Experiential Education in Advocacy for Occupational Therapy Students: Didactic Approaches and Learning Outcomes

Advocacy is a foundational value in occupational therapy, but uniformity in teaching and learning advocacy is lacking. This paper proposes and reports on the implementation of an advocacy course based on experiential education. The objective of the study was to evaluate student learning after an advocacy course with an experiential education component using an open-ended survey design. Participants were occupational therapy doctoral students, and the setting was a course taught in a health sciences university. Students voluntarily completed a four-item anonymous survey after participating in an experiential advocacy course. Written responses were coded into themes using an inductive approach. The primary themes identified were knowledge, skills learned, levels of comfort and intimidation, and motivation and self-efficacy. Before the course, students consistently indicated a lack of knowledge or skills, feeling uncomfortable and intimidated with policy and advocacy, and lacking the self-efficacy to affect advocacy outcomes. After the course, the students indicated a general increase in knowledge and familiarity with the advocacy process, feeling comfortable advocating because of their increased knowledge, and an increased interest in the advocacy process. Analysis of student responses after the advocacy course indicated increased student interest, confidence, and ability to engage in legislative advocacy. Because client well-being and scope of practice depend on occupational therapists having strong advocacy skills, students need to engage in experiential learning to acquire these skills. This study demonstrates students lacked skills and confidence related to advocacy but were able to learn those skills through an experiential advocacy course. We argue the observed transition from lack of ability to confidence and comfort was only possible through the experiential learning component

Effective risk management planning for those convicted of sexual offending

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which risk is addressed in the risk management planning process of those convicted of sexual offending. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from a risk assessment and management system called the Offender Assessment System (OASys), used by the National Offender Management Service, in England and Wales. The records of 216 clients were accessed and each risk management plan analysed. The study aimed to understand if first, general and sexual risk factors identified by assessors were recorded and detailed in subsequent plans; second, if specialist sexual offending risk assessment tools were used to inform risk management strategies; and third, if both a balance of control and support mechanisms were in place to tackle identified risk and needs of clients. Findings – Inconsistencies were found in relation to practitioners transposing risks identified, into the subsequent risk management plans. Strategies were therefore deemed, inadequate as there was a significant omission of the use of specialist sexual risk assessment tools to inform and ensure risk assessment to be robust. In addition risk management plans were often overbearing in nature, as assessors tended to utilise control strategies to assist the reintegration process, in contrast to a combination of both control and support. Research limitations/implications – This sample was taken from only one probation trust in England and Wales. The findings might therefore be unique to this organisation rather than be representative of national practice. This study should therefore, be replicated in a number of other probation areas. In addition, it is important to note that this study only reviewed one electronic tool used by practitioners. Therefore, while it might appear for example that the RM2000 tool was not routinely completed; this cannot be assumed as practitioners might have adopted local custom and practice, recording RM2000 scores elsewhere. Practical implications – These findings highlight the need for some understanding as to why there is a lack of consistency throughout the risk management planning process. Practitioners should receive ongoing risk management training, development and supportive supervision. In particular, practitioners require supervision that supports and develops their skills when applying RM2000 classifications to their clients’ risk management plans. Likewise initiatives which develop practitioner’s awareness and application of strengths based approaches such as the Good Lives Model should be encouraged. These will help practitioners develop plans that address both the risks while supporting their development of the strengths a client presents. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind, which examines the risk management plans of those convicted of sexual offending, completed by practitioners in England and Wales using the OASys tool

Hybrid phase at the quantum melting of the Wigner crystal

We study the quantum melting of the two-dimensional Wigner crystal using a fixed node quantum Monte-Carlo approach. In addition to the two already known phases (Fermi liquid at large density and Wigner crystal at low density), we find a third stable phase at intermediate values of the density. The third phase has hybrid behaviors in between a liquid and a solid. This hybrid phase has the nodal structure of a Slater determinant constructed out of the bands of a triangular lattice.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Duality and the vibrational modes of a Cooper-pair Wigner crystal

