76 research outputs found

    Listening to Children and Young People’s (CYP) Experience and Perceptions During the Period of COVID-19 and Their Advice for Teachers and Schools

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    This research project aimed to elicit the views of children and young people (CYP) about their experience of COVID-19, and their advice to teachers and schools. The views of fourteen CYP aged between 9 and 15 years of age from within and around London were ascertained through individual semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic analysis. There were a variety of responses from CYP, including the following: a deep appreciation for their teachers and their support throughout the pandemic; stories of positive personal growth and spending more time with their family. However, their inability to see friends and the challenges of learning from home had a considerable impact on some CYP who would have liked home learning to have been more personalised, interactive and varied and for there to have been a greater awareness of workload. A list of issues for consideration and a checklist based upon the CYP’s views have been compiled, for the use of schools and teachers. Given the small sample, the timing of the study and the fact that the pandemic is ongoing, some suggestions for further research are indicated

    704-4 EDRF-mediated Increases in Conduit Artery Distensibility are Impaired in Chronic Heart Failure

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    Chronic heart failure (CHF) is associated with reduced EDRF activity in resistance arteries. A similar effect in conduit arteries would reduce their distensibility and increase the load on the compromised heart. We measured pulse wave velocity (PWV), inversely related to distensibility, in the right common iliac artery (RCIA) during acetylcholine (ACh, endothelium-dependent dilator) and adenosine (Ado, endothelium-independent dilator) infusion in 6 patients with CHF (NYHA grades 2–3, EF < 40%, age 50 ± 16 [SD] years, 4 men) and 9 normal subjects (N) (age 49 ± 6 years, 4 men). CHF was due to dilated cardiomyopathy (with normal blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and coronary angiograms). PWV, measured from the pressure pulse delay between 2 transducers 5 cm apart, was measured during infusions proximal (P) and distal (D)to the RCIA segment studied. We corrected for BP and other downstream effects by subtracting D from P effects. At baseline, PWV was similar in the two groups (CHF 8.7 ± 1.1; N 9.1 ± 1.5 ms-1). ACh (10-7, 10-6, 10-5mol/L) induced dose-dependent reductions in PWV (-5, -15, -25%) in normals but no change (+ 2, +2, -3%) in CHF (p = 0.0013). Ado (2 × 10-7, 2 × 10-6,2 × 10-5mol/L) induced similar dose-related reductions in PWV in N (-5, -12, -24%) and in CHF (-1, -12, -14%, NS). These data indicate that conduit artery distensibility is increased by ACh-stimulated EDRF activity in normal subjects but not in patients with CHF. This suggests that physiological EDRF-mediated increases in distensibility, as occur during exercise, may be impaired in CHF despite normal resting distensibility

    Syncytiotrophoblast Microvesicles Released from Pre-Eclampsia Placentae Exhibit Increased Tissue Factor Activity

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    Background: Pre-eclampsia is a complication of pregnancy associated with activation of coagulation. It is caused by the placenta, which sheds increased amounts of syncytiotrophoblast microvesicles (STBM) into the maternal circulation. We hypothesized that STBM could contribute to the haemostatic activation observed in pre-eclampsia. Methodology/Principal Findings: STBM were collected by perfusion of the maternal side of placentae from healthy pregnant women and women with pre-eclampsia at caesarean section. Calibrated automated thrombography was used to assess thrombin generation triggered by STBM-borne tissue factor in platelet poor plasma (PPP). No thrombin was detected in PPP alone but the addition of STBM initiated thrombin generation in 14/16 cases. Pre-eclampsia STBM significantly shortened the lag time (LagT, P = 0.01) and time to peak thrombin generation (TTP, P = 0.005) when compared to normal STBM. Blockade of tissue factor eliminated thrombin generation, while inhibition of tissue factor pathway inhibitor significantly shortened LagT (p = 0.01) and TTP (P,0.0001), with a concomitant increase in endogenous thrombin potential. Conclusions/Significance: STBM triggered thrombin generation in normal plasma in a tissue factor dependent manner, indicating that TF activity is expressed by STBM. This is more pronounced in STBM shed from pre-eclampsia placentae. As more STBM are shed in pre-eclampsia these observations give insight into the disordered haemostasis observed in thi

    Variation in Structure and Process of Care in Traumatic Brain Injury: Provider Profiles of European Neurotrauma Centers Participating in the CENTER-TBI Study.

