The Utility of Smart Home Technology within Occupational Therapy Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore occupational therapist practitioners’ (OTPs) utility of smart home technology (SHT) in their practice, as well as to inquire into the facilitators and barriers of utilization of smart home technology within the practice of occupational therapy. Methodology: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, ND. A quantitative, descriptive research design utilizing survey methodology was used. Recruitment was conducted through purposive and convenience sampling. A 30-question Qualtrics survey was distributed to participants via social media and internet pages (OT4OT; AT4OT; CommunOT; and UND OT Alumni page). There was minimal inclusion criteria for the population recruited. Quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 26. The framework guiding this quantitative research study was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) (Venkatesh, Thong, & Xu, 2012). Results: A total of 75 surveys were returned, both by occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs). Most of the respondents were female (91%, n=68) and were OTs (85%, n=64). Most of the respondents practice in the United States (61%, n=46) working in home health (33%, n=25) and outpatient settings (31%, n=23). Overall, the respondents reported that they do not currently use SHT in practice (63%, n=47), that they are somewhat interested in using SHT (34%, n=21), and that most of their education on SHT is obtained from independent research or study (25%, n=16). When considering availability, respondents stated that they do not have time (57%, n=43) or access (36%, n=22) to incorporate SHT. Lastly, available funding and support are limited as well, with respondents stating they do not have employer (85%, n=52) or other funding (52%, n=31). Most non-financial support comes from co-workers (n=16) and family (n=8). Spearman rho correlations were conducted, finding multiple strong correlations between: the degree of support and who is providing the support (co-workers, family, etc.); level of comfort with utilizing SHT and effectiveness when utilizing SHT; types of funding sources available (private, insurance, etc.) and received amount of funding currently; and received funding and use. Conclusion: Occupational therapy practitioners are more likely to use SHT in practice if they have support in a variety of forms, but especially from their co-workers. Interest is also linked to increased support, increased access to funding, and increased availability. However, interest was not the driving force for being effective when using SHT. It was found that comfort with SHT was the driving force for practitioners to perceive they were effective when using it as an intervention. The most substantial barriers to using SHT that were identified include: lack of funding sources, lack of education, and lack of availability to the devices. These factors do not need to remain barriers and in fact can and should become supports to using SHT. Smart home technology should be used in care and when a practitioner takes a moment to develop interest in the topic, thus developing a better understanding and knowledge base, they will likely have an increase in comfort and therefore, perceived effectiveness when using technologies as interventions. All of these factors assist clients in the long run

Evolution of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History of Diane Norell, MSW, OTR/L

This life history is one of 31 life history interviews which are part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential In Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) In North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life history of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. This study is intended to provide current and future generations of occupational therapists a view of the history and how occupational therapy practice has evolved from its inception to current practice in North Dakota and Wyoming.https://commons.und.edu/ot-oral-histories-posters/1045/thumbnail.jp

Evolution of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History of Diane Norell, MSW, OTR/L

The purpose of this study was to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) through the life history of Diane Norell, MSW, OTR/L, who has been influential in developing OT through her practice. The researchers conducted a semi-structured, one-and-a-half-hour phone interview with Diane. The interview was audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The Kawa model was used to guide the research. Data analysis and a document review of Diane’s curriculum vitae (CV) were done to develop codes. From those codes, the categories of personal life, professional life, healthcare, and academia were developed along with corresponding themes and a final assertion. Through the data analysis, the researchers developed the assertion that despite the constant changes and challenges of the field, Diane has become a successful occupational therapy practitioner, researcher, and professor by staying true to her values of mental health, research, and family

Cross-Sectional Exploration of Plasma Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome: Early Data from the Longitudinal Investigation for Enhancing Down Syndrome Research (LIFE-DSR) Study

With improved healthcare, the Down syndrome (DS) population is both growing and aging rapidly. However, with longevity comes a very high risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The LIFE-DSR study (NCT04149197) is a longitudinal natural history study recruiting 270 adults with DS over the age of 25. The study is designed to characterize trajectories of change in DS-associated AD (DS-AD). The current study reports its cross-sectional analysis of the first 90 subjects enrolled. Plasma biomarkers phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau), neurofilament light chain (NfL), amyloid β peptides (Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were undertaken with previously published methods. The clinical data from the baseline visit include demographics as well as the cognitive measures under the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) and Down Syndrome Mental Status Examination (DS-MSE). Biomarker distributions are described with strong statistical associations observed with participant age. The biomarker data contributes to understanding DS-AD across the spectrum of disease. Collectively, the biomarker data show evidence of DS-AD progression beginning at approximately 40 years of age. Exploring these data across the full LIFE-DSR longitudinal study population will be an important resource in understanding the onset, progression, and clinical profiles of DS-AD pathophysiology

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Biomass decay rates and tissue nutrient loss in bloom and non-bloom-forming macroalgal species

Macroalgal blooms occur in shallow, low-wave energy environments and are generally dominated by fast-growing ephemeral macroalgae. When macroalgal mats undergo senescence and decompose they can cause oxygen depletion and release nutrients into the surrounding water. There are relatively few studies that examine macroalgal decomposition rates in areas impacted by macroalgal blooms. Understanding the rate of macroalgal bloom decomposition is essential to understanding the impacts of macroalgal blooms following senescence. Here, we examined the biomass, organic content, nitrogen decay rates and δ15N values for five macroalgal species (the bloom-forming Agardhiella subulata, Gracilaria vermiculophylla, Ulva compressa, and Ulva rigida and the non-bloom-forming Fucus vesiculosus) in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, U.S.A. using a litterbag design. Bloom-forming macroalgae had similar biomass decay rates (0.34-0.51 k d-1) and decayed significantly faster than non-bloom-forming macroalgae (0.09 k d-1). Biomass decay rates also varied temporally, with a significant positive correlation between biomass decay rate and water temperature for U. rigida. Tissue organic content decreased over time in all species, although A. subulata and G. vermiculophylla displayed significantly higher rates of organic content decay than U. compressa, U. rigida, and F. vesiculosus. Agardhiella subulata had a significantly higher rate of tissue nitrogen decay (0.35 k d-1) than all other species. By contrast, only the δ15N of F. vesiculosus changed significantly over the decay period. Overall, our results indicate that bloom-forming macroalgal species decay more rapidly than non-bloom-forming species

Cross-Sectional Exploration of Plasma Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome: Early Data from the Longitudinal Investigation for Enhancing Down Syndrome Research (LIFE-DSR) Study.

With improved healthcare, the Down syndrome (DS) population is both growing and aging rapidly. However, with longevity comes a very high risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The LIFE-DSR study (NCT04149197) is a longitudinal natural history study recruiting 270 adults with DS over the age of 25. The study is designed to characterize trajectories of change in DS-associated AD (DS-AD). The current study reports its cross-sectional analysis of the first 90 subjects enrolled. Plasma biomarkers phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau), neurofilament light chain (NfL), amyloid β peptides (Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were undertaken with previously published methods. The clinical data from the baseline visit include demographics as well as the cognitive measures under the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) and Down Syndrome Mental Status Examination (DS-MSE). Biomarker distributions are described with strong statistical associations observed with participant age. The biomarker data contributes to understanding DS-AD across the spectrum of disease. Collectively, the biomarker data show evidence of DS-AD progression beginning at approximately 40 years of age. Exploring these data across the full LIFE-DSR longitudinal study population will be an important resource in understanding the onset, progression, and clinical profiles of DS-AD pathophysiology

Cross-sectional exploration of plasma biomarkers of alzheimer\u27s disease in down syndrome: early data from the longitudinal investigation for enhancing down syndrome research (LIFE-DSR) study

With improved healthcare, the Down syndrome (DS) population is both growing and aging rapidly. However, with longevity comes a very high risk of Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). The LIFE-DSR study (NCT04149197) is a longitudinal natural history study recruiting 270 adults with DS over the age of 25. The study is designed to characterize trajectories of change in DS-associated AD (DS-AD). The current study reports its cross-sectional analysis of the first 90 subjects enrolled. Plasma biomarkers phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau), neurofilament light chain (NfL), amyloid β peptides (Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were undertaken with previously published methods. The clinical data from the baseline visit include demographics as well as the cognitive measures under the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) and Down Syndrome Mental Status Examination (DS-MSE). Biomarker distributions are described with strong statistical associations observed with participant age. The biomarker data contributes to understanding DS-AD across the spectrum of disease. Collectively, the biomarker data show evidence of DS-AD progression beginning at approximately 40 years of age. Exploring these data across the full LIFE-DSR longitudinal study population will be an important resource in understanding the onset, progression, and clinical profiles of DS-AD pathophysiology