1,717 research outputs found
Using QR Codes in the Emergency Department to Enhance Nursing Practice
https://scholarlycommons.libraryinfo.bhs.org/nurs_presentations2023/1003/thumbnail.jp
Diabetes, Obesity, and Hypertension May Enhance Associations between Air Pollution and Markers of Systemic Inflammation
Airborne particulate matter (PM) may lead to increased cardiac risk through an inflammatory pathway. Therefore, we investigated associations between ambient PM and markers of systemic inflammation among repeated measures from 44 senior citizens (≥ 60 years of age) and examined susceptibility by conditions linked to chronic inflammation. Mixed models were used to identify associations between concentrations of fine PM [aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM(2.5))] averaged over 1–7 days and measures of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and white blood cells (WBCs). Effect modification was investigated for diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and elevated mean inflammatory markers. We found positive associations between longer moving averages of PM(2.5) and WBCs across all participants, with a 5.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.10 to 11%] increase per interquartile increase (5.4 μg/m(3)) of PM(2.5) averaged over the previous week. PM(2.5) and CRP also exhibited positive associations among all individuals for averages longer than 1 day, with the largest associations for persons with diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. For example, an interquartile increase in the 5-day mean PM(2.5) (6.1 μg/m(3)) was associated with a 14% increase in CRP (95% CI, −5.4 to 37%) for all individuals and an 81% (95% CI, 21 to 172%) increase for persons with diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Persons with diabetes, obesity, and hypertension also exhibited positive associations between PM(2.5) and IL-6. Individuals with elevated mean inflammatory markers exhibited enhanced associations with CRP, IL-6, and WBCs. We found modest positive associations between PM(2.5) and indicators of systemic inflammation, with larger associations suggested for individuals with diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and elevated mean inflammatory markers
Effect of QRS duration and morphology on cardiac resynchronization therapy outcomes in mild heart failure: results from the Resynchronization Reverses Remodeling in Systolic Left Ventricular Dysfunction (REVERSE) study.
International audienceBACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) decreases mortality, improves functional status, and induces reverse left ventricular remodeling in selected populations with heart failure. We aimed to assess the impact of baseline QRS duration and morphology and the change in QRS duration with pacing on CRT outcomes in mild heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Resynchronization Reverses Remodeling in Systolic Left Ventricular Dysfunction (REVERSE) was a multicenter randomized trial of CRT among 610 patients with mild heart failure. Baseline and CRT-paced QRS durations and baseline QRS morphology were evaluated by blinded core laboratories. The mean baseline QRS duration was 151±23 milliseconds, and 60.5% of subjects had left bundle-branch block (LBBB). Patients with LBBB experienced a 25.3-mL/m(2) mean reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume index (P<0.0001), whereas non-LBBB patients had smaller decreases (6.7 mL/m(2); P=0.18). Baseline QRS duration was also a strong predictor of change in left ventricular end-systolic volume index with monotonic increases as QRS duration prolonged. Similarly, the clinical composite score improved with CRT for LBBB subjects (odds ratio, 0.530; P=0.0034) but not for non-LBBB subjects (odds ratio, 0.724; P=0.21). The association between clinical composite score and QRS duration was highly significant (odds ratio, 0.831 for each 10-millisecond increase in QRS duration; P<0.0001), with improved response at longer QRS durations. The change in QRS duration with CRT pacing was not an independent predictor of any outcomes after correction for baseline variables. CONCLUSION: REVERSE demonstrated that LBBB and QRS prolongation are markers of reverse remodeling and clinical benefit with CRT in mild heart failure. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00271154
KSU Student Anxiety around Mass Shootings
This research will examine the relationships among generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and fear of mass shootings, particularly for members of minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Previous research has examined the various types of mass public shootings and which ones receive more media attention. Previous research has also examined potential causes of mass shootings, ways to prevent them, and areas where mass shootings are common. There is little research on different types of anxiety (generalized and social) and how those correlate to fear of mass shootings, especially for minority groups in college. To examine this relationship, we will administer an online questionnaire with demographic questions, questions that examine generalized and social anxiety levels, and questions on fears of mass shootings on campus and off campus. We hypothesize that stronger correlations among generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and fear of mass shootings will emerge amongst participants who belong to minority groups rather than majority groups. Through this research we hope to find trends in anxiety levels amongst these student groups and use the findings to implement effective intervention programs at KSU. The purpose of this study is ultimately to ease anxiety levels among all students, especially those of minority status.This research will examine the relationships among generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and fear of mass shootings, particularly for members of minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Previous research has examined the various types