How is bioelectrical impedance used in neonatal intensive care? A scoping review.

Poor growth and nutrition management in the neonatal period can have a negative impact upon both the short- and long-term outcomes for the infant. Improvements in bioelectrical impedance technology and accompanying licencing agreements now make this enhanced device available for use in infants as small as 23 weeks gestational age. An exploration of this technology and its use is now timely. The aim of the scoping review was to answer the following question: in preterm and sick term infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, how is bioelectrical impedance being utilized, in what situations, and when? The scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O'Malley's (Int J Soc Res Methodol 8(1):19-32, 2005) framework. Forty-nine papers were initially identified and 16 were included in the scoping review. Three studies were experimental designs, and 13 were observational studies. The review found that BIA was used in neonatal intensive care in three main ways, for, (1) fluid status evaluation, (2) as a measure of adequate nutrition and growth, (3) to validate the technology as an outcome measure in neonates. CONCLUSION: There is a paucity of recent robust research papers which investigate the use of bioelectrical impedance in preterm neonates. Available evidence spans a range of 30 years, with technological advancement reducing the application of older studies to the modern neonatal setting. Although this technology may be helpful for decision-making around fluid management and nutrition, in preterm infants, robust evidence is needed to demonstrate the clinical benefit of bioelectrical impedance beyond that of usual care. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Clinical decisions regarding neonatal nutrition and fluid management are currently based upon the interpretation of vital signs, fluid balance, weight trend, biochemical markers, and physical examination. • Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a non-invasive method of assessing body composition which is now available to be used in infants as small as 23 weeks gestation. WHAT IS NEW: • Bioelectrical Impedance has been used in three main ways in the NICU, for fluid status evaluation, for measuring nutrition and growth and to validate BIA as an outcome. • There is a lack of recent robust research data to support the use of the device within clinical decision making in neonatal intensive care.

Setting a direction for continuing professional development in anesthesiology: A synthesis of the outcome from an Utstein style meeting.

BACKGROUND: An Utstein style meeting of key stakeholders from the existing collaboration surrounding post-graduate training was arranged to set a direction for continuing professional development (CPD) of anesthesiologists in Denmark. A 2-day meeting was planned to guide discussions about competencies in anesthesiology, facilitate the development of a blueprint for a portfolio-based CPD program and provide examples of how a portfolio can be used in practice. METHODS: The meeting agenda was based on an adaptation of Kern's six-step approach to curriculum development. Twenty-four participants from the university hospitals in Denmark were invited. Prior to the meeting participants were informed of the objectives and the Utstein style process. RESULTS: Participants acknowledged a need for a more structured approach to CPD, preferably within the current organizational set up at the departmental level, and with a portfolio-based, individualized curriculum. It was recognized that CPD should contain an array of possibilities to accommodate needs and wants of both the individual and the department. It was emphasized that, while anesthesiologists are used to give feedback to trainees, many are less familiar in providing the same to peers, and psychological safety was identified as a prerequisite to support a culture where specialists can reflect openly on each other's performance. CONCLUSION: The results provide an insight into the attitudes, opportunities, and challenges of anesthesiologists in relation to continuing professional development in Denmark. Generally, participant suggestions are in line with the shift in medical education toward workplace-based learning, feedback and lifelong learning.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts of the prostate promote a compliant and more invasive phenotype in benign prostate epithelial cells.

Reciprocal interactions between prostate epithelial cells and their adjacent stromal microenvironment not only are essential for tissue homeostasis but also play a key role in tumor development and progression. Malignant transformation is associated with the formation of a reactive stroma where cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) induce matrix remodeling and thereby provide atypical biochemical and biomechanical signals to epithelial cells. Previous work has been focused on the cellular and molecular phenotype as well as on matrix stiffness and remodeling, providing potential targets for cancer therapeutics. So far, biomechanical changes in CAFs and adjacent epithelial cells of the prostate have not been explored. Here, we compared the mechanical properties of primary prostatic CAFs and patient-matched non-malignant prostate tissue fibroblasts (NPFs) using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and real-time deformability cytometry (RT-FDC). It was found that CAFs exhibit an increased apparent Young's modulus, coinciding with an altered architecture of the cytoskeleton compared with NPFs. In contrast, co-cultures of benign prostate epithelial (BPH-1) cells with CAFs resulted in a decreased stiffness of the epithelial cells, as well as an elongated morphological phenotype, when compared with co-cultures with NPFs. Moreover, the presence of CAFs increased proliferation and invasion of epithelial cells, features typically associated with tumor progression. Altogether, this study provides novel insights into the mechanical interactions between epithelial cells with the malignant prostate microenvironment, which could potentially be explored for new diagnostic approaches.

