Traditional Healing Practices in an Urban Indigenous Setting: An Autoethnography

A growing number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous social workers are actively working towards the decolonization of their practice. However, incorporating traditional healing practices within an urban Indigenous setting requires commitment and dedication to understanding these practices.  Relationships with Elders and access to traditional healing practices have been advanced as critical in this process.Frameworks on how to do this work have been proposed, yet few have included stories of how these approaches are interwoven into daily practice in an urban Indigenous context. The goal of this autoethnography is to share experiences and reflections of frontline work and to further the dialogue to improve services for urban Indigenous peoples accessing social services. It is through the process of decolonization that social workers, not only fulfill their ethical professional obligations, but also contribute to reconciliation and the healing journey of Indigenous peoples

Synthesis of qualitative research studies regarding the factors surrounding UK critical care trial infrastructure

© 2019 Author(s). Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJConducting clinical trials in critical care is integral to improving patient care. Unique practical and ethical considerations exist in this patient population that make patient recruitment challenging, including narrow recruitment timeframes and obtaining patient consent often in time-critical situations. Units currently vary significantly in their ability to recruit according to infrastructure and level of research activity. Aim : To identify variability in the research infrastructure of UK intensive care units (ICUs) and their ability to conduct research and recruit patients into clinical trials. Design: We evaluated factors related to intensive care patient enrolment into clinical trials in the UK. This consisted of a qualitative synthesis carried out with two datasets of in-depth interviews (distinct participants across the two datasets) conducted with 27 intensive care consultants (n=9), research nurses (n=17) and trial coordinators (n=1) from 27 units across the UK. Primary and secondary analysis of two datasets (one dataset had been analysed previously) was undertaken in the thematic analysis. Findings: The synthesis yielded an overarching core theme of Normalising Research, characterised by motivations for promoting research and fostering research-active cultures within resource constraints, with six themes under this to explain the factors influencing critical care research capacity: Organisational, Human, Study, Practical resources, Clinician, and Patient/family factors. There was a strong sense of integrating research in routine clinical practice, and recommendations are outlined. Conclusions: The central and transferable tenet of Normalising Research advocates the importance of developing a culture where research is inclusive alongside clinical practice in routine patient care and is requisite for all healthcare individuals from organisational to direct patient contact level.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Bostonia

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

Quantitative Image Processing for Three-Dimensional Episcopic Images of Biological Structures: Current State and Future Directions

Episcopic imaging using techniques such as High Resolution Episcopic Microscopy (HREM) and its variants, allows biological samples to be visualized in three dimensions over a large field of view. Quantitative analysis of episcopic image data is undertaken using a range of methods. In this systematic review, we look at trends in quantitative analysis of episcopic images and discuss avenues for further research. Papers published between 2011 and 2022 were analyzed for details about quantitative analysis approaches, methods of image annotation and choice of image processing software. It is shown that quantitative processing is becoming more common in episcopic microscopy and that manual annotation is the predominant method of image analysis. Our meta-analysis highlights where tools and methods require further development in this field, and we discuss what this means for the future of quantitative episcopic imaging, as well as how annotation and quantification may be automated and standardized across the field

Investigating Early Reading in Primary Schools Since the Increased Emphasis on Phonics Teaching

This thesis addresses three outstanding areas of inquiry regarding the impact of systematic, synthetic phonics teaching following the introduction of the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check in England. These areas of inquiry concern the following key questions: (i) has this increased emphasis on phonics teaching impacted early reading performance and emerging reading difficulties (ii) do phonics-taught early readers have the skills to “self-teach” grapheme-to-phoneme-correspondences? The first study compared two secondary datasets, to determine whether reading performance for different word types, indicated differences between a pre-phonics and post-phonics sample. The post-phonics sample was longitudinal which also enabled an examination of changes in performance for different words over time. The second study utilised the same data, to determine whether emerging profiles of reading difficulty differed between the pre-phonics and post-phonics samples. Stability of these profiles of reading difficulty were also examined. The third study was a novel experimental training study with Reception and Year 1 children (n = 126). The aim was to determine whether beginner readers who were already receiving synthetic phonics teaching could “self-teach” unfamiliar grapheme-to-phoneme-correspondences and generalise these to novel words. Literacy-related skills and the role of context on this learning ability were also examined. Overall, the key findings were that firstly, the post-phonics sample outperformed the pre-phonics sample longitudinally when reading both word types. Additionally, the post-phonics sample displayed fewer profiles of reading difficulty than found within the pre-phonics sample, when allocated with the same measures. Limited stability was found for early reading difficulties, with Exception and Mixed profiles displaying more stability than Nonword profiles. Finally, early readers taught through phonics and with adequate phoneme awareness, letter-sound knowledge and vocabulary, were able to “self-teach” novel grapheme-to-phoneme-correspondences. In conclusion, this thesis contributes new evidence of the beneficial impact of phonics teaching in reducing difficulties and increasing independence in reading

