Assessment of Clinical Nursing Competencies: Literature Review

Introduction: In Slovene nursing higher education, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support the choice of tolls for assessment of clinical skills and competencies. This literature review aims to critically discuss identified methods of clinical nursing skills assessment and competencies currently used in nursing higher education in other countries

Nutrition in early life and the risk of asthma and allergic diseases

Uvod: Astma je kronična upala dišnih putova. Uzroci su alergije, virusne respiratorne infekcije i nadražujuće tvari iz zraka. Broj oboljelih povećava se, a pritom prednjače djeca. Ishrana majke tijekom trudnoće te ishrana djeteta u prvoj godini života imaju važan utjecaj na razvoj i tijek bolesti. Metode: Upotrijebljena je narativna analiza, pregled stručne i znanstvene literature. Pretraživanje literature temeljilo se na istraživačkom pitanju Kako ishrana u ranom djetinjstvu utječe na rizik za razvoj astme i alergijskih bolesti?. Rezultati: Analizom stručne literature utvrđeno je da ishrana majke ima važnu ulogu pri razvoju astme i alergijskih bolesti kod djece. Dokazi upućuju na to da je pravilno uravnotežena i raznolika ishrana važna za djetetovo zdravlje te da smanjuje rizik od nastajanja bolesti. Stručnjaci tijekom trudnoće ne preporučuju izbjegavanje određenih namirnica kao što su kikiriki, orasi i školjke, osim u slučaju ako je majka alergična na njih. Rasprava i zaključak: Zbog povećane učestalosti astme i alergijskih bolesti, osobito kod djece, potrebno je istaknuti važnost i utjecaj raznolike ishrane tijekom trudnoće te dojenja tijekom prvih šest mjeseci djetetova života. Različite dijete tijekom i nakon trudnoće te tijekom dojenja nisu se pokazale učinkovitima u sprječavanju razvoja astme i alergijskih bolesti kod djece

Sodelovanje med medicinskimi sestrami in zdravniki

Uvod: Dobro sodelovanje med zdravniki in medicinskimi sestrami omogoča višjo kakovost zdravstvene obravnave pacientov. Namen raziskave je bil ugotoviti, kako odnose med medicinskimi sestrami in zdravniki ocenjujejo študenti zdravstvene nege in medicine. Metode: V neeksperimentalni kvantitativni raziskavi je bila uporabljena Jeffersonova lestvica za oceno sodelovanja med zdravniki in medicinskimi sestrami. V priložnostni vzorec je bilo zajetih 428 študentov. Od tega 235 (54,9 %) študentov zdravstvene nege in 193 (45,1 %) študentov medicine. Podatki so bili analizirani z bivariatno statistiko in t-testom. Rezultati: Ugotovitve kažejo statistično pomembne razlike glede na spol anketirancev, pri nekaterih trditvah pa tudi glede na vrsto študija.  Anketiranke so se v večji meri strinjale s trditvami. Največja razlika glede na spol anketiranih je bila pri trditvi, da bi morali biti študentje medicine in zdravstvene nege vključeni v timsko delo, da bi razumeli svoje vloge (t = 2,59, p = 0,010). Študentje zdravstvene nege so se večinoma bolj strinjali s trditvami kot študentje medicine. V primerjavi med vrstama študija je bila največja razlika glede strinjanja pri trditvi »Na medicinsko sestro je treba gledati kot na zdravnikovo sodelavko in kolegico in ne kot na pomočnico« (t = 15,24, p < 0,001). Diskusija in zaključek: Ugotovitve kažejo statistično pomembne razlike v oceni odnosov med medicinskimi sestrami in zdravniki glede na spol anketiranih ter vrsto študija. Razlike glede različnih pogledov študentov obeh fakultet ponujajo priložnost za načrtovanje obeh izobraževanih programov