Parental experiences of their child's vulvovaginitis: a qualitative interview study.

INTRODUCTION: Vulvovaginitis is described as a common self-limiting paediatric gynaecological condition. Parents' experiences of their child being diagnosed with this condition and subsequent treatment have not previously been described. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore parents' experiences of their child's diagnosis and management of vulvovaginitis. STUDY DESIGN: The study was conducted in the north west of England over a two-year period. Qualitative data were generated by semistructured in-depth interviews. Mothers of nine children with vulvovaginitis consented to participate. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The analysis of the data resulted in four themes: trauma and uncertainty of initial symptoms, seeking a diagnosis; an uncertain journey, managing the symptoms; a process of trial and error and managing the impact; keeping it private. Parents experienced a difficult and protracted journey to their child's diagnosis and were involved in a process of trial and error to try and monitor and manage what can be a difficult ongoing condition. DISCUSSION: Clinical reports suggest that vulvovaginitis is a minor childhood condition; this is not necessarily the perceptions and experiences of parents, who can experience uncertainty and ongoing difficulty after their child's diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of vulvovaginitis can have a major and ongoing impact on children's and their family's lives.

Assessing larval connectivity for marine spatial planning in the Adriatic.

There are plans to start building offshore marine renewable energy devices throughout the Mediterranean and the Adriatic has been identified as a key location for wind farm developments. The development of offshore wind farms in the area would provide hard substrata for the settlement of sessile benthos. Since the seafloor of the Adriatic is predominantly sedimentary this may alter the larval connectivity of benthic populations in the region. Here, we simulated the release of larvae from benthic populations along the coasts of the Adriatic Sea using coupled bio-physical models and investigated the effect of pelagic larval duration on dispersal. Our model simulations show that currents typically carry particles from east to west across the Adriatic, whereas particles released along western coasts tend to remain there with the Puglia coast of Italy acting as a sink for larvae from benthic populations. We identify areas of high connectivity, as well as areas that are much more isolated, and discuss how these results can be used to inform marine spatial planning and the licensing of offshore marine renewable energy developments.

New approaches to the restoration of shallow marginal peatlands.

Globally, the historic and recent exploitation of peatlands through management practices such as agricultural reclamation, peat harvesting or forestry, have caused extensive damage to these ecosystems. Their value is now increasingly recognised, and restoration and rehabilitation programmes are underway to improve some of the ecosystem services provided by peatlands: blocking drainage ditches in deep peat has been shown to improve the storage of water, decrease carbon losses in the long-term, and improve biodiversity. However, whilst the restoration process has benefitted from experience and technical advice gained from restoration of deep peatlands, shallow peatlands have received less attention in the literature, despite being extensive in both uplands and lowlands. Using the experience gained from the restoration of the shallow peatlands of Exmoor National Park (UK), and two test catchments in particular, this paper provides technical guidance which can be applied to the restoration of other shallow peatlands worldwide. Experience showed that integrating knowledge of the historical environment at the planning stage of restoration was essential, as it enabled the effective mitigation of any threat to archaeological features and sites. The use of bales, commonly employed in other upland ecosystems, was found to be problematic. Instead, 'leaky dams' or wood and peat combination dams were used, which are both more efficient at reducing and diverting the flow, and longer lasting than bale dams. Finally, an average restoration cost (£306 ha(-1)) for Exmoor, below the median national value across the whole of the UK, demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of these techniques. However, local differences in peat depth and ditch characteristics (i.e. length, depth and width) between sites affect both the feasibility and the cost of restoration. Overall, the restoration of shallow peatlands is shown to be technically viable; this paper provides a template for such process over analogous landscapes.

Parents of children with neurogenic bowel dysfunction: their experiences of using transanal irrigation with their child.

