EULAR provisional recommendations for the management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases in the context of SARS-CoV-2

The provisional EULAR recommendations address several aspects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus, and the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and are meant for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) and their caregivers. A task force of 20 members was convened by EULAR that met several times by videoconferencing in April 2020. The task force finally agreed on five overarching principles and 13 recommendations covering four generic themes: (1) General measures and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. (2) The management of RMD when local measures of social distancing are in effect. (3) The management of COVID-19 in the context of RMD. (4) The prevention of infections other than SARS-CoV-2. EULAR considers this set of recommendations as a 'living document' and a starting point, which will be updated as soon as promising new developments with potential impact on the care of patients with RMD become available

A systematic review of non-invasive modalities used to identify women with anal incontinence symptoms after childbirth

© 2018, The International Urogynecological Association. Introduction and hypothesis: Anal incontinence following childbirth is prevalent and has a significant impact upon quality of life (QoL). Currently, there is no standard assessment for women after childbirth to identify these symptoms. This systematic review aimed to identify non-invasive modalities used to identify women with anal incontinence following childbirth and assess response and reporting rates of anal incontinence for these modalities. Methods: Ovid Medline, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Collaboration, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched for studies using non-invasive modalities published from January 1966 to May 2018 to identify women with anal incontinence following childbirth. Study data including type of modality, response rates and reported prevalence of anal incontinence were extracted and critically appraised. Results: One hundred and nine studies were included from 1602 screened articles. Three types of non-invasive modalities were identified: validated questionnaires/symptom scales (n = 36 studies using 15 different instruments), non-validated questionnaires (n = 50 studies) and patient interviews (n = 23 studies). Mean response rates were 92% up to 6 weeks after childbirth. Non-personalised assessment modalities (validated and non-validated questionnaires) were associated with reporting of higher rates of anal incontinence compared with patient interview at all periods of follow-up after childbirth, which was statistically significant between 6 weeks and 1 year after childbirth (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This systematic review confirms that questionnaires can be used effectively after childbirth to identify women with anal incontinence. Given the methodological limitations associated with non-validated questionnaires, assessing all women following childbirth for pelvic-floor symptomatology, including anal incontinence, using validated questionnaires should be considered

Low energy electron beam decomposition of metalorganic precursors with a scanning tunneling microscope at ambient atmosphere

Brückl H, Kretz J, Koops HW, Reiss G. Low energy electron beam decomposition of metalorganic precursors with a scanning tunneling microscope at ambient atmosphere. JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE &amp; TECHNOLOGY B. 1999;17(4):1350-1353.Electron beam induced decomposition of metalorganic precursor substances with a scanning tunneling microscope is a convenient way to create nanometer-sized structures. Up to now, the application was limited due to the necessity of vacuum conditions. In this contribution, we report experiments to form metallic nanostructures by the decomposition of dimethylgold(III)-trifluoro-acetylacetonate and cyclopentadienylplatin(IV)-trimethyl on graphite and indium-tin-oxide coated glass substrates at ambient atmosphere. Small hillocks with diameters down to 30 nm and heights of 10 nm and wire-shaped structures were produced. The amount of the deposited material depends on the energy and the dose of the electrons. A threshold voltage was found for both materials. (C) 1999 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-211X(99)07804-X]

Applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour to predicting online safety behaviour

A widely promoted preventative measure against becoming a victim of cybercrime is the control of personal information online; however, little is known about what predicts the use of this type of protective safety behaviour. This study examines the utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour in predicting online protective behaviours. Participants (N=150) completed measures of online privacy attitudes, normative influence, perceived behavioural control (PBC), intention to use and actual use of online protective behaviours. Path analysis indicated the effects of online privacy attitudes and normative beliefs on online protective safety behaviours were mediated through intention, while PBC had a significant direct effect on online protective safety behaviours. The model explained 81 per cent of the variance in protective online safety behaviours. The results of this study facilitate understanding of the psychological processes underlying the use of online protective behaviours, and can be used in the development of educational materials and cyber-identity theft prevention strategies

Support for the Development of Technological Innovations: Promoting Responsible Social Uses

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