Quality of life in children newly diagnosed with cancer and their mothers

Background With current treatments, approximately 75% of children diagnosed with cancer can expect to achieve disease-free survival. However, treatments are complex and aggressive, potentially compromising QOL for children and their parents. Although previous work has shown increased anxiety and depression among parents after diagnosis, the recent development of standardised measures of QOL enables us to look more directly at the impact of diagnosis on mothers' and children's QOL. The aims of this study are to i) describe QOL for children and their mothers after diagnosis by comparing their scores with population norms, ii) explore the relationship between mothers' worries about the illness and their QOL, and iii) determine the relationship between mothers ratings of their own QOL and their child. Method A total of 87 families took part, constituting 60% of those eligible. The children included 58 males and 29 females aged between 2 years 6 months to 16 years 3 months (mean = 7 years, median = 5 years 8 months). Diagnoses were acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL, n = 57), brain tumours (n = 11), bone tumours (n = 17) and 2 rare cancers. Mothers completed questionnaires about their own and the child's QOL. Results Mothers' reported their own and the child's QOL to be significantly lower than population norms. There were significant correlations between mothers' worries and their own and their ratings of the child's QOL and mothers' ratings of their own QOL correlated with their ratings of the child's QOL. Conclusion Both children and their mothers experience significantly compromised QOL in the months following diagnosis. Mothers who rated their own QOL to be poor also rate their child's QOL to be low. These results suggest caution is required where mothers rate their child's QOL. Efforts must continue to be made to improve QOL of children especially in the period immediately following diagnosis

Good places for ageing in place : development of objective built environment measures for investigating links with older people's wellbeing

Background: There is renewed interest in the role of the built environment in public health. Relatively little research to date investigates its impact on healthy ageing. Ageing in place has been adopted as a key strategy for coping with the challenges of longevity. What is needed is a better understanding of how individual characteristics of older people’s residential environments (from front door to wider neighbourhood) contribute to their wellbeing, in order to provide the basis for evidence-based housing/urban design and development of interventions. This research aimed to develop a tool to objectively measure a large range of built environment characteristics, as the basis for a preliminary study of potential relationships with a number of ‘place-related’ functional, emotional and social wellbeing constructs. Methods: Through a review of urban design literature, design documents, and existing measures, a new tool, the NeDeCC (Neighbourhood Design Characteristics Checklist) was developed. It was piloted, refined, and its reliability validated through inter-rater tests. A range of place-related wellbeing constructs were identified and measured through interviews with 200 older people living in a wide variety of rural-urban environments and different types of housing in England. The NeDeCC was used to measure the residential environment of each participant, and significant bivariate relationships with wellbeing variables were identified. Results: The NeDeCC was found to have convincing face and construct validity and good inter-rater and test/ retest reliability, though it would benefit from use of digital data sources such as Google Earth to eliminate the need for on-site survey. The significant relationships found in the study suggest that there may be characteristics of residential environments of potential relevance for older people’s lives that have been overlooked in research to date, and that it may be worthwhile to question some of the assumptions about where and how older people want to live (e.g. villages seem to be positive). They also point to the importance of considering non-linear relationships. Conclusions: The NeDeCC provides the basis for generation of evidence-based design guidance if it is used in prospective controlled studies or ‘natural experiments’ in the future. Ultimately, this will facilitate the creation of better places for ageing in place

‘I don’t want my parents’ respect going down the drain’: South Asian, Muslim young women negotiating family and physical activity.

Young women’s relationship with physical activity has been explored extensively, yet the focus is often upon young women who are White. This paper considers South Asian, Muslim young women’s experiences of physical activity and how these are influenced by family. A ‘middle ground’ feminist approach is used, drawing upon the work of Hill Collins [(2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. London: Routledge] and Hamzeh [(2012). Pedagogies of deveiling: Muslim girls and the hijab discourse (critical AQ2 construction). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing were generated with 13 young women using participatory approaches in focus group settings, and individual interviews. This research highlights how the young women’s families can both enable and challenge opportunities and involvement in physical activity. The paper discusses how gender and religion intersect with family and wider community to influence experiences in multiple, diverse and fluid ways. The young women’s narratives suggest that experiences are not determined solely by these influences; rather, they emerge as active agents negotiating different contextual challenges in their quest to be physically active

