45 research outputs found
Early Motherhood: Maternal Challenges and Coping Strategies Among First-Time Ghanaian Mothers
Background: Motherhood is a joyous experience in the life of every woman. A woman’s identity is often defined by her ability to bear children in communities where motherhood is greatly valued. However, transition to motherhood comes with the demand of increasing responsibilities. This study therefore explored the challenges and coping mechanisms employed by first-time Ghanaian mothers to meet the demand of motherhood. Methods and findings: This paper employed a qualitative study design through in-depth face-to-face interviews with 15 first-time mothers at 12 months postpartum. First-time mothers identified motherhood challenges such as difficulty combining mothering and work-family dilemma and having sleepless nights. Two themes emerged as coping strategies used by first-time mothers; these include obtaining support from parents, family relatives, external sources and self-designed coping strategies. Conclusion: The paper concludes that health care providers and policy makers need to fashion out culturally capable maternal coping strategies to supplement those been practised by first-time mothers. Keywords: Early Motherhood, copying strategies, first-time mother
Global neutrino data and recent reactor fluxes: status of three-flavour oscillation parameters
We present the results of a global neutrino oscillation data analysis within
the three-flavour framework. We include latest results from the MINOS
long-baseline experiment (including electron neutrino appearance as well as
anti-neutrino data), updating all relevant solar (SK II+III), atmospheric (SK
I+II+III) and reactor (KamLAND) data. Furthermore, we include a recent
re-calculation of the anti-neutrino fluxes emitted from nuclear reactors. These
results have important consequences for the analysis of reactor experiments and
in particular for the status of the mixing angle . In our
recommended default analysis we find from the global fit that the hint for
non-zero remains weak, at 1.8 for both neutrino mass
hierarchy schemes. However, we discuss in detail the dependence of these
results on assumptions concerning the reactor neutrino analysis.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures and 2 tables, v2: corrected version, main
conclusions unchanged, references adde
Neutrinoless double-beta decay and seesaw mechanism
From the standard seesaw mechanism of neutrino mass generation, which is
based on the assumption that the lepton number is violated at a large
(~10exp(+15) GeV) scale, follows that the neutrinoless double-beta decay is
ruled by the Majorana neutrino mass mechanism. Within this notion, for the
inverted neutrino-mass hierarchy we derive allowed ranges of half-lives of the
neutrinoless double-beta decay for nuclei of experimental interest with
different sets of nuclear matrix elements. The present-day results of the
calculation of the neutrinoless double-beta decay nuclear matrix elements are
briefly discussed. We argue that if neutrinoless double-beta decay will be
observed in future experiments sensitive to the effective Majorana mass in the
inverted mass hierarchy region, a comparison of the derived ranges with
measured half-lives will allow us to probe the standard seesaw mechanism
assuming that future cosmological data will establish the sum of neutrino
masses to be about 0.2 eV.Comment: Some changes in sections I, II, IV, and V; two new figures;
additional reference
Defining trauma-induced coagulopathy with respect to future implications for patient management : Communication from the SSC of the ISTH
Peer reviewedPostprin
The Role of Whole Blood Impedance Aggregometry and Its Utilisation in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Patients with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and Sepsis in Acute Critical Illness
Objective:
To assess the prognostic and diagnostic value of whole blood impedance aggregometry in patients with sepsis and SIRS and to compare with whole blood parameters (platelet count, haemoglobin, haematocrit and white cell count).
Methods:
We performed an observational, prospective study in the acute setting. Platelet function was determined using whole blood impedance aggregometry (multiplate) on admission to the Emergency Department or Intensive Care Unit and at 6 and 24 hours post admission. Platelet count, haemoglobin, haematocrit and white cell count were also determined.
Results:
106 adult patients that met SIRS and sepsis criteria were included. Platelet aggregation was significantly reduced in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock when compared to SIRS/uncomplicated sepsis (ADP: 90.7±37.6 vs 61.4±40.6; p<0.001, Arachadonic Acid 99.9±48.3 vs 66.3±50.2; p = 0.001, Collagen 102.6±33.0 vs 79.1±38.8; p = 0.001; SD ± mean)). Furthermore platelet aggregation was significantly reduced in the 28 day mortality group when compared with the survival group (Arachadonic Acid 58.8±47.7 vs 91.1±50.9; p<0.05, Collagen 36.6±36.6 vs 98.0±35.1; p = 0.001; SD ± mean)). However haemoglobin, haematocrit and platelet count were more effective at distinguishing between subgroups and were equally effective indicators of prognosis. Significant positive correlations were observed between whole blood impedance aggregometry and platelet count (ADP 0.588 p<0.0001, Arachadonic Acid 0.611 p<0.0001, Collagen 0.599 p<0.0001 (Pearson correlation)).
Conclusions:
Reduced platelet aggregometry responses were not only significantly associated with morbidity and mortality in sepsis and SIRS patients, but also correlated with the different pathological groups. Whole blood aggregometry significantly correlated with platelet count, however, when we adjust for the different groups we investigated, the effect of platelet count appears to be non-significant
Animal Models of Dengue Virus Infection
The development of animal models of dengue virus (DENV) infection and disease has been challenging, as epidemic DENV does not naturally infect non-human species. Non-human primates (NHPs) can sustain viral replication in relevant cell types and develop a robust immune response, but they do not develop overt disease. In contrast, certain immunodeficient mouse models infected with mouse-adapted DENV strains show signs of severe disease similar to the ‘vascular-leak’ syndrome seen in severe dengue in humans. Humanized mouse models can sustain DENV replication and show some signs of disease, but further development is needed to validate the immune response. Classically, immunocompetent mice infected with DENV do not manifest disease or else develop paralysis when inoculated intracranially; however, a new model using high doses of DENV has recently been shown to develop hemorrhagic signs after infection. Overall, each model has its advantages and disadvantages and is differentially suited for studies of dengue pathogenesis and immunopathogenesis and/or pre-clinical testing of antiviral drugs and vaccines
Generalised CP and Family Symmetry in Semi-Direct Models of Leptons
We perform a detailed analysis of family symmetry combined
with a generalised CP symmetry in the lepton sector, breaking to different
remnant symmetries in the neutrino and in the charged lepton
sector, together with different remnant CP symmetries in each sector. We
discuss the resulting mass and mixing predictions for with
and with . All cases correspond to
the preserved symmetry smaller than the full Klein symmetry, as in the
semi-direct approach, leading to predictions which depend on a single
undetermined real parameter, which mainly determines the reactor angle. We
focus on five phenomenologically allowed cases for which we present the
resulting predictions for the PMNS parameters as a function of , as well as
the predictions for neutrinoless double beta decay.Comment: 65 pages, 19 figures, and the predictions for neutrinoless double
beta decay are update
A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)
Meeting abstrac