Duration of untreated psychosis and social function: 1-year follow-up study of first-episode schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: In first-episode schizophrenia, longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) predicts poorer outcomes. AIMS: To address whether the relationship between DUP and outcome is a direct causal one or the result of association between symptoms and/or cognitive functioning and social functioning at the same time point. METHOD: Symptoms, social function and cognitive function were assessed in 98 patients with first-episode schizphrenia at presentation and 1 year later. RESULTS: There was no significant clinical difference between participants with short and long DUP at presentation. Linear regression analyses revealed that longer DUP significantly predicted more severe positive and negative symptoms and poorer social function at 1 year, independent of scores at presentation. Path analyses revealed independent direct relationships between DUP and social function, core negative symptoms and positive symptoms. There was no significant association between DUP and cognition. CONCLUSIONS: Longer DUP predicts poor social function independently of symptoms. The findings underline the importance of taking account of the phenomenological overlap between measures of negative symptoms and social function when investigating the effects of DUP

Dilemma In Development, Education And Employment: An Analysis Of Zimbabwe, Tanzania And Kenya

A Zambezia journal article.1979 was a year of impending change — change that was without form or concept. Speculation was rife while planners anxiously awaited policy direction. At that time we felt the need to point out certain realities in Zimbabwe’s education and employment potentiality, and to distinguish facts from the fantasies. In this paper we have identified four major premises which underlie existing educational and employment strategies. We call these ‘conventional wisdoms’; and in them we have tried to pin down the implicit assumptions which too often are taken as ‘givens’. These conventional wisdoms can be summarized as follows: 1. Resources to satisfy the demand for education will be available when the war stops and aid flows in. 2. Education will generate the required wealth and development. 3. People are unemployed because they do not have enough education or training. 4. In the fields of education and employment all that we need to solve our development problems is more of the same

Rising to the Challenge of COVID-19: Pivoting to Online and Project-Based Physiotherapy Student Placements in Contemporary Professional Settings

Online and project-based student placements in sport and corporate settings were incorporated within the Macquarie University Doctor of Physiotherapy following the restriction of face-to-face delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores student and educator perceptions of these placements, and analyses student performance results to provide future recommendations. The mixed-methods design included a student survey, semi-structured educator interviews and quantitative analysis of student assessment performance comparing 2020 to 2018/2019 cohorts. Quantitative survey data were described, with proportional differences between groups analysed. Open-ended survey responses and interview transcripts were thematically analysed, and integration of all results was performed. Themes derived from 24 student surveys highlighted that the learning experiences and skills required for online and project-based placements were varied and valuable. Analysis of 176 students’ performance showed differences between performance and applicability of assessment items in 2020 placements in comparison to previous years, although all students met performance requirements. Analysis of eight educator interviews identified that online and project-based placements changed experiences for all stakeholders and highlighted the need for enhanced educator and student communication and organisation for the placement to be successful. Online and project-based placements were considered a better reflection of contemporary work practices, producing valuable deliverables to the business. Three final integrated themes were identified regarding online and project-based elements of placements: learning experiences of students differed, skills for students and educators differed, and placements were representative of real-world work. A hybrid approach that incorporates both online and onsite placement time and includes a project-based component is recommended for future placements. Project-based and online elements provide genuine and valuable learning opportunities for physiotherapy students in preparation for real-world work

How are debriefing questions used in health discrete choice experiments? An online survey

We thank the respondents who completed our survey. This work was funded by a University of Technology Sydney Faculty of Business Research Grant 2017. Alison M. Pearce was supported by a University of Technology Sydney Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.Peer reviewedPostprin

Effects of lesions of the subthalamic nucleus/zona incerta area and dorsomedial striatum on attentional set-shifting in the rat

This work was supported by The Wellcome Trust (project Grant 051945/z/97). Andrew Blackwell was in receipt of a BBSRC Studentship.Patients with Parkinson’s disease show cognitive impairments, including difficulty in shifting attention between perceptual dimensions of complex stimuli. Inactivation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been shown to be effective in ameliorating the motor abnormalities associated with striatal dopamine depletion, but it is possible that STN inactivation might result in additional, perhaps attentional, deficits. This study examined the effects of: dopamine depletion from the dorsomedial striatum (DMS); lesions of the STN area; and the effects of the two lesions together, on the ability to shift attentional set in the rat. In a single session, rats performed the intradimensional/extradimensional (ID/ED) test of attentional set-shifting. This comprises a series of seven, two-choice discriminations, including acquisitions of novel discriminations in which the relevant stimulus is either in the currently-attended dimension (ID) or the currently-unattended dimension (ED shift) and reversals following each acquisition stage. Bilateral lesions were made by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the DMS, resulting in a selective impairment in reversal learning. Large bilateral ibotenic acid lesions centred on the STN resulted in an increase in trials to criterion in the initial stages, but learning rate improved within the session. There was no evidence of a ‘cost’ of set-shifting – the ED stage was completed in fewer trials than the ID stage – and neither was there a cost of reversal learning. Strikingly, combined lesions of both regions did not resemble the effects of either lesion alone and resulted in no apparent deficits.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A Work Readiness Scale for Allied Health Graduates

