Essex County Research Articles

The impact of participatory arts in promoting social relationships for older people within care homes.

Aims:Loneliness and social isolation negatively affect wellbeing and quality of life. Despite the proximity of others, older people living in care homes often experience loneliness and social isolation. The impact of participatory arts on wellbeing is widely acknowledged; however, relational impacts have received less attention. This article explores the impact of participatory arts in care homes on the social relationships between older people and older people and care staff.Methods:‘Creative Journeys’, an initiative led by Essex County Council, provides opportunities for older people living in care homes to participate in arts activities. In this study, three arts organisations (reminiscence arts, seated dance, and orchestral music participation) delivered participatory arts in three homes. Stage 1 of the research comprised mixed-methods case studies in each home. Stage 2 involved an online survey across care homes in Essex to provide a broader perspective, with follow-up interviews in three further homes, and a focus group with the arts organisations. Findings presented here focus on the qualitative data around the impact of participatory arts on the social relationships in care homes between older people and older people and care staff.Results:Participatory arts enhanced social relationships between older people and between older people and care staff in care homes. Through engagement in shared experiences leading to increased communication and interaction, participatory arts facilitated social connectedness between residents, and changed the relationship dynamics between older people and care staff, thus promoting reciprocity.Conclusion:Participatory arts enable older people to express themselves creatively, and make meaningful contributions to their social relationships. Policy makers and those working in the care sector should consider including participatory arts as an integral and necessary component of quality care for older people living in care homes.

A web-based geographic interface system to support decision making for municipal solid waste management in England

To evaluate the feasibility and sustainability of the waste management solutions, it is necessary to assess the quantity and the flows of the waste generated. This research developed a web application which serves as a decision support system for those involved in the planning and management of municipal solid waste. In contrast to present web-based solutions, this tool provides the necessary information regarding the supply chain that is required to assess the suitability of waste valorisation in a particular location such as waste types, waste quantities and related waste contractors. Using publicly available data, a web geographic information system was designed where factors that affect the supply chain of municipal solid waste can be investigated. These include spatial and temporal variation of waste generated. The concept was demonstrated in the developed web application using publicly available data about England. Waste market opportunities were identified, for example Kent County Council and Essex County Council were identified to have the highest quantity of incinerated waste with and without energy recovery (344 and 65 kiloton) respectively. Then Staffordshire and Lancashire County Councils were identified to have the highest quantity of hazardous and non-hazardous waste being landfilled (5 and 296 kiloton) respectively. Seasonal variation was inconsistent across counties, with East Northamptonshire having little seasonal variation in household waste (<500 tonne variation) as opposed to East Riding of Yorkshire which had higher waste volumes in summer with up to 15,000 tonne variation). Circular economy partners were also identified through the web application and these results are presented in context of waste-derived supply chain decisions. The web application is therefore able to provide a comprehensive tool for improving both strategic and logistical decision-making process for municipal solid waste management.

A People's Preservation: Urban Erasures in Essex County, NJ

AbstractThe value of historic preservation is defined by an appreciation for old buildings as contributing to the sense of place of communities, both large and small. A recent national effort to develop a “preservation for people,” however, suggests that the inherent good of preservation is being challenged and rethought. This article considers this self‐assessment a retrenchment aimed at ensuring the preservation of the preservation field. Looking specifically at the urban and suburban landscape of Essex County, New Jersey, since the passing of the National Historic Preservation Act in 1965, I examine how preservation has developed a tradition of serving only those that can support its agenda. I then turn to show how those neglected by the preservation field in the county nevertheless practice preservation on their own terms, developing the foundations of what I call “a people’s preservation.” This counternarrative produces a different frame for preservation, showing how it can serve not a generic people but specific communities whose self‐determination can be the real focus of preservation practice.

The functions of an asylum: an analysis of male and female admissions to Essex County Asylum in 1904.

