Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceptions towards rural and remote practice: a study of final year occupational therapy students studying in a regional university in Australia.

BACKGROUND/AIM Rural and remote health education during undergraduate training is a strategy to alleviate the shortage of rural health professionals. Undergraduate rural exposure can be beneficial in improving students' perceptions towards rural and remote practice as well as their decision to work rurally. This study examined James Cook University (JCU) final year occupational therapy students' perceptions towards rural and remote practice and if their perceptions had changed over the course of their study. METHODS Questionnaires were administered to 58 final year occupational therapy students at JCU during a block class. Quantitative data analysis was performed on responses. RESULTS The change in the students' career intentions from not considering to considering rural and remote practice over the duration of their study was found to be significant (exact P = 0.003). The influential factors identified in students considering rural employment included the rural location of their close family and friends (exact P = 0.006), the overall occupational therapy programme (U = 171.5, P = 0.045), good fieldwork experience (U = 144, P = 0.039) and inspiring fieldwork supervisors (U = 135.5, P = 0.01). The course curriculum was not found to influence the students' perceptual change. CONCLUSION This study has found that students' perceptions towards rural and remote practice changed over the course of their university programme. A greater focus on the academic staff and fieldwork supervisors' perceptions towards rural and remote practice may be required in the development of rural undergraduate programmes. Identification of students who have family/close friends living in rural and remote areas may encourage occupational therapists to work in rural areas.
A qualitative study of service user experiences of occupation in forensic mental health.

BACKGROUND/AIM This qualitative study explored occupational engagement of those detained in forensic units. Legal and institutional restrictions on occupation have implications for their health and wellbeing. METHOD Twenty-six current forensic mental health service users participated in five focus groups, which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and subjected to constant comparative analysis. FINDINGS The participants highlighted previous occupations, current occupations and hopes. Key aspects were control over decision-making, motivation and support, generating suggestions alongside positive experiences of occupational therapy. CONCLUSIONS Institutional barriers could be overcome with a dynamic balance between risk management and mental health promotion through occupation. This demands a sustained focus on occupation for everyone involved in providing care and treatment in these settings.
Community occupational therapists' clinical reasoning: identifying tacit knowledge.

BACKGROUND Occupational therapy interventions in the community, a fast expanding practice setting, are central to an important social priority, the ability to live at home. These interventions generally involve only a small number of home visits, which aim at maximising the safety and autonomy of community-dwelling clients. Knowing how community occupational therapists determine their interventions, i.e. their clinical reasoning, can improve intervention efficacy. However, occupational therapists are often uninformed about and neglect the importance of clinical reasoning, which could underoptimise their interventions. AIM To synthesise current knowledge about community occupational therapists' clinical reasoning. METHOD A scoping study of the literature on community occupational therapists' clinical reasoning was undertaken. RESULTS Fifteen textbooks and 25 articles, including six focussing on community occupational therapists' clinical reasoning, were reviewed. Community occupational therapists' clinical reasoning is influenced by internal and external factors. Internal factors include past experiences, expertise and perceived complexity of a problem. One of the external factors, practice context (e.g. organisational or cultural imperatives, physical location of intervention), particularly shapes community occupational therapists' clinical reasoning, which is interactive, complex and multidimensional. However, the exact influence of many factors (personal context, organisational and legal aspects of health care, lack of resources and increased number of referrals) remains unclear. CONCLUSION Further studies are needed to understand better the influence of internal and external factors. The extent to which these factors mould the way community occupational therapists think and act could have a direct influence on the services they provide to their clients.
Acquired Diverticulosis of the Vermiform Appendix: A Disease of Multiple Etiologies

Acquired diverticular disease of the vermiform appendix is a rare condition that usually presents with the symptoms of acute appendicitis. This analysis was undertaken to determine the spectrum and prevalence of the associated lesions in acquired appendiceal diverticulosis. Thirty-one cases of acquired appendiceal diverticular disease were identified from files over a period of 15 years (1982-1996). Diverticulosis was the only abnormality in 17 cases (54.8%). An associated neoplastic epithelium was present in nine (29%) patients (seven adenomata and two goblet cell carcinoids), fecalith formation in three (9.7%), and a neuroma in two (6.5%). Although rare, diverticular disease of the vermiform appendix was frequently seen in association with an adenomatous mucosa. In our experience, one appendiceal adenoma coexisted with a colonic adenocarcinoma. In conclusion, the diagnosis of appendiceal diverticulosis necessitates the exclusion of coexisting appendiceal neoplasia.
The influence of parental concern on the utility of autism diagnostic instruments

