The construction and evaluation of five patterned series of lessons for teaching five specific writing skills

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

A brief report of the epidemiology of obesity in the inflammatory bowel disease population of Tayside, Scotland

© 2009 The Authors. Published by Karger Publishers. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1159/000262276Aim: Obesity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn’s disease (CD), has previously been considered unusual (3%). CD patients who are obese tend to have increased perianal complications and a higher level of disease activity on an annual basis. Obesity in Scotland has been documented to have increased over the last decade, and over half all men and women in Scotland are now considered to be overweight. This study aims to assess obesity prevalence in the IBD community in Tayside, Scotland. Methods: All IBD patients (n = 1,269) were considered for inclusion. Inclusion criteria required a weight measurement taken from the preceding 12 months and a height measurement within the last decade. 489 patients were included in the analysis. Results: 18% of the Tayside IBD population were obese in comparison to approximately 23% of the Scottish population on a whole. A further 38% of patients were over-weight, the same percentage as the general population. In the overweight and obese ulcerative colitis patients there were higher levels of surgery, but the converse was true in the CD group, where the normal-weight group had the highest levels of surgery. There were significantly more obese men and women with CD than with ulcerative colitis (P = 0.05). Conclusion: Obesity prevalence has increased in IBD patients. This is significant because of the known increased levels of postoperative complications, perianal disease and requirement for more aggressive medical therapy. Research needs to be done to look at the effects of obesity on the co-morbid associations of other diseases with IBD, in particular colorectal cancer, and to ascertain whether or not screening frequency should be altered depending on BMI.Published versio

What parents in Australia know and do about head lice

INTRODUCTION: Although parents in developed market economies regard head lice infections (pediculosis) as a significant problem, health departments generally rate pediculosis as a low priority health issue, encouraging parents to manage and control it. But how well equipped and willing are parents to manage the infections? There do not appear to be any studies in the literature addressing these issues. This article presents the results of a survey conducted in Australia that aimed to answer these questions. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of parents of primary school aged children in Victoria (Vic) and north Queensland (NQ) was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. The study investigated the knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents regarding head lice infections. RESULTS: Only 7.1% of 1338 who completed the questionnaire answered all 10 knowledge questions correctly and more than one-third failed to answer half correctly. There was a weak negative correlation between parents\u27 knowledge and the prevalence of active pediculosis in the school. Almost all parents wanted the responsibility for treating pediculosis and more than three-quarters saw it as a health concern. A higher proportion of parents in NQ used preventative strategies (67% vs 41%). Most parents spent less than AU$50 per year on treatments. Alarmingly, however, the proportion of children missing school as a result of pediculosis was 24.4% and 30.3% in Vic and NQ, respectively. In Vic there was a positive correlation (r = 0.39) between missing school in the previous 12 months and prevalence of pediculosis in the school. CONCLUSIONS: This appears to be the most comprehensive study of parental knowledge, beliefs, and practices regarding head lice infections. Although parents wanted responsibility for the management of pediculosis, deficiencies in their knowledge indicate they may be inadequately equipped to do so. Given the high proportion of children in both states who have missed school as a result of head lice, it is recommended that health departments in Australia should work to ensure that consistent and accurate messages about pediculosis are disseminated, and that relevant legislation is amended to prevent children being excluded from school

Community Nurse Workforce Planning Project

The purpose of this project was to explore the potential for developing a flexible and innovative approach to community workforce planning that took account of the synergies between community health needs and the expertise and skill sets of community nurses. Workshops were held with community nurses in three localities within NHS Highland in 2010 and at the beginning of 2011. Information that emerged from the workshops provided a picture of the responsibilities and activities that community nurses are engaged in, as well as some of the challenges of delivering a service across the diverse localities in NHS Highland. In May 2011 a wider stakeholder workshop was held, facilitated by one of the NMSH CHP general managers. The workshop considered the findings of the project to date, and proposed some changes. These changes were incorporated into the final report

Inside Hollins (1940)

https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/insideh/1000/thumbnail.jp

Respectful handover: a good alternative when intrapartum continuity of carer cannot be guaranteed

AIM: To explore first-time mothers’ expectations and experiences of being cared for by an unknown midwife and their perceptions around continuity of carer during childbirth. DESIGN: Qualitative Straussian grounded theory methodology. SETTING: Three National Health Service Trusts in England providing maternity care that offered women the possibility of giving birth in different settings (home, freestanding midwifery unit and obstetric unit). PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen first-time mothers in good general health with a straightforward singleton pregnancy anticipating a normal birth. METHODS: Ethical approval was obtained. Data were collected through two semi-structured interviews for each participant (before and after birth). The coding process included the constant comparison between data, literature and analytical memos. FINDINGS: Childbearing women’s expectations during pregnancy and experiences during labour are reported in regard to three main themes: a) encountering an unknown midwife during labour; b) familiarity and immediate connection: ‘I felt like I’ve known her for years’; c) change of shift and respectful handover. CONCLUSION: Respectful and efficient handovers between midwives are crucial in guaranteeing a high level of care when continuity of carer cannot be guaranteed. Midwives should, therefore, pay attention to how the handover is done, how information is conveyed to colleagues taking over care and how this is communicated to the labouring woman and her companions present in the room. A handover should actively involve the mother and the birth partner(s) and be essentially respectful of their needs

Interactions between Lactobacillus acidophilus strains and the starter cultures, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus during fermentation of goats’ milk

It has been observed that Lactobacillus acidophilus has poor survivability in fermented goats’ milk. In this study, interactions between L. acidophilus and starter cultures during goats’ milk fermentation were investigated using three strains of L. acidophilus: ATCC-11975, LA-5 and NCFM, and the starter cultures (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (LB350) and Streptococcus thermophilus (ST350), isolated from a commercial yogurt starter. Selective enumeration methods were validated; de Mann, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar with 0.2% bile and anaerobic incubation at 37°C (72 h) was found to be suitable for all L. acidophilus strains; MRS agar with pH adjusted to 5.2 and anaerobic incubation at 37°C (24 h) was used for strain LB350 and M17 agar with 0.5% lactose and aerobic incubation at 37°C (24 h) for strain ST350. Addition of LB350 and/or ST350 into the goats’ milk inoculated with L. acidophilus strains accelerated pH decrease compared to L. acidophilus strains used alone. Antagonism between each of the L. acidophilus strains and LB350 occurred, most noticeably with the LA-5 culture. However, it varied widely between the acidophilus strains indicating that antagonism is likely to be strain specific.Keywords: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, interactions, goats’ mil

Kidney stones: pathophysiology, diagnosis and management

The prevalence of kidney stones is increasing, and approximately 12 000 hospital admissions every year are due to this condition. This article will use a case study to focus on a patient diagnosed with a calcium oxalate kidney stone. It will discuss the affected structures in relation to kidney stones and describe the pathology of the condition. Investigations for kidney stones, differential diagnosis and diagnosis, possible complications and prognosis, will be discussed. Finally, a detailed account of management strategies for the patient with kidney stones will be given, looking at pain management, medical procedures and dietary interventions. </jats:p