75 research outputs found
Studying thought processes of online peer tutors through stimulated-recall interviews
The present study aims to explore the cognitive processes of older students during their peer tutoring support of freshmen engaged in asynchronous discussion groups. Stimulated-recall was applied to study the underlying motives for specific tutor behavior in the online discussions and to make tutors’ concerns explicit. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze the interview transcripts. A constant comparative analysis of the data resulted in six issues associated with peer tutors’ cognitive processing in relation to actual tutoring behavior: strategy use, reasons for intervention, experience with online discussions, evaluation of faculty support, satisfaction with tutortutee interaction, and evolution over time. Furthermore, the results point at tutor worries. A major dilemma concerns the persistent problem of deciding when, how exactly, and how frequently to intervene. A second tutor dilemma is associated with the multidimensional tutor role. Thirdly, peer tutors struggle with the fact they are not professionals so not expert in the learning materials
The measurement properties of assessment tools for chronic wounds: a systematic review.
Background: Chronic wounds are an increasing problem in the aging population, patients experience a lower health-related quality of life and the care for these patients is associated with high costs. Thorough wound assessments facilitate objective monitoring of wound status and progress. A wound assessment tool can guide clinicians in these wound assessments and in recording wound progress or deterioration. Objective: Systematically identify assessment tools for chronic wounds, investigate their measurement properties, and summarize the data per assessment tool. Design: Systematic review. Methods: The databases Medline (PubMed interface), Embase, CINAHL, and CENTRAL were systematically searched until May 2020 (updated in February 2021). Studies reporting the development and/or the evaluation of measurement properties of assessment tools for chronic wounds were included. The “Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments” risk of Bias checklist was applied to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. Each reported measurement property was rated against criteria for good measurement properties. The evidence was summarized and the quality of the evidence was graded using a modified Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. Study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted independently by two reviewers and double-checked by a third reviewer. Results: Twenty-seven studies describing the measurement properties of fourteen assessment tools for chronic wounds were included. None of the studies reported a content validity evaluation by a relevance study or a comprehensiveness study in professionals. Six articles reported the development or revision of an existing assessment tool. The reported measurement properties included: structural validity (5 studies), reliability (18 studies), hypotheses testing for construct validity (18 studies) and responsiveness (7 studies). Internal consistency, cross-cultural validity / measurement invariance and measurement error were not reported. If criterion validity was assessed, the results were allocated to hypotheses testing for construct validity as no ‘gold standard’ is available. Conclusions: Fourteen assessment tools for chronic wounds were identified. Construct validity (by hypotheses testing) and responsiveness of the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing version 3.0 were supported by sufficient ratings based on moderate to high level quality of evidence. Reliability of the (Revised) Photographic Wound Assessment Tool had a sufficient rating based on moderate quality of evidence. The ratings of the measurement properties of the other wound assessment tools were either insufficient or indeterminate, or a sufficient result was supported by low to very low quality of evidence
Up-to-date workflow for plant (phospho)proteomics identifies differential drought-responsive phosphorylation events in maize leaves
Protein phosphorylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications (PTMs), which can regulate protein activity and localization as well as proteinprotein interactions in numerous cellular processes. Phosphopeptide enrichment techniques enable plant researchers to acquire insight into phosphorylation-controlled signaling networks in various plant species. Most phosphoproteome analyses of plant samples still involve stable isotope labeling, peptide fractionation, and demand a lot of mass spectrometry (MS) time. Here, we present a simple workflow to probe, map, and catalogue plant phosphoproteomes, requiring relatively low amounts of starting material, no labeling, no fractionation, and no excessive analysis time. Following optimization of the different experimental steps on Arabidopsis thaliana samples, we transferred our workflow to maize, a major monocot crop, to study signaling upon drought stress. In addition, we included normalization to protein abundance to identify true phosphorylation changes. Overall, we identified a set of new phosphosites in both Arabidopsis thaliana and maize, some of which are differentially phosphorylated upon drought. All data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD003634, but to provide easy access to our model plant and crop data sets, we created an online database, Plant PTM Viewer (bioinformatics.psb.ugent.be/webtools/ptm_viewer/), where all phosphosites identified in our study can be consulted
