The value of nurse mentoring relationships: Lessons learnt from a work-based resilience enhancement programme for nurses working in the forensic setting.

This study aimed to evaluate a mentoring programme embedded in a work-based personal resilience enhancement intervention for forensic nurses. This qualitative study formed part of a wider mixed-methods study that aimed to implement and evaluate the intervention. Twenty-four semistructured interviews were carried out with forensic nurse mentees and senior nurse mentors; these explored their experiences of the mentoring programme and any benefits and challenges involved in constructing and maintaining a mentor-mentee relationship. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using the Framework Method. Four key themes relating to the initiation and maintenance of mentor-mentee relationships were identified: finding time and space to arrange mentoring sessions; building rapport and developing the relationship; setting expectations of the mentoring relationship and the commitment required; and the impact of the mentoring relationship for both mentees and mentors. Study findings highlight the benefits of senior nurses mentoring junior staff and provide evidence to support the integration of mentoring programmes within wider work-based resilience enhancement interventions. Effective mentoring can lead to the expansion of professional networks, career development opportunities, increased confidence and competence at problem-solving, and higher levels of resilience, well-being, and self-confidence

Shuffling and Unshuffling

We consider various shuffling and unshuffling operations on languages and words, and examine their closure properties. Although the main goal is to provide some good and novel exercises and examples for undergraduate formal language theory classes, we also provide some new results and some open problems

Mixed methods case study exploring primary care antibiotic prescribing practices and maternal expectations of using antibiotics in children.

BackgroundOveruse of antibiotics and inappropriate prescribing has resulted in rapid development of antimicrobial resistance. Most antibiotics in the United Kingdom (71.4%) are prescribed in primary care by general practitioners, with about half prescribed for viral rather than bacterial illnesses.AimsTo explore antibiotic prescribing and factors which may influence maternal decision making to seek antibiotics for their young children.MethodsData for children under five years was gathered using a mixed methods case study approach. Quantitative general practice antibiotic prescribing data (n = 697 children) was statistically analysed and these results were further explored in six focus groups with mothers (n=19) of children under five. The qualitative data was thematically analysed.ResultsQuantitative data identified nearly half of children received antibiotics. Children under one were prescribed the fewest antibiotics. Qualitative focus group data showed mothers trusted their general practitioner to provide expert care for their child and often wanted convenient and timely access to advice and reassurance, rather than treatment.ConclusionAntibiotics are frequently prescribed for young children in primary care. Healthcare professionals need to understand the maternal influences contributing to antibiotic use in children and consider strategies and interventions to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.Impact statement- implications for research/practiceNurses and health visitors should have a greater role in supporting maternal decision making for managing their children's illnesses

Feasibility study of MgSO4 + zeolite based composite thermochemical energy stores charged by vacuum flat plate solar thermal collectors for seasonal thermal energy storage

A primary drawback of solar thermal technologies, especially in a domestic setting, is that collection of thermal energy occurs when solar irradiance is abundant and there is generally little requirement for heating. Thermochemical Energy Storage (TCES) offers a means of storing thermal energy interseasonally with little heat loss. A combination of a Solar Thermal Collector (STC) and TCES system will allow a variety of different heating applications, such as domestic space and hot water heating as well as low temperature industrial process heat applications to be met in a low carbon way. This paper describes and assesses the feasibility of two novel technologies currently under development at Loughborough University; i) an evacuated flat plate STC and ii) composite TCES materials, coupled together into a system designed to store and supply thermal energy on demand throughout the year. Experimental results of composite TCES materials along with predicted performance of STC's are used within a developed model to assess key metrics of conceptual TCES + STC systems feasibility, including; charging time, payback time, cost/kWh, energy savings and CO2 savings. This paper demonstrates the economic, energy and carbon savings potential of conceptual TCES + STC systems suitable for domestic use

Vibroacoustic stimulation for fetal assessment in labour in the presence of a nonreassuring fetal heart rate trace (Review)

Background: Fetal vibroacoustic stimulation (VAS) is a simple, non-invasive technique where a device is placed on the maternal abdomen over the region of the fetal head and sound is emitted at a predetermined level for several seconds. It is hypothesised that the resultant startle reflex in the fetus and subsequent fetal heart rate (FHR) acceleration or transient tachycardia following VAS provide reassurance of fetal well-being. This technique has been proposed as a tool to assess fetal well-being in the presence of a nonreassuring cardiotocographic (CTG) trace during the first and second stages of labour. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of VAS in the assessment of fetal well-being during labour, compared with mock or no stimulation for women with a singleton pregnancy exhibiting a nonreassuring FHR pattern. Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (6 September 2012) and reference lists of all retrieved articles. We sought unpublished trials and abstracts submitted to major international congresses and contacted expert informants. Selection criteria: All published and unpublished randomised trials that compared maternal and fetal/neonatal/infant outcomes when VAS was used to evaluate fetal status in the presence of a nonreassuring CTG trace during labour, compared with mock or no stimulation. Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently sought to assess for inclusion all the potential studies we identified as a result of the search strategy. We planned to resolve any disagreement through discussion or, if required, to consult a third person. Where there was uncertainty about a particular study, we attempted to contact study authors for additional information. However, these attempts were unsuccessful. Main results: The search strategies yielded six studies for consideration of inclusion. However, none of these studies fulfilled the requirements for inclusion in this review. Authors' conclusions: There are currently no randomised controlled trials that address the safety and efficacy of VAS used to assess fetal well-being in labour in the presence of a nonreassuring CTG trace. Although VAS has been proposed as a simple, non-invasive tool for assessment of fetal well-being, there is insufficient evidence from randomised trials on which to base recommendations for use of VAS in the evaluation of fetal well-being in labour in the presence of a nonreassuring CTG trace

