Psychometric evaluation of the French version of the questionnaire attitudes towards morphine use; a cross-sectional study in Valais, Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: In Switzerland, nurses are allowed to prescribe and administer morphine in emergency situations without a doctor. Still, nurses and other health professionals are often reluctant to prescribe and administer morphine for pain management in patients. No valid French-speaking instrument is available in Switzerland to assess the attitudes of nurses and other health professionals towards the prescription and administration of morphine. In this study, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the French version of the questionnaire "Attitudes towards morphine use". METHODS: The instrument was derived from an Italian version. Forward and back translations of the questionnaire were performed. Item analysis and construct validity were assessed between April and December 2010 in a cross sectional study including five Swiss hospitals in a sample of 588 health professionals (533 nurses, mean age 38.3 ± 10.2 years). Thirty subjects participated in test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The time to complete the instrument ranged between 12 and 15 minutes and neither floor nor ceiling effect were found. The initial 24-item instrument showed an intraclass correlation (ICC) of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.64 to 0.73, P < 0.001), and a Cronbach's α of 0.700. Factor analysis led to a six-component solution explaining 52.4% of the total variance. After excluding five items, the shortened version showed an ICC of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.70 to 0.77, P < 0.001) and a Cronbach's α of 0.741. Factor analysis led to a five-component solution explaining 54.3% of the total variance. The five components were named "risk of addiction/dependence"; "operational reasons for not using morphine"; "risk of escalation"; "other (non-dependence) risks" and "external (non-operational) reasons". In test-retest, the shortened instrument showed an ICC of 0.797 (95% CI, 0.630 to 0.911, P < 0.001) and a Cronbach's α of 0.797. CONCLUSIONS: The 19-item shortened instrument assessing attitudes towards the prescription and administration of morphine showed adequate content and construct validity

Dual effect of thiol addition on fluorescent polymeric micelles: ON-to-OFF emissive switch and morphology transition

YesThe morphology transition from micelles to vesicles of a solution-state self-assembled block copolymer, containing a fluorescent dye at the core–shell interface, has been induced by an addition–elimination reaction using a thiol, and has been shown to be coupled to a simultaneous ON-to-OFF switch in particle fluorescence.EPSRC and the IAS at the University of Warwic

Temperature measurement of tin under shock compression

The results of pyrometric measurements performed at the interface of a tin target with a LiF window material are presented for stresses ranging from 38 to 55 GPa. The purpose of the study is to analyze the part of the interface in the temperature measurement by a multi-channel pyrometric device. The results show that the glue used at the tin/LiF interface remains transparent under shock. The values of temperature measured at the tin/LiF interface are consistent with the behavior of tin under shock

Shock induced polymorphic transition and melting of tin up to 53 GPa (experimental study and modelling)

To investigate shock behavior of tin, particularly β-bct polymorphic transition and melting, shock compression measurements have been carried out up to 53 GPa peak stress. Interface velocity measurements between tin target and LiF window have been recorded using VISAR measurement technique. Interface velocity profiles show not only direct and reverse polymorphic β-bct transition but also melüng of tin on release for shock pressure above 34 GPa. In order to determine phase diagram of tin an analytic method of the experimental results has been developped. The equation of state of tin developped as part of this study has been implemented in a 1D wave propagation lagrangian code. Experimental results and calculations obtained with this model of tin are in good agreement

Integrated ecosystem assessment of wetlands in the in the Northern Territory: a tool for NRM : a pilot case study in the Daly River, Mary River and East Alligator River catchments

Een overzicht van de belangrijkste onderzoeksresultaten van zes MSC Thesis als onderdeel van een onderzoek naar de sociale-economische waarden van wetlands in Noord-Australië. Deze waarden zijn geplaatst tegen de achtergrond van tegengestelde belangen en relevante politieke belange

Rates and determinants of vaccination against seasonal and pandemic influenza in Swiss prehospital Emergency Medical Services Workers

Infectiologie / Immunologie / Rhumatologie 1 P408 Rates and determinants of vaccination against seasonal and pandemic influenza in Swiss prehospital emergency medical services workers Introduction: Influenza is a major concern for emergency medical services (EMS). EMS-Workers' (EMSW) vaccination rates remain low. Determinants of vaccination for seasonal (SI) or pandemic influenza (PI) are unknown in this setting. We investigated influence of the H1N1 pandemic on EMS-W vaccination rates and determinants of influenza vaccination. Methods: A multiple-choice questionnaire conducted in 2011, involving 65 EMS-W of the city of Lausanne, Switzerland. Demography, self-declared SI and PI vaccination status and motives for vaccine refusal or acceptation were collected. Results: Response rate was 95.4% (n=62). 72.5% of EMS-W were young male, in good health; with more than 6 years of work experience in 74 %.Vaccination rates were 40.3% for both SI and PI, 19.3% for PI only, 1.6% for SI only, and 38.8% were not vaccinated at all. Women's vaccination rates (n= 17) were lower (23.5% for both SI and PI, 11.8% for PI only and 64.7% ere not vaccinated at all). 92% of the EMS-W vaccinated against both PI and SI (PI+/SI+) received at least one SI vaccination during the previous 3 years (p=0.001). This rate was 8.3% in the I-/SI- group (p = 0.001) and 25% in the PI+/SI- EMS-W (p=0.001). During the H1N1 pandemic, the SI vaccination rate increased from 25.8% during the preceding year to 41.9% (+62.4%)(p = 0.001). 30% of the PI+/SI+ EMS-W declared that they would not get vaccination during the following year. None of the PI-/SI- and PI+/SI- EMS-W was willing to be vaccinated in he future. Altruism and the discomfort induced by the mandatory mask wearing policy were the main motivations to get vaccination against PI. Factors limiting PI or SI vaccination included the option to wear a surgical mask, avoidance of drugs in general, fear of vaccine adverse effects and concerns about vaccine safety and efficiency. Discussion: Average vaccination rate in our EMS-W was low, particularly in women, and not sufficient to prevent the spread of influenza. Previous vaccination status was a significant determinant of PI and future vaccinations. The mandatory surgical-mask wearing policy played a dual role, and its net impact on vaccination rate is probably limited. Our population was mixed and could be divided in 3 groups: favourable to all vaccinations, against all vaccination even in a pandemic context, and ambivalent towards vaccination with a “pandemic effect”. hese results suggest a consistent vaccination pattern, only altered by exceptional circumstances. P409 Persistent AC