Reforming the undergraduate experience

This chapter examines common objectives in some of the major initiatives in higher education. It highlights the role of librarians and libraries in higher education refor

National Competency Framework for Safeguarding Adults - concise version

Sets out in concise form capabilities expected of various professionals

National Competence Framework for Safeguarding Adults- Comprehensive Guide

Sets out in more detailed form the knowledge, skills and abilities expected of professionals working within Safeguarding Adults

Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination Among Occupational Therapy Professionals and Students in Early 2021

Purpose: After the widespread transmission of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the first COVID-19 vaccination received emergency use authorization in the United States in December of 2020. Current research has shown the authorized COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and effective at preventing severe illness. At the time of this study, there appears to be no published research on the attitudes and receipt of COVID-19 vaccinations among occupational therapy professionals and students. The purpose of this study is to describe the attitudes and receipt of COVID-19 vaccinations among occupational therapy professionals and students in early 2021. Methods: A total of 114 occupational therapy professionals and students (age= 41 ± 15, years of certified experience = 13 ± 13) opened the survey link and completed the instrument. Participants were sent an electronic survey via email that collected demographic information and assessed attitudes and receipt of COVID-19 vaccination. Data was downloaded and analyzed using a commercially available statistics package. Results: The majority of occupational therapy professionals in this study agreed on some level that they were comfortable (Strongly Agree = 36.0%, Agree = 16.7%, Somewhat Agree = 10.5%). Most occupational therapy professionals and students stated they had or would receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The majority of participants reported personal, household, and community safety as the primary considerations for receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. In general, these factors were a larger factor for participants than public perception or personal liberties being infringed upon. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest a majority of occupational therapy professionals and students are comfortable with the current level of approvals for available COVID-19 vaccinations, and at the time of the survey had or intending to be vaccinated. As occupational therapy professionals and students continue to work in day-to-day patient care, it is imperative to consider the best means of educating occupational therapy professionals and students on the potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccinations

Healthcare IT Adoption under Different Government Models: Debating the HITECH Impacts

Governments around the world are investing in healthcare as they attempt to increase access to care and the quality of care, while simultaneously lowering the costs of providing care. Many of these investments are in healthcare IT (HIT). The IT software industry is preparing for intensive competition for their HIT packages and workers in response to government and private industry investments. Yet different national healthcare models have produced widely differing healthcare outcomes and HIT adoption rates, with the U.S. performing poorly on both. The objective of this panel is to provide insights based on HIT research conducted in multiple healthcare contexts under different national government models, and then to engage the panel audience in debating the prospects for success of three IT-enabled healthcare delivery reforms being government-funded in the U.S. over the next 5 years. Our larger goal is to provide a forum for information sharing that will motivate other IS researchers across the global IS research community to contribute to the design of solutions and the capturing of best practices that will address some of the key goals of IT-enabled healthcare reform: improved access and quality, and decreased costs

Chronic Murine Typhoid Fever Is a Natural Model of Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a hyper-inflammatory clinical syndrome associated with neoplastic disorders especially lymphoma, autoimmune conditions, and infectious agents including bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi. In both human and veterinary medicine, hemophagocytic histiocytic disorders are clinically important and frequently fatal. HLH in humans can be a primary (familial, autosomal recessive) or secondary (acquired) condition, with both types generally precipitated by an infectious agent. Previously, no mouse model for secondary HLH has been reported. Using Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium by oral gavage to mimic naturally-occurring infection in Sv129S6 mice, we characterized the clinical, hematologic and morphologic host responses to disease thereby describing an animal model with the clinico-pathologic features of secondary HLH as set forth by the Histiocyte Society: fever, splenomegaly, cytopenias (anemia, thrombocytopenia), hemophagocytosis in bone marrow and spleen, hyperferritinemia, and hypofibrinogenemia. Disease severity correlates with high splenic and hepatic bacterial load, and we show disease course can be monitored and tracked in live animals. Whereby secondary HLH is known to occur in human patients with typhoid fever and other infectious diseases, our characterization of a viable natural disease model of secondary HLH offers an important means to elucidate pathogenesis of poorly understood mechanisms of secondary HLH and investigation of novel therapies. We characterize previously unreported secondary HLH in a chronic mouse model of typhoid fever, and novel changes in hematology including decreased tissue ferric iron storage that differs from classically described anemia of chronic disease. Our studies demonstrate S. Typhimurium infection of mice is a natural infectious disease model of secondary HLH that may have utility for elucidating disease pathogenesis and developing novel therapies

Let Them In: Family Presence During Intensive Care Unit Procedures

Families have for decades advocated for full access to intensive care units (ICUs) and meaningful partnership with clinicians, resulting in gradual improvements in family access and collaboration with ICU clinicians. Despite such advances, family members in adult ICUs are still commonly asked to leave the patient’s room during invasive bedside procedures, regardless of whether the patient would prefer family to be present. Physicians may be resistant to having family members at the bedside due to concerns about trainee education, medicolegal implications, possible effects on the technical quality of procedures due to distractions, and procedural sterility. Limited evidence from parallel settings does not support these concerns. Family presence during ICU procedures, when the patient and family member both desire it, fulfills the mandates of patient-centered care. We anticipate that such inclusion will increase family engagement, improve patient and family satisfaction, and may, on the basis of studies of open visitation, pediatric ICU experience, and family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, decrease psychological distress in patients and family members. We believe these goals can be achieved without compromising the quality of patient care, increasing provider burden significantly, or increasing risks of litigation. In this article, we weigh current evidence, consider historical objections to family presence at ICU procedures, and report our clinical experience with the practice. An outline for implementing family procedural presence in the ICU is also presented

Economic Energy Savings Potential in Federal Buildings

The primary objective of this study was to estimate the current life-cycle cost-effective (i.e., economic) energy savings potential in Federal buildings and the corresponding capital investment required to achieve these savings, with Federal financing. Estimates were developed for major categories of energy efficiency measures such as building envelope, heating system, cooling system, and lighting. The analysis was based on conditions (building stock and characteristics, retrofit technologies, interest rates, energy prices, etc.) existing in the late 1990s. The potential impact of changes to any of these factors in the future was not considered

Long-term epidemiological survey of Kudoa thyrsites (Myxozoa) in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) from commercial aquaculture farms

Kudoa thyrsites (Myxozoa) encysts within myocytes of a variety of fishes. While infected fish appear unharmed, parasite-derived enzymes degrade the flesh post-mortem. In regions of British Columbia (BC), Canada, up to 4–7% of fillets can be affected, thus having economic consequences and impacting the competitiveness of BC's farms. K. thyrsites was monitored in two farms having high (HP) or low (LP) historical infection prevalence. At each farm, 30 fish were sampled monthly for blood and muscle during the first year followed by nine samplings during year two. Prevalence and intensity were measured by PCR and histology of muscle samples. In parallel, fillet tests were used to quantify myoliquefaction. Infections were detected by PCR after 355 and 509 degree days at LP and HP farms, respectively. Prevalence reached 100% at the HP farm by 2265 degree days and declined during the second year, whereas it plateaued near 50% at the LP farm. Infection intensities decreased after 1 year at both farms. Blood was PCR-positive at both farms between 778 and 1113 degree days and again after 2000 degree days. This is the first monitoring project in a production environment and compares data between farms with different prevalence.This project was funded by Marine Harvest Canada and an NSERC IRDF Fellowship to WL Marshall.Peer Reviewe