Community-Working Occupational Therapists Serving as Fieldwork Supervisors: Characteristics and Associated Factors

As enrollment numbers grow in occupational therapy academic programs in Norway, the need for more fieldwork placements and supervisors increases. More knowledge about factors of importance for occupational therapists’ decisions to take on the role of fieldwork supervisor may promote easier access to supervisors who are ready for the task, and it may assist in addressing the barriers for those who are not. We recruited a sample of 561 community-working occupational therapists for an electronic survey conducted in 2017. Quantitative survey responses were obtained and used in the current study. The differences between supervisors and non-supervisors were examined with independent t-tests and Chi Square tests. To assess factors associated with serving as a supervisor, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted. One hundred fifty-six participants (27.8%) had served as a fieldwork supervisor during the preceding year. The adjusted analysis showed that having a job physically located together with other occupational therapists was significantly associated with increased odds for serving as supervisor (OR:1.79, 95% CI:1.17-2.74, p \u3c 0.01). A minority of the participants had supervised occupational therapy students during the preceding year, suggesting that community-based services are an under-used arena for occupational therapy students’ fieldwork. In a long-term perspective, providing social and organizational support for occupational therapists who might take on student supervision may increase their willingness and opportunity to do so

Anti-Müllerian hormone in horses : clinical relevance and its variation with breed, age and season

