Wronskian formula for confluent second-order supersymmetric quantum mechanics

The confluent second-order supersymmetric quantum mechanics, for which the factorization energies tend to a single value, is studied. We show that the Wronskian formula remains valid if generalized eigenfunctions are taken as seed solutions. The confluent algorithm is used to generate SUSY partners of the Coulomb potential.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, to be published in Physics Letters

Effects of a simulation-based workshop on nursing students' competence in arterial puncture

Objective: To evaluate whether a short simulation-based workshop in radial artery puncture would improve nursing students’ competence to a level in which they could practise the procedure on a live patient without compromising his safety. Methods: Quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest study with 111 third-year nursing students. A 1.5-hour simulation-based workshop was implemented. This included a video-lecture, live demonstrations, selfdirected simulated practice in dyads and individual intermittent feedback. Participants’ skills, knowledge and self-efficacy in arterial puncture were measured before and after attending the workshop. Results: After the intervention, a total of 61.1% of the participants showed the level of competence required to safely practice radial artery puncture on a live patient under supervision. Conclusion: Effective simulation-based training in arterial puncture for nursing students does not necessarily need to be resource-intensive. Well-planned, evidence-based training sessions using low-tech simulators could help educators to achieve good educational outcomes and promote patient safety

Development and psychometric assessment of the basic resuscitation skills self-efficacy scale

Background: Nurses are usually the first responders to an in-hospital cardiac arrest. As bystanders, nurses are expected to master some basic resuscitation skills. Self-efficacy levels are a key component in the acquisition of basic resuscitation skills. Aim: To develop, test and validate a self-efficacy scale that accurately measures nursing students’ confidence levels in their capabilities when responding to a cardiac arrest. Methods: This study enrolled a conveniently recruited sample of 768 nursing students from two different universities in Europe. The Basic Resuscitation Skills Self-Efficacy Scale (BRS-SES) was developed and its psychometrics established. Content validity, criterion validity, discriminant validity, and internal consistency were assessed. Performing item-analysis, principal component analysis and known group analysis evaluated construct validity. Results: Principal component analysis revealed the three-subscale structure of the final 18-item BRS-SES. A Cronbach’s alpha of 0.96 for the overall measure demonstrated the internal consistency of the BRS-SES. Data also evidenced discriminant ability of the BRS-SES and known-group analysis showed its high sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: The BRS-SES showed good psychometric properties for measuring self-efficacy in basic resuscitation skills that nursing students, as future first responders to an in-hospital cardiac arrest, will be expected to master. Implications for practice: The BRS-SES is a validated tool that could have a positive impact on the training of basic resuscitation skills and, therefore, on patients’ outcomes

Clavo gamma en el tratamiento de las fracturas del macizo trocantérico: estudio comparativo entre el Clavo Gamma Trocantérico y el Gamma 3

El clavo Gamma es una técnica bien establecida en el tratamiento de las fracturas del macizo trocantéreo. Hemos realizado un estudio prospectivo en 40 pacientes para comparar dos tipos de clavos. En 20 se utilizó el clavo gamma trocantérico y en 20 un nuevo dispositivo llamado Gamma3 fabricado en titanio y con modificaciones en el diseño para permitir una menor incisión y mayor faciliad en su implante. De todos los parámetros estudiados tanto intra como postoperatorios sólo hemos encontrado diferencias en cuanto al tiempo del acto quirúrgico y al tamaño de la incisión, encontrando menor tiempo y menor tamaño de la incisión en el clavo gamma 3. No encontramos diferencias en cuanto a las complicaciones técnicas, ni en cuanto al dolor, tiempo transcurrido hasta la consolidación o grado de independencia obtenido. Consideramos el clavo Gamma3 como una técnica valiosa que disminuye el tiempo de cirugía y el traumatismo de las partes blandas.The nail Gamma is a well-established technique in the treatment of the trochanteric fractures. We have made a prospective study in 40 patients for compare two Gamma nail types. In 20 we use the Trochanteric Gamma Nail and in 20 a new device called Gamma 3 manufactured in titanium and with modifications in the design to permit a less incision and most facilities in his implantation. Of all of the parameters studied both intra and postoperative we have found differences in the time of surgical act and in the size of the incision, finding less time and less size of the approach in the gamma 3 nail. We do not find differences about technical complications, neither as to the pain, time to the consolidation or independence grade obtained. We regard to the nail Gamma 3 as a valuable technique that decreases the time of surgery and the traumatism of the soft tissues

Predictor factors of perceived health in family caregivers of people diagnosed with mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease

Caring for a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease has a negative impact on family caregivers’ psychological health. This study examined the factors related to ‘perceived health’ and ‘presence of new-onset mental health problems’ in family caregivers of people diagnosed with mild and moderate Alzheimer’s disease. A cross-sectional observational study carried out in Almeria’s Healthcare District (Spain). A total of 255 family caregivers (42.4% cared for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease and 57.6% cared for people with moderate Alzheimer’s disease) participated in the study from January to December 2015. Mainly, caregivers were women (81.5% in the mild Alzheimer’s disease group and 88.4% in the moderate Alzheimer’s disease group), and their average age was 56.54 years (standard deviation (SD) = 13.13) and 54.47 years (SD = 11.71), respectively. Around 47% of the caregivers had been caring for the person with Alzheimer’s between two and five years. The Goldberg General Health Questionnaire was used to measure perceived health and the presence of new-onset mental health problems. An exploratory descriptive analysis and a multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted. For caregivers of people with mild Alzheimer’s disease, ‘perceived health’ was related to ‘perceived social support’ (r = −0.21; p = 0.028), ‘person’s level of dependency’ (r = −0.24, p = 0.05), ‘severity of the person’s neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.22; p = 0.05), and ‘caregiver’s emotional distress in response to the person’s neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.22; p = 0.05). For caregivers of people with moderate Alzheimer’s disease, ‘perceived health’ was related to ‘perceived social support’ (r = −0.31; p ˂ 0.01), ‘presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.27, p = 0.01), ‘severity of the person’s neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.32, p = 0.01) and ‘caregiver’s emotional distress in response to the person’s neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.029; p = 0.01). The presence of new-onset mental health problems was detected in 46.3% (n = 50) of caregivers of people with mild Alzheimer’s and 61.9% (n = 91) of caregivers of people with moderate Alzheimer’s. When people are diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease, intervention programs for caregivers should aim to regulate emotions and promote positive coping strategies. When people are diagnosed with moderate Alzheimer’s disease, intervention programs for caregivers must allow them to adapt to caregiving demands that arise with the progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Homoeologous chromosomal location of the genes encoding thionins in wheat and rye

Thionins are high sulphur basic polypeptides present in the endosperm of Gramineae. In wheat there are three thionins encoded by genes located in the long arms of chromosomes 1A, 1B and 1D. Rye has one thionin encoded by a gene which has been assigned to chromosome 1R after analysis of the Imperial-Chinese Spring rye-wheat disomic addition lines. Commercial varieties and experimental stocks with a 1B/1R substitution carry the thionin from rye ( R) instead of the B thionin from wheat. The R thionin gene is not located in the large chromosomal segment representing most of the short arm of chromosome 1R

Improved max-value entropy search for multi-objective bayesian optimization with constraints

We present MESMOC+, an improved version of Max-value Entropy search for Multi-Objective Bayesian optimization with Constraints (MESMOC). MESMOC+ can be used to solve constrained multi-objective problems when the objectives and the constraints are expensive to evaluate. It is based on minimizing the entropy of the solution of the optimization problem in function space (i.e., the Pareto front) to guide the search for the optimum. The cost of MESMOC+ is linear in the number of objectives and constraints. Furthermore, it is often significantly smaller than the cost of alternative methods based on minimizing the entropy of the Pareto set. The reason for this is that it is easier to approximate the required computations in MESMOC+. Moreover, MESMOC+’s acquisition function is expressed as the sum of one acquisition per each black-box (objective or constraint). Therefore, it can be used in a decoupled evaluation setting in which it is chosen not only the next input location to evaluate, but also which black-box to evaluate there. We compare MESMOC+ with related methods in synthetic, benchmark and real optimization problems. These experiments show that MESMOC+ has similar performance to that of state-of-the-art acquisitions based on entropy search, but it is faster to execute and simpler to implement. Moreover, our experiments also show that MESMOC+ is more robust with respect to the number of samples of the Pareto frontThe authors acknowledge financial support from Spanish Plan Nacional I + D+i, grant PID2019-106827 GB-I00/ AEI/ 10.13039/50110001103

Design and validation of a three-instrument toolkit for the assessment of competence in electrocardiogram rhythm recognition

Background: Rapid and accurate interpretation of cardiac arrhythmias by nurses has been linked with safe practice and positive patient outcomes. Although training in electrocardiogram (ECG) rhythm recognition is part of most undergraduate nursing programmes, research continues to suggest that nurses and nursing students lack competence in recognising cardiac rhythms. In order to promote patient safety, nursing educators must develop valid and reliable assessment tools that allow the rigorous assessment of this competence before nursing students are allowed to practise without supervision. Aim: To develop and psychometrically evaluate a toolkit to holistically assess competence in ECG rhythm recognition. Methods: Following a convenience sampling technique, 293 nursing students from a nursing faculty in a Spanish university were recruited for the study. The following three instruments were developed and psychometrically tested: a knowledge assessment tool (ECG-KAT), a skills assessment tool (ECG-SAT) and a self-efficacy assessment tool (ECG-SES). Reliability and validity (content, criterion and construct) of these tools were meticulously examined. Results: A high Cronbach’s alpha coefficient demonstrated the excellent reliability of the instruments (ECG-KAT=0.89; ECG-SAT=0.93; ECG-SES=0.98). An excellent context validity index (S-CVI/Ave>0.94) and very good criterion validity were evidenced for all the tools. Regarding construct validity, principal component analysis revealed that all items comprising the instruments contributed to measure knowledge, skills or self-efficacy in ECG rhythm recognition. Moreover, known-groups analysis showed the tools’ ability to detect expected differences in competence between groups with different training experiences. Conclusion: The three-instrument toolkit developed showed excellent psychometric properties for measuring competence in ECG rhythm recognition