Are adolescents/young people and their families getting the best service when being cared for by young adolescent student nurses?

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight issues that exist for student nurses who embark on a career in children's nursing at a very young age and subsequently find themselves in a situation where they are expected to deliver high quality care to young people and their families. An introductory sentence indicating the purpose of the presentation: Currently in the UK under the Making a Différence Curriculum (DOH 1999) students can enrol on a single registration programme for Children's Nursing as young as 17.5 years. Children are admitted to hospital onto the children's wards between the ages of 0-16 years (occasionally older). Using Viner's (2003) définition of adolescence as being that period between the ages of ten and twenty-five years when biopsychosocial maturation leads to functional independence in adult iife demonstrates the possibility that both the patients and the nursing students could be undergoing very similar transitional experiences. Historically, in the 1940-50's children were admitted to childrens wards between the ages of 2-12 years. Nurse education at that time tended to be undertaken for first or second level registration in the first instance, followed by post-registration training for specialist areas. Subsequently, the phenomenon of adolescent paediatric nursing students being required to care for adolescents and their families on the children's wards did not exist some 60 years ago. A brief description of the highiights of the présentation: This présentation will focus on adolescent transitions with particular reference to issues that could arise when young students are required to care for young people and their families, particularly when there is a diagnosis of self harm or substance abuse. A summary of findings and/or other relevant information: Preliminary findings have indicated that very young student nurses find caring for adolescents to be particularly challenging. Health issues pertinent to young people appear to présent particular challenges for the students which raises questions in respect of the quality of care that the young people and their families may receive. A conclusion and implications: The following need to be further explored: i) Support within the clinical areas and adequate de-briefing strategies, ii) The efficacy of single registration to children's nursing, iii) Young people and their family's perception of the quality of care they receive from very young students.

Thermal, mechanical and optical modelling of VCSEL packaging

Hybrid OECB (Opto-Electrical Circuit Boards) are expected to make a significant impact in the telecomm switches arena within the next five years, creating optical backplanes with high speed point-to-point optical interconnects. OECB's incorporate short range optical interconnects, and are based on VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Diode) and PD (Photo Diode) pairs, connected to each other via embedded waveguides in the OECB. The VCSEL device is flip-chip assembled onto an organic substrate with embedded optical waveguides. The performance of the VCSEL device is governed by the thermal, mechanical and optical characteristics of this assembly. During operation, the VCSEL device will heat up and the thermal change together with the CTE mismatch in the materials, will result in potential misalignment between the VCSEL apertures and the waveguide openings in the substrate. Any degree of misalignment will affect the optical performance of the package. This paper will present results from a highly coupled modelling analysis involving thermal, mechanical and optical models. The paper will also present results from an optimisation analysis based on Design of Experiments (DOE).

Polymer waveguide and VCSEL array multi-physics modelling for OECB based optical backplanes [opto-electrical circuit boards]

The deployment of OECBs (opto-electrical circuit boards) is expected to make a significant impact in the telecomm switches arena within the next five years. This will create optical backplanes with high speed point-to-point optical interconnects. The crucial aspect in the manufacturing process of the optical backplane is the successful coupling between VCSEL (vertical cavity surface emitting laser) device and embedded waveguide in the OECB. The results from a thermo-mechanical analysis are being used in a purely optical model, which solves optical energy and attenuation from the VCSEL aperture into, and then through, the waveguide. Results from the modelling are being investigated using DOE analysis to identify packaging parameters that minimise misalignment. This is achieved via a specialist optimisation software package. Results from the thermomechanical and optical models are discussed as are experimental results from the DOE.

VCSEL to waveguide coupling for optical backplanes

Hybrid OECB (Opto-Electrical Circuit Boards) are expected to make a significant impact in the telecomm switches arena within the next five years, creating optical backplanes with high speed point-to-point optical interconnects. The critical aspect in the manufacture of the optical backplane is the successful coupling between VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) device and embedded waveguide in the OECB. Optical performance will be affected by CTE mismatch in the material properties, and manufacturing tolerances. This paper will discuss results from a multidisciplinary research project involving both experimentation and modelling. Key process parameters are being investigated using Design of Experiments and Finite Element Modelling. Simulations have been undertaken that predict the temperature in the VCSEL during normal operation, and the subsequent misalignment that this imposes. The results from the thermomechanical analysis are being used with optimisation software and the experimental DOE (Design of Experiments) to identify packaging parameters that minimise misalignment. These results are also imported into an optical model which solves optical energy and attenuation from the VCSEL aperture into, and then through, the waveguide. Results from the thermomechanical and optical models will be discussed as will the experimental results from the DOE.

The food multimix concept: potential of an innovative food based approach on nutritional status in pregnant women in resource-poor communities

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVES: The food multimix (FFM)concept states that limited food resources can be combined using scientific knowledge to meet nutrient needs of vulnerable groups at low cost utilizing the ‘nutrient strengths’ of individual or candidate foods in composite recipes within a cultural context. METHODS: The method employed the food-to-food approach for recipe development using traditional food ingredients. Recipes were subjected to proximate and micronutrient analysis and optimized to meet at tleast 40% of recommended daily intakes. End products including breads, porridge and soup were developed. RESULTS: FMM products were employed in a feeding trial among 120 healthy pregnant women in Gauteng, South Africa resulting in improvements in serum iron levels from baseline values of 14.59 (=/-7.67) umol/L and 14.02 (=/-8.13) umol/L for control and intervention groups (p=0.71), to 16.03 (=/-5.67) umol/L and 18.66 (=/-9.41) umol/L (p=0.19). The increases from baseline to post-intervention were however statistically significant within groups. Similarly Mean Cell Volume values improved from baseline as well as serum ferritin and transferritin levels. CONCLUSION: The FMM concept has potential value in feeding programs for vulnerable groups including pregnant and lactating mothers.