Stress can be a healthy thing; our stress response is there to help us deal with challenging or dangerous situations. If a tiger jumps out at you from behind a tree, your heart suddenly beats faster, your breathing gets faster, various muscles will tighten, your blood sugar levels rise, and non-emergency systems in your body are suppressed (such as your digestive system). Your body is now in 'Fight or Flight' mode, which is great for emergencies.
We usually don't encounter too many tigers in our lives, instead in our society we often have lots of little stressful situations throughout our day. Rushing to get ready in the morning, fighting the traffic, work pressure, family hassles, money worries, etc. Most of these pressures are based on a fear of not enough, and lack of time is one of the big ones.
In this fast paced age, we hear that every minute counts. Day after day, week after week, all this pressure to achieve, meet goals, finish daily tasks, begins to build up inside of us until one day we are locked in the throes of time pressure. A chief contributor to time pressure is emotional identity. This happens when you invest a great deal of mental and emotional energy in a situation. All that energy can create tunnel vision, leaving you unable to see or appreciate other important things in your life. When someone or something interferes with that focus, the result frequently is irritation, anxiousness and frustration, especially when deadlines must be met. You push people away, neglect other areas of your life, but still proceed until eventually you lapse into emotional chaos. In the end, time pressure can seriously damage not only your relationships and quality of life, but even the situation in which you buried yourself to the exclusion of all else. Time pressure takes a toll on our nervous, immune and hormonal systems, and left unattended will likely produce cycles of anxiety, fatigue and temporary despair. As this process continues it makes us more susceptible to health problems.
Always rushed, too much to do, not enough time; mentally scattered, not feeling in control, tunnel vision, irritation at anyone or anything that breaks your focus, internal pressure, a gnawing feeling in your solar plexus, impatience, lack of compassion for self and others, feeling a constant slow burn inside, low grade stress and strain, feeling disconnected from life, decreased enjoyment of projects, relationships or life in general.
Stress is so common and has such a broad effect on the body that it is often a factor with almost any health problem. However, here are the most common ways it can affect you.
We have already mentioned the physical changes in your body that stress causes, so let's look at how these can affect your health.
Adrenaline and the other hormones we produce when we are stressed are stimulants. So too much stress over a long time will leave your body drained and depleted, causing you to constantly feel tired or burnt out, and can even lead to adrenal exhaustion or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Short-term stress can be a good thing- it can help stimulate your body and mind so that you can meet a deadline, perform better at sport, or cram for an exam. However, prolonged stress often causes the body to get stuck in the 'Fight or Flight' emergency mode all the time. When this happens, the constant mental or emotional stress accumulates in the body, causing the person to feel tense most of the time. Because of this accumulated stress in their body, any stress has a bigger effect on them than usual, and they may react more strongly to situations, so their internal stress builds up even more. Because of this, they may feel they don't have much control of their life, which can create additional stress for them. Over time, this accumulated stress may manifest as anxiety, depression, poor sleep, irritability, cloudy thinking, relationship difficulties, panic attacks, etc.
When your body is stressed, it puts everything that isn't directly related to survival on the back burner (like reproduction). Plus, stress and fertility involve many of the same glands and pathways – when stress hormones are being released in the brain, they wreak all kinds of havoc with your reproductive hormones.
Your pituitary gland is the link between your hypothalamus (brain) and your endocrine system (hormones). It communicates with your ovaries through your bloodstream; first, it releases hormones that tell your eggs to mature, and then it releases hormones that cause ovulation. When you're stressed, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are engaged in another chain reaction; the hypothalamus releases a hormone called CRH, which causes the pituitary to produce another hormone (ACTH), which in turn triggers the adrenal glands. This stress circuit temporarily shuts down your other hormonal systems, including reproduction, so your body can divert all of its energy into dealing with the perceived threat.
Or, in simpler terms: if your brain is busy with stress, it may not send the right messages to your ovaries, which means you won't ovulate. If there's no egg, the sperm have nothing to fertilise naturally, and you won't fall pregnant. Even if you are still ovulating, some studies suggest that stress can reduce blood flow to the uterus and cause issues with implantation.
If you suspect that stress may be an issue for you, please book in for a free Comprehensive Health Assessment so that we can check and let you know the extent of accumulated stress in your body, as well as the best way to treat it.
'Practitioner-Products' are only available from qualified practitioners who are equally invested in your health and wellbeing.
Australian Natural Medicine companies lead the world in manufacturing nutritional and herbal supplements. In contrast, supplements manufactured in other countries, including the US, may not always meet the quality and safety standards expected by consumers.
Manufacturing standards are not as stringent in the US, China, India or elsewhere as they are in Australia. Products produced in some of these countries may have elevated levels of heavy metals, pesticides, or microbial contaminants as they are not screened for these in many countries. They may also contain low levels of stated herbal active ingredients, the wrong herb entirely, or be adulterated with other unknown ingredients. This poses a serious risk to unwell and vulnerable patients.
The Australian made supplements we provide are extensively tested throughout their production.
Australian regulations insist upon the manufacture of natural medicines to pharmaceutical standards. In most countries supplements are considered "foods" so it is not compulsory to perform any of the above tests. For example, studies have confirmed that a high percentage of US made products do not contain ANY of the ingredients or contain different ingredients than stated on the label.
Your health is the most important asset you have. Nurture it and be rewarded by the investment.
When friends or family have just had a baby, it can be hard to know how to help – especially as going around to visit or drop something off might wake them or the baby, or interrupt them when they're too stressed or tired to deal with visitors. Here are some simple ideas that may make the perfect offering for your loved one.
Food deliveries that can sit on the doorstep are ideal – make a laminated sign that they can stick on their door saying "baby and parents sleeping" so people know that it's not a good time to knock or ring the doorbell. Ask that people put the food in an esky or send something that won't go off if it's sitting outside for a few hours (like dry pancake mix, dry pasta and a jar of good vegetable sauce, etc) while parents and baby are unavailable.
Cleaning services can be wonderful for new parents who just don't have the time or energy to clean their house – they may not be comfortable with family or friends scrubbing their toilet, so getting a few people to chip in for a professional cleaner might be the best option. Have them come at a regular time every week or fortnight, so that the new parents are prepared for their arrival.
Similarly, a laundry service can be a wonderful thing – organising for them to just put their clothes somewhere that they can be picked up, and then dropped back off clean, dry and folded. A professional service may, again, be preferable here as they may not be comfortable with family or friends doing their laundry.
Many new mothers suffer various aches, pains and issues after the trauma of giving birth – from issues with bladder control to aching muscles. A voucher to come and see a natural therapies provider who can help them alleviate those symptoms can be a wonderful thing – they can book when they have time and feel up to it, and a little pampering and care for them during this transitional period can make a huge difference.
It can sometimes be hard to tell if we're just tired, or suffering from adrenal fatigue. Only a trained medical specialist will be able to tell you for sure, but here are some basic hallmarks to help you figure out whether you should see a doctor – or (and!) just try to get some more sleep.
If you suspect you're suffering from chronic fatigue, it's important to see a medical professional sooner rather than later; early detection and treatment can shave weeks, months or even years off your recovery time and rule out serious disease or dysfunction as the cause of your ongoing exhaustion.
There was an article in the South West News/ Springfield News (24/2/16 edition) about 'dodgy' massage therapists. This topic is of great importance to us, as an entire profession is being tarnished by a small number of unscrupulous or unqualified individuals. We have heard a variety of complaints regarding various massage therapists, ranging from receiving no benefit from a treatment, to worsening their condition, to actual sexual assault. The right remedial massage therapist can make a huge difference to your health and wellbeing, by relieving muscular and structural pain, reducing muscular tension, improving your circulation, and relieving accumulated stress in your body. We strongly recommend that anyone seeking a massage treatment observe the following guidelines.
Never visit a massage therapist in their home, or in an isolated environment, or have them come to your home, unless you are very sure about them.
Ask what their qualifications are, and where they studied. If you have any doubts at all, ask to see their diploma or certificate, which should be on display or easily accessible by them.
Ask if they are registered with a professional Association, and if their treatments are claimable from health funds. Do not deal with a therapist that isn't registered with an appropriate professional Association!
Do the premises look clean and the staff appear professional in speaking with you? Medibank Private will only allow claims for massage treatments carried out in a 'clinical' setting, and not a 'retail' setting, such as beauty, relaxation or recreation premises. Are the rooms purpose-built with sound reduction to avoid conversations being overheard, or do they just use curtains? How does their website look? Does it have detailed information about each therapist?
If you are looking for a therapeutic massage rather than a relaxation massage, please also ask the following.
6. Experience as a Therapist?
Find out how long they have been practicing. It is also worthwhile asking how long they have been working at their current clinic.
7. Experience with Your Condition?
Don't be afraid to ask this question. Is this an area that they specialise in, or is it something they rarely treat?
8. If You are Not Happy?
There is no selection process for a therapist working from their home, or renting a space in another business. A reputable clinic will be very careful about the quality of the therapists that work from their premises. Also, a clinic will normally be able to keep providing treatments for you if your regular therapist is sick or on holidays. And a professional clinic will usually offer Hicaps services, so that you can claim from your health fund on the spot.
Finally, if you are not happy with anything, please complain to the owner, or speak to the therapist's Association.
As we mentioned earlier, correctly performed massage treatments can make an enormous difference to your health and the quality of your life. Not only that, they can leave you feeling great!
At Centenary Natural Therapies Clinic, we guarantee to have the best therapists in Brisbane- if you think you have had a better massage anywhere else, we will give you your money back! We have chosen the best possible remedial massage therapists, carefully selected for their skills, knowledge and experience. Each of them is fully qualified, has around 15 years experience, and is a member of a professional Association. If you want to quickly and effectively sort out your muscle stiffness or pain, please book in to see us soon.
Vitex is another name for chaste tree berry ("vitex agnus castus"), a very popular and effective herbal medicine that has been gaining traction as a fertility drug due to its ability to promote ovulation. Essentially, it does this by preventing your pituitary gland from producing too much prolactin; prolactin inhibits ovulation. It also has opiate-like constituents, which can help calm your nervous system.
While it can do people a world of good, it should always be used under the supervision of your primary care physician, as it's an incredibly potent herb and can cause more problems than it solves when used incorrectly, or for too long a period of time.
If you've just come off the pill, it's important to give your pituitary gland and ovaries some time to learn to "talk" to each other again before introducing a strong herb – if you give it some time, you may find you don't need Vitex at all.
Vitex is incredibly effective for PMS symptoms; in Germany, it's routinely prescribed in place of the pill for those looking for a solution to a week of bloating, pain and irritability.
Combining Vitex with ovulation-stimulating drugs can result in a serious condition called ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome.
Because Vitex is intended to promote ovulation, you should be taking it during your follicular phase (prior to ovulation). If you have irregular periods, it may be difficult for you to determine when that is. A good rule of thumb is to start taking it as soon as your period has ended, and take a break when your next period arrives (taking a break helps it to remain effective).
If you suffer from PCOS, Vitex may work well for you; or, it may make things worse. It can raise levels of luteinizing hormone in the body, and for some types of PCOS, levels of this hormone in the body are already way too high.
While Vitex is available over the counter, again, we strongly recommend talking to your primary care physician before you start taking it as it is incredibly potent, and may not be right for your specific condition.