BACKGROUND: Neurogenic bowel dysfunction in children is a lifelong condition often resulting in the need for active bowel management programmes, such as transanal irrigation. Parents are central in the decision-making process to initiate and carry out treatments until such a time their child becomes independent. Minimal research has focussed on examining parents' experiences of undertaking transanal irrigation with their child. This study aimed to explore parents' experiences of learning about and using irrigation with their child and how parents motivated their children to become independent. METHODS: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with parents with experience of using transanal irrigation with their child. Interviews were undertaken by a parent researcher. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Eighteen telephone interviews (16 mothers, 1 father and 1 carer) were conducted. Parents shared how they had negotiated getting started and using transanal irrigation with their child. They discussed a sense of success derived from their confidence in using and mastering irrigation, the process of making decisions to continue or stop using irrigation and how they motivated themselves and their child to continue with the irrigation regime. Challenges included minimizing their child's distress during the irrigation procedure and how they negotiated and moved towards their child becoming independent. CONCLUSION: Despite the emotional difficulty parents experienced as a result of the invasive nature of transanal irrigation most parents reported an improvement in their child's faecal continence which positively impacted on the child and family's lives. The child's physical ability and emotional readiness to develop independent irrigation skills in the future concerned some parents. The experiences shared by parents in this study has the capacity to inform transanal irrigation nursing and medical care.

Parents' experiences and views of caring for a child with a tracheostomy: a literature review.

OBJECTIVES: To review the published/reported experiences and views of parents' whose child has had a tracheostomy. To date, no review has focused specifically on parents' experiences and views of having a child with a tracheostomy. METHODS: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Embase were systematically searched from 1990 to 2012 and a review of reference lists was conducted. The review draws on articles where parents' views of caring for their child's tracheostomy were either the sole focus of the research or where parental views of caring for their child's tracheostomy have been sought as a subsidiary aim. Studies relating to the aims of the review were examined using quality appraisal tools and in line with criteria for inclusion of studies. Studies were excluded if findings were about adults, studies that only focused on children's or sibling's views were not based on empirical work (e.g. literature reviews or expert commentary) or were not published in the English language. Findings were summarised under thematic headings. RESULTS: The systematic database search identified 442 citations of which 10 were eligible for inclusion in the review. Of those 10 studies six were quantitative and four qualitative. Only one paper published qualitative data specifically on parents' experiences about their tracheotomised child. The three main themes identified were parents' experiences of caregiving, their social experiences and experiences of service delivery of having a child with a tracheostomy. Although parents encountered emotional and social challenges, some positive responses to these challenges were reported. CONCLUSION: This review identifies a lack of qualitative research on parents' views of having a child with a tracheostomy. Issues surrounding parental management of tracheostomy require further investigation. This review has identified the need to elicit parents' longitudinal experiences of having a child with a tracheostomy.

An evidence-based review of the use of transanal irrigation in children and young people with neurogenic bowel.

STUDY DESIGN: Evidence-based review. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness and acceptability of transanal irrigation in children and young people with neurogenic bowel. SETTING: International literature. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched supported by hand-searching strategies to conduct a comprehensive literature review in accordance with Centre for Reviews and Dissemination procedures guidelines. Sixteen studies were selected for inclusion. RESULTS: The studies indicate that transanal irrigation can be an effective treatment for children and young people with constipation or faecal incontinence as a result of neurogenic bowel (90%, n=346 children). Transanal irrigation is reported as improving quality of life and family's satisfaction with their bowel management, although the procedure is invasive, time consuming and can impact negatively on child, parent and family life. CONCLUSION: Transanal irrigation may be considered as a first line treatment option for children and young people with neurogenic bowel but further research is required to prove the efficacy and acceptability of this procedure.

Nursing management of paediatric urethral catheterisation.

This article outlines evidence-based approaches to paediatric catheterisation in acute care settings. The reasons for catheterisation, anatomy and physiology of the urinary system and the procedure and potential complications are discussed.

[The antiarrhythmic effect of (-)-U-50,488 in rats with acute ischemia and reperfusion of heart is mediated by kappa1-opioid receptor activation].

Pretreatment with a selective kappa1 opioid receptor (OR) agonist (-)-U-50,488 (1 mg/kg, i.v.) prevented the development of arrhythmias induced by occlusion (10 min) and reperfusion (10 min) in ketamine anesthetized rats, while the treatment with a less active enantiomer (+)-U-50,488 in the same dose produced no such effects. Preliminary intravenous administration of a selective kappa1 OR antagonist norbinaltorphimine (9 mg/kg) fully abolished the antiarrhythmic effect of (-)-U-50,488, while the kappa2 OR antagonist quadazocine (3 mg/kg) did not eliminate this effect. The injections of norbinaltorphimine or quadazocine alone did not influence the incidence of model arrhythmias caused by the occlusion and reperfusion. It was concluded that kappa1 OR stimulation favors an increase in cardiac tolerance to the arrhythmogenic action of occlusion and reperfusion.

Sonolysis of an aqueous mixture of trichloroethylene and chlorobenzene.