Creep fracture during solute-drag creep and superplastic deformation

Creep fracture behavior has been studied in Al-Mg and Al-Mg-Mn alloys undergoing solute-drag creep and in microduplex stainless steel undergoing both solute-drag creep and superplastic deformation. Failure in these materials is found to be controlled by two mechanisms, neck formation and cavitation. The mechanism of creep fracture during solute-drag creep in Al-Mg is found to change from necking-controlled fracture to cavitation-controlled fracture as Mn content is increased. Binary Al-Mg material fails by neck formation during solute-drag creep, and cavities are formed primarily in the neck region due to high hydrostatic stresses. Ternary alloys of Al-Mg- Mn containing 0.25 and 0.50 wt % Mn exhibit more uniform cavitation, with the 0.50 Mn alloy clearly failing by cavity interlinkage. Failure in the microduplex stainless steel is dominated by neck formation during solute-drag creep deformation but is controlled by cavity growth and interlinkage during superplastic deformation. Cavitation was measured at several strains, and found to increase as an exponential function of strain. An important aspect of cavity growth in the stainless steel is the long latency time before significant cavitation occurs. For a short latency period, cavitation acts to significantly reduce ductility below that allowed by neck growth alone. This effect is most pronounced in materials with a high strain-rate sensitivity, for which neck growth occurs very slowly

Bax regulates neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis

Excessive Ca(2+) entry during glutamate receptor overactivation (\u22excitotoxicity\u22) induces acute or delayed neuronal death. We report here that deficiency in bax exerted broad neuroprotection against excitotoxic injury and oxygen/glucose deprivation in mouse neocortical neuron cultures and reduced infarct size, necrotic injury, and cerebral edema formation after middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Neuronal Ca(2+) and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) analysis during excitotoxic injury revealed that bax-deficient neurons showed significantly reduced Ca(2+) transients during the NMDA excitation period and did not exhibit the deregulation of Δψm that was observed in their wild-type (WT) counterparts. Reintroduction of bax or a bax mutant incapable of proapoptotic oligomerization equally restored neuronal Ca(2+) dynamics during NMDA excitation, suggesting that Bax controlled Ca(2+) signaling independently of its role in apoptosis execution. Quantitative confocal imaging of intracellular ATP or mitochondrial Ca(2+) levels using FRET-based sensors indicated that the effects of bax deficiency on Ca(2+) handling were not due to enhanced cellular bioenergetics or increased Ca(2+) uptake into mitochondria. We also observed that mitochondria isolated from WT or bax-deficient cells similarly underwent Ca(2+)-induced permeability transition. However, when Ca(2+) uptake into the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum was blocked with the Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin, bax-deficient neurons showed strongly elevated cytosolic Ca(2+) levels during NMDA excitation, suggesting that the ability of Bax to support dynamic ER Ca(2+) handling is critical for cell death signaling during periods of neuronal overexcitation

Cellular dissection of malaria parasite invasion of human erythrocytes using viable Plasmodium knowlesi merozoites

Plasmodium knowlesi, a zoonotic parasite causing severe-to-lethal malaria disease in humans, has only recently been adapted to continuous culture with human red blood cells (RBCs). In comparison with the most virulent human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, there are, however, few cellular tools available to study its biology, in particular direct investigation of RBC invasion by blood-stage P. knowlesi merozoites. This leaves our current understanding of biological differences across pathogenic Plasmodium spp. incomplete. Here, we report a robust method for isolating viable and invasive P. knowlesi merozoites to high purity and yield. Using this approach, we present detailed comparative dissection of merozoite invasion (using a variety of microscopy platforms) and direct assessment of kinetic differences between knowlesi and falciparum merozoites. We go on to assess the inhibitory potential of molecules targeting discrete steps of invasion in either species via a quantitative invasion inhibition assay, identifying a class of polysulfonate polymer able to efficiently inhibit invasion in both, providing a foundation for pan-Plasmodium merozoite inhibitor development. Given the close evolutionary relationship between P. knowlesi and P. vivax, the second leading cause of malaria-related morbidity, this study paves the way for inter-specific dissection of invasion by all three major pathogenic malaria species

Enhanced tensile ductility in Al-Mg alloys by solid-solution interactions

The development of methods for obtaining high tensile elongation in aluminum alloys is of great importance for the practical forming of near-net-shape parts. Current superplastic alloys are limited in use by high material costs. The utilization of solute-drag creep processes, the approach used in this study, to obtain enhanced tensile ductility in aluminum alloys has lead to tensile elongations of up to 325% in simple, binary Al-Mg alloys with coarse grain sizes. This method has the advantage of lowering processing costs in comparison with superplastic alloys because a fine grain size is not necessary. Whereas superplastic alloys typically have a strain-rate sensitivity of m = 0.5, the enhanced ductility Al-Mg alloys typically exhibit m = 0.3 where maximum ductility is observed. Although a strain-rate sensitivity of rn = 0.5 can lead to elongations of over 1000% (superplastic materials) a value of m = 0.3 is shown experimentally to be sufficient for obtaining elongations of 150% to a maximum observed of 325%. Enhanced ductility is also affected strongly by ternary alloying additions, such as Mn, for which a preliminary understanding is pursued