Arthritis and disability

Executive summary: Arthritis Australia commissioned the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at UNSW Australia to carry out research on the lived experience of people with arthritis related conditions. This report outlines the methods, findings and implications of the research. Arthritis is the second leading cause of disability and the most common cause of chronic pain in Australia; it is the most prevalent long-term health condition, affecting 3 million people or about 15 per cent of the population. Studies are available on the health costs and loss of productivity associated with arthritis, but not as much is understood about the extent to which arthritis is associated with disability–who is affected, how people are affected, what helps people cope with their condition day to day, and how support services can be improved. Improving understanding of the disability impact of arthritis is particularly important given the transition in Australia to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the impact this may have on service availability and delivery

More than Hoop Jumping: Making Accreditation Matter

This study provides a discussion of faculty perspectives on the impact of national accreditation on a teacher education program. Research questions from a three-year investigation examined the influence of accreditation on how teacher educators approach their work and whether meeting accreditation requirements contributes to ongoing, systemic self-reflection. Self-study survey data identified faculty perspectives on the influence of accreditation on planning, instruction, curriculum development, assessment, and collaboration. Accreditation as a form of self-study reveals both strengths and the inherent challenges of meeting the sometimes competing goals of accreditation requirements and meaningful examinations through self-reflection. Study implications underscore the need for conscious efforts to maintain self-reflection as central to program improvements and considerations for teacher educators’ work

The Curious Question of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Edema

The question of whether pulmonary edema develops during exercise on land is controversial. Yet, the development of pulmonary edema during swimming and diving is well established. This paper addresses the current controversies that exist in the field of exercise-induced pulmonary edema on land and with water immersion. It also discusses the mechanisms by which pulmonary edema can develop during land exercise, swimming, and diving and the current gaps in knowledge that exist. Finally, this paper discusses how these fields can continue to advance and the areas where clinical knowledge is lacking

Reading Recovery in South Carolina: 2016-2017 State Report

Developed by New Zealand educator Dr. Marie M. Clay, Reading Recovery® is a short-term early intervention for first grade students who have the lowest achievement on measures of literacy outcomes. Students meet individually with a specially trained teacher for 30 minutes each day for a period of 12-20 weeks. The goal during this period is for children to develop a network of reading and writing strategies so they may independently perform within the average range of their class

The natural hair transformation : a journey of resilience and resistance

The study sought to explore the self-identity motives, challenges, and rewards of the natural hair transformation experienced by Black women college students. Women in this study made the decision to stop the use of chemicals that alter the natural state of their hair. The study found that while many participants faced resistance and negative reactions from their families and individuals in their social circles, most described the natural hair transformation as one that was ultimately empowering across several categories of identity. At the same time, participants described immediate and lasting injuries, both physical and psychological, resulting from the use of chemical relaxers before the initiation of the natural hair transformation, as well as from the negative reactions they received once they had begun the transformation. Many women found support with other natural haired women. From this support they have been able to work towards healing and repairing the psychological injuries and scars. Implications for social work practice and recommendations for future research are discussed

Intra-articular injection of photo-activated platelet-rich plasma in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind, randomized controlled pilot study

Improvements in knee osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) have been attributed to its ability to modify intra-articular inflammatory processes. Photo-activation of peripheral blood also improves inflammatory mediators associated with OA, however combined photo-activated PRP (PA-PRP) has not been investigated. This pilot study assessed the feasibility, safety and symptomatic and functional change following injections of PA-PRP compared to hyaluronic acid (HA) in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA)

Vessel Reactivity and Blood Flow in Rats Exposed to Neonatal Supplemental Oxygen

Premature babies make up 12.8% of live births per year. Because their lungs are poorly developed, supplemental oxygen is a necessary treatment. Recent studies in our laboratory, in a rat model of prematurity, show that aortic pulse wave velocities were higher in rats exposed to neonatal supplemental oxygen. This is an indicator of significant aortic stiffening. This study aims to determine if supplemental oxygen also affects the downstream vasculature reactivity. We hypothesized that exposure to supplemental oxygen during the neonatal period will decrease vessel reactivity and we will observe smaller changes in blood flow with hypoxic and carbon dioxide challenges. Twelve month old rats exposed to 80% and 21% oxygen for eight days during the neonatal period were ventilated with hypoxic (12% O2), hypercapnic (5% CO2), and room air conditions. Each exposure lasted 10 minutes and followed with different 10 µm neutron-activated BioPAL microspheres injections into the left ventricle. The microspheres were allowed to circulate for 300-400 cardiac cycles. Microspheres lodged in the tissues were used to quantify changes in visceral blood flow. 80% O2 exposed rats showed a decreased baseline cardiac output to tissues compared to controls. In hypoxic and carbon dioxide conditions, 80% O2 exposed rats showed decreased changes in blood flow to tissues compared to controls, but results were not significant. Some tissues showed decreased blood flows when the rats were exposed to hypoxia and carbon dioxide challenges suggesting some vasoconstrictive effects had also occurred

Participation in a priming task predicts persistence

Though previously considered to be a relatively stable factor, emerging research suggests that optimism may be manipulated. Since research suggests a link between optimism and task persistence, the manipulation of optimism may result in greater task persistence. This paper describes two experiments. In both experiments, researchers examined whether participants primed for optimism persisted longer on a difficult anagram-solving task than did participants who were not primed for optimism. Experiment 1 used a future thinking task to prime optimism, whereas Experiment 2 used a scrambled sentences task to prime optimism. Results suggested a trend for participants primed for optimism to persist longer on the anagram-solving task Though these experiments were limited by small sample sizes, trends in the data suggest a relationship between the priming of optimism and task persistence

Teacher Observations Using Telepresence Robots: Benefits and Challenges for Strengthening Evaluations

Project SCOUT (School Classroom Observations Using Telepresence) details findings from a pilot project where observers used a telepresence robot designed to capture teaching episodes. The study examined: 1) participants’ ability to review classroom teaching and determine teaching quality using a telepresence format; 2) whether a telepresence robot allowed observers to review the specific teaching competencies they would otherwise evaluate during in-person observations; and 3) the success of the telepresence robot in evaluating specific pedagogical environments (i.e., Montessori classrooms). Survey and observation data from two focal classrooms highlight the benefits of telepresence tools by allowing flexibility and the potential for a wider audience of observers using real time data collection. Limitations of a telepresence robot include challenges in its ability to capture classroom nuances necessary for evaluation, coaching, or supervisory support. Those who use a telepresence robot must be particularly sensitive to using a technology that might cause privacy and safety concerns for children and their families, particularly for marginalized communities