Individual and organizational factors in job retention in Kentucky's child welfare agency

A major concern in the field of child welfare continues to be the high rate of employee turnover. The purpose of this research was to examine a variety of individual and organizational factors that differentiate leavers from the stayers in child welfare using a prospective design and data from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS). The results of this study show that the stayers (N=448) and leavers (N=275) in this child welfare agency did not differ in their gender, race, or cumulative G.P.A. MSWs were more likely to leave the agency and employees with majors other than psychology or social work were more likely to stay. Stayers reported being more attached to their supervisors and receiving more guidance. Rural workers also perceived greater support from their supervisors than did urban workers. Implications for practice are discussed.Retention Child welfare Supervision Predictors

Self-Management as a Mediator of the Relationship between Social Support Dimensions and Health Outcomes of African American Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Social support promotes behavior change and self-management that leads to improved health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of self-management in mediating the relationship between social support dimensions and health outcomes of African Americans with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Cross-sectional data were collected from 102 African Americans with T2D at an outpatient clinic. The majority of the participants were female, single, unemployed, and having low income. Functional support, the quality of the primary intimate relationship, and the number of support persons were negatively correlated with depression. Functional support and satisfaction with support explained a significant small amount of the variance in self-management. However, self-management did not mediate the relationships between social support dimensions and the health outcomes. The results of this study shed the light on the unique relationships of social support dimensions with health outcomes of African Americans with T2D

Self-Management as a Mediator of the Relationship between Social Support Dimensions and Health Outcomes of African American Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Social support promotes behavior change and self-management that leads to improved health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of self-management in mediating the relationship between social support dimensions and health outcomes of African Americans with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Cross-sectional data were collected from 102 African Americans with T2D at an outpatient clinic. The majority of the participants were female, single, unemployed, and having low income. Functional support, the quality of the primary intimate relationship, and the number of support persons were negatively correlated with depression. Functional support and satisfaction with support explained a significant small amount of the variance in self-management. However, self-management did not mediate the relationships between social support dimensions and the health outcomes. The results of this study shed the light on the unique relationships of social support dimensions with health outcomes of African Americans with T2D

Phase I trial of chemoradiation with capecitabine and vorinostat in pancreatic cancer.

225 Background: Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) and fluoropyrimidines are synergistic and are radiation (R) sensitizers. The combination of the fluoropyrimidine capecitabine ( C) and the HDACi vorinostat (V) with R was evaluated in the treatment (tx) of non-metastatic pancreatic cancer (NMPC). Methods: Patients (Pts) with NMPC were treated with C + V + R. C dose was 1000 mg q12 Monday (M) - Friday (F) on the days of R. R was given via 3D conformal therapy to a total dose of 3000 cGy in 10 fractions over 2 weeks (wk). V dose was given daily M-F x 4 wk. V doses evaluated were: 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg. Resectability assessment occurred within 6 wk after completion of tx. Diffusion weighted- MRIs (DW-MRIs) were obtained pre tx and one wk after tx initiation to assess tumor cellularity. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected pre tx, during tx, and after completion to assess whole cell HDAC activity. Unresectable pts could opt for continuation of C and V (CCV) at systemic doses (C 1000 mg q12 x 14 days and V 300 mg QD x 14 days of every 21 day cycle) or come off study. Results: 18 pts were enrolled and evaluable. Disease statuses pre-tx were: resectable (n=1), borderline resectable (n=9), and unresectable (n=8). One DLT occurred at dose levels 1, 3, and 4, 2 GI toxicities and one thrombocytopenia. Most common adverse events were lymphopenia, GI toxicity, and fatigue. On MRI, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) increased in most, but not all, tumors after one wk of tx but did not correlate to change in tumor size at completion. PBMC histone acetylation increased in some pts. Eight pts (Pre-tx status: 1 resectable and 7 borderline resectable) underwent exploration with 4 undergoing tumor resection. No unresectable pt converted to resectable. Four of ten potential pts opted for CCV after being deemed unresectable, 2 with stable disease for 6 cycles. Conclusions: C + V + R is feasible with no unexpected toxicity. HDAC inhibition and ADC decrease on DWI-MRI was seen. Accrual to the final cohort (V 400 mg) is ongoing. This study was approved and funded by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) from general research support provided by Merck & Co., Inc. Study was also supported by the Vanderbilt-Ingram Center Support Grant P30CA68485. Clinical trial information: NCT00983268