30.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0224355. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224355. eCollection 2019.
Referral and admission to intensive care: A qualitative study of doctors' practices in a Tanzanian university hospital.
Author information
- 1
- Department of Acute Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in Linköping, and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
- 2
- Department of Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
- 3
- College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
- 4
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Intensive care is care for critically ill patients with potentially reversible conditions. Patient selection for intensive care should be based on potential benefit but since demand exceeds availability, rationing is needed. In Tanzania, the availability of Intensive Care Units (ICUs) is very limited and the practices for selecting patients for intensive care are not known. The aim of this study was to explore doctors' experiences and perceptions of ICU referral and admission processes in a university hospital in Tanzania.
METHODS:
We performed a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with fifteen doctors involved in the recent care of critically ill patients in university hospital in Tanzania. Inductive conventional content analysis was applied for the analysis of interview notes to derive categories and sub-categories.
RESULTS:
Two main categories were identified, (i) difficulties with the identification of critically ill patients in the wards and (ii) a lack of structured triaging to the ICU. A lack of critical care knowledge and communication barriers were described as preventing identification of critically ill patients. Triaging to the ICU was affected by a lack of guidelines for admission, diverging ideas about ICU indications and contraindications, the lack of bed capacity in the ICU and non-medical factors such as a fear of repercussions.
CONCLUSION:
Critically ill patients may not be identified in general wards in a Tanzanian university hospital and the triaging process for the admission of patients to intensive care is convoluted and not explicit. The findings indicate a potential for improved patient selection that could optimize the use of scarce ICU resources, leading to better patient outcomes.
31.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0224172. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224172. eCollection 2019.
Chemotherapy-induced cellular senescence suppresses progression of Notch-driven T-ALL.
Author information
- 1
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America.
- 2
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America.
- 3
- Department of Immunology, and Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America.
Abstract
T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a serious hematologic malignancy that occurs in children and young adults. Current therapies include intensive chemotherapy and ionizing radiation that preferentially kill malignant cells. Unfortunately, they are frequently accompanied by unintended negative impacts, including the induction of cellular senescence and long-term toxicities in normal host tissues. Whether these senescent cells resulting from therapy increase the susceptibility to relapse or secondary cancers is unknown. Using transgenic and pharmacological approaches to eliminate doxorubicin-induced senescent cells in a Notch-driven T-ALL relapse mouse model, we find that these cells inhibit tumor recurrence, suggesting that senescence in response to treatment suppresses tumorigenesis. This finding, together with extensive evidence from others demonstrating that age-associated health problems develop dramatically earlier among childhood cancer survivors compared to age-matched counterparts, suggests a relationship between therapy-induced senescence and tumorigenesis. Although cancer risk is increased through accelerated premature-aging in the long run, therapy-induced senescence appears to protect survivors from recurrence, at least in the short run.
32.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0224177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224177. eCollection 2019.
Information diffusion in signed networks.
Author information
- 1
- Center for Administration and Complexity Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
- 2
- Department of Sociology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
- 3
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America.
Abstract
Information diffusion has been widely discussed in various disciplines including sociology, economics, physics or computer science. In this paper, we generalize the linear threshold model in signed networks consisting of both positive and negative links. We analyze the dynamics of the spread of information based on balance theory, and find that a signed network can generate path dependence while structural balance can help remove the path dependence when seeded with balanced initialized active nodes. Simulation shows that the diffusion of information based on positive links contradicts that based on negative links. More positive links in signed networks are more likely to activate nodes and remove path dependence, but they can reduce predictability that is based on active states. We also find that a balanced structure can facilitate both the magnitude and speed of information diffusion, remove the path dependence, and cause polarization.
33.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0224153. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224153. eCollection 2019.
Carbon emission reduction and profit distribution mechanism of construction supply chain with fairness concern and cap-and-trade.
Author information
- 1
- College of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
- 2
- Southwest Oil & Gas field Company, Petro China, Chengdu, P.R. China.