When quantum fluctuations in the phase of the superconducting order parameter destroy the off-diagonal long range order, duality arguments predict the formation of a Cooper pair crystal. This effect is thought to be responsible for the static checkerboard patterns observed recently in various underdoped cuprate superconductors by means of scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Breaking of the translational symmetry in such a Cooper pair Wigner crystal may, under certain conditions, lead to the emergence of low lying transverse vibrational modes which could then contribute to thermodynamic and transport properties at low temperatures. We investigate these vibrational modes using a continuum version of the standard vortex-boson duality, calculate the speed of sound in the Cooper pair Wigner crystal and deduce the associated specific heat and thermal conductivity. We then suggest that these modes could be responsible for the mysterious bosonic contribution to the thermal conductivity recently observed in strongly underdoped ultraclean single crystals of YBCO tuned across the superconductor-insulator transition.Comment: 14 pages; 3 figures; corrected the sample size value; version 3 to appear in PR

The application of self-limiting transgenic insects in managing resistance in experimental metapopulations

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Data sharing: raw data for this study are available as supplementary data files.1. The mass release of transgenic insects carrying female lethal self-limiting genes can reduce pest insect populations. Theoretically, substantial releases can be a novel resistance management tool, since wild type alleles conferring susceptibility to pesticides can dilute resistance alleles in target populations. A potential barrier to the deployment of this technology is the need for large-scale area wide releases. Here we address whether localized releases of transgenic insects could provide an alternative, means of population suppression and resistance management, without serious loss of efficacy. 2. We used experimental mesocosms constituting insect metapopulations to explore the evolution of resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1Ac in a high-dose/refugia landscape in the insect Plutella xylostella. We ran two selection experiments, the first compared the efficacy of ‘everywhere’ releases and negative controls to a spatially density-dependent or ‘whack-a-mole’ strategy that concentrated release of transgenic insects in sub-populations with high levels of resistance. The second experiment tested the relative efficacy of whack-a-mole and everywhere releases under spatially homogenous and heterogeneous selection pressure. 3. The whack-a-mole releases were less effective than everywhere releases in terms of slowing the evolution of resistance, which in the first experiment, largely prevented the evolution of resistance. In contrast to predictions, heterogeneous whack-a-mole releases were not more effective under heterogeneous selection pressure. Heterogeneous selection pressure did, however, reduce total insect population sizes 4. Whack-a-mole releases provided early population suppression that was indistinguishable from homogeneous everywhere releases. However, insect population densities tracked the evolution of resistance in this system, as phenotypic resistance provides access to the 90% of experimental diet containing the toxin Cry1Ac. Thus, as resistance levels diverged between treatments, carrying capacities diverged and population sizes increased under the whack- a-mole approach. Synthesis and Applications Spatially density-dependent releases of transgenic insects, particularly those targeting source populations at landscape level, could suppress pest populations in the absence of blanket area-wide management. The resistance management benefits of self-limiting transgenic insects are, however, reduced in spatially localized releases, suggesting that they are not best suited for spatially restricted ‘spot’ treatment of problematic resistance. Nevertheless, area-wide and spatially heterogeneous releases could be used to support other resistance management interventions.This work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [grant numbers BB/L00948X/1 to MBB and NA, and BB/L00819X/1&2 to BR]

Building stories: Exploring participant experiences and research relationships

In this article we present findings from two separate narrative phenomenological studies interested in the narrative representations of experiences. While meeting original research aims, unexpected accounts of the meaningful experience derived from participation in the studies emerged. The shared methodological approach is introduced, followed by explorations of time, space, actors, and scenes as co-constructed story-telling and story-making considerations. The discussion highlights that while researcher positionality is itself not a novel focus, the potential influence of engagement in research must be acknowledged. The data- therefore transcends the narrative shared to become a secondary experience with a constitutive influence on how the research relationship and participation in research is considered, analysed and interpreted.https://benjamins.com/catalog/ni.17069.ellsch_occ28pub5279pub

Contractile force is enhanced in Aortas from pendrin null mice due to stimulation of angiotensin II-dependent signaling.