Contrasting historical views represent the asylum as a manifestation of humanitarian and therapeutic progress or as an institution of social control designed to bolster the capitalist economic order. More extreme critics suggest it was used to incarcerate people exhibiting only political or social deviance. Case notes of 200 consecutive male and female admissions to the Essex County Asylum in 1904 were inspected. The nature of presentations was classified in contemporary terms into broad categories of disorder. Outcomes were identified and differences between men and women were explored. We found no evidence that patients were admitted without signs of significant mental and behavioural disturbance. In total, 44% of admissions had signs of an organic condition, and these were more frequent among men. Women were admitted at a faster rate and were 1.6 times more likely to have mania or a psychotic disorder. Overall, 45.5% of patients were discharged, with 62% of patients with non-organic disorders discharged recovered or improved. Evidence partially supports both views of the asylum. In line with other studies, there is no evidence that the asylum was used to incarcerate people who did not show significant signs of disorder, but it did provide care and containment for those who could not be accommodated elsewhere, including many with organic conditions. The asylum also had a therapeutic orientation, however, and encouraged discharge where possible. In contrast to some other studies, women were more likely to be institutionalised than men, possibly reflecting their greater economic dependency.

When for “Witches” We Read “Women”: Advocacy and Ageism in Nineteenth-Century Salem Witchcraft Plays

When for “Witches” We Read “Women”Advocacy and Ageism in Nineteenth-Century Salem Witchcraft Plays Chrystyna Dail (bio) In her landmark 1893 text, Woman, Church, and State, historian and women’s rights activist Matilda Joslyn Gage wrote, “When for ‘witches’ we read ‘women,’ we gain fuller comprehension of the cruelties inflicted by the church upon this portion of humanity.”1 Gage dedicated a full chapter to “Witchcraft” in her book because the church—arguably one of the most powerful ruling forces in Western culture until the Enlightenment—regarded it as a sin exercised almost exclusively by women, with postmenopausal women considered highly suspect. This popular viewpoint resulted in legalizing women’s torture throughout Europe as well as colonial America, and, in many cases, led to punishment by boiling, burning, pressing, or hanging if found guilty. Publication of Gage’s work occurred the year after the Essex County witchcraft crisis bicentennial (1893) and followed a period that proved especially violent toward women over the age of forty (1830–1860).2 In the years leading up to the bicentennial, politicians, religious leaders, and artists called upon this historical event to serve their respective intentions. Several nineteenth-century playwrights recognized the dramatic potential of the political and religious overreach occurring in the Massachusetts colony during 1692. Like Gage, these playwrights drew attention to the oppression women suffered under seventeenth-century doctrine. Their work fueled postulations by public individuals such as politicians about whether this oppression persisted in nineteenth-century America. In this article, I address four plays written between 1846 and 1893 using colonial Salem, Massachusetts, [End Page 70] as their cultural backdrop. I analyze how these Salem witchcraft plays grappled with the early women’s rights movement. In addition, I explore how these works addressed a nineteenth-century social problem that remains prevalent in contemporary US culture: virulent ageism practiced against women. Seventeenth-century records of witchcraft trials in colonial America elucidate the extreme violence practiced against women—especially middle-aged and elderly women—under the auspices of church and state.3 For example, in 1662, Rebecca Greensmith, described as a “lewd, ignorant, considerably aged woman,” was hanged to death in Hartford, Connecticut, for witchcraft.4 What separates her confession from many other accused witches of the colonial period is that she actually admitted to having “familiarity with the Devil.” She confessed her crimes because each time she denied them a spectacular physical transformation occurred: “She was as if her flesh had been pulled from her bones.”5 Skin avulsion, or the tearing off of the skin from a body part resulting in irreparable tissue loss, is not common in everyday life. It has been medically proven to occur more regularly in geriatric patients because aging results in the loosening of skin properties: “The histologic deterioration of the skin due to aging correlates with the clinical findings: thinning of the skin, decreased resistance to shearing forces, decreased elasticity.”6 As torture was regularly used to force confessions from accused witches, it’s quite possible that the gory sensation Greensmith felt was actually occurring owing to the combination of her age and physical abuse undergone during jailing and examination. Because of witches’ supposed supernatural abilities, as well as reports of exceptional physical changes occurring while accused bodies underwent torture, the majority of theatrical performances including witch characters included spectacular physical transformations or actions. Throughout the past century and a half, audiences have seen witch characters fall into fits, levitate, fly, transform, burn, disappear, break through shackles, and melt onstage. Although these spectacular physical events occur in US productions containing witch characters of all ages, and at times these events result in positive outcomes for witch characters, the elderly witch most often undergoes violence or is put to death onstage. This mistreatment is grounded in a deep-seated social antipathy, often leading to malice, aimed at peri-and postmenopausal women in American culture. How have we come to anticipate spectacular violence against the elderly female or “crone” witch onstage in the United States? Much of the violence can be traced to one of the first American plays addressing the Salem witch trials: the 1846 production of Cornelius Mathews’s Witchcraft: Or, the Martyrs of...

