Introduction: Acinetobacter species are known to cause serious hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), especially in the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study is to estimate the burden of ...such infections and also to determine their sensitivity to currently available antimicrobials. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi from June 2017 to December 2018 to estimate the number of Acinetobacter isolates from clinical samples. Organisms were identified, and their susceptibility to antimicrobials was tested using VITEK-2 automated system. Results: Of the total 701 isolates recovered from clinical samples during the study, 28 (4%) were Acinetobacter species. Among them, majority (57%) of the isolates were isolated from ICU patients. Respiratory specimen yielded maximum number of isolates (46.4%). About 71.4% of isolated strains were extremely drug resistant, 10.7% were multidrug resistant, whereas 3.5% were pandrug resistant (PDR). PDR strains were found to be resistant to even the last resort antibiotics such as tigecycline and colistin. Acinetobacter baumannii was also the most common cause for HAIs (57.1%), resulting in overall mortality of 42.8% due to HAI. Conclusion: Acinetobacter has gained great importance in health-care setting by posing serious threat to patients, which is compounded by its tendency of antibiotic resistance. HAIs are usually difficult to treat, resulting in therapeutic failure and increased mortality. It signifies the need to implement strict preventive measures in hospitals and to use higher antimicrobials or combination therapy judiciously.
A 29‐year‐old male presented to the emergency department with an orbital fracture. He denied ocular symptoms and CT showed bilateral fracture of nasal bones, left medial orbital wall, and left ...orbital floor, with herniation of orbital fat and minimal retrobulbar hematoma. Pre‐operative ophthalmic exam was unremarkable. Intra‐operatively, intraocular pressure of the left eye was 5 mm Hg, a significant change from 17 mm Hg preoperatively. Globe exploration revealed no injury. Post‐operatively, IOP normalized. With these findings it was felt that ocular manipulation related to the orbital fracture repair placed significant and intermittent pressure on the globe, thereby lowering IOP. Laryngoscope, 131:2238–2240, 2021
Small extracellular (EV) particles known as exosomes are released by a variety of cell types, including immune system cells, stem cells, and tumor cells. They are regarded as a subgroup of EVs and ...have a diameter that ranges from 30 to 150 nm. Proteins, lipids, nucleic acids (including RNA and DNA), and different bioactive compounds are among the wide range of biomolecules that make up the cargo of exosomes. Exosomes are crucial for intercellular communication because they let cells share information and signaling chemicals. They are involved in various physiological and pathological processes, including immune responses, tissue regeneration, cancer progression, and neurodegenerative diseases. In conclusion, it is essential to continue research into exosome‐based cancer medicines to advance understanding, improve treatment plans, create personalized tactics, ensure safety, and speed up clinical translation.
Applying O'Meara, Campbell, and Terosky's (2011) faculty agency framework, this qualitative case study examined full-time, non-tenure-track faculty (FTNTTF) members' perceptions of their agency at an ...elite public research university. Participants experienced greater agency over time and in the classroom, but felt their agency was constrained by departmental and college leadership's inconsistent interpretation of university policies regarding FTNTTF. Participants experienced feelings of invisibility and exclusion, unclear perceptions and undervaluation by their colleagues, and felt vulnerable to leadership transitions that might affect their roles. This study suggests that overarching power structures--administration, tenured faculty, formal and informal policies--may contribute to experiences of constrained agency and invisibility for key members of the organization. These complex dynamics undermine FTNTTF's capacity to actualize their skills, experience, and expertise to the full extent of their abilities.
Abstract
Objectives
Although electronic patient portals are offered by most health care organizations, poor usability and poor fit to patient needs may pose barriers to adoption. We collaborated ...with an academic hospital to conduct iterative user evaluation of a newly deployed portal designed to deliver inpatient data upon hospital discharge.
Methods
Three evaluators applied heuristic usability evaluation and conducted 23 individual user testing sessions with patients with chronic disease or managing the care of family members with chronic disease. Evaluation and development/improvement were conducted iteratively. User testing and analysis of qualitative data were both conducted from the perspective of a task-technology fit framework, to assess the degree of fit between the portal and patient work.
Results
Ability to complete health information management tasks, perceived usability, and positive comments from users improved over the course of the iterative development. However, patients still encountered significant difficulties accomplishing certain tasks such as setting up proxy accounts. The problems were most severe when patients did not start with a clear understanding of tasks that they could accomplish. In exploring the portal, novice users frequently described anecdotes from their own medical history or constructed fictional narratives about a hypothetical patient.
Conclusion
Chronic illness imposes a significant workload on patients, and applying a task-technology framework for evaluation of a patient portal helped improve the portal's fit to patient needs. However, it also revealed that patients often lack a clear understanding of tasks that would help them accomplish personal health information management. Portal developers may need to educate patients about types of patient work involving medical centers, in a way that developers of clinical information systems do not need to do. An approach to doing this might be to provide narratives about hypothetical patients.
