Search

INTRODUCTION: The play of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be negatively impacted on by difficulties linked to their diagnosis, however, people present in the children's contexts can positively influence their engagement in play. Teachers and caregivers, being significant role players participating in the contexts of children, are well positioned to promote the engagement of children in play. RESEARCH DESIGN: This paper reports the findings of a qualitative descriptive study which employed semi-structured interviews to explore and describe the ways in which three teachers and two caregivers supported the engagement of children with ASD in play FINDINGS: The theme, Acknowledging, Accommodating, and Adapting, describes how the caregivers and teachers supported the play of children with ASD. The multiple ways in which they promoted the children's engagement in play is unpacked in the following categories: creating and affording opportunities for the child to direct their own play; recognising, caring for, and making preferred play materials available, and purposeful pairing with specific playmates. DISCUSSION: Caregivers and teachers have experiential knowledge of the play interests and the ways in which children with ASD play. They skilfully draw on this knowledge to implement an array of strategies to promote the play of children with ASD. CONCLUSION: Given their instrumental role in supporting the play of children with ASD, occupational therapists should be encouraged to continue to partner with and learn from care-givers and teachers. This will align with collaborative practice and enhance the development and implementation of relevant and sustained interventions focused on the occupation of play in children with ASD.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in breast cancer patients. Methods A prospective, randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial (NEUROLASER) was set up with 32 breast cancer patients who underwent chemotherapy (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT03391271). Patients were randomized to receive PBM (n = 16) or placebo treatments (n = 16) (2 × /week) during their chemotherapy. The modified Total Neuropathy Score (mTNS), six-minute walk test (6MWT), Numeric pain Rating Scale (NRS), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group Taxane (FACT/GOG-Taxane) were used to evaluate the severity of CIPN and the patients’ quality of life (QoL). Outcome measures were collected at the first chemotherapy session, 6 weeks after initiation of chemotherapy, at the final chemotherapy session, and 3 weeks after the end of chemotherapy (follow-up). Results The mTNS score increased significantly over time in both the control and the PBM group. A significantly higher score for FACT/GOG-Taxane was observed in the PBM group during chemotherapy compared to the control group. Questions of the FACT/GOG-Taxane related to sensory peripheral neuropathy symptoms showed a significant increase in severeness over time in the control group, whereas they remained constant in the PBM group. At follow-up, a (borderline) significant difference was observed between both groups for the 6MWT and patients’ pain level, in benefit of the PBM group. Conclusions This NEUROLASER trial shows promising results concerning the prevention of CIPN with PBM in breast cancer patients. Furthermore, a better QoL was observed when treated with PBM.

Smartphone notifications inform users about various events and are designed to prompt attention and aim for (continued) engagement with an app. As one way to manage the tradeoff between being interrupted and staying informed, users are adapting the notification modality, also known as ringer mode, of their phones. The project aims to investigate how notifications modality affect overall smartphone use and digital stress. Empirical evidence is still inconclusive whether muting the phone might be an inadequate strategy, as some findings indicate that it might be even a counter-productive approach for reducing use and stress. One reason, for the inconsistent findings could be the fact that the motivations of why users use certain ringer modes has not been taken into account. The project aims to address these research gaps.

This chapter will introduce the part-time online for-profit faculty member who has carved out a full-time (or more) work life teaching for these institutions. Who are they, and do they fit the profile of a traditional adjunct or contingent faculty member? Specific challenges and experiences of the part-time faculty member will be presented, and suggestions for leadership will be offered. The voices in this chapter are those of part-time faculty who teach in two or more online for-profit universities, with PhDs, professional licenses, and extensive work experience.

No Abstract.

While #FeesMustFall and #RhodesMustFall movements have ebbed, the desperately needed debate on university transformation which they ignited has continued to rage. Its latest flashpoint has been the December 2018 report of the Curriculum Change Working Group (CCWG), which was convened by the University of Cape Town (UCT) to advance the conversation on making the curricula more socially relevant.

This paper presents a practical approach to model and analyze transient thermal effects in air-cooled electric traction motors. The developed thermal modeling method enables accurate estimation of temperature in motor critical parts including winding and bearing. Advantages of both numerical and analytical modeling methods are exploited with the aim of realizing accurate estimation of hot spot temperatures in traction motors while keeping the computation time within a reasonable range. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are carried out to model air flow in the motor in order to provide heat transfer boundary inputs to the developed combined finite-element (FE) and lumped parameter (LP) thermal models. The combination of the FE and LP models keeps the size of the model relatively small and enables running transient calculations reasonably fast. Also, the developed model provides the possibility to study the influence of stator and rotor duct blockages on the motor thermal performance, which is a common root of failure in traction applications during operation in dirty environments. The proposed thermal model is verified using experimental results on a traction motor equipped with temperature sensors at different running conditions and a good agreement between the estimated and measured temperatures is achieved.

We examine the extent to which two of Africa's leading gold mining economies, Ghana and Tanzania, have adopted transformative local procurement policies to enhance backward linkages from the minerals sector. We assess the impact that evolving legislation in the gold industry has had on industrialization and development in each country. South Africa's gold mining investments in Ghana and Tanzania are used to illustrate policy impact and the state-capital relations that shape policy formulation and implementation. We conclude this study with concrete policy recommendations for host country governments and South African policy makers on how to deepen backward linkages emerging out of South African gold mining operations in each country. We propose that this research forms the beginning of in-depth assessments of the impact of South African mining investment on the continent and its potential role in realizing the minerals-based industrialization agenda of Africa's resource-rich economies.

BACKGROUND: Patients with intermittent claudication (IC) are at increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Whereas extensive evidence supports the beneficial effects of supervised exercise training (SET) on walking capacity, little is known about the effect of SET on the CV risk profile of IC patients. Therefore, the aim was to evaluate the effects of SET on CV risk factors in IC patients by using meta-analysis techniques. METHODS: A systematic search in the electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL was conducted from the earliest date available until October 2, 2018. Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials lasting ≥ four weeks and investigating the effect of SET on CV risk factors in IC patients were included. Traditional CV risk factors were studied as primary outcomes; pain free walking distance (PFWD) and maximum walking distance (MWD) were included as secondary outcomes. Data were pooled using random effects models with summary data reported as weighted means and 95% confidence interval (CIs). RESULTS: Fifteen trials were included, involving 18 study groups (nine walking, four resistance, two aerobic training, and three combined groups), totalling 725 patients (mean age 66.3 years; mean ankle brachial index, 0.64). Exercise reduced systolic blood pressure (-5.8 mmHg; CI -9.89 to 1.67, p

In January 2018, Oxfam released its report on global inequality as the World Economic Forum gathered in Davos, Switzerland. In response, the Free Market Foundation (FMF) criticised Oxfam on several grounds, but essentially argued that those living in poverty stand to gain from the increasing number of billionaires. IFAA staff responded by publishing an article in the Daily Maverick exposing the weakness of the FMF claims, and saying that Oxfam should be praised for continuously alerting the global public to the threat that rising inequality poses to social and political stability.