Drop-And-Spin Virtual Neighborhood Auditing: Assessing Built Environment for Linkage to Health Studies

Various built environment factors might influence certain health behaviors and outcomes. Reliable, resource-efficient methods that are feasible for assessing built environment characteristics across large geographies are needed for larger, more robust studies. This paper reports the item response prevalence, reliability, and rating time of a new virtual neighborhood audit protocol, drop-and-spin auditing, developed for assessment of walkability and physical disorder characteristics across large geographic areas. Drop-and-spin auditing, a method where a Google Street View scene was rated by spinning 360° around a point location, was developed using a modified version of the virtual audit tool Computer Assisted Neighborhood Visual Assessment System. Approximately 8,000 locations within Essex County, New Jersey were assessed by 11 trained auditors. Using a standardized protocol, 32 built environment items per a location within Google Street View were audited. Test-retest and inter-rater κ statistics were from a 5% subsample of locations. Data were collected in 2017-2018 and analyzed in 2018. Roughly 70% of Google Street View scenes had sidewalks. Among those, two thirds were in good condition. At least 5 obvious items of garbage or litter were present in 41% of Google Street View scenes. Maximum test-retest reliability indicated substantial agreement (κ ≥0.61) for all items. Inter-rater reliability of each item, generally, was lower than test-retest reliability. The median time to rate each item was 7.3 seconds. Compared with segment-based protocols, drop-and-spin virtual neighborhood auditing is quicker and similarly reliable for assessing built environment characteristics. Assessment of large geographies may be more feasible using drop-and-spin virtual auditing.

Introduction -- Broadening Teacher Candidates’ Horizons: An Introduction to the Teacher Education Reciprocal Learning Program

The Teacher Education Reciprocal Learning Program (RLP) is a collaborative initiative between the University of Windsor (UW), Canada, Southwest University (SWU), China, in partnership with Greater Essex County District School Board and Chinese schools associated with SWU. The program, founded in 2010 through SWU Teacher Education fund and UW Strategic Priority Fund with in-kind contributions from Greater Essex County District School Board, is designed to provide an exceptional experience with international engagement, to broaden teacher candidates’ horizons for a society of increasing diversity, to foster international collaboration among faculty members who are interested in cross-cultural studies and multicultural education, and to enhance the international reputation of the University of Windsor (Xu, 2011a). The RLP is one of the foundational programs which provide research contexts and settings for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant Project entitled “Reciprocal Learning in Teacher Education and School Education between Canada and China” (Xu &amp; Connelly, 2013-2020).

Stories and verdicts: maleficium, judicial process and the politics of neighbourliness on the Atlantic margins in the seventeenth century

ABSTRACTThis article uses an exceptionally well-documented law case from the 1650s to offer a fresh perspective on the English experience of Atlantic settlement during its early years. It argues for the centrality of the Essex county quarter sessions court in the building of neighbourhood on the geographic and cultural margins of the Massachusetts Bay colony. By focusing on the north-eastern margin at Cape Ann, the analysis reveals aspects of state building through a common law judicial process which was just as important, but less readily apparent, in other settings. The article addresses three major historiographic areas, engaging with the historical literature on English neighbourhoods and English adaptation to the American environment, on the significance of witchcraft or maleficium in English societies, and on the nature and meanings of law, law courts and judicial process in the building of communities. Case documents also enable the use of some concepts and techniques of literary analysis related to the study of narrative, arguing that judicial verdicts selected and suppressed aspects of local stories elicited during the course of the investigation in order to craft an account of local neighbourhood that suited a broader cultural narrative of Massachusetts Bay’s political consolidation during the 1650s.

