Preclinical safety assessment of pathogen reduced red blood cells treated with amustaline and glutathione.

Background: The nucleic acid targeted pathogen reduction (PR) system utilizing amustaline (S-303) and glutathione (GSH) is designed to inactivate blood-borne pathogens and leukocytes in red blood cell concentrates (PR-RBCC). Inactivation is attained after amustaline intercalates and forms covalent nucleic acid adducts preventing replication, transcription, and translation. After pathogen inactivation, amustaline spontaneously hydrolyzes to S-300, the primary negatively charged reaction product; amustaline is below quantifiable levels in PR-RBCC.

Finding the fluoride: Examining how and why developmental relationships are the active ingredient in interventions that work.

Comments on an article by Megan M. Julian & Junlei Li (see record 2012-10324-001). Junlei Li and Megan Julian argued that a major and under appreciated factor in the success and failure of interventions intended to improve the lives of children and youth at risk is the degree to which those interventions promote what the authors called .

The impact of volunteering on the volunteer: findings from a peer support programme for family carers of people with dementia.

With an ageing population, there are increasing numbers of experienced family carers (FCs) who could provide peer support to newer carers in a similar care situation. The aims of this paper are to: (i) use a cross-sectional study design to compare characteristics of volunteers and recipients of a peer support programme for FCs of people with dementia, in terms of demographic background, social networks and psychological well-being; and (ii) use a longitudinal study design to explore the overall impact of the programme on the volunteers in terms of psychological well-being. Data were collected from programmes run in Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Berkshire and four London boroughs between October 2009 and March 2013.

Collaborative priority setting for human immunodeficiency virus rehabilitation research: A case report.

Background: The inclusion of community members and other stakeholders in the establishment of research priorities is vital to ensuring that priorities are congruent with the main concerns of affected communities.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to identify priority research topics for addressing the activity and community participation needs of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and meaningfully involve multiple stakeholders in the development of those priorities.

Method: We invited people living with HIV, researchers, service providers, and policy makers to a 2-day forum.

Conceptualising professionalism in occupational therapy through a Western lens.

Introduction: The term professionalism is embedded within curriculum and occupational therapy documents, yet, explicit discussion of the concept is lacking in the literature. This paper strives for a greater understanding of how professionalism is currently conceptualised within Western occupational therapy literature.

Methods: A broad literature search was conducted and included international peer-reviewed and grey literature from Western cultures including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Professionalism and occupational therapy: an exploration of faculty and students' perspectives.

Background: Professionalism is a complex, multifaceted concept embedded within the curricula of occupational therapy programs and professional documents; yet there is no clear explanation in the literature.

Purpose: To explore occupational therapy faculty and students' perspectives of the meaning of professionalism.

Methods: This interpretivist qualitative study used convenience sampling to recruit eight second-year occupational therapy master's students and five occupational therapy faculty members to participate in two separate focus groups.

Involving service users in the development of the Support at Home: Interventions to Enhance Life in Dementia Carer Supporter Programme for family carers of people with dementia.

Background: Involving service users in research can be an effective way of improving the practicalities and acceptability of interventions for target end users.

Objectives: The current paper presented two consensus methods, not commonly used in consultation with service users, to develop a peer support intervention for family carers of people with dementia (SHIELD Carer Supporter Programme).

Design: Study 1 was a modified Delphi process combined with a consensus conference to explore details of the intervention from the carer and volunteer perspective.

Assessment of safety in neonates for transfusion of platelets and plasma prepared with amotosalen photochemical pathogen inactivation treatment by a 1-month intravenous toxicity study in neonatal rats.

Background: It is estimated that approximately 300,000 neonates undergo transfusions annually. The neonatal immune system is immature, making such patients more susceptible to the effects associated with transfusion-transmitted bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and white blood cells (WBCs). The INTERCEPT Blood System is a photochemical process (PCT) utilizing amotosalen and long-wavelength ultraviolet to inactivate pathogens and WBCs in both platelet (PLT) and plasma components for transfusion.