Programmers Research Articles

Exploring the impact of professional development about family-centred service for health professionals working in paediatric disability: a scoping review.

To explore the impact of family-centred service education on the knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and practice of service providers working in paediatric disability. The review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. The search strategy was completed in seven electronic databases. Screening and data extraction was undertaken by two reviewers. Data extraction included content, delivery methods and impact of professional development programs. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Twenty-two studies reported on twenty programs. Participants were from multiple disciplines in 13 programs and families were involved in development, delivery, or as participants, in nine. Program content typically related to participatory caregiving. Synthesis of findings suggested the 'active ingredients' were dynamic interactions among the participants and facilitators, and the program content and delivery methods, that promoted reflection and shifting perspectives among participants. Studies reported positive impacts on service provider attributes, but few studies evaluated behaviours in practice and broader influences on family-centred services. While all programs involved active participation and relevant content, programs promoting reflection, sharing perspectives as part of a diverse group, and lived experience through family involvement, supported learning about family-centred services as both a philosophy and a process.

Occupational therapy embedded in early childhood education (OTEEC): Developing a population-focused, place-based approach to early intervention through occupational therapy and early childhood education center partnerships

ABSTRACT Occupational therapy practices supporting population health are emphasized in the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Vision 2025 statement, yet limited examples of how practitioner’s design, construct, and evaluate health promotion practices exist in the literature. This manuscript describes how occupational therapy providers collaborated with early childhood education administrators, teachers, and parents to create a novel approach to supporting young children’s development and learning called the Occupational Therapy Embedded in Early Childhood Education (OTEEC) Partnership Model. Educational design research informed how the OTEEC Partnership Model was developed and refined via the integration of scientific inquiry within the context of program development. We completed literature reviews, conducted in-depth interviews with key decision-makers, hosted stakeholder focus groups, and engaged in critical reflection as an occupational therapy provider team to arrive at the foundational principles and unique practices of the OTEEC Partnership Model. Early childhood education center administrators, teachers, and parents believed the strengths of the OTEEC Partnership Model included universal access to an occupational therapy provider, collaborative partnerships with teachers and parents, and integrating occupational therapy practices within an early childhood classroom context. Occupational therapy providers can use the procedures described in this manuscript to develop innovative practices focused on population health and may consider if elevating their own classroom involvement, interprofessional collaboration, and partnerships with parents can enhance their current practices. Occupational therapists may also consider how to create new access pathways for children who might benefit from occupational therapy yet do not qualify for services within current practice guidelines.

Reducing dropout rates in cardiac rehabilitation among cardiac patients in a vulnerable situation: systematic development and feasibility testing of the Heart Priority Programme

BackgroundDespite advancements in reducing cardiovascular disease, it remains a major health concern. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has a positive impact on morbidity, mortality, and functioning, but faces high dropout rates especially among vulnerable patients, due to social inequalities and insufficiently tailored interventions. To address this, we developed the Heart Priority Programme targeting and supporting cardiac patients at risk of dropout. This study outlines the development of the Heart Priority Programme and share findings from a feasibility test.MethodsAn iterative three-stage process involving cardiac patients and healthcare professionals from three community healthcare services, guided the development of the programme. Stage 1 included reviewing evidence, consulting stakeholders, and observing practice. In stage 2, a project-group of researchers and healthcare professionals was established to co-produce the programme. Stage 3 included field-testing and local adaptions. Subsequently, the programme was feasibility tested in a single-arm follow-up study across two community healthcare services. Over six months, process data on implementation, acceptability, and mechanism of impact were gathered.ResultsThe Heart Priority Programme was development from January 2023 to June 2023, comprising two main parts: 1) an evidence-based identification form with 13 risk factors to identify patients at risk of dropout (referred to as priority patients), and 2) an add-on intervention targeted these patients with three core elements—assigning a contact person, systematic communication, and follow-up. During a six-month feasibility phase, 260 patients were included. Of these, 91 (35%) were identified as priority patients. CR teams found that the programme was relevant, easy to integrate into daily workflow, and applicable in practice. Patient consultations yielded positive feedback on the three core elements of the add-on intervention.ConclusionsThis paper outlines the development and feasibility test of the Heart Priority Programme, co-produced to identify, and support priority patients. The programme, developed through a three-stage iterative co-production process, was found relevant and easy to implement in community healthcare services. CR teams valued its structured approach to supporting priority patients, and patients found it aligned with their needs. Although initial results are promising, further research is needed to evaluate the programme's effectiveness and suitability for widespread implementation.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06575764, registered retrospectively on 28 August 2024.

