Assessing quality of plant raising media for organic systems

Good quality transplants are vital to growers for a number of reasons. Their ability to better tolerate pest, disease and weed problems and their capacity to make better use of newly incorporated green manures (compared to direct drilling) make them all the more so in organic systems. The availability of high quality growing media is essential to producing healthy vigorous plants, but the organic standards restrict the choice of products available and many growers do not feel they have sufficient information to base their choices. OCW, with support from Farming Connect, coordinated a project to assess the certified products and looked at a green waste based product under development to help address this problem. Growers were supplied with samples of certified products (details provided in the table below) and were asked to test them on range of crops. In order to support this work, scientifically robust trials were carried out by a plant raising specialist on cabbage leek and lettuce

Evaluation of an elevated VTE thromboprophylaxis guideline for critically ill patients infected with COVID-19

Retrospective studies and systematic-review meta-analysis have shown an association in inducing a prothrombotic state in patients infected with COVID-19. The risk of VTE are compounded in the critically ill. Current practices at Baptist Hospital of Miami (BHM) is to routinely order standard prophylactic dosed chemical thromboprophylaxis for all patients infected with COVID-19. In August 2020 an anticoagulation guidance document was approved to tailor anticoagulation dosing for critically ill COVID-19 patients. At risk patients were based on clinical and laboratory markers such as D-dimer, CRP, and ferritin. Following implementation, our analysis show a statistically significant reduction in the number of treatment dose anticoagulation used within the intensive care units and a statistically significant increase in the number of intermediate intensity anticoagulation ordered. The rate of bleeding was similar before and after implementation, and the rate of venous thromboembolism no statistical difference with a relative risk (RR) of 1.88 (95% CI 0.78 to 4.50). However given the high frequency of VTE further evaluation is underway. Additionally, pending peer review, the REMAP-CAP, ATTACC, and ACTIV-4A is expected to guide clinical practice in the prevention of COVID-19 associated VTE

Assessment of Pain in adults with cognitive impairment : a review of the tools

The aim of this paper is to discuss the results of a review into the literature related to chronic pain and the older adult. Several themes within the review have been identified and reported elsewhere and the final report has been published by the University of Sheffield in the form of an annotated bibliography. This report focuses upon the findings of the in relation to the assessment of pain in the adult with cognitive impairment. Issues surrounding assessment in the non-cognitively impaired older adult have also been reported elsewhere. For this paper nine studies will be discussed which report the development and testing of pain assessment scales the focus of which is upon behavioural indicators of pain. Some scales have been omitted from the review and the rationale for this decision will be discussed. Each of the selected scales will be discussed and the authors will make recommendations for both clinical practice and for future research based upon the validity, reliability and user friendliness of the scales. From the paper it can be concluded that the Abbey, DOLOPLUS-2 and PACSLAC appear to be the most reliable and valid and in terms of the “user friendliness” would be appropriate to explore further. Recommendations are made for further multi-centre evaluation of these scales.University of Sheffiel

Assessment of pain in older people : where are we now and what needs to be done?

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a review of the literature into pain and older people. The funded study was part of the development of an annotated bibliography published in August 2005. The review included all major databases and involved the collection of 214 papers between the dates of 1995 and 2005. The papers were divided into several major themes, which include experiences, management (pharmacological and non-pharmacological), assessment, and attitudes. Within this paper, the results of the review into pain assessment will be discussed, which includes 42 of the collected papers. The other sections will be published later. The paper will discuss issues pertaining to the development of specific tools for older people, a discussion of tools already available, comparisons of staff versus older people’s perceptions of pain scales, and articles with cognitive impairment as a focus. Recommendations for further study are made.University of Sheffiel

Low doses of caffeine: Enhancement of physical performance in elite adolescent male soccer players

