The impact of clinical placements on the emotional intelligence of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, and business students: a longitudinal study

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) is a critical skill for healthcare practitioners. Minimal longitudinal research has tracked the changes in EI of therapy students over their final full-time clinical placements. Methods: The Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i2.0) measured the EI of 283 therapy students and 93 business students (control group who do no clinical placements) at three time points over a 16-month period, the same period that the therapy students participated in clinical placements. Results: Analysis of the therapy students showed significant increases over the 16 months of the study in Total EI score, as well as nine other EI skills. However, large percentages of students reported declining scores in emotional expression, assertiveness, self-expression, and stress tolerance, with some students reporting low EI scores before commencing full-time extended clinical placements. Conclusions: The study contributes to new knowledge about the changing EI skills of therapy students as they complete their full-time, extended placements. Emotional intelligence in student therapists should be actively fostered during coursework, clinical placements and when first entering the workforce. University educators are encouraged to include EI content through the therapy curricula. Employers are encouraged to provide peer coaching, mentoring and workshops focused on EI skills to recent graduates

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery in the management of Familial Partial 2 Lipodystrophy Type 1 (FPLD1)

Context: Familial partial lipodystrophy type 1 (FPLD1) is an extreme form of central adiposity, with peripheral lipodystrophy associated with severe manifestations of the metabolic syndrome, often poorly responsive to standard therapeutic approaches. Body mass index in FPLD1 varies but, in many cases, is below the level at which metabolic surgery is usually considered as a therapeutic option. Design: We detailed the metabolic response to gastric bypass surgery of three patients with FPLD1, refractory to medical therapy. Results: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) was associated with weight loss and substantial improvements in glycemic control and insulin sensitivity. All three patients were able to stop using insulin. Glucose tolerance testing in one patient demonstrated an increase in L-cell–derived gut hormone responses postoperatively. Conclusion: RYGB surgery substantially improved glycemic control in three patients with FPLD1, two of whom had body mass indices below 30 kg/m². RYGB should be considered in patients with partial lipodystrophy and refractory metabolic disease.This work was supported by Wellcome Trust Grants WT106262, WT098498, WT095515, and WT107064 (to F.G., G.R., R.K.S., S.O., and D.B.S.), the Medical Research Council Metabolic Disease Unit, the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, and the National Institute for Health Research Rare Disease Translational Research Collaboration

Relationships of Risk Factors for Pre-Eclampsia with Patterns of Occurrence of Isolated Gestational Proteinuria during Normal Term Pregnancy

<p><b>Background:</b> Isolated gestational proteinuria may be part of the pre-eclampsia disease spectrum. Confirmation of its association with established pre-eclampsia risk factors and higher blood pressure in uncomplicated pregnancies would support this concept.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Data from 11,651 women from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who had a term live birth but did not have pre-existing hypertension or diabetes or develop gestational diabetes or preeclampsia were used. Proteinuria was assessed repeatedly (median 12 measurements per woman) by dipstick and latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of the population with different patterns of proteinuria in pregnancy.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Higher maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), younger age, nulliparity and twin pregnancy were independently associated with increased odds of any proteinuria in pregnancy. Women who experienced proteinuria showed five patterns: proteinuria in early pregnancy only (<= 20 weeks gestation), and onset at 21-28 weeks, 29-32 weeks, 33-36 weeks and >= 37 weeks gestation. There were higher odds of proteinuria onset after 33 weeks in obese women and after 37 weeks in nulliparous women compared with normal weight and multiparous women respectively. Smoking in pregnancy was weakly negatively associated with odds of proteinuria onset after 37 weeks. Twin pregnancies had higher odds of proteinuria onset from 29 weeks. In women with proteinuria onset after 33 weeks blood pressure was higher in early pregnancy and at the end of pregnancy.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> Established pre-eclampsia risk factors were related to proteinuria occurrence in late gestation in healthy term pregnancies, supporting the hypothesis that isolated gestational proteinuria may represent an early manifestation of preeclampsia.</p&gt

Influence of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (efavirenz and nevirapine) on the pharmacodynamic activity of gliclazide in animal models

