Assessing access to art therapy programs among individuals in the foster care system

Research shows that youth in foster care who exit care, struggle with education, employment, and overall health compared to the non-fostered general population. Despite being useful, there is minimal research on art therapy being used as a resource for youth in foster care. This research assesses access to art therapy programs among youth in foster care. If art therapy resources are offered, the study aims to determine if they generally improve children\u27s attitudes and outlooks toward the future, and whether these resources ought to be implemented or referred to youth in foster care. Seven professionals working with youth in foster care participated in interviews focused on common needs among youth in care, youth’s general outlooks, art therapy availability, and whether art therapy improved youth’s future outlooks. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded for recurring themes. Six prevalent themes emerged across interviews: communication tools, receptiveness, regulation tools, arts integration, benefit of control, and barriers to access. Participants reported art therapy helped to providing youth with non-verbal communication tools. Professionals noted that youth in foster care are more receptive to art therapy compared to traditional talk-therapy, giving them a means to express themselves more appropriately. Many participants revealed that art therapy provided youth with regulatory tools. Nearly all participants revealed that barriers to access art therapy included lack of funding and service providers. Although some participants conveyed a lack of art therapy resources, many reported integrating art into traditional therapy practices to build rapport and trust with youth. Youth in foster care are at risk of instability as adults. Access to art therapy programs appear to be limited. Art therapy could mitigate future instability by warming youth up to therapy and providing them with a healthy coping skills

B(C₆F₅)₃ Co-Catalyst Promotes Unconventional Halide Abstraction From Grubbs I to Enhance Reactivity and Limit Decomposition

Ruthenium based Grubbs metathesis has become a commonplace reaction for synthetic chemists. Development of new generations of catalysts evolving from Grubbs I (GI) have led to greater stability, functional group compatibility, and superior reactivities. However, these advancements lead to increased costs. To this end, we report here how the addition of the commercially available tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane Lewis acid, which has become a common place catalyst in its own right, leads to enhanced reactivity of GI. Moreover, the increased reactivity arises via halide abstraction rather than traditional phosphine dissociation, providing ring-opening metathesis polymerization products that are divergent from those synthesized without the Lewis acid cocatalyst

Unclogging the heart: the potential of statins to reverse coronary artery blockage

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) comprises three life-threatening cardiovascular conditions-unstable angina, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)-all characterized by reduced myocardial blood flow leading to ischemia and potential cardiac tissue damage. Established risk factors for ACS include age over 50, smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Statins, a cornerstone in cardiovascular disease management, function by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, a key enzyme in hepatic cholesterol synthesis. Beyond lipid-lowering, emerging evidence supports their role in stabilizing and regressing atherosclerotic plaques. This narrative review explores the impact of statin therapy on arterial blockages associated with ACS. Data from multiple clinical trials and studies indicate that statins significantly reduce both morbidity and mortality in ACS patients. Notably, intensive statin regimens, particularly with rosuvastatin, have demonstrated greater efficacy in inducing plaque regression and improving plaque stability compared to standard therapy. In summary, statins are integral to the acute and long-term management of ACS, offering both anti-inflammatory and plaque-stabilizing effects. Their ability to reverse atherosclerosis, especially with high-intensity therapy, underscores their essential role in reducing adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The robust evidence supporting their use highlights the necessity of early initiation and sustained administration in ACS patients to improve prognosis and survival.

A pilot study investigating the efficacy of technology enhanced case based learning (CBL) in small group teaching

