72 research outputs found

    Cybraries in paradise: new technologies and ethnographic repositories.

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    Digital technologies are altering research practices surrounding creation and use of ethnographic field recordings, and the methodologies and paradigms of the disciplines centered around their interpretation. In this chapter we discuss some examples of our current research practices as fieldworkers in active engagement with cultural heritage communities documenting music and language in the Asia- Pacific region, and as developers and curators of the digital repository PARADISEC (the Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures: ). We suggest a number of benefits that the use of digital technologies can bring to the recording of material from small and endangered cultures, and to its re-use by communities and researchers. We believe it is a matter of social justice as well as scientific interest that ethnographic recordings held in higher education institutions should be preserved and made accessible to future generations. We argue that, with appropriate planning and care by researchers, digitization of research recordings in audiovisual media can facilitate access by remote communities to records of their cultural heritage held in higher education institutions to a far greater extent than was possible in the analog age.Australian Research Counci

    Patient education for preventing diabetic foot ulceration

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    Background Ulceration of the feet, which can result in loss of limbs and even death, is one of the major health problems for people with diabetes mellitus. Objectives To assess the effects of patient education on the prevention of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes mellitus. Search strategy Eligible studies were identified by searching the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (22 December 2009), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library 2009 Issue 4), Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to November Week 3 2009), Ovid MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations (Searched 22/12/09), Ovid EMBASE (1980 to 2009 Week 51) and EBSCO CINAHL (1982 to December 22 2009). Selection criteria Prospective randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which evaluated educational programmes for preventing foot ulcers in people with diabetes mellitus. There was no restriction on language of the publications. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently undertook data extraction and assessment of risk of bias. Primary end-points were foot ulceration or ulcer recurrence and amputation. Main results Eleven RCTs were included. Three studies described the effect of foot care education as part of general diabetes education compared with usual care. Two studies examined the effect of foot care education tailored to educational needs compared with no intervention. Finally, six studies described the effect of intensive compared with brief educational interventions. Pooling of outcome data was precluded by marked, mainly clinical, heterogeneity. Four RCTs assessed the effect of patient education on primary end-points: foot ulceration and amputations. One of these studies reported a statistically significant benefit of one hour group education after one year of follow-up in people with diabetes who were at high risk for foot ulceration; RR amputation 0.33 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.76); RR ulceration 0.31 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.66), however this study was at high risk of bias and may have overestimated the effect due to a unit of analysis error. One similar, but methodologically superior study did not confirm this finding; RR amputation 0.98 (95% CI 0.41 to 2.34); RR ulceration 1.00 (95% CI 0.70 to 1.44). The other two studies did not detect any effect of education on ulcer incidence or amputation but were underpowered. Patients' foot care knowledge was improved in the short term in five of eight RCTs in which this outcome was assessed, as was patients' self reported self care behaviour in the short term in seven of nine RCTs. The effects on callus, nail problems and fungal infections were described in five of the included studies, of which only two reported temporary improvements after an educational intervention. Only one of the included RCTs was considered to be at low risk of bias. Authors' conclusions Most of the RCTs included in this review are at high or unclear risk of bias. In some trials, foot care knowledge and self reported patient behaviour seem to be positively influenced by education in the short term. This, however, must be viewed with caution. The ultimate goal of educational interventions is preventing foot ulceration and amputation but only four RCTs reported these outcomes and only two reported sufficient data to examine this. Based on these two studies, we conclude that there is insufficient robust evidence that limited patient education alone is effective in achieving clinically relevant reductions in ulcer and amputation incidence. Future research should focus on evaluating the effect of more comprehensive and/or intensive prevention strategies which may also include patient education (complex interventions).Public Health and primary careDisease managementPrevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD

    Building, Reality, Caring: What Nurses in Three Australian Psychogeriatric Assessment Units Say about the Built Environment

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    Many people believe that ‘purpose-built’ facilities will diminish some of the challenging behaviours exhibited by older people with dementia or psychiatric conditions. This study aimed to explore and understand what hands-on nurses in psychogeriatric assessment units experience and think of the built environment as a part of their day to day work. Twenty-one unstructured interviews were conducted with nurses at three psychogeriatric assessment units. The units ranged in style from an ancient adapted building to a contemporary 'purpose-built' facility. A critical hermeneutics derived from Gadamer was used to explore the interviews. It found that nurses think of the built environment in relation to the care needs of their patients, and feel bureaucratic restrictions in using the built environment more keenly than the shortcomings of the built environment itself. Nurses saw themselves and their patients as 'outcasts' or victims of those with money and power. The study concludes with suggestions for challenging the status quo, but also considers that being regarded as 'outcasts' allows opportunities to avoid being overly impressed by technological marvels