Abstract
Fairness concern behavior is extremely common in social life, and many scholars are beginning to pay attention to this behavior. In this study, we investigate a two-echelon construction supply chain that consists of a general contractor and a subcontractor under cap-and-trade policy. We study the carbon emission reduction decisions and profit distribution mechanism in the construction supply chain with fairness concern and cap-and-trade. We use the Nash bargaining model to describe the fairness concerns of the construction supply chain members and use the co-opetition model to portray the profit distribution. We show that the fairness concern can impose an adverse influence on firms' profits and decrease the magnitude of their carbon emission reductions. The subcontractor's fairness concern causes greater losses to the construction supply chain's profit. We further demonstrate the impact of fairness concern on the optimal decisions of the general contractor and the subcontractor through numerical analysis.
34.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0221197. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221197. eCollection 2019.
An automatic approach for classification and categorisation of lip morphological traits.
Author information
- 1
- School of Engineering, Kerbala University, Kerbala, Iraq.
- 2
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
- 3
- School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
- 4
- School of Computer Science and Informatics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
- 5
- Medical Imaging Research Center, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract
Classification of facial traits (e.g., lip shape) is an important area of medical research, for example, in determining associations between lip traits and genetic variants which may lead to a cleft lip. In clinical situations, classification of facial traits is usually performed subjectively directly on the individual or recorded later from a three-dimensional image, which is time consuming and prone to operator errors. The present study proposes, for the first time, an automatic approach for the classification and categorisation of lip area traits. Our approach uses novel three-dimensional geometric features based on surface curvatures measured along geodesic paths between anthropometric landmarks. Different combinations of geodesic features are analysed and compared. The effect of automatically identified categories on the face is visualised using a partial least squares method. The method was applied to the classification and categorisation of six lip shape traits (philtrum, Cupid's bow, lip contours, lip-chin, and lower lip tone) in a large sample of 4747 faces of normal British Western European descents. The proposed method demonstrates correct automatic classification rate of up to 90%.
35.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0224255. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224255. eCollection 2019.
Genetic variability in landraces populations and the risk to lose genetic variation. The example of landrace 'Kyperounda' and its implications for ex situ conservation.
Author information
- 1
- Department of Vegetable Crops, Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus.
- 2
- Department of Agricultural Science, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
Abstract
Genetic characterization enhances the development of rational conservation strategies and the utilization of germplasm to plant breeding programs. In the present study, 19 microsatellite markers were employed to evaluate the genetic diversity and the genetic affiliations across 20 Cypriot durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) landraces, 13 landraces from the broader Mediterranean basin and 22 modern varieties. Cluster analysis depicted a clear separation among modern varieties and landraces, regardless of their origin. Landraces presented the highest genetic variation (average discriminating power of 0.89) and a high number of private alleles (131) was detected; underlying the unique genetic mark-up of this genepool. AMOVA revealed that the highest variability was detected within the landraces originating from Cyprus and landraces from the broader Mediterranean basin. The Cypriot landrace 'Kyperounda' was selected for further evaluation of its' intra-genetic variation and it was determined that genetic diversity was higher in accessions conserved as sublines (He 0.643-0.731) than bulks (He 0.384-0.469). Bayesian analysis revealed substantial admixture within 'Kyperounda' accessions, depicted also by Principal Coordinate Analysis. The findings of the current manuscript emphasize that high intra-genetic diversity is retained when landraces are conserved as sublines in ex situ collections, while landraces that are conserved as bulks have a higher risk of bottleneck. Hence, a more exhausting diversity evaluation is needed in order to fully utilize landraces in breeding schemes and to prevent the loss of genetic variation.
36.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0224107. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224107. eCollection 2019.
Molecular mechanism of antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.
Author information
- 1
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India.
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii causes hospital-acquired infections, especially in those with impaired immune function. Biocides or disinfectants are widely used antibacterial agents used to eradicate the effect of A. baumannii on inanimate objects and health care environments. In the current study, the antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine has been investigated against carbapenem-resistant (RS-307, RS-7434, RS-6694, and RS-122), and sensitive (ATCC-19606 and RS-10953) strains of A. baumannii. We have determined growth kinetics, antimicrobial susceptibility, ROS production, lipid peroxidation, cell viability using flow cytometry assay (FACS), and membrane integrity by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effect of chlorhexidine on the bacterial membrane has also been investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The present study showed that 32μg/ml chlorhexidine treatment results in the decreased bacterial growth, CFU count and cell viability. The antibacterial activity of chlorhexidine is due to the elevated ROS production and higher lipid peroxidation. These biochemical changes result in the membrane damage and alteration in the membrane proteins, phospholipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids as evident from the FTIR and SEM data. Therefore, chlorhexidine has the potential to be used in the hospital setups to remove the spread of A. baumannii.
