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Physical activities that involve muscle strengthening, balance and coordination skills such as ballroom dancing are encouraged for older adults to assist with the maintenance of functional autonomy and prevention of falls. Twenty-three community-dwelling older adults engaged in regular ballroom dancing completed a 12-month study assessing well-being, falls risk and balance using a set of clinical outcome measures. Those attending ballroom dancing classes were more likely to be active older adults, with lower levels of BMI and obesity compared to the general population. Participants scored lower in the falls risk tests than normative values. Some of the results suggest a possible substantive finding for clinical practice and indicate ballroom dancing is an activity with good attrition and adherence rates among community-dwelling older adults that can improve well-being, balance and reduce falls risk as part of an active lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-traditional students entering Higher Education (HE) via university-based foundation courses often encounter significant personal risk upon their return to study, and this can be exacerbated by a lack of understanding of the academic demands of HE at the point of entry. As part of a wider qualitative, grounded theory study of the effect of diversity on the student experience on a university-based foundation course, which identified themes related to social interaction theory – competition, camaraderie and self-preservation – this research paper considers the theme of self-preservation and discusses Beck’s ‘individualisation’ theory and the different ‘risks’ evident among foundation course students upon their return to study. The risks highlighted in the narratives related to poverty of time, changing identity and relationships and failure. The effect that these risks had on the learning experience is then considered. University-based foundation courses provide a successful route of entry for a diverse group of students returning to education, yet these courses are currently at risk due to the changing climate of HE. Based upon the findings in this study, recommendations are suggested to help encourage student interaction, reduce student fear of failure and increase their confidence, in order to assist non-traditional students with their transition to university-based foundation courses and their successful progression to degree course programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, there appears to be a paucity of literature regarding the student experience on university-based foundation courses. There is some thought that such non-traditional, diverse groups of students might present problems during the learning and teaching experience and some students appear to have little insight into what foundation courses entail. The purpose of this study was to consider the influence of diversity on the student learning experience on a university-based foundation course for the health professions. Individual, unstructured interviews were performed in a purposive sample of 13 students (2 male, 11 female) who had completed a foundation course for the health professions. Data was analysed using a qualitative, grounded theory research methodology and emergent themes were analysed in relation to sociological theory. Key themes emerged in the narratives relating to competition (intra- and inter-cohort), self-preservation and camaraderie. These findings are related to the theories of social interaction and social identity, highlighting the processes associated with the student learning experience. Recommendations for improving the learning experience for foundation course students include encouraging early interaction between students (both intra- and inter-cohort) and staff to facilitate camaraderie and positive group dynamics, thereby reducing any negative impact of competition and alleviating fear of failure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

TASK-2 is a member of the two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channel family that is expressed at high levels in several epithelia, including the proximal tubule. In common with the other TASK channels, TASK-2 is sensitive to changes in extracellular pH. We have expressed human TASK-2 in Chinese hamster ovary cells and studied whole cell and single-channel activity by patch clamp. The open probability of K2p channels is generally independent of voltage, yielding linear currentvoltage (I-V) curves. Despite these properties, we found that these channels showed distinct inward rectification immediately on the establishment of whole cell clamp, which became progressively less pronounced with time. This rectification was due to intracellular Na+ but was unaffected by polyamines or Mg2+ (agents that cause rectification in Kir channels). Rectification was concentration- and voltage-dependent and could be reversibly induced by switching between Na+-rich and Na+-free bath solutions. In excised inside-out patches, Na+ reduced the amplitude of single-channel currents, indicative of rapid block and unblock of the pore. Mutations in the selectivity filter abolished Na+-induced rectification, suggesting that Na+ binds within the selectivity filter in wild-type channels. This sensitivity to intracellular Na+ may be an additional potential regulatory mechanism of TASK-2 channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-management has been an increasingly important aspect of helping people manage their long-term conditions. The aim of this qualitative review was to synthesize the views of physiotherapists concerning their delivery of a self-management approach. A systematic search was conducted on six electronic bibliographic databases to identify relevant primary studies. Studies were assessed for quality and data extracted. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. A total of 1189 studies were identified and screened. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings suggest that for self-management approaches to work, physio-therapists believe that patients need to actively participate. Boundaries on who is the expert were blurred at times with some physiotherapists struggling to relinquish control. High-quality patient–therapist relationships are required to build trust in order to support patients in the self-management of their long-term conditions. It is also important to consider the competing paradigms in which a service is delivered as this may facilitate or hinder self-management. Seeing patients as people is integral to supporting self-management approaches. Physiotherapists are well placed to support self-management but there is still a need for a cultural and paradigmatic shift in the physiotherapy profession and in some environments, this shift as yet is to be realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to understand the views of falls service practitioners regarding: their role in supporting self-management of falls prevention; and a transition pathway from National Health Service (NHS) exercise-based falls interventions to community-run exercise programmes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with physiotherapists, nurses, and rehabilitation assistants (n = 8) who worked in an NHS falls service. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Certain aspects of supporting patients in self-management were deemed to be within or beyond the scope of falls service practitioners. Challenges in supporting transition to community-run programmes included: practitioner awareness and buy in; patient buy in; and patient suitability/programme availability. Practitioners sought to be patient-centred as a means to engage patients in self-management of falls prevention exercises. Time-limited intervention periods and waiting list pressures were barriers to the promotion of long-term self-management approaches. A disconnect between falls service interventions and community-run programmes hindered willing practitioners from supporting patients in transitioning. Unless falls risk and prevention is seen by healthcare providers as a long-term condition which requires person-centred support from practitioners to develop self-management approaches, then falls services may only be able to offer short-term measures which are potentially not long lasting. Falls rehabilitation practitioners need to take a person-centred approach to engage patients in self-management of falls prevention exercises. Providing information and signposting to exercise opportunities such as community-run programmes following falls service interventions should be viewed as being within the scope of the role of falls service practitioners. Rehabilitation practitioners should consider viewing falls risk as a long-term condition, to promote longer-term behavioural change approaches to ongoing engagement of exercise for falls prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A health and lifestyle advisor service embedded within primary care was piloted in Kingston-upon-Hull from January 2021. We aimed to evaluate the first two years of service delivery by identifying patient demographics referred to the service, reason for referral, determine uptake and retention rates, and monitor individual lifestyle-related risk factor changes following discharge. Methods: Anonymised data were extracted from the SystmOne database for all patients referred to the service between January 2021 and January 2023. Results: In the initial two years of the service, 705 unique patients were referred at a mean rate of ∼29 per month. Each unique patient received a median (robust median absolute deviation; [MAD]) of 3 (Steel N, et al 2018) planned consultations prior to discharge over this period. The majority of referrals were for symptom management and health promotion purposes (95%). Of those referred, 69% attended their appointments, and 14% did not attend. The majority of referrals were white British (55%), however, the service did receive a substantial number of referrals from minority ethnic groups, with only 67% of referrals speaking English as their main language. Eighteen distinct languages were spoken. Most referrals were classified as class I obese (59.4%). Across initial and final appointments, median (robust MAD) systolic blood pressure was 130 (15) mmHg and 130 (15) mmHg, and median (robust MAD) waist circumference was 103.0 (13.3) cm and 101.0 (13.3) cm. Conclusion: The evaluation highlighted the demand for this service embedded within primary care settings in Kingston-upon-Hull. Service engagement was evident, and a large proportion of those who engaged were from minority ethnic groups. A high proportion of referrals presented with obesity and/or hypertension which requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]