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    INTRODUCTION: The strength of evidence underpinning care and treatment recommendations in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is low. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) has been proposed as a framework to provide evidence for optimal care for TBI patients. The first step in CER is to map the existing variation. The aim of current study is to quantify variation in general structural and process characteristics among centers participating in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. METHODS: We designed a set of 11 provider profiling questionnaires with 321 questions about various aspects of TBI care, chosen based on literature and expert opinion. After pilot testing, questionnaires were disseminated to 71 centers from 20 countries participating in the CENTER-TBI study. Reliability of questionnaires was estimated by calculating a concordance rate among 5% duplicate questions. RESULTS: All 71 centers completed the questionnaires. Median concordance rate among duplicate questions was 0.85. The majority of centers were academic hospitals (n = 65, 92%), designated as a level I trauma center (n = 48, 68%) and situated in an urban location (n = 70, 99%). The availability of facilities for neuro-trauma care varied across centers; e.g. 40 (57%) had a dedicated neuro-intensive care unit (ICU), 36 (51%) had an in-hospital rehabilitation unit and the organization of the ICU was closed in 64% (n = 45) of the centers. In addition, we found wide variation in processes of care, such as the ICU admission policy and intracranial pressure monitoring policy among centers. CONCLUSION: Even among high-volume, specialized neurotrauma centers there is substantial variation in structures and processes of TBI care. This variation provides an opportunity to study effectiveness of specific aspects of TBI care and to identify best practices with CER approaches

    Variation in monitoring and treatment policies for intracranial hypertension in traumatic brain injury: A survey in 66 neurotrauma centers participating in the CENTER-TBI study

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    The distributions of species are not only determined by where they can survive – they must also be able to reproduce. Although immigrant inviability is a well-established concept, the fact that immigrants also need to be able to effectively reproduce in foreign environments has not been fully appreciated in the study of adaptive divergence and speciation. Fertilization and reproduction are sensitive life-history stages that could be detrimentally affected for immigrants in non-native habitats. We propose that “immigrant reproductive dysfunction” is a hitherto overlooked aspect of reproductive isolation caused by natural selection on immigrants. This idea is supported by results from experiments on an externally fertilizing fish (sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus). Growth and condition of adults were not affected by non-native salinity whereas males spawning as immigrants had lower sperm motility and hatching success than residents. We interpret these results as evidence for local adaptation or acclimation of sperm, and possibly also components of paternal care. The resulting loss in fitness, which we call “immigrant reproductive dysfunction,” has the potential to reduce gene flow between populations with locally adapted reproduction, and it may play a role in species distributions and speciation.</p

    Variation in structure and process of care in traumatic brain injury: Provider profiles of European Neurotrauma Centers participating in the CENTER-TBI study

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    Introduction: The strength of evidence underpinning care and treatment recommendations in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is low. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) has been proposed as a framework to provide evidence for optimal care for TBI patients. The first step in CER is to map the existing variation. The aim of current study is to quantify variation in general structural and process characteristics among centers participating in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. Methods: We designed a set of 11 provider profiling questionnaires with 321 questions about various aspects of TBI care, chosen based on literature and expert opinion. After pilot testing, questionnaires were disseminated to 71 centers from 20 countries participating in the CENTER-TBI study. Reliability of questionnaires was estimated by calculating a concordance rate among 5% duplicate questions.Results: All 71 centers completed the questionnaires. Median concordance rate among duplicate questions was 0.85. The majority of centers were academic hospitals (n = 65, 92%), designated as a level I trauma center (n = 48, 68%) and situated in an urban location (n = 70, 99%). The availability of facilities for neuro-trauma care varied across centers; e.g. 40 (57%) had a dedicated neuro-intensive care unit (ICU), 36 (51%) had an in-hospital rehabilitation unit and the organization of the ICU was closed in 64% (n = 45) of the centers. In addition, we found wide variation in processes of care, such as the ICU admission policy and intracranial pressure monitoring policy among centers. Conclusion: Even among high-volume, specialized neurotrauma centers there is substantial variation in structures and processes of TBI care. This variation provides an opportunity to study effectiveness of specific aspects of TBI care and to identify best practices with CER approaches.</p
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