Selected psychometric properties of the activity participation outcome measure to describe trends in a forensic population of mental health care users

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Johannesburg, 2015Minimal research on occupational therapy in forensic psychiatry is available. An outcome measure known as the Activity Participation Outcome Measure (APOM) was developed, yet it had not been applied specifically to Mental Health Care Users (MHCUs) with a criminal offence. Therefore, research on this topic was conducted at a South African forensic psychiatric institution. The aims of the study were to establish selected psychometric properties of the APOM and describe the trends in activity participation in a forensic population. Quantitative methods were employed with a sample size of 62 participating MHCUs for the most part of the study. The tool was found to be stable and suitable for use with forensic MHCUs. Institutionalisation seems to remain a problem in this population, accounting for there being no overall change noted in MHCUs’ level of activity participation. A transitional phase of the explorative level of action was the general level that was maintained by the MHCUs

Wildcat wellness coaching feasibility trial: protocol for home-based health behavior mentoring in girls

Citation: Cull, B. J., Rosenkranz, S. K., Dzewaltowski, D. A., Teeman, C. S., Knutson, C. K., & Rosenkranz, R. R. (2016). Wildcat wellness coaching feasibility trial: protocol for home-based health behavior mentoring in girls. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 2(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-016-0066-yChildhood obesity is a major public health problem, with one third of America’s children classified as either overweight or obese. Obesity prevention and health promotion programs using components such as wellness coaching and home-based interventions have shown promise, but there is a lack of published research evaluating the impact of a combined home-based and wellness coaching intervention for obesity prevention and health promotion in young girls. The main objective of this study is to test the feasibility of such an intervention on metrics related to recruitment, intervention delivery, and health-related outcome assessments. The secondary outcome is to evaluate the possibility of change in health-related psychosocial, behavioral, and biomedical outcomes in our sample of participants

The X-ray and radio activity of typical and luminous Lya emitters from z~2 to z~6: Evidence for a diverse, evolving population

Despite recent progress in understanding Lyman-alpha (Lya) emitters (LAEs), relatively little is known regarding their typical black hole activity across cosmic time. Here, we study the X-ray and radio properties of ~4000 LAEs at 2.23) and find an average luminosity of 10^{44.07+-0.01} erg/s and an average black hole accretion rate (BHAR) of 0.42+-0.01 Msun/yr, consistent with moderate to high accreting AGN. We detect 120 sources in deep radio data, implying a LAE radio AGN fraction of 3.2+-0.3%. Approximately half of the LAEs detected in the radio are also detected in the X-rays, resulting in a total AGN fraction of 8.6+-0.4% for >L* LAEs. The total AGN fraction rises with Lya luminosity and declines with increasing redshift. For AGN, we find that Lya luminosities correlate with the BHARs, suggesting that Lya luminosity becomes an accretion rate indicator. Most LAEs (93.1+-0.6%) at

Enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma subtypes are characterized by loss of function of SETD2

Enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma (EATL) is a lethal, and the most common, neoplastic complication of celiac disease. Here, we defined the genetic landscape of EATL through whole-exome sequencing of 69 EATL tumors. SETD2 was the most frequently silenced gene in EATL (32% of cases). The JAK-STAT pathway was the most frequently mutated pathway, with frequent mutations in STAT5B as well as JAK1 , JAK3 , STAT3 , and SOCS1 . We also identified mutations in KRAS , TP53 , and TERT . Type I EATL and type II EATL (monomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T cell lymphoma) had highly overlapping genetic alterations indicating shared mechanisms underlying their pathogenesis. We modeled the effects of SETD2 loss in vivo by developing a T cell–specific knockout mouse. These mice manifested an expansion of γδ T cells, indicating novel roles for SETD2 in T cell development and lymphomagenesis. Our data render the most comprehensive genetic portrait yet of this uncommon but lethal disease and may inform future classification schemes

Elicitation of broadly protective sarbecovirus immunity by receptor-binding domain nanoparticle vaccines

Understanding vaccine-elicited protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other sarbecoviruses is key for guiding public health policies. We show that a clinical stage multivalent SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain nanoparticle vaccine (RBD-NP) protects mice from SARS-CoV-2 challenge after a single immunization, indicating a potential dose-sparing strategy. We benchmarked serum neutralizing activity elicited by RBD-NP in non-human primates against a lead prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike (HexaPro) using a panel of circulating mutants. Polyclonal antibodies elicited by both vaccines are similarly resilient to many RBD residue substitutions tested although mutations at and surrounding position 484 have negative consequences for neutralization. Mosaic and cocktail nanoparticle immunogens displaying multiple sarbecovirus RBDs elicit broad neutralizing activity in mice and protect mice against SARS-CoV challenge even in the absence of SARS-CoV RBD in the vaccine. This study provides proof of principle that multivalent sarbecovirus RBD-NPs induce heterotypic protection and motivates advancing such broadly protective sarbecovirus vaccines to the clinic