The Alternative Directions Mentoring Program is an extension of the Alternative Directions mission. As a component of the re-integration services provided by Alternative Directions, the Children Having Incarcerated Parents (CHIP) mentoring program provides a child of an incarcerated individual with a mentor from the local community to begin life-changing lessons with constant guidance for mentees. Some children have had to grow up too soon and CHIP mentors remind the child to enjoy and value their childhood and their life. Most of the children are dealing with the shame that an incarcerated parent's void creates, mentors replace that shame with kindness and trust. CHIP mentors work with children to improve self-confidence and social skills through genuine and trusting personal relationships. CHIP mentors are role models, confidants and emotionally supportive advocates.


Roy Richter spent his life removing the limits of what was possible—and his unlimited spirit has been Bell's guiding light for nearly 60 years, earning the admiration, trust and loyalty of generations of champions. Throughout those years nearly every advance on the list of helmet "firsts" were built under Bell's auspices. That drive to anticipate and create continues, as much a part of Bell's ethos today as it was back in Roy's day.


text:
Instant Oncology
Science in Focus
RCR Members Access Submit Article
Editorial| Volume 26, ISSUE 2, P90-93, February 01, 2014
The National Prostate Cancer Audit — Introducing a New Generation of Cancer Audit
A. Aggarwal
Author for correspondence: A. Aggarwal, The Clinical Effectiveness Unit, The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 35–43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE, UK. Tel: +44-207-869-6618.
The Clinical Effectiveness Unit, The Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK
P. Cathcart
Department of Urology, University College Hospital London and St Bartholomew's Hospital London and Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine, Bart's Cancer Unit, London, UK
Department of Oncology, University College Hospital, London, UK
D. Neal
Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
J. Rashbass
Eastern Cancer Registration and Information Service (ECRIC), UK
J. Nossiter
J. van der Meulen
Published:November 07, 2013DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clon.2013.10.006
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Health service providers and healthcare professionals are expected to assure the quality of their services and safe-guard high standards of care. Successive UK governments have claimed that it is their ambition to provide a health service that achieves 'world-class healthcare outcomes' [
Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213823/dh_117794.pdf
]. The current government has translated this into three priorities for the National Health Service (NHS): (a) empower local clinicians to deliver better outcomes, (b) provide information to patients that will help them to make choices and (c) create greater accountability to all those who use the NHS [
National Commissioning Board
Everyone counts: planning for patients 2013/14.
http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/everyonecounts-planning.pdf
]. Although there is ongoing political debate about how we can create an 'NHS which achieves results that are amongst the best in the world', it is evident that national clinical audits have an important role to play [
Black N.
Time for a new approach to assessing the quality of hospitals in England.
Br Med J. 2013; : 347
In this editorial, we describe the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) as an example of a new generation of national audits of cancer services in England and Wales (http://www.npca.org.uk). The audit is part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme, which also includes four additional cancer audits focusing on head and neck oncology, lung cancer, oesophago-gastric cancer and bowel cancer [
Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP)
National clinical audit projects managed and commissioned by HQIP: programme list 2013/14.
http://www.hqip.org.uk/ncapop-programme-list/
Current political initiatives have moved away from measuring process targets in the NHS towards a 'relentless focus on clinical outcomes', which should be measured and reported in the public domain to encourage quality improvements [
]. The current NHS outcomes framework presents a series of indicators covering five outcome domains designed to provide a balanced coverage of NHS activity [
The NHS outcomes framework 2013/14.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213055/121109-NHS-Outcomes-Framework-2013-14.pdf
For cancer services, new indicators will measure overall 1 and 5 year survival for all cancers (including childhood cancers), as well as specific 1 and 5 year survival for breast, lung and bowel cancer combined [
]. However, quality itself is a multidimensional concept that reflects many different aspects of the healthcare system, including safety, effectiveness and patient experience, as well as issues related to equity [
Institute of Medicine (US)
Crossing the quality chasm: a new health system for the 21st century.
National Academies Press, 2001
]. Therefore, the scope of national clinical audits should extend beyond the provision of outcome data alone.
National Prostate Cancer Audit
The NPCA has been commissioned on behalf of NHS England. It started on 1 April 2013 and will continue for at least 5 years. It aims to collect information on the stage of newly diagnosed patients and their subsequent treatment choices. It will provide detail on early complications, longer term survival and quality of life. The audit also focuses on areas of controversy, such as the management of patients with low-risk disease ('are we over-treating patients potentially best managed by active surveillance?') as well as the availability and provision of multimodality therapy for patients with advanced disease ('are we under-treating patients with locally advanced or high-risk disease?').
The NPCA follows an ambitious time schedule and aims to deliver outputs relevant to clinical practice early in the course of the audit, thereby enhancing the 'buy-in' and participation of local staff. It has four main components. First, an organisational survey will determine the current infrastructure of prostate cancer services in England and Wales, including the availability of high dose rate and low dose rate brachytherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy and robotic surgery.
Second, an analysis of pre-existing data sources, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy datasets, routine hospital episode statistics, national cancer registry records and mortality records from the Office for National Statistics, will provide baseline data on current practice and outcomes.
Third, a prospective audit of all newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients in England and Wales will investigate patient demographics, routes to diagnosis, tumour characteristics, diagnostic and staging investigations, treatment choices and patient outcomes. A particular focus will be adherence to national guidelines [
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment – NICE clinical guideline 58.
http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG58NICEGuideline.pdf
Fourth, the audit will collect patient-reported outcomes and experience measures (PROMs and PREMs). Patients who receive radical treatment will be sent a questionnaire 12 months after their initial diagnosis. This will be the first time that a national clinical audit of cancer services will systematically measure the functional impact of radical therapies on patients' lives.
The organisational survey and analysis of existing data will be carried out in the audit's first year. The collection of data on newly diagnosed men will start from April 2014 and it is intended that PROMs and PREMs data will be collected 1 year after diagnosis (from April 2015).
A guiding principle for the prostate cancer audit's design, which truly makes it the first of a new generation of national audits of cancer services, is that the burden of data collection on staff and patients will be kept to a minimum. Data will therefore be collected by capturing the dataset that is routinely collected by the multidisciplinary teams through the newly established National Cancer Registration Service in England [
Public Health England
The National Cancer Registration System.
http://www.wmciu.nhs.uk/page.aspx?id=RDQ1
