Lakeshore Foundation

In the process of becoming a teacher, novice teachers are likely to experience multiple tensions that shape their sense of professionalism. Despite their importance, novice teacher identity tensions have rarely been studied in second language pedagogy. The present study reports the role of tensions in a novice Iranian EFL teacher’s (Mina) identity development during her first year of teaching and three years later. Data were collected from three rounds of semi-structured interviews, online narratives, classroom observations, and post-observation conversations. Detailed analyses of the data indicated four major themes underlying Mina’s identity development vis-à-vis the tensions she experienced: (a) tensions between imagined and enacted identities, (b) tensions between claimed and assigned identities, (c) excessive emotion labor, and (d) resisted identities. Although tensions primarily functioned as negative mechanisms that created multiple identity conflicts for Mina, they partly made her renegotiate and restructure her identity in relation to various stakeholders in the long run. The findings are discussed in light of particularities of teaching and power relations that (re)define novices’ effective identity construction.

Objective: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the ability of people with Parkinson disease (PwPs) and their care-partners to perform food-related activities (FRA) and PwPs’ overall diet quality. Methods: Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, PwPs and their care-partners completed virtual dyadic semi-structured interviews about their FRA during the COVID-19 pandemic. PwPs completed Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) to quantify their dietary intake in the previous 12 months. Qualitative data were analyzed by two coders using thematic analysis, and quantitative data from FFQs were descriptively analyzed to calculate diet quality scores. Results: Eleven dyadic interviews revealed the following key themes: cooking more at home; changes with grocery shopping; less meals with non-household members. These changes were described to increase the care-partners’ responsibilities and overall burden. Diet scores among PwPs were 73.0 ± 6.3 for the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (scale of 0–100), 29.2 ± 6.6 for the Mediterranean diet (scale of 0–55), and 10.4 ± 1.8 for the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet (scale 0–15). Conclusions: Diet scores revealed that PwPs consumed a high-quality diet during the pandemic. Findings from this study highlight the need for tailored nutrition education to support PwPs’ care-partners.

People with disabilities have few options to participate in wellness programs that are tailored to their health, functional level, specific interests/needs, and available in the comfort of their home. To address this need, we evaluated a mobile health wellness program for people with physical disabilities. Retrospective pilot evaluation of MENTOR (Mindfulness, Exercise, and Nutrition To Optimize Resilience), an 8-week, 40-hour online telewellness program adapted from the peer reviewed literature on wellness. The three core wellness domains-mindfulness, exercise, and nutrition-were delivered via Zoom to groups of participants with a disability. Each group met weekly with an assigned health coach who responded to Q&A about the program and presented new material on several additional wellness domains that could impact their health (e.g., relationships, contribution to society/community, spending outdoor time in nature). Pre/post measures included the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) and the UAB/Lakeshore Wellness Assessment (LWA). Participants were also interviewed and provided feedback after the program, which was thematically analyzed. A total of 154 people from 15 states enrolled in the MENTOR program and 135 completed it (87.7% completers). Data were analyzed from a subset of participants (n=53) who were asked to complete a pre/post assessment and had complete data. Participants who were physically inactive at baseline improved their GLTEQ total activity (P=0.002; effect size =0.56) and moderate-to-vigorous activity scores (P=0.005; effect size =0.53). LWA results demonstrated that participants increased their exercise behavior (P=0.006; effect sizes =0.39) and contribution to society/community (P=0.013; effect size =0.37). Participants with low overall wellness (mental, physical & emotional health) at baseline had statistically significant improvements in exercise, nutrition, sleep, core values, self-care, hobbies, contribution to society/community, relationships, and overall wellness (all P<0.05 with effect sizes ranging from 0.43 to 1.07). Resultant qualitative themes were: (I) lifestyle transformation occurred through new positive experiences, physical and mental health benefits, and adoption of healthy behaviors; and (II) engagement through accessible online bonding through enjoyable and professional experiences. A pilot telewellness program for people with disabilities is feasible and potentially effective in improving several domains of wellness. There is a need for precision-based mobile health (mHealth) programs that are tailored for people with disabilities and that can be accessed from various portable devices including their phone and/or tablet.

To investigate the relationship of throat pain and dysphonia. Prospective cohort study. Forty-five subjects presenting with hyoid bone syndrome (HBS) and dysphonia were asked to rate their pain on a numerical rating scale and complete the 10-item Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) questionnaire prior to and at 1-week follow-up after treatment with triamcinolone injection into the attachments to the affected greater cornu(s). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were applied to evaluate if the overall V-RQOL scores, the physical functioning (PF) and social-emotional (SE) domain scores, and pain scores changed significantly after treatment. To evaluate how change in perceived pain affected V-RQOL, the differences in the V-RQOL, PF, and SE domain scores, and in pain scores were calculated for each subject. Three linear models were fit to the response variables, ΔV-RQOL, ΔPF, and ΔSE, using ΔPain as a predicting variable. V-RQOL, PF, and SE domain scores, and pain scores all improved significantly with treatment. A bigger decrease in the pain score led to a bigger increase in V-RQOL and domain scores, with slopes varying between -1.1 and -1.4. The PF domain scores showed the greatest improvement with decrease in pain scores. Effective treatment of HBS led to improvement in patients' voice complaints, suggesting that throat pain may have a direct effect on voice. This may be related to compensatory perilaryngeal adjustments patients make when speaking with a "guarding" effect when they have throat pain. IV (Cohort study) Laryngoscope, 131:E2303-E2308, 2021.