Antimüllerskt hormon (AMH) är ett konserverat glykoproteinhormon. Hos hanar produceras det under fosterstadiet i höga koncentrationer då det medverkar till regressionen av de Müllerska gångarna, förstadiet till de honliga könsorganen. Hos honor produceras det inte alls under fosterstadiet, vilket gör att de Müllerska gångarna kvarstår och således utvecklas till livmoder, äggledare och äggstockar. I vuxen ålder produceras AMH hos handjur av sertoliceller och har betydelse för regleringen av differentieringen av Leydigceller. Hos hondjur produceras det av granulosaceller och medverkar i regleringen av follikeldynamiken. Hos häst har i tidigare studier angetts att det kliniska värdet av att analysera AMH är vid diagnostik av kryptorkism, kvarvarande testikelvävnad av annan anledning eller granulosacellstumör. Det har hos hingst påvisats en årstidsvariation i AMH-koncentrationerna, och hos sto en variation mellan åldersgrupper där gamla ston har lägre AMH-koncentrationer än unga ston. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att undersöka det kliniska värdet i att analysera AMH, och om de referensvärden som används verkar stämma med de koncentrationer som uppmäts. Allt utifrån data insamlat på det klinisk kemiska laboratoriet på Universitetsdjursjukhuset (UDS) vid Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (SLU) mellan åren 2016–2019, totalt 505 prover. Dessutom skickades en enkät ut till de veterinärer och veterinärkliniker som skickat in blodprov för analys av AMH med frågor om varför de valde att göra analysen, om de kunde ställa diagnos utifrån den och om de använde fler diagnostiska metoder för att komma fram till diagnosen. Resultaten visade att AMH-koncentrationen hos ston med normala AMH-koncentrationer (4 µg/L) var signifikant högre (p=0,002) under avelssäsong (17 %) än när det inte var avelssäsong (5 %). AMH-koncentrationerna varierade signifikant med provtagningsår (p=0,007). I enkätstudien gick att utläsa att den vanligaste indikationen bakom AMH-analys var misstanke om äggstockstumör (55,7 %), näst vanligast var misstanke om kvarbliven testikelvävnad efter kastration (22,7 %) och tredje vanligast var misstanke om kryptorkism (15,3 %). Av dem som besvarade enkäten kunde 9,1 % ställa diagnosen granulosacellstumör, 4,6 % kvarbliven testikelvävnad efter kastration och 1,1 % ställde diagnosen kryptorkism. Utifrån resultaten kan ett antal slutsatser dras: Att AMHkoncentrationen i denna studie ökade med åldern står i skarp kontrast till resultaten i tidigare studier. Orsaken bakom är oklar. En tänkbar förklaring är en avvikande follikeldynamik hos de ston som provtagits. Den variation som ses mellan olika provtagningsår var liten, påverkade inte referensvärdena och saknade klinisk betydelse. Avslutningsvis kan konstateras att de referensvärden som används på det klinisk kemiska laboratoriet förefaller rimliga. Eventuellt skulle det kunna vara lämpligt att införa ålders- och rasspecifika referensvärden, men detta kräver i så fall vidare studier. Det kvarstår också frågetecken om AMH-koncentrationen hos vissa ston kan stiga över normal koncentration utan att de har granulosacellstumör, något som kan bli föremål för framtida studier.Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a highly conservated glycoprotein hormone that in male fetuses is produced in high amounts, contributing to the regression of the Müllerian ducts. The Müllerian ducts are the precursor to the female genital organs. Among females the hormone is not produced during fetal life, and the Müllerian ducts therefore remain and develop to the tubular genitalia. Postnatally, the hormone is produced by Sertoli- and granulosa cells and influences the differentiation of Leydig cells in the testes and the regulation of follicles in the ovaries. The reasons for analysing AMH are in most cases the suspicion of granulosa-cell tumour, of cryptorchidism or of leftover testicle tissue in an apparently castrated individual. In all three cases the concentration of AMH rises above normal levels. Among stallions a variation with season has been shown, and among mares a variation between old and young mares, with old mares having a lower concentration of AMH than young mares, has been shown. The objectives of this study were to investigate the clinical value of analysing AMH, and if the reference values seem to be correct. The study is based on information from 505 samples analysed at The Clinical Pathology Laboratory at the University Animal Hospital (UDS) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) during the years 2016-2019, and on a questionnaire that was sent to veterinarians and veterinary clinics with questions about why the tests were done, if it was possible to draw any conclusions from the analysis and if they used more diagnostic methods to conclude on the diagnosis. In mares with normal (<4 μg/L) concentrations of AMH, the concentrations varied with age and the interaction between age and horse type (warmblood or cold-blood + ponies). AMH concentrations increased with age, most pronounced in cold-blood and ponies. There was no effect of season, but a significantly larger proportion of mares had abnormal AMH concentrations (<4 μg/L) during breeding season (17%) than during non-breeding season (5%). There was statistically significant (p=0.007) effect of year of sampling. The results of the questionnaire revealed that the most common indication for analysing AMH was suspicion of the patient having a granulosa-cell tumour, second in place was the suspicion of leftover testicle tissue after castration and in third place, suspicion of cryptorchidism. The reason for the suspicion was in most cases behavioural abnormalities. 9.1% of the respondents were able to diagnose granulosa-cell tumour, 4.6% leftover testicle-tissue after castration and 1.1% cryptorchidism. In conclusion, the increasing concentration of AMH in old mares compared with young mares is the total opposite of earlier results. In the study population all mares may have clinical signs (abnormal oestrus, stallion like behaviour etc.), which can be a result of abnormal follicle dynamics. It is possible that different reference values for different breeds and would improve the accuracy of the interpretation, but this must be evaluated in further studies. Why the concentration of AMH among some mares rises above what is normal, without them having a granulosa cell tumour is not known and may also be evaluated in future studies

Tidsvidner som museumsformidling:Erindringsarbejde og autenticitet på Danmarks Forsorgsmuseum og i Den Gamle By

På kulturhistoriske museer i Danmark og udlandet vinder en audiovisuel formidlingstendens frem, der inkluderer videofilmede erindringsinterview med tidsvidner i udstillinger. Inddragelsen af tidsvidner er blevet fremhævet som en mulighed for at formidle almindelige menneskers erindringsarbejde, og som noget, der menneskeliggør og intensiverer museumsformidling. Brugen af tidsvidner i museumsformidling legitimerer imidlertid også en given museumsinstitutions fortidsfortællinger og øger museets troværdighed. I forlængelse af denne mere underbelyste og kritiske interesse spørger vi til, hvordan inddragelsen af tidsvidner i Danmarks Forsorgsmuseums udstilling Skjulte Danmarkshistorier og Den Gamle Bys Velfærd og frisind – 1974 på forskellige måder både autentificerer og deautentificerer museernes historieformidling. Teoretisk sker det primært med udgangspunkt i Steffi de Jongs tidsvidne-begreb