Purpose: The transition for allied health graduates from university to the workforce has been perceived to be difficult and overwhelming, leading to early attrition within healthcare professions. Work readiness is a crucial aspect of successful transition to the workforce, however, the elements of work readiness are not clearly defined. The purpose of this project was to refine the measurement of work-readiness in allied health graduates. Method: A 62-item Work Readiness Scale for Allied Health Professionals (WRS-AH), based on a work readiness scale for a generic population of graduates, was validated and refined using an exploratory factor analysis. Results: Participants were 245 Australian allied health professional graduates who completed the WRS-AH. An exploratory factor analysis supported a four-factor solution with domains (interpersonal capabilities, practical wisdom, personal attributes, and organisational acumen) similar to the original WRS. The final WRS-AH32 had 32 items, demonstrated good reliability, and explained 38% of the total variance. Using the WRS-AH32, on average, the Australian allied health graduates reported an overall work readiness score of 80% (SD 8) with scores highest for practical wisdom (Mean 90%, SD 8) and lowest for personal attributes (Mean 65%, SD 14). Conclusions: The WRS-AH32 confirms that work readiness is a multi-dimensional construct, reflecting that work within a dynamic, 21st century healthcare system requires more than just profession specific work competence. The WRS-AH may provide a more targeted approach to interventions to improve work readiness in future allied health professional graduates. Recommendations: The WRS-AH32 is a reliable scale to measure the perceived work readiness of allied health graduates as they transition from university to the workforce however ongoing validation is needed to establish construct validity

An evaluation of the efficacy and impact of a clinical prediction tool to identify maltreatment associated with children’s burns

Background An estimated 10%–24% of children attending emergency departments with a burn are maltreated. Objective To test whether a clinical prediction tool (Burns Risk assessment for Neglect or abuse Tool; BuRN-Tool) improved the recognition of maltreatment and increased the referral of high-risk children to safeguarding services for assessment. Methods A prospective study of children presenting with burns to four UK hospitals (2015–2018), each centre providing a minimum of 200 cases before and after the introduction of the BuRN-Tool. The proportions of children referred to safeguarding services were compared preintervention and postintervention, and the relationship between referral and the recommended cut-off for concern (BuRN-Tool score (BT-score) ≥3) was explored. Results The sample was 2443 children (median age 2 years). Nurses and junior doctors mainly completed the BuRN-Tool, and a BT-score was available for 90.8% of cases. After intervention, 28.4% (334/1174) had a BT-score ≥3 and were nearly five times more likely to be discussed with a senior clinician than those with a BT-score <3 (65.3% vs 13.4%, p<0.001). There was no overall difference in the proportion of safeguarding referrals preintervention and postintervention. After intervention, the proportion of referrals for safeguarding concerns was greater when the BT-score was ≥3 (p=0.05) but not for scores <3 (p=0.60). A BT-score of 3 as a cut-off for referral had a sensitivity of 72.1, a specificity of 82.7 and a positive likelihood ratio of 4.2. Conclusions A BT-score ≥3 encouraged discussion of cases of concern with senior colleagues and increased the referral of <5 year-olds with safeguarding concerns to children’s social care

Who's Getting a Head Start?:Mesocephalic Dogs in Still Images Are Attributed More Positively Valenced Emotions Than Dogs of Other Cephalic Index Groups

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Elements of a dog’s appearance in still images affect how positively human observers interpret that individual’s personality. Given that this may influence caregiving and other aspects of dog ownership, it is important to examine this phenomenon to protect dog welfare. Recently, the popularity of brachycephalic (short-muzzled) dogs has sharply risen and with it the need to assess whether this conformation affects the way in which human observers assign emotional attributes to dogs. The current study aimed to investigate whether cephalic index, a measure to quantify how long and wide a skull is, is related to how both dog owners and non-dog owning adults in the U.K. attribute emotions to still images of dogs, and in the case of dog owners, to their own dogs. Responses were received from 2451 participants. Images of breeds with less extreme skull shapes were most frequently assigned the strongest positive emotional attributions, and the inverse effect was found in more extreme skull shape categories. Results imply that the head shape of dogs may predispose humans to label those dogs with certain emotions, which could impact their behaviour towards those dogs and thus, the dogs’ welfare. These findings should prompt further investigation of morphological influences on dog–owner relationships and dog welfare. ABSTRACT: Assumptions about dogs’ personality are influenced by their appearance, which may lead to differences in ownership styles and subsequent canine welfare. The influence of canine appearance on observers’ emotion attributions to dogs remains largely unexplored. This study investigated whether canine head shape is related to how both dog owners and non-dog owning adults in the U.K. attribute emotions to still images of dogs, and in the case of dog owners, to their own dogs. Attachment, respondent personality and dog trainability were assessed as potential influences on emotional attribution in owners. Overall, 2451 participant responses were received. Still images of mesocephalic dogs were attributed primary and positively valenced emotion with more strength and frequency than other groups. Mesocephalic images were also attributed negatively valenced emotions less frequently and with less strength than other groups. Apart from empathy, no significant differences were found in emotional attribution to owned dogs of different head shapes; however, human personality influenced attribution of emotions to owned dogs. The finding that some dogs are attributed emotions more readily based on their appearance alone has applied importance, given, for example, the potential for misattribution of positive emotions to dogs in negative emotional states, and potential prejudice against dogs considered in negative emotional states