Using accreditation of prior experiential learning (apel) to replace a practice placement: A controversial option?

The Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) is established in higher education, but there are no studies on its use in occupational therapy. Brunel University wanted to investigate whether APEL could enable occupational therapy students meeting certain criteria to be exempt from the first-year practice placement, and so devised an APEL proposal. Practice placement educators and students were invited to give their opinion on the proposal through a questionnaire; additionally, the students attended a nominal group discussion. Three themes emerged from the six practice placement educators who agreed to participate: logistics, student experience and learning opportunities. The three students who participated valued APEL for confirming and recognising learning from previous experience. The low response impedes establishing any definite views on the topic, but could suggest that APEL is not a controversial option to practice placement educators and students. Further study is required on the adoption of APEL in occupational therapy education

Map of research reviews: QCA Building the Evidence Base Project: September 2007 - March 2011

This is one of the major outputs of CUREE's literature review in the first year of the project to develop an evidence base for the curriculum in September 2007. As part of the Building the Evidence Base for a curriculum or the 21st Century project, this 'map' of existing reviews of research was aimed at harnessing evidence related to QCA’s new and wide ranging curriculum framework - it describes and analyses curriculum research; emerging key trends and patterns, results, methods, gaps in the evidence, and a bibliography

Bone mineral density measurements and the development of patient selection criteria for patients requiring hip resurfacing surgery

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Science.There is concern about femoral neck fractures for patients in the early post operative period following hip resurfacing surgery. Although patient selection is multifactorial bone quality plays an important role in fracture risk. Reduced bone mineral mass induces an increased fracture risk on the superior side of the femoral neck before and after hip resurfacing. Close scrutiny to bone quality other than the use of visual inspection of radiographs (Singh Index) to estimate the mechanical quality of the bone has not been closely analysed. A change in bone mass across the femoral neck can be influenced by disease (Osteoarthritis) or a change in load pattern (pain and disuse). If hip resurfacing is the technique of choice, the major difficulty is to distinguish clearly which patient will have a positive outcome without the complication of femoral neck fracture. Bone mineral density (BMD) measurement is a well known technique for the diagnoses of poor bone mass (Osteoporosis). To date there has been no published data analyzing the effect of bone mineral density examination in patient selection criteria for hip resurfacing surgery. This is the first attempt to introduce a practical tool for surgeons to assess bone quality prior to hip resurfacing surgery. A prospective longitudinal outcome analysis of 423 consecutive hip resurfacing procedures was conducted to test the validity of the introduction of BMD in conjunction with unique selection criteria. There were 339 patients under 65 years of age (264 males and 75 females). There were 84 patients 65 years and over (61 males and 23 females). Bone mineral density examination was introduced preoperatively, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months postoperatively to test for bone mass quality. The short form (SF-36), WOMAC health questionnaire, TEGNER activity score and body mass index (BMI) were used to analysis the patient’s outcomes, activity and general health preoperatively, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months and 36 months postoperatively. The results concluded that this was the first time BMD measurements were successfully introduced as a selection tool for patient requiring hip resurfacing surgery. There were no femoral neck fractures after its introduction. I propose BMD examination is part of a multifactorial approach in the selection of patient for hip resurfacing surgery and it is the one determining factor that will ensure the bone is strong enough to cope with this load sharing device

Vanadium oxide monolayer catalysts : The vapor-phase oxidation of methanol

The oxidation of methanol over vanadium oxide, unsupported and applied as a monolayer on γ-Al2O3, CeO2, TiO2, and ZrO2, was studied between 100 and 400 °C in a continuous-flow reactor. At temperatures from 150 to about 250 °C two main reactions take place, (a) dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether and (b) partial oxidation to formaldehyde. A very slight direct oxidation to CO2 proceeds simultaneously. At higher temperatures two further reactions take place, i.e., (c) consecutive oxidation of the ether and/or formaldehyde to CO and (d) consecutive oxidation of CO to CO2. Selectivity to formaldehyde increased with decreasing reducibility of the catalyst, which in turn was a function of the catalyst-support interactions. Since the reducibility of V(V) has been shown to be related to the charge/radius ratio of the cation of the carrier, the selectivity to formaldehyde is also determined by this ratio

Chronic pain assessments in children and adolescents : a systematic literature review of the selection, administration, interpretation, and reporting of unidimensional pain intensity scales