Using community education interventions to build resilience and avert crises: how accidental dwelling fires decreased in Essex County, UK

ABSTRACTCan public administrators use community education interventions in disaster management? We examine community education interventions as tools that raise awareness of hazards, communicate risks, and develop resilience in communities. We study a programme in Essex County, UK, in which Essex County Fire and Rescue Services used the results of proportional hazards modelling to identify localities at risk of accidental dwelling fires and to target community education interventions. We then assess the intervention’s impact by comparing the incidence of accidental dwelling fires before and after the Parish Safety Volunteer programme began, as well as between treated and untreated areas, in a difference-in-difference regression. We find that there are greater reductions in accidental dwelling fires in treated areas than in untreated areas, and argue that community education interventions can forge vital networks and increase safety for vulnerable people, as well as build trust and resilience important for disaster and crisis prevention.

Age and Origin of Monazite Symplectite in an Iron Oxide-Apatite Deposit in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA: Implications for Tracking Fluid Conditions

Monazite crystals, intergrown with allanite, fluorapatite, and quartz from the Cheever Mine iron oxide-apatite (IOA-type) deposit in Essex County, New York, USA, display rare symplectite textures. Electron probe wavelength-dispersive spectrometry (WDS) mapping and major and trace element characterization of these features reveal a natural experiment in fluid-mediated monazite recrystallization. Two types of monazite with symplectite intergrowths have been recognized (Type I and II). Both types of symplectite development are associated with a decrease in HREE, Si, Ca, Th, and Y, but an increase in both La and Ce in monazite. Electron microprobe Th-U-total Pb analysis of Type I monazite with suitable ThO2 concentrations yielded a weighted mean age of 980 ± 5.8 Ma (MSWD: 3.3), which is interpreted as the age of monazite formation and the onset of symplectite development. Both types of monazite formed during a series of reactions from fluorapatite, and possibly britholite, to produce the final assemblage of monazite, allanite, and fluorapatite. Monazite formation was likely a response to evolving fluid conditions, which favored monazite stability over fluorapatite at ca. 980 Ma, possibly a NaCl brine. A subsequent transition to a Ca-dominated fluid may have then promoted the consumption of monazite to produce another generation of allanite and fluorapatite. Our results indicate that recrystallized monazite formed during fluid-mediated processes that, over time, trended towards an increasingly pure end-member composition. Regionally, these data are consistent with a magmatic-origin followed by fluid-mediated remobilization of select phases at subsolidus conditions for the Adirondack IOA deposits.

Checklist and status of the amphibians and reptiles of Essex County, Ontario: a 35 year update

Essex County, Ontario, supports a diverse assemblage of Canadian herpetofauna. It is home to the only Canadian populations of three species/subspecies and contains two of Canada’s 11 Important Amphibian and Reptile Areas. A checklist and status assessment of the herpetofauna of Essex County was previously compiled in 1983. Changes to natural habitats and an increase in monitoring efforts (e.g., citizen science) over the past 35 years warrant an updated assessment of herpetofaunal status. The county was subdivided using a 10 x 10 km grid overlay, and recent observations (1997–2016) submitted to provincial databases were tabulated for each grid square. We compared current status’ of herpetofauna in Essex County to those of the 1983 study using a similar classification scheme of ‘extirpated from Essex’ (EE; no recent observations) and ‘rare in Essex’ (RE; distribution ≤5 squares). We found that 11 species declined in status. The majority of reptiles and amphibians (62%) that historically occurred in Essex County are now either EE (31%) or RE (31%) and almost half (45%) of the 29 extant species/subspecies are RE. A large proportion of salamanders and squamates are EE or RE (86% and 65%, respectively). Amount of natural area and sampling effort were important variables describing patterns of observed herpetofaunal species/subspecies richness, and observed richness was highest along the western and southern edges of the mainland (16–19 species). To prevent future extirpations, recovery efforts in Essex County should occur across multiple locations and target RE species.

