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Nursing interventions for people who use new psychoactive substances
Get PDFThe use of new psychoactive substances is a growing concern across healthcare services in the UK. To date, more than 1,000 types of new psychoactive substances have been identified and they have a wide range of effects, potency and mechanisms of action, which can result in overdose and death. This article reviews the challenges experienced by nurses including in identifying new psychoactive substances, their associated risks and various psychosocial and pharmacological interventions. Currently, evidence surrounding the appropriate nursing interventions required for the misuse of new psychoactive substances is limited. Further research and training opportunities are required for nurses to manage service users who present having taken new psychoactive substances, particularly in hospital, substance misuse and mental health settings
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on an integrated care programme for Older People with Different Frailty Levels (OPDFL):a qualitative study with service providers in the East of England
Get PDFWhile populations of all ages were affected by the pandemic, older people with frailty had much worse outcomes. The NHS England has mandated identifying and proactively managing older people with moderate and severe frailty in the General medical services (GMS) contract 2017/18. As a result of this policy, an integrated care programme for older people with different frailty levels (OPDFL) was introduced in Luton in 2018 (known as, Luton Framework for Frailty - LFF). This study was conducted to explore the views of service providers in Luton regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the implementation of LFF. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with service providers in Luton between April 2021 to July 2021. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Eighteen service providers took part in the study. Three main themes were identified, the first of which was that proactive and frailty-related health promotion services were halted. Secondly, existing relationships due to the LFF facilitated the implementation of services for care home residents during the pandemic. Finally, participants identified that some of the challenges impacting the delivery of health promotion services were those that affected the health system in general, such as healthcare staff feeling stressed and the centralised decision-making by the government. The lessons learnt from this study could be useful in managing services for older people with frailty in times of emergencies or epidemics
Preserving the future through the past: collective memory and immobility in adversity
Get PDFWhile prevailing research on migration predominantly concentrates on individuals fleeing adversities, this approach results in an underrepresentation of communities that exhibit a desire for immobility even in adversity. Thus, the decision of some community members to resist displacement and stay put in communities exposed to adversity, such as violent conflict—eco-violence, is underexplored; this article addresses this gap. In this article, grounded in the concept of collective memory, a reflexive thematic approach is used to analyze data collected in May 2022 from focus group participants in Benue and Nasarawa states in the North Central region of Nigeria. Among other things, the findings highlight the role of collective and materialized memories in shaping the attachments of community members to their ancestral land and their subsequent voluntary adoption of immobility. This article enriches the literature by presenting a perspective on how people’s memories shape the dynamics that support their quest for immobility within their conflict-affected communities, in this case, in the Nigerian context
Ask a linguist: experts answer your questions: "What exactly is contrastive stress in English?”
No full textIt is not what you say but how you say it. In spoken English, the intonation contours of an utterance (also called prosody) can greatly affect the meaning that the speaker conveys. Contrastive stress is often described as the most conspicuous and ubiquitous prosodic phenomenon in English (you may also see it called contrastive focus, contrastive accent or prosodic contrastive focus). Contrastive stress is used to draw the addressee’s attention to a particular constituent in an utterance – one that is not typically accented – and, in doing so, it triggers a particular interpretation of the utterance. Its acoustic salience or extra ‘oomph’ is characterised by greater auditory prominence and articulatory care, loudness, and increased intensity
A study on the effect of feed load on mortality of Pacific white shrimp 'Litopenaeus vannamei'
Get PDFIn recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), understanding the relationship between feed load and its impact on water quality and overall shrimp health is important. This study utilised an indoor marine RAS for the intensive culture of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. The shrimp were stocked into the grow-out system at an average body weight of 0.25 g and a stocking density of 347 shrimp/m3. Water quality parameters of temperature, salinity, total dissolved solids, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured twice daily. Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite and nitrate were measured once weekly or when needed. Sampling was conducted to calculate the daily feed ratio based on the total estimated biomass. Mortality was recorded as a means of evaluating the overall shrimp health. The data obtained were analysed using Pearson correlation (r) analysis and multi-linear regression with a significant difference accepted p < 0.05. Correlation (r) established relationships among the water quality parameters, feed load and mortality. The TAN level of 24.20 mg/L was recorded when the feed load increased by 81.2% resulting in the mortality of 40% of shrimp. A negative correlation between TAN and DO resulted in a synergistic effect causing a massive consumption of DO in the water, reducing its availability to the shrimp and leading to a drastic change in the shrimp's behaviour. Overfeeding can lead to an accumulation of uneaten feed and waste, causing ammonia spikes and oxygen depletion in the water. Monitoring and adjusting feed rates accordingly can help maintain optimal water conditions for shrimp growth and health. Therefore, it is essential to use appropriate feed rates in recirculating systems because feed load can influence water quality parameters that can be detrimental to shrimp culture
Ten tips when building a centralised evaluation unit
No full textHow can we establish and develop evaluation activities to show what support and interventions affect the student experience, as well as their learning, outcomes and destinations? Universities increasingly need to demonstrate their practices are based on evidence. They face demands from external regulators to show the impact of educational and other institutional practices on the student experience, learning outcomes and graduate destinations. Many higher education institutions will need to change and refine their evaluation processes and approaches to meet these demands. Here, we outline 10 tips for establishing a centralised evaluation unit, to lead on institutional evaluation and support evaluation activities, within your institution
