Application of family-centered empowerment model in primary caregivers of premature infants: A quasi-experimental study

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of the family-centered empowerment model (FECM) on reducing anxiety, improving care ability, and readiness for hospital discharge of main caregivers of preterm infants.MethodsThe primary caregivers of preterm infants who were admitted to the Neonatal intensive care Unit (NICU) of our center from September 2021 to April 2022 were selected as the research objects. According to the wishes of the primary caregivers of preterm infants, they were divided into group A (FECM group) and group B (non-FECM group). The intervention effects were evaluated with the Anxiety Screening Scale (GAD-7), the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale-Parent Version (RHDS-Parent Form), and the Primary Caregivers of Premature Infants Assessment of Care Ability Questionnaire.ResultsBefore the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in the general information, anxiety screening, the scores of each dimension, and total score of the comprehensive ability of the main caregivers, and the score of caregiver preparedness between the two groups (P > 0.05). After the intervention, there were statistically significant differences in the anxiety screening, the total score and total score of each dimension of the care ability, and the score of caregiver preparedness between the two groups (P < 0.05).ConclusionsFECM can effectively reduce the anxiety of primary caregivers of premature infants and improve their readiness for hospital discharge and care ability. To improve the quality of life of premature infants by implementing personalized training, care guidance, and peer support

The energy and spanning trees of the Aztec diamonds

The Aztec diamond was extensively studied in both graph theory and statistical physics. Knuth obtained a formula of the number of spanning trees of the Aztec diamond with the constrained boundary condition, which solved a conjecture posed by Stanley in 1994. In this paper. We give the formulae of the energy and the number of spanning trees of the Aztec diamond with the toroidal boundary condition. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Predictors of extubation failure in newborns: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Extubation failure (EF) is a significant concern in mechanically ventilated newborns, and predicting its occurrence is an ongoing area of research. To investigate the predictors of EF in newborns undergoing planned extubation, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library for studies published in English from the inception of each database to March 2023. The PRISMA guidelines were followed in all phases of this systematic review. The Risk of Bias Assessment for Nonrandomized Studies tool was used to assess methodological quality. Thirty-four studies were included, 10 of which were overall low risk of bias, 15 of moderate risk of bias, and 9 of high risk of bias. The studies reported 43 possible predictors in six broad categories (intrinsic factors; maternal factors; diseases and adverse conditions of the newborn; treatment of the newborn; characteristics before and after extubation; and clinical scores and composite indicators). Through a qualitative synthesis of 43 predictors and a quantitative meta-analysis of 19 factors, we identified five definite factors, eight possible factors, and 22 unclear factors related to EF. Definite factors included gestational age, sepsis, pre-extubation pH, pre-extubation FiO2, and respiratory severity score. Possible factors included age at extubation, anemia, inotropic use, mean airway pressure, pre-extubation PCO2, mechanical ventilation duration, Apgar score, and spontaneous breathing trial. With only a few high-quality studies currently available, well-designed and more extensive prospective studies investigating the predictors affecting EF are still needed. In the future, it will be important to explore the possibility of combining multiple predictors or assessment tools to enhance the accuracy of predicting extubation outcomes in clinical practice