37.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0223674. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223674. eCollection 2019.
QTL mapping for aluminum tolerance in RIL population of soybean (Glycine max L.) by RAD sequencing.
Author information
- 1
- The State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- 2
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- 3
- The National Engineering Research Center of Plant Space Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- 4
- The Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI)-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
Abstract
Aluminum (Al3+) toxicity is a typical abiotic stress that severely limits crop production in acidic soils. In this study, an RIL (recombinant inbred line, F12) population derived from the cross of Zhonghuang 24 (ZH 24) and Huaxia 3 (HX 3) (160 lines) was tested using hydroponic cultivation. Relative root elongation (RRE) and apical Al3+ content (AAC) were evaluated for each line, and a significant negative correlation was detected between the two indicators. Based on a high-density genetic linkage map, the phenotypic data were used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with these traits. With composite interval mapping (CIM) of the linkage map, five QTLs that explained 39.65% of RRE and AAC variation were detected on chromosomes (Chrs) Gm04, Gm16, Gm17 and Gm19. Two new QTLs, qRRE_04 and qAAC_04, were located on the same region of bin93-bin94 on Chr Gm04, which explained 7.09% and 8.98% phenotypic variation, respectively. Furthermore, the results of the expression analysis of candidate genes in the five genetic regions of the QTLs showed that six genes (Glyma.04g218700, Glyma.04g212800, Glyma.04g213300, Glyma.04g217400, Glyma.04g216100 and Glyma.04g220600) exhibited significant differential expression between the Al3+ treatment and the control of two parents. The results of qRT-PCR analysis indicated that Glyma.04g218700 was upregulated by Al3+ treatment with the hundreds-fold increased expression level and may be a candidate gene with potential roles in the response to aluminum stress. Therefore, our efforts will enable future functional analysis of candidate genes and will contribute to the strategies for improvement of aluminum tolerance in soybean.
38.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0223785. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223785. eCollection 2019.
Robust, real-time generic detector based on a multi-feature probabilistic method.
Author information
- 1
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, LTSI - UMR 1099, F-35000 Rennes, France.
Abstract
Robust, real-time event detection from physiological signals acquired during long-term ambulatory monitoring still represents a major challenge for highly-artifacted signals. In this paper, we propose an original and generic multi-feature probabilistic detector (MFPD) and apply it to real-time QRS complex detection under noisy conditions. The MFPD method calculates a binary Bayesian probability for each derived feature and makes a centralized fusion, using the Kullback-Leibler divergence. The method is evaluated on two ECG databases: 1) the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database from Physionet containing clean ECG signals, 2) a benchmark noisy database created by adding noise recordings of the MIT-BIH noise stress test database, also from Physionet, to the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. Results are compared with a well-known wavelet-based detector, and two recently published detectors: one based on spatiotemporal characteristic of the QRS complex and the second, as the MFDP, based on feature calculations from the University of New South Wales detector (UNSW). For both benchmark Physionet databases, the proposed MFPD method achieves the lowest standard deviation in sensitivity and positive predictivity (+P) despite its online algorithm architecture. While the statistics are comparable for low-to mildly artifactual ECG signals, the MFPD outperforms reference methods for artifacted ECG with low SNR levels reaching 87.48 ± 14.21% in sensitivity and 89.39 ± 14.67% in +P as compared to 88.30 ± 17.66% and 86.06 ± 19.67% respectively from UNSW, the best performing reference method. With demonstrations on the extensively studied QRS detection problem, we consider that the proposed generic structure of the multi-feature probabilistic detector should offer promising perspectives for long-term monitoring applications for highly-artifacted signals.