of mass public shootings and which ones receive more media attention. Previous research has also examined potential causes of mass shootings, ways to prevent them, and areas where mass shootings are common. There is little research on different types of anxiety (generalized and social) and how those correlate to fear of mass shootings, especially for minority groups in college. To examine this relationship, we will administer an online questionnaire with demographic questions, questions that examine generalized and social anxiety levels, and questions on fears of mass shootings on campus and off campus. We hypothesize that stronger correlations among generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and fear of mass shootings will emerge amongst participants who belong to minority groups rather than majority groups. Through this research we hope to find trends in anxiety levels amongst these student groups and use the findings to implement effective intervention programs at KSU. The purpose of this study is ultimately to ease anxiety levels among all students, especially those of minority status
The DRIFT Dark Matter Experiments
The current status of the DRIFT (Directional Recoil Identification From
Tracks) experiment at Boulby Mine is presented, including the latest limits on
the WIMP spin-dependent cross-section from 1.5 kg days of running with a
mixture of CS2 and CF4. Planned upgrades to DRIFT IId are detailed, along with
ongoing work towards DRIFT III, which aims to be the world's first 10 m3-scale
directional Dark Matter detector.Comment: Proceedings of the 3rd International conference on Directional
Detection of Dark Matter (CYGNUS 2011), Aussois, France, 8-10 June 201
Low Energy Electron and Nuclear Recoil Thresholds in the DRIFT-II Negative Ion TPC for Dark Matter Searches
Understanding the ability to measure and discriminate particle events at the
lowest possible energy is an essential requirement in developing new
experiments to search for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark
matter. In this paper we detail an assessment of the potential sensitivity
below 10 keV in the 1 m^3 DRIFT-II directionally sensitive, low pressure,
negative ion time projection chamber (NITPC), based on event-by-event track
reconstruction and calorimetry in the multiwire proportional chamber (MWPC)
readout. By application of a digital smoothing polynomial it is shown that the
detector is sensitive to sulfur and carbon recoils down to 2.9 and 1.9 keV
respectively, and 1.2 keV for electron induced events. The energy sensitivity
is demonstrated through the 5.9 keV gamma spectrum of 55Fe, where the energy
resolution is sufficient to identify the escape peak. The effect a lower energy
sensitivity on the WIMP exclusion limit is demonstrated. In addition to recoil
direction reconstruction for WIMP searches this sensitivity suggests new
prospects for applications also in KK axion searches
A Flagellar A-Kinase Anchoring Protein with Two Amphipathic Helices Forms a Structural Scaffold in the Radial Spoke Complex
A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) contain an amphipathic helix (AH) that binds the dimerization and docking (D/D) domain, RIIa, in cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). Many AKAPs were discovered solely based on the AH–RIIa interaction in vitro. An RIIa or a similar Dpy-30 domain is also present in numerous diverged molecules that are implicated in critical processes as diverse as flagellar beating, membrane trafficking, histone methylation, and stem cell differentiation, yet these molecules remain poorly characterized. Here we demonstrate that an AKAP, RSP3, forms a dimeric structural scaffold in the flagellar radial spoke complex, anchoring through two distinct AHs, the RIIa and Dpy-30 domains, in four non-PKA spoke proteins involved in the assembly and modulation of the complex. Interestingly, one AH can bind both RIIa and Dpy-30 domains in vitro. Thus, AHs and D/D domains constitute a versatile yet potentially promiscuous system for localizing various effector mechanisms. These results greatly expand the current concept about anchoring mechanisms and AKAPs
Context and Crowding in Perceptual Learning on a Peripheral Contrast Discrimination Task: Context-Specificity in Contrast Learning
Perceptual learning is an improvement in sensitivity due to practice on a sensory task and is generally specific to the trained stimuli and/or tasks. The present study investigated the effect of stimulus configuration and crowding on perceptual learning in contrast discrimination in peripheral vision, and the effect of perceptual training on crowding in this task. 29 normally-sighted observers were trained to discriminate Gabor stimuli presented at 9° eccentricity with either identical or orthogonally oriented flankers with respect to the target (ISO and CROSS, respectively), or on an isolated target (CONTROL). Contrast discrimination thresholds were measured at various eccentricities and target-flanker separations before and after training in order to determine any learning transfer to untrained stimulus parameters. Perceptual learning was observed in all three training stimuli; however, greater improvement was obtained with training on ISO-oriented stimuli compared to CROSS-oriented and unflanked stimuli. This learning did not transfer to untrained stimulus configurations, eccentricities or target-flanker separations. A characteristic crowding effect was observed increasing with viewing eccentricity and decreasing with target-flanker separation before and after training in both configurations. The magnitude of crowding was reduced only at the trained eccentricity and target-flanker separation; therefore, learning for contrast discrimination and for crowding in the present study was configuration and location specific. Our findings suggest that stimulus configuration plays an important role in the magnitude of perceptual learning in contrast discrimination and suggest context-specificity in learning
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