Optimising nutrition in residential aged care: A narrative review

In developed countries the prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition increases with age and multi-morbidities increase nutritional risk in aged care residents in particular. This paper presents a narrative review of the current literature on the identification, prevalence, associated risk factors, consequences, and management of malnutrition in the <i>residential aged care (RAC)</i> setting. We performed searches of English-language publications on <i>Medline, PubMed, Ovid and the Cochrane Library</i> from January 1 1990 to November 25 2015. We found that, on average, half of all residents in aged care are malnourished as a result of factors affecting appetite, dietary intake and nutrient absorption. Malnutrition is associated with a multitude of adverse outcomes, including increased risk of infections, falls, pressure ulcers and hospital admissions, all of which can lead to increased health care costs and poorer quality of life. A number of food and nutrition strategies have demonstrated positive nutritional and clinical outcomes in the <i>RAC</i> setting. These strategies extend beyond simply enhancing the nutritional value of foods and hence necessitate the involvement of a range of committed stakeholders. Implementing a nutritional protocol in <i>RAC</i> facilities that comprises routine nutrition screening, assessment, appropriate nutrition intervention, including attention to food service systems, and monitoring by a multidisciplinary team can help prevent decline in residents’ nutritional status. Food and nutritional issues should be identified early and managed on admission and regularly in the <i>RAC</i> setting

Developmental orthopaedic disease in Thoroughbred foals: an epidemiological comparison between a stud in Ireland and a stud in Australia

Developmental Orthopaedic Disease (DOD) describes problems affecting the limbs of young horses, including abnormal bone, joint and tendon development. DOD is responsible for major economic losses in the Thoroughbred industry. Investigation into the epidemiology of DOD in Australia and Ireland as described in this thesis has allowed valuable comparisons and recommendations to be made between the studs in these countries. The project described in this thesis commenced in 1999, with the aim to: a) Establish the incidence of DOD on a stud in Australia and to compare this with similar data for a stud in Ireland b) To determine relationships between factors affecting severity and incidence of DOD in foals with respect to the country in which they are bred and raised c) To further identify risk factor areas associated with the development of DOD Records of 1717 mares from a major stud in Ireland and another in Australia were made available. Foal weight, age of mare, condition of mare, foal sire and date of birth were monitored over two years. The occurrence of DOD was recorded against these data. The incidence of DOD was found to be higher on the stud in Australia (average 49.85%) than on the stud in Ireland (average 14%). Foal weight was found to be a significant factor affecting DOD, with heavier foals showing a proportionally higher severity of the problem. The Australian stud had a higher incidence of DOD in 2000 compared to 1999 (65.2% affected vs 32.1% in 1999), whereas the Irish stud had a lower incidence in 1999 compared to 2000 (11.8% affected vs 16.2% in 2000). The dramatic increase in the incidence of DOD in Australian foals over the 1999-2000 period is representative of the increase in a major problem in the industry, as well as greater awareness of the problem over recent years. It highlights the urgent need for further research into understanding the cause(s) of DOD. Overall recommendations arising from the study include that a large scale, long term study be undertaken in Australia. Further investigation into the nutrition of horses in Ireland and Australia would be of great usefulness in understanding DOD, as would possible genetic links. An issue requiring attention is that of developing a standard definition of the disorder. Considering the wide range of disorders which may fit under the umbrella term DOD, a clear definition is of great importance. The incidence of DOD on one large farm in Ireland was found to be currently low and stable relative to its another large stud farm in Australia. This is a significant finding as the genetic pool of the horses share similarities on both farms, particularly as stallions shuttling between hemispheres sire many foals on both farms. Thus, the data provided herein provide an excellent basis for further valuable comparative studies investigating DOD in foals with a similar genetic background but subjected to differing environmental conditions

An Investigation of the Impact of Student Satisfaction on Student Outcomes Among Undergraduate Students in a Blended Learning Environment in University A

