Comparison of quality of life in diabetics using insulin injection therapy versus subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy

The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of insulin delivered via multiple injections or by infusion via a pump on the quality of life in adult insulin-dependent diabetics. Four parameters, namely hemoglobin A1C (3 month average blood sugar levels), self-reported healthy eating habits demonstrated by consumption of 3 meals/3 snacks everyday, frequency of exercise of daily 30 min or longer duration and opinion of quality of life, were evaluated in patients receiving either insulin injections or infusion. Pump users reported enhanced eating and exercise behaviors and feeling in good health, compared with patients receiving injections. In contrast, hemoglobin A1C was lower (6.9 + 0.9 %) in patients receiving insulin injections compared with those receiving infusions (7.9 + 0.6 %). Pump wearers perceived that they had a better quality of life, but their glycemic control was not necessarily improved compared to those on insulin injections

The Beam in Our Own Eyes: Antiracism and YA Literature Through a Catholic Lens

As Catholic schools serve an increasingly racially diverse population of students, they must grapple with the critical requirement to address these students’ unique needs while heeding the call from modern Catholic Church leaders to engage in explicit antiracist action. Using the Historically Responsive Literacy Framework (HRL), this article equips Catholic high school English language arts (ELA) teachers with practical and powerful ways to create antiracist curriculum. To do this effectively, we place antiracist Young Adult (YA) literature (both fiction and nonfiction) in conversation with Catholic canonical texts and modern voices from Catholic clergy members. By connecting with students’ complex identities and creating authentic antiracist learning experiences, Catholic high school ELA teachers can better prepare their students to use both their knowledge and criticality of Catholic social teachings and their individual identities to combat racism

Against Personal Ventilator Reallocation

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease of 2019) pandemic has led to intense conversations about ventilator allocation and reallocation during a crisis standard of care. Multiple voices in the media and multiple state guidelines mention reallocation as a possibility. Drawing upon a range of neuroscientific, phenomenological, ethical, and sociopolitical considerations, the authors argue that taking away someone\u27s personal ventilator is a direct assault on their bodily and social integrity. They conclude that personal ventilators should not be part of reallocation pools and that triage protocols should be immediately clarified to explicitly state that personal ventilators will be protected in all cases

Against Personal Ventilator Reallocation

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to intense conversations about ventilator allocation and reallocation during a crisis standard of care. Multiple voices in the media and multiple state guidelines mention reallocation as a possibility. Drawing upon a range of neuroscientific, phenomenological, ethical, and socio-political considerations, we argue that taking away someone’s personal ventilator is a direct assault on their bodily and social integrity. We conclude that personal ventilators should not be part of reallocation pools and that triage protocols should be immediately clarified and explicitly state that personal ventilators will be protected in all cases

Pathways to scale: Retrofitting One Million+ homes

Australia needs a targeted and coordinated effort to retrofit the millions of existing homes. This report presents the foundational research that will underpin an effort to engage private finance to begin by retrofitting over one million Australian homes for thermal and energy efficiency. The scheme aims to retrofit homes so that they can support Australia’s current and future comfort and energy needs and facilitate the transition to renewable energy. The way we generate and use energy is transforming. Our homes need to evolve alongside this to support our needs for comfort, efficiency, and resilience. Maximising thermal and energy efficiency in homes, moving energy demand into periods of maximum renewable generation, and enabling electrification can also support the transition toward net zero. Based on modelling in this report, retrofitting one million existing Australian homes across five years could: • Reduce average home energy use by up to 9,000kWh per year • Reduce average home emissions by up to 5.8 tonnes CO2 eq per year • Create an up to $55 billion private finance investment opportunity A bespoke home retrofit, addressing needs identified through a whole-of-home assessment could reduce an average home energy bill by up to$1,600 per year. A large-scale home retrofit scheme can create jobs for Australian communities, reduce energy use for heating and cooling and cut carbon emissions whilst stimulating private investment. This is evidenced by international retrofit programs. This project reviewed eight international programs from the United Kingdom, Europe, United States of America, and New Zealand. These programs demonstrated that large-scale retrofits can be effectively implemented and yield positive impacts including stimulate investment, save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emission, increase employment and local business activity, provide good return on investment of public money (1:4+), create health benefits for home occupants and increase property value. The research outlined in this report supports development of a public-private partnership to retrofit one million plus homes, across five years. It recommends that a large-scale home retrofit scheme aims to create future ready homes. That is; improved thermal comfort with a path toward electrification. The report outlines key insights to inform the design and implementation of an effective retrofit scheme. It then recommends a suite of coordinated actions required from stakeholders across the Australian home retrofit ecosystem to support a large-scale scheme. It also paves the way for a longer-term research program that can fill gaps in our current understanding to maximise the effectiveness of home retrofits at scale. There is a substantial market opportunity in Australia. The task ahead is large and complex, yet feasible through collaborative efforts. And now more than ever before. The PAGE 4 Pathways to Scale: Retrofitting One Million+ Homes insights for effective retrofit scheme design and recommendations for a portfolio of coordinated action outlined in this report can guide this effort and transform Australia’s existing homes for a prosperous, net-zero emissions future

An Initiative to Improve Cultural Competence among GYN/OB Providers

Healthcare cultural competence is defined as a process of delivering care by meeting the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of diverse populations, and should be optimized at all organizational levels to reduce racial disparities and poor patient outcomes. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recognizes the importance of cultural competence and states that research should be conducted to identify and combat barriers that impede equitable care. In this prospective, pre- and post-intervention study design, we used the Healthcare Provider Cultural Competence Instrument (HPCCI) to measure five dimensions of cultural competence within the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics in a large academic medical center. The intervention was a single Grand Rounds educational presentation on cultural diversity. Baseline survey response rate was 64%. Post-intervention survey response rate was 30%. Post-intervention survey results showed that cultural competence increased by statistically significant amounts across all five dimensions. Our results show an effective and feasible method to assess baseline cultural competency in a large interprofessional clinical department. Our results also indicate that a single intervention may have some positive impact on levels of cultural competence for a diverse interprofessional health care team