University-Based Adaptive Sport Camps as a Model for Engaging Injured Military Veterans in Community Development

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Skye Arthur-Banning ◽  
Barry Garst ◽  
Young Suk Oh ◽  
Margaret Domka
Keyword(s):  
Program Analysis ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Community Reintegration ◽  
Main Research ◽  
National Team ◽  
Recreational Opportunity

As more veterans return home from active duty with injuries or retire with disabilities and seek to reintegrate into the community, adaptive sport programming is an important recreational opportunity. Specifically, improved quality of life, more fluid community reintegration, positive psychosocial outcomes, and overall improved health are all stated benefits of participation in adaptive sport programs for individuals with disabilities. This program engaged veterans or members of the armed forces with disabilities in a unique university-based adaptive soccer camp experience with three main goals in mind: (1) to expose the veterans to the adaptive soccer sports of CP/TBI soccer and blind soccer, (2) to provide U.S. Soccer grassroots coach certification, (3) and to identify talent for the U.S. Soccer Paralympic National Team. In addition to facilitating this experience for veterans, we evaluated the camp program based on three main research questions: (1) How do injured military veterans and professionals serving veterans with disabilities evaluate satisfaction in an importance by performance analysis? (2) To what extent is a university-based VA Adaptive Sport Camp a promising setting for learning soccer related skills? and (3) What do injured military veterans and professionals serving veterans with disabilities identify as barriers to participation? Evaluation findings indicated that veterans wanted more information about coaching, the students, and additional community opportunities and were not concerned about the accommodations or food choices at camp, further highlighting the importance of the adaptive sport nature of the program itself. Veterans identified several camp elements that worked well in a university-based setting such as student interaction, scheduling, and balance between being a participant and learning coaching skills and would encourage other colleagues to attend in the future. Finally, participants identified perceived barriers to future participation were based largely on travel distance and costs. Subsequently, the programmers have sought to provide more programs around the country with partner agencies and in so doing, reduce travel time and costs. Overall, this programming model has significant promise for growth and has already provided results consistent with positive community reintegration and increased veteran participation in soccer-related activities, which can pave the pathway for more in-depth program analysis.

scholarly journals Military Veterans and Welfare Reform: Bridging Two Policy Worlds through Qualitative Longitudinal Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Lisa Scullion ◽  
Katy Jones ◽  
Peter Dwyer ◽  
Celia Hynes ◽  
Philip Martin
Keyword(s):  
Welfare Reform ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Uk

There has been an increasing focus in the UK on the support provided to the Armed Forces community, with the publication of the Armed Forces Covenant (2011), the Strategy for our Veterans (2018) and the first ever Office for Veterans’ Affairs (2019). There is also an important body of research – including longitudinal research – focusing on transitions from military to civilian life, much of which is quantitative. At the same time, the UK has witnessed a period of unprecedented welfare reform. However, research focused on veterans’ interactions with the social security system has been largely absent. This article draws on the authors’ experiences of undertaking qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) to address this knowledge gap. We reflect on how QLR was essential in engaging policy makers enabling the research to bridge the two parallel policy worlds of veterans’ support and welfare reform, leading to significant policy and practice impact.

scholarly journals On the Design of Efficient Hierarchic Architecture for Software Defined Vehicular Networks

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1400
Author(s):  
Muhammad Adnan ◽  
Jawaid Iqbal ◽  
Abdul Waheed ◽  
Noor Ul Amin ◽  
Mahdi Zareei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Quality Of Service ◽  
Traffic Management ◽  
Vehicular Networks ◽  
Scheduling Algorithm ◽  
Main Research ◽  
First Come First Serve ◽  
Computing Framework ◽  
Simulation Results

Modern vehicles are equipped with various sensors, onboard units, and devices such as Application Unit (AU) that support routing and communication. In VANETs, traffic management and Quality of Service (QoS) are the main research dimensions to be considered while designing VANETs architectures. To cope with the issues of QoS faced by the VANETs, we design an efficient SDN-based architecture where we focus on the QoS of VANETs. In this paper, QoS is achieved by a priority-based scheduling algorithm in which we prioritize traffic flow messages in the safety queue and non-safety queue. In the safety queue, the messages are prioritized based on deadline and size using the New Deadline and Size of data method (NDS) with constrained location and deadline. In contrast, the non-safety queue is prioritized based on First Come First Serve (FCFS) method. For the simulation of our proposed scheduling algorithm, we use a well-known cloud computing framework CloudSim toolkit. The simulation results of safety messages show better performance than non-safety messages in terms of execution time.

scholarly journals Techniques for Mitigating the Effects of Smoke Taint While Maintaining Quality in Wine Production: A Review

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1672
Author(s):  
Ysadora A. Mirabelli-Montan ◽  
Matteo Marangon ◽  
Antonio Graça ◽  
Christine M. Mayr Marangon ◽  
Kerry L. Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Global Perspective ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Wine Production ◽  
Specific Data ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Initial Severity ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Available Information