Competency-based Human Resource Development Strategy

Human resources are the key to a nation's prosperity. This study aims to describe the strategy for developing human resources based on competency and how to overcome the gap in developing human resources based on competency. This study uses a qualitative method, exploring phenomena related to developing human resources based on competency. Qualitative methods also aim to understand individuals' or groups' meanings, views, or experiences and the context behind the phenomenon being studied. This study also uses a descriptive approach and a literature study. The results of this study indicate that there are eight steps in formulating a strategy for developing human resources based on competency: identification of organizational core competencies, competency gap analysis, human resource development planning, implementation of training and development programs, competency-based performance assessment and evaluation, talent management and succession planning, utilization of technology in competency development, and a culture of continuous learning. Furthermore, the results of this study also obtained eight strategies to overcome the gap in developing human resources based on competency: competency gap analysis, training and development programs, competency-based career development, use of technology and competency management systems, periodic evaluation and feedback, a culture of continuous learning, awards, and incentives, cooperation with educational institutions. The government can use the competency-based human resource development model to realize the Golden Indonesia Generation 2024.

Developing a DBT-Informed Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program to Increase Equity and Access

ABSTRACT Background Rising mental health problems and systemic barriers have reduced available services for adolescents with acute mental illness in recent years. Objective This article describes the development of a partial hospitalization program (PHP) to treat adolescents with a wide range of severe mental health problems and high-risk behaviors in a major metropolitan hospital. Method We describe our advocacy efforts to fund higher levels of care for patients with public insurance, the evidence-based clinical programming developed, and early implementation challenges, including managing high patient risk outside of a locked facility. Results Our program opened in 2023 and served 96 adolescents with severe mental health conditions and diverse demographic backgrounds in the first year, 51% of whom were covered by Medicaid. Conclusions This article is intended to provide a practical guide and example for clinicians and program developers interested in increasing access to evidence-based treatments at higher levels of care for underserved patients.

Community Engaged Learning in Graduate Education: A Review and Call to Action

A thematic analysis of articles published between 2005 and 2023 was conducted to assess the state of community engaged learning (CEL) in graduate education. The analysis reveals specific foci at different levels of analysis ranging from individuals to institutions. This includes attention to student learning outcomes, pedagogical practices, community partner involvement, student autoethnographies, program development and evaluation, and institutional factors. A praxis agenda for scholarship is proposed in response to trends in graduate education and gaps in the current literature. This includes further integration of CEL into Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) graduate education, broadening theoretical and methodological repertoires, and further supporting graduate students as engaged scholars and teachers.

Key informant perspectives of suicide prevention in Australia

BackgroundSuicide prevention policy in Australia is in a period of reform. The National Suicide Prevention Office is leading the development of a new National Suicide Prevention Strategy (Strategy). Stakeholder input is a critical element in the development of the new Strategy. This article describes key informant views about government-led suicide prevention efforts in Australia obtained as part of an environmental scan conducted as one input to inform the Strategy development process.MethodsWe interviewed 24 key informants in November and December 2022. Key informants were purposively recruited to ensure representation from cross-jurisdiction government departments/agencies, peak bodies and leaders in the suicide prevention sector, people with lived experience of suicide, and suicide prevention researchers. We enquired about successes, challenges, and opportunities. NVivo was used to conduct thematic analysis.ResultsKey themes identified as successes in Australia’s suicide prevention efforts included: leadership and funding for programs, services, and research; valuing the collective lived experience voice; moving towards a whole-of-government/system approach; and high community and political suicide (prevention) awareness. Key themes emerging as challenges in the sector were: defining the suicide prevention sector, limitations in the service system, workforce issues, and building the evidence base. Key themes mentioned as opportunities for improving suicide prevention efforts were: leveraging the current unprecedented awareness and desire for collaboration among multiple stakeholder groups; adopting wellness rather than crisis-driven models of care; including lived experience and co-design in all stages and aspects of policy planning, service development, and evaluation; and investing in data, research, and evaluation.ConclusionsKey informants from across the suicide prevention sector in Australia identified a range of issues for consideration in the development of Australia’s new National Suicide Prevention Strategy which are also relevant for suicide prevention policy and program development in other high-income countries. Key issues include the need for concerted efforts to define and build the capacity of the suicide prevention sector, implement and monitor a whole-of-government approach that includes wellness models of care and lived experience, and bolster the evidence base. These efforts require effective leadership and resourcing.

