bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a British child bereavement service: The user's perspective
Authors: Lydon Anne , Hennings Jean , Woolley Bernadette Ryan 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjective:This article summarizes the findings from a 3-year independent evaluation of a regional Child Bereavement Service (CBS). The service was commissioned by a Primary Care Trust in Northern England, and funded by a British cancer charity, Macmillan Cancer Support. The need for a CBS was recognized by members of a Palliative Care Group who identified a gap in local services for bereaved children, who may be susceptible to short/long-term psychiatric/psychological disorders. The service was established to offer support for professionals working with bereaved children and their family.Method:Interventions provided by the service included pre/post bereavement support, individual work with the child and/or family, and group work. An evaluation (2004–2007), was conducted to inform service development utilizing semi-structured interviews with parents/carers of service users (n = 20), and semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals (n = 8). Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using grounded theory methods.Results:Referrals were higher than expected. Sixty per year were anticipated; however, in the first year alone, there were 255 referrals. Health and social care professionals who attended training courses, provided by the CBS staff, expressed confidence in providing bereavement support themselves, or by making appropriate referrals to the CBS. Parents and carers welcomed a service specifically for their children.Significance of results:The CBS is a viable organization that supports bereaved children as expressed in this article.
A psychosocial cancer phone center staffed by professional psychologists as an integral part of the standard process of care: Its utility during the course of illness
Authors: Arnaboldi Paola , Lupo Francesca N. , Santoro Luigi , Rubio Luigia , Tenore Angela , Solinas Ilaria , Grotti Fabrizio Delle , Ferri Vito , Teresi Nicasia , Zurrida Stefano , Didier Florence 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjective:Major cancer centers cannot ignore psychosocial patient needs that have a significant impact on the process of adjustment to cancer and on compliance to treatments. We introduced a new service, the Gigi Ghirotti Psychosocial Cancer Phone Center (GGPCPC), staffed by professional psychologists, for use by our patients and their relatives. This article investigates its feasibility as a support delivery vehicle for patients in their follow-up phase, and also investigates patients' sense of abandonment related to their care setting.Method:A close collaboration was set up between GGPCPC psychologists and European Institute of Oncology (IEO) psychologists. Education and awareness sessions regarding the importance of such a source of psychological support were conducted by IEO psychologists with nurses, secretaries, and receptionists. IEO psychologists input monthly data, recorded on specific paper-tabs by GGPCPC psychologists for each call received by the phone center between March 2007 and March 2009, into a SPSS database.Results:Four hundred and thirty individuals contacted the center mainly to receive psychological support during their treatment phase, when they visited IEO for treatment sessions. Multiple indicators suggest that this telephone support program was feasible and provided support to a broad range of cancer patients. Patients seemed to prefer it to face-to-face psychological support during their treatment-phase.Significance of results:The GGPCPC was demonstrated to be an efficacious support and information delivery vehicle for patients and relatives during the illness course.
Symptoms experienced by cancer patients during the first year from diagnosis: Patient and informal caregiver ratings and agreement
Authors: Molassiotis Alexander , Zheng Y. , Denton-Cardew L. , Swindell R. , Brunton L. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjective:The aim of this study was to explore the symptom experience of patients with cancer, identify changes in symptoms over time, and explore the congruence of symptom reports between patients and their informal caregivers.Method:This was a prospective longitudinal evaluation of symptoms over 1 year from start of treatments (T1) using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. Assessments and follow up took place at 3 months (T2), 6 months (T3) and 12 months (T4). A heterogeneous sample of 100 patients with cancer participated, providing 325 assessments over time. Furthermore, 82 caregivers also participated, providing 238 dyadic patient–caregiver assessments over the same time.Results:The most commonly occurring, and by far most distressing, symptom was “lack of energy.” Common symptoms reported were lack of concentration, difficulties sleeping, shortness of breath, cough, pain, dry mouth, and feeling drowsy. Symptom occurrence and distress improved over time, particularly from T2 to T3 (p < 0.05), but the “chronicity” of some generic symptoms was notable. Caregivers tended to overestimate occurrence and distress compared to patients, particularly in symptoms of psychological nature; κ statistics had a highest coefficient of 0.45, suggesting moderate agreement between patients and caregivers at best.Significance of results:More attention needs to be paid to the commonly reported symptoms by patients, as they have the potential of impacting on quality of life (QOL). As patient–caregiver reports had moderate agreement, effort should be directed to improving this agreement, as caregivers are often communicating patient symptoms to clinicians.
Making sense of health and illness in palliative care: Volunteers' perspectives
Authors: Sévigny Andrée , Cohen S. Robin , Dumont Serge , Frappier Annie 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjective:To encourage communication and contribute to the palliative care movement's need for interdisciplinary care, this article offers to explore the stance of volunteers on two fundamental concepts, “health” and “illness,” as well as their related understanding of “palliative care.” Volunteers' understandings are then compared with the concepts put forth by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) in its “Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care.”Method:Focus groups with volunteers, and individual interviews with coordinators from five selected palliative care community action organizations from across Canada, are used. A total of 65 participants from three Canadian provinces were interviewed.Results:Participants view illness as a subjective, multidimensional, and transformative experience that requires multiple adjustments. It is an impediment to personal equilibrium and a challenge for the terminally ill and their close ones. Health, on the other hand, is a complex phenomenon that consists of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. For participants, health is most often embodied by a person's capacity to adjust to their challenging circumstances. Both volunteers and coordinators see palliative care as an alternative approach to care that centers on helping patients and their families through their ordeal by offering comfort and respite, and helping patients enjoy their life for as long as possible.Significance of Results:Participants describe illness as a destabilizing loss and palliative care as a means to compensate for the numerous consequences this loss brings; their actions reflect these principles and are compatible with the CHPCA model.
Involvement in everyday life for people with a life threatening illness
Authors: Svidén Gerd Andersson , Tham Kerstin , Borell Lena 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjective:In many studies, everyday life has been shown to be of great significance in the context of life-threatening cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate how people with cancer who are receiving palliative care engage in and undertake activities in their everyday lives.Method:This is a qualitative interview study adopting a grounded theory approach. The sample was composed of participants receiving services from palliative hospital-based home care and day care services. A total of 47 individuals were interviewed.Results:Despite experiencing the threat of progressive loss of functioning, the participants were striving to remain involved in and to be active in everyday life. Continued involvement in everyday life with lowered expectations concerning performance gave the participants the possibility to continue doing daily activities as well as to perform new and engaging activities that were a source of pleasure and enabled the patients to feel a sense of competence.Significance of results:This study has demonstrated the power of being involved in everyday life activities. The proposed model, explaining individuals' desire to continue to live an active life despite a progressive loss of functioning, can provide a model to help the reasoning of professionals when supporting patients in their everyday life.
Improving quality of life through rehabilitation in palliative care: Case report
Authors: Kasven-Gonzalez Nicole , Souverain Regine , Miale Susan 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjective:Occupational and physical therapists can have a significant impact on the quality of life of terminally ill cancer patients. In the critical care setting, rehabilitation is often overlooked. However, occupational and physical therapists work with critically-ill patients to create realistic and meaningful goals for improving comfort, mobility, socialization skills, and ability to care for oneself regardless of disease state and medical status. The following case report describes rehabilitation intervention with a young woman diagnosed with osteosarcoma and leukemia during the final stage of her life.Method:This case report highlights the use of patient-centered goals and the importance of close collaboration between the patient, occupational therapist, and physical therapists to achieve a higher quality of life.Results:A collaborative effort by the occupational and physical therapists yielded positive outcomes as defined by the patient, patient family, and the medical staff in the critical care setting.Significance of results:Palliative care patients may benefit from occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) intervention. Rehabilitation specialists are skilled at working with patients to set realistic and meaningful functional goals. Further study on rehabilitation treatment to improve quality of life among patients in palliative care is needed.
An Anti‐Neomycin Antibody Interfering with ABO Grouping and Antibody Screening
Authors: Hysell J. K. , Gray J. M. , Hysell J. W. , Keck M. L. 
Published: September 2010