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of student satisfaction on student outcomes among undergraduate students in a blended learning environment in University A. It was a quantitative predictive correlational design, with predictor variables satisfaction with course, sex, age and race/ethnicity, and criterion variable end-of-course score. The Corona Virus pandemic highlighted the central role of blended and online learning in educational processes globally. The technological revolution in education characterized by the infusion of digital technologies in classrooms, indicates that blended learning will continue to feature prominently in educational settings. Student satisfaction in blended learning redounds to the benefit of students and educational institutions since it could contribute to improved pedagogical and curricular practices, goodwill, enhanced reputation, and increased enrollment. Participants for this study were drawn from a convenience sample of 330 undergraduate students enrolled in a blended general education course at University A. Data collection procedures for predictor variables were accomplished through the online administration of the Satisfaction with Blended eLearning Systems (BELS) Questionnaire, while criterion variable data was garnered from student records. Applying multiple linear regression analysis, a statistically significant relationship was found between the linear combination of satisfaction with course, sex, age, race/ethnicity and end-of-course score. However, satisfaction with course emerged as the only significant predictor of the end-of-course score. Course satisfaction in blended learning settings influences performance. Further investigations are needed in other tertiary level institutions in the Caribbean, across different disciplines, and different blended learning delivery methods

Health Literacy Introduction

This Health Literacy Introduction is a brief overview of solutions and techniques to support health literacy. Discover practical solutions to support health literacy and resources to learn more, raise awareness, and act now to improve health literacy

Power relations in IS projects – a critical review and a new research agenda

This paper seeks to review and examine the major theoretical underpinnings of research into power relations in IS projects. In order to keep the review manageable and to furnish a reasonable explanation of the ideas and papers referenced, the review is restricted to the ideas of Foucault, Giddens and Clegg. Partly, this restriction was due to the wish of the authors to deal seriously with the ideas presented, and not to produce an exhaustive but terse and taxonomic style review. Partly, the selection of the above theorists is due to the fact that the major IS papers on power relations have drawn on their work. This paper concludes with the presentation of a new theory of power and social influence from social psychology suitable for use in IS research. The ideas of this theory have not yet been examined empirically. Thus, IS researchers are challenged to employ these ideas in their empirical research.<br /

Individual Conferences and the Public Speaking Class

This study examined the individual conferences created by using the online-assisted method of teaching the Public Speaking class. During the course of the semester, students completed online quizzes to assess their textbook comprehension and met individually with the instructor to prepare for the presentations in the online-assisted course. Students in the traditional course attended and participated in class without use of computers outside of class. The results revealed the online-assisted students were more satisfied with the class, felt more prepared in giving presentations, perceived they learned more, felt better concerning the instruction, and perceived better communication with the instructor than the traditional students. After a discussion of the findings, benefits that students felt are presented after which limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are given. Used properly, the Internet medium can help further students’ education

Standardized Weaning of Positive Pressure Respiratory Support in Preterm Infants

Paper approved May 2022 by the faculty of UMKC in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Nursing PracticeNon-invasive respiratory support is a mainstay of therapy in treating critically ill preterm infants. The optimal method of weaning non-invasive support is not well established. Weaning too quickly can lead to clinical decompensation events, increasing antibiotic exposure and the risk for significant morbidity and mortality including bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The purpose of the evidence-based project was to assess the impact of a protocol for CPAP weaning in infants born at less than 32 weeks gestational age. A total of 53 infants were included in the project, 34 in the pre-protocol group and 19 in the intervention or protocol group at a hospital in the Midwest with a level III neonatal intensive care unit. The protocol was an evidence-based guideline directing the timing and criteria for weaning CPAP. The primary outcome of interest was decompensation events in the 7 days after weaning off CPAP, with a secondary outcome of bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 36 weeks gestational age. Neither outcome met statistical significance due to limited numbers but a clinically relevant decrease in bronchopulmonary dysplasia was seen in the protocol group. Cautious evidence-based respiratory support weaning may have the potential to improve short-term clinical stability, reduce unnecessary medical intervention, and decrease the rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in this at-risk population