The recent paradigm shift in teaching provision within higher education, following the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to blended models of learning prevailing in the pedagogic literature and in education practice. This shift has also resulted in an abundance of tools and technologies coming to market. Whilst the value of integrating technology into teaching and assessment has been well-established in the literature, the magnitude of choice available to educators and to students can be overwhelming. The current pilot investigated the feasibility of integrating key technologies in delivering technology-enhanced learning (TEL) case-based learning (CBL) within a sample of year two medical students. The cohort was selected at random, as was the control group receiving conventional CBL. Both groups were matched on prior academic performance. The TEL-CBL group received (1) in-person tutorials delivered within an immersive learning suite, (2) access to 3D anatomy software to explore during their self-directed learning time, (3) virtual reality (VR) guided anatomy exploration during tutorials, (4) access to a generative AI-based simulated virtual patient repository to practice key skills such as communication and history taking, and (5) an immersive medical emergency simulation. Metrics assessed included formative academic performance, student learning experience, and confidence in relation to communication and clinical skills. The results revealed that the TEL-CBL group outperformed their peers in successive formative assessments (p < 0.05), engaged thoroughly with the technologies at their disposal, and reported that these technologies enhanced their learning experience. Furthermore, students reported that access to the GenAI-simulated virtual patient platform and the immersive medical emergency simulation improved their clinical confidence and gave them a useful insight into what they can expect during the clinical phase of their medical education. The results are discussed in relation to the advantages that key emerging technologies may play in enhancing student performance, experience and confidence

Comparison of test-negative and syndrome-negative controls in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effectiveness evaluations for preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States

BackgroundTest-negative design (TND) studies have produced validated estimates of vaccine effectiveness (VE) for influenza vaccine studies. However, syndrome-negative controls have been proposed for differentiating bias and true estimates in VE evaluations for COVID-19. To understand the use of alternative control groups, we compared characteristics and VE estimates of syndrome-negative and test-negative VE controls.MethodsAdults hospitalized at 21 medical centers in 18 states March 11-August 31, 2021 were eligible for analysis. Case patients had symptomatic acute respiratory infection (ARI) and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Control groups were test-negative patients with ARI but negative SARS-CoV-2 testing, and syndrome-negative controls were without ARI and negative SARS-CoV-2 testing. Chi square and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to detect differences in baseline characteristics. VE against COVID-19 hospitalization was calculated using logistic regression comparing adjusted odds of prior mRNA vaccination between cases hospitalized with COVID-19 and each control group.Results5811 adults (2726 cases, 1696 test-negative controls, and 1389 syndrome-negative controls) were included. Control groups differed across characteristics including age, race/ethnicity, employment, previous hospitalizations, medical conditions, and immunosuppression. However, control-group-specific VE estimates were very similar. Among immunocompetent patients aged 18-64&nbsp;years, VE was 93&nbsp;% (95&nbsp;% CI: 90-94) using syndrome-negative controls and 91&nbsp;% (95&nbsp;% CI: 88-93) using test-negative controls.ConclusionsDespite demographic and clinical differences between control groups, the use of either control group produced similar VE estimates across age groups and immunosuppression status. These findings support the use of test-negative controls and increase confidence in COVID-19 VE estimates produced by test-negative design studies

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P &lt; 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Participant 252 Community Conversations Poetry

In this poem, titled "Apart but Not Alone," Participant 252 recommends coping strategies to manage COVID-19 isolation. The participant recommends that readers explore new interests and focus on activities that can improve mental health.New Jersey Department of Healt

Building Capacity through Training for Nursing Curriculum Evolution in Vietnam

Nursing education in Vietnam is continually evolving to meet the country\u27s healthcare demands. While curriculum revision is conducted every two years, a recent pilot study revealed the need for a more tailored approach. The purpose of this literature review was to gather and evaluate preliminary data on curriculum revision in Vietnamese nursing education. The findings from this review of the literature will support the development of a prospective grant. If funded, the prospective grant will conduct a large-scale study focused on developing a model of curriculum evolution based on a pilot study with a partner university in Vietnam. To the authors’ knowledge, there is no existing model for nursing curriculum revision in Vietnam. Several protocols were followed to ensure a high-quality analysis of curriculum revision in Vietnamese nursing education. Using the Kennesaw State University online library search engine, a comprehensive search was conducted based on peer-reviewed articles on certain keywords, such as nursing “AND” curriculum revision AND Vietnam AND nursing education. Reviewing the peer-reviewed articles helped identify current trends such as the shortage of nurses and resources in Vietnamese nursing education. The literature review highlighted the need to consider the specific cultural context of manual labor and religious belief in Vietnam. Efforts are currently underway at this nursing school to revise the curriculum in order to better prepare nurses to meet these needs, including addressing the shortage of nurses and resources and considering the cultural context of nursing education. This involves developing a model for curriculum evolution that can address the unique challenges and opportunities identified in the literature review