39.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0224078. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224078. eCollection 2019.
Measurement of structural integrity of the spinal cord in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging.
Author information
- 1
- Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Neuroradiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany.
- 2
- Radiologisches Zentrum München Pasing, München, Germany.
- 3
- Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik mit Friedrich-Baur-Institut, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany.
- 4
- Cluster for Systems Neurology, SyNergy, München, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The value of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is low. Functional and quantitative MRI could be more accurate. We aimed to examine the value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with fractional anisotropy (FA) measurements of the cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord in patients with ALS.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
Fourteen patients with ALS and 15 sex- and age-matched controls were examined with DTI at a 3T MRI scanner. Region-of-interest (ROI) based fractional anisotropy measurements were performed at the levels C2-C4, C5-C7 and Th1-Th3. ROIs were placed at different anatomical locations of the axial cross sections of the spinal cord.
RESULTS:
FA was significantly reduced in ALS patients in anterolateral ROIs and the whole cross section at the C2-C4 level and the cross section of the Th1-Th3 level. There was a trend towards a statistically significant FA reduction in the anterolateral ROIs at the C5-C7 level in ALS patients. No significant differences between patients and controls were found in posterior ROIs.
CONCLUSION:
FA was reduced in ROIs representing the motor tracts in ALS patients. DTI with FA measurements is a promising method in this circumstance. However, for DTI to become a valuable and established method in the diagnostic workup of ALS, larger studies and further standardisation are warranted.
40.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0224194. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224194. eCollection 2019.
Analysis of group evolution prediction in complex networks.
Author information
- 1
- Department of Computational Intelligence, Faculty of Computer Science and Management, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland.
- 2
- Department of Electronics, Faculty of Computer Science, Electronics and Telecommunications, AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland.
Abstract
In the world, in which acceptance and the identification with social communities are highly desired, the ability to predict the evolution of groups over time appears to be a vital but very complex research problem. Therefore, we propose a new, adaptable, generic, and multistage method for Group Evolution Prediction (GEP) in complex networks, that facilitates reasoning about the future states of the recently discovered groups. The precise GEP modularity enabled us to carry out extensive and versatile empirical studies on many real-world complex / social networks to analyze the impact of numerous setups and parameters like time window type and size, group detection method, evolution chain length, prediction models, etc. Additionally, many new predictive features reflecting the group state at a given time have been identified and tested. Some other research problems like enriching learning evolution chains with external data have been analyzed as well.
41.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0223753. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223753. eCollection 2019.
Hyaluronic acid and epidermal growth factor improved the bovine embryo quality by regulating the DNA methylation and expression patterns of the focal adhesion pathway.
Saeed-Zidane M1,2, Tesfaye D1,3,4, Mohammed Shaker Y2, Tholen E1, Neuhoff C1, Rings F3, Held E1,3, Hoelker M1,3,4, Schellander K1,3,4, Salilew-Wondim D1.
Author information
- 1
- Institute of Animal Science, Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- 2
- Animal and Poultry Physiology Department, Animal and Poultry Production Division, Desert Research Center, Mataria, Cairo, Egypt.
- 3
- Teaching and Research Station Frankenforst, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bonn, Königswinter, Germany.
- 4
- Center of Integrated Dairy Research, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Abstract
Focal adhesion pathway is one of the key molecular pathways affected by suboptimal culture conditions during embryonic development. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hyaluronic acid (HA) are believed to be involved in the focal adhesion pathway function by regulating the adherence of the molecules to the extracellular matrix. However, regulatory and molecular mechanisms through which the EGF and HA could influence the embryo development is not clear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of continued or stage specific supplementation of EGF and/or HA on the developmental competence and quality of bovine preimplantation embryos and the subsequent consequences on the expression and DNA methylation patterns of genes involved in the focal adhesion pathway. The results revealed that, the supplementation of EGF or HA from zygote to the blastocysts stage reduced the level of reactive oxygen species and increased hatching rate after thawing. On the other hand, HA decreased the apoptotic nuclei and increased blastocyst compared to EGF supplemented group. Gene expression and DNA methylation analysis in the resulting blastocysts indicated that, combined supplementation of EGF and HA increased the expression of genes involved in focal adhesion pathway while supplementation of EGF, HA or a combination of EGF and HA during the entire preimplantation period changed the DNA methylation patterns of genes involved in focal adhesion pathway. On the other hand, blastocysts developed in culture media supplemented with EGF + HA until the 16-cell stage exhibited higher expression level of genes involved in focal adhesion pathway compared to those supplemented after the 16-cell stage. Conversely, the DNA methylation level of candidate genes was increased in the blastocysts obtained from embryos cultured in media supplemented with EGF + HA after 16-cell stage. In conclusion, supplementation of bovine embryos with EGF and/or HA during the entire preimplantation period or in a stage specific manner altered the DNA methylation and expression patterns of candidate genes involved in the focal adhesion pathway which was in turn associated with the observed embryonic developmental competence and quality.