"Juxta Commons Revision/Collation Assignment"

Curatorial note from Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities: Text analysis tools can be useful for the process of composition as well. In this assignment and in a related MLA talk, “Collation and Writing Pedagogy,” published on his blog, Brandon Walsh repurposes the scholarly method of collation, the comparing of multiple copies or witnesses of a text, for the teaching of writing. Walsh’s assignment teaches students to use Juxta Commons, an online collation tool, to compare multiple drafts of one paragraph from their essay to examine how specific changes alter the writing’s focus or tone. On his blog, Walsh also describes an exercise in which students each write a new version of a draft sentence in a shared Google Docs document. These assignments make visible the many different choices available to writers, encouraging students “to internalize the practice of collation and reflect on the interpretive possibilities offered by such differences” (Walsh, “Collation”)

What is the Effect of Frequent Basic Life Support Refresher Sessions on Health Care Professionals’ Retention of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Skills? A Systematic Review

Abbreviations: AED, Automated External Defibrillator; AHA, American Heart Association; BLS, Basic Life Support; CPR, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; EBL, Evidence Based Librarianship; IDG, Instructor Directed Group; NHMRC, National Health and Medical Research Council; PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analyses; RCT, Randomised Control Trial; RFST, Repetitive Sessions of Formative Self Testing; RFSTAP, Repetitive Sessions of Formative Self Testing with Additional Practice ROSC, Return of Spontaneous Circulation; SDG, Student Directed Group. Abstract Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training is currently provided to health care professionals at biannual intervals to meet mandatory recertification in accordance with guidelines.  However, literature reports that resuscitation skills decline rapidly and sometimes long before recertification. Inadequate CPR may result in a decrease in the incidence of achieving return of spontaneous circulation and other devastating outcomes. Good quality training and education in cardiopulmonary resuscitation is paramount to patient survival. Brief refresher sessions may prevent skill decay among health care professionals, improving skill retention over time and improving patient outcomes. Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to determine the effect of frequent basic life support refresher sessions on health care professionals’ retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills. Methods: A systematic review using narrative analysis was completed.  A database search was conducted to identify relevant studies for inclusion.  Databases searched include Medline, Embase, CINAHL and The Cochrane Library. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to guide the review. Results: Ten of the 11 studies in this paper concluded that basic life support refresher sessions may increase retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills.  Two of the included studies discussed self-perceived confidence as a secondary outcome.  One of these two studies demonstrated a significant correlation between higher self-confidence and improved retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills. Conclusion: Basic life support refresher sessions can have a positive impact on cardiopulmonary resuscitation skill retention among health care professionals.  However, the most effective method of delivering refresher sessions must be further clarified.  The optimal duration of these sessions as well as the optimal timing of delivering these sessions also requires further clarification through further research

Rural Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors Perspectives using Online Health Resources

Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women, with over 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. These patients, survivors and their loved ones use the Internet to find information about breast cancer, search for treatment options and connect with support groups. For women in medically underserved areas, especially rural areas, the Internet could be one of their only sources of information. Objective: The study investigates rural breast cancer patients’ and survivors’ motivations to seek online information, ability to use the Internet as a health information source, barriers to finding the information they seek, and the search strategy they use when seeking information online. Methods: This qualitative study used “think-aloud” interviews with rural breast cancer patients and survivors to examine the thought process used to select online breast cancer information. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis in NVivo 9. Results: Patients use Internet searches to corroborate provider recommendations and treatment plans. They preferred websites affiliated with nationally recognized cancer centers and breast cancer support organizations with few advertisements and comprehensive information. Conclusions: The importance of trust within the provider-patient relationship is a core theme. Although the provider is the preferred source of information, patients will use the Internet to verify provider recommendations. Implications for Practice: Rural breast cancer patients desire Internet search training. Nurses and breast cancer survivors would be effective trainers to increase patient online search information satisfaction and provide reliable resources for patients seeking accurate health

Neutrophils promote CXCR3-dependent itch in the development of atopic dermatitis.

Chronic itch remains a highly prevalent disorder with limited treatment options. Most chronic itch diseases are thought to be driven by both the nervous and immune systems, but the fundamental molecular and cellular interactions that trigger the development of itch and the acute-to-chronic itch transition remain unknown. Here, we show that skin-infiltrating neutrophils are key initiators of itch in atopic dermatitis, the most prevalent chronic itch disorder. Neutrophil depletion significantly attenuated itch-evoked scratching in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis. Neutrophils were also required for several key hallmarks of chronic itch, including skin hyperinnervation, enhanced expression of itch signaling molecules, and upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, activity-induced genes, and markers of neuropathic itch. Finally, we demonstrate that neutrophils are required for induction of CXCL10, a ligand of the CXCR3 receptor that promotes itch via activation of sensory neurons, and we find that that CXCR3 antagonism attenuates chronic itch