Reinstating Vacated Findings in Employment Discrimination Class Actions: Reconciling General Telephone Co. v. Falcon With Hill v. Western Electric Co.

Type 2 T-helper cell (Th2)-skewed immunity is associated with successful pregnancy and the ability to easily direct immune responses to a Th2-polarised profile may be an evolutionary benefit. The Th2-like immunity associated with allergic disease might generate favourable effects for the maintenance of pregnancy, but could also promote development of Th2-like immune responses and allergic disease in the offspring. The aim of this study was to explore, by using IgE as a stable proxy for Th2, the Th1/Th2 balance in allergic and non-allergic women by measuring allergen-specific and total IgE antibody levels in plasma during pregnancy and after delivery. Specific and total IgE antibody levels were determined by ImmunoCAP technology at five occasions during pregnancy (gestational weeks 10-12, 15-16, 25, 35 and 39), as well as at 2 and 12 months after delivery. Thirty-six women without and 20 women with allergic symptoms were included, of whom 13 were sensitised with allergic symptoms and 30 were non-sensitised without allergic symptoms. The levels of total IgE, but not allergen-specific IgE, were increased during early pregnancy when compared to 12 months after delivery in the sensitised women with allergic symptoms, but not in the non-sensitised women without allergic symptoms (pandlt;0.01). This increase in total IgE levels during early pregnancy only in the sensitised women with allergic symptoms indicates that allergy is associated with an enhanced Th2 deviation during pregnancy.Original Publication: Martina Sandberg, Anne Frykman, Yvonne Jonsson, Marie Persson, Jan Ernerudh, Göran Berg, Leif Matthiesen, Christina Ekerfelt and Maria Jenmalm, Total and allergen-specific IgE levels during and after pregnancy in relation to maternal allergy, 2009, JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, (81), 1, 82-88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jri.2009.04.003 Copyright: Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. http://www.elsevier.com/</p

Maternal human papillomavirus infections at mid-pregnancy and delivery in a Scandinavian mother–child cohort study

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Erratum to: Methods for evaluating medical tests and biomarkers

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s41512-016-0001-y.]

Evidence synthesis to inform model-based cost-effectiveness evaluations of diagnostic tests: a methodological systematic review of health technology assessments

Background: Evaluations of diagnostic tests are challenging because of the indirect nature of their impact on patient outcomes. Model-based health economic evaluations of tests allow different types of evidence from various sources to be incorporated and enable cost-effectiveness estimates to be made beyond the duration of available study data. To parameterize a health-economic model fully, all the ways a test impacts on patient health must be quantified, including but not limited to diagnostic test accuracy. Methods: We assessed all UK NIHR HTA reports published May 2009-July 2015. Reports were included if they evaluated a diagnostic test, included a model-based health economic evaluation and included a systematic review and meta-analysis of test accuracy. From each eligible report we extracted information on the following topics: 1) what evidence aside from test accuracy was searched for and synthesised, 2) which methods were used to synthesise test accuracy evidence and how did the results inform the economic model, 3) how/whether threshold effects were explored, 4) how the potential dependency between multiple tests in a pathway was accounted for, and 5) for evaluations of tests targeted at the primary care setting, how evidence from differing healthcare settings was incorporated. Results: The bivariate or HSROC model was implemented in 20/22 reports that met all inclusion criteria. Test accuracy data for health economic modelling was obtained from meta-analyses completely in four reports, partially in fourteen reports and not at all in four reports. Only 2/7 reports that used a quantitative test gave clear threshold recommendations. All 22 reports explored the effect of uncertainty in accuracy parameters but most of those that used multiple tests did not allow for dependence between test results. 7/22 tests were potentially suitable for primary care but the majority found limited evidence on test accuracy in primary care settings. Conclusions: The uptake of appropriate meta-analysis methods for synthesising evidence on diagnostic test accuracy in UK NIHR HTAs has improved in recent years. Future research should focus on other evidence requirements for cost-effectiveness assessment, threshold effects for quantitative tests and the impact of multiple diagnostic tests

Erratum to: Methods for evaluating medical tests and biomarkers

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s41512-016-0001-y.]

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Flerspråkighet i förskolan – En kvalitativ studie om tankar kring förskolans möjligheter att främja flerspråkiga barns språkutveckling

Denna studie syftar till att studera hur förskollärare tänker kring flerspråkiga barns utvecklande av svenska och modersmål samt introducera förslag på hur förskolor kan vidareutveckla arbetet med flerspråkighet, utifrån de förutsättningar som förskollärarna i studien beskriver. De frågeställningar som vi besvarar är: Vilka olika tankesätt uttrycker förskollärare kring förskolans hinder och möjligheter att utveckla flerspråkiga barns svenska och modersmål? Vilka möjligheter kan vi se att förskollärarna i vår studie har att utifrån sina förutsättningar arbeta för att utveckla barns svenska och modersmål? Metoden för att undersöka förskollärarnas tankesätt var kvalitativa samtalsintervjuer som genomfördes med nio förskollärare på fyra olika förskolor. Intervjuerna spelades in och transkriberades efteråt. De utskrivna intervjusvaren sammanställdes och delades sedan in i fem huvudområden: förskolans roll, förutsättningar och önskemål, föräldrasamverkan, modersmålssstöd och konkret arbete i barngruppen. Dessa huvudområden ligger till grund för de analyser som beskrivs i arbetet. Ett tydligt resultat som framkom genom vår studie är att barns tillägnande av det svenska språket är ett uttalat mål i de flesta förskollärarnas arbete. Vidare framkom det att modersmål inte har samma position som svenska inom verksamheterna men att många av förskollärarna uttrycker en önskan om att vidareutveckla arbetet med flerspråkighet. Av datainsamlingen kunde vi utläsa att förskollärarna tolkar sitt pedagogiska uppdrag på olika sätt och har olika tankar om hur de vill arbeta med flerspråkighet. Detta påverkar i sin tur hur pedagogerna arbetar med barnen i barngrupperna. De didaktiska konsekvenser som vi kommer fram till är att pedagoger måste vara medvetna om språkets betydelse och att förskolan bör arbeta för att barns modersmål ska utvecklas parallellt med andraspråket, svenska