Effectiveness of a community based physical activity intervention grounded in motivational interviewing

IntroductionActive lifestyles can manage and prevent over 20 chronic conditions, reducing the burden on health services. Yet, ensuring that at-risk groups are sufficiently active is a major public health challenge. Behaviour change interventions exist within primary care to support adults increase their physical activity (PA), with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommending brief advice to elicit positive change. The aim of this study was to assess whether the effectiveness of a community-based PA intervention grounded in motivational interviewing can influence change in PA and mental wellbeing. MethodsParticipants from the county of Essex, UK, were invited to take part in a community-based PA programme (Let's Get Moving), which uses motivational interviewing techniques; they were eligible if according to general practice records they were 18–74 years old, with a body-mass index of 28–35 kg/m2. An initial 30 min motivational interviewing appointment was conducted at baseline, relevant activities signposted, and data collected. 12 week data were collected during a face-to-face follow-up, and 6 month and 12 month data were collected via telephone. Self-reported PA levels were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and mental wellbeing using the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). Good reliability exists between face-to-face and telephone-administered IPAQ, but is unknown between approaches for the SWEMWBS. Findings2084 individuals attended the programme (1117 [60·9%] women, mean age 61·3 years [SD 11·7], 1780 [95·1%] White or White British, 1415 [67·9%] with a disability). Retention (participants who provided data) decreased over time (1239 [59·5%] at 12 weeks, 959 [46·0%] 6 months, 764 [36·7%] 12 months). Paired-samples t test revealed significant (all p<0·0001) increases in vigorous and moderate intensity PA, walking, and total PA at 12 weeks (n=1239), 6 months (n=959) and 12 months (n=764). Paired-samples t test revealed statistically significant (p<0·0001) increases in mental wellbeing at 12 weeks (n=401), 6 months (n=168), and 12 months (n=160), above the English average (SWEMWBS score 23·6). Effect size (0·3–0·8) and power (1·0) were good. InterpretationInitial and longitudinal findings indicate that a PA intervention grounded in motivational interviewing produces significant improvements in physical and mental health. The data inform the development of future delivery of brief interventions. However, because of the nature of the study there is a high risk of bias and confounding variables that could affect the results, which limits interpretation. FundingNone.

Understanding areas of educational disadvantage: an examination of outreach target wards in the county of Essex

ABSTRACTMuch outreach work now focuses on the most educationally disadvantaged localities in England, identified by the government-funded National Collaborative Outreach Programme as target wards. This study explores the underlying reasons why these districts return rates of young higher education participation that are not only comparatively low but lower than expected once prior attainment is taken into account. It does so by gathering the perspectives of careers practitioners, teaching professionals and learners from a sample of target wards in the county of Essex in southeast England. Underpinning the insights of these individuals, the study draws on quantitative evidence that highlights some key differences between these districts and other localities across Essex. Attention then turns to identifying current school-based practices and outreach activities considered by those surveyed to have had a positive impact on the progression outcomes of the young people from these neighbourhoods who do go on to university, as well as new initiatives that have the potential to do the same for others. Whilst adopting a case-study approach, the paper concludes by suggesting that the findings should be of wider interest, including for those seeking to address geographical differentials in higher education participation in other parts of the country.

The World of Jules Robinet

In the 1880s, the southwestern region of Ontario, including Essex County and Pelee Island, became home to a series of pioneering winemakers. While the story of the winemakers of Pelee Island has been told, far less has been written about the vineyards of the Windsor border region. Jules Robinet, emerged as a successful winemaker at the turn of the 20th century after a series of hardships wiped out most of his competition. In time, Robinet`s business flourished with the enactment of Prohibition laws in Canada and the United States. An immigrant from Rougemont, France, Robinet served as a key link in the migration chain of French labourers and grape growers who settled in and around the Town of Sandwich. For French immigrants, he emerged as an employer, business associate, and advocate for the community that found its roots in the very same region of France.

