What it means to be a palliative care volunteer in eight European countries:a qualitative analysis of accounts of volunteering

This paper addresses the stories of volunteers in hospice and palliative care (HPC) from eight European countries. The aims of the paper are to explore the experiences of volunteers in HPC from their insider perspective, to understand why volunteers choose to work in this field and to understand what it means to them to be involved in palliative care in this way. Stories were collected by the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) Task Force for Volunteering contacts in each of the eight countries. The majority of stories (n = 32) came from volunteers involved in different settings including adult patient’s homes, hospices, hospitals and care homes. Twenty volunteers were female, six were male, and ten did not give their gender. Stories were translated into English, and a qualitative framework analysis was performed. Volunteers were asked two questions: ‘What do you do as a volunteer?’ ‘What does volunteering mean to you?’ Three themes were identified from the data: (i) What volunteers do (ii) How volunteers approach their work and (iii) What working in HPC means to volunteers. The analysis revealed that common approaches to addressing and describing HPC volunteering in terms of tasks and roles could be expanded. To volunteers, it is not about tasks, but about a part of their life, the impact upon which can be significant. The results of this paper, therefore, add to the understanding of volunteers, in the sense of giving attention, being with, and of compassion as a community resource to patients and families in difficult situations. Theories about presence and presencing might have value in further underpinning this contribution to palliative care. Understanding the extent and depth of the volunteers’ experience will help to prevent the undervaluing of their contribution and increase the impact of their involvement

Proteinase-activated receptor 2 is involved in the behavioural changes associated with sickness behaviour

Proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) is widely expressed in the CNS but whether it plays a key role in inflammation-related behavioural changes remains unknown. Hence, in the present study we have examined whether PAR2 contributes to behaviour associated with systemic inflammation using PAR2 transgenic mice. The onset of sickness behaviour was delayed and the recovery accelerated in PAR2-/- mice in the LPS-induced model of sickness behaviour. In contrast, PAR2 does not contribute to behaviour under normal conditions. In conclusion, these data suggest that PAR2 does not contribute to behaviour in the normal healthy brain but it plays a role in inflammation-related behavioural changes

Young people and their understanding of loss and bereavement

A significant proportion of secondary school pupils in the UK have experienced the death of someone close. Bereavement in childhood can have a significant and long lasting impact. The aim of this study was to explore how pupils aged between 12 and 18 understand major loss, death and dying, whom they talk to and the support they access at these times, and their awareness of the range of support available to them. A total of 31 pupils, 108 parents and 37 staff from a large Scottish secondary school took part and data was collected using online questionnaires. A high proportion of pupils had experience of major loss or bereavement and showed significant awareness of their feelings and responses to these. It appears that young people primarily seek support from family and friends, but the role of peers is less well recognised by parents and teachers. The school was recognised as a source of support mainly by teachers

School pupils and their understanding of significant change and losses in life.

The impact of bereavement in childhood is significant. The Childhood Bereavement Network suggests that 78% of 11-16 year olds in the UK have experienced the death of a close relative or friend. Children respond to bereavement in different ways depending on their age and understanding of death. Further evidence suggests that bereaved children experience considerable anxiety in addition to underachieving at school. Pallium Canada, who funded the research, is a Canadian national organisation created to improve the quality of hospice and palliative care services through the development and dissemination of peer-reviewed education, resources and clinical decision-making tools for interprofessional health care providers. Pallium Canada's Compassionate Schools initiative defines a compassionate school as one that includes death education as part of its curriculum and policies and provides a supportive community for pupils, staff and parents. Pallium Canada highlights that 'all natural cycles of sickness and health, birth and death, and love and loss occur every day within these educational institutions.' This study, involving pupils, parents and staff, sought to understand young people's perceptions of loss, death and dying. This collaborative qualitative pilot study was undertaken in conjunction with colleagues in Canada and was designed to gain knowledge of how children of different ages understand loss, death and dying; the support they access and their awareness of what is available to them. The pupils in Canada were of primary school age; whereas the study's Scottish component involved one secondary school with participants aged between 12-18 years. This report focuses on the findings from the Scotland study

Creating and supporting clinical academic careers in the NHS

Aim of the Poster: To provide an overview of three distinct but related activities in the East Midlands region to support the development of Clinical Academic Careers in Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions

Barley seed coating with free and immobilized alkaline phosphatase to improve P uptake and plant growth

Coating barley seeds with free and immobilized alkaline phosphatase was investigated as a potential means to enhance plant utilization of accumulated soil phosphorus (P). Two coating techniques were studied: film-coating and pelleting. The highest phosphatase activity retention in the coating layer, ranging from 0·48 to 0·67, was observed when seeds were film-coated with phosphatase–polyresorcinol complex (PPC). The germination of seeds film-coated or pelleted with alkaline phosphatase ranged from 0·84 to 0·97 or 0·14 to 0·25, respectively. Low germination of the pelleted seeds was attributed to freezing the seeds in liquid nitrogen (N) for the layer coating formation. Pelleted seeds were not used in the remainder of the studies. Under pot culture conditions, an increase in the soil inorganic P was detected when the seeds were film-coated with phosphatase. Moreover, the film-coating significantly increased the P uptake by plants (between 25 and 31% after 35 days after planting (DAP)). The present study showed that the seed film-coating with free and immobilized phosphatase increased the phosphatase activity in the rhizosphere and the P uptake by plants

Health-Promoting Behaviours following Primary Treatment for Cancer: A Rural–Urban Comparison from a Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: To compare health-promoting behaviours among rural and urban residents following primary treatment for cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional survey collecting demographic variables and data pertaining to health-promoting behaviours, documented using the 52-item Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) measure, which is categorised into six subscales: (1) health responsibility, (2) spiritual growth, (3) physical activity, (4) interpersonal relations, (5) nutrition, and (6) stress management. Residence was defined using the U.K. Office for National Statistics RUC 2011 Rural Urban Classifications. The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) Decile was used to measure deprivation. Quantitative data were analysed using independent samples t-test and multiple linear regression. Qualitative data from open-ended questions were analysed thematically. Results: In total, 227 participants with a range of cancer types completed the questionnaire. Fifty-three percent were residents in urban areas and forty-five percent in rural areas. Rural participants scored significantly higher on health responsibility (p = 0.001), nutrition (p = 0.001), spiritual growth (p = 0.004), and interpersonal relationships (p = 0.001), as well as on the overall HPLP-II (p = 0.001). When controlling for deprivation, age, marital status, and education, rural–urban residence was a significant predictor of exhibiting health-promoting behaviours. A central theme from the qualitative data was the concept of “moving on” from cancer following treatment, by making adjustments to physical, social, psychological, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing. Conclusions: This research revealed, for the first time, differences in health-promoting behaviours among rural and urban U.K. populations who have completed primary cancer treatment. Rural residence can provide a positive environment for engaging with health-promoting behaviours following a cancer diagnosis and treatment

A possible jet precession in the periodic quasar B0605-085

The quasar B0605-085 (OH 010) shows a hint for probable periodical variability in the radio total flux-density light curves. We study the possible periodicity of B0605-085 in the total flux-density, spectra and opacity changes in order to compare it with jet kinematics on parsec scales. We have analyzed archival total flux-density variability at ten frequencies (408 MHz, 4.8 GHz, 6.7 GHz, 8 GHz, 10.7 GHz, 14.5 GHz, 22 GHz, 37 GHz, 90 GHz, and 230 GHz) together with the archival high-resolution very long baseline interferometry data at 15 GHz from the MOJAVE monitoring campaign. Using the Fourier transform and discrete autocorrelation methods we have searched for periods in the total flux-density light curves. In addition, spectral evolution and changes of the opacity have been analyzed. We found a period in multi-frequency total flux-density light curves of 7.9+-0.5 yrs. Moreover, a quasi-stationary jet component C1 follows a prominent helical path on a similar time scale of 8 years. We have also found that the average instantaneous speeds of the jet components show a clear helical pattern along the jet with a characteristic scale of 3 mas. Taking into account average speeds of jet components, this scale corresponds to a time scale of about 7.7 years. Jet precession can explain the helical path of the quasi-stationary jet component C1 and the periodical modulation of the total flux-density light curves. We have fitted a precession model to the trajectory of the jet component C1, with a viewing angle phi=2.6+-2.2 degrees, aperture angle of the precession cone Omega=23.9+-1.9 degrees and fixed precession period (in the observers frame) P = 7.9 yrs.Comment: 14 pages, 16 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in A&