42.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0224096. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224096. eCollection 2019.
Sustained activity of novel THIOMAB antibody-antibiotic conjugate against Staphylococcus aureus in a mouse model: Longitudinal pharmacodynamic assessment by bioluminescence imaging.
Author information
- 1
- Research and Early Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America.
- 2
- Product Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America.
- 3
- WuXi AppTec (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China.
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections are a leading cause of death by an infectious agent. Survival within host phagocytic cells is one mechanism by which S. aureus evades antibiotic treatment. A novel THIOMAB™ antibody-antibiotic conjugate (TAC) strategy was developed to kill S. aureus intracellularly and mitigate the spread of infection. In this report, we used a longitudinal whole-body bioluminescence imaging method to study the antibacterial dynamics of TAC alone or in combination with vancomycin in a mouse infection model. Injections of stably luminescent S. aureus bacteria into mice resulted in exponential increases in whole body bioluminescence with a reduction in body weight and survival rate. Vancomycin, a standard-of-care antibiotic, suppressed bacterial growth in mice. However, bacterial growth rebounded in these animals once treatment was discontinued. In contrast, single dose of TAC showed rapid reduction of bioluminescence intensity, which persisted for up to 19 days. The combination of TAC and vancomycin achieved a more sustained and significantly greater reduction of bioluminescence compared with vancomycin alone. In summary, the present study showed an imaging method to longitudinally assess antibacterial drug dynamics in mice and demonstrated that TAC monotherapy or in combination with vancomycin had superior and sustained activity compared to vancomycin alone.
43.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0223996. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223996. eCollection 2019.
Impact of the detection of ζ-globin chains and hemoglobin Bart's using immunochromatographic strip tests for α0-thalassemia (--SEA) differential diagnosis.
Pata S1,2, Laopajon W1,2, Pongpaiboon M2, Thongkum W1,3, Polpong N1,3, Munkongdee T4, Paiboonsukwong K4, Fucharoen S4, Tayapiwatana C1,3, Kasinrerk W1,2.
Author information
- 1
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- 2
- Biomedical Technology Research Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency at the Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- 3
- Center of Biomolecular Therapy and Diagnostic, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- 4
- Thalassemia Research Center, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Abstract
α0-Thalassemia is an inherited hematological disorder caused by the deletion of α-globin genes. The Southeast Asian deletion (--SEA) is the most common type of α0-thalassemia observed in Southeast Asian countries. Regarding WHO health policy, an effective α0-thalassemia screening strategy is needed to control new severe α-thalassemia cases. In this study, a monoclonal antibody panel was used to develop immunochromatographic (IC) strip tests for detecting the Hb Bart's and ζ-globin chain. Among 195 samples, all α0-thalassemia traits (78 α0-thalassemia (--SEA) and 4 α0-thalassemia (--THAI)) had low MCV or MCH values. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the IC strip tests for ζ-globin and Hb Bart's for screening α0-thalassemia (--SEA) within the low MCV or MCH samples were 100%, 65.2%, 90.7%, 100% and 96.2%, 47.8%, 86.6%, 78.6%, respectively. All 4 α0-thalassemia (--THAI) traits were negative for ζ-globin chains but positive for Hb Bart's using the IC strip tests. These results led to a α0-thalassemia screening being proposed in which blood samples are first evaluated by MCV, MCH and Hb typing. Samples with high MCV and MCH values are excluded for the presence of the α0-thalassemia gene. Samples with low MCV or MCH values are assayed using the developed IC strip tests, where only samples testing positive are further assayed for α0-thalassemia by PCR. Patients with Hb H, EA Bart's or EF Bart's diseases do not need to use this IC strip assay. Thus, in this study, a simple and cost effective α0-thalassemia point of care test was developed.