A conceptual modeling approach of MQTT for IoT-based systems

The Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) is one of the most commonly used standard messaging protocols that enable the Internet of Things (IoT). The messaging standard specification document defines the transactions, attributes, conventions, timers, values, types, structures, etc. MQTT encounters wide implementation possibilities: hardware vendors need to implement MQTT drivers for their devices, software vendors need to implement it in their solutions, developers and researchers need an MQTT simulation framework, etc. The IoT technology can enable unlimited number of use cases, and each case has its implementation of the messaging protocol. From the above facts, on the basis that any user needs to have a deep understanding of the specification in order to implement the protocol and also developers need to study it well for improving the protocol, there is a need for a standard conceptual way that conveys the messaging standard specifications, integrates the specifications of the use cases built upon with a more abstracted mental representation, improves the communication between developers, and facilitates the protocols and applications developments. This paper addresses this issue by proposing a graphical conceptual modeling approach for MQTT-based IoT applications called Example-oriented System Conceptual Modeling for MQTT use cases (EoSCM-MQTT). The paper explains the EoSCM-MQTT and gives an example of its use in an MQTT simulation implementation for a specific IoT application: smart parking. EoSCM-MQTT was validated using three methods: comparison, analysis, and implementation. The details and results of the implementation and the conclusions from the comparison and analysis indicated that EoSCM-MQTT has the required characteristics of conceptual models: good syntactic semantic, and pragmatic quality, clarity, coherence, accuracy, flexibility, reliability, and effectiveness.

Experts’ knowledge about leisure education and leadership development: Building capacity of youth with physical disabilities in South Africa

Leisure education has an impact not only on individuals but also on the environment and society. The present study aimed to explore and describe experts’ knowledge and experience about leisure education to develop leadership among youth with physical disabilities. The present study used a qualitative research approach through an exploratory design to answer the research question. Five participants were purposefully recruited and selected based on their expertise in the topic of interest. Participants’ expertise ranged from leisure, recreation, youth and leadership. The participants had experience working in higher education institutions, and community projects, held doctorate qualifications, and have over ten years in this field. Data was collected online using Google Meet software using semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis framework and guidelines. The findings of this study suggest that youth with physical disabilities can develop personal capacity through leisure education programmes. Leisure education programmes can be meaningful to youth with physical disabilities and have a developmental impact, including leadership. Youth with physical disabilities’ capacities and abilities should be nurtured and protected to allow growth and independence. The implications are that leisure education programmes for leadership development must be intentional to achieve the intended outcome.

The Michigan men’s diabetes project: perspectives on a peer-led diabetes self-management and support intervention for Black men with type 2 diabetes

BackgroundBlack men are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to non-Hispanic White men, especially those over 55 years of age. Although there is ample evidence around the efficacy of peer-led diabetes self-management and support (PLDSMS) programs in improving diabetes health outcomes, Black men living with T2D experience several barriers to meaningful participation in peer-led programs and program developers face barriers to implementation. This qualitative study aimed to identify perspectives from collaborators on barriers and facilitators that impact the implementation of a PLDSMS intervention for older Black men with T2D.MethodsQualitative data were collected as part of the Michigan Men’s Diabetes Project. We used the Tailored Implementation in Chronic Diseases (TICD) Checklist to construct the semi-structured interview guide. TICD domains served as themes. Codes were later generated as a team (N = 3) from chunks of related text. Eight 1-on-1 semi-structured interviews (two researchers, three peer leaders, one community collaborator, two certified diabetes care and education specialists) were conducted between April 13–22, 2022 via Zoom. We engaged in thematic content analysis and used the rigorous and accelerated data reduction (RADaR) technique and Rapid analysis.ResultsThemes included guideline factors; individual collaborator factors; patient factors; professional interactions; incentives and resources; capacity for organizational change; and use of technology. Guidelines for implementing a PLDSMS program for Black men with T2D are lacking. For effective implementation, collaborators need interpersonal and session facilitation skills, flexibility, and cultural awareness. Although Black men with T2D may initially be apprehensive about participating in a PLDSMS program due to lack of knowledge, masculine norms, and stigma, these programs offer a safe space, a sense of brotherhood, and transparency. Having a physician champion is key in supporting organizational changes needed to implement PLDSMS programs in health systems, particularly as PLDSMS is not currently a billable service.ConclusionsThe PLDSMS program is culturally relevant in engaging older Black men with T2D. In addition to building trust among participants, successful development and implementation of a peer support program requires flexibility and tailored communication strategies. Findings can be used to inform future iterations of PLDSMS programs.