A patient's serum agglutinated most commercial antibody screening and panel identification red blood cells; however, it did not agglutinate either the cells of ABO compatible donors or washed, saline suspended commercial cells. When suspended in a solution containing 0.1 mg/ml neomycin, all cells, including the patient's, were agglutinated by the patient's serum.Inhibition did not occur by preincubation of either the patient's serum or the test cells with 10 mg/ml neomycin. Serum preincubation with butirosin, kanamycin, or neamine inhibited immediate agglutination in the presence of neomycin. The reactive group is, therefore, included in the neamine fragment.Ultracentrifugation segregated the antibody in the 7S fraction. Following separation by column chromatography, only fractions containing IgA demonstrated antineomycin activity.
A Kininogen‐Like Substance in Unheated Human Plasma Proteins
Authors: Izaka K. , Morichi S. , Fujita Y. , Hasegawa E. 
Published: September 2010

The presence of a kininogen‐like substance was evidenced in unheated human plasma proteins. This substance was found to be susceptible to human urinary kallikrein and its content per gram dry weight of unheated plasma proteins was estimated to be equal to the amount of standard human kininogen that produces kinin activity equivalent to 2–8 μg bradykinin under the action of human urinary kallikrein.The elimination of this substance from unheated plasma proteins was achieved by chromatography on DEAE‐Sephadex equilibrated with pH 7.5 Tris buffer. The bradykinin‐like substance contained in 5 per cent heat‐treated human plasma protein solution was demonstrated to be released either by the heat treatment of unheated plasma protein solution at 60 C or by the enzymatic action of human urinary kallikrein. It is presumed that this kininogen‐like substance in unheated plasma proteins will be a precursor for the bradykinin‐like substance in 5 per cent heat‐treated human plasma protein solution.
Simplification of the Methods for Adding and Removing Glycerol During Freeze‐Preservation of Human Red Blood Cells with the High or Low Glycerol Methods: Biochemical Modification Prior to Freezing
Authors: Valeri C. R. 
Published: September 2010

