The purpose of this study was to examine perceived stress of entry-level master's occupational therapy (OT) students enrolled at a Texas university. A total of 29 students including nine men and 20 women participated in the study. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection. The participants were interviewed during the end of the first and second year of the entry-level master's programme in OT. Questionnaires, given at the same time, contained demographic data, open-end questions and force choice questions rated on a Likert scale. The results indicated that the majority of students (66.4%) rated their current level of stress as above average or the highest in their lives. The students expressed feelings of being overwhelmed, confused regarding course expectations and wanted more hands-on experience. When responding to how they managed stress, more than half of the students in the study took an active approach by utilizing exercise. Limitations of the study include using a non-standardized questionnaire, a small number of participants, and that the participants did not represent diversity and were for the most part Hispanic. It is recommended that future research address the cultural and generational issues that may affect perceptions of stress and how students cope with stress.

This study examined the willingness of persons without disabilities (PWODs) to engage in personal relationships with persons with disabilities (PWDs). Participants ( N = 305) were primarily female Hispanic students (91%) preparing for careers in the helping professions. The Relationships and Disability Survey assessed the effect of the category and severity of disability on the type of relationships students were willing to have with PWDs. Students also ranked personal attributes of PWDs that might affect their willingness to engage in relationships. Results indicated that students were significantly more willing to have friendships and acquaintanceships with persons with mild to moderate disabilities and persons with sensory, health, and physical impairments. Students were least willing to marry or have a partnership with a PWD, especially if the PWD had cognitive and psychiatric impairments. Personal attributes of intelligence, kindness, and humor were rated most highly.

The authors conducted a survey of 81 participants during a conference for play therapists concerning their opinions on the education, training, and practice of play therapists. In this manuscript, they summarize the results of this study, discuss the practical implications of the findings, and make recommendations for professional growth and future research.

Knowledge of NP students' perceptions regarding personal stress can provide insight useful for developing approaches to foster optimum learning. Practicing stress reduction techniques with students would not only facilitate their own stress reduction but would also reinforce their ability to assist clients with this need.

Olive leaf extract (OLE) contains high amounts of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. The antioxidant capacity of these polyphenols makes OLE a promising ingredient for functional food. OLE causes very strong bitterness perception and can therefore only be formulated in low concentrations. In this research, bitter detection and recognition thresholds of OLE-fortified fruit smoothies were determined by a trained sensory panel (n = 11). Masking of the OLE's bitter taste was investigated with addition of sodium cyclamate, sodium chloride, and sucrose by means of a standardized ranking method and a scale test. Detection (5.78 mg/100 g) and recognition thresholds (8.05 mg/100 g) of OLE polyphenols confirmed the low formulation limits when bitterness was not masked by other substances. At higher polyphenol levels of 20 mg/100 g, sodium cyclamate and sucrose were able to reduce bitter taste perception by 39.9% and 24.9%, respectively, whereas sodium chloride could not effectively mask bitterness. Practical Application: Development of functional food poses new challenges for the food industry. A major problem in this field is the high bitterness of natural polyphenol-containing extracts with potential health benefits. This research was conducted to understand the sensory impact of olive leaf extract (OLE), a novel food ingredient with very bitter taste. In product development, the data of this research can be considered for formulation limits and the general sensory quality of OLE-fortified food and beverages.