The cyclin CYCA3;4 is a postprophase target of the APC/CCCS52A2 E3-ligase controlling formative cell divisions in Arabidopsis
The Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) controls unidirectional progression through the cell cycle by marking key cell cycle proteins for proteasomal turnover. Its activity is temporally regulated by the docking of different activating subunits, known in plants as CELL DIVISION PROTEIN 20 (CDC20) and CELL CYCLE SWITCH 52 (CCS52). Despite the importance of the APC/C during cell proliferation, the number of identified targets in the plant cell cycle is limited. Here, we used the growth and meristem phenotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana CCS52A2-deficient plants in a suppressor mutagenesis screen to identify APC/CCCS52A2 substrates or regulators, resulting in the identification of a mutant cyclin CYCA3;4 allele. CYCA3;4 deficiency partially rescues the ccs52a2-1 phenotypes, whereas increased CYCA3;4 levels enhance the ccs52a2-1 phenotypes. Furthermore, whereas CYCA3;4 proteins are promptly broken down after prophase in wild-type plants, they remain present in later stages of mitosis in ccs52a2-1 mutant plants, marking them as APC/CCCS52A2 substrates. Strikingly, increased CYCA3;4 levels result in aberrant root meristem and stomatal divisions, mimicking phenotypes of plants with reduced RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED PROTEIN 1 (RBR1) activity. Correspondingly, RBR1 hyperphosphorylation was observed in CYCA3;4 gain-of-function plants. Our data thus demonstrate that an inability to timely destroy CYCA3;4 contributes to disorganized formative divisions, possibly in part caused by the inactivation of RBR1
Implementation and evaluation of the Presto combined qualitative real-time assay for <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> and <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i> in Rwanda.
BackgroundThe Presto combined qualitative real-time assay for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Presto CT/NG PCR assay) is appealing for developing countries, because it can be used with multiple DNA extraction methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platforms.ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to implement and evaluate the Presto CT/NG PCR assay at the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) in Kigali, Rwanda, where no real-time PCR assays for the detection of C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae were available.MethodsThe Presto CT/NG PCR assay was first evaluated at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, Belgium. Next, NRL laboratory technicians were trained to use the assay on their ABI PRISM 7500 real-time PCR instrument and their competencies were assessed prior to trial initiation. During the trial, endocervical swabs were tested at the NRL, with bi-monthly external quality control testing monitored by the ITM. The final NRL results were evaluated against extended gold standard testing at the ITM, consisting of the Abbott m2000 RealTime System with confirmation of positive results by an in-house real-time PCR assay for C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae.ResultsOf the 192 samples analysed using the Presto assay at the NRL, 16 samples tested positive for C. trachomatis and 17 tested positive for N. gonorrhoeae; four of these were infected with both. The sensitivity and specificity of the Presto assay were 93.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 68.1% - 99.8%) and 99.4% (95% CI: 96.8% - 100%) for C. trachomatis and 100% (95% CI: 76.8% - 100%) and 98.8% (95% CI: 95.8% - 99.9%) for N. gonorrhoeae.ConclusionC. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae testing with the Presto assay was feasible in Kigali, Rwanda, and good performance was achieved.KeywordsqPCR; Chlamydia trachomatis; Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Silicone adhesive multilayer foam dressings as adjuvant prophylactic therapy to prevent hospital-acquired pressure ulcers : a pragmatic noncommercial multicentre randomized open-label parallel-group medical device trial
Background: Silicone adhesive multilayer foam dressings are used as adjuvant therapy to prevent hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers (PUs).
Objectives: Determine if silicone foam dressings in addition to standard prevention reduce PU incidence category 2 or worse compared to standard prevention alone.
