74 research outputs found
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Measured Cerebral Blood Flow from Spontaneous Oxygenation Changes in Neonatal Brain Injury
Neonates with hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) brain injury were monitored using a broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system in the neonatal intensive care unit. The aim of this work is to use the NIRS cerebral oxygenation data (HbD = oxygenated-haemoglobin - deoxygenated-haemoglobin) combined with arterial saturation (SaO2) from pulse oximetry to calculate cerebral blood flow (CBF) based on the oxygen swing method, during spontaneous desaturation episodes. The method is based on Fick's principle and uses HbD as a tracer; when a sudden change in SaO2 occurs, the change in HbD represents a change in tracer concentration, and thus it is possible to estimate CBF. CBF was successfully calculated with broadband NIRS in 11 HIE infants (3 with severe injury) for 70 oxygenation events on the day of birth. The average CBF was 18.0 ± 12.7 ml 100 g-1 min-1 with a range of 4 ml 100 g-1 min-1 to 60 ml 100 g-1 min-1. For infants with severe HIE (as determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy) CBF was significantly lower (p = 0.038, d = 1.35) than those with moderate HIE on the day of birth
The Teaching and Learning Cultural Competence in a Multicultural Environment (CCMEn) Model
Background: Within the European higher education context, students and lecturers are encouraged to engage in teaching and learning activities abroad. This frequently involves using a second language and being exposed to students and lecturers from culturally different backgrounds.
Objective: To design a model for teaching and learning cultural competence in a multicultural environment (CCMEn).
Design: Theory development from empirical experience, research, and scholarly works.
Method: This model was developed based on our experience of teaching and learning cultural competence in a multicultural environment in a nursing education context; it rests on three pillars, namely, Coyle's Content and Language Integrated Learning educational approach, the concept of social and emotional learning, as defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, and the existing literature surrounding teaching and learning cultural competence in higher education.
Results: The CCMEn model is intended to guide the process of teaching and learning cultural competence in a multicultural environment through the use of a second language and has been adapted from existing educational approaches and theory.
Conclusion: Teaching and learning in multilingual and multicultural contexts in Europe is becoming more common. Students who learn alongside students and teachers from different cultural backgrounds need to be supported from an academic, linguistic and socioemotional perspective. We believe that the CCMEn model can serve as a guide to enhancing student learning in this context
Nursing students’ experience of learning cultural competence
Introduction European societies are rapidly becoming multicultural. Cultural diversity presents new challenges and opportunities to communities that receive immigrants and migrants, and highlights the need for culturally safe healthcare. Universities share a responsibility to build a fair and equitable society by integrating cultural content in the nursing curricula. This paper aims to analyze European student nurses´ experience of learning cultural competence and of working with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Materials and methods A phenomenological approach was selected through a qualitative research method. 7 semi-structured focus groups with 5–7 students took place at the participants’ respective universities in Spain, Belgium, Turkey and Portugal. Results 5 themes and 16 subthemes emerged from thematic analysis. Theme 1, concept of culture/ cultural diversity, describes the participants’ concept of culture; ethnocentricity emerged as a frequent element in the students’ discourse. Theme 2, personal awareness, integrates the students’ self-perception of cultural competence and their learning needs. Theme 3, impact of culture, delves on the participants’ perceived impact of cultural on both nursing care and patient outcomes. Theme 4, learning cultural competence, integrates the participants’ learning experiences as part of their nursing curricula, as part of other academic learning opportunities and as part of extra-academic activities. Theme 5, learning cultural competence during practice placements, addresses some important issues including witnessing unequal care, racism, prejudice and conflict, communication and language barriers, tools and resources and positive attitudes and behaviors witnesses or displayed during clinical practice. Conclusion The participants’ perceived level of cultural competence was variable. All the participants agreed that transcultural nursing content should be integrated in the nursing curricula, and suggested different strategies to improve their knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is important to listen to the students and take their opinion into account when designing cultural teaching and learning activities. © 2021 Antón-Solanas et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Nursing lecturers’ perception and experience of teaching cultural competence: a european qualitative study
Cultural competence is an essential component in providing effective and culturally responsive healthcare services, reducing health inequalities, challenging racism in health care and improving patient safety, satisfaction and health outcomes. It is thus reasonable that undergraduate nursing students can develop cultural competency through education and training. The aim of this paper was to investigate nursing lecturers’ perception and experience of teaching cultural competence in four undergraduate nursing programs. A phenomenological approach was selected to illicit nursing lecturers’ perception of culture and experience of teaching cultural competence. Semi-struc-tured personal interviews were held with a sample of 24 lecturers from four European universities. The anonymized transcripts were analyzed qualitatively following Braun and Clark’s phases for thematic analysis. Six themes and fifteen subthemes emerged from thematic analysis of the tran-scripts. Cultural competence was not explicitly integrated in the nursing curricula. Instead, the lecturers used mainly examples and case studies to illustrate the theory. The integration of cultural content in the modules was unplanned and not based on a specific model. Nursing programs should be examined to establish how cultural content is integrated in the curricula; clear guidelines and standards for a systematic integration of cultural content in the nursing curriculum should be de-veloped
