Defining Terms Used for Animals Working in Support Roles for People with Support Needs

This is the final version. Available on open access from MDPI via the DOI in this recordData Availability Statement: De-identified qualitative data can be made available by contacting the lead author.The nomenclature used to describe animals working in roles supporting people can be confusing. The same term may be used to describe different roles, or two terms may mean the same thing. This confusion is evident among researchers, practitioners, and end users. Because certain animal roles are provided with legal protections and/or government-funding support in some jurisdictions, it is necessary to clearly define the existing terms to avoid confusion. The aim of this paper is to provide operationalized definitions for nine terms, which would be useful in many world regions: "assistance animal", "companion animal", "educational/school support animal", "emotional support animal", "facility animal", "service animal", "skilled companion animal", "therapy animal", and "visiting/visitation animal". At the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) conferences in 2018 and 2020, over 100 delegates participated in workshops to define these terms, many of whom co-authored this paper. Through an iterative process, we have defined the nine terms and explained how they differ from each other. We recommend phasing out two terms (i.e., "skilled companion animal" and "service animal") due to overlap with other terms that could potentially exacerbate confusion. The implications for several regions of the world are discussed

Sustainable maritime career development: A case for maritime education and training (MET) at the secondary level

This study interrogated the relevance of maritime education and training (MET) at the secondary level as an effective strategy for developing a sustainable supply of maritime labour and to mitigate current and future supply-demand imbalances arising from philosophical and sociological changes in society and in the maritime industry. Secondary education and its associated curriculum may be developed to form the underlying fundamentals of early awareness of maritime concepts targeted at youth of ages 11-18 years. To find answers to five research questions relating to this topic, a mixed method approach was applied in collecting and analysing data. The findings indicate strong evidence of the importance and relevance of MET at the secondary level. They further show this importance as it relates to an appreciation by the youth of the maritime industry as a domain for technical career options and to the creation of a sense of stewardship of the world’s oceans. Despite these positive findings, the study also finds that a number of key stakeholders are unaware of the potential and role of the maritime industry leading to a notable barrier to the implementation of MET at the secondary level and a lack of the necessary rigour and focus on promoting the industry to the youth via MET in secondary education. The study concludes by noting that there is a need for a focus on reforming the curricula of national secondary education system, where appropriate, as a first step towards the achieving the benefits of implementation of MET at the secondary level

A comparative consecutive case series of 20 children with a diagnosis of ADHD receiving homeopathic treatment, compared with 10 children receiving usual care

20 consecutively enrolled children age 5e16 with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) received treatment by a homeopath (8 consultations and individualized remedies) for one year. Ten subsequently enrolled children received similar time and attention for 4 months. The study explored optimum treatment protocols; the effectiveness, deliverability and acceptability of treatment; and the feasibility of outcome measurement and recruitment. Parents completed Conners’ Parent Rating Scale, Revised Long Version (CPRS-R:L) every 4 months, from which DSMIV total scores were extracted; and Measure Your Own Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP) every consultation. An interaction between time (baseline/4 months) and group (treatment/non-treatment) was found .756 F (1,28) = 9.06, p = 0.005. The intervention was associated with statistically significant improvements in treated children over the year: CPRS-R:L (t (18) = 4.529, p £ 0.000); MYMOP (t (18) = 6.938, p £ 0.000). Mean DSMIV total t scores decreased at each time point: baseline: 85 (SD 5.1); 4 months 76.2 (SD 10.9); and 12 months 71.5 (SD 12.77). Recruitment of control participants was problematic. Recruitment to treatment was feasible via ADHD support groups, charities, police support agencies and social services, not schools or NHS services. Attending appointments was problematic for some participants, but home visits did not improve uptake. The best venue was a familiar clinic. Some participants took medicines inappropriately, but generally taking homeopathic remedies was acceptable and well implemented. CPRS-R:L (80 items) was problematic for some parents. MYMOP was preferred by parents but not acceptable to stakeholders. In this small consecutive sample the intervention was associated with improvements in criminality, anger and children with a concomitant diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD. Treatment by a homeopath was associated with sustained, increasing improvements and the intervention was acceptable to participants. More methodically rigorous research is warranted. “We recommend that future research in this area uses comparative effectiveness randomised controlled trial designs. We also recommend that these trials measure outcomes of relevance to stakeholder needs e the people and services who care for those with ADHD e parents, teachers and social workers and the criminal justice system”

A systematic review of models of care for the follow up of childhood cancer survivors

Follow-up care for survivors of childhood cancer is increasingly seen as a priority service as numbers of survivors increase. Despite this there are few published evaluations of the available options. We conducted a systematic review of published and unpublished literature. Seven uncontrolled studies, and one comparative study of a related intervention, were identified. Observational data suggest that follow-up care was useful even for patients who did not perceive this as a need. Suitably powered, well-conducted, controlled trials of adequate duration that directly compare follow-up models are required to provide robust evidence on the optimal care for these patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 351–356