Utjecaj zračnog prijevoza na kvalitetu uzoraka krvi

The aim of this study was to establish the impact of air transport on blood samples packaged with and without cooling elements and effect of outdoor temperature on sample quality. Venous samples from 38 blood donors in winter and 36 in summer were tested for hemolysis and complete blood count. One tube per subject was kept in controlled conditions at +4 °C. Two sets of tubes were sent by plane from Zagreb to Brussels, one with and one without cooling elements, and another two sets were sent to London following the same principle. Packages with cooling elements were stored in controlled warehousing conditions at airports (+2 °C to +8 °C), whereas packages without cooling elements were stored in ambient warehouse conditions. Data loggers were used for temperature monitoring. Our research revealed statistically significant differences in several hematologic parameters when comparing the samples stored in controlled laboratory conditions and those transported by plane. These differences were more pronounced in the samples transported during the summer. Transport conditions without cooling elements had additional negative impact on the sample quality. Transport of samples using cooling elements and controlled warehousing conditions at airports are sometimes not sufficient to maintain laboratory storage conditions.Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj zračnog prijevoza na uzorke krvi pakirane s rashladnim elemenatima i bez njih, kao i utjecaj vanjske temperature na kvalitetu uzorka. U venskim uzorcima 38 darivatelja krvi tijekom zime i njih 36 tijekom ljeta određeni su stupanj hemolize i kompletna krvna slika. Jedan uzorak po ispitaniku ostavljen je u kontroliranim uvjetima na +4 °C. Dva seta uzoraka poslana su zrakoplovom iz Zagreba u Bruxelles, jedan s rashladnim elemenatima i jedan bez njih, a druga dva seta poslana su u London po istom načelu. Pakovanja s rashladnim elementima čuvana su u kontroliranim skladišnim uvjetima u zračnim lukama (+2 °C do +8 °C), dok su pakovanja bez rashladnih elemenata čuvana u ambijentnim skladišnim uvjetima. Uređaji za kontinuirano mjerenje temperature korišteni su za nadzor temperature tijekom transporta. Naše istraživanje otkrilo je statistički značajne razlike u nekoliko hematoloških parametara kada se uspoređuju uzorci pohranjeni u kontroliranim laboratorijskim uvjetima i oni koji se transportiraju zračnim prijevozom. Te su razlike bile izraženije u uzorcima transportiranim tijekom ljeta. Uvjeti transporta bez rashladnih elemenata imali su dodatni negativni utjecaj na kvalitetu uzoraka. Transport uzoraka pomoću rashladnih elemenata i kontrolirani uvjeti skladištenja u zračnim lukama ponekad nisu dovoljni za održavanje laboratorijskih uvjeta skladištenja

Temperature Drives Epidemics in a Zooplankton-Fungus Disease System: A Trait-Driven Approach Points to Transmission via Host Foraging

Climatic warming will likely have idiosyncratic impacts on infectious diseases, causing some to increase while others decrease or shift geographically. A mechanistic framework could better predict these different temperature-disease outcomes. However, such a framework remains challenging to develop, due to the nonlinear and (sometimes) opposing thermal responses of different host and parasite traits and due to the difficulty of validating model predictions with observations and experiments. We address these challenges in a zooplanktonfungus (Daphnia dentifera–Metschnikowia bicuspidata) system. We test the hypothesis that warmer temperatures promote disease spread and produce larger epidemics. In lakes, epidemics that start earlier and warmer in autumn grow much larger. In a mesocosm experiment, warmer temperatures produced larger epidemics. A mechanistic model parameterized with trait assays revealed that this pattern arose primarily from the temperature dependence of transmission rate (b), governed by the increasing foraging (and, hence, parasite exposure) rate of hosts ( f ). In the trait assays, parasite production seemed sufficiently responsive to shape epidemics as well; however, this trait proved too thermally insensitive in the mesocosm experiment and lake survey to matter much. Thus, in warmer environments, increased foraging of hosts raised transmission rate, yielding bigger epidemics through a potentially general, exposure-based mechanism for ectotherms. This mechanistic approach highlights how a trait-based framework will enhance predictive insight into responses of infectious disease to a warmer world