Smoke taint has become a prominent issue for the global wine industry as climate change continues to impact the length and extremity of fire seasons around the world. Although the issue has prompted a surge in research on the subject in recent years, no singular solution has yet been identified that is capable of maintaining the quality of wine made from smoke-affected grapes. In this review, we summarize the main research on smoke taint, the key discoveries, as well as the prevailing uncertainties. We also examine methods for mitigating smoke taint in the vineyard, in the winery, and post production. We assess the effectiveness of remediation methods (proposed and actual) based on available research. Our findings are in agreement with previous studies, suggesting that the most viable remedies for smoke taint are still the commercially available activated carbon fining and reverse osmosis treatments, but that the quality of the final treated wines is fundamentally dependent on the initial severity of the taint. In this review, suggestions for future studies are introduced for improving our understanding of methods that have thus far only been preliminarily investigated. We select regions that have already been subjected to severe wildfires, and therefore subjected to smoke taint (particularly Australia and California) as a case study to inform other wine-producing countries that will likely be impacted in the future and suggest specific data collection and policy implementation actions that should be taken, even in countries that have not yet been impacted by smoke taint. Ultimately, we streamline the available information on the topic of smoke taint, apply it to a global perspective that considers the various stakeholders involved, and provide a launching point for further research on the topic.

scholarly journals Nutritional Quality of Pasta Sold on the Italian Market: The Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 171
Author(s):  
Marika Dello Russo ◽  
Carmela Spagnuolo ◽  
Stefania Moccia ◽  
Donato Angelino ◽  
Nicoletta Pellegrini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salt Content ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Nutrition Claims ◽  
Italian Market ◽  
Lower Protein ◽  
Fresh Pasta

Pasta represents a staple food in many populations and, in recent years, an increasing number of pasta items has been placed on the market to satisfy needs and trends. The aims of this work were: (i) to investigate the nutritional composition of the different types of pasta currently sold in Italy by collecting the nutrition facts on their packaging; (ii) to compare energy, nutrient and salt content per 100 g and serving in fresh and dried pasta; (iii) to compare the nutrition declaration in pairs of products with and without different declarations (i.e., gluten free (GF), organic, and nutrition claims (NC)). A total of 756 items, made available by 13 retailers present on the Italian market, were included in the analysis. Data showed a wide difference between dried and fresh pasta, with high inter-type variability. A negligible amount of salt was observed in all types of pasta, except for stuffed products, which had a median high quantity of salt (>1 g/100 g and ~1.5 g/serving). Organic pasta had higher fibre and lower protein contents compared to conventional pasta. GF products were higher in carbohydrate and fat but lower in fibre and protein than not-GF products, while only a higher fibre content was found in pasta with NC compared to products not boasting claims. Overall, the results show high variability in terms of nutrition composition among the pasta items currently on the market, supporting the importance of reading and understanding food labels for making informed food choices.

scholarly journals A guide to do randomized controlled trials in the field of otolaryngology

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameh M. Zamzam ◽  
Mosaad Abdel-Aziz ◽  
Ahmed Atef ◽  
Usama Abdel-Naseer ◽  
Mostafa Hamoda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
New Treatment ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Based Medicine

Abstract Background Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are prospective comparative studies in which study groups are allocated randomly to intervention or serve as controls. RCT is the mainstay to achieve evidence in the literature in clinical research. A RCT is the main research design to study the effect of an intervention and the only way to confirm the value of a new treatment. Main body RCT also gives the way to generate meta-analyses and systematic reviews giving a stronger evidence for clinical practice. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is crucial for safe, effective, and standardized patient care. Although there is an agreement on the importance of performing RCT, it can be challenging to do it efficiently including different aspects like study design, funding, randomization, blinding, follow-up, data analysis, statistics, generalization of results, and reporting of quality of the studies. Conclusion In this article, we gave a comprehensive review for RCT in otolaryngology discussing their importance, advantages, and drawbacks, types, steps, challenges, reporting their quality and their prevalence in the literature.

Military Veterans’ Transferrable Skills

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie E. Davis ◽  
Sarah E. Minnis
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Civilian Workforce ◽  
Retention Initiatives ◽  
Civilian Employment ◽  
Hrd Professionals

