Healthcare professionals' views on discussing fertility preservation with young cancer patients: a mixed method systematic review of the literature

Objective: In spite of efforts to guarantee patients are adequately informed about their risk of fertility loss and offered treatment for fertility preservation (FP), previous studies have reported that this topic is not routinely discussed with patients, especially with younger patient populations. A mixed method systematic review was undertaken to explore the factors shaping the discussion of FP with children (0-15 years) and adolescents/young adults (16-24 years) with cancer. Methods: Six databases were searched independently using a combination of keywords and controlled vocabulary/subject headings relating to cancer and fertility. Inclusion criteria consisted of: 1) being published in a peer-reviewed journal; 2) a focus on HCPs’ beliefs, attitudes or practices on fertility issues in cancer patients; 3) primary data collection from HCPs; and 4) a focus on HCPs who provide services to young patients. Of the 6276 articles identified in the search, 16 articles presenting the results of 14 studies were included in the final review. Results: Common themes reported across studies indicate that five main factors influence HCPs’ discussion of FP with young cancer patients: 1) HCPs’ knowledge; 2) HCPs’ sense of comfort; 3) Patient factors (i.e., sexual maturity, prognosis, partnership status, and whether or not they initiate the conversation); 4) Parent factors (i.e., HCPs’ perception of the extent of their involvement); and 5) Availability of educational materials. Conclusions: Future work should ensure that HCPs possess knowledge on cancer-related FP and that they receive adequate training on how to consent and discuss information with young patients and their parents

Examining the Pieces: Usability Testing to Improve Outreach to Unaffiliated Health Professionals

Objectives: In order to better address the information needs of unaffiliated public health and primary care professionals, librarians undertook a project to strengthen usability and refine the content of a freely available website maintained by the library. Collaboration with an advisory committee of local and state health care professionals allowed librarians to schedule focus groups and usability testing with diverse groups. Methods: While a freely available, library maintained website had a long history, usability testing had not been done after a platform upgrade. Outside funding provided library staff with resources to engage with community groups focused on supporting public health and primary care professionals. An advisory committee of stakeholders was formed to support the project. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches, including focus groups and usability testing, were used to collect and analyze data. Focus groups provided feedback on usability as well as suggestions for content. Feedback was transcribed to provide effective information for website updates and regularly shared with the advisory committee for review and input. Project librarians further researched content suggestions. Website content and navigation will be updated based on feedback and reviewed by the advisory committee. Other funding opportunities will be sought to further publicize an updated website. Results: Feedback from multiple focus groups provided project librarians with information about how practitioners used the website. Feedback exposed issues related to the website that could easily be corrected and others that would need more in depth work. In addition, feedback on content demonstrated the need for resources on mental health and other topics. Usability testing was limited but structured task completion questions provided an overview of navigation and general design flaws that needed to be addressed. Preliminary consultations with library web designers generated an action plan for improving site design and navigation. Most focus group sessions concluded with a brief training period in which project librarians answered questions from participants about the site and demonstrated how to use site resources. Conclusions: Project librarians gathered valuable information using the methods described. This was the first time the website had undergone any type of user testing and the project librarians concluded that further iterations of the site should be tested by practitioners. Unexpected benefits of the project include relationships built with practitioners through focus groups and the advisory committee. Future funding will be sought to finalize website improvements and begin efforts to train and promote the use of the site

The International Surface Pressure Databank version 2

The International Surface Pressure Databank (ISPD) is the world's largest collection of global surface and sea-level pressure observations. It was developed by extracting observations from established international archives, through international cooperation with data recovery facilitated by the Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth (ACRE) initiative, and directly by contributing universities, organizations, and countries. The dataset period is currently 1768–2012 and consists of three data components: observations from land stations, marine observing systems, and tropical cyclone best track pressure reports. Version 2 of the ISPD (ISPDv2) was created to be observational input for the Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project (20CR) and contains the quality control and assimilation feedback metadata from the 20CR. Since then, it has been used for various general climate and weather studies, and an updated version 3 (ISPDv3) has been used in the ERA-20C reanalysis in connection with the European Reanalysis of Global Climate Observations project (ERA-CLIM). The focus of this paper is on the ISPDv2 and the inclusion of the 20CR feedback metadata. The Research Data Archive at the National Center for Atmospheric Research provides data collection and access for the ISPDv2, and will provide access to future versions

Elite Refereeing in Professional Soccer: A Case Study of Mental Skills Support

Refereeing a high-profile soccer game requires a unique blend of sports-specific knowledge, physical abilities, and mental skills. While mental skills instruction has been seen as an integral element of performance enhancement in elite sport, the application of sport psychology intervention for referees and match officials is far less prominent. This case study briefly describes the levels of stress associated with refereeing elite soccer matches and the impact of stress on officiating performance and subsequent self-confidence of soccer referees. The work then outlines the program of mental skills intervention that was delivered to an elite soccer referee working within the Scottish professional soccer leagues. The program of mental skills embraced five stages: (1) Education; (2) Assessment/ profiling; (3) Mental skill learning; (4) Application of mental skills in context; and (5) Evaluation, and this article centers on the way in which each of these stages was carried out. The case study describes how the mental skills instruction program was associated with improved refereeing performance, and provides some tentative advice for sport psychology practitioners who may wish to provide consultancy services within the domain of sports officiating

The effects of IQPLUS Focus on cognitive function, mood and endocrine response before and following acute exercise

BACKGROUND: Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid found in cell membranes of most animals and plants. PS has been shown to reduce stress and increase performance in runners, cyclists and golfers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a PS containing formulation on cognitive function, mood and endocrine response before and after intense resistance exercise. METHODS: 18 lower body, resistance trained, college aged males ingested 14 days of supplement (IQPLUS Focus, providing 400 mg of soy-derived PS) and a Placebo (PL), in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, cross-over manner. Following 14 days of supplementation, participants performed an acute bout of lower body resistance training. Mood (Profile of Mood States, POMS) and cognitive function (Serial Subtraction Test, SST) were measured prior to, 5 minutes after, and 60 minutes after exercise. Venous blood samples were collected prior to, and 5, 15, 25, 40 and 60 minutes after exercise. Blood samples were analyzed for plasma cortisol and testosterone. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: PS supplementation significantly reduced the time needed for a correct calculation on the SST by 20% (reduced by 1.27 s per calculation; PL: 6.4 s, PS: 5.13 s; p = 0.001), and reduced the total amount of errors by 39% (PL: 1.28 + .69, PS: .78 + .27, p = 0.53), and increased the amount of correct calculations by 13% (PL: 22.1 + 2.24, PS: 24.9 + 1.52, p = 0.07) prior to or in response to exercise compared to PL. Following exercise, there was no difference in SST scores between PS and PL. There were no significant changes in regards to mood or endocrine response to exercise as a result of PS supplementation. CONCLUSION: PS supplementation significantly increased cognitive function prior to exercise. Improved cognitive function could benefit athletes and non-athletes alike. PS did not appear to affect mood or endocrine response prior to or following resistance exercise