The parental report‐based Autism Diagnostic Interview‐Revised (ADI‐R) and the clinician observation‐based Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) have been validated primarily in U.S. clinics specialized in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in which most children are referred by their parents because of ASD concern. This study assessed diagnostic agreement of the ADOS‐2 and ADI‐R toddler algorithms in a more broadly based sample of 679 toddlers (age 35–47 months) from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort. We also examined whether parental concern about ASD influenced instrument performance, comparing toddlers identified based on parental ASD concern (n = 48) and parent‐reported signs of developmental problems (screening) without a specific concern about ASD (n = 400). The ADOS cutoffs showed consistently well‐balanced sensitivity and specificity. The ADI‐R cutoffs demonstrated good specificity, but reduced sensitivity, missing 43% of toddlers whose parents were not specifically concerned about ASD. The ADI‐R and ADOS dimensional scores agreed well with clinical diagnoses (area under the curve ≥ 0.85), contributing additively to their prediction. On the ADI‐R, different cutoffs were needed according to presence or absence of parental ASD concern, in order to achieve comparable balance of sensitivity and specificity. These results highlight the importance of taking parental concern about ASD into account when interpreting scores from parental report‐based instruments such as the ADI‐R. While the ADOS cutoffs performed consistently well, the additive contributions of ADI‐R and ADOS scores to the prediction of ASD diagnosis underscore the value of combining instruments based on parent accounts and clinician observation in evaluation of ASD. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1672–1686. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Restraint of children with additional needs in motor vehicles: knowledge and challenges of paediatric occupational therapists in Victoria, Australia.

AIM This research project aimed to understand the challenges faced by occupational therapists when making recommendations regarding the restraint of children with additional needs in motor vehicles in Victoria, Australia. METHODS A cross-sectional survey design was used to explore current practice in relation to the prescription of motor vehicle restraints in Victoria, Australia. An electronic survey was sent to occupational therapists working with children aged from birth to 18 years in early intervention services, hospitals, schools, community services or private practice. RESULTS Challenges faced by occupational therapists related to a lack of knowledge of relevant standards and legal requirements, issues seating children with behavioural difficulties, families' inability to purchase recommended equipment and constraints as a result of funding issues. CONCLUSION Further work is required to develop appropriate resources which support occupational therapists to make car seating recommendations for children with additional needs which comply with Australian legal requirements and standards.
The potential role of FDG PET-CT in the characterization of the activity of Crohn’s disease, staging follow-up and prognosis estimation: a pilot study

Abstract Objectives: FDG PET-CT is a global, noninvasive, sensitive method to determine the location and activity of inflammatory lesions. Segmental FDG uptake is proportional with immune cell infiltration of bowel. Our aim was to evaluate prospectively the role of PET in patients with active Crohn’s disease (CD) before and after one year’s biological therapy, and to compare simple endoscopic score for CD (SES-CD), CD activity index (CDAI) and global PET scores. We also analyzed the prognostic value of initial PET scores. Patients: Twelve patients were selected: six male/six female, ages between 18 and 39, average: 24 years, with CDAI values >300. Methods: We scored the FDG uptake in the small intestine and the four colon segments (on a scale 0–3 for each), and summed them thus forming a global PET score. The scoring was based on the maximal standardized uptake value of the intestinal segment, related to the SUVmax of the liver (as a reference for normal tissue activity). The SES-CD, CDAI and global PET scores before and after treatment were statistically compared. Results: There were significant changes in CDAI and SES-CD after therapy, PET scores improved only in patients’ subgroup with high (>4) initial PET score, indicating good prognosis of biological treatment. In active disease, PET was more informative than endoscopy to access the extent of the inflammation, and small intestine involvement. Conclusions: FDG PET-CT score is a promising, noninvasive complementary method in the staging, treatment planning and follow-up of CD. Limitation of the study is the small number of patients.
The impact of a brief vs. multidisciplinary intervention on return to work remains unclear for employees sick-listed with low back pain.

of Jensen, C. , Jensen, O. K. , Christiansen, D. H. , & Nielsen C. V. (2011). One-year follow-up in employees sick-listed because of low back pain. Randomized clinical trial comparing multidisciplinary and brief intervention. Spine, 36, 1180–1189, and Stapelfeldt, C. M. , Christiansen, D. H. , Jensen, O. K. , Nielsen, C. V. , Petersen, K. D. , & Jensen, C. (2011). Subgroup analyses on return to work in sick-listed employees with low back pain in a randomized trial comparing brief and multidisciplinary intervention. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 12, 112.
Better fear conditioning is associated with reduced symptom severity in autism spectrum disorders

