The feasibility of adopting clothing mass customisation in South Africa

Abstract: Mass Customisation (MC) is increasingly seen as a strategy to survive in the competitive clothing fashion markets. This importance to retail sales necessitates its consideration in the South African context. There is a paucity of literature on adopting MC so exploring the feasibility of MC for South African clothing manufacturers was a step in understanding what is required from manufacturers. Three corporate clothing manufacturers were selected for qualitative interviews to determine whether they currently exhibit identified competencies from literature considered essential to undertake MC. Two manufacturers exhibited key competencies of communication, human capital, flexibility and technology needed for MC success

Optimal Controlled Teleportation

We give the analytic expressions of maximal probabilities of successfully controlled teleportating an unknown qubit via every kind of tripartite states. Besides, another kind of localizable entanglement is also determined. Furthermore, we give the sufficient and necessary condition that a three-qubit state can be collapsed to an EPR pair by a measurement on one qubit, and characterize the three-qubit states that can be used as quantum channel for controlled teleporting a qubit of unknown information with unit probability and with unit fidelity.Comment: 4 page

A scoping review of bereavement risk assessment measures: Implications for palliative care

© The Author(s) 2015. Background: Palliative care standards and policies recommend that bereavement support be provided to family caregivers, yet uncertainty surrounds whether support currently offered by palliative care services throughout developed countries meets caregiver needs. The public health model of bereavement support, which aligns bereavement support needs with intervention, may address this gap between policy and practice. Aim: The aim was to review the literature to identify bereavement risk assessment measures appropriate for different points in the caring and bereavement trajectories, evaluate their psychometric properties and assess feasibility for use in palliative care. Design: A scoping review was systematically undertaken following Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework. Data sources: PsycINFO, CINAHL, PubMed and Cochrane Reviews databases, as well as grey literature including Internet searches of Google, World Health Organization, CareSearch, the Grey Literature Report and OAIster were searched. Bereavement organisations and palliative care websites, reference lists in obtained articles and grief and bereavement handbooks were also scrutinised. Results: Of 3142 records screened, 356 records yielded 70 grief measures. In all, 19 measures published between 1982 and 2014 were identified for inclusion in this review, and categorised for use with family caregivers at three points in time - before the patient's death (n = 5), in the period following the death (n = 10) and for screening of prolonged or complex grief (n = 4). The majority had acceptable psychometric properties; feasibility for use in palliative care varied substantially. Conclusion: This review is an important preliminary step in improving the assessment of bereavement risk and, consequently, better bereavement outcomes for palliative care family caregivers

Cefepime monotherapy for the empirical treatment of fever in granulocytopenic cancer patients

In a pilot study, we evaluated the efficacy and the safety of cefepime, a new cephalosporin with extended-spectrum activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as empirical monotherapy for 108 febrile episodes in 84 granulocytopenic cancer patients. Cefepime (2 g tds) was given for a minimum of 7 days or until resolution of infection. Of the 108 episodes, 91 were evaluable. Microbiologically documented infections occurred in 25 patients (27%) (18 Gram-positive, 7 Gram-negative), of whom 18 had bacteraemia. Infection was clinically documented in 47 patients (52%) and fever was unexplained in 19 (21%). Overall, 71% (65/91) of the infections resolved. Response rates were 86% (6/7) for Gram-negative infections, 44% (8/18) for Gram-positive infections (57%%for cefepime-susceptible Gram-positive bacteria), 77% (36/47) for clinically documented infections and 79% (15/19) for unexplained fevers. Of the 26 patients (29%) whose primary infections did not improve with cefepime monotherapy, 23 responded after the addition of other antibiotics. Sixteen patients (18%) developed secondary infections of which 13 were microbiologically documented; Gram-positive bacteria were isolated from seven patients, Gram-negative bacteria from two, fungi from three and a virus from one. Adverse effects were mild and did not require premature discontinuation of therapy except for one patient who developed an immediate allergic reaction after the first dose of cefepime from which he recovered fully. The survival rate after resolution of granulocytopenia was 96%; three patients died of primary bacterial infection and one from secondary disseminated candidiasis. In this pilot study, cefepime monotherapy appeared safe and effective as empirical therapy for fever in cancer patients with granulocytopenia. Whether cefepime is superior to other advanced-generation cephalosporins for the treatment of Gram-positive infections will require evaluation in a larger comparative stud

The role and influence of "Champions" in a community-based lifestyle risk modification programme

This article describes the training and implementation of the Waist Disposal Challenge in service clubs in Western Australia in 2009–2010. Ninety-three Champions from 52 clubs were trained to deliver educational presentations to 1100 peers and facilitate a BMI competition among 764 peers. Champions reported significant improvements in their knowledge and confidence to motivate their peers to make changes to their diet and physical activity with 82% of participants completing the BMI competition and on average 58% experiencing and sustaining a BMI reduction for 12 months. It is evident that the Champions had influenced the uptake and success of the intervention

Challenges experienced by informal caregivers in cancer

Evidence from the literature highlights the significant negative impact of care giving on the physical, mental andfinancial aspects of caregivers’ lives. It also reinforces the importance of reducing the barriers to meeting the unmet needs of caregivers and that research priorities in intervention development need to focus on reducing the negative aspects of care giving. Increased assistance to caregivers needs to ensure that they have the knowledge, skills,income security, job protection and other supports to provide care, while maintaining their own health and well-being throughout the dying and grieving process. This is particularly important in light of the predicted shortfall in the number in caregivers and especially as caregivers are increasingly replacing skilled health workers in the delivery of unfamiliar, complex cancer care at home

Exploring the Support Needs of Family Caregivers of Patients with Brain Cancer Using the CSNAT: A Comparative Study with Other Cancer Groups

A substantial burden is placed on family caregivers of patients diagnosed with brain cancers. Despite this, the support needs of the caregivers are often under-recognised and not addressed adequately in current routine and patient centred clinical care. The Care Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) is a validated instrument designed to systematically identify and address caregiver needs. It has been trialled in an Australian palliative care community setting using a stepped wedge cluster design involving 322 family carers of terminally ill patients. The current article reports on a subset from this trial, 29 caregivers of patients with primary brain cancer, and compares their profile and outcomes to those of other cancer groups. Caregiver strain was assessed using the Family Appraisal of Caregiving Questionnaire, caregiver physical and mental wellbeing using SF12 and caregiver workload using a questionnaire on support with activities of daily living (ADL). In comparison to caregivers of patients with all other cancers, the primary brain cancer group had significantly higher levels of caregiver strain, lower levels of mental wellbeing and a higher level of ADL workload. Their physical wellness also deteriorated significantly over time.An action plan approach led to practical solutions for addressing highlighted concerns. Four themes evolved from the family caregivers’ feedback interviews: The extremely challenging caregiver experience with brain cancer; the systematic and practical approach of the CSNAT during rapid changes; connection with health professionals, feeling acknowledged and empowered; and timely advice and assurance of support during the caregiving journey. This preliminary study has demonstrated that the CSNAT provides a practical and useful tool for assessing the support needs of family caregivers of patients with brain cancer and has provided the basis for a larger scale, longitudinal study that allows a more detailed characterisation of the evolving caregiver needs at different stages of the disease