Pendrin is a Cl-/HCO3- exchanger expressed in the apical regions of renal intercalated cells. Following pendrin gene ablation, blood pressure falls, in part, from reduced renal NaCl absorption. We asked if pendrin is expressed in vascular tissue and if the lower blood pressure observed in pendrin null mice is accompanied by reduced vascular reactivity. Thus, the contractile responses to KCl and phenylephrine (PE) were examined in isometrically mounted thoracic aortas from wild-type and pendrin null mice. Although pendrin expression was not detected in the aorta, pendrin gene ablation changed contractile protein abundance and increased the maximal contractile response to PE when normalized to cross sectional area (CSA). However, the contractile sensitivity to this agent was unchanged. The increase in contractile force/cross sectional area observed in pendrin null mice was due to reduced cross sectional area of the aorta and not from increased contractile force per vessel. The pendrin-dependent increase in maximal contractile response was endothelium- and nitric oxide-independent and did not occur from changes in Ca2+ sensitivity or chronic changes in catecholamine production. However, application of 100 nM angiotensin II increased force/CSA more in aortas from pendrin null than from wild type mice. Moreover, angiotensin type 1 receptor inhibitor (candesartan) treatment in vivo eliminated the pendrin-dependent changes contractile protein abundance and changes in the contractile force/cross sectional area in response to PE. In conclusion, pendrin gene ablation increases aorta contractile force per cross sectional area in response to angiotensin II and PE due to stimulation of angiotensin type 1 receptor-dependent signaling. The angiotensin type 1 receptor-dependent increase in vascular reactivity may mitigate the fall in blood pressure observed with pendrin gene ablation

Combining the high-dose/refuge strategy and self-limiting transgenic insects in resistance management - a test in experimental mesocosms

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.The high-dose/refuge strategy has been the primary approach for resistance management in transgenic crops engineered with Bacillus thuringiensis toxins. However, there are continuing pressures from growers to reduce the size of Bt toxin-free refugia, which typically suffer higher damage from pests. One complementary approach is to release male transgenic insects with a female-specific self-limiting gene. This technology can reduce population sizes and slow the evolution of resistance by introgressing susceptible genes through males. Theory predicts that it could be used to facilitate smaller refugia or reverse the evolution of resistance. In this study, we used experimental evolution with caged insect populations to investigate the compatibility of the self-limiting system and the high-dose/refuge strategy in mitigating the evolution of resistance in diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. The benefits of the self-limiting system were clearer at smaller refuge size, particularly when refugia were inadequate to prevent the evolution of resistance. We found that transgenic males in caged mesocosms could suppress population size and delay resistance development with 10% refugia and 4% - 15% initial resistance allele frequency. Fitness costs in hemizygous transgenic insects are particularly important for introgressing susceptible alleles into target populations. Fitness costs of the self-limiting gene in this study (P. xylostella OX4139 line L) were incompletely dominant, and reduced fecundity and male mating competitiveness. The experimental evolution approach used here illustrates some of the benefits and pitfalls of combining mass-release of self-limiting insects and the high dose/refuge strategy, but does indicate that they can be complementary.This work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [grant numbers BB/L00948X/1 to MBB and NA, and BB/L00819X/1&2 to BR]

Effect of a lattice upon an interacting system of electrons: Breakdown of scaling and decay of persistent currents

For an interacting system of N electrons, we study the conditions under which a lattice model of size L with nearest neighbor hopping t and U/r Coulomb repulsion has the same ground state as a continuum model. For a fixed value of N, one gets identical results when the inter-electron spacing to the Bohr radius ratio r_s < r_s^*. Above r_s^*, the persistent current created by an enclosed flux begins to decay and r_s ceases to be the scaling parameter. Three criteria giving similar r_s^* are proposed and checked using square lattices.Comment: 7 pages, 5 postscript figure

Computer Game Play Reduces Intrusive Memories of Experimental Trauma via Reconsolidation-Update Mechanisms.

Memory of a traumatic event becomes consolidated within hours. Intrusive memories can then flash back repeatedly into the mind's eye and cause distress. We investigated whether reconsolidation-the process during which memories become malleable when recalled-can be blocked using a cognitive task and whether such an approach can reduce these unbidden intrusions. We predicted that reconsolidation of a reactivated visual memory of experimental trauma could be disrupted by engaging in a visuospatial task that would compete for visual working memory resources. We showed that intrusive memories were virtually abolished by playing the computer game Tetris following a memory-reactivation task 24 hr after initial exposure to experimental trauma. Furthermore, both memory reactivation and playing Tetris were required to reduce subsequent intrusions (Experiment 2), consistent with reconsolidation-update mechanisms. A simple, noninvasive cognitive-task procedure administered after emotional memory has already consolidated (i.e., > 24 hours after exposure to experimental trauma) may prevent the recurrence of intrusive memories of those emotional events