City networks’ power in global agri-food systems

Cities and local governments loom large on the sustainability agenda. Networks such as Fair Trade Towns International (FTT) and the Organic Cities Network aim to bring about global policy change from below. Given the new enthusiasm for local approaches, it seems relevant to ask to what extent local groups exercise power and in what form. City networks present their members as “ethical places” exercising power with, rather than power over others. The article provides an empirical analysis of the power of FTT and Organic Cities in Germany. In both cases, we found cities that are eager to emphasize their inclusive potential. Their willingness to compromise is demonstrated most illustratively by the fact that several cities are members of both networks: While the FTT campaign aims to address problems of international trade but does not abandon it, Organic Cities advocate for a new localism based on food supply from farmers in the same region. In both cases, city networks use their purchasing power to increase the share of certified products. By doing so, the city networks reproduce privileged positions of consumers benefitting from the global capitalist order (power over). However, our analysis revealed that networks also make citizens reflect upon agri-food challenges and allow developing alternatives for more sustainable systems (power with)

Factors Associated with Prenatal Folic Acid and Iron Supplementation Among 21,889 Pregnant women in Northern Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Hospital-Based Study.

Folate and iron deficiency during pregnancy are risk factors for anaemia, preterm delivery, and low birth weight, and may contribute to poor neonatal health and increased maternal mortality. The World Health Organization recommends supplementation of folic acid (FA) and iron for all pregnant women at risk of malnutrition to prevent anaemia. We assessed the use of prenatal folic acid and iron supplementation among women in a geographical area with a high prevalence of anaemia, in relation to socio-demographic, morbidity and health services utilization factors. We analysed a cohort of 21,889 women who delivered at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), Moshi, Tanzania, between 1999 and 2008. Logistic regression models were used to describe patterns of reported intake of prenatal FA and iron supplements. Prenatal intake of FA and iron supplements was reported by 17.2% and 22.3% of pregnant women, respectively. Sixteen percent of women reported intake of both FA and iron. Factors positively associated with FA supplementation were advanced maternal age (OR = 1.17, 1.02-1.34), unknown HIV status (OR = 1.54, 1.42-1.67), a diagnosis of anaemia during pregnancy (OR = 12.03, 9.66-14.98) and indicators of lower socioeconomic status. Women were less likely to take these supplements if they reported having had a malaria episode before (OR = 0.57, 0.53-0.62) or during pregnancy (OR = 0.45, 0.41-0.51), reported having contracted other infectious diseases (OR = 0.45, 0.42-0.49), were multiparous (OR = 0.73, 0.66-0.80), had preeclampsia/eclampsia (OR = 0.48, 0.38-0.61), or other diseases (OR = 0.55, 0.44-0.69) during pregnancy. Similar patterns of association emerged when iron supplementation alone and supplementation with both iron and FA were evaluated. FA and iron supplementation are low among pregnant women in Northern Tanzania, in particular among women with co-morbidities before or during pregnancy. Attempts should be made to increase supplementation both in general and among women with pregnancy complications

Social Interventions Targeting Social Relations Among Older People at Nursing Homes:A Qualitative Synthesized Systematic Review

Social relations are part of the complex set of factors affecting health and well-being in old age. This systematic review seeks to uncover whether social interventions have an effect on social and health-related measures among nursing home residents. The authors screened PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO for relevant peer-reviewed literature. Interventions were included if (1) they focused primarily on social relations or related terms such as loneliness, social support, social isolation, social network, or being involuntarily alone either as the base theory of the intervention or as an outcome measure of the intervention; (2) they were implemented at nursing homes (or similar setting); (3) they had a narrative activity as its core (as opposed to dancing, gardening or other physical activity); (4) their participants met either physically or nonphysically, ie, via video-conference or the like; and if (5) they targeted residents at a nursing home. The authors systematically appraised the quality of the final selection of studies using the Mixed Methods Assessments Tool (MMAT) version 2011 and did a qualitative synthesis of the final study selection. A total of 10 studies were included. Reminiscence therapy was the most common intervention. Studies also included video-conference, cognitive, and support group interventions. All studies found the social interventions brought about positive trends on either/or the social and health-related measures included. Despite limited and very diverse evidence, our systematic review indicated a positive social and health-related potential of social interventions for older people living in nursing homes or similar institutions