Purpose: Large doses of ~6 mgkg-1 body mass (BM) have improved performance during intermittent running, jumping and agility protocols. However, there is sparse data on low doses of caffeine especially in elite adolescent soccer players. Method: 15 elite youth soccer players (177.3±4.8 cm, 66.9±7.9 kg and 16±1 yr) participated in the study. Participants consumed 1, 2 or 3 mgkg-1 caffeine in a gelatin capsule or a 2 mgkg-1 placebo in a single blind, randomised, crossover study design. Testing consisted of a 20 m sprint, arrowhead agility (CoD R or L), counter-movement jump (CMJ) and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level-1 (Yo-Yo IR1). Post-exercise CMJ performance was assessed as participants exited Yo-Yo IR1. Data were analysed using a Bayesian multi-level regression model to provide explained variance and probabilities of improvement (p=%). Results: 3 mgkg-1 caffeine presented the highest probabilities of change compared to placebo across a range of tests (mean ± SD, p= %). 20m sprint times were 3.15±0.10s vs 3.18±0.09s (p=73%), CoD-R times were 8.43±0.24s vs 8.55±0.25s (p=99%), CoD-L times were 8.44±0.22s vs 8.52±0.18s (p=85%), Yo-Yo IR1 distance were 2440±531m vs 2308±540m (p=15%), pre-exercise CMJ height was 41.6±7.2cm vs 38±8.5cm (p=96%). Post-exercise CMJ was higher in the 3 mgkg-1 compared to placebo (42.3±8cm vs 36.6±8cm [p=100%]). 1-2 mgkg-1 caffeine also demonstrated the ability to enhance performance but are task dependent. Conclusion: Low doses of caffeine improve performance but are dose and task dependent. 3 mgkg-1 caffeine improved performance across the majority of tests with potential to further improve post-exercise CMJ height

Reactions of azoalkenes derived from hydrazones of ethyl bromopyruvate with electron rich alkenes and heterocycles

Three hydrazones of ethyl bromopyruvate, the dinitrophenylhydrazone 2a, the toluene-4-sulphonylhydrazone 2b and the t-butoxycarbonylhydrazone 2c, have been reacted with a series of nucleophilic alkenes and heterocycles in the presence of sodium carbonate. Azoalkenes 3 are presumed as intermediates and adducts have been isolated. The azoalkenes derived from hydrazones 2a and 2c are found to be useful electrophiles and electrophilic dienes

Effect of suspension systems on the physiological and psychological responses to sub-maximal biking on simulated smooth and bumpy tracks

The aim of this study was to compare the physiological and psychological responses of cyclists riding on a hard tail bicycle and on a full suspension bicycle. Twenty males participated in two series of tests. A test rig held the front axle of the bicycle steady while the rear wheel rotated against a heavy roller with bumps (or no bumps) on its surface. In the first series of tests, eight participants (age 19 – 27 years, body mass 65 – 82 kg) were tested on both the full suspension and hard tail bicycles with and without bumps fitted to the roller. The second series of test repeated the bump tests with a further six participants (age 22 – 31 years, body mass 74 – 94 kg) and also involved an investigation of familiarization effects with the final six participants (age 21 – 30 years, body mass 64 – 80 kg). Heart rate, oxygen consumption (VO<sub>2</sub>), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and comfort were recorded during 10 min sub-maximal tests. Combined data for the bumps tests show that the full suspension bicycle was significantly different (P < 0.001) from the hard tail bicycle on all four measures. Oxygen consumption, heart rate and RPE were lower on average by 8.7 (s = 3.6) ml · kg<sup>-1</sup> · min<sup>-1</sup>, 32.1 (s = 12.1) beats · min<sup>-1</sup> and 2.6 (s = 2.0) units, respectively. Comfort scores were higher (better) on average by 1.9 (s = 0.8) units. For the no bumps tests, the only statistically significant difference (P = 0.008) was in VO<sub>2</sub>, which was lower for the hard tail bicycle by 2.2 (s = 1.7) ml · kg-1 · min<sup>-1</sup>. The results indicate that the full suspension bicycle provides a physiological and psychological advantage over the hard tail bicycle during simulated sub-maximal exercise on bumps