Assessment of the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation on the maintenance of healthy lifestyle modifications: An international comparison between England and New Zealand

Secondary preventive Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) programmes are the most cost effective measure for reducing mortality and morbidity associated with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), and are now recommended internationally (BHF, 2007a). There are two structured CV rehabilitation programmes based on specific sets of guidelines: the American Cardiology Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines and the British Association Cardiac Rehabilitation (BACR) guidelines. New Zealand (NZ) practice under the ACSM guidelines, while the United Kingdom (UK) practice under the BACR guidelines. The purpose of this study is to compare patients CR experiences between the UK and NZ based on their effectiveness at successfully motivating patients to maintain healthy behaviours. Data was collected from non-participant observations, and focus groups with patients 6-12months post CR. Results were analysed using thematic analyses and reflection in action. Both CR programmes have been successful in supporting the individuals to maintain healthy lifestyles. A number of similar positive CR experiences were noted between groups and countries: support, education, positive mental attitude, motivation, and help to facilitate individuals to maintain healthy lifestyles. Diet and exercise were the main themes influenced. Exercising in a friendly environment, with companionship was significant to the maintenance of exercise for participants in both countries. Barriers such as physical disabilities, time constraints, and weather conditions helped to inhibit healthy behaviour maintenance. Those in NZ seemed to be more affected by external factors such as opportunity, access, and work. Individuals’ confidence appeared higher in the UK in regards to monitoring themselves. Exploring patients’ views and experiences through discussion provided an insight in these programmes, and could assist in future CR developments, addressing the barriers to such developments. The study highlighted that less monitoring in NZ is required. Also, further future developments for NZ could include improving referrals for CR intervention, and improvements in opportunities to access exercise sessions with other CV individuals. Future research into continuing social support through exercise sessions and education discussion groups could be a step towards tackling the drop-out rates in both countries

EXAMINING WORK-LIFE BALANCE OF FEMALE FACULTY IN CHAIR ROLES AT MEDICAL ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

The purpose of this research study was to explore the work-life balance of women in Chair positions within medical academic institutions and to research their ability to balance roles at work and home. The study wanted to investigate the impact of a prestigious leadership position on their lives. The study explored the reason for their success in such a male-dominated position and how they obtained such a position. The women who participated in this study gave accounts for their triumphs and disappointments during the data collection phase of the study. This research was a phenomenological study based on three theoretical literature foundations: Work-Family Border Theory; Role Balance Theory; and Career Compromise Theory. Research and interview questions were developed from these three theories to determine if these women were able to accomplish a work-life balance at any level during their time as a Chair. The study was developed using the determination if children, aging parents, and being married could be a factor in achieving work-life balance. The study was focused on the southern region of the United States with participants of the study being located through the AAMC website. The researcher conducted qualitative interviews with each participant based on their time and availability. This interview approach was conducted so that each participant expressed their feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Findings were discovered through the process of transcribing the interviews, coding transcriptions, and having themes revealed for each interview question. Interview questions themes were discussed individually and ending with aggregated themes for each research question. A summary of findings were included for the reader. To conclude, each research question findings were discussed including implications for theory, research, and practice, limitations, and future research opportunities

Why is Uptake of the Disability Tax Credit Low in Canada? Exploring Possible Barriers to Access

Disability supports should be designed to provide benefit and not burdens to eligible recipients. Unfortunately, this is not a reality when it comes to one of the main benefits open to Canadians with disability: the federal Disability Tax Credit (DTC). Designed to recognize some of the higher costs faced by people with severe disabilities and their caregivers, the DTC appears to be more of a burden for many, with estimated utilisation unacceptably low at around 40 per cent of working-aged adults with qualifying disabilities. Low uptake is a concern not only because people are missing out on the credit itself but also because eligibility to the DTC – which is not automatic – is a gateway to other important and more valuable benefits such as the Child Disability Benefit and Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP). Why is take up low? Awareness and a burdensome application process are likely key contributing factors. There is also a lack of clarity around eligibility rules, which have been criticized for being open to interpretation, failing to accurately reflect the practicalities of living with a disability and requiring people with impairments in mental functions to meet a higher bar than for those with physical impairments. The design of the DTC may also be limiting utilization of disability benefits such as RDSPs that require DTC eligibility as a prerequisite. As a non-refundable tax credit, the DTC is a tax-fairness measure that benefits those who pay taxes (provides no monetary value to those without taxable income). It is poor design to use eligibility to a benefit, that does not provide value to all individuals with qualifying disabilities, as a gateway to benefits with different policy objectives. A policy overhaul of the DTC, and broader disability policy in Canada, is long overdue. This will require effort and the will to make the necessary changes to improve existing policies. Boosting awareness of the DTC, gaining a better understanding of the target population (particularly children with disabilities) and monitoring data on the DTC’s usage and reach, would go a long way towards improving uptake. Creation of a clear and transparent review and appeals process to replace the current and often inconsistent one would further knock down barriers to access. Improving the disability assessment process for the DTC and for other key disability benefits is also essential. More broadly, it is time for Canada to consider new coordinated policy measures that guarantee improved access, independence, portability and support for individuals with disability – particularly those living in low income

Improving our understanding of unmet needs among adults with a developmental disability