]. In its initial year, the audit will try to 'harmonise' these multidisciplinary team datasets and consider inclusion of additional data items.
The National Cancer Registration Service in England will also collect imaging records, pathology results, radiotherapy and chemotherapy data, and information about survival from the Office for National Statistics. The audit will also incorporate the recently implemented Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset, which replaces the National Cancer Dataset as the new national standard for reporting cancer in the NHS in England [
Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset (COSD).
http://www.ncin.org.uk/collecting_and_using_data/data_collection/cosd
]. The potential of this national registration system is vast and it will certainly change how national clinical audits of cancer services will be carried out in the future. Data on patients diagnosed in Wales will be provided by NHS Wales from the Welsh Cancer Information System [
Wales N.H.S.
Cancer Network Information System Cymru.
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/home.cfm?orgid=983
There are many challenges in ensuring that a high-quality national audit dataset is being collected. The harmonisation of the datasets may require multidisciplinary teams to collect data items that are not routinely available at present. For example, the collection of long-term toxicity data may be limited in the audit's initial period. On the other hand, it is envisaged that by necessitating routine collection of these data items, their completeness will greatly improve in the long run.
National Clinical Audits: A Source of Real-life Data
Research studies, especially experimental studies using randomisation, are designed to have a strong 'internal validity' (i.e. they are designed to minimise the possibility of bias). As a result, the settings in which they take place and the patients they include often differ from 'real-life practice' [
Garrison Jr., L.P.
Neumann P.J.
Erickson P.
Marshall D.
Mullins C.D.
Using real-world data for coverage and payment decisions: the ISPOR Real-World Data Task Force report.
Value Health. 2007; 10: 326-335
]. National clinical audits offer a rich source of real-life data as they are designed to be relevant to a particular group of patients in a particular clinical setting. As a consequence, these audits have many complementary advantages (Figure 1).
Fig 1Advantages of real-life data (adapted from
Apart from providing an opportunity to assess the generalisability and applicability of the results of experimental studies, data from national clinical audits can be used to determine how services can be best organised and delivered. Variation in access to cancer services is a serious concern and audit data can answer questions such as 'why do patients with similar health problems receive different treatment?'.
An enhanced understanding of factors that contribute to practice variation will be the first step towards designing better services. This is illustrated by a recent review of the National Radiotherapy Dataset. This review showed variation in the number of radiotherapy attendances in England, with higher rates of activity in smaller and non-teaching radiotherapy centres [
Hoskin P.
Forbes H.
Ball C.
Riley D.
Cooper T.
Variations in radiotherapy delivery in England—evidence from the National Radiotherapy Dataset.
Clin Oncol. 2013; 25: 531-537
]. Possible explanations for this trend are the closer proximity of small centres to the patient population, thus improving access, and the choice of other treatment modalities from surgical services and medical oncology that may be offered at larger teaching hospitals. Another example is a review of radiotherapy demand and activity in England that highlighted current underprovision of radiotherapy across all cancer sites [
Round C.
Williams M.
Mee T.
Radiotherapy demand and activity in England 2006–2020.
]. Reduced access to radiation treatment and non-conformity to accepted evidence-based fractionation schedules were identified as explanatory factors.
An investigation of immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer is an example of a study addressing determinants of practice variation [
Jeevan R.
Cromwell D.
Browne J.
Regional variation in use of immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer in England.
Eur J Surg Oncol. 2010; 36: 750-755
]. This study, which was part of the National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit [
Royal College of Surgeons of England – Clinical Effectiveness Unit
National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit, fourth annual report.
https://catalogue.ic.nhs.uk/publications/clinical/mastectomy/nati-clin-audi-supp-prog-mast-brea-reco-2011/clin-audi-supp-prog-mast-brea-reco-2011-rep1.pdf
], showed considerable regional variation in the use of immediate reconstruction between English cancer networks, highlighting how patient choice can be influenced by the availability of services within an area. The audit also found that post-mastectomy radiotherapy use differed across networks, which may partly explain the observed variation in immediate breast reconstruction.
Similarly, audit data can also be used to investigate determinants of variations in outcomes ('why do patients who receive similar treatments experience different outcomes?'). An example is a study of the impact of the 'route-to-diagnosis' on the survival of patients with oesophago-gastric cancer [
Palser T.R.
Cromwell D.A.
Hardwick R.H.
Riley S.A.
Greenaway K.
van der Meulen J.H.
Impact of route to diagnosis on treatment intent and 1-year survival in patients diagnosed with oesophagogastric cancer in England: a prospective cohort study.
Br Med J Open. 2013; 3
]. This study, which was part of the National Oesophago-gastric Cancer Audit [
National Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Audit: 2012 annual report.
https://catalogue.ic.nhs.uk/publications/clinical/oesophago-gastric/nati-clin-audi-supp-prog-oeso-gast-canc-2012/clin-audi-supp-prog-oeso-gast-2012-rep.pdf
], found that outcomes are considerably worse if patients are diagnosed after an emergency admission to hospital, resulting in the key recommendation that NHS providers develop strategies to reduce emergency admissions within their local cancer network.
A final example of the research potential of national clinical audit data comes from the National Bowel Cancer Audit [
The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI)
National Bowel Cancer Audit: annual report.
https://catalogue.ic.nhs.uk/publications/clinical/bowel/nati-clin-audi-supp-prog-bowe-canc-2012/nati-clin-audi-supp-prog-bowe-canc-2012-rep.pdf
]. It found that 90 day mortality after bowel cancer surgery has decreased from 6.4% in 2008 to 4.5% in 2012. This drop in mortality coincides with substantial changes in patient selection and postoperative care by multidisciplinary teams involved in the initial management of bowel cancer patients. However, interpreting the causality of these relationships requires some caution.
The NPCA, which starts collecting data in 2014 on newly diagnosed patients, has great potential to contribute to improvements in prostate cancer services in England and Wales. It will compare practice against national guidelines and address concerns about over-diagnosis and over-treatment of men with low-risk disease and under-treatment of men with locally advanced or high-risk disease. It will also compare outcomes among NHS providers. Many of these outcomes will be reported by the patients themselves. At the same time, the audit will generate a wealth of 'real-life' [
] data that will provide unprecedented opportunities to study questions about how the treatment of men with prostate cancer can be further improved.
The authors are members of the Project Team of the National Prostate Cancer Audit, which investigates the care that men with prostate cancer receive in England and Wales (www.npca.org.uk/). This audit is funded by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (www.hqip.org.uk/) on behalf of NHS England and NHS Wales.
2010 (Available at:)
(Available at:)2013
2012 (Available from:)
Accepted: September 24, 2013
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clon.2013.10.006
© 2013 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package com.folioreader.ui.base;

import android.os.AsyncTask;
import android.util.Log;
import com.folioreader.util.AppUtil;

import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.net.URL;
import java.net.URLConnection;