AI-Assisted 3D Modeling Strategy for Microstructure-Based Functional Surfaces Using ChatGPT and Random Forest

With the development of computer programming, product design is being carried out through computer programming such as 3D CAD/CAM when developing products, and the cost of developing new products can be greatly reduced by using 3D modeling tools in which various engineering theories are programmed. With the recent rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), various AI applications have been actively proposed in various fields. In this study, we report a ChatGPT-based 3D modeling program (CMP) which can easily design microstructures, and the theory of wettability that was programmed into the CMP. Since the theory related to wettability is programmed into the CMP, once the user enters basic information about the desired functional surface, such as superhydrophobic surfaces, at the CMP prompt, 3D structures with the performance of superhydrophobicity are immediately provided. Through microstructure fabrication techniques, the microstructure designed by the CMP was actually fabricated, wettability experiments were conducted, and it was confirmed that a superhydrophobic surface was successfully designed. As such, the AI-based CMP can easily design microstructure-based functional surfaces, and we expect this method not only to decrease the fabrication costs of designing micro/nano structures but also to be useful in various fields.

Exploring the supportive care needs of families affected by pancreatic cancer: a mixed-methods study protocol

BackgroundPancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease with most cases diagnosed at an advanced stage resulting in low survival rates. Family members often take on a role of supporting patients’ needs. Families tend to be unprepared for this and experience high levels of unmet needs and substantial impacts to their own wellbeing, heightened by the rapid deterioration and short life expectancy associated with pancreatic cancer.AimThe proposed study aims to explore the supportive care needs and associated psychosocial impact of pancreatic cancer on family members, and the role of support services in supporting these families.MethodsA sequential explanatory mixed methods design will be utilised. Data collection will consist of three phases: (1) Survey of affected family members to explore their supportive care needs and psychological wellbeing; (2) Semi-structured interviews to explore the lived experiences of family members across the disease trajectory, their psychosocial adjustment, and their perceptions of support services; (3) Focus groups with support services providers to explore their experiences in providing support to affected families.DiscussionBy combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in providing psychosocial support to families affected by pancreatic cancer, ultimately enhancing their quality of life during and after the cancer journey. The findings may help to inform the development and enhancement of support programs, tailored to meet the specific needs of affected families.

Стратегическое развитие российских нефтегазовых компаний в условиях экономических санкций

The article examines the positive and negative impact of external environmental factors on the Russian oil and gas business in Russia. PESTLE-analysis by the expert method was carried out, on the basis of which the most significant risks for the gas business – reduction of sales in the European market and ban on oil and gas equipment supplies – were identified using quantitative assessments. The impact of sanctions on the operational results of PJSC “Gazprom” was investigated, revealing a substantial decline in revenue and profit from sales, primarily due to the imposition of anti-Russian restrictive measures. These negative trends were partially mitigated by an increase in gas supplies to China and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as well as growing domestic market demands, which altered the geographical structure of sales volumes. Within the framework of a long-term development program, the article substantiates the potential for diversifying gas export supplies to Asia-Pacific countries and identifies revenue growth reserves through the gasification of Russian regions using statistical methods. Additionally, the advantages of redirecting supplies of key oil and gas equipment to Chinese manufacturers were identified, which could significantly reduce both the delivery time and costs by up to 40 %.