Climate change, vulnerability and conservation in Costa Rica An investigation of impacts, adaptive environmental management and national adaptation networks

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DN061219 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Health consciousness, running and female bodies : an ethnographic study of 'active ageing'

This thesis is composed of an ethnography of the Women’s Running Network (WRN) – a non-elite women’s-only running group – and explores participant’s lived experiences of health and ageing (and the intersection of these) in this physical context. In-depth interviews (n = 25), inclusive of case studies (n = 3), with women between the ages of 29 and 66 allowed insight into the subjective contours of participant’s lives, and their particular biographical trajectories culminating in WRN participation. Several types of narrative analyses were applied to the emergent data, and results from these revealed insights into if, why, how, and when women engaged with health and ‘active ageing’ messages across the life course. Despite a prevalence of health knowledge, participants tended to report long periods of inactivity throughout their lives – citing the often documented barriers to physical activity such as a lack of time and caregiving responsibilities. However, a vast majority of participants also cited an utter lack of confidence with respect to physical activity, often stemming from highly influential poor early experiences. Embodying a perceived ‘non-sporting’ identity for as long as they had, they were foreclosed to the idea of physical activity despite simultaneously feeling pressure to participate. For many, it was particular life events - or ‘critical moments’ – that brought participation in physical activity to the forefront (i.e., birthdays, relationship issues, bereavement, and health scares). A consideration of these within this thesis explores the complex link that exists between health consciousness and action. In addition, alternative narratives about who could be a runner (within WRN advertising and by word of mouth) ‘hailed’ participants to reconsider their foreclosed narratives, by offering a ‘fun and non-competitive’ atmosphere for people ‘of all ages, sizes, and abilities’. Once pushed to action and within the WRN setting, participants described learning about themselves and their bodies, and thus developed the capacity to tell new stories. As such, through a narrative lens, this thesis introduces the stories that participants responded to (or not), and the stories that they used to tell, felt able to tell, and – in some cases – learned how to tell about health, about ageing, and about running/physical activity. Conclusions from this work have implications for both policy and practice, advocating for the necessity of comprehensive insight into people’s perceptions and lived experiences of (active) ageing within the context of life history, current life stage, and the everyday.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Discharge planning of older persons from hospital ::comparison of observed practice to recommended best practice

Older people are particularly vulnerable to hospital re-presentation following discharge. Ideal discharge planning processes facilitate the transition from hospital to home and prevent subsequent re-presentations to hospital. The objective of this study was to examine discharge planning processes in two Australian hospitals, compare them between sites and to best-practice recommendations. An ethnographic observational study of discharge planning processes was conducted at two general medical inpatient wards at a large tertiary hospital and a smaller regional hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Participants were patients and ward staff involved in discharge planning during a hospital admission. A literature review was conducted to elicit best-practice recommendations for discharge planning. Data for this study (duration: 112 h) were collected directly using field notes by a research assistant embedded in the ward. A directed qualitative content analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results were compared to best-practice recommendations. Findings indicate that both hospitals implemented various best-practice interventions to enhance communication, collaboration, coordination and patient/family engagement for optimal discharge planning. Strategies used were context specific and effective to varying degrees. Clear responsibilities and goals within the multidisciplinary team helped to create cohesive, well-functioning teams. More work is needed to engage patients and families in discharge planning, and to encourage health professionals to consider patients and family as active team members in the discharge planning process

Wellness-promoting practices through Girl Scouts : a pragmatic superiority randomized controlled trial with additional dissemination

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of in-person versus online Girl Scout leader wellness training for implementation of wellness-promoting practices during troop meetings (phase I) and to assess training adoption and current practices across the council (phase II). Design: Pragmatic superiority trial (phase 1) followed by serial cross-sectional study (phase II). Setting: Girl Scout troop meetings in Northeast Kansas. Participants: Eighteen troop leaders from 3 counties (phase 1); 113 troop leaders from 7 counties (phase II). Intervention: Phase I: Troop leaders attended 2 wellness training sessions (first in groups, second individually), wherein leaders set wellness-promoting practice implementation goals, self-monitored progress, and received guidance and resources for implementation. Leaders received the intervention in person or online. Measures: Phase I: At baseline and postintervention, leaders completed a wellness-promoting practice implementation questionnaire assessing practices during troop meetings (max score = 11). Phase II: Leaders completed a survey about typical troop practices and interest in further training. Analysis: Phase I: Generalized linear mixed modeling. Results: Phase I: In-person training increased wellness-promoting practice implementation more than online training (in person = 2.1 + 1.8; online = 0.2 + 1.2; P =.022). Phase II: Fifty-six percent of leaders adopted the training. For 8 of 11 wellness categories, greater than 50% of leaders employed wellness-promoting practices. Conclusion: In-person training was superior to online training for improvements in wellness-promoting practices. Wellness training was adopted by the majority of leaders across the council