Approach to splitting an academic group into project teams

A detection of communities in a group of people allows researchers to study the modular organizationof the network and use this information for various applications. The purpose of the study is to develop anapproach of uniform split the academic group on project teams. The project team is a group of people who areable to act in concert and collectively to achieve a common goal. In our experiments, we formed a social networkbased on reciprocal nomination. Using methods of social network analysis in the designed social network, project teams have been identified. Programming language R and library igraph were used to simulation

Nutrition support practices in critically ill head-injured patients: a global perspective

Background: Critical illness following head injury is associated with a hypermetabolic state but there are insufficient epidemiological data describing acute nutrition delivery to this group of patients. Furthermore, there is little information describing relationships between nutrition and clinical outcomes in this population. Methods: We undertook an analysis of observational data, collected prospectively as part of International Nutrition Surveys 2007-2013, and extracted data obtained from critically ill patients with head trauma. Our objective was to describe global nutrition support practices in the first 12 days of hospital admission after head trauma, and to explore relationships between energy and protein intake and clinical outcomes. Data are presented as mean (SD), median (IQR), or percentages. Results: Data for 1045 patients from 341 ICUs were analyzed. The age of patients was 44.5 (19.7) years, 78 % were male, and median ICU length of stay was 13.1 (IQR 7.9-21.6) days. Most patients (94 %) were enterally fed but received only 58 % of estimated energy and 53 % of estimated protein requirements. Patients from an ICU with a feeding protocol had greater energy and protein intakes (p <0.001, 0.002 respectively) and were more likely to survive (OR 0.65; 95 % CI 0.42-0.99; p = 0.043) than those without. Energy or protein intakes were not associated with mortality. However, a greater energy and protein deficit was associated with longer times until discharge alive from both ICU and hospital (all p <0.001). Conclusion: Nutritional deficits are commonplace in critically ill head-injured patients and these deficits are associated with a delay to discharge alive.Lee-anne S. Chapple, Marianne J. Chapman, Kylie Lange, Adam M. Deane and Daren K. Heylan

Nutritional Risk Assessment and Cultural Validation of the Modified NUTRIC Score in Critically Ill Patients-A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study

PURPOSE: Characterize the nutritional risk of critically ill patients with the modified NUTrition Risk in the Critically ill (NUTRIC) score. MATERIALS: National, multicenter, prospective, observational study conducted in 15 polyvalent Portuguese intensive care unit (ICU), during 6 months. Adult patients were eligible. Those transferred from another ICU or readmitted, brain dead at admission, and with length of ICU stay (LOS) of 72 hours or less were excluded. NUTRIC score was calculated at admission; scores ≥5 represent a high nutritional risk. Main outcome was mortality from all causes at 28 days after admission to the ICU; LOS and days without mechanical ventilation (days free of MV) were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: From 2061 admissions, 1143 patients were considered, mostly males (n = 744, 64.7%) with median (P25-P75) age of 64 (51-75). Patients at high nutritional risk were 555 (48.6%). High NUTRIC score was associated with longer LOS (P < .001), less days free of MV (P = .002) and higher 28-day mortality (P < .001). The area under the curve of NUTRIC score ≥5 for predicting 28-day mortality was 0.658 (95% CI, 0.620-0.696). NUTRIC score ≥5 had a positive predictive value 32.7% and a negative predictive value 88.8% for 28-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of the patients in Portuguese ICUs are at high nutritional risk. NUTRIC score was strongly associated with main clinical outcomes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Community-Embedded Positive Mental Health Promotion Programs for the General Population:A scoping review protocol

Introduction: Positive mental health promotion (PMHP) is an emerging field within community mental health. Programming and policy efforts devoted to promoting mental health are developing. These efforts are varied in scope and nature, and there is little consensus on evidence-based best practices. Objective: To chart the body of literature on PMHP programming and to document the current PMHP in one Canadian province to provide insight into the types, scope, and nature of the programs currently and historically available to community residents in this province. Inclusion criteria: Peer-reviewed literature relevant to community mental health promotion, and grey literature that contains details of community-based programs accessible to the general population in that community. Methods: A preliminary search strategy in PubMed, EBSCO, and PsycInfo was developed with a librarian and a JBI-trained researcher. Primary studies published in English after 2000 evaluating or documenting PMHPs will be included. Grey literature from an environmental scan of existing local programs will be included. Data to be extracted includes study methodology and methods, program scope, content, materials, evaluation and outcomes

