Identifying occupation-based needs and services for individuals experiencing homelessness using interviews and photovoice.

BACKGROUND: Homelessness can impact society and individuals in many ways. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to examine the current occupation-based needs and services among persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) in a major city. METHODS: Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with eight PEH residing in a homeless shelter. Three questions were asked of each participant: What daily personal activities have been most impacted since undergoing homelessness? Which services have been most helpful to you in overcoming homelessness? What other services might you find helpful to individuals experiencing housing insecurity? Researchers also gathered qualitative data utilizing a Photovoice component in which twelve PEH had the opportunity to photograph one object and provide a quote associated with the meaningful object. RESULTS: Under-addressed areas of occupation, services received, and services requested were identified. Findings suggest that areas of occupation most impacted by homelessness include instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), activities of daily living (ADLs), leisure, social participation, and rest and sleep. Services received included case management and often met basic self-care needs of PEH. Services requested included group therapy, restructuring of the shelter to support individualization, and staff training. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational therapy practitioners have the skill set to assess needed services among PEH. Meaningful objects captured by the clients via Photovoice may relate to past, present and future satisfaction despite being homeless.

Investigating the effect of forestry on leaf-litter arthropods (Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada).

Arthropods are the most diverse taxonomic group of terrestrial eukaryotes and are sensitive to physical alterations in their environment such as those caused by forestry. With their enormous diversity and physical omnipresence, arthropods could be powerful indicators of the effects of disturbance following forestry. When arthropods have been used to measure the effects of disturbance, the total diversity of some groups is often found to increase following forestry. However, these findings are frequently derived using a coarse taxonomic grain (family or order) to accommodate for various taxonomic impediments (including cryptic diversity and poorly resourced taxonomists). Our intent with this work was to determine the diversity of arthropods in and around Algonquin Park, and how this diversity was influenced by disturbance (in this case, forestry within the past 25 years). We used DNA barcode-derived diversity estimates (Barcode Index Number (BIN) richness) to avoid taxonomic impediments and as a source of genetic information with which we could conduct phylogenetic estimates of diversity (PD). Diversity patterns elucidated with PD are often, but not always congruent with taxonomic estimates-and departures from these expectations can help clarify disturbance effects that are hidden from richness studies alone. We found that BIN richness and PD were greater in disturbed (forested) areas, however when we controlled for the expected relationship between PD and BIN richness, we found that cut sites contained less PD than expected and that this diversity was more phylogenetically clustered than would be predicted by taxonomic richness. While disturbance may cause an evident increase in diversity, this diversity may not reflect the full evolutionary history of the assemblage within that area and thus a subtle effect of disturbance can be found decades following forestry.

Evaluating the accuracy of theoretical one-bond 13 C─13 C scalar couplings and their ability to predict structure in a natural product.

This study explores the feasibility of using a combination of experimental and theoretical 1-bond 13 C─13 C scalar couplings (1 JCC ) to establish structure in organic compounds, including unknowns. Historically, n JCC and n JCH studies have emphasized 2 and 3-bond couplings, yet 1 JCC couplings exhibit significantly larger variations. Moreover, recent improvements in experimental measurement and data processing methods have made 1 JCC data more available. Herein, an approach is evaluated in which a collection of theoretical structures is created from a partial nuclear magnetic resonance structural characterization. Computed 1 JCC values are compared to experimental data to identify candidates giving the best agreement. This process requires knowledge of the error in theoretical methods, thus the B3LYP, B3PW91, and PBE0 functionals are evaluated by comparing to 27 experimental values from INADEQUATE. Respective errors of ±1.2, ±3.8, and ±2.3 Hz are observed. An initial test of this methodology involves the natural product 5-methylmellein. In this case, only a single candidate matches experimental data with high statistical confidence. This analysis establishes the intramolecular hydrogen-bonding arrangement, ring heteroatom identity, and conformation at one position. This approach is then extended to hydroheptelidic acid, a natural product not fully characterized in prior studies. The experimental/theoretical approach proposed herein identifies a single best-fit structure from among 26 candidates and establishes, for the first time, 1 configuration and 3 conformations to complete the characterization. These results suggest that accurate and complete structural characterizations of many moderately sized organic structures (<800 Da) may be possible using only 1 JCC data.

Predictors of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Neurosurgical Patients.

In the neurosurgery patient population, one of the most frequent complications is postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to examine the incidence and predictors of PONV in a cohort of 519 neurosurgery patients undergoing elective spinal and intracranial procedures. Patients were interviewed, and their medical records were reviewed every 24 hours for up to 72 hours postoperatively to identify risk factors for PONV development. After summarizing univariate associations, a multivariable logistic regression model for each outcome was developed using forward and backward stepwise selection, with the p value for a variable to enter or leave the model set to .05. Women, especially those who were younger and with a history of PONV, were most likely to have PONV. In addition, those undergoing craniotomy, particularly infratentorial craniotomy, were more likely to have PONV compared with patients undergoing spine surgery. This study provides a foundation for nursing and interdisciplinary intervention studies aimed at reducing this postoperative symptom in the most susceptible patients.