DISTRIBUTION OF THE MAIN ABO BLOOD GROUP ALLELES IN CROATIAN POPULATION

Raspodjela krvnih grupa ABO varira diljem svijeta u različitim populacijama, ali i unutar subpopulacija. Cilj rada je prikazati razdiobu 5 glavnih alela ABO sustava (O1, O2, A1, A2 i B) u hrvatskoj populaciji, te ih usporediti s drugim nacijama. Istraživanje je provedeno na 303 uzorka krvi, zdravih, nesrodnih dobrovoljnih davatelja krvi (123 žena, 180 muškaraca) u dobi od 18 do 65 godina. Metode: Nakon izolacije genomske DNA pomoću komercijalnih kolona (QIAamp DNA Blood Mini kit, Qiagen, Njemačka) ili na uređaju MagNA Pure Compact (Roche Diagnostics Corporation, SAD), određeni su genotipovi ABO pomoću metode PCR-SSP. Rezultati: Genotipizacijom je utvrđeno 12 genotipova. Najzastupljeniji genotip je O1O1 (37,2 %), pa slijede O1A1 (27,1 %), O1B (15,8 %), A1B (4,3 %), A1A1 (4,0 %), O1A2 (3,6 %), O1O2 (2,6 %), A1A2 (1,7 %), O2A1 (1,7 %), A2B (1,0 %), BB (0,7 %), O2O2 (0,3 %). Među ispitanicima nisu nađena tri rijetka ABO genotipa: A2A2, O2A2, O2B. Alelne frekvencije iznose: O1 – 0,62; O2 – 0,025; A1- 0,21; A2 – 0,035 i B – 0,11. Razdioba alela ABO u Hrvatskoj je usporediva s drugim europskim narodima. Zaključak: Rezultati genotipizacije ABO krvne grupe kod dobrovoljnih davatelja krvi, koji su reprezentativan uzorak hrvatske populacije, od temeljnog su značenja za istraživanja ABO sustava krvnih grupa kao genetičkog čimbenika rizika za neke bolesti, kao i za antropološka ispitivanja.The frequencies of gene polymorphisms of blood groups serve as markers for populations and races. Distribution of ABO blood groups varies among populations and subpopulations around the world. The aim of the study was to determine distribution of the 5 main alleles of ABO system among Croatian blood donors and compare them with other populations. Material and Methods: The study included 303 samples of healthy unrelated volunteer blood donors, 123 female and 180 male, aged 18-65 years, as a representative sample population of Croatia. After isolation of genomic DNA using commercial columns (QIAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit, Qiagen, Germany) or on the Magna Pure Compact (Roche Diagnostics Corp., USA) device, ABO genotypes were determined by the PCR-SSP method. Results: Twelve of 15 ABO genotypes were identifi ed. The most common was O1O1 (37.30%), followed by O1A1 (27.00%), O1B (15.80%), A1B (4.30%), A1A1 (4.00%), O1A2 (3.60%), O1O2 (2.60%), A1A2 (1.70%), O2A1 (1.70%), A2B (1.00%), BB (0.70%), and O2O2 (0.30%). Three rare ABO genotypes, A2A2, O2A2, and O2B, were not identifi ed. The calculated allele frequencies of the fi ve main alleles were as follows: O1, 0.620; O2, 0,025; A1, 0.21; A2, 0,035; and B, 0.11. In the Croatian population, O1 was found to be the most common allele, followed by A1 and B, while O2 allele was the least prevalent one. Conclusion: The distribution of alleles in Croatia is comparable to other European nations. According to the frequency of B allele, the Croatian population is comparable to Eastern Europe, probably due to migration of the population in the past. Results of ABO blood group genotyping have fundamental importance for research of the ABO system as a genetic risk factor for some diseases, as well as for anthropologic testing

Impact of Education, Working Conditions, and Interpersonal Relationships on Caregivers’ Job Satisfaction

Aim: To explore relationships between caregivers’ education, healthcare working conditions, interpersonal relationships, and caregivers’ general job satisfaction

Drawings of very preterm-born children at 5 years of age: a first impression of cognitive and motor development?

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to examine differences in drawing skills between very preterm and term children, and to determine whether very preterm children's cognitive and motor development is reflected in the draw-a-person test (DAP) at age 5. Seventy-two very preterm children (birth weight <1,500 g and/or gestational age <32 weeks) and 60 term children at 5 years of age were compared on the DAP. Cognitive and motor skills of the very preterm children had been assessed four times, at 1/2, 1, 2, and 5 years of age. Very preterm children showed a developmental delay in drawing ability. Structural equation modeling revealed a positive relation between both cognitive as well as motor development and the DAP. CONCLUSION: The DAP could be a crude parameter for evaluating cognitive and motor deficits of very preterm children. A worrisome result should be followed by more standardized tests measuring cognitive and motor skill

Genome-Wide Analyses of Exonic Copy Number Variants in a Family-Based Study Point to Novel Autism Susceptibility Genes

The genetics underlying the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is complex and remains poorly understood. Previous work has demonstrated an important role for structural variation in a subset of cases, but has lacked the resolution necessary to move beyond detection of large regions of potential interest to identification of individual genes. To pinpoint genes likely to contribute to ASD etiology, we performed high density genotyping in 912 multiplex families from the Autism Genetics Resource Exchange (AGRE) collection and contrasted results to those obtained for 1,488 healthy controls. Through prioritization of exonic deletions (eDels), exonic duplications (eDups), and whole gene duplication events (gDups), we identified more than 150 loci harboring rare variants in multiple unrelated probands, but no controls. Importantly, 27 of these were confirmed on examination of an independent replication cohort comprised of 859 cases and an additional 1,051 controls. Rare variants at known loci, including exonic deletions at NRXN1 and whole gene duplications encompassing UBE3A and several other genes in the 15q11–q13 region, were observed in the course of these analyses. Strong support was likewise observed for previously unreported genes such as BZRAP1, an adaptor molecule known to regulate synaptic transmission, with eDels or eDups observed in twelve unrelated cases but no controls (p = 2.3×10−5). Less is known about MDGA2, likewise observed to be case-specific (p = 1.3×10−4). But, it is notable that the encoded protein shows an unexpectedly high similarity to Contactin 4 (BLAST E-value = 3×10−39), which has also been linked to disease. That hundreds of distinct rare variants were each seen only once further highlights complexity in the ASDs and points to the continued need for larger cohorts

Brazilian cave heritage under siege

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe