User Evaluation of Neonatology Ward Design: An Application of Focus Group and Semantic Differential

[EN] Objective: The object of this article is to identify the set of affective and emotional factors behind users assessments of a space in a neonatology unit and to propose design guidelines based on these. Background: The importance of the neonatology service and the variety of users place great demands on the space at all levels. Despite the repercussions, the emotional aspects of the environment have received less attention. Methods: To avoid incurring limitations in the user mental scheme, this study uses two complementary methodologies: focus group and semantic differential. The (qualitative) focus group methodology provides exploratory information and concepts. The (quantitative) semantic differential methodology then uses these concepts to extract the conceptual structures that users employ in their assessment of the space. Of the total 175 subjects, 31 took part in focus groups and 144 in semantic differential. Results: Five independent concepts were identified: privacy, functionality and professional nature, spaciousness, lighting, and cleanliness. In relation to the importance of the overall positive assessment of the space, the perception of privacy and sensations of dominance and pleasure are fundamental. Six relevant design aspects were also identified: provide spacious surroundings, facilitate sufficient separation between the different posts or cots, use different colors from those usually found in health-care centers, as some aversion was found to white and especially green, design areas with childhood themes, use warm artificial light, and choose user-friendly equipment. Conclusions: Results provide design recommendations of interest and show the possibilities offered by combining both systems to analyze user response.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Spain (Project TIN2013-45736-R).Higuera-Trujillo, JL.; Montañana I Aviñó, A.; Llinares Millán, MDC. (2017). User Evaluation of Neonatology Ward Design: An Application of Focus Group and Semantic Differential. HERD Health Environments Research & Design Journal. 10(2):23-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/1937586716641275S234810

Infrared thermography as a monitoring-tool in youth elite soccer for players under 17 years of age

8th Congress of International Foot and Ankle Biomechanics Society, Bordeaux, France, April, 19 - 22, 2023. Poster presentation

ADH IB expression, but not ADH III, is decreased in human lung cancer.

Endogenous S-nitrosothiols, including S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), mediate nitric oxide (NO)-based signaling, inflammatory responses, and smooth muscle function. Reduced GSNO levels have been implicated in several respiratory diseases, and inhibition of GSNO reductase, (GSNOR) the primary enzyme that metabolizes GSNO, represents a novel approach to treating inflammatory lung diseases. Recently, an association between decreased GSNOR expression and human lung cancer risk was proposed in part based on immunohistochemical staining using a polyclonal GSNOR antibody. GSNOR is an isozyme of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) family, and we demonstrate that the antibody used in those studies cross reacts substantially with other ADH proteins and may not be an appropriate reagent. We evaluated human lung cancer tissue arrays using monoclonal antibodies highly specific for human GSNOR with minimal cross reactivity to other ADH proteins. We verified the presence of GSNOR in ≥85% of specimens examined, and extensive analysis of these samples demonstrated no difference in GSNOR protein expression between cancerous and normal lung tissues. Additionally, GSNOR and other ADH mRNA levels were evaluated quantitatively in lung cancer cDNA arrays by qPCR. Consistent with our immunohistochemical findings, GSNOR mRNA levels were not changed in lung cancer tissues, however the expression levels of other ADH genes were decreased. ADH IB mRNA levels were reduced (>10-fold) in 65% of the lung cancer cDNA specimens. We conclude that the previously reported results showed an incorrect association of GSNOR and human lung cancer risk, and a decrease in ADH IB, rather than GSNOR, correlates with human lung cancer

GSNOR and ADH gene expression in lung cancer cDNA arrays.

<p>GSNOR (gene name <i>ADH5</i>), ADH IB (<i>ADHIB</i>), ADH II (<i>ADH4</i>), and ADH IV (<i>ADH7</i>) mRNA levels were evaluated by qPCR in human lung cancer cDNA arrays (Origene, #HLRT504, lot #0411, Rockville, MD) and normalized to β-actin levels. Arrays contained 23 matched pairs of normal and cancerous lung tissue. Tumor expression relative to the matched normal sample was calculated using the ΔΔCt method. Relative quantities <1 represent decreased expression in the tumor sample. Lung cancer specimens included Stage IA (n = 4), IB (n = 4), IIA (n = 2), IIB (n = 8), IIIA (n = 3), and IIIB (n = 2) with each sample paired with adjacent normal tissue. No correlation between GSNOR mRNA levels and lung cancer was observed, while expression of ADH IB was strongly reduced in lung cancer samples.</p

GSNOR is present in normal lung tissue.

<p>Normal human lung tissue microarrays were stained with N30-C3 monoclonal GSNOR antibody (1 µg/mL) followed by DAB detection. Bronchial epithelial cells, alveolar macrophages, and type 2 pneumocytes in alveoli are strongly stained.</p

Quantitation of GSNOR positive lung cancer tissue sections.

<p>Four identical sets of 120 lung tissue cores (12 normal, 108 cancer) were stained with the GSNOR antibodies indicated below. The stained tissue cores were graded as positive or negative for GSNOR expression by three reviewers blinded to antibody used (SCM, GJR, JPR). The percent of tumor and normal lung cores graded as positive for GSNOR expression are shown below.</p