Methods: Multicentre, randomised controlled, medical device trial conducted in eight Belgian hospitals. At risk adult patients were centrally randomised (n=1633) to study groups based on a 1:1:1 allocation: experimental group 1 (n=542) and 2 (n=545) ‐ pooled as the treatment group ‐ and the control group (n=546). Experimental groups received PU prevention according to hospital protocol, and a silicone foam dressing on these body sites. The control group received standard of care. The primary endpoint was the incidence of a new PU category 2 or worse at these body sites.
Results: In the intention‐to‐treat population (n=1605); 4.0% of patients developed PUs category 2 or worse in the treatment group and 6.3% in the control group (RR=0.64, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.99, P=0.04). Sacral PUs were observed in 2.8% and 4.8% of the patients in the treatment group and the control group, respectively (RR=0.59, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.98, P=0.04). Heel PUs occurred in 1.4% and 1.9% of patients in the treatment and control group respectively (RR=0.76, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.68, P=0.49).
Conclusions: Silicone foam dressings reduce the incidence of PUs category 2 or worse in hospitalised at‐risk patients when used in addition to standard of care. Results show a decrease for sacrum, but no statistical difference for heel/trochanter areas
Belgian rare diseases plan in clinical pathology : identification of key biochemical diagnostic tests and establishment of reference laboratories and financing conditions
BackgroundOne objective of the Belgian Rare Diseases plan is to improve patients' management using phenotypic tests and, more specifically, the access to those tests by identifying the biochemical analyses used for rare diseases, developing new financing conditions and establishing reference laboratories.MethodsA feasibility study was performed from May 2015 until August 2016 in order to select the financeable biochemical analyses, and, among them, those that should be performed by reference laboratories. This selection was based on an inventory of analyses used for rare diseases and a survey addressed to the Belgian laboratories of clinical pathology (investigating the annual analytical costs, volumes, turnaround times and the tests unavailable in Belgium and outsourced abroad). A proposal of financeable analyses, financing modalities, reference laboratories' scope and budget estimation was developed and submitted to the Belgian healthcare authorities. After its approval in December 2016, the implementation phase took place from January 2017 until December 2019.ResultsIn 2019, new reimbursement conditions have been published for 46 analyses and eighteen reference laboratories have been recognized. Collaborations have also been developed with 5 foreign laboratories in order to organize the outsourcing and financing of 9 analyses unavailable in Belgium.ConclusionsIn the context of clinical pathology and rare diseases, this initiative enabled to identify unreimbursed analyses and to meet the most crucial financial needs. It also contributed to improve patients' management by establishing Belgian reference laboratories and foreign referral laboratories for highly-specific analyses and a permanent surveillance, quality and financing framework for those tests
Neurofibromatosis type 1-related pseudarthrosis: Beyond the pseudarthrosis site.
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder affecting approximately 1 in 2,000 newborns. Up to 5% of NF1 patients suffer from pseudarthrosis of a long bone (NF1-PA). Current treatments are often unsatisfactory, potentially leading to amputation. To gain more insight into the pathogenesis we cultured cells from PA tissue and normal-appearing periosteum of the affected bone for NF1 mutation analysis. PA cells were available from 13 individuals with NF1. Biallelic NF1 inactivation was identified in all investigated PA cells obtained during the first surgery. Three of five cases sampled during a later intervention showed biallelic NF1 inactivation. Also, in three individuals, we examined periosteum-derived cells from normal-appearing periosteum proximal and distal to the PA. We identified the same biallelic NF1 inactivation in the periosteal cells outside the PA region. These results indicate that NF1 inactivation is required but not sufficient for the development of NF1-PA. We observed that late-onset NF1-PA occurs and is not always preceded by congenital bowing. Furthermore, the failure to identify biallelic inactivation in two of five later interventions and one reintervention with a known somatic mutation indicates that NF1-PA can persist after the removal of most NF1 negative cells
Study of the environmental effect of a commercial wound cleanser used with different mechanical forces
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