/**
 * Background async task which downloads the html content of a web page
 * from server
 *
 * @author by gautam on 12/6/17.
 */

public class HtmlTask extends AsyncTask<String, Void, String> {

    private static final String TAG = "HtmlTask";

    private HtmlTaskCallback callback;

    public HtmlTask(HtmlTaskCallback callback) {
        this.callback = callback;
    }

    @Override
    protected String doInBackground(String... urls) {
        String strUrl = urls[0];
        try {
            URL url = new URL(strUrl);
            URLConnection urlConnection = url.openConnection();
            InputStream inputStream = urlConnection.getInputStream();
            BufferedReader bufferedReader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(inputStream, AppUtil.charsetNameForURLConnection(urlConnection)));
            StringBuilder stringBuilder = new StringBuilder();
            String line;
            while ((line = bufferedReader.readLine()) != null) {
                stringBuilder.append(line).append('\n');
            }
            if (stringBuilder.length() > 0)
                stringBuilder.deleteCharAt(stringBuilder.length() - 1);
            return stringBuilder.toString();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            Log.e(TAG, "HtmlTask failed", e);
        }
        return null;
    }

    @Override
    protected void onPostExecute(String htmlString) {
        if (htmlString != null) {
            callback.onReceiveHtml(htmlString);
        } else {
            callback.onError();
        }
        cancel(true);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Q: Are Tomcat webapps server independent? I have made an app using Tomcat as my server. It uses JSP pages and java servlets.
If I copy my webapp (the folder) to some other server, will it run? What are the requirements for it to work/not work?
EDIT: Thanks for the answers. One more thing, what if some of my code uses filepath, that originates from the bin folder of Tomcat. For eg: "../webapps/MyApp/WEB-INF/sample.txt"
Is the directory structure the same in all servers?

A: Java servlets and JSP are intended to be portable technologies. There is a servlet standard and a JSP standard. Any servlet container (such as Tomcat) that implements the version of the standard that your code uses should be able to run your code.
You should move your web application around by copying its web application archive (WAR) file, rather thsn the directory (the extracted content of the WAR).

A: Ofcourse it will run , there are many servers out there that support jsp/servlet . Most of them are free for development and some are paid for deployment. See this link for more info
For most of the containers (i am not sure for all but most of them) like Tomcat, Jetty, Resin etc, you don't need to modify the project. You can place your project war file in the webapps directory and the project will get deployed on starting the server.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


'Legend' is often banded about in modern-day football.
But what constitutes a 'legend'?
A player who gives a club his all?
A player that falls in love with a club?
A player that brings success to a club?
Whatever the criteria, one man who ticks all those boxes – and more – when it comes to Ipswich Town – is George Burley.
As a player and manager, Burley has achieved as much at Portman Road as anyone.
Winning the FA Cup and UEFA Cup as a marauding right-back, then leading the club back into the Premiership as the manager – and back into European football.
OK, so it all ended in disappointment as he and Town parted company in 1985 with the Blues struggling in Division One.
But the boy from Cumnock, in East Ayrshire, couldn't have imagined what lay ahead of him at Portman Road when he arrived as an apprentice in 1972 – the start of a long, long love affair with a club that saw him make more than 500 appearances and manage it more than 400 times.
Still living in Suffolk today and still loving the club he has given so much too – and has given him so much – he even wanted more, applying for the vacant manager's job after Mick McCarthy left.
"I moved back to Ipswich four years ago with my family – my roots are here," he said.
"I haven't applied for any jobs because I am not going anywhere, I have moved enough and I am settled.
"But because the Ipswich job was available and I am an Ipswich fan, of course I was interested.
The 62-year-old has given his full backing to Hurst, the new Town boss, and believes the club should be looking at getting back into the top-flight.
"I think Paul is a great appointment," Burley said.
"For the last three years I have been selected to choose the manager-of-the-month award in the Football League. Last season Paul was nominated numerous times and I keep an eye on what managers do.
"I like that he has been at a smaller club and worked hard and has shown what he can do. He deserves the chance to work at a bigger club.
"But Ipswich fans rightly have high expectations.
"We have had one play-off in 13 years and we haven't won an FA Cup game for eight. We are producing good youngsters but not giving them the opportunity to be in the first-team for long periods.
"I am sure Paul is aware of all that and it is a big challenge – like all Ipswich fans I wish him well.
"I go to most home games and we all want a bit of success.
You can hear Burley's love of the club in the way he talks.
But it's not surprising, Ipswich Town has been a huge part of his life.
So, where did it all start for a young Burley?
"I was playing schoolboy football for Scotland when I was 14 and I was asked to come and have a trial – me and a few other Scottish boys," Burley said.
"We came down to Ipswich and really enjoyed it, me and another boy, Kenny Taylor got on well.
"Bobby Robson was there. Cyril Lea and Bobby Ferguson, it seemed a very friendly club that would give youngsters a chance. It was a big decision at 15 to leave school and come to Ipswich. But that's what I wanted to do.
"Having other Scottish boys with me helped as no-one could actually understand me! I have got a decent Suffolk accent now, but I didn't at the time.
Robson was always prepared to give young players a chance and Burley benefitted from that.
He got into the Town reserves at 16, and by 17 he was playing against George Best.
George Burley, right, with coach Bryan Hamilton at Town.
"I got into the reserves and played in the South East Counties League on the old practice pitch next to Portman Road – that was great," he said.
But it got better for Burley in a whirlwind start to his time at Town.
"I made my debut for Ipswich at 17 at Old Trafford against George Best," he said.
Success followed Burley at Portman Road from an early age and he puts much of it down to the trust Robson had in young players.
"We won the FA Youth Cup in 1972 and 1974 – that tells you the standard of players we had," Burley said.
We're all going to Wembley! George Burley, Roger Osborne, John Wark and Mick Lambert enjoying their bath after Town's FA Cup semi-final victory over WBA at Highbury.
"Bobby was great, he was always speaking to you and was enthusiastic and working hard with you. You had that involvement and continual improvement as a player.
"I was doing extra passing, right foot, left foot and running. You were brought up in that environment and you knew if you were good enough you would be given a chance.
"I made my debut at 17 and never came out of the team.
"I know there were times I had a bad game but Bobby stuck with me. It was so encouraging. Bobby would stick by you – he made you better.
Burley was part of the Town side that won the 1978 FA Cup after beating Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley.
And although that was the massive highlight of that great Cup run, it was another FA Cup game that season that holds a special place in Burley's heart.
"People talk about the final but it's the semi-final that sticks in my mind, when we won at Highbury 3-1 against West Brom," Burley said.
"The whole town was electric for a month after that.
The FA Cup final was just the start for Robson and the Super Blues as the club embarked on the most successful period in their history. They became one of the top sides, not just in England, but also Europe.
Three years later, in 1981, Town won the UEFA Cup, although injury robbed Burley of a chance to play in the final against AZ-67 Alkmaar.
Burley looks back with fondness on how the team evolved in that period.
"We had two teams really," Burley said.
"The one that won the FA Cup and the one that won the UEFA Cup – after the Dutch boys, Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen arrived.
"Unfortunately, I had my knee reconstructed in February 1981 after a game at Shrewsbury, so I missed the last couple of months of the season and I missed the UEFA Cup final.
"But the whole run up to the final was fantastic.
"The achievements were unbelievable. John Wark held the record for the number of goals scored in one tournament for years, and we were renowned as a great passing football team all over Europe.
Town agonisingly missed out on lifting the Division One title in the same season they won the UEFA Cup, so close, but so far for Robson's men.
"What we achieved that season was magnificent," Burley said.
But all good things come to an end and Burley left Ipswich as a player in 1985.
He had spells with Sunderland and Gillingham before heading north of the border to Scotland, where he dipped his toes into player-management.
But the lure of East Anglia remained.
In June 1994 he headed back south as player-manager of Colchester United.
He played seven first-team games and managed the club for 20 matches, eight of which they won, before returning as boss to Portman Road the following November.
"I was always interested in the managerial side of football, even as a player," Burley said.
It was a move Burley and Town fans were delighted with. But it wasn't a smooth road that lay ahead. Much heartache and much balancing of the books was gone through before the return to the Premiership in 2000.
"It was never easy trying to get back into the Premiership," Burley said.
"Every year we had little money and had to sell a player.
"We didn't have a benefactor. David Sheepshanks was a great chairman and we had to balance the books every season.
"There was a belief from the fans and they enjoyed what they were seeing.
Wembley 2000 and that play-off final against Barnsley is still talked about among Town fans as being up there with the Division One victory, FA Cup and UEFA Cup final victories as one of Ipswich Town's greatest-ever days.
It was a glorious day as Town fought back from going a goal down to beat the Tykes 4-2.
"There was no better way of getting into the Premiership than the way we did it," Burley said.
The first year back in the Premiership could not have gone much better for Burley's Blues.
Town ended fifth, Burley was the Premiership manager of the Year. Ipswich were the talk of the country – European football was also back on the Portman Road fixture list for the 2001/02 season.
"It is still the highest finish of any promoted team to the Premier League from the Championship," Burley said.
"We had a group of players who had come through the play-offs for a few years and they were a good team.
Ipswich made a terrible start to that second campaign back in the Premiership, winning just one of their first 18 games.
However, they then went on a strong run of form, winning seven out of eight which looked to have secured their survival. But they then suffered more setbacks – relegation was confirmed on the final day of the season after a 5–0 thrashing at Liverpool.
"I had seven years as manager at Portman Road – four play-offs, one promotion, European football.
"We lost a few players and a few players we brought in didn't settle into English football. Selling Richard Wright before the start of that second season was a big blow and in my opinion, we never replaced him with a top class keeper.
"But the seven years were great, apart from the relegation.
"What we achieved back then, you can't compare it to now.
"I'm the third most successful manager in Ipswich's history and the only Town manager who won the manager-of-the-year award and when you think of Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey, they set very high standards.
Burley and Town went their own ways the next season after just three victories were collected from their opening 10 Division One fixtures.
It was a sad time for the Ipswich-loving Burley and fans, who so wanted him to turn the team's fortunes round.
Following his departure, Burley went on to manage Derby, Hearts and Southampton before landing the Scotland job in 2008.
But he admits he struggled with international management.
"I found international management hard and it was a big decision to leave Southampton because I enjoyed it there," he said.
"We had three or four different chairmen and were struggling financially but we had some great young players like Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Adam Lallana.
"But when you are offered the national job you have to give it a go.
"But my strength is being out on the training ground and bringing young players through which I did at Ipswich.
"I was good at that.
"It was the same at Southampton, but as an international manager you only get the players for one or two days every month and I found that hard.
Burley has been out of the game since a short spell as manager of Apollon Limassol in Cyprus ended in 2012.
Today he's a regular at Portman Road.
He still has a burning desire for the club to do well and desperately wants success for a club that has meant so much to him – and what he has done so much for.
If you are looking for Ipswich Town 'legends' – and there are a few to be fair – George Burley is front and centre.
THIS feature is one of many in the new KINGS OF ANGLIA magazine. With more Ipswich Town features and plenty of non-league and the women's game too.


