Training and assessment of physiotherapy assistants

This paper discusses some of the issues relevant to the role and training of physiotherapy assistants. It describes the processes of role definition, assessment and training of one particular assistant, developed in the context of a larger research study. A small survey of senior physiotherapists' views on task delegation, training and working with assistants was conducted, using semi-structured interviews. The method and findings are described; broad agreement between the physiotherapists was found. A training and assessment package was then developed and implemented. The training was specifically related to treatment of the upper limb of acute stroke patients. While delegation to assistants is part of everyday practice for many physiotherapists and the training of these staff a professional obligation, the structure and support to do so are often lacking. In the context of the description of a particular case, this paper provides some insights and points of interest for clinicians involved in training and task delegation to assistants

Ageing and quality of life in family carers of people with dementia being cared for at home: a literature review

Background: Despite the increasing older population providing care for family members with dementia at home, there is no consensus in the literature in terms of how caring impacts on their quality of life (QoL) and the association of the family carer's age with QoL outcomes. Aims: To explore the available literature investigating the QoL of older family carers (family carers aged > 60) and the association of family carers' age and QoL outcomes in a dementia context. Methods: A review of the literature to December 2013 was conducted using Embase-O VID, CINAL, Medline-OVID, Psyc INFO-OVID, Grey literature and the references of the included studies. Cross-sectional or prospective longitudinal studies published in English were eligible. The selection and appraisal processes were performed by two reviewers independently and the methodological quality was assessed by STROBE statement. Results: From the 12 selected studies, 4 were carried out with older family carers' samples and 8 associated the variable 'age' with QoL outcomes. Eight different instruments were used to assess family carers' QoL, however none were designed specifically for older people or older family carers. The mean age of the carers' samples ranged from 55.2 to 76.0 years old. Older family carers showed low levels of QoL and were often below the age-matched standard population. Carers' age was negatively correlated with QoL outcomes in most of the studies. Conclusion: Older people are increasingly involved with dementia care and family carer's advanced age was shown to be associated with low levels of QoL. Future research should investigate the QoL of older family carers separately and use QoL instruments containing older family carers' specific needs and perspectives of QoL. In planning care and support, primary health care practitioners should consider family carer's age group and their specific needs

On relaxation processes in collisionless mergers

We analyze N-body simulations of halo mergers to investigate the mechanisms responsible for driving mixing in phase-space and the evolution to dynamical equilibrium. We focus on mixing in energy and angular momentum and show that mixing occurs in step-like fashion following pericenter passages of the halos. This makes mixing during a merger unlike other well known mixing processes such as phase mixing and chaotic mixing whose rates scale with local dynamical time. We conclude that the mixing process that drives the system to equilibrium is primarily a response to energy and angular momentum redistribution that occurs due to impulsive tidal shocking and dynamical friction rather than a result of chaotic mixing in a continuously changing potential. We also analyze the merger remnants to determine the degree of mixing at various radii by monitoring changes in radius, energy and angular momentum of particles. We confirm previous findings that show that the majority of particles retain strong memory of their original kinetic energies and angular momenta but do experience changes in their potential energies owing to the tidal shocks they experience during pericenter passages. Finally, we show that a significant fraction of mass (~ 40%) in the merger remnant lies outside its formal virial radius and that this matter is ejected roughly uniformly from all radii outside the inner regions. This highlights the fact that mass, in its standard virial definition, is not additive in mergers. We discuss the implications of these results for our understanding of relaxation in collisionless dynamical systems.Comment: Version accepted for Publication in Astrophysical Journal, March 20, 2007, v685. Minor changes, latex, 14 figure

The role of carbon species in heterogeneous catalytic processes: an in situ soft x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study

High pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to characterize heterogeneous catalytic processes. The success of the new technique based on the possibility to correlate the catalytic activity and the electronic structure of an active surface. The dynamic character of a catalyst surface can be demonstrated impressively by this technique. In this contribution the basics of high pressure XPS will be discussed. Three examples of heterogeneous catalytic reactions are presented in this contribution. The selective hydrogenation of 1-pentyne over Pd based catalysts and the dehydrogenation of n-butane and the oxidation of ethylene over V based catalysts. It is shown, that the formation of subsurface carbons plays an important role in all the examples. The incorporated carbon changes the electronic structure of the surface and so controls the selectivity of the reaction. A change of the educts in the reaction atmosphere induces modifications of the electronic surface structure of the operation catalysts

Dehydrogenation and Oxidative Dehydrogenation of n-Butane using Vanadium Based Catalysts: an in situ XPS study

The surface electronic structure of VxOy/alumina catalysts (1-8 wt% V) was investigated using high pressure in situ XPS and XAS. Link between the electronic structure of vanadium and catalytic activity was established