Background. Advances in pain assessment approaches now indicate which measures should be used to capture chronic pain experiences in children and adolescents. However, there is little guidance on how these tools should best be administered and reported, such as which time frames to use or how pain scores are categorised as mild, moderate, or severe. Objective. To synthesise current evidence on unidimensional, single-item pain intensity scale selection, administration, interpretation, and reporting. Methods. Databases were searched (inception: 18 January 2016) for studies in which unidimensional pain intensity assessments were used with children and adolescents with chronic pain. Ten quality criteria were developed by modifying existing recommendations to evaluate the quality of administration of pain scales most commonly used with children. Results. Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. The highest score achieved was 7 out of a possible 10 (median: 5; IQR: 4–6). Usage of scales varied markedly in administrator/completer, highest anchors, number of successive assessments, and time referent periods used. Conclusions. Findings suggest these scales are selected, administered, and interpreted inconsistently, even in studies of the same type. Furthermore, methods of administration are rarely reported or justified making it impossible to compare findings across studies. This article concludes by recommending criteria for the future reporting of paediatric chronic pain assessments in studies

Emerging Adults and Identity Development in the Time of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic severely altered the lives of people across the world. Although the social isolation and disruption wrought by the pandemic have been universal experiences, emerging adults are at a pivotal moment and are potentially uniquely affected. Emerging adulthood is a critical time for identity development and the college setting fosters an environment for identity exploration. Studies show that in emerging adulthood, turning point events (e.g., global or national tragedies, personal challenges, transitions, or any form of upheaval, such as a pandemic) that are resolved positively are connected more closely with progress in identity formation, and the importance of positive resolution of negative events appears to be unique to emerging adults. This study explored how emerging adults in college (N = 231) were processing the COVID-19 pandemic and whether identity was a factor that affected an individual’s perception of the pandemic. The results of the present study support the hypotheses that an emerging adult’s identity does affect their pandemic processing, as does a person’s political identity, and self-reported mental health. The study revealed that pandemic processing was significantly related to students’ identity, mental well-being, and political beliefs. This study informs practitioners of education, families, and students themselves about how identity affects reactions to adversity and how turning negative experiences into positive experiences can have long-term benefits on a person’s sense of self well-being beyond emerging adulthood

Interprofessional learning in practice: The student experience

Interprofessional learning and the development of teamworking skills are recognised as essential for patient care and are also a government priority for undergraduate education. Sixteen occupational therapy students worked on an interprofessional training ward as part of their practice placement and three of them participated in an evaluation using the nominal group technique. Despite this small number, the evaluation identifies the value of this learning experience in giving the students an opportunity to appreciate the importance of interpersonal skills; to learn about other team members’ roles; and to experience the challenges of working on a busy rehabilitation ward for older people

Ecosystem service provision in dynamic heath landscapes.

Conservation policy and management is undergoing a step-change, moving from focusing conservation resources on individual sites such as protected areas, to include the wider landscape. Landscape-scale initiatives may focus on either managing the entire landscape or they may focus on managing particular sites but attempt to address landscape-scale patterns and processes, such as habitat fragmentation. Whilst there is a vast body of research investigating the impacts of habitat fragmentation on individual species, much less is known about the impacts of habitat fragmentation on ecological processes, for example woody succession. Woody succession is an ecological process which has particular implications for conservation management as it drives ecosystem dynamics which can alter the value of the habitat for species of conservation concern. At the same time there is a move to incorporate ecosystem service protection into conservation policy. Understanding the synergies and trade-offs that exist between biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision is therefore an important priority. Few studies have examined the influence of habitat fragmentation on woody succession and, in turn, the impact of woody succession on the value of the habitat for both biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision. In addition, there is still very little evidence suggesting to what extent areas managed for biodiversity conservation also provide ecosystem services. There is a need to understand how management approaches aimed at increasing the biodiversity value of conservation areas will impact ecosystem services, particularly at the level of the landscape. This thesis aimed to explore all these themes in the Dorset lowland heathlands, UK. The Dorset lowland heathlands are highly fragmented and a priority habitat for nature conservation because they are rare and threatened and support a characteristic flora and fauna. The main threat to this habitat is now woody succession. Without conservation management, the characteristic dwarf shrub heath undergoes succession and is replaced by scrub and woodland. The objectives of this thesis were to (1) assess the impact of fragmentation on the process of succession on lowland heathlands and quantify lowland heathland vegetation dynamics; (2) determine biodiversity and ecosystem service values of major cover types along a successional gradient on lowland heathlands and assess how trade-offs and synergies between biodiversity and ecosystem service provision vary along this gradient and (3) explore how alternative management approaches aimed at increasing the biodiversity value of lowland heathlands impact ecosystem service provision. Fragmentation was found to promote succession with smaller heaths undergoing succession faster than larger heaths. Trade-offs were found between biodiversity value and ecosystem service provision. Biodiversity value was highest in heath habitats and lowest in woodland. Carbon storage, aesthetic value and timber value were highest in woodland. However, recreation value was associated with heathland habitats and not woodland. Conservation management for biodiversity increased the biodiversity value of lowland heaths but not the provision of ecosystem services