Aldermen unveiled a new workforce development app Thursday to help connect young job searchers with employers.
For young people searching for employment, the job hunt just got a little easier.
DirectConnectMKE, a workforce development social media platform that went online Thursday morning, aims to facilitate the job search by connecting potential employees with employers and with each other.
The new platform, a collaboration between Yolobe Inc. and the City of Milwaukee, was unveiled Thursday by Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton and Ald. Milele A. Coggs at Employ Milwaukee on North 27th Street. They were joined by other council members and project partners.
"Most people that we run into who are unemployed or under employed, they actually want to work," Hamilton said. If technology can be used to secure them employment, "that's exactly what we're going to do."
Hamilton described the app as a "one-stop shop" that will allow users to find mentors, training and jobs on their phones, "right in the palm of your hand."
The interactive social media platform expands on the City of Milwaukee's E-Notify system, a centralized electronic resource that allows subscribers to track job openings, career fairs and vocational training. It was implemented in March 2017.
DirectConnectMKE bridges the public and private sector: Employers will update it with job listings, which subscribers can then access by downloading the application at DirectConnnectMKE's website. It is free for youths, young adults and agencies, with low monthly pricing for agencies in need of premium features. The platform works on both phones and computers.
According to Coggs, the app will help young adults (and frustrated employers) connect with the roughly 150 workforce-related organizations in Milwaukee, which will train them to be "job-ready."
Quoting Oprah Winfrey, Coggs said that employment doesn't happen because of luck but rather "when preparation meets opportunity." The new app aims to provide both.
The app's release came in the wake of Wisconsin hitting a record-low unemployment rate in April. Despite the good news, Hamilton stressed that many Milwaukee neighborhoods have been immune to the broader economic recovery.
"In these neighborhoods, it's been pretty consistent that unemployment and joblessness rates have remained high, even in good economic times," he said.
He cited the neighborhood around Employ Milwaukee as an example, claiming it had one of the highest unemployment rates in the city despite the presence of a local workforce development board — in part because people don't know help is nearby. As such, DirectConnectMKE is a "major tool that we can use in order to reach a hard-to-reach population."
Organizations interested in participating in the social media platform email are encouraged to email devcoord@milwaukee.gov or leave a message with the Workforce Development Office at (414) 286-3552.


Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil complaint against a renewable energy company. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for Central California, was brought against Patrick S. Carter and his company 808 Renewable Energy Corp. In related lawsuits, the SEC also took legal actions against several co-conspirators, including three other individuals and three other companies. The SEC alleges that Carter, through 808 Renewable Energy, was the lead actor in a five year fraud scheme that took in more than $30 million. In all, several hundred different investors were impacted by the fraud. According the complaint from the SEC, the fraud shared many characteristics of a Ponzi scheme.
808 Renewable Energy marketed itself as a forward thinking company that operated in the green energy sector. In promotional materials, 808 noted their desire to help get America off of foreign sourced fossil fuels and onto cleaner and cheaper renewable technology. More specifically, the company touted its ability to offer cogeneration technology. This technology is also known as 'combined heat and power' (CHP) technology. 808 offered CHP units to individual buildings, including residential homes and large businesses. These units allow the building to greatly increase their energy efficiency. Essentially, the CHP unit captures heat that would have been discharged into the atmosphere and stores that energy for future use. It can cut energy costs by as much as 80 percent in some cases. While this cutting-edge technology is extremely promising, the SEC contends that 808 Renewable was vastly overstating its ability to provide it. In fact, in the five years that the company was active, it turns out that they only installed four fully functional CHP systems. Nonetheless, the company was selling five different types of securities. The sale of these securities raised more than $30 million. The SEC now believes that these securities offerings were illegal and that a large amount of investor money was simply misappropriated.
Returned payments for previous investors.
So, while investors were sold the idea that their money was needed to help support the growth of a successful business in a blossoming industry, Carter and his associates were actually intentionally draining the company of all of its assets.
Were You a Victim of Investment Fraud?
Our team is standing by, ready to help. At Carlson & Associates, P.A., our investment fraud attorneys have helped many victims recover full and fair financial compensation for their losses. To learn more about how we can assist you, please contact our team today. We represent fraud victims throughout the region, including in Dade County and Broward County.


District 3 begins in the upper NW corner and then cuts the county in half as an odd sliver of land. It incorporates the cities of Calumet, central El Reno, and parts of Yukon and OKC.
The current commissioner for District 3 is Jack Stewart.