44.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0215795. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215795. eCollection 2019.
Measuring the impact of an interdisciplinary learning project on nursing, architecture and landscape design students' empathy.
Author information
- 1
- School of Architecture, Department of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.
- 2
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.
- 3
- School of Life Science, Faculty of Science, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.
Abstract
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND REFUGE SERVICES IN AUSTRALIA:
In Australia and internationally, domestic violence is a major cause of homelessness for women and children and yet provision for accommodation for this user-group is not well documented or understood. When designing emergency accommodation, the concerns, preferences, and perspectives of individuals who access refuge services must be sought in order to create spaces that are conducive to the needs of this diverse and vulnerable group. An empathic 'lens' can provide meaningful insights that can inform the design of refuge services specifically targeted at addressing these needs. This paper describes an authentic interdisciplinary learning experience for nursing, architecture and landscape students at a university in Sydney, Australia, and presents the results of a study designed to measure the impact of this initiative on participants' empathy towards women and children who access refuge services as a result of homelessness and/or domestic violence. Empathy levels were measured using the Comprehensive State Empathy Scale, a validated measurement tool.
AN AUTHENTIC INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING EXPERIENCE:
The learning experience consisted of collaborative meetings with stakeholders from the refuge sector, fieldwork, individual research, exchanging ideas and problem-solving in teams. Students then developed design guides for refuges that demonstrated their emerging understanding of the specific needs and perspectives of the issues faced by women and children who had experienced violence and found themselves homeless. Pre-post Comprehensive State Empathy Scale results indicated that the empathy levels of nursing and landscape students increased and those of architecture students decreased, however, these results were not statistically significant.
BUILDING EMPATHY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING:
The significance of the results from this study include an ability to compare the changes in empathy in students working collaboratively on a project and to ascertain possible reasons for this using a validated measurement tool. As empathy is one of the strongest negative correlates of prejudice, authentic teaching and learning activities, such as the one described in this paper, have the potential to positively impact the lived experience of women and children leaving situations of domestic violence.
45.
PLoS One. 2019 Oct 29;14(10):e0218296. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218296. eCollection 2019.
Perceived barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health services for youth in Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Author information
- 1
- University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR.
- 2
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, the Netherlands.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Sexual activity during youth is common in Lao PDR. However, young people seldom utilize sexual and reproductive health services and subsequently suffer from poor sexual and reproductive health. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the barriers perceived by youth that prevent their access to sexual and reproductive health services.
METHODS:
Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants aged 15-25 years, from urban and rural areas. A vignette was used during interviews with those who had no experience with sexual and reproductive health services. Additionally, seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with health providers from youth-friendly health clinics and from public sexual and reproductive health services. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach.
RESULTS:
The main barriers preventing young people from accessing sexual and reproductive health services were related to cognitive accessibility and psychosocial accessibility. The cognitive accessibility barriers were a lack of sexual knowledge and a lack of awareness of services. Perceived barriers in psychosocial accessibility were the feelings of shyness and shame caused by negative cultural attitudes to premarital sex, and the fear of parents finding out about visits to public sexual and reproductive health services, due to lack of confidentiality in the services and among health providers. In addition, the barriers of geographical accessibility, mainly insufficient availability of youth-friendly health clinics.
CONCLUSION:
To improve access to services, a multi-component strategy is needed: promotion of youth-friendly health clinics; sexual education in schools; a formal referral system between schools and youth-friendly health clinics; and community support interventions. Prior to implementation, more research should be done on the applicability of these methods in the Laos context. Future research should try to determine the cost-effectiveness of youth-friendly health clinics integrated in a district hospital and stand-alone clinics, to provide insight into which form should be further developed.
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