Click, Clack, Moo Marxism: Recognizing Theoretical Frameworks

The challenge of engaging students in disciplinary theory has always been somewhat daunting for most professors. The introduction of theoretical concepts from primary readings is fundamental in this endeavor, but how do we get students to engage with the materials in a more critical and, in some instances, timely fashion? Critical literacy should go beyond primary literature and also be about questioning practices that keep particular structures of knowing, believing, and being in place. In practice, this can be accomplished through building critical literacy skills by recognizing theoretical frameworks in non-traditional contexts. The assignment provided here outlines one way in which a well-known children\u27s book can help students refine their skills in higher-order thinking and affective learning. It is my intention for this work to stimulate faculty thinking on transitioning the boring and necessary in our disciplines into a positive experience that students carry with them as they navigate their worlds

The immediate effects of deep pressure on young people with autism and severe intellectual difficulties: a case series demonstrating individual differences

Background: Deep pressure is a touch therapy technique widely used by occupational therapists for people with autism spectrum disorders. It is conceptually related to Ayres’ Sensory Integration Therapy and to the “hug” machine of Temple Grandin. There is limited research evaluating deep pressure. Objective: to evaluate the immediate effects of deep pressure on young people with autism and severe intellectual disabilities. Methods: Mood and behaviour were rated by staff working with the pupils before and after sessions of deep pressure and diary records were kept of other significant events. 13 pupils with ASD and severe ID took part in the study. Results: Sufficient data was available from 8 participants to be analysed using tau-u, a non-parametric technique that allows for serial dependence in data. Six showed benefits statistically. Five of these showed benefits across all domains, and one showed benefits on three out of five domains. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Deep pressure appears to be of immediate benefit to this population with autism and severe ID, but the heterogeneity of response suggests that careful monitoring of response should be used and deep pressure discontinued when it is no longer of benefit. Limitations: This is an open label evaluation study using rating scales. Recommendations for future research: Future studies of the use of deep pressure should use physiological response measures, in addition to blinded raters for aspects of behaviors such as attitude to learning psychological health not captured physiologically

Giving students an eDGE: Focusing on ePortfolios for Graduate Employability

Universities are placing increased attention on providing students with ePortfolios and online teaching platforms to enhance learning and employability. The aim of this paper is to investigate the views of dietetic students on the usefulness of PebblePad as a learning platform and ePortfolio tool for evidencing graduate competency and enhancing employability. This research was conducted within a multi-component design-based research framework. PebblePad was introduced to the [blinded] Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics four-year degree in 2016. Students in years 1 and 3 enrolled in courses utilising PebblePad in 2016 and 2017 were invited to complete an online survey at the conclusion of each course. Surveys were completed by 116 students (2016 n=50; 2017 n=66). Students perceived that PebblePad could impact on their employability through supporting their learning as well as assisting their understanding and competency development as a professional. This was more evident in Year 3 students than Year 1. The aspects of PebblePad perceived as most beneficial for employability were the ability to: 1) collate experiences and assessment; 2) evidence dietetic competencies via ‘tagging’; and 3) facilitate reflection. The least beneficial aspects were: 1) usability and navigation of PebblePad; 2) lack of clarity around using PebblePad to evidence employability; and 3) belief that required reflections were excessive. ePortfolios and learning platforms such as PebblePad are perceived by students to be useful for evidencing employability, with potential improvements in assessment design further enhancing their use

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Enhancing graduate employability through targeting ePortfolios to employer expectations: A systematic scoping review

Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are increasingly being used in university degrees to showcase graduate employability. However, evidence on employers’ views and use of ePortfolios has not been synthesised. This study aimed to systematically review the evidence on employer, industry representative and university educator views on the use of ePortfolios in recruiting graduates, including recommended ePortfolio content. Six databases were searched to identify original research on views and utilisation of ePortfolios published since 2000. Studies were screened in duplicate, and the full texts of 163 articles reviewed. Included studies were synthesised to reveal common themes. The 17 included studies represented a range of industries and most were conducted in the USA (n=10). Awareness of ePortfolios was low, as was use within recruitment. Perceived advantages of ePortfolios in recruitment included showcasing key skills/work; ability to comprehensively assess and differentiate between candidates quickly; and accessibility. The main disadvantages were the time taken to review, excessive information and establishing authenticity. Recommended ePortfolios content included samples of professional work, reflections, videos and photos. Inclusion of typical resume content, work experience, skills, transcripts, certificates, references, supervisor evaluations were important, as was a clear and concise structure

Body mass index and measures of body fat for defining obesity and underweight: a cross-sectional, population-based study

BACKGROUND: The body mass index (BMI) is commonly used as a surrogate marker for adiposity. However, the BMI indicates weight-for-height without considering differences in body composition and the contribution of body fat to overall body weight. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify sex-and-age-specific values for percentage body fat (%BF), measured using whole body dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), that correspond to BMI 18.5 kg/m(2) (threshold for underweight), 25.0 kg/m(2) (overweight) and 30.0 kg/m(2) (obesity) and compare the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in the adult white Australian population using these BMI thresholds and equivalent values for %BF. These analyses utilise data from randomly-selected men (n = 1446) and women (n = 1045), age 20-96 years, who had concurrent anthropometry and DXA assessments as part of the Geelong Osteoporosis Study, 2001-2008. RESULTS: Values for %BF cut-points for underweight, overweight and obesity were predicted from sex, age and BMI. Using these cut-points, the age-standardised prevalence among men for underweight was 3.1% (95% CI 2.1, 4.1), overweight 40.4% (95% CI 37.7, 43.1) and obesity 24.7% (95% CI 22.2, 27.1); among women, prevalence for underweight was 3.8% (95% CI 2.6, 5.0), overweight 32.3% (95% CI 29.5, 35.2) and obesity 29.5% (95% CI 26.7, 32.3). Prevalence estimates using BMI criteria for men were: underweight 0.6% (95% CI 0.2, 1.1), overweight 45.5% (95% CI 42.7, 48.2) and obesity 19.7% (95% CI 17.5, 21.9); and for women, underweight 1.4% (95% CI 0.7, 2.0), overweight 30.3% (95% CI 27.5, 33.1) and obesity 28.2% (95% CI 25.4, 31.0). CONCLUSIONS: Utilising a single BMI threshold may underestimate the true extent of obesity in the white population, particularly among men. Similarly, the BMI underestimates the prevalence of underweight, suggesting that this body build is apparent in the population, albeit at a low prevalence. Optimal thresholds for defining underweight and obesity will ultimately depend on risk assessment for impaired health and early mortality