    Efficacy of α-Blockers on Hemodynamic Control during Pheochromocytoma Resection: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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    CONTEXT: Pretreatment with α-adrenergic receptor blockers is recommended to prevent hemodynamic instability during resection of a pheochromocytoma or sympathetic paraganglioma (PPGL). OBJECTIVE: To determine which type of α-adrenergic receptor blocker provides the best efficacy. DESIGN: Randomized controlled open-label trial (PRESCRIPT; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01379898). SETTING: Multicenter study including 9 centers in The Netherlands. PATIENTS: 134 patients with nonmetastatic PPGL. INTERVENTION: Phenoxybenzamine or doxazosin starting 2 to 3 weeks before surgery using a blood pressure targeted titration schedule. Intraoperative hemodynamic management was standardized. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary efficacy endpoint was the cumulative intraoperative time outside the blood pressure target range (ie, SBP >160 mmHg or MAP <60 mmHg) expressed as a percentage of total surgical procedure time. Secondary efficacy endpoint was the value on a hemodynamic instability score. RESULTS: Median cumulative time outside blood pressure targets was 11.1% (interquartile range [IQR]: 4.3-20.6] in the phenoxybenzamine group compared to 12.2% (5.3-20.2)] in the doxazosin group (P = .75, r = 0.03). The hemodynamic instability score was 38.0 (28.8-58.0) and 50.0 (35.3-63.8) in the phenoxybenzamine and doxazosin group, respectively (P = .02, r = 0.20). The 30-day cardiovascular complication rate was 8.8% and 6.9% in the phenoxybenzamine and doxazosin group, respectively (P = .68). There was no mortality after 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: The duration of blood pressure outside the target range during resection of a PPGL was not different after preoperative treatment with either phenoxybenzamine or doxazosin. Phenoxybenzamine was more effective in preventing intraoperative hemodynamic instability, but it could not be established whether this was associated with a better clinical outcome

    Complications after major surgery for duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in patients with MEN1: results from a nationwide cohort

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    Background Little is known about complications after major duodenopancreatic surgery for duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (dpNETs) in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Therefore, the incidence and severity of complications after major surgery for MEN1-related dpNETs were assessed. Methods Patients were selected from the population-based Dutch MEN1 database if they had undergone a Whipple procedure or total pancreatectomy from 2003 to 2017. Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification (grade III or higher complications were considered a severe complication) and definitions from the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery. The Cumulative Complication Index (CCI(R)) was calculated as the sum of all complications weighted for their severity. Univariable logistic regression was performed to assess potential associations between predictor candidates and a severe complication. Results Twenty-seven patients (median age 43 years) underwent a major duodenopancreatic resection, including 14 Whipple procedures and 13 total pancreatectomies. Morbidity and mortality were 100% (27/27) and 4% (1/27), respectively. A severe complication occurred in 17/27 (63%) patients. The median CCI(R) was 47.8 [range 8.7-100]. Grade B/C pancreatic fistulas, delayed gastric emptying, bile leakage, hemorrhage, and chyle leakage occurred in 7/14 (50%), 10/27 (37%), 1/27 (4%), 7/27 (26%), 3/27 (11%) patients, respectively. Patients with a severe complication had longer operative time and higher blood loss. After Whipple, new-onset endocrine and exocrine insufficiency occurred in 1/13 and 9/14 patients, respectively. Conclusions Major duodenopancreatic surgery in MEN1 is associated with a very high risk of severe complications and cumulative burden of complications and should therefore be reserved for a select subgroup of patients with MEN1-related dpNETs.Surgical oncolog

    Initiating pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET) screening in young MEN1 patients: results from the DutchMEN study group

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    Context: Nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-pNETs) are highly prevalent and constitute an important cause of mortality in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Still, the optimal age to initiate screening for pNETs is under debate.Objective: The aim of this work is to assess the age of occurrence of clinically relevant NF-pNETs in young MEN1 patients.Methods: Pancreatic imaging data of MEN1 patients were retrieved from the DutchMEN Study Group database. Interval-censored survival methods were used to describe age-related penetrance, compare survival curves, and develop a parametric model for estimating the risk of having clinically relevant NF-pNET at various ages. The primary objective was to assess age at occurrence of clinically relevant NF-pNET (size >= 20 mm or rapid growth); secondary objectives were the age at occurrence of NF-pNET of any size and pNET-associated metastasized disease.Results: Five of 350 patients developed clinically relevant NF-pNETs before age 18 years, 2 of whom subsequently developed lymph node metastases. No differences in clinically relevant NF-pNET-free survival were found for sex, time frame, and type of MEN1 diagnosis or genotype. The estimated ages (median, 95% CI) at a 1%, 2.5%, and 5% risk of having developed a clinically relevant tumor are 9.5 (6.5-12.7), 13.5 (10.2-16.9), and 17.8 years (14.3-21.4), respectively.Conclusion: Analyses from this population-based cohort indicate that start of surveillance for NF-pNETs with pancreatic imaging at age 13 to 14 years is justified.The psychological and medical burden of screening at a young age should be considered.Clinical epidemiolog

    Gestión del modelo de desinstitucionalización de adultos con alteraciones mentales en el sistema público de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

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    La alteración de la salud mental constituye un problema socio-sanitario. Las ciencias de la salud consideran modelos de causalidad multifactoriales con determinantes sociales. No se observa en esta investigación la inclusión de la Ciencia Administrativa como interdisciplina. Su incorporación permitiría integrar conocimientos administrativos para un eficaz y eficiente desempeño en las organizaciones de salud mental. Las fallas de planificación como proceso central en la formulación de estrategias constituyen un común denominador de los modelos descriptos. Los resultados encontrados, como indicadores del valor giro programa, 5 años de permanencia (rango 1 – 20); y producto del análisis cualitativo (respuestas a entrevistas) 6 años (máxima permanencia 26-27 años) afirman un bajo rendimiento de los programas existentes. Se observó contradicción en los modelos para compatibilizar el control del rendimiento con la autonomía de las diferentes divisiones, sistemas cerrados instrumentales de la sede central, responsables de las actividades dependientes de más de un coordinador con desempeño simultáneo en subproyectos sin conseguir resultados aceptables. La propuesta del nuevo modelo de gestión es una intervención de tipo social fragmentaria, sistematizada e incremental. Propone un rediseño de los procesos con la revisión de los recursos disponibles para alcanzar aumento del valor giro-paciente para la externación con reinserción social.Facultad de Ciencias Económica

    Characteristics of contralateral carcinomas in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer larger than 1 cm

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    Purpose: Traditionally, total thyroidectomy has been advocated for patients with tumors larger than 1 cm. However, according to the ATA and NCCN guidelines (2015, USA), patients with tumors up to 4 cm are now eligible for lobectomy. A rationale for adhering to total thyroidectomy might be the presence of contralateral carcinomas. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of contralateral carcinomas in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) larger than 1 cm. Methods: A retrospective study was performed including patients from 17 centers in 5 countries. Adults diagnosed with DTC stage T1b-T3 N0-1a M0 who all underwent a total thyroidectomy were included. The primary endpoint was the presence of a contralateral carcinoma. Results: A total of 1

    Prognosis after surgery for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-related pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: Functionality matters

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    Background: Metastasized pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are the leading cause of death in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. Aside from tumor size, prognostic factors of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are largely unknown. The present study aimed to assess whether the prognosis of patients with resected multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-related nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors differs from those with resected multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-related insulinomas and assessed factors associated with prognosis. Methods: Patients who underwent resection of a multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-related pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors between 1990 and 2016 were identified in 2 databases: the DutchMEN Study Group and the International MEN1 Insulinoma Study Group databases. Cox regression was performed to compare liver metastases-free survival of patients with a nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors versus those with an insulinoma and to identify factors associated with liver metastases-free survival. Results: Out of 153 patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, 61 underwent resection for a nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and 92 for an insulinoma. Of the patients with resected lymph nodes, 56% (18/32) of nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors had lymph node metastases compared to 10% (4/41) of insulinomas (P = .001). Estimated 10-year liver metastases-free survival was 63% (95% confidence interval 42%–76%) for nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and 87% (72%–91%) for insulinomas. After adjustment for size, World Health Organization tumor grade, and age, nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors had an increased risk for liver metastases or death (hazard ratio 3.04 [1.47–6.30]). In pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors ≥2 cm, nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (2.99 [1.22–7.33]) and World Health Organization grade 2 (2.95 [1.02–8.50]) were associated with liver metastases-free survival. Conclusion: Patients with resected multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-related nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors had a significantly lower liver metastases-free survival than patients with insulinomas. Postoperative counseling and follow-up regimens should be tumor type specific and at least consider size and World Health Organization grade
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