A qualitative assessment of implementing a cross-cultural survey on cancer wards in Denmark - a description of barriers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Research into migration and health is often confronted with methodological challenges related to the identification of migrants in various settings. Furthermore, it is often difficult to reach an acceptable level of participation among migrant groups in quantitative research. The aim of this study is to conduct a qualitative assessment of the barriers encountered during the implementation of a cross-cultural survey on cancer wards in Copenhagen, Denmark.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Participant observation at the involved wards was combined with qualitative interviews with selected nurses and informal talks with a wider group of nurses at the wards involved in the survey.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One possible way to increase the participation of migrant patients in research is through the involvement of the hospital staff in contact with patients. Involvement of nurses on cancer wards in the delivery of questionnaires to patients was challenging, despite a general willingness to participate in psychosocial research. The main difficulties were found to be both external (policy changes, general strike among nurses) and internal on the wards (heavy workload, lack of time, focus on medical aspects of cancer rather than psychosocial aspects). These factors interacted and resulted in a lower priority being given to psychosocial research. Further, nurses expressed a feeling that researchers in general did not recognize their contribution in research, making it more difficult to engage fully in studies.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Involving hospital staff in research is feasible but not straightforward. Awareness of the influence of possible external and internal factors and efforts to deal with these factors are fundamental to the successful implementation of psychosocial cancer research in a hospital setting.</p

Panel 4 : Report of the Microbiology Panel

Objective. To perform a comprehensive review of the literature from July 2011 until June 2015 on the virology and bacteriology of otitis media in children. Data Sources. PubMed database of the National Library of Medicine. Review Methods. Two subpanels comprising experts in the virology and bacteriology of otitis media were created. Each panel reviewed the relevant literature in the fields of virology and bacteriology and generated draft reviews. These initial reviews were distributed to all panel members prior to meeting together at the Post-symposium Research Conference of the 18th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Otitis Media, National Harbor, Maryland, in June 2015. A final draft was created, circulated, and approved by all panel members. Conclusions. Excellent progress has been made in the past 4 years in advancing our understanding of the microbiology of otitis media. Numerous advances were made in basic laboratory studies, in animal models of otitis media, in better understanding the epidemiology of disease, and in clinical practice. Implications for Practice. (1) Many viruses cause acute otitis media without bacterial coinfection, and such cases do not require antibiotic treatment. (2) When respiratory syncytial virus, metapneumovirus, and influenza virus peak in the community, practitioners can expect to see an increase in clinical otitis media cases. (3) Biomarkers that predict which children with upper respiratory tract infections will develop otitis media may be available in the future. (4) Compounds that target newly identified bacterial virulence determinants may be available as future treatment options for children with otitis media.Peer reviewe

Generalized refraction using lenslet arrays

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lkyl Hydroperoxide Reductase Is Required for Helicobacter cinaedi Intestinal Colonization and Survival under Oxidative Stress in BALB/c and BALB/c Interleukin-10-/- Mice

Helicobacter cinaedi, a common human intestinal bacterium, has been implicated in various enteric and systemic diseases in normal and immunocompromised patients. Protection against oxidative stress is a crucial component of bacterium-host interactions. Alkyl hydroperoxide reductase C (AhpC) is an enzyme responsible for detoxification of peroxides and is important in protection from peroxide-induced stress. H. cinaedi possesses a single ahpC, which was investigated with respect to its role in bacterial survival during oxidative stress. The H. cinaedi ahpC mutant had diminished resistance to organic hydroperoxide toxicity but increased hydrogen peroxide resistance compared with the wild-type (WT) strain. The mutant also exhibited an oxygen-sensitive phenotype and was more susceptible to killing by macrophages than the WT strain. In vivo experiments in BALB/c and BALB/c interleukin-10 (IL-10)−/− mice revealed that the cecal colonizing ability of the ahpC mutant was significantly reduced. The mutant also had diminished ability to induce bacterium-specific immune responses in vivo, as shown by immunoglobulin (IgG2a and IgG1) serum levels. Collectively, these data suggest that H. cinaedi ahpC not only contributes to protecting the organism against oxidative stress but also alters its pathogenic properties in vivo.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant R01CA067529)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant R01DK052413)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant R01RR032307)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant P01CA26731)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant P30ES002109