Replacing serum with dried blood microsampling for pharmacokinetics, viral neutralisation and immunogenicity bioanalysis supporting future paediatric development of RSM01, a candidate respiratory syncytial virus neutralising monoclonal antibody

BackgroundVirus neutralising antibodies in serum are considered key correlates of protection for vaccines and monoclonal antibodies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSM01 is a novel, highly-potent, half-life-extended and fully-human monoclonal antibody candidate targeting the RSV prefusion F protein. Currently in Phase 1 development, RSM01 is primarily being developed to potentially provide an effective and affordable RSV prevention strategy in low- and middle-income countries. To evaluate the ability of dried blood collection to generate data sets and conclusions comparable to serum collection, we compared pharmacokinetics (PK) of RSM01, immunogenicity, and virus neutralisation for dried capillary blood samples with serum samples.MethodsRSM01 PK, anti-drug antibodies (ADA), and RSV-neutralising antibodies from the Phase 1 trial were analyzed and compared between matched serum and dried blood samples. Deming regression analysis was performed using baseline-corrected values to evaluate correlation between measurements in liquid serum versus dried blood.ResultsThe analysis showed good correlation (R2 > 0.95) between individual RSM01 concentrations measured in both serum and capillary blood. Analysis of RSM01 PK parameters in capillary blood yielded equivalent conclusions as from serum. A strong correlation (R2 > 0.95) was observed between RSV neutralising activity measured in both serum and capillary blood. In addition, RSV neutralising activity was correlated with RSM01 concentrations in both serum and capillary blood data sets. For ADA, individual sample results had 96% agreement (290/302) and overall participant ADA status had 93% agreement (52/56).ConclusionsBoth RSM01 concentrations and RSV neutralising activity showed a strong correlation between the serum and blood measurements. ADA measurements also had an agreement of > 90% for individual samples and overall participant status. Our results demonstrate that dried blood is a suitable specimen type for collection and evaluation in the RSM01 clinical development program and shows promise as a useful approach to reduce patient burden in clinical trials, particularly for infants in low- and middle-income countries.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT05118386 November 12, 2021.

To believe or not to believe: leader’s belief about emotion usefulness and its impact on team dynamics

BackgroundThis study aims to investigate the impact of a leader’s beliefs in the usefulness of emotions on the emotional competence and relationship conflicts of their teams.MethodsThe data were collected through an online survey targeting leaders with at least three years of experience in managerial positions in South Korean workplaces, with a total of 326 participants. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was conducted to classify leaders into latent groups based on their beliefs regarding the usefulness of positive and negative emotions.ResultsThe latent profile analysis of the leader’s beliefs in the usefulness of positive and negative emotions identified four groups: High Usefulness (HU) Group, High Positive Usefulness (HPU) Group, Reference Group for comparison, and Low Usefulness (LU) Group. It was found that both the HU Group and the HPU Group, who perceive the usefulness of both types of emotions and positive emotions, respectively, showed higher levels of emotional repair and lower levels of relationship conflict within the team compared to the Reference Group and the LU Group.ConclusionsThis study not only fills a gap in organizational research by establishing a clear link between leaders’ emotional beliefs and team dynamics but also emphasizes the social influence of leaders’ emotions within the team setting. The findings of this research advocate for a strategic update to leadership development programs, suggesting the integration of elements specifically designed to augment leaders’ understanding and management of emotional dynamics within their teams.

Important tool in our rare disease toolbox: hybrid retrospective-prospective natural history studies serve well as external comparators for rare disease studies

Natural history studies (NHS) can support regulatory decision-making at different stages of the drug product life cycle and are especially important in the context of rare diseases, which are associated with not only delayed or erroneous diagnoses but also a lack of approved treatments. Real-world evidence can fill knowledge gaps and support treatment decision-making, thereby benefiting affected patients. In this context, there are three important options for NHS design: retrospective, prospective, and cross-sectional. Each of these has been successfully used to support regulatory approval as external comparator arms (ECAs) for clinical studies, especially single-arm trials (SATs). While longitudinal data obtained from retrospective or prospective designs have been more commonly used and have been the focus of regulatory guidance documents, hybrid designs that combine retrospective and prospective data collection are particularly powerful for rare disease studies. This is due, in part, to the smaller number of patients impacted by each rare disease. In these settings, retrospective or prospective data collection alone may not be sufficient or fit-for-purpose for an external comparator. Rather, a strategic combination of all available data, regardless of timing, can deliver the right information of the desired quality and completeness to answer these important questions and support regulatory evidentiary needs. For instance, patients included in retrospective studies may differ from recently treated patients in terms of disease severity, disease variants, clinical management, or other important aspects of the disease that may impact patient outcomes. Further, retrospectively collected data may lack specific data elements required to achieve adequate comparison with the treated group in single-arm studies. In the context of prospective designs, the recruitment of sufficient new patients for prospective follow-up may not be feasible or may be prolonged due to the rarity of the disease. Further, the potential for premature truncation of patient follow-up may result in insufficient longitudinal data, or prospectively collected data alone may not provide insights into the disease course for specific groups of patients. In these situations, primary data collection in a prospective study may be supplemented with retrospectively collected data from chart reviews, registries, or electronic medical record databases, either for the same patients, in an ambispective design, or for a different set of patients. These hybrid designs allow for broader and more robust contextual information on the patient journey and the natural course of the disease to be obtained, which can improve the suitability of the data as an external comparator for SATs or studies that lack internal control in situations where a prospective design alone might not be sufficient. Because retrospective and prospective data, or any two data sources that are being combined, may differ in availability and quality, there are unique challenges alongside the strengths of these designs. In this paper, we discuss considerations for the design, analysis, and conduct of hybrid NHS intended as ECAs for single-arm studies in clinical development programs for rare diseases.

