Understanding the relationship between body image and menopause in South Asian Canadian women

Research regarding women’s body image during menopause is limited; few studies reflect the experiences of ethnic women, especially South Asian women living in Canada. Cultural differences play an important role in both body image and menopause experiences and may be particularly important to South Asian women, who often fear stigmatization and struggle with openly discussing health concerns. This study used interpretive phenomenological analysis, which focuses on understanding and interpreting the experiences of the participants, to explore the relationship between body image and the transition of menopause in South Asian Canadian women. Nine first generation South Asian immigrant Canadian women (aged 49-59 years), in perimenopause or postmenopause were recruited for semi-structured individual interviews. Overall, three themes were constructed: 1) Complexity and intertwining of body image and menopause experiences, which showed that although women understood body image as a multidimensional construct, their own body image focused on weight and appearance that was impacted by menopause and aging; 2) “It's just something we go through silently”: The challenges of body image and menopause experiences, which highlighted the lack personal support from family and South Asian community and the disconnected feeling from their bodies through the menopause transition; and 3) The push and pull of South Asian and Western cultures, which focused on conflicts between the two cultures and influence of the South Asian culture on beauty, body image, and aging. Results showed that participants often upheld Western body image ideals by equating positive body image practices and attitudes with these ideals, and this was often worsened by South Asian cultural norms. Additionally, women’s understanding of body image and menopause showed a gap between their personal understanding and research. Participants emphasized a lack of ethnically appropriate education for body image and menopause, suggesting there is a need for the implementation of culturally-appropriate and community-based interventions, and resources (e.g., workshops, seminars, support groups). Moreover, an underlying narrative of cultural conflict (Western vs South Asian cultures) and impact of the South Asian culture was evident. Therefore, further examination of the complexity and influence of the South Asian culture on body image and menopause experiences is required

A Novel Intervention for Management of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in Nursing Home Communal Areas: Results of a Small-Scale Pilot Trial

Background: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) exhibited by persons with dementia (PwD) in nursing home communal areas are generally managed by segregation and/or pharmacological interventions. Objective: This study trialed MindfulGarden (MG), a novel digital calming device, in a Canadian nursing home. Methods: Participants were 15 PwD (mean age = 87.67; 5m,10f; mean MMSE = 11.64±7.85). Each was observed by a research assistant (RA) for an average of 8–10 hours on two separate days. The RA followed them during time spent in communal areas of the nursing home including their unit’s dining space, lounges, and corridors and spaces shared with other units (e.g., gym and gift shop) and documented any BPSD exhibited. Day-1 provided baseline data; on Day-2, residents were exposed to MG if nursing staff considered their BPSD were sufficiently intense or sustained to warrant intervention. Staff rated the impact as positive, neutral, or negative. Results: On Day-1, 9 participants exhibited both aggressive and non-aggressive behaviors, 4 non-aggressive behaviors only, and 2 no BPSD. On Day-2, 7 exhibiting aggressive behaviors were exposed to MG. Staff reported MG as having distracting/calming effects and gave positive impact ratings to 6/13 exposures; there were no negative ratings. The most common aggressive BPSD on days of observation were pushing/shoving and screaming. Conclusion: MG may have value as a “psychiatric crash cart” in de-escalating agitation and aggression in care home settings

Public Health Nursing In British Columbia from 1960 to 2005 : Transformations in Policy and Governance Structure--A Historical Review

A great portion of the history of public health nursing in British Columbia is intricately linked to major public policy developments and changes in governance structure through the years. This link is not often well understood in discussions about the role of Public Health Nurses and their shifting scope of work. Understanding this link will help us identify the ways in which Public Health Nurses have come to preserve health, control disease, and treat illnesses in the province. The focus of this Scholarly Practice Advancement Research project is to examine the historical development of public health nursing in British Columbia during the period from 1960 to 2005 through the lens of public policy and governance structure. Using historical research, including oral nursing history, the project examined what key policy documents, reports, and major developments have influenced nursing practice in public health from 1960 to 2005 in British Columbia, with a particular focus on the City of Vancouver as a case example. This project further complements a series of oral history interviews with Public Health Nurses recently completed within the UBC Consortium for Nursing History Inquiry and deposited into the UBC Archives collection, and it provides historical context to the stories of the nurses who have been interviewed. By capturing the history of policy development in public health nursing, this project shows how Public Health Nurses’ work has shifted in response to the sociopolitical environment and the restructuring of the health care system in British Columbia.Applied Science, Faculty ofNursing, School ofUnreviewedGraduat

