Discursive construction of the patient in online clinical cancer pathways information

Aim: To explore how the patient is constructed and socially positioned in discourses of web-based pathways information available to cancer patients in Norway.Design: Mixed qualitative and quantitative design, using Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis.Methods: The study, conducted in January 2020, examined the language of one general and six specific web-based cancer pathways information brochures. The approach combines analysis of word frequencies and concordance lines using corpus analysis software to identify the ‘linguistic fingerprint’ or ‘aboutness’ of the text prior to further qualitative critical discourse analysis.Results: The analysis identified three core discourses which constructed the patient differently: 1) a participating active person, in a brief, inclusive discourse; 2) a passive person lacking knowledge or perception of their situation within dominant, medical and interprofessional expert discourse; and 3) reduced to a disease and a code in the pathways discourse.Conclusion: This study offers insight into the construction of patients in online clinical pathways information for cancer treatment. The analysis revealed how governance systems such as New Public Management and its demands on efficiency and productivity influence the cancer pathways. The World Health Organization has promoted a person-centered approach, emphasizing the importance of participation and a partnership of equals. A person-centered approach to care was not evident in the discourse of the online documents. The dominant ideology of these pathways was paternalistic with patients constructed as passive persons who get standardized treatment.Impact:This study gives new insight that can be valuable for nurses, other healthcare professionals and the government. The lack of a person-centred focus in the cancer pathway information could have a negative impact on the patient`s health outcomes by promoting a culture of inattention to the patients’ needs and wishes among practitioners. The results may provide a stimulus for discussion about the role of patients in cancer treatment.Keywords

Church networks, peacebuilding and women’s participation in Eastern DRC and the Great Lakes Region – a mapping study

This report (i) map the religious civil society networks, (ii) assess their role in local and regional peace processes and (iii) address the organisation of women and the promotion of issues of women, peace and security within these networks. The focus in this report is on the linkages between provincial centres and churches at village level in the vast rural areas of the Kivus where civilians continue to suffer from war crimes. The legitimacy of the church in peacebuilding at local and national levels hinges on the assumption that (i) the church leadership has a mandate based in their constituency on the ground, and that (ii) church coordinating structures in the province or at the national level have the capacity to coordinate church activities at lower levels of the church hierarchy.publishedVersio

In vitro anthelmintic effects of bark extracts from Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris against sheep nematodes

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in sheep are a common cause of reduced animal welfare and performance, and thus, high economical losses. The emerging drug resistance in GIN prompts for new methods in combating infections. Several studies have indicated an anti-parasitic effect of tannin-rich plants when included in the diet. The objective of this study was to assess the potential in vitro anthelmintic efficacy of tannin-rich extracts from bark of common Norwegian trees (spruce and pine) against GIN of sheep

Extract from Norwegian spruce bark against Eimeria in lambs

Coccidiosis is a serious disease in Young lambs in Norway. Resistance against Commercial anticoccidial chemicals have been demonstrated in conventional sheep farming. Condensed tannins (CT) from plant material have showed effect against nematodes and coccidia in former studies. In this study, etrxacts from Norwegian spruce bark was tested against Emeria spp in young lambs. The extract had a significant effect on the development of coccidia

Sjukepleiarar sine erfaringar med tverrprofesjonell rettleiing i spesialisthelsetenesta

Background: This article describes nurses' experiences in facilitating nursing students participating in interprofessional practice in specialist health services in Norway. The study has two research questions: 1) What experiences do nurses have in facilitating nursing students in an interprofessional context between doctors, nurses, medical students and nursing students? 2) How do nurses experience their role in interprofessional meetings? Method: The study is based on two focus group interviews with a total of nine nurses and is analyzed using systematic text condensation. Result: The main findings show that Hierarchical organization inhibits student guidance, Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) can be demanding for the facilitator, and The nurses experienced their facilitation as incomplete. Conclusions: Interprofessional facilitating can be improved by reflecting on hierarchical patterns. The overall competence to facilitate in the nursing group, can be strengthened by building a culture for pedagogical quality. It can also improve the facilitators’ self-complacency.Bakgrunn: Artikkelen beskriv sjukepleiarar sine erfaringar og opplevingar med rettleiing av sjukepleiarstudentar, som har delteke i tverrprofesjonell praksis i spesialisthelsetenesta i Noreg. Studien har to forskingsspørsmål: 1) Korleis erfarer sjukepleiarar rettleiing av sjukepleiarstudentar i ein tverrprofesjonell kontekst mellom legar, sjukepleiarar, legestudentar og sjukepleiestudentar? 2) Korleis opplever sjukepleiarar rolla si i tverrprofesjonelle rettleiingsmøter?Metode: Data er basert på to fokusgruppeintervju med til saman ni sjukepleiarar, og er analysert ved hjelp av systematisk tekstkondensering. Resultat: Hovudfunna syner at hierarkisk organisering hemmar rettleiing av studentar, tverrprofesjonell samarbeidslæring (TPS) kan vere krevjande for rettleiar og at sjukepleiarane opplevde eiga rettleiing som mangelfull. Konklusjon: Tverrprofesjonell rettleiing kan betrast ved å reflektere over hierarkiske mønster. Den samla rettleiingskompetansen i sjukepleiargruppa kan styrkast ved å bygge kultur for pedagogisk kvalitet. Det kan også betre tilfredsheita for den enkelte rettleiar.  

Newsletter Barkcure No. 2

The second Newsletter for the research project called “Condensed tannins from Norwegian pine and spruce bark - antiparasitic effects and potential commercial exploitation

Movement patterns of temperate wrasses (Labridae) within a small marine protected area

e Institute of Marine Research (Project 15638-01publishedVersio

Administration of spruce bark (Picea abies) extracts in young lambs exhibits anticoccidial effects but reduces milk intake and body weight gain

Background: Eimeria spp. are widespread apicomplexan parasites known to cause coccidiosis in livestock, result- ing in reduced animal welfare and productivity, particularly in sheep. The treatment options are limited, and there is an emerging development of resistance against registered pharmaceuticals. Spruce bark is rich in plant secondary metabolites (PSM), such as condensed tannins, which are bioactive compounds previously shown to have antipara- sitic activity. Here, we examined the anticoccidial properties of bark extract of Norway spruce (Picea abies) against a field isolate of ovine Eimeria spp. by treating Eimeria-infected pre-ruminant lambs with water-extracted bark daily for 12 days. We hypothesised that the bark extract would reduce the faecal oocyst excretion and, consequently, the severity of diarrhoea. Results: Oral administration of spruce bark extract significantly reduced the excretion of Eimeria oocysts in milk-fed lambs post treatment till the end of the trial 22 days post infection. This difference in oocyst excretion between the treated and the untreated infected animals increased with time. Compared to the untreated and the sham-infected control group, the group treated with bark extract had softer fae- ces and reduced milk intake during the treatment period. After discontinuing the treatment, the treated animals got a more solid and formed faeces compared to that of the untreated control group, and the milk intake increased to the level of the sham-infected, untreated control group. The bark extract treated animals had a lower body weight and a lower mean daily body weight gain throughout the whole duration of the experiment. Conclusions: Bark extract from Norway spruce showed marked anticoccidial properties by reducing the faecal oocyst count and associated diarrhoea in young lambs. Simultaneously we experienced detrimental effects of the treatment, displayed as reduced feed intake and daily body weight gain. Therefore, we suggest conducting similar studies with lower bark extract dosage to explore the possibilities of a better trade-off to reduce the negative impact while maintaining the antiparasitic effect. Keywords: Coccidia, Coccidiocide, Eimeria, Industrial by-products, Shee

Poverty and Inequality in Middle Income Countries: Policy Achievements, Political Obstacles

This collection offers a timely reassessment of viable ways of addressing poverty across the globe today. The profile of global poverty has changed dramatically over the past decade, and around three-quarters of the poor now live in middle income countries, making inequality a major issue. This requires us to fundamentally rethink anti-poverty strategies and policies, as many aspects of the established framework for poverty reduction are no longer effective. Featuring contributions from Latin America, Africa and Asia, this much-needed collection answers some of the key questions arising as development policy confronts the challenges of poverty and inequality on the global, national and local scale in both urban and rural contexts. Providing poverty researchers and practitioners with valuable new tools to address new forms of poverty in the right way, Poverty and Inequality in Middle Income Countries shows how a radical switch from aid to redistribution-based social policies is needed to combat new forms of global poverty.Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP) at the University of BergenpublishedVersio

Extracts of pine bark (Pinus sylvestris) inhibit Cryptosporidium parvum growth in cell culture

The widespread apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is responsible for severe gastrointestinal disease in humans and animals. The treatment options are limited, and the efficacy of available drugs is low. Bark contains condensed tannins (CT), which are bioactive compounds previously shown to inhibit parasite development. Here, we examined the anti-cryptosporidial properties of bark extract of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) against C. parvum by means of an in vitro growth inhibition test. We hypothesized that bark extracts would have dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the development of C. parvum in cell culture. Bark extracts from Scots pine extracted with acetone, methanol, and water as solvents, were investigated using human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells infected with C. parvum. Oocysts were inoculated onto the cell monolayer and bark extract was added at 7 different concentrations. Parasite growth inhibition was quantified by qPCR. The acetone and methanol extracts demonstrated a sigmoid dose-dependent inhibition of C. parvum. The IC50 values were 244.6 and 279.1 µg dry matter extract/mL, and 25.4 and 24.1 µg CT/mL, for acetone and methanol extracts, respectively. The IC50 for both extracts were similar, both with regards to the dry matter concentration of each extract and to CT concentrations. Given the limited treatment options available for Cryptosporidium spp., the evidence generated in our study encourages further investigation into the in vitro and in vivo effects of pine bark extracts against C. parvum