Simple methods have been developed for adding and removing glycerol during freeze‐preservation with 20 per cent W/V glycerol at –150 C, or with 40 per cent W/V glycerol at –80 C. A one‐step method with a 35 per cent W/V glycerol solution is used to prepare 20 per cent W/V glycerolized red blood cells, and a two‐step method with a 57 per cent W/V glycerol solution is used to prepare 40 per cent W/V glycerolized red blood cells.The systems for washing glycerolized red blood cells have been simplified. This method consists of dilution of the thawed glycerolized red blood cells prior to recovery, followed by on‐line dilution of these red blood cells with wash solutions during continuous flow centrifugation. This can be done in any of three commercially available washing systems, and they all use the same sodium chloride solutions. For the 40 per cent W/V glycerolized red blood cells, this process takes about 30 minutes and uses 2.2 to 3.2 liters of the sodium chloride solutions, whereas the 20 per cent W/V glycerolized red blood cells can be processed in about 20 minutes using 1.5 to 2.5 liters.After storage in CPD for three days at 4 C, red blood cells can be freeze‐preserved with 40 per cent W/V glycerol at –80 C or with 20 per cent W/V glycerol at –150 C. When the thawed red blood cells are washed in the Fenwal Elutramatic, the IBM Blood Processor, or the Haemonetics Blood Processor and stored at 4 C in sodium chloride‐glucose‐phosphate for at least 24 hours before transfusion, they have excellent posttransfusion survival values and normal or slightly decreased oxygen transport function. Alternatively, these red blood cells can be rejuvenated before freeze‐preservation so that their 2,3‐DPG levels are increased and their affinity for oxygen is reduced. Red blood cells that are stored in CPD at 4 C for as long as 28 days can be rejuvenated with a solution containing pyruvate, inosine, glucose, phosphate, and adenine (PIGPA, Solution A) before freeze‐preservation with 40 per cent W/V glycerol at –80 C. Any one of the above systems can be used to wash these red blood cells and they can be stored at 4 C in a sodium chloride‐glucose‐phosphate solution for four days and have acceptable posttransfusion survival.Before transfusion the red blood cells are concentrated, the supernatant solution is removed, and the hematocrit is adjusted to about 90 V per cent. Any of the washing procedures will effectively recover the red blood cells and remove most of the products of hemolysis, glycerol, 125I albumin, and additives used for rejuvenation.
The Effect of Continuous Dialysis on Platelet Preservation
Authors: Hardeman M. R. 
Published: September 2010

Serotonin uptake and response to hypotonic shock were studied after storage of platelet‐rich plasma for three days at 4, 25, and 37 C. Both properties were best maintained at 25 C. The greatly impaired serotonin uptake and hypotonic shock response of platelets stored for three days at 37 C were partly restored by resuspension of the platelets in fresh autologous plasma. No improvement was found when platelets stored at 4 C were resuspended in fresh autologous plasma.When platelet suspensions were stored for three days at 4, 25, and 37 C under continuous dialysis against plasma, the results obtained at 37 C were even better than those obtained with platelets stored at 25 C. These results indicate that if the accumulation of metabolites in the plasma milieu, which in addition to other changes results in a drop of pH, is prevented, the effective storage time of platelet concentrates can be prolonged. The use of a closed plastic dialysis system, based on the triple‐bag transfusion set is suggested.
Some Observations on “Bombay” Bloods, with Comments on Evidence for the Existence of Two Different Oh Phenotypes
Authors: Moores P. P. , Issitt P. D. , Pavone B. G. , McKeever B. G. 
Published: September 2010

Bloods from three individuals, one each of the phenotypes OhA, OhB and OhO have been studied. The work of Dzierzkowa‐Borodej, et al.10 was confirmed when it was shown that all three samples of Oh red blood cells had increased I antigen strength. The i, Sda, Lea and Lex antigens were not found to be increased. Attempts were made to adsorb and elute anti‐A, anti‐B and anti‐A, B with the Oh red blood cells, using sera that contained high titered anti‐I antibodies. This was done in the belief that previously reported positive results in such tests might be due to the high level of I on the Oh red blood cells, anti‐I in the sera containing the ABO antibodies, and the Matuhasi‐Ogata phenomenon. However, in no instance were we able to adsorb an ABO antibody onto the Oh red blood cells. Contrary to the report of others10 the titers of anti‐A, anti‐B and anti‐H in the sera of the three Oh individuals studied did not differ significantly.We suggest that the evidence from our findings and the work of others is sufficient to show that at least two forms of the Oh phenotype exist: one representing total suppression of H, A, and B antigens, and the other marked but not total suppression, with partial inhibition of antibody production.
Plasma Exchange in the Treatment of Immune Disease
Authors: Branda R. F. , Moldow C. F. , McCullough J. J. , Jacob H. S. 
Published: September 2010