The Problem Military veterans face a number of employment challenges as they transition from military service to civilian employment. Although the American workforce has become much more diverse, there continues to be a lack of understanding and misperceptions about veterans’ skillsets and military experiences which inhibits successful employment after military service. Veterans are a source of talent for civilian employers as they bring distinctive capabilities and valuable skills developed through real-world, high-pressure experience, but some human resource development (HRD) practitioners may not be aware of the vast array of skills, training, and knowledge that veterans bring to the civilian workforce in addition to supervisory and management skills acquired during their time in the armed forces. Given the civilian public’s general lack of knowledge about military experience, HRD practitioners, in particular, may be less able to effectively evaluate and integrate veterans’ military experiences, skills, and capabilities in the civilian employment sector. These misunderstandings are contributing factors impacting veterans’ ability to transfer their skills from military to business cultures. The Solution It is imperative that HRD practitioners understand the potentially strong contributions and societal misperceptions regarding the business value of military veterans’ skills and experiences. This article will explore distinctive capabilities of veterans that make them assets in the civilian workforce as well as some potential concerns and highlight HRD’s role in recognizing and facilitating the development of veteran hiring and retention initiatives in civilian employment. Educating HRD professionals about how to integrate military veterans’ skills, knowledge, and abilities in business cultures and mitigate concerns is vital to promote veterans’ contributions to civilian organizations and is necessary for effective hiring and talent development. The Stakeholders Veterans, HRD professionals, scholars, practitioners, and policy makers interested in the HRD field, private sector, federal, nonfederal public sector, and U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Body Dissatisfaction: Among Middle-aged and Older Women

2012 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. e241-e241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Marshall ◽  
Christina Lengyel ◽  
Alphonsus Utioh
Keyword(s):  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Aging Women ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Impossible Task ◽  
Body Image Issues

With the growing pervasiveness of mass media, individuals of all ages and both sexes are bombarded with images that glorify youthfulness, messages that tie self-worth to thinness, and products that promise youth and beauty forever. Aging women are vulnerable to these societal messages and experience strong pressures to maintain their youth and thinness. As the physiological changes that accompany normal aging move these women farther from the “ideal” image, body dissatisfaction may increase. These women are confronted with the impossible task of trying to defy the natural process of aging through a variety of means, including fashion, cosmetics, selective surgeries, and personal food choices. The resulting body image issues, weight preoccupation, and eating disturbances can lead to voluntary food restriction, depression, social withdrawal, lower self-esteem, and disordered eating, all of which can have a negative impact on quality of life and nutritional status. In this review we explore existing research on body dissatisfaction among middle-aged (30 to 60) and older (over 60) women, discuss the prevalence of body dissatisfaction, its predisposing risk factors, and the resulting eating and body maintenance behaviours, and examine implications for dietetic practice.

scholarly journals Perceived Competency in Grief Counseling: Implications for Counselor Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Jude Cicchetti ◽  
Laurie McArthur ◽  
Gary M Szirony ◽  
Craig Blum
Keyword(s):  
Rehabilitation Counseling ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Grief Counseling ◽  
Master's Level ◽  
Cognitive Symptoms ◽  
Life Event ◽  
Unresolved Grief ◽  
Counseling Competency ◽  
Wide Range

Grief is regarded as a critical life event. Unresolved grief issues can interfere with quality of life and can result in emotional, behavioral, physical and cognitive symptoms, and if unresolved, can result in suicidal ideation. Counselors can be called upon and often do work with grief issues in clients, including U. S. Military veterans. This study examined whether 93 master’s level counselors specializing in rehabilitation counseling reported having been adequately trained to identify and work with clients who are having grief-related issues from loss or disability. Using the Grief Counseling Competency Scale (GCCS), participants showed a wide range of scores regarding personal competency related to grief. However, scores tended to be low when examining skills and knowledge relating to grief counseling. Implications for further research are discussed.

scholarly journals Killing in Combat; the Diverging Mental Health Impact on Distinct Veteran Populations – A Two-Sample Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Espetvedt Nordstrand ◽  
Christer Lunde Gjerstad ◽  
Odin Hjemdal ◽  
Are Holen ◽  
Tore Tveitstul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
The Impact

This study examined the warzone stressors: killing in combat, experiencing personal threats, or traumatic witnessing during deployment in relation to psychological distress, alcohol consumption and quality of life at long-term follow-up. The study was conducted in two samples of Norwegian veterans who had served in Afghanistan (Study 1, N = 4,053) or in Lebanon (Study 2, N = 10,605), respectively. Data were collected through two postdeployment mental health surveys conducted by the Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services. Using linear regressions, we investigated the impact of warzone stressors on posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, anxiety, insomnia, alcohol use, and quality of life. In study 1 (Afghanistan veterans), killing was not a significant predictor of psychological distress, alcohol use, or quality of life, when controlling for Personal Threats and Witnessing exposure. In study 2 (Lebanon veterans) killing remained a significant predictor (p < .001) of symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, after controlling for other warzone stressors. However, killing was not a significant predictor of alcohol use or quality of life in Study 2. In summary, killing in combat may be associated with increased reports of psychological distress, but there were distinct results in the two studies. Differences in mission statements, rules of engagement, and mental states during combat could explain the diverging outcomes. The results indicate that it may be erroneous to ubiquitously regard killing in combat as a moral stressor, and highlight the importance of clear rules of engagements that accounts for the “on the ground” reality of soldiers.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document