9/100,000 persons. Mortality and morbidity were highest among those aged 65+ (91% of all deaths). Projected health costs are dominated by EH-associated mortality ($280 million) and EH-associated emergency department visits ($14 million). A variety of sources contribute to a moderate-to-high degree of uncertainty around the point estimates, including uncertainty in the magnitude of climate change, population composition, baseline health rates, and exposure-response estimates. Conclusions The approach applied here showed that health burden due to climate may significantly rise for all Michigan counties by midcentury. The costs to health care and uncertainties in the estimates, given the potential for substantial attributable burden, provide additional information to guide adaptation measures for EH and EP.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148825/1/12940_2019_Article_483.pd

Clinical and cost effectiveness of a system for turning and positioning intensive care unit patients, when compared to usual care turning and positioning devices, for the prevention of hospital-acquired pressure injuries

Pressure injuries affect 13.1% to 45.5% of patients in the intensive care unit and lead to pain and discomfort for patients, burden on healthcare providers, and unnecessary cost to the health system. Turning and positioning systems offer improvements on usual care devices, however the evidence of the effectiveness of such systems is still emerging. We conducted an investigator initiated, prospective, single centre, two group, non-blinded, randomised controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of a system for turning and positioning intensive care unit patients, when compared to usual care turning and positioning devices, for preventing PIs. The trial was prematurely discontinued after enrolment of 78 participants due to COVID-19 pandemic related challenges and lower than expected enrolment rate. The study groups were comparable on baseline characteristics and adherence to the interventions was high. Four participants developed a PI (in the sacral, ischial tuberosity or buttock region), n = 2 each in the intervention and control group. Each participant developed one PI. As the trial is underpowered, these findings do not provide an indication of the clinical effectiveness of the interventions. There was no participant drop-out or withdrawal and there were no adverse events, device deficiencies, or adverse device effects identified or reported. The results of our study (in particular those pertaining to enrolment, intervention adherence and safety) provide considerations for future trials that seek to investigate how to prevent PIs among ICU patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio