3103 research outputs found
Sort by
Howling by the river: Howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) communication in an anthropogenically-altered riparian forest in Costa Rica
No full textThe ways that forest edges may affect animal vocalization behaviour are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of various types of edge habitat on the loud calls (howls) of a folivorous-frugivorous primate species, Alouatta palliata, with reference to the ecological resource defence hypothesis, which predicts that males howl to defend vegetation resources. We tested this hypothesis across four forest zones-interior, riparian, anthropogenic, and combined forest edges-in a riparian forest fragment in Costa Rica. We predicted vegetation and howling would differ between forest zones, with riparian and interior zones showing the highest values and anthropogenic edge the lowest. Our results indicated that vegetation was richer and howling longer in riparian and interior zones compared to combined and anthropogenic edges, supporting the resource defence hypothesis and providing some of the first evidence in animal communication scholarship for differences in behavioural edge effects between natural riparian and anthropogenic edges
A structured, intentional simulation delivery method: Development of a best practice faculty teaching policy
Get PDFExecutive Summary
Consistent, structured, intentional simulation teaching methods for best practice
Problem: Observation at two nursing programs indicated inconsistent, simulation faculty teaching methods and absence of training and orientation for faculty development and competency evaluation.
Project purpose: Create a structured, consistent faculty development training program utilizing the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation Learning standards (INACSL) and using the Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (DASH) measurement instrument for annual competency review.
Project Goals: Support positive faculty role modeling, professional development, increased self-efficacy and decreased faculty and student confusion.
Project Objectives: Both identified schools will have a system in place for quality improvement in simulation teaching methods through training, mentoring and education.
Plan sequence: Plan consisted of a project introduction email, information sheet, pre-survey followed by faculty participation in three simulation teaching sessions with the DNP leader. A 30-minute simulation best practice webinar presentation and posttest followed with a post survey.
Outcome and Results: Quantitative paired t-test using ordinal level data from a convenience sample of faculty participants resulted in a reliable positive correlation between the pretreatment and post treatment measurements. Instrument reliability and validity supported recommending consistent structured simulation teaching methods to all faculty teaching in simulation at both schools. Development of confident, knowledgeable faculty teaching and debriefing methods involves instituting INACSL and literature recommendations for best practice outcome
Incarcerated Adults’ Perceptions Of Remaining Opiate Free Upon Release
Get PDFAbstract
Incarcerated adults face the challenge of remaining opiate free after release from incarceration. Despite services offered in jail substance use disorder disproportionately affects approximately half of incarcerated adults. There has been little research into the perceptions related to incarcerated adults experiences to remain opiate free upon release from jail. This descriptive phenomenological project helped elucidate this matter by understanding the lived experiences of five adults who had undergone opiate use treatment while incarcerated, were released, and re-used opiates. The nurse investigator conducted face-to-face interviews with these participants. Seven open-ended questions related to their perceptions and multiple probing questions resulted in rich, deep, and robust data which were analyzed by constant comparative analysis and coded into themes and subthemes. The revealed themes included: Anticipation of Staying Opiate Free, Difficulties in Staying Opiate Free, Benefits to Being Opiate Free, and Needed to Remain Opiate Free. The findings revealed that these incarcerated adults experience a plethora of perceived challenges to remaining opiate free upon release. An increased understanding of motivations, behaviors, and perspectives can better inform nursing practice and target strategies aimed at bringing about behavioral change by mitigating the myriad of vulnerability factors and perceived challenges to remain opiate free after release
An Essay Concerning the Possibility of a Unified Theory of Counseling
Get PDFThe Object-Oriented Ontology of Graham Harman, also known as Object-Oriented Philosophy, presumes to describe an ontology of all objects, including human beings. This essay shows how the discipline of counseling can benefit from such an ontology of objects. To move into this particular case of an Object-Oriented Ontology of human beings, and to distinguish, initially, at least, between the object that we are now concerned with, or will be soon, and the universe of subjectivity, I propose that we refer to universal objects, which is to indicate objects that exist in the universe, however we might define it. In this universal sense, we must take a step into the object that is the subject by removing obstacles which will hinder discussion along object ontological lines. The epistemological obstacles which get in the way of a discussion of the object of the subject may include (1) the science of the mind, or psychology, and what I shall term (2) conventional philosophy under which a sort of regular understanding of phenomenology is organized, which is to say the general philosophical tradition which has developed around the ontology of the subject, the subject of reason, knowledge and discourse. We will see going forward, for a unified theory of counseling, though, that the phenomenology of mind is the most pertinent obstacle
A Digital Platform for College Students in the Ghanaian Rental Housing Market