Comparisons between intragastric and small intestinal delivery of enteral nutrition in the critically ill: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: The largest cohort of critically ill patients evaluating intragastric and small intestinal delivery of nutrients was recently reported. This systematic review included recent data to compare the effects of small bowel and intragastric delivery of enteral nutrients in adult critically ill patients. METHODS: This is a systematic review of all randomised controlled studies published between 1990 and March 2013 that reported the effects of the route of enteral feeding in the critically ill on clinically important outcomes. RESULTS: Data from 15 level-2 studies were included. Small bowel feeding was associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia (Relative Risk, RR, small intestinal vs. intragastric: 0.75 (95% confidence interval 0.60 to 0.93); P = 0.01; I(2 )= 11%). The point estimate was similar when only studies using microbiological data were included. Duration of ventilation (weighted mean difference: -0.36 days (-2.02 to 1.30); P = 0.65; I(2 )= 42%), length of ICU stay (WMD: 0.49 days, (-1.36 to 2.33); P = 0.60; I(2 )= 81%) and mortality (RR 1.01 (0.83 to 1.24); P = 0.92; I(2 )= 0%) were unaffected by the route of feeding. While data were limited, and there was substantial statistical heterogeneity, there was significantly improved nutrient intake via the small intestinal route (% goal rate received: 11% (5 to 16%); P = 0.0004; I(2 )= 88%). CONCLUSIONS: Use of small intestinal feeding may improve nutritional intake and reduce the incidence of ICU-acquired pneumonia. In unselected critically ill patients other clinically important outcomes were unaffected by the site of the feeding tube

A randomized trial of glutamine and antioxidants in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients have considerable oxidative stress. Glutamine and antioxidant supplementation may offer therapeutic benefit, although current data are conflicting. METHODS: In this blinded 2-by-2 factorial trial, we randomly assigned 1223 critically ill adults in 40 intensive care units (ICUs) in Canada, the United States, and Europe who had multiorgan failure and were receiving mechanical ventilation to receive supplements of glutamine, antioxidants, both, or placebo. Supplements were started within 24 hours after admission to the ICU and were provided both intravenously and enterally. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Because of the interim-analysis plan, a P value of less than 0.044 at the final analysis was considered to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS: There was a trend toward increased mortality at 28 days among patients who received glutamine as compared with those who did not receive glutamine (32.4% vs. 27.2%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00 to 1.64; P=0.05). In-hospital mortality and mortality at 6 months were significantly higher among those who received glutamine than among those who did not. Glutamine had no effect on rates of organ failure or infectious complications. Antioxidants had no effect on 28-day mortality (30.8%, vs. 28.8% with no antioxidants; adjusted odds ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.40; P=0.48) or any other secondary end point. There were no differences among the groups with respect to serious adverse events (P=0.83). CONCLUSIONS: Early provision of glutamine or antioxidants did not improve clinical outcomes, and glutamine was associated with an increase in mortality among critically ill patients with multiorgan failure. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00133978.)

Reduction of nosocomial pneumonia after major burns by trace element supplementation: aggregation of two randomised trials

INTRODUCTION: Nosocomial pneumonia is a major source of morbidity and mortality after severe burns. Burned patients suffer trace element deficiencies and depressed antioxidant and immune defences. This study aimed at determining the effect of trace element supplementation on nosocomial or intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired pneumonia. METHODS: Two consecutive, randomised, double-blinded, supplementation studies including two homogeneous groups of 41 severely burned patients (20 placebo and 21 intervention) admitted to the burn centre of a university hospital were combined. Intervention consisted of intravenous trace element supplements (copper 2.5 to 3.1 mg/day, selenium 315 to 380 μg/day, and zinc 26.2 to 31.4 mg/day) for 8 to 21 days versus placebo. Endpoints were infections during the first 30 days (predefined criteria for pneumonia, bacteraemia, wound, urine, and other), wound healing, and length of ICU stay. Plasma and skin (study 2) concentrations of selenium and zinc were determined on days 3, 10, and 20. RESULTS: The patients, 42 ± 15 years old, were burned on 46% ± 19% of body surface: the combined characteristics of the patients did not differ between the groups. Plasma trace element concentrations and antioxidative capacity were significantly enhanced with normalisation of plasma selenium, zinc, and glutathione peroxidase concentrations in plasma and skin in the trace element-supplemented group. A significant reduction in number of infections was observed in the supplemented patients, which decreased from 3.5 ± 1.2 to 2.0 ± 1.0 episodes per patient in placebo group (p < 0.001). This was related to a reduction of nosocomial pneumonia, which occurred in 16 (80%) patients versus seven (33%) patients, respectively (p < 0.001), and of ventilator-associated pneumonia from 13 to six episodes, respectively (p = 0.023). CONCLUSION: Enhancing trace element status and antioxidant defences by selenium, zinc, and copper supplementation was associated with a decrease of nosocomial pneumonia in critically ill, severely burned patients