A combined three-dimensional in vitro-in silico approach to modelling bubble dynamics in decompression sickness

The growth of bubbles within the body is widely believed to be the cause of decompression sickness (DCS). Dive computer algorithms that aim to prevent DCS by mathematically modelling bubble dynamics and tissue gas kinetics are challenging to validate. This is due to lack of understanding regarding the mechanism(s) leading from bubble formation to DCS. In this work, a biomimetic in vitro tissue phantom and a three-dimensional computational model, comprising a hyperelastic strain-energy density function to model tissue elasticity, were combined to investigate key areas of bubble dynamics. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the diffusion coefficient was the most influential material parameter. Comparison of computational and experimental data revealed the bubble surface's diffusion coefficient to be 30 times smaller than that in the bulk tissue and dependent on the bubble's surface area. The initial size, size distribution and proximity of bubbles within the tissue phantom were also shown to influence their subsequent dynamics highlighting the importance of modelling bubble nucleation and bubble–bubble interactions in order to develop more accurate dive algorithms

Leadership Behaviour and Upward Feedback: Findings from a Longitudinal Intervention

A sample of 48 managers and 308 staff members of a community health care organization took part in a study to investigate the influence of participating in an upward feedback program on leadership behaviour, both as indicated be self-ratings and subordinates’ ratings. The research design consisted of three measurement points within one year. The intervention included managers receiving upward feedback and a management skills workshop. The results showed a negative effect of the program on leadership behaviour as rated by the staff. Furthermore, managers reduced their self-ratings in the condition where they participated in both a feedback session and an management skills workshop.Management;Leadership Behaviour;Self-rating;Upward Feedback

Novel preparation of controlled porosity particle/fibre loaded scaffolds using a hybrid micro-fluidic and electrohydrodynamic technique.

The purpose of this research was to produce multi-dimensional scaffolds containing biocompatible particles and fibres. To achieve this, two techniques were combined and used: T-Junction microfluidics and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) processing. The former was used to form layers of monodispersed bovine serum albumin (BSA) bubbles, which upon drying formed porous scaffolds. By altering the T-Junction processing parameters, bubbles with different diameters were produced and hence the scaffold porosity could be controlled. EHD processing was used to spray or spin poly(lactic-co-glycolic) (PLGA), polymethysilsesquioxane (PMSQ) and collagen particles/fibres onto the scaffolds during their production and after drying. As a result, multifunctional BSA scaffolds with controlled porosity containing PLGA, PMSQ and collagen particles/fibres were obtained. Product morphology was studied by optical and scanning electron microscopy. These products have potential applications in many advanced biomedical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields e.g. bone regeneration, drug delivery, cosmetic cream lathers, facial scrubbing creams etc

Modelling mode of trial

This paper presents a quantitative analysis of data collected from the mode of trial hearing in two English magistrates' courts. A model of the mode of trial procedure is offered that explores the factors that influence the mode of trial decision taken by magistrates. While legal factors such as seriousness of the offence play a part in the process, the mode of trial decision is also shaped by factors such as courtroom culture, the provision of bail and ethnicity. While this study is, in many respects, exploratory, it does point towards the importance of these extra legal factors in the mode of trial decision and indicate future areas for research

Effects of upward feedback on leadership behaviour toward subordinates

Purpose - To investigate the influence of participating in an upward feedback program on leadership behaviour, both as indicated be self-ratings and subordinates' ratings. Design/methodology/approach - The research design consisted of two measurement points within six months. The program included managers receiving an upward feedback report and a short workshop to facilitate interpretation. A sample of 45 managers and 308 staff members of a community health care organization took part. Findings - The study showed three results. First, managers lack insight into the real impact of their behavior. Second, only a small positive effect was found of the upward feedback program on the leadership behaviour as rated by their staff in terms of valuing diversity. Third, the managers' self-ratings of Presenting feedback, Fairness and Integrity & respect decreased between Time 1 and Time 2. Originality/value - The study points towards the need for HRM professionals to carefully implement upward feedback programs in order to have a real impact on the development of managers