Towards ensemble asteroseismology of the young open clusters Chi Persei and NGC 6910
As a result of the variability survey in Chi Persei and NGC6910, the number
of Beta Cep stars that are members of these two open clusters is increased to
twenty stars, nine in NGC6910 and eleven in Chi Persei. We compare pulsational
properties, in particular the frequency spectra, of Beta Cep stars in both
clusters and explain the differences in terms of the global parameters of the
clusters. We also indicate that the more complicated pattern of the variability
among B type stars in Chi Persei is very likely caused by higher rotational
velocities of stars in this cluster. We conclude that the sample of pulsating
stars in the two open clusters constitutes a very good starting point for the
ensemble asteroseismology of Beta Cep-type stars and maybe also for other
B-type pulsators.Comment: 4 pages, Astronomische Nachrichten, HELAS IV Conference, Arecife,
Lanzarote, Feb 2010, submitte
Continuum emission around AGB stars at 1.2 mm
It is generally acknowledged that the mass loss of Asymptotic Giant Branch
(AGB) stars undergoes variations on different time scales. We constructed
models for the dust envelopes for a sample of AGB stars to assess whether
mass-loss variations influence the spectral energy distribution (SED). To
constrain the variability, extra observations at millimetre wavelengths (1.2
mm) were acquired. From the analysis of the dust models, two indications for
the presence of mass-loss variations can be found, being (1) a dust temperature
at the inner boundary of the dust envelope that is far below the dust
condensation temperature and (2) an altered density distribution with respect
to rho(r) \propto r^{-2} resulting from a constant mass-loss rate. For 5 out of
the 18 studied sources a two-component model of the envelope is required,
consisting of an inner region with a constant mass-loss rate and an outer
region with a less steep density distribution. For one source an outer region
with a steeper density distribution was found. Moreover, in a search for time
variability in our data set at 1.2 mm, we found that WX Psc shows a large
relative time variation of 34% which might partially be caused by variable
molecular line emission.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 16 pages, 19 figure
Photometric multi-site campaign on the open cluster NGC 884 I. Detection of the variable stars
CONTEXT: Recent progress in the seismic interpretation of field beta Cep
stars has resulted in improvements of the physics in the stellar structure and
evolution models of massive stars. Further asteroseismic constraints can be
obtained from studying ensembles of stars in a young open cluster, which all
have similar age, distance and chemical composition.
AIMS: To improve our comprehension of the beta Cep stars, we studied the
young open cluster NGC 884 to discover new B-type pulsators, besides the two
known beta Cep stars, and other variable stars.
METHODS: An extensive multi-site campaign was set up to gather accurate CCD
photometry time series in four filters (U, B, V, I) of a field of NGC884.
Fifteen different instruments collected almost 77500 CCD images in 1286 hours.
The images were calibrated and reduced to transform the CCD frames into
interpretable differential light curves. Various variability indicators and
frequency analyses were applied to detect variable stars in the field. Absolute
photometry was taken to deduce some general cluster and stellar properties.
RESULTS: We achieved an accuracy for the brightest stars of 5.7 mmag in V,
6.9 mmag in B, 5.0 mmag in I and 5.3 mmag in U. The noise level in the
amplitude spectra is 50 micromag in the V band. Our campaign confirms the
previously known pulsators, and we report more than one hundred new multi- and
mono-periodic B-, A- and F-type stars. Their interpretation in terms of
classical instability domains is not straightforward, pointing to imperfections
in theoretical instability computations. In addition, we have discovered six
new eclipsing binaries and four candidates as well as other irregular variable
stars in the observed field.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 21 pages, 14
figures, 4 tables. The full appendix is available at
http://www.ster.kuleuven.be/~sophies/Appendix.pdf (74 MB, 169 pages, 343
figures, 1 table
Baseline psychosocial predictors of survival in localised breast cancer
Despite the large number of studies on the impact of psychosocial factors on breast cancer progression, there is no certainty about the contributing factors or processes involved. We investigated the relative impacts of socioeconomic, psychological, and psychosocial factors on survival in breast cancer. A consecutive sample of 102 patients (participation 82%) under 72 years of age with locoregional breast cancer completed validated questionnaires on coping with cancer, emotional expression (anger), perceived available support, noncancer life stresses, and quality of life 3−4 months after diagnosis. Survival times were measured from the date of diagnosis to the date of relapse and further to the date of death or date of last follow-up. Cumulative Cox regression analyses were carried out. After controlling for biological prognostic factors, age, and baseline treatment, longer survival was predicted by a long education and a minimising-related coping, while shorter survival was predicted by emotional defensiveness (antiemotionality), behavioural-escape coping, and a high level of perceived support. A shorter event-free time was also predicted by unemployment and depressive symptoms. Cancer survival is affected by a complex combination of psychosocial factors, among which minimising predicts a favourable prognosis and anger nonexpression and escape behaviour an unfavourable prognosis. Higher socioeconomic status is associated with longer survival. High scores in well-being scales may reflect emotional nonexpression
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