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The doctors kicked a sick daughter Elena Sparrow of children's hospital
The actress spoke about suffering girls.
Photo: @Instagram vorobei_elena Elena Sparrow
A week later, after a 15-year-old daughter Elena Sparrow have been conducted many hours of operation in Germany, the artist has finally shared details of the incident. As it turned out, to seek help abroad, a family of Paradiski has received a negative experience of communication with doctors from the capital.
Elena said that last year doctors from children's hospital in Moscow have discovered Sony's "severe scoliosis". After some time, the Sparrow again appealed to the institution to ensure that her daughter received a certificate for exemption from physical education lessons. After another inspection the experts, with the words of Elena, said that the girl was healthy.
"We just drove and said, "And already there's no problem!" — says the Sparrow. After that, as Sony began to deteriorate. The girl had suffered from pains in the back and it pained her to sleep and breathe. Desperate and disappointed in the Moscow doctors, Elena went for help to Germany. "German experts have recommended not to proceed with the operation as Sony was getting worse every month…" she added. Sonya had surgery, which she erected in the spine 20 screws and two spindles.
Elena Sparrow with her daughter Sonja
Elena is glad that the problem was discovered in time and solved. "Sonia is on the mend!" with a smile says Sparrow. My daughter is now a Sparrow has to overcome lengthy recovery period. Her own yet she can't even take a sitting position. To support girl in Germany came the whole family of Helen.
Pregnant so can no longer conceal the growing belly
In the country house of Catherine Volkova was an emergency


The Santos 50 Junior Pro Centrifugal Juicer (also known as Miracle MJ50,) is a Santos manufactured machine, is a compact yet powerful commercial grade juicer. The SAN50 is a pulp ejecting centrifugal style juicer. It has convenient 3" inch wide chute and can produce approximately 1 quart per minute or up to 25 gallons of juice per hour. Juicing estimates depend on type and quality of produce.
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The SAN50 centrifugal extractor is perfect for high volume home use, hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, juice bars, hospitals and anywhere that needs a juicer that can do high volume juicing quickly and efficiently.
Dimensions: Height: 18" x Width: 19" x Depth: 10"
Spout Height: 8" - Feed Chute Opening: 3"


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Goats eating noxious weeds and brush at a job site in Newbury, Massachusetts. Photo: Aynsley O'Neill / Living on Earth
'Goatscaping' for Chemical-Free Weed Control
Aynsley O'Neill August 14, 2020
ConservationFood and Agriculture
Well, it's summer and for many of us that means yard work. Mulching, watering, pulling out weeds. For those unfortunately stuck with poison ivy, the task of getting rid of it typically means hours of back breaking, itchy, work or toxic chemicals.
But there is at least one lesser known alternative. Goats.
LISTEN to the story
https://www.alleghenyfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AF081420_LOE_Goats.mp3
The 55 acre Great Rock farm in Georgetown, Massachusetts has more than 130 goats and twice as many sheep.
Michelle Aullson greets me with a huge smile. She grew up on this farm surrounded by ducks, goats, sheep, herding dogs and horses. And after living for some time in Washington D.C, she decided to come back and help out the family business: Goats2Go.
Michelle is wearing black yoga pants, sneakers and her blonde hair is in a tight ponytail. We walk together towards a goat pasture, surrounded by a white fence. As we enter the enclosure, Michelle pats a shiny black goat and introduces us.
"So this is Squeeks — she is five months old," said Aullson. "Squeeks will probably follow us all around. And that's Miss Piggy, and that's Miss Piggy's brother up on top of the hay, the highest point the goats always want."
She is able to point out every goat by name and introduces them like they're her extended family.
Michelle Aullson (center) is the Events Manager at Great Rock Farm and the daughter of Goats to Go founders Aileen and Alan Aullson. Here, she shows Producer Paloma Beltran (left) one of the many goats at Great Rock. Photo: Aynsley O'Neill / Living on Earth
"Patches are coming out of the barn right there," she said. "This is Oreo — she is the best doe with the babies, she had four this year. This is one of her babies from a few years ago. That's a crazy goat right there. That's Giraffe because he looked like a giraffe when he was a baby, he's gotten bigger now but. And this is Little Missy and then there's a few other ones right here that were my little tiny ones."
Michelle was present for the birth of many of these goats.
"And they're jumping around the moment they're born they're really cute, sometimes they are the size of a water bottle with little legs, a St. Algene bottle," she said.
Landscaping with Goats. Yeah, It's a Thing.
After getting to meet the furrier side of the Aullson family, we hop onto a pickup truck to see some goats at work.
We arrive at our destination in the neighboring town of Newbury, Massachusetts. There's a green two floor suburban home with about a 200 square foot yard. A yellow trailer filled with goats is parked in the driveway. The area where the goats will be working is filled with rocks, trees, and plenty of noxious weeds like poison ivy, poison oak and sumac.
Jamie Genest, the head farm caretaker and sheep herder, starts sectioning off the backyard.
"Well, basically what we have to do is we clear a path, so that we can set the electric fence up because the fence itself can't hit anything or it'll ground it out," Genest said. "Here is your electric fence with your rod battery."
He puts an electric fence around the work area to keep the goats from being bothered by dogs and to keep the flower beds from being bothered by the goats. Inside the fence, Jamie has set up a pool of water to make sure that the goats stay hydrated while they're on the job. To the side, there's an open tent for the goats to rest under, in case they start to overheat. Genest makes sure that these Goats2Go are always good to go.
Homeowners Tracy and Peter Frangos come outside to greet the crew and get a peek at the goats. Peter says he had seen advertisements for Goats2Go and just decided to give it a try.
"It might be a nice easy way to take care of getting this area landscaped and get rid of the brush with a natural process," said Frangos. "It's not going to be cheap, but it's not going to be more expensive and it's, you know, environment neutral. So it's not something I can do because it's poison ivy and I don't want to be in poison ivy. And it's effective and good for everybody and the goats get a meal out of the deal."
Goat landscapers are a novel, and as Peter alluded to, a fairly expensive alternative. The cost of hiring Goats2Go is more than $500 dollars per grazing job.
The most popular and cheapest way to eradicate weeds is the use of herbicides. But some herbicides are non-selective, meaning they not only kill the intended plant but everything around it including any insects that happen to stop by for a landing. And long-term exposure to herbicides has been linked to many health concerns in humans, including cancer. So goat landscapers aren't just cute furry friends, they make an honest living as an eco-friendly alternative.
Peter Frangos (property owner, left), Alan Aullson (Goats to Go founder, middle left), Paloma Beltran (LOE associate producer, middle right), and Aynsley O'Neill (LOE associate producer, right). Photo: Courtesy of Paloma Beltran / Living on Earth
"Usually the trailer comes open and they just come out and some of them just faint when they come off the trailer because they're all excited or nervous," said Michelle.
Fainting goats also known as myotonic goats, have a natural mutation in their genes which cause their muscles to stiffen up when they are startled.
"And as soon as they get in there, you'll see, they'll just rummage around and start eating what they like first, which is probably the poison ivy," she said. "And then they'll go back to what they like second, just like how we like, you know, the good stuff on our plate first."
The trailer opens up and Jamie starts latching ropes onto the collars that all of the goats are wearing around their necks. They seem eager to hurry down the small slope of grass onto the overgrown area of the yard. I was given the honor of guiding one of the goats to the weed buffet.
"So this is what you call a walk in job, you gotta hand lead all the goats in," she said.
I have grabbed on to a goat, but I'm not sure I've directed in the right path. He's just wandering around a tree right now. As soon as the goats stepped inside the fence, it wasn't even difficult to pull them anymore. It was like the goat knew exactly where to go.
Some goats head right towards the rocky area, others huddle inside the tall brush as though they're all eating from a family table. Two black and white spotted goats are so deep in the bush that I only see their horns peeking out from between the leaves.
Goats like to eat high-growing plants and can digest noxious weeds like poison ivy due to the acidity in their stomach. Photo: Aynsley O'Neill / Living on Earth
"So goats are what you call high browsers, and then they eat low grass if there's nothing else there," Michelle explained. "But they don't care for grass, they like shrubs and they like these bushes right here."
Other animals like sheep and cows are also grazing animals, but Michelle says goats have several advantages when it comes to eating noxious weeds like poison ivy.
"They have teeth on the bottom and a soft pad on the top which they can even eat stuff that's thorny, and in woody bark and everything," she said. "They have a very acidic stomach so when they eat something, they break it all down. When they poop the other end, they don't regerminate what's already there. Horses and cows have seeds in their poop, goats do not and neither do sheep. But the goats just happen to love it and I think it has to do with their digestive system and what they like to eat."
It will take the goats about three days to finish clearing out this space. But it's not 'one and done.' Noxious weeds will grow back. It will take the goats several sessions to starve the plant, blocking it from the energy it needs to survive and weakening its roots.
Although goats are not able to eradicate weeds in just one sitting, they are able to remediate soil by churning it with their hooves and fertilizing it with their waste. After these biomachines are done cleaning up the overgrown shrubs, Michelle will be ready to take them back to their home at the Great Rock Farm. While these goatscapers won't take over the jobs of human landscapers for good, Goats2Go provides an alternative to those wanting to get rid of weeds and shrubs in a more natural, goaty sort of way.
This report was produced with help from Living on Earth's Paloma Beltran.
14 August 2020 Episode
Aynsley O'Neill
Aynsley O'Neill is an associate producer for Living on Earth, the weekly environmental news and information program distributed by PRX.
An-Li Herring January 14, 2022


