Strategies Used by Employment Service Providers in the Job Development Process: Are they consistent with what employers want?

Historically, the role of job developers employed in the state/federal vocational rehabilitation program and the larger network of community-based rehabilitation programs has been to identify and secure paid employment for individuals with disabilities, particularly those with significant disabilities. This technical report describes the results of a study of job development/job placement professionals' strategies in the employment process, and compares these results to employer perceptions of the employment process from recent literature. The report also identifies implications for job development/placement practice based on this comparative analysis

Shattering the Myth : A Feminist Study of Sister-Sister Relationships in Laura Ingalls Wilder\u27s Little House Books

From the Introduction: From horses and buggies through steam railway _engines to the prominence of the automobile, Laura Ingalls Wilder lived through a historically critical American experience--pioneering. At age sixty-five she published her first novel, Little House in the Big Woods, the first book in an as yet unforeseen nine book series about her experiences as a young girl raised on the Midwestern plains. Little House in the Big Woods is actually a compilation of her father\u27s tales. Wilder feared that these stories and their value would be lost unless she preserved them in writing. ldealistica!ly, she wanted to tell children \u27what it was like to be a child in America long ago\u27 (Giff 9), but, she said 11 \u27the real things haven\u27t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong\u27 (Anderson, Laura Wilder of Mansfield 29). When Little House in the Big Woods met immediately with public success, Wilder planned the rest of her books with the help of her daughter Rose Wilder Lane, an already renowned author. The Little House series has entertained and inspired readers for many years and in many countries (Anderson, Laura Wilder of Mansfield 2). Although Wilder\u27s work attracted world-wide readership, it receives scant serious analysis. Wilder\u27s Little House books are generally perceived as overly-romanticized idealization of family life, despite the evident hardship of the plains. Although nowhere in the Little House books will one find a wholesale endorsement of frontiering as a way of life (Spaeth, Laura Ingalls Wilder 34), Wilder\u27s novels bring to life the pioneer spirit of betting one\u27s energy and time against the prairie elements and a distant government

The application of pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging in the evaluation of cardiac function in cats with primary cardiomyopathy and disease states linked to specific cardiomyopathies in human-beings

Cardiac dysfunction is commonly identified in geriatric cats. Disease may be primary, typically hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), or may occur in association with a number of specific diseases, such as hyperthyroidism or hypertension.Doppler Tissue Imaging (DTI) techniques allow for the non-invasive assessment of myocardial dynamics. These techniques have previously demonstrated regional and global diastolic impairment in various forms of human cardiomyopathy and in cats with HCM.The aim of this study was to characterise the echocardiographic findings in healthy geriatric cats and to compare these to the changes seen in geriatric cats with primary cardiomyopathy and disease states linked to specific cardiomyopathies in human beings. It was predicted that from this it might be possible to derive disease specific cardiac changes. In addition, it may be possible to elucidate the affect of medication on disease processes.A total of 134 cats, aged eight years or above, were studied. Each cat underwent a conventional echocardiographic examination (two-dimensional, spectral Doppler, and M-mode) and a more advanced assessment of diastolic function (pulsed-wave Doppler tissue imaging [pw-DTI], colour M-mode propagation velocity and spectral Doppler assessment of the isovolumetric relaxation time). The cats were grouped according to either the disease process, or the diastolic filling pattern, and groups were then compared.Pulsed-wave DTI tracings (of both radial and longitudinal velocity) were successfully recorded from the feline myocardium. The repeatability of these measurements was assessed, and generally found to be comparable to the variability reported in human beings. There was no evidence that pw-DTI velocities are affected by age in a normal geriatric cat population. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the relationship between pw-DTI velocities and age in cats within any of the disease groups studied, although there was some variation with heart rate (as assessed by the R-R interval). In addition, it was demonstrated that when grouped according to the transmitral diastolic flow pattern and the ratio of transmitral A-wave duration to pulmonary venous atrial reversal duration, the pwDTI flow pattern recorded from the apical four chamber view (at either the lateral aspect of the mitral annulus, or mid-lateral wall) was able to differentiate normal from impaired relaxation and pseudonormal flow patterns.Analysis of echocardiographic data demonstrated that there was an increase in the thickness of the basilar interventricular septum in the majority of cats studied. Compared to unaffected cats, cats with HCM had a decrease in the E' velocity (recorded by pw-DTI at the interventricular septum) and a tendency towards a decrease at the lateral aspect of the mitral annulus (recorded from the left apical fourchamber view). A similar decrease in the E' velocity in cats and people with HCM has been reported previously, and is thought to suggest diastolic dysfunction in affected individuals. Cats with chronic renal failure demonstrated some mild 2- dimensional and spectral Doppler abnormalities; however, no pw-DTI changes were detected in this group. The hyperthyroid cats demonstrated increased S' velocities, suggesting an increased inotropic state. In addition, the hyperthyroid cats demonstrated increased A' velocities, the cause of which was undetermined, but which may suggest mild diastolic dysfunction or an increase in atrial systolic function. A comparison of treated and untreated hyperthyroid cats was performed. This found that the treated hyperthyroid cats generally demonstrated less variation from the normal cats, compared to the untreated hyperthyroid cats, this may suggest that the use of carbimazole improves the function of the feline myocardium in thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy.This work, for the first time, uses novel ultrasound techniques to investigate the myocardial dynamics in normal geriatric cats, cats with primary hypertrophy and cats with a range of disease states linked to specific cardiomypathies in human beings. The use of these techniques has provided us with a new insight into these disease processes and has evaluated the use of this clinically applicable tool for the evaluation of feline myocardial dynamics

Wireless Global Positioning System Fleet Tracking System at the University at Albany

This report provides an overview of the project undertaken at the University at Albany to make alternative transportation a more viable option by implementing a GPS Tracking System on the University bus fleet and broadcasting the bus locations to commuters via the internet and a “smart phone” application. According to a survey administered by the University, students and faculty identified convenience as the number one barrier to taking the bus. In line with its commitment to environmental sustainability, University at Albany wished to increase mass transit ridership by making it more convenient and predictable, thus favorably impacting commuting patterns. This report details the successes and challenges of the project, focusing on lessons learned and suggestions for futureprojects of a similar nature

"Hey, Can You Add Captions?": The Critical Infrastructuring Practices of Neurodiverse People on TikTok

Accessibility efforts, how we can make the world usable and useful to as many people as possible, have explicitly focused on how we can support and allow for the autonomy and independence of people with disabilities, neurotypes, chronic conditions, and older adults. Despite these efforts, not all technology is designed or implemented to support everyone's needs. Recently, a community-organized push by creators and general users of TikTok urged the platform to add accessibility features, such as closed captioning to user-generated content, allowing more people to use the platform with greater ease. Our work focuses on an understudied population -- people with ADHD and those who experience similar challenges -- exploring the creative practices people from this community engage in, focusing on the kinds of accessibility they create through their creative work. Through an interview study exploring the experiences of creatives on TikTok, we find that creatives engage in critical infrastructuring -- a process of bottom-up (re)design -- to make the platform more accessible despite the challenges the platform presents to them as creators. We present these critical infrastructuring practices through the themes of: creating and augmenting video editing infrastructures and creating and augmenting video captioning infrastructures. We reflect on the introduction of a top-down infrastructure - the implementation of an auto-captioning feature - shifts the critical infrastructure practices of content creators. Through their infrastructuring, creatives revised sociotechnical capabilities of TikTok to support their own needs as well as the broader needs of the TikTok community. We discuss how the routine of infrastructuring accessibility is actually best conceptualized as incidental care work. We further highlight how accessibility is an evolving sociotechnical construct, and forward the concept of contextual accessibility.Comment: To be published in: Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. CSCW '2

The Effectiveness and Perceptions of Three Moderate Intensity Walking Cadence Aids and their Effects on Affective States: a Mixed Methods Study

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(5): 531-550, 2024. Substantial health benefits can be derived from walking at a moderate intensity cadence. To help regulate this cadence, three distinct aids exist 1) self-perception; 2) cadence prescription; 3) auditory cues. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and explore perceptions of these aids to promote moderate intensity walking and effects on affective states, thereby addressing an important research gap. Individualised moderate relative intensity waking cadence was determined for participants (n = 23, Mage = 26.35, SD = 10.11). A convergent mixed-methods design was employed. A within-persons repeated measures design was used to explore the effectiveness of three aids (general guidelines, cadence prescription, and music) on promoting moderate intensity physical activity and positive affective states. Perceptions of these aids were elicited through qualitative interviews and thematic content analysis. Main effects for condition on relative physical activity intensity (η2 = .72) and positive affect (η2 = .25) were observed. Music evoked significantly higher relative physical activity intensity than other conditions (p values \u3c .01), and higher positive affect compared to the general guidelines condition (p = .038). A significantly greater proportion of participants achieved moderate relative intensity physical activity during the music compared to general guidelines condition (p = .03). Congruently, qualitative findings suggested that participants predominantly perceived music as most effective for promoting a moderate intensity cadence and positive affect. However, individual variability existed in ability to utilise this aid. Implications of the findings for practitioners seeking to promote a moderate intensity cadence and positive affect during walking are discussed

MBS Connects, Spring 2018

MBS Connects. University of Maine Contents ON THE COVER Faculty growth: Four new faculty members, p 4 FACULTY SPOTLIGHT MBS student, faculty awards, p 6 Faculty briefs, p 8 Cintia Miranda, p 9 Sebastian Lobe, p 10 FROM THE CLASSROOM MBS Trip to UK, p 20 ETF Competition, p 22 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT SPIFFY wins competition, p 2 Tyler Cote, p 3 Dillon Toothaker, p 7 John Laperle, p 12 Abby Bennett, p 13 Laura Nicolo, p 14 Kaitlynn Leonard, p 15 Student, alumni mixer, p 21 Etiquette dinner, p 23 Kirsten Johnson, p 24 December 2017 graduates, p 24 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Jake Wildes, p 11 Katelynn Ronan, p 11 Steve Harth, p 16 Mike Seile, p 17 Brady Davis, p 18 Logan Crone, p 19 Darren Lieu, p 21 Shannon Byers, p 2