Resistance

The sun peeks over the horizon. A foggy haze rising from the garden creates theillusion of flowers magically floating in the air. As the warm rays touch the mist, itquickly dissipates. Pink roses shine with tiny beads of water from the condensing airand the deep blue bellflowers move softly in a gentle breeze. Paullus is hard at workplanting a new bed of red begonias framed with yellow black-eyed Susans. His widebrimmed hat hides a sunburned face lined with the wise wrinkles of experience, linesthat tell a story. Students come and go, talking noisily with youthful enthusiasm andexcitement, rarely noticing his quiet presence. [Opening paragraph]</div

Emotional intelligence & team performance : does training matter?

In recent years, significant research has been conducted exploring the outcomes of emotional intelligence for individuals, groups and organisations. The research presented in this paper adds to this growing body of knowledge by exploring whether emotional intelligence can be increased through training; what type of interventions increase emotional intelligence; and what performance benefits result. Utilising an experimental methodology, we studied the effects of an interpersonal skills training program and an emotions focussed intervention in a large public sector organisation. Results demonstrate that, while performance improved for both training interventions, only the emotions focussed training program increased emotional intelligence. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our research for research and practice

Mapping livestock grazing in large Mallee paddocks

The integration of cropping and grazing remains a major management challenge, as paddock sizes tend to be large to benefit efficient cropping practices. Furthermore, Mallee paddocks are also characterised by extreme soil variability and these variable soil types support different levels of feed availability and have different susceptibilities to soil erosion. Technology such as portable fencing systems and virtual fencing potentially offer a solution to the issue of grazing large Mallee paddocks with high soil variability. However, to effectively design and deploy these innovative grazing techniques, the grazing behaviour of livestock in these paddocks needs to be understood and quantified. This project has begun to address this knowledge gap by quantifying livestock (sheep) grazing habits in a large Mallee paddock with variable soil types

Can spirituality be taught to health care professionals?

Although people with life-limiting conditions report a desire to have spiritual concerns addressed, there is evidence that these issues are often avoided by health care professionals in palliative care. This study reports on the longitudinal outcomes of four workshops purpose-designed to improve the spiritual knowledge and confidence of 120 palliative care staff in Australia. Findings revealed significant increases in Spirituality, Spiritual Care, Personalised Care, and Confidence in this field immediately following the workshops. Improvements in Spiritual Care and Confidence were maintained 3 month later, with Confidence continuing to grow. These findings suggest that attendance at a custom-designed workshop can significantly improve knowledge and confidence to provide spiritual care. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

"Diagnosing" and "Managing" spiritual distress in palliative care: Creating an intellectual framework for spirituality useable in clinical practice

Definitions of Palliative Care emphasise the holistic nature of care and specifically name spiritual care as an essential element of that care. However, many health professionals are reluctant to engage in spiritual care, often for fear of imposing their own beliefs on a patient at a particularly vulnerable time. We sought to develop a framework for the identification and management of spiritual issues in health care. We found that religion and spirituality were considered as interchangeable concepts, where religion is more properly considered as organising spiritual expression through a formal set of beliefs. Spirituality is best considered as a search for greater meaning, purpose, and direction in living. The key to addressing spirituality is to recognise its role in a person's attempt to make sense of what they are experiencing. The health practitioner's best response is to create an environment in which the patient can express their distress in a secure setting, and identify what, within their belief systems, could provide comfort. Translating this framework into "diagnosing" and "managing" the person's spiritual state helps health practitioners to understand the observations and actions that are inherent in achieving this. The critical importance of the health practitioner acknowledging their own spiritual and religious state, and being willing to offer empathy to the sufferer, is emphasised in this framework

Cross-country analysis of strategies for achieving progress towards global goals for women’s and children’s health

To identify how 10 low- and middle-income countries achieved accelerated progress, ahead of comparable countries, towards meeting millennium development goals 4 and 5A to reduce child and maternal mortality

Irbesartan in Marfan syndrome (AIMS): a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial

Background: Irbesartan, a long acting selective angiotensin-1 receptor inhibitor, in Marfan syndrome might reduce aortic dilatation, which is associated with dissection and rupture. We aimed to determine the effects of irbesartan on the rate of aortic dilatation in children and adults with Marfan syndrome. Methods: We did a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomised trial at 22 centres in the UK. Individuals aged 6–40 years with clinically confirmed Marfan syndrome were eligible for inclusion. Study participants were all given 75 mg open label irbesartan once daily, then randomly assigned to 150 mg of irbesartan (increased to 300 mg as tolerated) or matching placebo. Aortic diameter was measured by echocardiography at baseline and then annually. All images were analysed by a core laboratory blinded to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was the rate of aortic root dilatation. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN90011794. Findings: Between March 14, 2012, and May 1, 2015, 192 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to irbesartan (n=104) or placebo (n=88), and all were followed for up to 5 years. Median age at recruitment was 18 years (IQR 12–28), 99 (52%) were female, mean blood pressure was 110/65 mm Hg (SDs 16 and 12), and 108 (56%) were taking β blockers. Mean baseline aortic root diameter was 34·4 mm in the irbesartan group (SD 5·8) and placebo group (5·5). The mean rate of aortic root dilatation was 0·53 mm per year (95% CI 0·39 to 0·67) in the irbesartan group compared with 0·74 mm per year (0·60 to 0·89) in the placebo group, with a difference in means of −0·22 mm per year (−0·41 to −0·02, p=0·030). The rate of change in aortic Z score was also reduced by irbesartan (difference in means −0·10 per year, 95% CI −0·19 to −0·01, p=0·035). Irbesartan was well tolerated with no observed differences in rates of serious adverse events. Interpretation: Irbesartan is associated with a reduction in the rate of aortic dilatation in children and young adults with Marfan syndrome and could reduce the incidence of aortic complications