Biomedical subjects

Elizabeth Townsend

Publications and source records attributed to Elizabeth Townsend.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Effects of workplace policy on continuing professional development: the case of occupational therapy in Nova Scotia, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Continuing professional development is essential for professionals to remain competent, and for effective recruitment and retention. PURPOSE: This paper reports a qualitative study of the effects of workplace policy on continuing professional development on a small, dispersed profession in a resource-challenged province, using the case example of occupational therapy in Nova Scotia. METHODS: The study used a multi-methods design, theoretically based on institutional ethnography. Methods were critical appraisal of the literature, interview and focus group data collection with 28 occupational therapists and 4 health services administrators, and a review of workplace policy. RESULTS: The study identified a policy wall. Notable policies were those which defined who is responsible for continuing professional development, and which limited employee benefits and work flexibility options for those with family duties. It appears that a female-dominated profession, such as occupational therapy, may also face gender-based challenges. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Suggestions are offered for workplace policy makers, unions, provincial regulatory organizations, and health professionals. The findings are generally applicable to any small, dispersed health profession operating in resource-challenged conditions.

Anthropology, Cultural↗

PubMed2005

Prostaglandin D2 causes preferential induction of proinflammatory Th2 cytokine production through an action on chemoattractant receptor-like molecule expressed on Th2 cells.

PGD2, produced by mast cells, has been detected in high concentrations at sites of allergic inflammation. It can stimulate vascular and other inflammatory responses by interaction with D prostanoid receptor (DP) and chemoattractant receptor-like molecule expressed on Th2 cells (CRTH2) receptors. A significant role for PGD2 in mediating allergic responses has been suggested based on the observation that enhanced eosinophilic lung inflammation and cytokine production is apparent in the allergen-challenged airways of transgenic mice overexpressing human PGD2 synthase, and PGD2 can enhance Th2 cytokine production in vitro from CD3/CD28-costimulated Th2 cells. In the present study, we investigated whether PGD2 has the ability to stimulate Th2 cytokine production in the absence of costimulation. At concentrations found at sites of allergic inflammation, PGD2 preferentially elicited the production of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 by human Th2 cells in a dose-dependent manner without affecting the level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Gene transcription peaked within 2 h, and protein release peaked approximately 8 h after stimulation. The effect of PGD2 was mimicked by the selective CRTH2 agonist 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGD2 but not by the selective DP agonist BW245C, suggesting that the stimulation is mediated by CRTH2 and not DP. Ramatroban, a dual CRTH2/thromboxane-like prostanoid receptor antagonist, markedly inhibited Th2 cytokine production induced by PGD2, while the selective thromboxane-like prostanoid receptor antagonist SQ29548 was without effect. These data suggest that PGD2 preferentially up-regulates proinflammatory cytokine production in human Th2 cells through a CRTH2-dependent mechanism in the absence of any other costimulation and highlight the potential utility of CRTH2 antagonists in the treatment of allergic diseases.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Occupational justice and client-centred practice: a dialogue in progress.

BACKGROUND: This paper describes an ongoing, international dialogue about the relationship between occupation, justice, and client-centred practice, prompted by the question: How do occupational therapists work for justice? METHODS: The authors critically reflect on their own dialogue and culturally situated interests, dialogues with workshop participants, and a literature review. RESULTS: Four cases of occupational injustice are proposed: occupational alienation, occupational deprivation, occupational marginalization, and occupational imbalance. The naming of these occupational injustices suggests four occupational rights: to experience meaning and enrichment in one's occupations; to participate in a range of occupations for health and social inclusion; to make choices and share decision-making power in daily life; and to receive equal privileges for diverse participation in occupations. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Since silence implies compliance with the status quo, the authors encourage occupational therapists to develop their own dialogue about occupational injustices in order to address them openly with others. Dialogue about occupational justice is timely as occupational therapists around the world articulate what distinguishes this numerically small, rather invisible profession and its contributions to individuals, populations, and societies.

Canada↗

PubMed2003

Positional cloning of a novel gene influencing asthma from chromosome 2q14.

Asthma is a common disease in children and young adults. Four separate reports have linked asthma and related phenotypes to an ill-defined interval between 2q14 and 2q32 (refs. 1-4), and two mouse genome screens have linked bronchial hyper-responsiveness to the region homologous to 2q14 (refs. 5,6). We found and replicated association between asthma and the D2S308 microsatellite, 800 kb distal to the IL1 cluster on 2q14. We sequenced the surrounding region and constructed a comprehensive, high-density, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) linkage disequilibrium (LD) map. SNP association was limited to the initial exons of a solitary gene of 3.6 kb (DPP10), which extends over 1 Mb of genomic DNA. DPP10 encodes a homolog of dipeptidyl peptidases (DPPs) that cleave terminal dipeptides from cytokines and chemokines, and it presents a potential new target for asthma therapy.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Reflections on power and justice in enabling occupation.

BACKGROUND: This descriptive paper offers reflections on power and justice associated with occupational therapy's client-centred practice, now described as the practice of enabling occupation. Framed as a contribution to the sociology of professions, the questions addressed are: How do power and justice work in occupational therapy today? What vision of power and justice guides the profession in implementing the client-centred practice of enabling occupation? METHOD: The paper opens with an overview of the analytic framework for reflections. Two sources for reflections are highlighted: the development of the Canadian guidelines and, client/consumer and occupational therapy perspectives. To illustrate the discussion of power and justice, two contrasting diagrams are presented, one on late 20th century power relations and the other on potential power relations. RESULTS: Recommendations for research, education, practice, and guidelines development are offered prior to a conclusion that acknowledges the dissonance facing occupational therapists who struggle to focus on occupations in client-centred practice. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The paper offers insights and strategies for addressing power and justice as issues in implementing the client-centred practice of enabling occupation. The analysis may be used in raising awareness and guiding the strategic development of institutional change toward social inclusion and enabling occupation.

Canada↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Professional tensions in client-centered practice: using institutional ethnography to generate understanding and transformation.

For almost 20 years, occupational therapists have advocated client-centered practice. Yet client-centered practice is fraught with tensions that arise outside the practice of individual occupational therapists. This paper is guided by two questions: What produces professional tensions in client-centered practice? and What understanding and change might be generated using institutional ethnography? The sociological theory and method of institutional ethnography are described using data from an ongoing investigation of mental health services as a social institution. Illustrated are the research aim, research questions, and institutional analysis that distinguish institutional ethnography from conventional ethnography. Two professional tensions are associated with attempts to fulfill client-centered practice in mental health. One is that of working at cross-purposes with the prevailing hierarchical structure; the other tension is that of being celebrated yet subordinated in the medical and management hierarchies of health services. Although client-centered practice is difficult to do, the authors recommend institutional ethnography as a research approach to generate understanding and transformation of the context and practice of occupational therapy.

Anthropology, Cultural↗