Evaluation of Crop to Crop Water Demand Forecasting: Tomatoes and Bell Peppers Grown in a Commercial Greenhouse

Forecasting crop water demand is a critical part of any greenhouse’s day-to-day operations. This study focuses on a region located in Essex County, Ontario Canada where water demand is dominated by commercial greenhouse operations (78% of capacity). Development of complex and elaborate forecasting methods such as artificial neural networks (ANN) can be costly to develop and implement, especially with the limited resources available to greenhouses. This study proposes simplified forecasting methods that would be used in conjunction with a more complex base model architecture. These simplified methods use one crop water usage as an indicator of another’s, and is titled crop-to-crop forecasting (C2C). In this study, tomatoes and peppers were evaluated, and three C2C models were developed along with an ANN base model to provide a basis for evaluation. The models were created using a dataset containing hourly watering data along with climatic and temporal data for the period between June 2015 and August 2016. The three C2C architectures used were linear regression (LR), quotient method (QM), and feed-forward neural network (FFNN), compared with the (ANN) model, which is a feed-forward neural network with extra inputs (FFNN-EI). Each model was evaluated using the root mean squared error (RMSE) and the normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE). The results show that all C2C methods have higher RMSE and NRMSE than that of the base model, with an average RMSE increase of 12% for peppers and 29% for tomatoes.

Occurrence of Libellulid Dragonflies (Odonata: Libellulidae) in Southeastern Michigan and Adjacent Essex County, Ontario

Occurrence of Libellulid Dragonflies (Odonata: Libellulidae) in Southeastern Michigan and Adjacent Essex County, Ontario

Distribution of glyphosate and cloransulam-methyl resistant Canada fleabane (Conyza Canadensis L. Cronq.) in Ontario

From 2013 to 2015, a survey was conducted to document the distribution of glyphosate-resistant (GR) and multiple-resistant Canada fleabane with resistance to glyphosate and cloransulam-methyl across Ontario. This survey shows that GR Canada fleabane is present throughout southern Ontario, from Essex county in the southwest to Glengarry county adjacent to the Quebec border.

Confirmation of a unique and genetically diverse ‘heritage’ strain of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in a remote Adirondack watershed

In fisheries management, understanding anthropogenic impacts on fish population genetic structure is essential because genetic diversity is a fundamental attribute contributing to a species’ evolutionary capacity. An extended history of supplemental stocking has led to the introgression of genes from non-local, hatchery-reared brook trout (Salvalinus fontinalis) into natural Adirondack populations in the state of New York. Managers have therefore gone to great lengths to protect known or suspected pristine “heritage” populations, but the genetic integrity of most populations is unknown. We used 11 microsatellite loci to examine a putative, but as yet unconfirmed “heritage” population in Dix Pond (Essex County, New York), in an effort to confirm its genetic uniqueness, quantify genetic diversity, and determine the geographic extent of the population. No spatial population structure was found within the Dix Pond/Elk Lake watershed, with minimal signs of introgression from historical stocking. The Dix/Elk population showed allelic richness, and effective population size comparable to the highest diversity heritage population among the four that we used for comparison. These patterns support continued heritage status for the Dix Pond population and recognition of the entire Dix-Elk watershed as habitat for this strain. We conclude this study by discussing how the genetic techniques employed here may help to inform future management decisions associated with the conservation and protection of imperiled populations throughout the globe.

Control of Glyphosate-Resistant Common Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatusvar.rudis) in Soybean in Ontario

Glyphosate-resistant (GR) common waterhemp is the fifth GR weed species confirmed in Canada, and the fourth in Ontario. As of 2017, GR common waterhemp has been confirmed in Lambton, Essex, and Chatham-Kent counties in Ontario. Greenhouse and field dose–response experiments revealed that GR common waterhemp in Ontario had a resistance level of 4.5 and 28, respectively, when compared with known glyphosate-susceptible populations. At 12 wk after application, pyroxasulfone/flumioxazin (240 g ai ha−1), pyroxasulfone/sulfentrazone (300 g ai ha−1), andS-metolachlor/metribuzin (1,943 g ai ha−1) controlled GR common waterhemp 97%, 92%, and 87%, respectively. Pyroxasulfone/sulfentrazone orS-metolachlor/metribuzin applied PRE followed by acifluorfen (600 g ai ha−1) or fomesafen (240 g ai ha−1) applied POST controlled GR common waterhemp 98% and performed better than PRE or POST alone. This research is the first to determine the resistance factor of GR common waterhemp in Ontario and identifies control strategies in soybean to mitigate the impact of common waterhemp interference in soybean crop production.

Adoption orders

R (On the Application of EL) v Essex County Council [2017] EWHC 1041 (Admin)