The treatment of non-thrombotic iliac vein lesions (NIVL) remains debatable with many advocating conservative treatments, whilst others offering venous stenting. The objective of this review was to ...systematically assess the treatment options for symptomatic iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS) in patients without evidence of thrombotic disease at the time of diagnosis. An online search of published literature looking for randomised controlled trials and observational studies that evaluated the treatment for symptomatic NIVL was performed. Nine studies were included with a total 953 patients of which 782 patients had NIVL. Patency rates ranged between 94.8%-100% in the first month, 88.2%-94.1% in six months and 73.4%-98% in 12 months, in patients with NIVL post stenting. Longer follow-up of up to 5 years shows promising patency rates of 94% in patients with IVCS. Patients with IVCS are likely to benefit from a combination of endovenous treatment at the time of diagnosis including stent placement to maintain lumen patency and prevent recurrent deep venpus thrombosis and/or postthrombotic syndrome.
The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, involving over 11,000 youth and their families, is a groundbreaking project examining various factors impacting brain and cognitive ...development. Despite yielding hundreds of publications and counting, the ABCD Study has lacked a centralized help platform to assist researchers in navigating and analyzing the extensive ABCD dataset. To support the ABCD research community, we created NowIKnowMyABCD, the first centralized documentation and communication resource publicly available to researchers using ABCD Study data. It consists of two core elements: a user-focused website and a moderated discussion board. The website serves as a repository for ABCD-related resources, tutorials, and a live feed of relevant updates and queries sourced from social media websites. The discussion board offers a platform for researchers to seek guidance, troubleshoot issues, and engage with peers. Our aim is for NowIKnowMyABCD to grow with participation from the ABCD research community, fostering transparency, collaboration, and adherence to open science principles.
•Passive strategy to reduce the HVAC load of automobile.•Performance evaluation of Phase Change Materials for thermal management of vehicle cabin.•Phase Change Materials selection, based on ...temperature reduction, standard comfortable temperature level, and melt fraction.•Parametric study to enhance the duration of vehicle cabin thermal management.
Nowadays, efforts are being made to reduce HVAC load in vehicles and maintain comfortable temperatures within the cabin, predominantly owing to extreme weather conditions, particularly during the hot summer season. Solar radiation increases heat transfer in vehicles. In addition to the greenhouse effect, it adds significantly to increasing heat content inside the vehicle's cabin, thus increasing temperature. Thus, there is a need for thermal management of automobiles, which could be achieved using utilizing latent heat storage materials, such as Phase Change Materials (PCMs). Present research focuses on computational fluid dynamics simulations for evaluating performances of four PCMs – OM 29, HS 24, Bio Q27 and CaCl2·6H2O in thermal management of vehicle’s cabin for a short duration of time (120 s). Accordingly, most appropriate PCM is selected based on the results achieved in terms of temperature reduction, difference in temperature achieved and standard comfortable temperature, and melt fraction for further analysis of cabin for a longer duration (3600 s). Results revealed that within 120 s, PCM incorporation facilitates cabin temperature reduction of approximately 7 K. Moreover, CaCl2·6H2O proved to be the most suitable amongst four PCMs studied, based on the criteria mentioned above for the given environment conditions. Hence, its performance is further explored for a period of 1 h, that resulted in reducing cabin’s peak temperature approximately by 33 K.
•ILs play crucial function in ovarian cancer.•IFNs role in prevention or development of ovarian cancer.•ILs and IFNs can be applied in ovarian cancer therapy.
Ovarian cancer poses significant ...challenges and remains a highly lethal disease with limited treatment options. In the context of ovarian cancer, interleukins (ILs) and interferons (IFNs), important cytokines that play crucial roles in regulating the immune system, have emerged as significant factors influencing its development. This article provides a comprehensive review of the involvement of various ILs, including those from the IL-1 family, IL-2 family, IL-6 family, IL-8 family, IL-10 family, and IL-17 family, in ovarian cancer. The focus is on their impact on tumor growth, metastasis, and their role in evading immune responses within the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, the article conducts an in-depth examination of the oncogenic or antitumor roles of each IL in the context of ovarian cancer pathogenesis and progression. Besides, we elucidated the enhancements in the treatment of ovarian cancer through the utilization of type-I IFN and type-II IFN. Recent research has shed light on the intricate mechanisms through which specific ILs and IFNs contribute to the advancement of the disease. By incorporating recent findings, this review also seeks to inspire further investigations into unexplored mechanisms, fostering ongoing research to develop more effective therapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer. Moreover, through an in-depth analysis of IL- and IFN-associated clinical trials, we have highlighted their promising potential of in the treatment of ovarian cancer. These clinical trials serve to reinforce the significant outlook for utilizing ILs and IFNs as therapeutic agents in combating this disease.
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