TANTANGAN DAN PELUANG DALAM IMPLEMENTASI PROGRAM DESA MEMBANGUN DESA SUGI WARAS

This study aims to analyze the challenges, opportunities, and impacts of the implementation of the Village Development Program in Sugi Waras Village. This program is part of the government's initiative to improve the quality of life of rural communities through better social, economic, and infrastructure development. However, its implementation faces significant challenges, such as limited resources, low community participation, and a lack of support and coordination between central, regional and village governments. Nevertheless, there are great opportunities that can be utilized to support the success of this program, including community empowerment by managing natural resources sustainably, as well as the use of information technology that can accelerate communication and transparency between the community and the government The research approach applied in this study is a descriptive qualitative approach. This approach was chosen because it can provide an in-depth description of the challenges and opportunities faced in the implementation of the Village Development Program in Sugi Waras Village, as well as the role of the community and government in achieving more inclusive and sustainable development goals. By using this approach, the research is expected to identify factors that influence the success of the program, in terms of available resources, community participation, and relevant government policy support. The results of this study are expected to provide useful suggestions for improving policies and strategies in the implementation of the Village Development Program in the future.

Development of a validated novel bead extraction method for the detection of anti-PEG antibodies in human serum.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is used in many applications including drug development. Due to exposure to environmental products, there is a high prevalence of preexisting anti-PEG antibodies in the global human population. The presence of anti-PEG antibodies is a concern for potentially reducing the efficacy of therapeutics after administration and represents a risk of safety events after exposure to PEGylated drug products. We developed and validated a creative and sensitive method for the detection of anti-PEG antibodies in human serum to support clinical programs for PEGylated drugs. In this method, biotin-PEG streptavidin beads were used to extract anti-PEG antibodies from human serum for analysis in an anti-PEG ELISA assay. The same serum sample was analyzed in an anti-drug antibody assay. The anti-PEG antibody assay was validated with a screening cut point of 1.41 normalized signal, confirmatory cut point of 32.2% inhibition, sensitivity of 7.81 ng/mL and sufficient reproducibility, selectivity, and drug tolerance in accordance with the FDA 2019 Immunogenicity guidance. This method of removal of anti-PEG antibodies enables the use of a single sample to detect anti-drug and anti-PEG antibodies to support drug development programs.

Evaluation of the Nigerian government’s mandatory continuing professional development programme for primary school teachers

This study aimed to evaluate the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP) for Primary School Teachers in Ekiti State, Nigeria, between 2011 and 2021. Seventy public primary schools were purposively selected with teachers who attended MCPDP in Ekiti State, while 166 teachers (attendees and non-attendees of the MCPDP) between 2011 and 2021 participated in the mixed methods study. Key informant interviews were conducted with eight school head teachers and two senior TRCN officials. Findings indicate that most teachers agreed that the MCPDP fostered their cross-fertilisation of ideas and experiences and professional competence. The MCPDP interview results also reported to have improved PSCTs' teaching competencies, commitment, and continuous relevance to the teaching profession. Thus, we recommend that the MCPD should be continued, and the TRCN should intensify the funding of the MCPD Programme and create more public awareness.

Pulsed-field ablation of atrial fibrillation with a pentaspline catheter across National Health Service England centres

IntroductionPulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a novel modality for pulmonary vein isolation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We describe the initial uptake and experience of PFA using a pentaspline catheter...