A Review of the Effect of Nurses’ Use of Smartphone to Improve Patient Care

Introduction: Nurses in the acute-care setting use touchscreen smartphones (eg. iPhones) to facilitate patient care. However, on duty nurses also use smartphones to access social media, text, and shop online. The overall benefit of nurses’ use of smartphones to patient care is unclear. We conducted a systematic review to examine the use of smartphones by acute-care nurses and how that influences patient care.Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed databases using the key words “smartphone,” “nurse,” “patient care” and “quality of care” to identify articles focusing on smartphone use by nurses in acute care setting. Only 274 articles were initially identified. Fourteen articles remained after applying inclusion criteria such as nurses in acute care setting, written in English, and excluding those addressing the use of smartphones by non-nurses.Results: We identified six themes encompassing advantages and disadvantages of smartphone use by nurses in the acute care setting. Theme 1: enhanced interprofessional communication. Theme 2: easy and quick access to clinical information (eg. medications). Theme 3: improved time-management. Theme 4: reduction of work stress. Disadvantages were: Theme 5: distraction from work, and Theme 6: the appearance of unprofessionalism.Conclusions: Smartphone use by nurses in the acute care setting impacts how they provide daily care to their patients. Benefits of smartphone use include: improved patient safety, more effective communication between healthcare providers, and better time-management. Disadvantages found included distraction of nurses at work, and the perceived appearance of unprofessionalism. We believe there is an unmeasured risk of smartphones as potential vectors of infection. We support the use of smartphones to aid in patient care but recommend that education is necessary on the appropriate use of smartphones to mitigate risks such as infection, distraction, and accountability of personal use

Catching Kordbolbok: From Frog Survey to Closing the Gap in Arnhem Land

This working paper introduces the first frog survey of the Arnhem Plateau, as far as we know, which was conducted by the Warddeken Indigenous Rangers and a western scientist employed by CAEPR. The survey methodology and outcomes are presented in conjunction with some comment on the socioeconomic benefits of such surveys in remote outstations of the Northern Territory. Thirteen native frog species known to western science were found, including one species that as far as we know is previously undescribed—as well as the exotic cane toad (Bufo marinus). This exercise highlighted the significant role already played by traditional owners in the management of Indigenous-owned Arnhem Land. A greater monitoring role—for example, through frog surveys—could be pursued given the right tools and training

Mice lacking ataxin-1 display learning deficits and decreased hippocampal paired-pulse facilitation.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by ataxia, progressive motor deterioration, and loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells. To investigate SCA1 pathogenesis and to gain insight into the function of the SCA1 gene product ataxin-1, a novel protein without homology to previously described proteins, we generated mice with a targeted deletion in the murine Sca1 gene. Mice lacking ataxin-1 are viable, fertile, and do not show any evidence of ataxia or neurodegeneration. However, Sca1 null mice demonstrate decreased exploratory behavior, pronounced deficits in the spatial version of the Morris water maze test, and impaired performance on the rotating rod apparatus. Furthermore, neurophysiological studies performed in area CA1 of the hippocampus reveal decreased paired-pulse facilitation in Sca1 null mice, whereas long-term and post-tetanic potentiations are normal. These findings demonstrate that SCA1 is not caused by loss of function of ataxin-1 and point to the possible role of ataxin-1 in learning and memory

Synchronisation of egg hatching of brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae) and budburst of blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in a warmer future

Synchronisation of the phenology of insect herbivores and their larval food plant is essential for the herbivores’ fitness. The monophagous brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae) lays its eggs during summer, hibernates as an egg, and hatches in April or May in the Netherlands. Its main larval food plant blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowers in early spring, just before the leaves appear. As soon as the Blackthorn opens its buds, and this varies with spring temperatures, food becomes available for the brown hairstreak. However, the suitability of the leaves as food for the young caterpillars is expected to decrease rapidly. Therefore, the timing of egg hatch is an important factor for larval growth. This study evaluates food availability for brown hairstreak at different temperatures. Egg hatch and budburst were monitored from 2004 to 2008 at different sites in the Netherlands. Results showed ample food availability at all monitored temperatures and sites but the degree of synchrony varied strongly with spring temperatures. To further study the effect of temperature on synchronisation, an experiment using normal temperatures of a reference year (T) and temperatures of T + 5°C was carried out in climate chambers. At T + 5°C, both budburst and egg hatch took place about 20 days earlier and thus, on average, elevated temperature did not affect synchrony. However, the total period of budburst was 11 days longer, whereas the period of egg hatching was 3 days shorter. The implications for larval growth by the brown hairstreak under a warmer climate are considered.

International comparison of fisheries management with respect to nature conservation

In dit rapport worden enkele voorbeelden besproken van visserijen die zodanig zijn gereguleerd dat geen significante schade wordt aangericht aan het ecosysteem. De leidende vraag is in feite of dergelijke visserijen wel bestaan. Het rapport bespreekt beleidsopties voor een zodanig beheer van visserijen dat de negatieve gevolgen voor het ecosysteem worden beperkt, en beschrijft de rol en de huidige status van systemen voor eco-keurmerken voor visserij, zoals die van de Marine Stewardship Council. Tevens wordt de algemene vraag besproken of er voorbeelden zijn aan te wijzen waarin zelfregulatie door visserijbedrijven heeft bijgedragen aan de bescherming van mariene ecosystemen. Voor de Noordzee worden de mogelijke implicaties van EU-richtlijnen zoals de Vogel- en Habitat-richtlijn en van internationale visserijverdragen besproken. Trefwoorden: duurzame visserij, visserijbeheer, co-management, natuurbehoud, eco-keurmerken, Marine Stewardship Council, EU Habitatrichtlijn, EU Vogelrichtlij