Manufacturing Dendritic Cells for Immunotherapy: Monocyte Enrichment

Dendritic cells play a key role in activation of the immune system as potent antigen-presenting cells. This pivotal position, along with the ability to generate dendritic cells from monocytes and ready uptake of antigen, makes them an intriguing vehicle for immunotherapy for a variety of indications. Since the first reported trial using dendritic cells in 1995, they have been used in trials all over the world for a plethora of indications. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells are generated from whole blood or apheresis products by culturing enriched monocytes in the presence of interleukin (IL)-4 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). A variety of methods can be used for enrichment of monocytes for generation of clinical-grade dendritic cells and are summarized herein

Engaging youth in post-disaster research: Lessons learned from a creative methods approach

Children and youth often demonstrate resilience and capacity in the face of disasters. Yet, they are typically not given the opportunities to engage in youth-driven research and lack access to official channels through which to contribute their perspectives to policy and practice during the recovery process. To begin to fill this void in research and action, this multi-site research project engaged youth from disaster-affected communities in Canada and the United States. This article presents a flexible youth-centric workshop methodology that uses participatory and arts-based methods to elicit and explore youth’s disaster and recovery experiences. The opportunities and challenges associated with initiating and maintaining partnerships, reciprocity and youth-adult power differentials using arts-based methods, and sustaining engagement in post-disaster settings, are discussed. Ultimately, this work contributes to further understanding of the methods being used to conduct research for, with, and about youth.Keywords: youth, disaster recovery, engagement, resilience, arts-based methods, participatory researc

Recruitment and Foster Family Service

Using data from the National Survey of Current and Former Foster Parents this study examined how foster parents first found out about the need for foster parents (mass media, other foster parents, religious organization, or civic organization) affected foster family service (number of children fostered, years of fostering service, fostering of children with special needs, and families\u27 intent to continue fostering). Respondents who became aware of the need for foster parents through religious organizations fosteredfor more years; respondents who became aware through mass media fostered for fewer years. How foster families first found out about the need for foster parents did not differentially affect other foster family service measures. Implications for foster parent recruitment and future research are discussed

Tolerance in multicultural education : development of interventionstrategies for educators

Multicultural education is only one of the major changes, which have occurred since the inception of the new democracy in South Africa. However, this inevitable change has resulted in many challenges for both educators and educational institutions. A literature study was done to discuss and clarity concepts of multicultural education, culture, race, ethnicity, bias and anti-bias. The perspectives, principles and history of multicultural education in the United States of America, Britain and South Africa were also investigated. An exploratory study, using a qualitative research design, was done to investigate educators' viewpoints on multicultural education in schools. The results of the investigation indicate that there is a lack of tolerance in schools and that educators require training and intervention strategies to help them cope with the changes in a multicultural education system in South Africa. Recommendations regarding training and policy implementation were discussed and intervention strategies for educators have been given.Educational StudiesM. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling

Variables Relating to the Community Adjustment of Female Adolescents from a Residential Treatment Facility

This study examined the relationship of certain possible prognostic variables and the success or failure of 41 adolescent girls in adjusting to the community after being discharged from a mental health institution. The possible prognostic variables were divided into three sets: individual variables, institutional variables, and community variables. The individual variables were (1) time of onset of the problem: (2) peer group involvement as shown by amount of time spent with peers and age of peers: (3) probationary status prior to admissions: (4) academic achievement level at discharge as shown by grade level and reading level: (5) preinstitutional school adjustment as shown by grade repetition and truancy. Two institutional variables were explored: the involvement of discharge placement with the program\u27s staff and the staff\u27s perception of the therapeutic program\u27s success or failure with the subjects. The community variables explored were the type of living situation the subjects returned to and the program\u27s staff involvement in follow-up. The data was collected from the institution\u27s records and contact with community sources. The statistical analysis revealed that seven of the 12 variables were significant: The significant variables were (1) time of onset of problem: (2) age of peer group involvement: (3) probationary status: (4) grade repetition before admission: (5) truancy: (6) the program\u27s staff\u27s perception of the success or failure of the individual subject: and (7) the program\u27s staff involvement in follow-up

Interprofessional Simulation Learning with Nursing and Pharmacy Students: A Qualitative Study