Evidence from behavioral and neuroimaging studies suggest that atypical amygdala function plays a critical role in the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The handful of psychophysiological studies examining amygdala function in ASD using classical fear conditioning paradigms have yielded discordant results. We recorded skin conductance response (SCR) during a simple discrimination conditioning task in 30 children and adolescents (ages 8–18) diagnosed with high‐functioning ASD and 30 age‐ and IQ‐matched, typically developing controls. SCR response in the ASD group was uniquely and positively associated with social anxiety; and negatively correlated with autism symptom severity, in particular with social functioning. Fear conditioning studies have tremendous potential to aid understanding regarding the amygdale's role in the varied symptom profile of ASD. Our data demonstrate that such studies require careful attention to task‐specific factors, including task complexity; and also to contributions of dimensional, within‐group factors that contribute to ASD heterogeneity. Autism Res 2011,4:412–421. © 2011 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sociodemographic risk factors associated with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability

This study examined the hypotheses that (1) sociodemographic risk factors in young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and/or intellectual disability (ID) significantly vary by disability type, and (2) measures of income (mean adjusted gross income, mean federal taxes paid, and mean tax exemptions) significantly increase between 1994 and 2002, and are lower in families with a child with ASD and/or ID compared with the general population. A multiple source surveillance system utilizing a retrospective record review was used to identify ASD and ID cases from a population of 26,108 eight‐year‐old children born in 1994 and living in Utah in 2002. ASD without ID (ASD‐only, n = 99) cases were significantly more likely to be male (P<0.01) and have mothers of White non‐Hispanic ethnicity (P = 0.02). ASD with ID (ASD/ID, n = 33) cases were significantly more likely to be male (P<0.01) and have mothers older than 34 years (P = 0.03). ID without ASD (ID‐only, n = 113) cases were significantly more likely to have fathers older than 34 years (P<0.01) and were significantly less likely to have mothers with >13 years education (P<0.01). Measures of income for cases at birth and at 8 years of age were not significantly lower than the general population and mean adjusted income of cases significantly increased from birth to 8 years of age. Investigations focused on defining early sociodemographic risk factors by different endophenotypes of ASD may assist in identifying risk factors for this complex group of neurodevelopmental disorders. Aggregate tax information may be a unique resource to utilize for population‐based analysis. Autism Res 2011,4:438–448. © 2011 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Regional differences in grey and white matter in children and adults with autism spectrum disorders: an activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta‐analysis

Structural alterations in brain morphology have been inconsistently reported in children compared to adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We assessed these differences by performing meta‐analysis on the data from 19 voxel‐based morphometry studies. Common findings across the age groups were grey matter reduction in left putamen and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and grey matter increases in the lateral PFC, while white matter decreases were seen mainly in the children in frontostriatal pathways. In the ASD sample, children/adolescents were more likely than adults to have increased grey matter in bilateral fusiform gyrus, right cingulate and insula. Results show that clear maturational differences exist in social cognition and limbic processing regions only in children/adolescents and not in adults with ASD, and may underlie the emotional regulation that improves with age in this population. Autism Res 2012,5:49–66. © 2011 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impairments on “open‐ended” executive function tests in autism

The executive function (EF) theory of autism has received much support recently from a growing number of studies. However, executive impairments have not always been easy to identify consistently and so novel “ecologically valid” tests have been designed which tap into real‐life scenarios that are relevant to and representative of everyday behavior. One characteristic of many of these tasks is that they present the participant with an “ill‐structured” or “open‐ended” situation. Here, we investigated the possibility that tasks with greater degrees of open‐endedness might prove more sensitive to detecting executive impairment in autism. Forty‐five children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were compared to 27 age‐ and IQ‐matched control children on a range of cognitive tests of EF. Group differences were found on half of the tasks, with the greatest degree of impairment detected on the more open‐ended tasks. The ASD group also performed more poorly on a simple control condition of a task. Detailed consideration of task performance suggested that the ASD group tended to create fewer spontaneous strategies and exhibit more idiosyncratic behavior, which particularly disadvantaged them on the more open‐ended tasks. These kinds of behaviors have been reported in studies of neurological patients with frontal lobe involvement, prima facie suggesting a link between the scientific fields. However, we suggest that this behavior might equally result from a poor understanding of the implicit demands made by the experimenter in open‐ended test situations, due to the socio‐communicative difficulties of these children.
Lactobacillus plantarum 299v for the Treatment of Recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated Diarrhoea: A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial

A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to analyse the ability of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v to prevent further recurrent episodes of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (RCDAD). Recurrence of clinical symptoms (main outcome) was seen in 4 of 11 patients who received metronidazole in combination with L. plantarum 299v and in 6 of 9 treated with metronidazole in combination with placebo. The lactobacilli treatment had no side-effects. Although the small sample size does not allow any conclusion to be drawn concerning the efficacy of L. plantarum in patients with RCDAD, these results may contribute to the ongoing discussion about the benefits of probiotics in patients with RCDAD and encourage the performance of larger multicentre studies.
Comparison Of Urinary Bladder Volume In Children Using Suprapubic Ultrasonic Bi-Planner Technique With Voided Urine Volume

Accurate determination of intravesical residual urine volume as well as bladder capacity is of significant importance in children. The ability to confirm these measurements non invasively in children avoids discomfort, urethral trauma and the introduction of urinary tract infection. Also, by avoiding the need for catheterization this technique permits more physiological assessment and allows for repeated examinations without fear and anxiety on the part of the patients. In this prospective study we assess the accuracy of the real time, hand held, ultrasonic device using suprapubic views and biplanar technique to determine intravesical volumes. Real time ultrasonography with suprapubic views and the described bi-planar technique to determine intravesical urine volume is simple, accurate and reproducible. It also is rapid and noninvasive, and can detect accurately an empty bladder in children. A strong correlation was found between the estimated bladder volume with our method and voided urine volume (0 ml, residual volume) . This study concluded that the modality used in this study has the potential to provide useful and reproducible information in the clinical evaluation of bladder function in children. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/jdnmch.v17i2. 12199 J. Dhaka National Med. Coll. Hos. 2011; 17 (02): 4-7
Proceedings of the Symposium ‘Angiotensin AT1 Receptors: From Molecular Physiology to Therapeutics’: PRESENCE OF ANGIOTENSIN II AT2 RECEPTOR BINDING SITES IN THE ADVENTITIA OF HUMAN KIDNEY VASCULATURE

1 Angiotensin II (AngII) receptor subtypes in adult human kidney were pharmacologically characterized by in vitro autoradiography using the AngII receptor subtype‐selective antagonists, losartan and PD 123319, and the sensitivity to the reducing agent, dithiothreitol. 2 High densities of AngII AT1 receptor binding occur in the glomeruli and the inner stripe of the outer medulla, while a moderate AT1 receptor binding is localized in the proximal convoluted tubules. 3 AT2 receptor binding is observed predominantly in the intrarenal large blood vessels, including the arcuate, inter‐ and intra‐lobular arteries, and in the renal capsule. 4 In the major renal artery, AT1 receptor binding is abundant in the media and adventitia, while AT2 receptor binding is observed mainly in the adventitia. 5 At the light microscopic level using emulsion autoradiography, AT1 receptors are localized in the glomeruli and juxtaglomerular apparatus, as expected. However, in larger renal blood vessels, including the arcuate arteries, inter‐ and intra‐lobular arteries, intense AT2 receptor labelling occurs primarily in the adventitia, while the endothelium and vascular smooth muscle layers contain only low levels of AngII receptor binding. 6 These results indicate that the adult human kidney displays two pharmacologically distinct AngII receptor subtypes, with AT1 predominating in the glomeruli, juxtaglomerular apparatus, proximal tubules and the inner stripe of the outer medulla, while AT2 predominates in the adventitia of the arcuate and interlobular arteries and the renal capsule. The functional significance of AT2 receptor binding sites in the adventitia of adult human kidney vessels remains to be elucidated.
Optimization of extracellular truncated staphylococcal protein A expression in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3)

Staphylococcal protein A (SpA) plays an important role in Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis. The recombinant SpA is also widely used in biotechnology to purify polyclonal and monoclonal immunoglobulin G antibodies. In this study, expression and secretion of a truncated form of SpA containing five immunoglobulin‐binding domains using its own native signal sequence were optimized in Escherichia coli. Optimization was carried out using response surface method (RSM), making use of the interaction between five variables. The initial results revealed that the signal peptide from S. aureus was recognized in E. coli and the resulting SpA was expressed and secreted into the medium. Compounds, such as glycine, affected the secretion of SpA into the culture medium. The central composite design experiment showed that the optimum conditions for the maximum expression of recombinant truncated SpA in E. coli included 10% (w/v) lactose, 1.77% (w/v) glycine, induction time of 11 H, an optical density (600) of 1.1, and a temperature of 33 °C. Optimization using RSM resulted in a fivefold increase in the secretion of SpA. To date, this is the first study of its kind regarding the definite influence of glycine concentration and duration of the cultivation period on the secretion of SpA.