text:
Rebecca Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP
Professor of Nursing
Millsap Professor of Gerontological Nursing and Public Policy
Professor (Vet Med) and Director, Research Center for Human Animal Interaction (ReCHAI), MU College of Veterinary Medicine
E-mail: rajohnson@missouri.edu
Phone: 573.882.2266; 573.884.4686
Web site: http://www.rechai.missouri.edu
Research Center for Human Animal Interaction (ReCHAI)
MU College of Veterinary Medicine
900 East Campus Drive
Clydesdale Hall Annex #2
Adult nursing, Gerontological nursing
Human-companion animal interaction and well-being for humans and animals; Relocation of older adults.
BSN, University of Dubuque, Iowa
MPhil, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
MS(N), University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
PhD, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Program of Research
Dr. Johnson's externally funded program of research merges her earlier work on promoting wellness during older adults' life transitions with the benefits of human-companion animal interaction. Her research shows that companion animals may provide a unique source of social support and facilitate motivation for exercise and other wellness-promoting behaviors. Most recently, her research demonstrates that human-companion animal interaction may be a powerful motivator for physical activity through dog-walking. This work has been highly successful in underserved populations such as those residing in public housing and also older adults. Presently she is conducting a two-site clinical trial testing the effects on physical activity levels and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder of pairing recently returned U.S. military veterans with shelter dogs for dog training activity, and a three-site trial of veterans who are participating in therapeutic horseback riding for stress reduction. Her NIH-funded study of abused children is testing the stress outcomes of children when they have a service dog present with them during a forensic interview. She is also partnering with the St. Louis Zoo on a study of heart rate variability in zoo visitors in response to petting stingrays in a zoo exhibit. In 2012-2013 she conducted a study of health, locus of control, and self-esteem among prison offenders who train shelter dogs.
Rebecca Johnson completed graduate research training with her masters of philosophy degree from University of Edinburgh, Scotland (as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar), and her Ph.D. from University of Iowa. She is the Millsap Professor of Gerontological Nursing & Public Policy at University of Missouri where she also holds a joint appointment as a full professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She is the President of the International Association of Human Animal Interaction Organizations, which consists of over 60 member organizations globally, working to facilitate research, education and practice in the area of human-animal interaction. In 2005 she founded and continues to direct the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) based at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. ReCHAI's mission is to conduct and facilitate research on human-animal interaction and to educate students and the public about it. The ReCHAI team is comprised of undergraduate, masters, doctoral, and post-doctoral level members. Her research led to her induction into the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) in 2007. In 2009, her undergraduate course, entitled "Human-Companion Animal Interaction" won the Humane Society of the U.S.' 11th Annual "Animals and Society" Distinguished Established Course Award. She continues to teach this course every Fall semester to up to 100 undergraduate students from many different academic majors. In 2013 she was inducted into the National Academies of Practice in Veterinary Medicine. In 2014 she was nominated by students for and received the MU Excellence in Education Award for mentoring outside of the classroom. Author of many publications in peer reviewed journals, and other publications, she had two books published by Purdue University Press in 2011, "Health Benefits of Dog Walking," and "Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound."
Selected Grants and Awards
Deem, S., & Johnson, R. A. (2013). Experiencing animals in a zoo: Heart rate variability and perceptions of adults. Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund. $21K.
Johnson, R. A. (2013). Effects of equine assisted activities on PTSD symptoms, coping self-efficacy, emotion regulation, and social engagement in military veterans. Horses and Humans Foundation. $50K.
Johnson, R. A. (2013). Puppies for parole: Shelter dog training and inmate behavior outcomes. Mizzou Advantage Grant. $24K. Second year funding proposal.
Dog presence and children's stress during forensic interviews for child abuse. NIH/NICHD RO3. $100K. (2011).
Puppies for parole: Shelter dog training and inmate behavior outcomes. Mizzou Advantage Grant. $24K. (2011).
Exploring human-companion animal interaction for families of children with autism. Mizzou Advantage Grant. $50K. (2011).
The following four grants support one component of a four-part project with the same title.
Mutual enrichment: Veterans training shelter dogs. MU Research Board Grant. $48K. (2010).
Mutual enrichment: Veterans training shelter dogs. Waltham Foundation. $30K. (2010).
Mutual enrichment: Veterans training shelter dogs. Banfield Charitable Trust. $30K. (2010).
Mutual enrichment: Veterans training shelter dogs. Pedigree Foundation. $25K. (2010).
Research meets practice: Human-animal interaction in obesity across the lifespan. National Institutes of Health. National Institute for Child Health and Development (NICHD 1R13HD062078-01). $10K, (2009).
Caring for both ends of the leash: Effects of owners visiting their dogs hospitalized in an intensive care unit. WALTHAM™ Centre for Pet Nutrition. $18,687, (2009).
Seniors fostering shelter dogs: Improving health and well-being together. International Society for Anthrozoology & WALTHAM™ Centre for Pet Nutrition. $30K, (2009).
Walk a hound, lose a pound, and stay fit for older adults. The WALTHAM™ Centre for Pet Nutrition/American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians, Human-Animal Bond Research Collaboration. $19,993, (2007).
Ask the community: Barriers and facilitators of physical activity and exercise. Missouri Foundation for Health, $36,400, (2007)
"PALS for Seniors" animal assisted activity training & registration. Li'l Red Foundation. $400K, (2007).
Testing a dog visit protocol with newly admitted nursing home residents. MU-Columbia Research Board Council Grant. $7,500, (2005).
Non-invasive assessment of stress in dogs involved in animal assisted activity. IAMS Corporation. $25K funded in-kind support. (2004).
Neuro-chemical indicators of the human animal bond. V.P.I. Skeeter Foundation. $25K, (2003).
Walking for healthy hearts. Missouri Foundation for Health. $134K. (2002).
Neuro-chemical indicators of the human animal bond. V.P.I. Skeeter Foundation. $100K, (2001).
Animal assisted therapy and anxiety among radiation therapy patients: An MU interdisciplinary randomized clinical trial. University of Missouri Columbia Comprehensive Cancer Center Key Group Seed Funds. $50K, (2000).
Zeltzman, P. & Johnson, R. A. (2011). Walk a hound, lose a pound: How you and your dog can lose weight, stay fit and have fun together. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press.
Johnson, R. A., Beck, A. M., & McCune, S. (2011). The health benefits of dog-walking. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press.
Johnson, R.A. (2017). Relocation stress syndrome. In B. Ackley, G. Ladwig (Eds.), Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care, 12th edition. St. Louis, Mosby Elsevier.
Johnson, R.A. & Bibbo, J. (2016). Human animal interaction in the aging boom. In A. Fine (Ed.), Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. Ch. 15, New York: Elsevier.
Johnson, R.A. & Bibbo, J. (2015). Relocation stress syndrome. In B. Ackley, G. Ladwig (Eds.), Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care, 11th edition. St. Louise, Mosby Elsevier.
