Using Web‐based support for campus‐based open learning: Lessons from a study in dental public health

There has been much written about the use of the Web in higher education, much of which advocates its use as an effective way of supporting learning, particularly in terms of the desirability of features such as flexibility and the value of online discussions. In this paper, a case study is described which calls some of this received wisdom into question. The study also explores wider issues of curriculum design, particularly in terms of the role of assessment and of self‐assessment, both of which played a crucial role in the course. Unlike many studies, then, the purpose of this paper is not to demonstrate the success of a particular approach or to advocate particular forms of practice, but instead to highlight the shortcomings of existing guidelines for curriculum development in this area. This suggests that further inquiry into this form of education is required — and in particular, inquiry that pays detailed attention to the backgrounds of learners, and involves close study of their experiences

An Investigation of Occupational Therapy Utilizing Sensory Modulation to Manage Co-Morbid Chronic Pain and Substance Use in Order to Promote Occupational Performance and Recovery

Background: Those with chronic pain have worse drug and alcohol treatment outcomes and higher rates of relapse compared to those without pain or with reduced pain (Ilgen et al., 2020). Methods: A descriptive study was employed with the aim of determining what are the sensory processing pattens of those with co-morbid chronic pain and in recovery for substance use. All participants completed the Adolescent and Adult Sensory Profile, the Brief Pain Inventory, and the Personal Recovery Outcome Measure (PROM). Results: From the preliminary findings, individuals with co-morbid chronic pain and substance use may have atypical sensory processing in areas of sensation sensitive, sensation avoiding, and low registration, compared to the normative sample. Individuals within this clinical setting in general were not receiving non-pharmacological treatment for their pain. With pain fluctuating between mild (2.2/10) and severe (6.0/10) throughout the day. Results of the PROM were an average of 21/30. Item 21 states “I can manage stress”. From these findings a 5-week sensory based OT Group was implemented at a PHP/IOP treatment center focusing on self-management, health-management, and stress reduction strategies to improve overall occupational performance. A pain management OT Group is also included in the manual. Conclusion: Individuals with co-morbid chronic pain and substance use may have sensory processing patterns that are impacting function and recovery. This highlights the potential value of further research and consideration in clinical practice of these unique patterns and how they may be impacting recovery and long-term sobriety

Training manual for new presidents at Corinthian Colleges, Inc.

The purpose of the project was to develop a training manual for new Corinthian College school presidents. This manual presents guidelines detailing how to perform required operations for new school presidents throughout the first year of employment

Public Health Leadership to Advance Health Equity: A Scoping Review and Metasummary

Health inequities are health differences that are systematic across a population, result from the social conditions in which people live, and are considered unfair when by reasonable means they could be avoided. Health inequities are a pressing public health issue locally, nationally, and globally, and addressing these inequities is a matter of social justice. Public health leadership has been identified as critical for advancing health equity. Public health leadership has been defined as influence that moves individuals, communities, organizations, and systems toward achieving goals that will result in better health and well-being. But what type of leadership is required in public health to address the social determinants of health and advance health equity? How is it described? How is that leadership developed and supported? To begin to answer these questions and contribute to the knowledge and science of leadership in public health, an extensive scoping review of the literature was undertaken using Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) six-phase framework. The scoping review explored the evidence base (close to 8,000 articles) and iteratively revealed the factors that contribute to public health leadership at the individual, organizational, community, and system levels. Further discussion is provided regarding innovative and emerging tools, strategies, and mechanisms for public health leadership. The study considered two further questions in an additional phase of the review using a metasummary method: How is leadership described in this literature set and what is the relationship between leadership and health equity in these studies? The responses to these questions are reflected through a series of data visualizations and thematic presentations. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the findings and a set of considerations for practice, theory, policy, education, and research. These considerations are intended to provide a foundation for the development and support of public health leaders and leadership to address the determinants of health and advance health equity

Longer thaw seasons increase nitrogen availability for leaching during fall in tundra soils

Climate change has resulted in warmer soil temperatures, earlier spring thaw and later fall freeze-up, resulting in warmer soil temperatures and thawing of permafrost in tundra regions. While these changes in temperature metrics tend to lengthen the growing season for plants, light levels, especially in the fall, will continue to limit plant growth and nutrient uptake. We conducted a laboratory experiment using intact soil cores with and without vegetation from a tundra peatland to measure the effects of late freeze and early spring thaw on carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange, methane (CH4) emissions, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (N) leaching from soils. We compared soil C exchange and N production with a 30 day longer seasonal thaw during a simulated annual cycle from spring thaw through freeze-up and thaw. Across all cores, fall N leaching accounted for ~33% of total annual N loss despite significant increases in microbial biomass during this period. Nitrate $({{{\rm{NO}}}_{3}}^{-})$ leaching was highest during the fall (5.33 ± 1.45 mg N m−2 d−1) following plant senescence and lowest during the summer (0.43 ± 0.22 mg N m−2 d−1). In the late freeze and early thaw treatment, we found 25% higher total annual ecosystem respiration but no significant change in CH4 emissions or DOC loss due to high variability among samples. The late freeze period magnified N leaching and likely was derived from root turnover and microbial mineralization of soil organic matter coupled with little demand from plants or microbes. Large N leaching during the fall will affect N cycling in low-lying areas and streams and may alter terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem nitrogen budgets in the arctic

Timescale dependence of environmental and plant‐mediated controls on CH4 flux in a temperate fen

This study examined daily, seasonal, and interannual variations in CH4 emissions at a temperate peatland over a 5‐year period. We measured net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), CH4 flux, water table depth, peat temperature, and meteorological parameters weekly from the summers (1 May to 31 August) of 2000 through 2004 at Sallie\u27s Fen in southeastern New Hampshire, United States. Significant interannual differences, driven by high variability of large individual CH4 fluxes (ranging from 8.7 to 3833.1 mg CH4 m−2 d−1) occurring in the late summer, corresponded with a decline in water table level and an increase in air and peat temperature. Monthly timescale yielded the strongest correlations between CH4 fluxes and peat and air temperature (r2 = 0.78 and 0.74, respectively) and water table depth (WTD) (r2 = 0.53). Compared to daily and seasonal timescales, the monthly timescale was the best timescale to predict CH4 fluxes using a stepwise multiple regression (r2 = 0.81). Species composition affected relationships between CH4 fluxes and measures of plant productivity, with sedge collars showing the strongest relationships between CH4 flux, water table, and temperature. Air temperature was the only variable that was strongly correlated with CH4 flux at all timescales, while WTD had either a positive or negative correlation depending on timescale and vegetation type. The timescale dependence of controls on CH4 fluxes has important implications for modeling

Digital R&D Fund for the Arts in Scotland: Final Report

Final Report of the Consortium for Research in Arts, Technology in Scotland (CReATeS), relating to the Digital R&D Fund for Arts in Scotland, funded by Nesta/AHRC/Creative Scotland