Career motivation of 1st year nursing and midwifery students:a cross-sectional study
No full textAim/objective: This paper presents findings from a cross-sectional study into the motivational factors of students who chose nursing and midwifery as a career. Background: 189 students from the University of Bedfordshire (UoB) and 223 students from Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) completed a questionnaire at the start of their studies in 2018. The findings were generated from the first stage of the Placement, Impact, Experience and Destination (PIED) study into student belongingness on placement and the influence of practice on the first career destination of newly qualified nurses and midwives. Design: An in-class questionnaire was administered to 1st year pre-registration adult, child and mental health nursing and midwifery students to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influenced their motivation to choose nursing or midwifery as a career. Methods: A mix methods study design was adopted for the PIED study where participants completed a survey that collected quantitative and qualitative data and administered during the course induction period. Results: Motivation scores were found to be high in both cohorts, with students at both sites endorsing intrinsic motivational factors over extrinsic at statistically significant levels. The strongest intrinsic factors appeared to be a desire to help and care for people and play a useful role in society, whereas the strongest extrinsic factors were career stability and the ability to work in different regions and countries. Conclusions: The study suggests that the influence of family and friends continues to exert a strong intrinsic motivational influence on the career choices of students, particularly those under the age of 25. Identifying the motivational factors of first year nursing and midwifery students presents employers with an opportunity to tailor strategies to recruit apprentices, enable placement partners to enculturate prospective employees into the workforce and understand the relationship between extrinsic factors and practice learning to successfully recruit graduates
Introduction to thermal energy storage: solar, geothermal and hydrogen energy
No full textThis chapter explores the critical role of thermal energy storage in the context of solar, geothermal, and hydrogen energy. It emphasizes the imperative of sustainable development and environmental preservation by harnessing renewable resources. Renewable energy sources, including solar, geothermal, and hydrogen energy, are investigated for their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bolster energy security, and stimulate economic growth. This chapter underscores the substantial growth observed in renewable energy utilization, particularly in 2020, signifying a global shift toward cleaner energy alternatives. Technological advancements in energy capture and storage, together with the increasing global adoption of Net Zero strategies, have significantly expanded renewable and green energy production. These advances span from small-scale solar panel installations to vast offshore wind farms, innovative geothermal applications, and electricity generation through hydrogen. Solar energy, with its diverse applications, and the efficiency of solar thermal technology in capturing heat are examined. Geothermal energy’s multifaceted roles in power generation, agriculture, and building climate control are explored, with a focus on enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and their potential for expanding this clean energy source. This chapter also delves into the versatility of hydrogen energy, derived from multiple sources, in applications ranging from electric vehicle power to industrial processes and energy storage. Despite the challenges posed by intermittency, land and water use, technical complexities, regulatory constraints, and implementation costs, this chapter emphasizes the necessity of developing and executing integration strategies for these renewable sources into energy systems and societies. This integration has the potential to significantly advance global energy transition and the realization of sustainable development objectives. This chapter offers profound insights into the dynamic realm of thermal energy storage and its pivotal role in shaping a sustainable and environmentally responsible energy future
Video-conferencing speaking tests: an investigation of context validity related to test administration
Get PDFFace-to-face speaking assessment provides the benefit of eliciting a broad interactional construct, but at the cost of being logistically complex, resource-intensive and difficult to manage. Advances in video-conferencing (VC) technology now make it possible to engage in online interaction more successfully than previously, thus reducing dependence upon physical proximity between the examiner-interlocutor and the candidate(s). It is therefore not surprising that such technology is seen as a valuable assessment tool in geographically remote and politically unstable areas of the world, or indeed in contexts affected by the social distancing required during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. However, the administrative conditions under which the test takes place, one of the key contextual parameters of the VC-delivered test, , is often overlooked, despite its potentially significant influence on candidates’ performance and therefore overall test validity (Weir 2005). In this chapter, we report on investigations into administrative features of a VC-delivered high-stakes speaking test, including aspects of examiner behaviour and the effectiveness of examiner training for the VC test delivery. The chapter ends with a discussion of how administrative settings and the management of speaking tests play a key role in ensuring the context validity of VC speaking tests. It also offers suggestions for the operationalisation of a VC IELTS Speaking test, as well as broader implications for test administration and examiner training in other VC tests
Less talk, more action? exploring proficiency scores and embodied resources in online L2 interactions
Get PDFThis mixed-methods study explores Embodied Resources (ERs) in an online, triadic task involving 52 candidates within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) B2˗C1 range of language proficiency. Mean comparisons and correlations were used to explore the relationship between ER use and proficiency level. An applied Conversation Analysis approach was used to explicate specific sequences of conversational repair where ERs were evident. Findings suggest no significant correlation between proficiency and ER frequency but support the view that ERs are co-ordinated with verbal resources. This raises questions as to how language testers might approach the interplay of ERs and interactional practices
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