Anti-KIT monoclonal antibody [PE/Cy5®]

Family caregivers exhibit a wide variety of needs and concerns while providing care to stroke survivors after discharge to the home setting. We report the results of two related studies utilizing a multimethod design in which stroke family caregivers (N = 12;N = 10) were interviewed using open-ended questions, followed by written caregiver ratings regarding the types of telehealth technologies they preferred for the telephone assessment and skill-building kit (TASK III). Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis procedures with a provisional "start list" of codes in a matrix template based on the types of telehealth technologies in the rating forms. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze ratings with response scales ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. Average ratings for the telehealth technologies for the TASK III resource guide were obtained for the mailed hard copy binder (M = 3.58-4.13;SD = 0.35-1.00), an interactive website (;M = 3.86-4.17;SD = .72-1.07), an eBook (M = 3.17-3.67;SD = 0.84-1.17), and a USB drive (M = 3.75-4.00;SD = .82-.96). Average ratings for the telehealth technologies for the TASK III calls with the nurse were obtained for the use of a telephone (M = 4.36-5.00;SD = 0.00-0.89), FaceTime on an iOS device (e.g., iPhone or iPad;M = 3.73-4.40;SD = 0.79-0.98), or online videoconferencing (M = 3.17-3.50;SD = 0.82-1.47). Qualitative data revealed a wide variety of preferences for each type of telehealth technology, with advantages and disadvantages of each. The findings underscored the importance of offering multiple telehealth technology options to stroke family caregivers. Future studies are recommended that employ randomized control trial methodology to test theoretically-based interventions that are based on stroke family caregiver preferences for telehealth technologies.

Smallholder farmers often face challenges in managing soil fertility due to limited inputs and high spatial variability on their farms. While improved knowledge of soil constraints could help them manage limited resources more effectively, formal soil analyses are typically out of reach due to high costs of testing and transport associated with regional analytical laboratories. To address these challenges, we assembled a tool kit that uses minimal reagents and low-cost equipment to provide in-field quantitative data that are comparable to formal laboratory methods. We validated our tool kit measurements against standard analyses conducted at national laboratories on soils collected from 36 smallholder farms in Kenya and 115 farms in Peru. Additionally, in Kenya, we evaluated two legume treatments, involving the incorporation of residues from: 1) Lablab purpureus (lablab), versus 2) Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean). The tool kit measurements that were considered include important indicators of soil health (such as permanganate oxidizable carbon (PDXC), available P, pH, particulate organic matter (POM), and aggregate stability) that can influence crop yields and multiple soil functions. PDXC and pH measured with the tool kit from Kenyan soils were highly correlated to those measured by a standard laboratory (R-2 = 0.77; R-2 = 0.56; respectively). The tool kit and standard laboratory available P were less well correlated, but also showed a highly significant positive relationship (R-2 = 0.30). Similar patterns were noted for PDXC, pH and available P measured in Peruvian soils (R-2 = 0.75; R-2 = 0.75; R-2 = 0.35; respectively). Importantly, the tool kit and standard lab analyses also displayed similar abilities to predict maize grain yield in Kenya. When used to detect soil impacts of incorporating P. vulgaris versus L. prpureus, only POM differed significantly between the two legume treatments, although L. purpureus was slightly higher for most of the beneficial soil health properties. Our findings suggest that the tool kit methods proposed here have broad applicability to smallholder farms for explaining variability in crop yields, assessing soil contexts, and quantifying management-induced changes in soil health.