Labour force participation is lowest for persons with developmental disabilities (DD) compared to any other disability in Canada, even though many are ready, willing and able to work. Those who are employed often work for below minimum wage and have minimum protection by labour legislation. Yet little detail is known about employment outcomes for persons with DD in a Canadian context. Using national population survey data, this study explored the unmet employment, education and daily living needs of persons with two types of developmental disability, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cerebral palsy (CP; Zwicker, Zaresani and Emery 2017)[1]. Disability was cited as a key barrier to employment for those not in the labour force, highlighting an urgent need for policies that promote accessibility and equal opportunity, as well as improved workplace practices and employment services and supports. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the experiences and challenges pertaining to the workplace, education and social supports, necessary in designing policies that deliver efficient and equitable services and better address the needs of Canadians with DD – a group that has been largely absent from policy dialogue.[1] ASD and CP are two of the most common chronic developmental conditions that result in disability in Canadian children

Phosphorylation of MCPH1 isoforms during mitosis followed by isoform‐specific degradation by APC/C‐CDH1

Microcephalin‐1 (MCPH1) exists as 2 isoforms that regulate cyclin‐dependent kinase‐1 activation and chromosome condensation during mitosis, with MCPH1 mutations causing primary microcephaly. MCPH1 is also a tumor suppressor protein, with roles in DNA damage repair/checkpoints. Despite these important roles, there is little information on the cellular regulation of MCPH1. We show that both MCPH1 isoforms are phosphorylated in a cyclin‐dependent kinase‐1–dependent manner in mitosis and identify several novel phosphorylation sites. Upon mitotic exit, MCPH1 isoforms were degraded by the anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome–CDH1 E3 ligase complex. Anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome–CDH1 target proteins generally have D‐Box or KEN‐Box degron sequences. We found that MCPH1 isoforms are degraded independently, with the long isoform degradation being D‐Box dependent, whereas the short isoform was KEN‐Box dependent. Our research identifies several novel mechanisms regulating MCPH1 and also highlights important issues with several commercial MCPH1 antibodies, with potential relevance to previously published data.—Meyer, S. K., Dunn, M., Vidler, D. S., Porter, A., Blain, P. G., Jowsey, P. A. Phosphorylation of MCPH1 isoforms during mitosis followed by isoform‐specific degradation by APC/C‐CDH1. FASEB J. 33, 2796–2808 (2019). www.fasebj.or

Parasocial Interactions Online: Candidate Intimacy in Webpages and Facebook

Research presented in this article assesses cognitive processing and behavioral outcome differences that occur when the public interacts with political candidates’ webpages as opposed to viewing their Facebook pages. Further, an exploration into perceptions individuals have of these candidates and the potential for developing parasocial relationships is pursued. Findings suggest that perceptions of intimacy are directly related to perceptions of candidates’ credibility and potential political action; these findings have clear implications on future political marketing strategies

Binge Drinking and TMT: Evaluating Responses to Anti-Binge Drinking PSAs from a Terror Management Theory Perspective

An experiment was conducted with 264 college students whose self-esteem were highly linked or not to their binge drinking behaviors (i.e., high binge drinking-based self esteem or low binge drinking-based self-esteem). Participants were exposed to a mortality-salient/non-mortality-salient anti-binge drinking public service announcement (PSA), or a control ad.  Cognitive and emotional responses to the ads were assessed. Results found an interaction between binge drinking-based self-esteem and mortality-saliency of the ad. Those with high binge drinking-based self-esteem reported significantly lower intentions to not binge drink, more negative evaluation of the ads, greater message avoidance, and more positive binge drinking attitudes in response to the mortality-salient PSAs compared to those exposed to non-mortality-salient PSAs, and those with low binge drinking-based self-esteem. Additionally, response costs associated with not binge drinking was tested within the EPPM framework and found to have an impact. Implications of the results for anti-binge drinking campaigns are discussed along with future research directions

Collecting Memories: Rachel Whiteread’s House and Memory in Contemporary London

Contemporary British artist Rachel Whiteread is celebrated for her ability to cast everyday objects that force the viewer to think about the spaces they typically ignore. House, one of Whiteread’s most well known and written about sculptures was created in 1993. House considered issues of memory in contemporary London, specifically parts of London that are experiencing drastic amounts of change. Current scholars understand House as a memorial, and while this thesis agrees with this interpretation, it also considers House as part of a group memorial with Whiteread’s other sculptural works created before and in 1993. This thesis begins by contextualizing Whiteread’s artistic practice in current scholarship and argues for further evaluation of House. After a thorough examination of the creation, destruction, and reception of House, I analyze current scholarship on the sculpture and consider the similar themes through Whiteread’s early work to prove their ability to act as a group memorial

Electrophysiological Correlates of Visual Search in the Autism Spectrum

The thesis examines the neural basis of selective attention in those with high and low levels of self-reported autistic traits. Existing literature suggests that those with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) show atypical selective attention (e.g. Burack 1994), and this has been extended to those with high levels of autistic traits (Bayliss & Kritikos, 2011). The research presented in the thesis has, for the first time, examined the neural basis of spatial attention in those with high and low levels of autistic traits by measuring the ERP deflections associated with covert attention, target selection and distracter suppression (The N2pc, NT and PD). The results provide evidence of neural differences in spatial attention in those with high levels of autistic traits. Specifically, a larger N2pc suggests greater allocation of attentional resources, and a reduced PD indicates reduced distracter suppression in those with high levels of autistic traits. No group differences were found in the NT component, indicating that the neural mechanisms underpinning target selection do not differ between those with high and low levels of autistic traits. The findings support Remington’s suggestion of an enhanced perceptual capacity in ASC (Remington et al., 2009); which would result in the processing of normally irrelevant information. Recent work has extended the possibility of an enhanced perceptual capacity to those with high levels of autistic traits (Bayliss & Kritikos, 2011; Milne et al., 2013), and this is supported by the ERP findings reported in the thesis. The findings may be an important factor in explaining the overwhelming perceptual experience often reported by those on the autism spectrum