Communication management under the spotlight: – A literature review

Purpose: Although communication management is a widely used term, little emphasis is given to understanding it as a concept in its own right. The paper aims to establish a foundation for acknowledging communication management as a distinct concept through charting its multiple understandings in order to identify its defining features. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review of understandings of communication management in public relations, corporate communication, strategic communication, and integrated communication literature was performed. Out of a total of 113 sources 40 were reviewed through a narrative synthesis. Findings: There is widespread and ambiguous use of the term rooted in two main strands of literature and a third, less coherent, strand. In addition, the different understandings point to central features linking communication, management, and strategy. Theoretical and practical implications: To make fully use of the potential of communication management as a unifying concept within and across different communication fields, it is suggested to view it at the intersection of, and through the lenses of, the features identified as central to existing understandings of communication management, i.e. communication, management, and strategy. Such conceptualization would lay the foundation for developing communication management as a concept that is useful for empirically exploring the social phenomenon to which it refers

Effect of healthcare personnel in e-health interventions on glycated haemoglobin in adults with type 2 diabetes - a systematic review

This systematic review shows that providing e-health with tailored HCP feedback to patients with type 2 diabetes, does not have added health benefits when the control group also receives e-health. While all of the included studies had some reduction in HbA1c levels, none of the study groups reach treatment target of HbA1c, less than 7%. Furthermore, there was no clinically relevant impact on blood pressure, low density lipoprotein or weight. The review studies were highly heterogeneous, with different characteristics of participants, interventions and control conditions. There is a need for additional high quality RCTs and subsequently systematic reviews in order to draw firm conclusions about the effect of including HCP in e-health interventions. For policy makers to assess the overall effectiveness of HCP involvement in e-health interventions, future reviews must also address other types of diabetes related outcomes. Furthermore, future primary studies must address the long-term effects of HCP involvement in e-health when it comes to cost-effectiveness and patient utilization

Changes in Quality of Life in Elementary School Children-The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP)

Background: Quality of life (QoL) studies may provide information of change in healthstatus in the population. Few studies have followed up previous cross-sectional studies to investigateany change in the QoL status of healthy children. The aim of the current study is to compare QoL inchildren 6–12 years old in two large cross-sectional studies of healthy children completed a decadeapart. Methods: In the current study children and parents from nine elementary schools (n = 2816)were included in a cross-sectional study investigating children’s QoL. Using the Life Quality inChildren and Adolescents (ILC), completed by both children and parents, the global QoL-score wasestimated for 2297 children and 1639 parental reports. These results were compared to a similarstudy performed in 2004. The scores from both studies were divided into categories of below average,average and above average QoL. The percentage change of QoL between the two studies is presented.Results: Our results show that parents report that more children have below and above average QoLin 2015 compared to 2004. In contrast, more children scored in the average and above average QoLcategory in 2015 than in 2004. Conclusion: Parents reported lower QoL and children higher QoL in2015 compared to 2004.publishedVersio

The care situation - an arena for opportunities or violations?: use of coercion in dementia care

Bacheloroppgave sykepleie, 2017Hensikt: Hensikten med oppgaven er å undersøke om vi som sykepleiere kan unngå bruken av tvang hos pasienter med Alzheimers sykdom. Problemstilling: Hvordan kan vi som sykepleiere forhindre bruken av tvang under stellesituasjoner hos pasienter med Alzheimers? Metode: Oppgaven er en litteraturstudie basert på pensumlitteratur, aktuell litteratur, forskning og egne erfaringer. Teori: Teoridelen består av teori vi anser som relevant for å besvare problemstillingen og inneholder teori om Alzheimers sykdom, Kari Martinsens omsorgsfilosofi, personlig hygiene, lovverk, tillitsskapende tiltak og etikk. Oppsummering: Vi har funnet ut at tvang i stellesituasjoner hos pasienter med Alzheimers sykdom kan forhindres, men dette krever kunnskap, tålmodighet og gode holdninger fra omsorgsgiver

The Ambivalence of Connexin43 Gap Peptides in Cardioprotection of the Isolated Heart against Ischemic Injury

The present study investigates infarct-reducing effects of blocking ischemia-induced opening of connexin43 hemichannels using peptides Gap19, Gap26 or Gap27. Cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and Gap peptides was compared, and combined treatment was tested in isolated, perfused male rat hearts using function and infarct size after global ischemia, high-resolution respirometry of isolated mitochondrial and peptide binding kinetics as endpoints. The Gap peptides reduced infarct size significantly when given prior to ischemia plus at reperfusion (Gap19 76.2 ± 2.7, Gap26 72.9 ± 5.8 and Gap27 71.9 ± 5.8% of untreated control infarcts, mean ± SEM). Cardioprotection was lost when Gap26, but not Gap27 or Gap19, was combined with triggering IPC (IPC 73.4 ± 5.5, Gap19-IPC 60.9 ± 5.1, Gap26-IPC 109.6 ± 7.8, Gap27-IPC 56.3 ± 8.0% of untreated control infarct). Binding stability of peptide Gap26 to its specific extracellular loop sequence (EL2) of connexin43 was stronger than Gap27 to its corresponding loop EL1 (dissociation rate constant Kd 0.061 ± 0.004 vs. 0.0043 ± 0.0001 s−1 , mean ± SD). Mitochondria from IPC hearts showed slightly but significantly reduced respiratory control ratio (RCR). In vitro addition of Gap peptides did not significantly alter respiration. If transient hemichannel activity is part of the IPC triggering event, inhibition of IPC triggering stimuli might limit the use of cardioprotective Gap peptides

Glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue, liraglutide, in experimental cerebral malaria: implications for the role of oxidative stress in cerebral malaria

BACKGROUND: Cerebral malaria from Plasmodium falciparum infection is major cause of death in the tropics. The pathogenesis of the disease is complex and the contribution of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) in the brain is incompletely understood. Insulinotropic glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) mimetics have potent neuroprotective effects in animal models of neuropathology associated with ROS/RNS dysfunction. This study investigates the effect of the GLP-1 analogue, liraglutide against the clinical outcome of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) and Plasmodium falciparum growth. Furthermore the role of oxidative stress on ECM pathogenesis is evaluated. METHODS: ECM was induced in Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected C57Bl/6j mice. Infected Balb/c (non-cerebral malaria) and uninfected C57Bl/6j mice were included as controls. Mice were treated twice-daily with vehicle or liraglutide (200 μg/kg). ROS/RNS were quantified with in vivo imaging and further analyzed ex vivo. Brains were assayed for cAMP, activation of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and nitrate/nitrite. Plasmodium falciparum was cultivated in vitro with increasing doses of liraglutide and growth and metabolism were quantified. RESULTS: The development and progression of ECM was not affected by liraglutide. Indeed, although ROS/RNS were increased in peripheral organs, ROS/RNS generation was not present in the brain. Interestingly, CREB was activated in the ECM brain and may protect against ROS/RNS stress. Parasite growth was not adversely affected by liraglutide in mice or in P. falciparum cultures indicating safety should not be a concern in type-II diabetics in endemic regions. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the breadth of models where GLP-1 is neuroprotective, ECM was not affected by liraglutide providing important insight into the pathogenesis of ECM. Furthermore, ECM does not induce excess ROS/RNS in the brain potentially associated with activation of the CREB system

Experiences of Older Adults Preparing for Their First Triathlon: "A Qualitative Study of the Participation in an Endurance Training Intervention

Purpose: The overall aim of the present study was to explore the experiences of older adult exercisers participating in an individualized training program lasting 3 months preparing for completing a triathlon competition. Methods: Fourteen older Norwegian adults (median age (interquartile range, IQR) for males (N=10) and females (N=4) were 70.0 (65.0-75.5) and 57.5 (56.3-62.5) years, respectively) participated in 3-month individualized training program comprising three weekly sessions of running, cycling, and swimming. Both field- and laboratory-based testing were conducted. The participants attended two sports nutrition and competitive psychology seminars focusing on triathlon competition. The participants were interviewed in depth in three different focus groups. Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze the findings. Results: Participants improved their performance in all field-based tests. After completion of the thematic data analysis the main finding and overarching theme of well-being and being fit emerged. Additionally, three main themes were identified: 1) motivation; 2) progress and coping; and 3) breaking barriers. Conclusion: Psychological well-being and satisfaction of being fit seem to be vital to participate in a triathlon competition. Promoting specific age-appropriate participation in sports activities can be an effective strategy for promoting a healthy lifestyle among the elderly. Keywords: Running; being fit; cycling; elderly; personalized training; sport participation; swimming; triathlon; well-being.publishedVersio

Sprint interval running and continuous running produce training specific adaptations, despite a similar improvement of aerobic endurance capacity—a randomized trial of healthy adults

The purpose of the present study was to investigate training-specific adaptations to eight weeks of moderate intensity continuous training (CT) and sprint interval training (SIT). Young healthy subjects (n = 25; 9 males and 16 females) performed either continuous training (30–60 min, 70–80% peak heart rate) or sprint interval training (5–10 near maximal 30 s sprints, 3 min recovery) three times per week for eight weeks. Maximal oxygen consumption, 20 m shuttle run test and 5·60 m sprint test were performed before and after the intervention. Furthermore, heart rate, oxygen pulse, respiratory exchange ratio, lactate and running economy were assessed at five submaximal intensities, before and after the training interventions. Maximal oxygen uptake increased after CT (before: 47.9 ± 1.5; after: 49.7 ± 1.5 mL·kg−1·min−1, p < 0.05) and SIT (before: 50.5 ± 1.6; after: 53.3 ± 1.5 mL·kg−1·min−1, p < 0.01), with no statistically significant differences between groups. Both groups increased 20 m shuttle run performance and 60 m sprint performance, but SIT performed better than CT at the 4th and 5th 60 m sprint after the intervention (p < 0.05). At submaximal intensities, CT, but not SIT, reduced heart rate (p < 0.05), whereas lactate decreased in both groups. In conclusion, both groups demonstrated similar improvements of several performance measures including VO2max, but sprint performance was better after SIT, and CT caused training-specific adaptations at submaximal intensities.publishedVersio