Plasma exchange was investigated as an alternative to the use of toxic drugs to remove unwanted antibody. Studies in rabbits immunized with bovine serum albumin demonstrate that exchange transfusion after a primary immunization results in a rebound of antibody to above preexchange levels. However, exchange transfusion seven, 11, or 18 days after secondary immunization results in permanent lowering of antibody levels.Plasma exchange with the continuous flow centrifuge was used in four patients with hematologic diseases. White cell isoantibodies were removed in a septic leukopenic patient, permitting white cell transfusions. Two patients with immune thrombocytopenia were exchanged; one showed prompt and permanent elevation of platelet count, while the other did not improve. A patient with immune hemolytic anemia had stabilization of hemoglobin levels and decreased Coombs reactivity following plasma exchange.
The Significance of Red Cell Bound Complement Components in Development of Standards and Quality Assurance for the Anti‐Complement Components of Antiglobulin Sera
Authors: Garratty G. , Petz L. D. 
Published: September 2010

Human red blood cells, sensitized with complement in vivo and by a variety of methods in vitro, (e.g. blood group antibody, low ionic strength, alternate pathway), were tested with a battery of anti‐complement sera (anti‐C3, ‐C3c, ‐C3d, ‐C4, ‐C4c). Red blood cells could be prepared by relatively simple methods to yield cells sensitized with C3 and C4, C3 but not C4, C4 but no C3, C3d with no C3c and C4d with no C4c. These cells are suitable for standardization and quality assurance of antiglobulin sera (AGS). Anti‐C3d is necessary for optimal detection of sensitization of red blood cells by complement in vivo by the direct anti‐globulin test (DAT). Anti‐C3d may also be optimal for the indirect antiglobulin test (IAT) especially if incubation periods greater than one hour are employed.Potent anti‐C4 and anti‐C3 antisera made in the authors' laboratory resulted in numerous weakly positive antiglobulin tests when testing red blood cells from refrigerated clots (especially anti‐C4) but red blood cells from refrigerated anticoagulated segments gave negative results. When red blood cells were incubated in normal serum at room temperature (as in the room temperature phase of a compatibility test), some positive results were again obtained with the potent anti‐C4 and anti‐C3 antisera. However, one commercial antiglobulin serum containing anti‐complement antibodies that were at least as potent as any other commercial antiglobulin serum gave uniformly negative results under the above conditions. Anti‐C4 antibodies may be omitted from antiglobulin sera without decreasing the efficacy of such antisera to be used in compatibility testing. Thus, positive results in the compatibility test due to detection of clinically insignificant cold antibodies in the IAT by the anti‐complement antibodies in AGS, may be avoided if anti‐C4 is omitted or is in low concentration and if the concentration of anti‐C3d is carefully standardized. A higher concentration of anti‐C3d could be used for compatibility tests if red blood cells from anticoagulated segments were used instead of those from clots and if a separate tube were used for the IAT at 37 C rather than using one tube for both room temperature and 37 C incubations.
Optimizing Recovery of Platelets in Platelet Rich Plasma by the Simplex Strategy
Authors: Reiss R. F. , Katz A. J. 
Published: September 2010

A Simplex is an empirical, geometric feedback strategy which progressively programs a series of experiments according to the results of the preceeding experiments. It leads to definition of conditions which maximize or minimize the result of experiments in two or more variables. When applied to study a laboratory method it dictates simultaneous variation of the conditions of an experiment, differing from the usual approach in which variables are altered sequentially and arbitrarily. A two variable Simplex (force and duration of centrifugation) has been applied to maximize platelet recovery in platelet rich plasma (PRP). The technique of Simplex is described. Maximal recovery of platelets in PRP was reached by centrifugation at 2160 ×g for 2.7 minutes.To confirm the correctness of this result, platelet concentrates were prepared from PRP's separated by three different methods: 1) conditions determined by Simplex, 2) American National Red Cross recommended method (2820 ×g for two minutes), and 3) Canadian Red Cross recommended method (995 ×g for nine minutes). Mean recovery of 78 per cent was obtained by Simplex, significantly higher than 61 per cent with the American National Red Cross method (p > .005) and higher than 69 per cent with the Canadian Red Cross method. Simplex strategy is recommended as a simple, powerful technique for determining optimal experimental or laboratory conditions.