An investigation into the practice of self administration of medication in inpatient rehabilitation

This article reports on a study that sought to bring the self-administration of medications (SAM) into focus by determining the extent to which patients within an inpatient rehabilitation setting participated in SAM programs and by identifying the barriers to implementing SAM programs. The project consisted of two stages: an audit of patient medical records, and focus groups with registered nurses working in four rehabilitation units. The audit revealed that only a small percentage of patients participated in the SAM program. The focus groups identified three types of barriers to patient participation in SAM, namely patients' impairments, personal factors within patients and environmental factors

Spirometer guided chest imaging in children: It is worth the effort!

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are used to assess and monitor several pediatric lung diseases. It is well recognized that lung volume at the moment of acquisition has a major impact on the appearance of lung parenchyma and airways. Importantly, the sensitivity of chest CT and MRI to detect bronchiectasis and gas trapping is highly dependent on adequate volume control during the image acquisition. This paper describes a feasible method to obtain accurate control of lung volume during chest imaging in pediatric patients with lung disease. Procedure: A procedure to obtain maximal respiratory manoeuvres with spirometry guidance during image acquisition for CT and MRI is described. This procedure requires training of the subject, an MRI compatible spirometer and close collaboration between a lung function scientist and the radiographer. A good to excellent target volume level for the inspiratory or expiratory scan can be achieved in around 90% of children. An important condition for this success rate is the training of the subject, executed prior to each chest CT or MRI, and instructions by the lung function scientist during the chest CT. Conclusion: Implementing lung volume guidance with a spirometer is an important and feasible step to standardize chest imaging and to optimize the diagnostic yield of chest CT and MRI in children with lung disease. Training and the collaborative effort by a lung function scientist and radiographer is the key factor for success of this procedure. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:48–56

Explanatory factors of academic performance in children of Mexican immigrants in New York

ResumenEsta investigación tuvo como objetivo identificar los factores que influyen en el rendimiento académico de los hijos de inmigrantes mexicanos que residen en Nueva York. Se obtuvieron datos de 142 diadas de padres y alumnos. La muestra constaba de padres inmigrantes e hijos nacidos en Estados Unidos. Los resultados indican que una mayor percepción de dominio del idioma inglés en hijos y padres, la enseñanza de lectoescritura por parte del progenitor y la ausencia de problemas de aprendizaje en los hijos predicen niveles más altos de rendimiento académico en general. Además, una mayor exposición del alumno a la cultura estadounidense, mayor percepción del hijo del dominio del idioma inglés, la enseñanza de lectoescritura por parte del progenitor, la instrucción bilingüe de los hijos y la ausencia de problemas de aprendizaje en hijos y padres predicen una mayor oportunidad de los hijos de pertenecer al grupo de rendimiento académico alto. Se analizan las implicaciones de estos resultadosAbstractThis study was aimed at identifying factors involved in the academic performance of children of Mexican immigrants living in New York. Data from 142 parent-student dyads were collected. The sample consisted of immigrant parents and children born in the US. Results show that a higher perception of English language proficiency among children and their parents, reading and writing training by parents, and the absence of learning problems among the children predicted on the whole higher levels of academic performance. Additionally, a higher student exposure to US culture, a higher perception of English language proficiency by the child, reading and writing training by parents, bilingual training of children, and the absence of learning problems among children and the parents predict a higher likelihood of children to belong to the higher academic performance group. Implications of these results are discussed

Correction: Betaine is accumulated via transient choline dehydrogenase activation during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation (Journal of Biological Chemistry (2017) 292 (13784-13794) DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M117.803080)

The authors recently became aware that the measurements reported in Fig. 7 had been provided to the authors with the incorrect units stated. The units stated by the laboratory that had been contracted to do the measurements were ng/ml (in 200 μl of sample), whereas the actual units for the values that were provided were total pmoles in each sample. This resulted in the calculated amounts of betaine per oocyte that were reported (in pmoles/oocyte) in Fig. 7 being approximately 48% higher than the amounts calculated using the correct units. This error did not affect the betaine measurements reported in Fig. 1, which were done in a different laboratory. Fig. 7 has been revised to show the corrected amounts of betaine, and the y axis ranges have been adjusted accordingly. The error does not affect the statistical analyses or the conclusions of the article in any way. The authors regret any inconvenience this error may have caused