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The differences in agonistic behavior and spatial dispersion patterns of male and female cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) reared in captivity are studied.

Background: Methods to increase treatment compliance in adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) is of utmost importance to improve outcomes and survival. Motivational interviewing (MI) has gained momentum as an effective strategy to address ambivalence to change in a variety of chronic health conditions and remains a promising strategy to facilitate treatment adherence in adolescents with CF. Methods: The project utilized the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle of quality improvement (QI). A repeated measure pretest-posttest design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a MI training. An interactive, 4-hour MI workshop was executed within a single CF center. CF care providers (N = 12) from a single CF team completed surveys evaluating knowledge, perceived importance, usage, and confidence in using MI with adolescents before and after the training. Following the MI training, care providers engaged high-risk adolescent patients using MI techniques. To determine the effect of MI on patient adherence (N = 32), markers of lung function and weight were measured before and after MI exposure. Results: Quantitative analysis of provider surveys indicated enhanced MI-related knowledge and confidence after the training. Provider usage, perception of the usefulness, and importance of using MI was unchanged. Patient-specific outcomes indicated no significant change in patient-forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), a marker of lung function, or body mass index (BMI), five months after exposure of MI in the CF clinic setting. Conclusions: This QI project demonstrates the effectiveness of a brief MI training on CF care providers' knowledge and confidence in engaging adolescents using MI techniques. Though no statistically significant differences were found in patient-specific outcomes during this brief intervention period, it is critical that longer-term exposure to MI be explored further in adolescents with CF. This study adds to a growing body of evidence supporting team-based MI trainings for CF providers. Future research focusing on patient experience and perceived benefit of MI counseling is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Before performing a surgical procedure, informed consent (IC) is obtained. Parents may exhibit anxiety and/or a desire for more knowledge during the IC process for their child. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of a multimedia intervention (MMI) versus conventional discussion on parental understanding and anxiety during the IC process for infants undergoing surgery for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.Methods: A time-interrupted series design was employed over a 9-month period. In the first phase, conventional discussion for IC was performed. In the second phase, a MMI was utilized. In both phases, anxiety scores and post-consent knowledge tests were collected.Results: 31 participants were included in the study, 17 in the conventional consent and 14 in the MMI phase. Parental anxiety around the IC discussion was measured. There was a significant decrease in anxiety noted with use of the MMI (p = 0.046) but no significant difference in knowledge (p = 0.84).Conclusion: The MMI significantly reduced parental anxiety during the IC process. Providers may consider applying this type of MMI to other surgical procedures. Securing IC in a manner that improves knowledge and decreases anxiety may improve long-term understanding and parental satisfaction with the health care process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the Home Baking Association's celebration of 100 years of baking education, tracing its origins in 1923 and highlighting its continued collaboration with family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals. Topics include the association's mission aligned with FCS standards, recognition of outstanding baking educators, and a leadership transition with the retirement of long-serving executives and the appointment of Christine Kirby as the new Executive Director.

Background: Use of secure messaging through patient portals has risen substantially in recent years due to provider incentives and consumer demand. Secure messaging may increase patient satisfaction and improve outcomes, but also adds to physician workload. Most prior studies of secure messaging focused on primary care and medical specialties. We examined surgeons' use of secure messaging and the contribution of messaging to outpatient interactions in a broadly deployed patient portal.Methods: We determined the number of clinic visits and secure messages for surgical providers in the first 3 years (2008-2010) after patient portal deployment at an academic medical center. We calculated the proportion of outpatient interaction conducted through messaging for each specialty. Logistic regression models compared the likelihood of message-based versus clinic outpatient interaction across surgical specialties.Results: Over the study period, surgical providers delivered care in 648,200 clinic visits and received 83,912 messages, with more than 200% growth in monthly message volume. Surgical specialties receiving the most messages were orthopedics/podiatry (25.1%), otolaryngology (20.1%), urology (10.8%), and general surgery (9.6%); vascular surgery (0.8%) and pediatric general surgery (0.2%) received the fewest. The proportion of outpatient interactions conducted through secure messaging increased significantly from 5.4% in 2008 to 15.3% in 2010 (p < 0.001) with all specialties experiencing growth. Heart/lung transplantation (74.9%), liver/kidney/pancreas transplantation (69.5%), and general surgery (48.7%) had the highest proportion of message-based outpatient interaction by the end of the study.Conclusions: This study demonstrates rapid adoption of online secure messaging across surgical specialties with significant growth in its use for outpatient interaction. Some specialties, particularly those with long-term follow-up, interacted with patients more through secure messaging than in person. As surgeons devote more time to secure messaging, additional research will be needed to understand the care delivered through online interactions and to develop models for reimbursement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fifteen percent of Australians with intellectual disability (ID) are reported to have asthma. People with ID are at risk of poor health knowledge due to deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning, but their medication knowledge has largely been ignored in research to date.Objective: To explore the level of understanding of asthma medication use of people with ID who self-administer their inhaled medications, in order to inform future educational support. Setting The research was conducted in NSW, Australia, at the participants' homes, the point of health care access, or the offices of relevant support organisations.Method: In this qualitative study face-to-face interviews were conducted with people with ID using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Main outcome Identification of barriers to asthma medication self-management by people with ID.Results: Seventeen people with ID who self-administer their asthma medications were interviewed. Factors influencing their asthma medication knowledge and use included understanding of their illness and the need for medication; aspects of self-management and autonomy versus dependence. This sample of people with ID had a good understanding of the importance of using their inhaled asthma medications, as well as asthma triggers, and the difference between use of preventer and reliever medications. Both enablers and barriers to asthma medication self-management were identified in the domains of managing attacks, adherence, knowledge of side effects and sources of information on correct use of inhalers. The level of autonomy for medication use varied, with motivation to self-manage asthma influenced by the level of support that was practically available to individual participants.Conclusion: This research investigated aspects of asthma medication self-management of people with ID. Based on the barriers identified, pharmacists should promote use of spacers and written asthma action plans as well as counsel people with ID about how to recognise and minimise side effects of asthma medications. Specific strategies for pharmacists when educating people with ID and their caregivers include active listening to determine understanding of concepts, exercising care with language, and working with the person's known routines to maximise adherence with preventer medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]