910 research outputs found
Wound care in older adults
Wound care in older adults is complex. A logical, structured approach should be taken, using a nursing process such as assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating. This clinical focus paper outlines the nursing process to support wound care in this patient group. It recommends considering dressing selection as a cost-effective, prescribing decision because of the risks and comorbidities associated with these patient
Speculation on the origin of sub-baseline excursions of CH4 at Cape Grim
The Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) program has historically measured in situ
methane (CH4
) at Cape Grim via gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) in 40 minutely
grab samples. By adding continuous, high precision in situ measurements of CH4
(Picarro cavity ring-down
spectroscopy [CRDS]) at both Cape Grim, Tasmania, and Casey, Antarctica, a new feature has become apparent
in the Cape Grim CH4
record. During the austral summer (December to February), the Cape Grim CH4
record
periodically drops below baseline. For example, in Figure 1, a number of sustained episodes of depressed CH4
concentration can be seen below the baseline selected data shown in red. Notably, these episodes are also seen
in the GC-FID record.
In this presentation, we examine these sub-baseline excursions of CH4
. In conjunction with meteorology and a
variety of other chemical species measured at Cape Grim, including radon, ozone, hydrogen and ethane, we speculate on a number of possible mechanisms that might be responsible for these dips in CH4 mixing ratio
Optogenetics and deep brain stimulation neurotechnologies
Brain neural network is composed of densely packed, intricately wired neurons whose activity patterns ultimately give rise to every behavior, thought, or emotion that we experience. Over the past decade, a novel neurotechnique, optogenetics that combines light and genetic methods to control or monitor neural activity patterns, has proven to be revolutionary in understanding the functional role of specific neural circuits. We here briefly describe recent advance in optogenetics and compare optogenetics with deep brain stimulation technology that holds the promise for treating many neurological and psychiatric disorders
Gender Differences in Aspirin use Among Adults With Coronary Heart Disease in the United States
BACKGROUND: Aspirin reduces mortality for men and women with coronary heart disease (CHD). Previous research suggests women with acute coronary syndromes receive less aggressive care, including less frequent early administration of aspirin. The presence of gender differences in aspirin use for secondary prevention is less clear. OBJECTIVE: To determine if a gender difference exists in the use of aspirin for secondary prevention among individuals with CHD. DESIGN: We analyzed data from the nationally representative 2000β2002 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys to determine the prevalence of regular aspirin use among men and women with CHD. PARTICIPANTS: Participants, 1,869, 40Β years and older who reported CHD or prior myocardial infarction. RESULTS: Women were less likely than men to use aspirin regularly (62.4% vs 75.6%, pβ<β.001) even after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic and clinical characteristics (adjusted ORβ=β0.62, 95% CI, 0.48β0.79). This difference narrowed but remained significant when the analysis was limited to those without self-reported contraindications to aspirin (79.8% vs 86.4%, Pβ=β.002, adjusted ORβ=β0.68, 95% CI, 0.48β0.97). Women were more likely than men to report contraindications (20.5% vs 12.5%, Pβ<β.001). Differences in aspirin use were greater between women and men with private health insurance (61.8% vs 79.0%, Pβ<β.001, adjusted ORβ=β0.48, 95% CI, 0.35β0.67) than among those with public coverage (62.5% vs 70.7%, Pβ=β.04, adjusted ORβ=β0.74, 95% CI, 0.50β1.11) (Pβ<β.001 for genderβinsurance interaction). CONCLUSION: We found a gender difference in aspirin use among patients with CHD not fully explained by differences in patient characteristics or reported contraindications. These findings suggest a need for improved secondary prevention of cardiovascular events for women with CHD
Association of Health Literacy with Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use: A Cross-Sectional Study in Adult Primary Care Patients
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the United States, it is estimated that 40% of adults utilize complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Recently, national surveys report that over 90 million adults have inadequate health literacy. To date, no study has assessed health literacy and its effect on CAM use. The primary objective of this study was to assess the relationship between health literacy and CAM use independent of educational attainment. Second objective was to evaluate the differential effect of health literacy on CAM use by race.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>351 patients were recruited from an outpatient primary care clinic. Validated surveys assessed CAM use (I-CAM-Q), health literacy (REALM-R), and demographic information. We compared demographics by health literacy (adequate vs. inadequate) and overall and individual CAM categories by health literacy using chi square statistics. We found a race by health literacy interaction and ran sequential logistic regression models stratified by race to test the association between health literacy and overall CAM use (Model 1), Model 1 + education (Model 2), and Model 2 + other demographic characteristics (Model 3). We reported the adjusted effect of health literacy on CAM use for both whites and African Americans separately.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>75% of the participants had adequate literacy and 80% used CAM. CAM use differed by CAM category. Among whites, adequate health literacy was significantly associated with increased CAM use in both unadjusted (Model 1, OR 7.68; p = 0.001) and models adjusted for education (Model 2, OR 7.70; p = 0.002) and other sociodemographics (Model 3, OR 9.42; p = 0.01). Among African Americans, adequate health literacy was not associated with CAM use in any of the models.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We found a race by literacy interaction suggesting that the relationship between health literacy and CAM use differed significantly by race. Adequate health literacy among whites is associated with increased CAM use, but not associated with CAM use in African Americans.</p
A Naturally Occurring Plant Cysteine Protease Possesses Remarkable Toxicity against Insect Pests and Synergizes Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin
When caterpillars feed on maize (Zea maize L.) lines with native resistance to several Lepidopteran pests, a defensive cysteine protease, Mir1-CP, rapidly accumulates at the wound site. Mir1-CP has been shown to inhibit caterpillar growth in vivo by attacking and permeabilizing the insect's peritrophic matrix (PM), a structure that surrounds the food bolus, assists in digestion and protects the midgut from microbes and toxins. PM permeabilization weakens the caterpillar defenses by facilitating the movement of other insecticidal proteins in the diet to the midgut microvilli and thereby enhancing their toxicity. To directly determine the toxicity of Mir1-CP, the purified recombinant enzyme was directly tested against four economically significant Lepidopteran pests in bioassays. Mir1-CP LC50 values were 1.8, 3.6, 0.6, and 8.0 ppm for corn earworm, tobacco budworm, fall armyworm and southwestern corn borer, respectively. These values were the same order of magnitude as those determined for the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Bt-CryIIA. In addition to being directly toxic to the larvae, 60 ppb Mir1-CP synergized sublethal concentrations of Bt-CryIIA in all four species. Permeabilization of the PM by Mir1-CP probably provides ready access to Bt-binding sites on the midgut microvilli and increases its activity. Consequently, Mir1-CP could be used for controlling caterpillar pests in maize using non-transgenic approaches and potentially could be used in other crops either singly or in combination with Bt-toxins
Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in βsNN=5.02ββTeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector
Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (ΞΟ) and pseudorapidity (ΞΞ·) are measured in βsNN=5.02ββTeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1ββΞΌb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (Ξ£ETPb) summed over 3.1<Ξ·<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|ΞΞ·|<5) βnear-sideβ (ΞΟβΌ0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing Ξ£ETPb. A long-range βaway-sideβ (ΞΟβΌΟ) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small Ξ£ETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in ΞΞ· and ΞΟ) and Ξ£ETPb dependence. The resultant ΞΟ correlation is approximately symmetric about Ο/2, and is consistent with a dominant cosβ‘2ΞΟ modulation for all Ξ£ETPb ranges and particle pT
Jet energy measurement with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV
The jet energy scale and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of βs = 7TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb-1. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-kt algorithm with distance parameters R=0. 4 or R=0. 6. Jet energy and angle corrections are determined from Monte Carlo simulations to calibrate jets with transverse momenta pTβ₯20 GeV and pseudorapidities {pipe}Ξ·{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy systematic uncertainty is estimated using the single isolated hadron response measured in situ and in test-beams, exploiting the transverse momentum balance between central and forward jets in events with dijet topologies and studying systematic variations in Monte Carlo simulations. The jet energy uncertainty is less than 2. 5 % in the central calorimeter region ({pipe}Ξ·{pipe}<0. 8) for jets with 60β€pT<800 GeV, and is maximally 14 % for pT<30 GeV in the most forward region 3. 2β€{pipe}Ξ·{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy is validated for jet transverse momenta up to 1 TeV to the level of a few percent using several in situ techniques by comparing a well-known reference such as the recoiling photon pT, the sum of the transverse momenta of tracks associated to the jet, or a system of low-pT jets recoiling against a high-pT jet. More sophisticated jet calibration schemes are presented based on calorimeter cell energy density weighting or hadronic properties of jets, aiming for an improved jet energy resolution and a reduced flavour dependence of the jet response. The systematic uncertainty of the jet energy determined from a combination of in situ techniques is consistent with the one derived from single hadron response measurements over a wide kinematic range. The nominal corrections and uncertainties are derived for isolated jets in an inclusive sample of high-pT jets. Special cases such as event topologies with close-by jets, or selections of samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks, heavy quarks or gluons are also discussed and the corresponding uncertainties are determined. Β© 2013 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
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