Preferences for support services among adolescents and young adults with cancer or a blood disorder: A discrete choice experiment

Background: Life-threatening illnesses in young people are traumatic for patients and their families. Support services can help patients and families deal with various non-medical impacts of diagnosis, disease and treatment. The aim of this study was to determine which types of support are most valued by adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer or blood disorders and their families. Method: A discrete choice experiment (DCE). Separate experiments were conducted with AYA and their carers. Results: Completed surveys were returned by 83 patients and 78 carers. AYA preferred emotional support for themselves (either by counsellors and/or peers), emotional support for their family, financial support and assistance returning to school/work over services relating to cultural and spiritual needs. Covariate analysis indicated female AYA were more likely than males to prefer emotional support, while males were more likely to prefer assistance returning to work/school. Carers preferred emotional support for their AYA and assistance returning to school/work. Like AYA, they were indifferent about services relating to cultural and spiritual needs. Conclusion: Providing the types of support services that people prefer should maximise effectiveness. This study suggests that AYA patients require support services that included financial aid, assistance returning to work/study, emotional support for themselves and for their family. © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Consolidation of Geologic Studies of Geopressured-Geothermal Resources in Texas

Two major structural styles are identified in the Wilcox growth-fault trend of the Texas Gulf Coast. The style in central and southeast Texas is characterized by continuous, closely spaced growth faults that have little associated rollover despite moderate expansion of section and that show little flattening of the fault plane with depth. Where the growth-fault trend crosses the Houston Diapir Province, growth faults are localized by preexisting salt pillows; however, the piercement salt domes formed after the main phase of faulting, so the salt tectonics "overprints" the growth faults. In South Texas (south of Live Oak County), a narrow band of growth faults having high expansion and moderate rollover lies over and downdip of a ridge of deformed, overpressured shale and lies updip of a deep Tertiary-filled basin formed by withdrawal of overpressured shale. Significant antithetic faulting is associated with this band of growth faults. Also in South Texas, the lower Wilcox Lobo trend is deformed by highly listric normal faults beneath an unconformity that is probably related to Laramide tectonic activity. Wilcox sandstone reservoirs are predominantly of high-constructive deltaic (distributary-channel and delta-front) origin. This, together with close spacing of faults and characteristically low permeabilities, limits the size of geopressured reservoirs. The largest reservoirs may be in interfault areas or in salt- or shale-withdrawal basins.Bureau of Economic Geolog

Interactions of asbestos-activated macrophages with an experimental fibrosarcoma

Supernatants from in vivo asbestos-activated macrophages failed to show any cytostatic activity against a syngeneic fibrosarcoma cell line in vitro. UICC chrysotile-induced peritoneal exudate cells also failed to demonstrate any growth inhibitory effect on the same cells in Winn assays of tumor growth. Mixing UICC crocidolite with inoculated tumor cells resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth; this could, however, be explained by a direct cytostatic effect on the tumor cells of high doses of crocidolite, which was observed in vitro

Rational Moral Ignorance

Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, EarlyView

Determinants of Performance in Smallholder Farmer Groups in Uganda

The performance of farmer groups is critical for the success of the farmer-led Agricultural Extension approach currently used in Uganda. This study examines factors affecting performance of farmer groups accessing agricultural extension and advisory services from the National Agricultural Advisory Services in Eastern Uganda. The study collected data 200 members of 19 farmer groups in Eastern Uganda. Performance of farmer groups was the dependent variable, which was perceived to be influenced by individual members’ objectives, participation culture, power distance, structure of task, perceived equity, reward allocation and participation in group activities. Farmer group performance had a statistically significant positive relationship with power distance and perceived equity. Group participation culture and structure of tasks had a statistically negative relationship with group performance. Members tended to deflect group losses to factors beyond the seasonality of group activities, quality of farm inputs, and poor training delivered by advisory service providers. The advisory service providers and farmer group members need to use the political and social capital possessed by the local leadership, groups and community members for enhancing support and collective participation of the community in farmer groups. Since farmer groups are a sub-set of wider community, this empirical study brings into perspective the role of community culture in influencing performance of farmer groups in smallholder farming communities

Exploring the potential of knowledge brokering to enhance natural resource management : findings from the Catchment Knowledge Exchange project in Victoria

Despite significant efforts in natural resource management (NRM), the environmental condition of Victoria’s catchments is mostly ‘poor to moderate’, and continuing to decline in many places. NRM is a complex undertaking involving social, economic, and environmental objectives, across policy, research, and practice dimensions. It is therefore not easy to ensure that the knowledge required to underpin effective NRM is readily available to practitioners. Knowledge brokering is an emerging approach with the potential to improve knowledge sharing and exchange. While it has attracted attention in other areas of public interest (such as health and information technology), its potential in NRM has received relatively limited attention. This article reports on a Victorian knowledge brokering case study which was a major element in the Catchment Knowledge Exchange project. A key finding is that knowledge brokering is a role that is being undertaken informally, without proper acknowledgement or definition. This raises challenges for knowledge management in the context of NRM. We conclude that the ‘people’ component of knowledge brokering is the driving element, although organisational processes and information technologies are critical in enhancing the effectiveness of knowledge brokers. Demonstrating the benefits of knowledge brokering in terms of the ultimate measure of its contribution towards improving the condition of catchments remains a challenge