Johnson, R.A. (2013). Relocation stress syndrome. In B. Ackley, G. Ladwig (eds.), Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care, 10th edition. (pp.647-651). St. Louis, Mosby Elsevier.
Johnson, R. A., & McCulloch, W. F. (2013). Human animal bond. In G. Dvorak, & J. Roth (Eds.) Zoonoses: Protecting People and Their Pets. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press.
Johnson, R. A. & McKenney, C. (2011). Walk a hound, lose a pound: A community dog walking program for families. In R. A. Johnson, A. M. Beck & S. McCune (Eds.) The health benefits of dog-walking for people and pets. (pp. 89-104). West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press.
Johnson, R. A. (2011). Human Animal Interaction and Animal Assisted Therapy. In R. Davis (Ed.), Caring for family pets: Choosing and keeping our companion animals healthy. Ch 3, New York: Praeger Publishers, an imprint of ABC-CLIO.
Johnson, R. A. (2010) Relocation stress syndrome. In B. Ackley, G. Ladwig (Eds.), Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care, 9th edition. (pp.690-695). St. Louis, Mosby.
Johnson, R. A. (2010). Animal assisted interventions in human healthcare. In P. McCardle (Ed.), How Animals Affect Us: Examining the Influence of Human-Animal Interaction on Child Development and Human Health. Ch 9. American Psychological Association.
Baun, M. M., & Johnson, R. A. (2010). Human animal interaction and successful aging. In A. Fine (Ed.), Handbook of Animal Assisted Therapy. The Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. Ch 15 (pp. 283-299), New York: Academic Press.
Johnson, R. A. (2010). Psychosocial & therapeutic aspects human-animal interaction. In P. Rabinowitz, & L. Conti (Eds.), Human-animal medicine; Clinical approaches to zoonoses, toxicants, and other shared health risks. Ch. 5: 24-36, Maryland Heights, Missouri: Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc.
Johnson, R. A. (2009). Relocation stress syndrome. In M. Maas, J. Specht, D. Schoenfelder, & P. Mobily (Eds.). Nursing care of older adults: Diagnoses, outcomes & interventions. Ch. 41, New York: Delmar Cengage Learning.
Baun, M. M., Johnson, R. A., & McCabe, B.W. (2007). Human animal interaction and successful aging. In A. Fine (Ed.), Handbook of Animal Assisted Therapy. The Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. Ch 14:285-300, New York: Academic Press.
Johnson, R.A. (2006). Relocation stress. In M. Mezey, M. Bottrell, B. Berkman, C. Callahan, T. Fulmer, E. Mitty, G. Paveza, E. Siegler, & N. Strumpf. (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of Elder Care: The Comprehensive Resource on Geriatric and Social Care. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Chapter revision for new edition.
Curl, A.L., Bibblo, J., & Johnson, R.A. (2016). Dog walking, the human-animal bond and older adults' physical health. The Gerontologist. Doi:10.1093/geront/gnw051.
Sahrmann, J., Niedbalski, A., Bradshaw, L., Johnson, R., and Deem, S. (2016). Human health benefits associated with a touch tank experience at a zoological institution. Zoo Biology, 35, 4-13.
Holt, S., Johnson, R.A., Yaglom, H.D., & Brennan, C. (2016). Animal assisted activity with older adult retirement facility residents: The PAWSitive Visits program. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 39(4), 267-279.
Johnson, R. & Bibbo, J. (2014). Relocation decisions and constructing the meaning of home: A phenomenological study of the transition into a nursing home. Journal of Aging Studies, 30, 56-63.
Johnson, R. & Bibbo, J. 2014. The utopia of Tiger Place: Older adults, relocation to a nursing home, and pet relinquishment. Tijdschrift voor Ouderengeneeskunde(Journal of Geriatric Medicine, Netherlands), 1-2014, 28-30
Johnson, R. A. (2013). Promoting One Health: The University of Missouri Research Center for Human Animal Interaction. Missouri Medicine, 110,125-128.
Smarr, K.L., Musser, D.R., Shigaki, C.L., Johnson, R. A., Hanson, K.D., & Chokkalingam, S. (2011). Online self-management in rheumatoid arthritis: a patient-centered model application. Telemedicine & e-Health, 17(2), 104-110.
Johnson, R. A., Radina, M., & Popejoy, L. (2010). Older adults'participation in nursing home placement decisions.Clinical Nursing Research, 19(4), 358-375. doi: 10.1177/1054773810372990.
Johnson, R. A., & Meadows, R. L. (2010). Dog-Walking: Motivation for adherence to a walking program. Clinical Nursing Research. 19(4), 387-402. doi: 10.1177/1054773810373122Johnson, R. A.
Johnson, R. A., Rantz, M. J., McKenney, C. A., & Cline, K. M. (2008). TigerPlace: Training veterinarians about animal companionship for the elderly. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education. 35(4), 511-513.
McKenney, C., & Johnson, R. (2008). Unleash the healing power of pet therapy. American Nurse Today, 3(5), 29-31.
Shigaki C. L., Smarr K. L., Gong Y., Donovan Hanson K., Siva C., Johnson R.A., Ge B., Musser D. R. (2008). Social Interactions in an Online Self-management Program for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Chronic Illness, 4, 239–246.
Rantz, M., Porter, R., Chesier, D., Otto, D., Servey, C., Johnson, R., Aud, M., Skubic, M. Tyrer, H., He, Z., Demiris, G., Alexander, G., & Taylor, G. (2008). TigerPlace, a state-academic-private project to revolutionize traditional long-term care. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 22(1/2), 66-85.
Johnson, R. A. & Gayer, A. (2008). Puppy love for older adults. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 34(1), 52-53.
Johnson, R. A., Meadows, R., Haubner, J., & Sevedge, K. (2008). Animal assisted activity with cancer patients: Effects on mood, fatigue, self-perceived health and sense of coherence. Oncology Nursing Forum, 35(2), 225-232.
Smarr, K.L., Siva, C., Johnson, R.A., Donovan Hanson, K., Musser, D.R., Hewett, J.E., Ge, B., Parker, J.C. (2007). Online self-management program in rheumatoid arthritis: RAHelp.org 3-month analysis. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 56(9 Supplement), S308.
Harnirattisai, T., Johnson, R.A. and Kawinwonggowit, V. (2006). Evaluating functional activity in older Thai adults.Rehabilitation Nursing, 32(3), 126-130.
Rantz, M.J., Marek, K.D., Aud, M.A., Johnson, R., Otto, D. and Porter, R. (2005). TigerPlace: A new future for older adults. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 20(1), 1-4.
Harnirattisai, T. and Johnson, R.A. (2005). Effectiveness of a behavioral change intervention in Thai elders after knee replacement. Nursing Research, 54(2), 2-12.
Johnson, R.A. (Guest Ed.). (2003). The human-animal bond. American Behavioral Scientist 4(1), 5-102.
Johnson, R.A., Meadows, R. L., Haubner, J.S. and Sevedge, K. (2003). Human-animal interaction: A complementary/alternative medical intervention (CAM) for cancer patients. American Behavioral Scientist, 47(1), 55-69.
Johnson, R.A. (Guest Ed.). (2003). Human-animal interaction, illness prevention, & wellness promotion. American Behavioral Scientist, 4(1), 5-6.
Johnson, R.A. (2002). Commentary: Human-animal interaction research as an area of inquiry in nursing. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 24(6), 713-715.
Johnson, R.A. (Special Issue Guest Ed.) (2002). Human-Animal Interaction Research. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 24(6).
University of Dubuque, Iowa, Alumni Professional Achievement Award, October, 2016
University of Missouri Excellence in Education Award. May, 2014.
Inducted, Fellow & Distinguished Scholar, National Academics of Practice – Veterinary Medicine. April, 2013.
MU Sinclair School of Nursing Faculty Award for Excellence in Service (2010)
Humane Society of the US, 11th Annual "Animals and Society" Distinguished Established Course Award (2009)
Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) (2007)
University of Missouri-Columbia, William H. Byler Distinguished Professor Award (2005)
University of Iowa College of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award (2003)
MU Sinclair School of Nursing Faculty Award for Excellence in Research Award (2003)
Inducted into Alumni Hall of Fame, Rock Valley College, Rockford, Ill. (2001)
MU Sinclair School of Nursing Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching (2001)