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Type 2 diabetes may occur as a result of HIV infection and/or its treatment. Gliclazide is a widely used drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Efavirenz and nevirapine are widely used non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors for the treatment of HIV infection. The role of Efavirenz and nevirapine on the pharmacodynamic activity of gliclazide is not currently known. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of oral administration of efavirenz and nevirapine on blood glucose and investigate their effect on the activity of gliclazide in rats (normal and diabetic) and rabbits to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the combination.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Studies in normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats were conducted with oral doses of 2 mg/kg bd. wt. of gliclazide, 54 mg/kg bd. wt. of efavirenz or 18 mg/kg bd. wt. of nevirapine and their combination with adequate washout periods in between treatments. Studies in normal rabbits were conducted with 5.6 mg/1.5 kg bd. wt. of gliclazide, 42 mg/1.5 kg bd. wt. of efavirenz or 14 mg/1.5 kg bd. wt. of nevirapine and their combination given orally. Blood samples were collected at regular time intervals in rats from retro orbital puncture and by marginal ear vein puncture in rabbits. All the blood samples were analysed for blood glucose by GOD/POD method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Efavirenz and nevirapine alone have no significant effect on the blood glucose level in rats and rabbits. Gliclazide produced hypoglycaemic/antidiabetic activity in normal and diabetic rats with peak activity at 2 h and 8 h and hypoglycaemic activity in normal rabbits at 3 h. In combination, efavirenz reduced the effect of gliclazide in rats and rabbits, and the reduction was more significant with the single dose administration of efavirenz than multiple dose administration. In combination, nevirapine has no effect on the activity of gliclazide in rats and rabbits.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Thus, it can be concluded that the combination of efavirenz and gliclazide may need dose adjustment and care should be taken when the combination is prescribed for their clinical benefit in diabetic patients. The combination of nevirapine and gliclazide was safe. However, further studies are warranted.</p

IDENTIFYING MECHANISMS OF FIREFIGHTER INJURIES: A HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER PERSPECTIVE

Alyssa Q. Eastman, Nick R. Heebner, Phillip A. Gribble, Beth S. Rous, Emily L. Langford, Spencer Brock, Rosie K. Lanphere, Mark G. Abel. University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. BACKGROUND: Firefighting involves the performance of rigorous occupational tasks in unpredictable, dynamic, a8nd hot environments which increases firefighters’ risk of injury. Specifically, the National Fire Protection Association reported that musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries account for 56% of non-fireground and 41% of fireground injuries. Furthermore, physical training (PT) is the most common cause of injury, accounting for one-third of all injuries and resulting in 41% of post-injury absences from work. There is limited research identifying occupational injury risk factors among firefighters. However, health care professionals (HCPs) working with fire departments may be able to provide critical insight into the potential mechanisms of these common injuries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to query HCPs working directly with firefighters to identify potential mechanisms and risk factors associated with MSK injuries during PT and other tasks based on their specific clinical experiences. METHODS: A phenomenological design will be implemented to understand the experiences of HCPs when treating MSK injuries in firefighters. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted virtually with twelve HCPs. Inclusion criteria include licensed HCPs (e.g., Athletic Trainer, Physical Therapist), who have at least three years of experience in treating and rehabilitating firefighter injuries. Two interviews will be pilot tested with HCPs to ensure reliability and validity. Ten interviews will be used in data analyses. Interviews will be transcribed and uploaded to Dedoose (SocioCultural Research Consultants, LLC), a qualitative analysis software program. To ensure reliability and validity of codes and categories, two researchers will code to a level of agreement of at least 90%. Member checking will be used to ensure the accuracy of findings with HCPs responses. IBM SPSS (Version 28, Armonk, NY) will be used for descriptive statistics. ANTICIPATED RESULTS: It is hypothesized that HCPs will indicate that MSK injuries occur primarily during PT, while performing intense yet infrequent occupational operations, and as a result of compromised movement patterns. These findings will provide key focus areas for future longitudinal studies to identify risk factors. Funding: Currently under review by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Fire Prevention and Safety grant mechanism

Work integrated learning for sustainability education

An encyclopedia article related to work-integrated learning as a form of education for sustainable development