The effect of the initial concentration on the ultrasonic degradation of two volatile organic compounds trichloroethylene (TCE) and chlorobenzene (CB) was investigated. At higher concentrations, slower sonolysis rates were obtained due to the lowering of the average specific heat ratio gamma of the gas inside the cavitation bubbles. Furthermore, the effect of different concentrations of CB on the sonolysis of 3.34 mM TCE and the effect of different concentrations of TCE on the sonolysis of 3.44 mM CB was examined. The presence of CB lowered the sonolysis rate of TCE, while the sonolysis rate of CB did not decrease by TCE addition. An even higher sonolysis rate was obtained for 3.44 mM CB in the presence of 0.84 mM TCE than without TCE. The explanation for the different effects of both volatile organics on each other's sonolysis rate is thought to be the difference in reaction rate of TCE and CB with the radicals formed during sonolysis. The effect of TCE on the sonolysis rate of CB by lowering the gamma value is compensated by an increased indirect degradation of CB by radicals formed out of TCE. The decreased thermal degradation and the increased indirect radical degradation of CB in the presence of TCE is demonstrated by determining the kinetics of the degradation products styrene and dichlorobenzene.

Preschool vision screening: a prospective comparative evaluation.

We have reviewed the results of a pilot study of preschool screening by orthoptists for vision defects which was introduced in Newcastle in 1987. We have compared the visual outcomes, at age 7 years, of children who were screened at age 3 years by either orthoptists, health visitors or general practitioners in three matched, geographically defined cohorts. Manifest, large angle strabismus presented at the same age, and in roughly equal numbers in each cohort. Orthoptic screening detected many more cases of amblyopia associated with microtropia and anisometropia, but the b overall amblyopia prevalence at age 7 years was similar in each cohort. This study does not provide evidence to support the nationwide introduction of primary orthoptic preschool vision screening, and highlights the need for a prospective treatment trial of amblyopia associated with microtropia and anisometropia.

Influence of spinal cord injury on the morphology of bladder afferent and efferent neurons.

Severe micturition dysfunction can occur following spinal cord injury (SCI) due to abnormal contractions of the urethral sphincter during bladder contractions (bladder/sphincter dyssynergia). This causes urinary retention, bladder overdistension, and increases the workload of the bladder leading to hypertrophy of the bladder muscle. Bladder hypertrophy induced by urethral outlet ligation in rats is accompanied by enlargement of both the afferent and efferent neurons innervating the bladder. The primary aim of this study was to test whether SCI-induced bladder hypertrophy produces a similar enlargement of bladder afferent neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) or efferent neurons in the major pelvic ganglia (MPG). Following SCI in female Wistar rats, there was a four-fold increase in bladder weight. The mean cross-sectional area of bladder DRG cell profiles increased approx. 50% after SCI; however, the mean area of MPG cell profiles did not change significantly. Urinary diversion (disconnecting the ureters from the bladder) prevented both the bladder hypertrophy and the DRG cell hypertrophy after SCI, suggesting that bladder hypertrophy drives DRG cell enlargement. On the other hand, since the size of MPG cells did not change significantly after SCI, bladder hypertrophy does not mandate MPG cell enlargement. However, preliminary results indicate that the mean cross-sectional area of MPG cells did increase (2-3 times) in SCI rats when the neural input to the MPG was eliminated by transecting the pelvic and hypogastric nerves; this suggests that the lack of change in size of MPG cells after SCI may be due to an inhibitory influence from the spinal cord.

Superior oblique tendon expansion in the management of superior oblique dysfunction.

Traditional superior oblique weakening procedures may be unpredictable and lead to superior oblique underaction. The use of 240 retinal band as a spacer to lengthen the superior oblique tendon has been proposed as a more controlled approach than superior oblique tenotomy and related procedures. The use of this technique is reported in a patient with diplopia following an orbital floor blow out fracture, and in a child with Brown's superior oblique tendon sheath syndrome.

Tissue pH as an indicator of mRNA preservation in human post-mortem brain.

The relationship between pH and mRNA preservation in post-mortem human brain was examined using in situ hybridization histochemistry and Northern hybridization with oligonucleotide probes in a large group of human subjects, including control and neuropathological cases. Tissue pH was found to correlate strongly with preservation of four mRNA species in three brain areas. Tissue with low pH, assumed to result from prolonged terminal hypoxia, contained reduced or absent mRNA, while tissue with higher pH was found to contain quantifiable amounts, the values for pathological brain samples being comparable to those for control material of similar pH. Measurement of tissue pH provides a simple means to screen post-mortem brain for mRNA preservation and is suggested as a means to match material in case-control studies of human neurodegenerative disease.