Thickness optimization of Sn–Pb alloys for experimentally measuring mass attenuation coefficients

An attempt has been made to experimentally investigate the optimum thickness in order to measure mass attenuation coefficients for some Sn–Pb alloy systems at incident photon energies 122, 511 and 662keV. The Sn–Pb alloys were synthesized with different compositions and different thicknesses using melt-quench technique and cast iron mould. The physical parameters such as mass, thickness, density have been measured for all the prepared alloys. Further, the transmitted photon spectra of Cs-137, Co-57 and Na-22 radioactive isotopes were recorded using GAMMARAD5 (scintillator detector) of dimensions 76mm×76mm with and without inserting different alloy samples between the radioactive isotopes and detector. The experimental results so obtained were compared with the theoretical ones of WinXCom and optimum thickness for measuring mass attenuation coefficients for the selected alloys has been recommended

Bilateral fusion of permanent mandibular incisors with Talon's cusp: A rare case report

Whenever nature diverts from the “normal or usual” it gives rise to something called “abnormal or unusual,” which we call “a Disorder”. Fusion of two teeth is a common developmental disorder that is seen by a clinician. However, bilateral fusion along with Talon's cusp is very rarely seen and reported in literature. This article describes a rare case of the bilateral fusion of permanent mandibular central and lateral incisors, along with presence of Talon's cusp on the left fused teeth

Effects of a screen-based calming device on agitated behaviors of dementia: a pilot study in a residential care home

Mindful Garden (MG) is a digital platform resembling a flat-screen TV with touchless sensors that react to voice and motion. In this study, 13 residents of a long term care facility aged 74-100 exhibiting Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) were randomly assigned to intervention (n=7) and control (n=6) groups.  On days 1-3, the intervention group received usual care plus exposure to MG during morning and evening care, events problematic for residents and staff; controls received usual care only. On day 4, both groups were exposed to MG with verbal cueing. A 26-item checklist was used to record frequency and types of disruptive BPSD exhibited; care duration was recorded in minutes. Trends in the data suggest that MG reduced BPSD and duration of care in the morning, but had minimal or a negative impact in evening care. Verbal cueing enhanced impact and may be necessary for successful implementation.   &nbsp

Experimental investigation of effective atomic numbers for some binary alloys

In the present work, the gamma ray backscattering technique was used to determine the effective atomic numbers for certain binary alloys. With the help of a muffle furnace, the binary alloys were synthesized using the melt quenching technique with different compositions of 82Pb, 50Sn, and 30Zn. The intensity distribution of backscattered photons from radioactive isotope 22Na (511 keV) was recorded with the help of GAMMARAD5 [76 mm × 76 mm NaI(Tl) scintillator detector] and analyzed as a function of both atomic number and thickness of the target material. The effective atomic numbers for the same binary alloys were also computed theoretically using the atomic to electronic cross-section method with the help of the mass attenuation coefficient database of WinXCom (2001). Good agreement was observed between theoretical and experimental results for the effective atomic numbers of all the selected alloys

TEMPLATE TECHNIQUE-A NOVEL APPROACH TOWARDS SMILE REJUVENATION IN UNCOMPLICATED ANTERIOR CROWN FRACTURE-A CASE REPORT.

Anterior teeth trauma is common phenomenon in young children and adolescents . Uncomplicated crown fracture results in loss of function , poor esthetics and psychological trauma . It is a true emergency and warrants urgent evaluation and management. This case report describes a novel approach towards smile rejuvenation in uncomplicated anterior crown fracture with direct composite restoration- template technique