Strategies for expanding patient and public involvement into under-served head and neck cancer communities.

Purpose Of Review: In this review, we discuss two case studies in which we summarize the process of expanding patient and public involvement (PPI) representation specific to the head and neck cancer population, highlighting the challenges and successes within each project. The first case study reports on the expansion of HaNC PPI membership, a long-established PPI forum which supports Liverpool Head and Neck Centre research. The second case study describes the establishment of a novel palliative care network in head and neck cancer in the North of England, in which PPI was central to the project's success.

Aphasia and stroke therapeutic alliance measure (A-STAM): Development and preliminary psychometric evaluation.

: The therapeutic alliance, also known as the therapeutic relationship, may influence treatment process and outcome in aphasia rehabilitation; however, we currently lack a reliable tool to measure this relationship. This study aimed to develop a novel measure of the therapeutic alliance applicable to this population and provide preliminary evidence of the measure's psychometric properties. : Statements were generated from the: (1) therapeutic alliance literature, (2) qualitative interviews with stakeholders, and (3) Q methodological insights with people with aphasia (PWA) ( = 455).

People with aphasia's perspectives of the therapeutic alliance during speech-language intervention: A Q methodological approach.

To identify which elements of the therapeutic alliance are important to people with aphasia (PWA) attending speech-language pathology post-stroke. A Q methodology design was adopted to explore which elements of the therapeutic alliance were valued by PWA. Statements ( = 453) relevant to the research question were extrapolated from the literature and qualitative interviews.

Speech and language therapists' perspectives of therapeutic alliance construction and maintenance in aphasia rehabilitation post-stroke.

Background: Therapeutic alliance refers to the interactional and relational processes operating during therapeutic interventions. It has been shown to be a strong determinant of treatment efficacy in psychotherapy, and evidence is emerging from a range of healthcare and medical disciplines to suggest that the construct of therapeutic alliance may in fact be a variable component of treatment outcome, engagement and satisfaction. Although this construct appears to be highly relevant to aphasia rehabilitation, no research to date has attempted to explore this phenomenon and thus consider its potential utility as a mechanism for change.

Therapeutic Alliances in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Meta-Ethnography.

Objective: To synthesize qualitative studies exploring patients' and professionals' perspectives and experiences of developing and maintaining therapeutic alliances in stroke rehabilitation.

Data Sources: A systematic literature search was conducted using the following electronic databases: PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, and ComDisDome from inception to May 2014. This was supplemented by hand searching, reference tracking, generic web searching, and e-mail contact with experts.

Donors in chains: psychosocial outcomes of kidney donors in paired exchange.

Background: Kidney paired donation chains are initiated by nondirected donors and propagated by donors within the chain of transplants, or chain donors.

Objective: To compare psychosocial and functional outcomes, and to test coercion, of chain donors in paired exchange versus traditional directed donors who have an established relationship with the recipient.

Methods: Thirty chain donors from a transplant center who were part of the National Kidney Registry paired exchange program were compared with 34 traditional donors who donated around the same time.

Drying of organic solvents: quantitative evaluation of the efficiency of several desiccants.

Various commonly used organic solvents were dried with several different drying agents. A glovebox-bound coulometric Karl Fischer apparatus with a two-compartment measuring cell was used to determine the efficiency of the drying process. Recommendations are made relating to optimum drying agents/conditions that can be used to rapidly and reliably generate solvents with low residual water content by means of commonly available materials found in most synthesis laboratories.

Aluminium triflate: a remarkable Lewis acid catalyst for the ring opening of epoxides by alcohols.

Al(OTf)3 was found to be an extremely effective catalyst (at ppm levels) for ring opening reactions of epoxides using a range of alcohols.