Get PDFThis paper reviewed the literature on rental housing market services in Ghana to provide the foundation in addressing the housing challenge in the country with specific reference to students. Affordability and availability of housing have been a major development challenge. However, search frictions in the rental housing market exacerbate the housing problem for college students in Ghana. The proposed project seeks to address the search friction in the rental housing market through a business start-up. The goal of the business project is to develop a digital platform that provides listing services for the Ghanaian rental housing market to reduce the cost in time and money related to securing rental housing accommodation. Focus group discussions were held with students to gather important information to guide the design of the project to meet the needs of the end-users. Landlords were also interviewed to understand their perception of a digital platform that provides listing services in the rental housing market. All participants (representing 100% of the students) agreed that there is a need for a digital platform to reduce search frictions in the rental housing market. The findings also revealed that about 90% of landlords showed an interest in the proposed digital platform. This is because they found it as an additional opportunity for them to advertise their hostels to students. The proposed digital platform is to be developed by the end of 2020 under an estimated budget of about $7,500
Chronic
Get PDFThis piece of creative nonfiction explores chronic pain in American women. Through biased research, negligent medicine, and misinterpreted appointments, women are disenfranchised by the American medical industry. Specifically, women suffering from chronic pain face unprecedented challenges while trying to find a diagnosis or treat their pain. This thesis explores chronic pain and American medicine through the lens of nonfiction. By diving into the subjective nature of pain while working within the equally as subjective medium of nonfiction, Hart writes a story about living with an undiagnosed chronic pain condition. While presenting the faults of chronic pain treatment in America, she also presents herself to the reader. Her pursuit of truth means accepting hard truths for herself. By finally speaking truth to power, she finds ways to act as her own advocate and speak-out against this long silenced issue in American health
Investigations of a Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet as a Possible Treatment for Malignant Brain Tumors
Get PDFCancer is now the leading cause of premature death in the U.S. and second worldwide. However, all cancers on average have seen a 20% increase in 5-year survival in the last 30 years. This is not true for brain cancers which have only seen a 1% increase. Brain cancer is extremely hard to treat, costing the most money out of any other cancer. Nevertheless, Otto Warburg’s investigation of cancer as a metabolic disease has led to a variety of new promising treatments. One of these treatments involves starving cancer cells by cutting off their access to glucose, a key component in cancer metabolism. Preliminary results suggest that using a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet could be a promising treatment for malignant brain tumors. In order to show its efficacy and for future implementation of the diet, more research is need. With more research, a ketogenic diet could prove to be the needed weapon against all cancers, particularly malignant brain tumors
Body Politic: A Critical Comparison of Marina Abramovic and Chris Burden
Get PDFA significant component of contemporary arts is performance art. Two spearheads of the birth of performance art are the Serbian artist Marina Abramovic, and the American Chris Burden, both of whom worked primarily in the 1970s. Abramovic and Burden have often been compared for the similar characteristics of their work: both artists create intense, provocative, and violent work. While Abramovic uses these aspects of her work to make political or social commentary, and connect to her audiences on a humanistic level, Burden uses these aspects without creating a deeper meaning or inspiring thoughtful dialogue. By exploring several comparable works by both Abramovic and Burden, we can understand that Burden’s works are regressive and have little to no artistic merit; with a closer look, we see that Burden uses his position as a white, American man to create work that is harmful to both women and minorities. However, critics then and now have acclaimed Burden’s work as “innovative” and “avante-garde.” They praise his willingness to break boundaries by making work of an extreme nature, yet leave Abramovic out of the conversation despite the merits of her work, thus illustrating a substantial gendered bias. After conducting in-depth analytical comparisons of the two artists’ work, and observing how their race and gender positionalities come into play in their respective works, we understand that critics and historians have unfairly commended Chris Burden, and ignored important aspects of Marina Abramovic’s contribution to art history. This thesis sets out to question Chris Burden’s historical canon as a performance artist, and rather, emphasize the foundation that Abramovic truly set
Muscle fat infiltration following whiplash: A computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging comparison
No full textHere we present a secondary analysis from a parent database of 97 acutely injured participants enrolled in a prospective inception cohort study of whiplash recovery after motor vehicle collision (MVC). The purpose was to investigate the deep and superficial neck extensor muscles with peri-traumatic computed tomography (CT) and longitudinal measures of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in participants with varying levels of whiplash-related disability. Thirty-six underwent standard care imaging of the cervical spine with CT at a level-1 trauma designated emergency department. All 36 participants were assessed with MRI of the cervical spine at \u3c1-week, 2-weeks, 3-, and 12-months post-injury and classified into three groups using initial pain severity and percentage scores on the Neck Disability Index (recovered (NDI of 0–8%), mild (NDI of 10–28%), or severe (NDI ≥ 30%)) at 3-months post MVC. CT muscle attenuation values were significantly correlated to muscle fat infiltration (MFI) on MRI at one-week post MVC. There was no significant difference in muscle attenuation across groups at the time of enrollment. A trend of lower muscle attenuation in the deep compared to the superficial extensors was observed in the severe group. MFI values in the deep muscles on MRI were significantly higher in the severe group when compared to the mild group at 1-year post MVC. This study provides further evidence that the magnitude of 1) deep MFI appears unique to those at risk of and eventually transitioning to chronic WAD and that 2) pre- or peri-traumatic muscular health, determined by CT muscle attenuation, may be contribute to our understanding of long-term recovery