Many academic institutions strive to promote more diverse and inclusive campuses for faculty, staff, and students. As part of this effort, these institutions seek to include individuals from historically underrepresented groups (URGs)-such as women, people from racial/ethnic minority populations, persons with disabilities-on committees and in other service activities. However, given the low number of faculty members from URGs at many institutions, these faculty members tend to receive more requests to provide service to the institution or department (e.g., serving on committees, mentoring) than their counterparts from majority groups. Faculty members from URGs, especially early-career faculty, thus risk becoming overburdened with providing service at the expense of working on other scholarly activities required for promotion and tenure (i.e., conducting research, publishing). Although many scholars and others have written about this "minority tax" and its implications for early-career faculty from underrepresented racial/ethnic minority groups, fewer have published about how this tax extends beyond racial/ethnic minorities to women and persons with disabilities. Further, the literature provides scant practical advice on how to avoid overburdening early-career faculty from URGs. Here, a group of multidisciplinary early- and mid-career faculty members from URGs seek to provide their peers from URGs with practical strategies for both evaluating the appropriateness of service requests and declining those that are not a good fit. The authors also provide institutional leaders with actionable recommendations to prevent early-career faculty from URGs from becoming overburdened with service.

Active video gaming (AVG) options are limited for individuals with mobility impairments due to inaccessibility of the gaming controllers. Two gaming controllers (Wii Fit balance board and gaming mat) were recently adapted for individuals with physical disabilities (www.rectech.org), thereby providing increased opportunities for AVG play. PURPOSE: To compare energy expenditure in persons with mobility impairment during seated AVG play using an adapted Wii Fit balance board (WFBB) and adapted gaming mat. METHODS: During the first lab visit, demographic data were collected, and participants completed a game play familiarization period. During the next two lab visits, metabolic data (COSMED) were collected during a 20-minute baseline, followed by two 10-minute bouts of game play. During one visit, participants played select Wii Fit Plus games on the adapted WFBB and during the other visit Active Life Explorer and Outdoor Challenge games were played on the adapted gaming mat. For all AVGs participants played seated. The adapted WFBB was designed so that the player could wheel onto the platform. For play using the adapted gaming mat, the mat was placed on a height-adjustable table. A paired sample t-test was computed to compare mean energy expenditure during game play on the adapted WFBB and gaming mat. RESULTS: Sample included 26 participants, 16 men, mean age 37.50 ± 12.77 yrs. All participants utilized a wheelchair for mobility and daily activities. Mean energy expenditure (METs) during game play was significantly greater (p < .05) on the adapted WFBB (2.24 ± 0.68 kcal/kg/hr) as compared to the gaming mat (1.99 ± 0.68). CONCLUSION: The adapted WFBB and gaming mat provided an opportunity for persons with mobility impairments, specifically wheelchair users, to engage in AVG. Although mean MET values achieved during AVG represented light intensity exercise, several participants (n = 12) achieved moderate intensity (3-4 METs) on at least one game set. Factors not accounted for that may have influenced exercise intensity include game selection, limited familiarization, and discomfort wearing the COSMED system. Adapted controllers for AVG play provide a viable option for increasing leisure-time physical activity in persons with mobility impairments. Supported by NIDLRR grant 90RE5009-01-00.

The translation of knowledge from exercise training research into the clinical management of multiple sclerosis, stroke, and Parkinson disease requires evidence-based guidelines that are uniformly recognizable by healthcare practitioners and patients/clients. This article synthesized resources that reported aerobic and resistance training guidelines for people with multiple sclerosis, stroke, and Parkinson disease. Systematic searches yielded 25 eligible resources from electronic databases and Web sites or textbooks of major organizations. Data were extracted (exercise frequency, intensity, time, and type) and synthesized into three sets of recommendations. Exercise guidelines for multiple sclerosis consistently recommended 2-3 d/wk of aerobic training (10-30 mins at moderate intensity) and 2-3 d/wk of resistance training (1-3 sets between 8 and 15 repetition maximum). Exercise guidelines for stroke recommended 3-5 d/wk of aerobic training (20-40 mins at moderate intensity) and 2-3 d/wk of resistance training (1-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions between 30% and 50% 1 repetition maximum). Exercise guidelines for Parkinson disease recommended 3-5 d/wk of aerobic training (20-60 mins at moderate intensity) and 2-3 d/wk of resistance training (1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions between 40% and 50% of 1 repetition maximum). This harmonization of exercise guidelines provides a prescriptive basis for healthcare providers, exercise professionals, and people with multiple sclerosis, stroke, and Parkinson disease regarding exercise programming.