The Immediate Effects of Deep Pressure on Young People with Autism and Severe Intellectual Difficulties: Demonstrating Individual Differences

Background. Deep pressure is widely used by occupational therapists for people with autism spectrum disorders. There is limited research evaluating deep pressure. Objective. To evaluate the immediate effects of deep pressure on young people with autism and severe intellectual disabilities. Methods. Mood and behaviour were rated for 13 pupils with ASD and severe ID before and after deep pressure sessions. Results. Sufficient data was available from 8 participants to be analysed using Tau-U, a nonparametric technique that allows for serial dependence in data. Six showed benefits statistically. Five of these showed benefits across all domains, and one showed benefits on three out of five domains. Relevance to Clinical Practice. Deep pressure appears to be of immediate benefit to this population with autism and severe ID, but the heterogeneity of response suggests that careful monitoring of response should be used and deep pressure discontinued when it is no longer of benefit. Limitations. This is an open label evaluation study using rating scales. Recommendations for Future Research. Future studies of the use of deep pressure should use physiological response measures, in addition to blinded raters for aspects of behaviours such as attitude to learning psychological health not captured physiologically

Associations of cardiovascular agents and metformin with depression symptoms: A cross-sectional analysis from the HUNT Study, Norway

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Gastro oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)-related symptoms and its association with mood and anxiety disorders and psychological symptomology: a population-based study in women

Background: Psychopathology seems to play a role in reflux pathogenesis and vice versa, yet few population based studies have systematically investigated the association between gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and psychopathology. We thus aimed to investigate the relationship between GORD-related symptoms and psychological symptomatology, as well as clinically diagnosed mood and anxiety disorders in a randomly selected, population-based sample of adult women.&nbsp;Methods:&nbsp;This study examined data collected from 1084 women aged 20-93 yr participating in the Geelong&nbsp;Osteoporosis Study. Mood and anxiety disorders were identified using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IVTR Research Version, Non-patient edition (SCID-I/NP), and psychological symptomatology was assessed using the&nbsp;General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). GORD-related symptoms were self-reported and confirmed by medication&nbsp;use where possible and lifestyle factors were documented.Results: Current psychological symptomatology and mood disorder were associated with increased odds of&nbsp;concurrent GORD-related symptoms (adjusted OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.5, and OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.7-5.6, respectively). Current&nbsp;anxiety disorder also tended to be associated with increased odds of current GORD-related symptoms (p=0.1).&nbsp;Lifetime mood disorder was associated with a 1.6-fold increased odds of lifetime GORD-related symptoms (adjusted OR&nbsp;1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.4) and lifetime anxiety disorder was associated with a 4-fold increased odds of lifetime GORD- related&nbsp;symptoms in obese but not non-obese participants (obese, age-adjusted OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.8-9.0).Conclusions: These results indicate that psychological symptomatology, mood and anxiety disorders are positively&nbsp;associated with GORD-related symptoms. Acknowledging this common comorbidity may facilitate recognition and&nbsp;treatment, and opens new questions as to the pathways and mechanisms of the association.</div

Trajectories and stability of self-reported short sleep duration from adolescence to adulthood

The trajectories and stability of self-reported sleep duration recorded at ages 13, 15, and 23&nbsp;years on reported sleep duration at age 30&nbsp;years among 1105 students (55% male) who participated in the Norwegian Longitudinal Health and Behaviour Study were examined. Questionnaire data were used to obtain demographic and sleep variables. Dichotomised short sleep duration was based on normative values and set as &le;8.5&nbsp;h (age 13&nbsp;years), &le;8&nbsp;h (age 15&nbsp;years) and &le;7&nbsp;h (ages 23 and 30&nbsp;years). Results indicated a significant overall reduction in total sleep duration (h per night) across age groups. Sleep duration (continuous) at age 15 and 23&nbsp;years (whole group) was moderately but positively correlated with sleep duration at age 30&nbsp;years (P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.01). When split by sex, at age 15&nbsp;years, this association was present among females only (P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.01); however, at age 23&nbsp;years, this association was present in both male and females (both P&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.001). Categorical short sleep at age 23&nbsp;years (whole group) was associated with short sleep at age 30&nbsp;years (unadjusted odds ratio&nbsp;=&nbsp;3.67, 95% confidence interval 2.36-5.69). Following sex stratification, this effect was significant for both males (unadjusted odds ratio&nbsp;=&nbsp;3.77, 95% confidence interval: 2.22-6.42) and females (unadjusted odds ratio&nbsp;=&nbsp;2.71, 95% confidence interval: 1.46-5.04). No associations were noted for categorical short sleep at ages 13 or 15&nbsp;years, and subsequent short sleep at 30&nbsp;years. Habitual short sleep duration during middle adulthood is not sustained from the time of early adolescence. Rather, these trends appear to be formed during early adulthood