Health science students are increasingly learning in simulated situations within their own disciplines, but interprofessional simulation learning (ISL) does not occur as often and is rarely investigated. This research explored perceptions of undergraduate nursing (n=5) and pharmacy (n=4) students with respect to how ISL contributed to discipline-specific learning, to learning about the other profession, and to the development of interprofessional skills. The students were exposed to three ISL activities with data gathered from observation of the simulation sessions, individual interviews, and field notes. Content analysis was conducted. Student participants described the ISL activities as a positive learning experience. They learned how their professional cultures connected and found the activities contributed to feeling pride in their chosen profession. Many stereotypical perceptions about the other profession were dissipated. The positive outcomes resulting from the ISL activities have significant implications for curriculum content development and program delivery. Keywords: interprofessional simulation learning, nursing, pharmacy, qualitative, undergraduate education _______________ Les étudiants en sciences de la santé se servent de plus en plus de la simulation pour apprendre. Cependant cet apprentissage se fait habituellement au sein de leur propre profession. L’apprentissage par simulation dans un contexte interprofessionnel (ASI) est plus rare et peu de chercheurs se sont penchés sur ce genre de simulation. Dans cet article nous présentons les résultats d\u27un projet de recherche où nous avons exploré les perceptions de cinq étudiantes en sciences infirmières et de quatre étudiant(e)s en pharmacie. En particulier, nous avons cherché à comprendre comment l’ASI a contribué à l’apprentissage de contenu spécifique à la profession de l\u27étudiant, à augmenter sa connaissance d’une autre profession, et au développement d’habiletés interprofessionnelles. Les étudiants furent exposés à trois activités d’ASI. La cueillette de données a inclus l’observation pendant les ASI, les interviews individuels, et les notes de terrain. L’analyse des données a été effectuée par analyse de contenu. Les étudiants ont jugé que l’ASI était une expérience d’apprentissage positive. Ils ont appris que leurs cultures professionnelles étaient semblables et se sont sentis fiers de leur profession. L’ASI a aussi permis d’éliminer des perceptions stéréotypées concernant l’autre profession. Ces résultats ont des implications pour le développement du curriculum et sur la prestation des programmes. Mots clés: apprentissage par simulation, apprentissage interprofessionel sciences infirmières, pharmacie, étude qualitative, éducation au premier cycle universitaire

Developing and validating a questionnaire for mortality follow-back studies on end-of-life care and decision-making in a resource-poor Caribbean country

Background Palliative and end-of-life care development is hindered by a lack of information about the circumstances surrounding dying in developing and resource-poor countries. Our aims were to develop and obtain face and content validity for a self-administered questionnaire on end-of-life care provision and medical decision-making for use in population-based surveys. Methods Modelled on validated questionnaires from research in developed countries, our questionnaire was adapted to the cultural sensitivity and medico-legal context of Trinidad and Tobago. Two sets of semi-structured face-to-face cognitive interviews were done with a sample of physicians, sampling was purposive. Phase 1 assessed interpretation of the questions, terminology and content of the questionnaire. Phase 2 was tested on a heterogeneous group of physicians to identify and fix problematic questions or recurring issues. Adjustments were made incrementally and re-tested in successive interviews. Results Eighteen physicians were interviewed nationwide. Adaptations to questionnaires used in developed countries included: addition of a definition of palliative care, change of sensitive words like expedited to influenced, adjustments to question formulations, follow-up questions and answer options on medications used were added, the sequence, title and layout were changed and instructions for completion were included at the beginning of the questionnaire. Conclusion A new instrument for assessing and documenting end-of-life care and circumstances of dying in a small, resource-poor Caribbean country was developed and validated, and can be readily used as a mortality follow-back instrument. Our methods and procedures of development can be applied as a guide for similar studies in other small developing countries

Realising decolonising spaces: relational accountability in research events

Research events are important places where disciplinary structures and norms are reproduced and challenged. This article uses the authors’ experiences organising a geography research event on decolonising settler cities on Wadjuk Nyungar Country in Perth, Western Australia, to interrogate the transformations that a decolonising ethic demands. Learning with the Indigenous research method of yarning as a decolonising practice, we document and reflect on the persistence a decolonising ethic requires. This project concretely revealed the interconnection between transformation at the micro-level—event conceptualisation, design, placement, and conduct—and building challenges to settler-colonial structures and institutions. We conclude by interrogating the structural barriers for multi-epistemic engagement and learning and propose three principles for non-Indigenous researchers to more fully understand the invitation of being in a relationship with what has always been here: Indigenous sovereignties of law, place, and knowledge

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Determination of Meloxicam and Piroxicam with Ultraviolet Detection

A simple accurate and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of meloxicam and piroxicam concentrations in small volume plasma samples has been developed. Following a liquid extraction using chloroform, samples were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on an XBridge C18 column (4.6 × 250 mm) and quantified using ultraviolet detection at 360 nm. The mobile phase was a mixture of water with glacial acetic acid (pH 3.0) and acetonitrile (50 : 50), with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The standard curve ranged from 5 to 10,000 ng/mL for meloxicam in bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) plasma and piroxicam in crane (Grus rubicunda) plasma. Intra- and interassay variability for meloxicam and piroxicam were less than 10% and the average recovery was greater than 90% for both drugs. This method was developed in bearded dragon and crane plasma and should be applicable to any species, making it useful for those investigators dealing with small sample volumes, particularly when conducting pharmacokinetics studies which require multiple sampling from the same animal