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While a growing body of evidence has highlighted the psychological distress experienced by individuals dealing with the UK benefits system, there has been little research into that system from the perspective of Trauma Informed Care (TIC). This study explored to what extent people's experiences of benefits assessment fitted with TIC principles, using a framework produced by NHS Education for Scotland. Secondary aims were to understand experiences that were not captured by the framework, and to explore the limitations of the framework in context. Participants were 12 people receiving NHS therapy for trauma-related difficulties, who had attended an assessment for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a UK financial benefit designed to help with long-term illness or disability. Semi-structured interviews were carried out, and a framework analysis conducted. Results suggested that PIP assessments were severely re-traumatising, with a prolonged adverse effect on mental health. Participants' experiences contrasted so greatly with the principles of TIC that an alternative framework was constructed, comprising five key themes: harm, distrust, rigidity, intimidation, and powerlessness. Recommendations are made for further research, including an understanding of assessors' perspectives, and how TIC principles might be introduced into the assessment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignancy of the bone. There is a lack of effective treatments for patients who experience relapsed osteosarcoma. One treatment for relapsed patients is gemcitabine and docetaxel combination chemotherapy (GEMDOX). This systematic review aimed to establish the efficacy of this chemotherapy regimen, as well as identify the common severe toxicities that are associated with it. Resistant osteosarcoma cell lines developed from MG‐63 and HOS‐143B were used to represent relapsed osteosarcoma patients in a pre‐clinical study. Results: We identified 11 retrospective and Phase II studies that were suitable for inclusion in our review. 10.65% of patients had a response to gemcitabine and docetaxel combination therapy and the disease control rate was 35% (n = 197). 36%, 35.3% and 18.04% of patients experienced grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anaemia respectively (n = 133). Male patients (X2 = 9.14, p < 0.05) and those below the age of 18 (X2 = 10.94, p < 0.05) responded better to GEMDOX treatment than females and patients older than 18 years. The resistant osteosarcoma cell lines remained sensitive to either single‐agent gemcitabine, docetaxel, and the combination of both. Cisplatin‐resistant models (MG‐63/CISR8 & HOS‐143B/CISR8) were the most responsive to GEMDOX treatment compared to doxorubicin, methotrexate, and triple‐combination resistant models. Conclusion: GEMDOX treatment has potential efficacy in relapsed osteosarcoma patients especially those with cisplatin resistance. To directly compare the efficacy of GEMDOX therapy against other therapies randomised phase III clinical trials with adequate patient follow up must be performed to improve treatment options for osteosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of changes to the 2015 UK charities accounting standards on financial reporting timeliness and audit fees. Utilising 62,785 observations (9351 charities) from 2010 to 2017, we report a significant decrease in financial reporting timeliness following the new accounting standards regime. The decrease is more pronounced in charities with audited financial statements because of their lengthier audit report lag. Audit fees are also substantially higher following the new accounting standards implementation. Sensitivity tests reveal charities are more likely to have an unusual reporting lag following the introduction of the new accounting standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored how academic departments, university teachers and students in one research-led university in New Zealand identified and addressed challenges in achieving three particular graduate attributes. These attributes (global perspective, environmental literacy and those aspect of ethics that involve personal social responsibility) are distinctive in that they may encompass values, attitudes and future behaviours, in addition to knowledge and skills. We documented formal processes in each participating department; interviewed university teachers to understand how they conceptualised these attributes and the processes of teaching them; explored student perspectives via individual and group interviews and written responses to verbal questions in groups; held project-based and departmental discussions to help us understand how the diversity of perspectives and processes extant in this institution were understood; and developed resources to explore and support future academic engagement with the issues that have arisen in this research. We discuss a potential mismatch between what this institution's strategic documentation aspires to and how departments and their teachers are managing these expectations, and we link this concern to the academic discourse on roles, responsibilities and capabilities of higher education. Our research has implications for all higher education institutions that express their aspirations or intentions for the values that their students will learn and we propose a research agenda to address our concerns.

The EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the use of high‐expansion foam for stunning and killing pigs and poultry. A dossier was provided by the applicant as the basis for an assessment of the extent to which the method is able to provide a level of animal welfare at least equivalent to that ensured by the currently allowed methods for pigs and poultry. According to legislation, to be approved in the EU, new stunning methods must ensure (1) the absence of pain, distress or suffering until the onset of unconsciousness, and (2) that the animal remains unconscious until death. An ad hoc Working Group set up by EFSA performed the assessment as follows: (1) The data provided were checked against the criteria laid down in the EFSA Guidance (EFSA, 2018), and was found to partially fulfil those criteria; (2) extensive literature search; (3) data extraction for quantitative assessment; (4) qualitative exercise based on non‐formal expert elicitation. The assessment led to conclude that it is more likely than not (certainty > 50%–100%) that high‐expansion foam for stunning and killing pigs and poultry, named NEFS in container (Nitrogen Expansion Foam Stunning in container), provides a level of welfare at least equivalent to one or more of the currently allowed methods listed in Annex I of Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009. The overall assessment of EFSA is valid only under the technical conditions described in this Opinion for laying hens, broiler chickens of all age and pigs weighing 15–41 kg in situations other than slaughter. The overall assessment of EFSA is that NEFS can be suitable for depopulation using containers for pig and poultry farms respecting the technical conditions and the categories and types of animals defined in this Scientific Opinion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep and goats of different ages may have to be killed on‐farm for purposes other than slaughter (where slaughter is defined as killing for human consumption) either individually (i.e. on‐farm killing of unproductive, injured or terminally ill animals) or on a large scale (i.e. depopulation for disease control purposes and for other situations, such as environmental contamination and disaster management) outside the slaughterhouses. The purpose of this opinion was to assess the hazards and welfare consequences associated with the on‐farm killing of sheep and goats. The whole killing procedure was divided into Phase 1 (pre‐killing) – that included the processes (i) handling and moving the animals to the killing place and (ii) restraint of the animals before application of the killing methods and Phase 2 – that included stunning and killing of the animals. The killing methods for sheep and goats were grouped into three categories: (1) mechanical, (2) electrical and (3) lethal injection. Welfare consequences that sheep and goats may experience during each process were identified (e.g. handling stress, restriction of movements and tissue lesions during restraint) and animal‐based measures (ABMs) to assess them were proposed. During application of the killing method, sheep and goats will experience pain and fear if they are ineffectively stunned or if they recover consciousness. ABMs related to the state of consciousness can be used to indirectly assess pain and fear. Flowcharts including ABMs for consciousness specific to each killing method were included in the opinion. Possible welfare hazards were identified for each process, together with their origin and related preventive and corrective measures. Outcome tables linking hazards, welfare consequences, ABMs, origins, preventive and corrective measures were developed for each process. Mitigation measures to minimise welfare consequences were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Young people with learning disabilities are frequently underrepresented in research accounts. This study describes the experiences of young people moving from the care system. Methods: We scoped the English and Swedish literature for first-hand accounts and interviewed four young people with learning disabilities leaving the English care system. We combined findings from both sources. Findings: "Grey" and campaigning literature are more likely than academic studies to include the voices of service users, but even then, the voices tend to be those of professional or family carers. Both the literature and interviews demonstrate young peoples' awareness and understanding of the social as well as financial benefits of work. Good foster care could be precarious, and young people in unhappy placements lacked direction. Exploitation around a young person's housing and finances could be problems. There was evidence of "threshold" difficulties in accessing services. Conclusions: Despite an NHS commitment to listening to users in the UK, and similar aspirations in Sweden, our search of the literature identified few studies reporting care leavers' with learning disabilities own words. Our data add to the voices of a group frequently silent or silenced. We found evidence of resilience and hope as well as difficulties and frustrations. The accounts in the literature and our interviews provide data on what it can be like to try to operate "the system." The people we spoke with and those whose accounts we found in the literature were thoughtful and engaging. They provide an important source of knowledge for policy and practice.