The graphene family has captured the interest and the imagination of an increasing number of scientists working in different fields, ranging from composites to flexible electronics. In the area of ...biomedical applications, graphene is especially involved in drug delivery, biosensing and tissue engineering, with strong contributions to the whole nanomedicine area. Besides the interesting results obtained so far and the evident success, there are still many problems to solve, on the way to the manufacturing of biomedical devices, including the lack of standardization in the production of the graphene family members. Control of lateral size, aggregation state (single
vs.
few layers) and oxidation state (unmodified graphene
vs.
oxidized graphenes) is essential for the translation of this material into clinical assays. In this
Tutorial Review
we critically describe the latest developments of the graphene family materials into the biomedical field. We analyze graphene-based devices starting from graphene synthetic strategies, functionalization and processibility protocols up to the final
in vitro
and
in vivo
applications. We also address the toxicological impact and the limitations in translating graphene materials into advanced clinical tools. Finally, new trends and guidelines for future developments are presented.
Graphene-based materials can contribute favorably to the biomedical field. Particularly promising areas of development include sensors, controlled drug delivery and tissue engineering.
Strong evidence during the last few decades has highlighted the importance of nutrition for sport performance, the role of carbohydrates (CHO) being of special interest. Glycogen is currently not ...only considered an energy substrate but also a regulator of the signaling pathways that regulate exercise-induced adaptations. Thus, low or high CHO availabilities can result in both beneficial or negative results depending on the purpose. On the one hand, the depletion of glycogen levels is a limiting factor of performance during sessions in which high exercise intensities are required; therefore ensuring a high CHO availability before and during exercise is of major importance. A high CHO availability has also been positively related to the exercise-induced adaptations to resistance training. By contrast, a low CHO availability seems to promote endurance-exercise-induced adaptations such as mitochondrial biogenesis and enhanced lipolysis. In the present narrative review, we aim to provide a holistic overview of how CHO availability impacts physical performance as well as to provide practical recommendations on how training and nutrition might be combined to maximize performance. Attending to the existing evidence, no universal recommendations regarding CHO intake can be given to athletes as nutrition should be periodized according to training loads and objectives.
In this work, an exhaustive analysis of the partial discharges that originate in the bubbles present in dielectric mineral oils is carried out. To achieve this, a low-cost, high-resolution CMOS image ...sensor is used. Partial discharge measurements using that image sensor are validated by a standard electrical detection system that uses a discharge capacitor. In order to accurately identify the images corresponding to partial discharges, a convolutional neural network is trained using a large set of images captured by the image sensor. An image classification model is also developed using deep learning with a convolutional network based on a TensorFlow and Keras model. The classification results of the experiments show that the accuracy achieved by our model is around 95% on the validation set and 82% on the test set. As a result of this work, a non-destructive diagnosis method has been developed that is based on the use of an image sensor and the design of a convolutional neural network. This approach allows us to obtain information about the state of mineral oils before breakdown occurs, providing a valuable tool for the evaluation and maintenance of these dielectric oils.
In this paper, an experimental analysis of the quality of electrical insulating oils is performed using a combination of dielectric loss and capacitance measurement tests. The transformer oil ...corresponds to a fresh oil sample. The paper follows the ASTM D 924-15 standard (standard test method for dissipation factor and relative permittivity of electrical insulating liquids). Effective electrical parameters, including the
of the oil, were obtained in this non-destructive test. Subsequently, a numerical method is proposed to accurately determine the effective electrical resistivity,
, and effective electrical permittivity,
, of an insulating mineral oil from the data obtained in the experimental analysis. These two parameters are not obtained in the ASTM standard. We used the cell method and the multi-objective non-dominated sorting in genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) for this purpose. In this paper, a new numerical tool to accurately obtain the effective electrical parameters of transformer insulating oils is therefore provided for fault detection and diagnosis. The results show improved accuracy compared to the existing analytical equations. In addition, as the experimental data are collected in a high-voltage domain, wireless sensors are used to measure, transmit, and monitor the electrical and thermal quantities.
Abstract Teaching and learning methods that are related to student-generated content (SGC) seem a promising strategy for including sustainable development goals (SDGs) in education (established as a ...fundamental cornerstone in the achievement of these goals by the United Nations). This paper describes the inclusion of SDGs through the implementation of website learning projects, whose products are SGC where materials developed by students can be made available to other students (from the same or different courses) in Project Management subjects of the Degree in Computer Science. The method has trialled at two different universities working in a coordinated way. A total of 301 students developed these projects with which they completed the content of the subject, in addition to achieving learning with respect to the SDGs, increasing their understanding of the impact of information and communication technologies on the SDGs, and their awareness of the related problems. We also found that more learning is perceived with information search and content generation activities than with those that focus on the use of materials produced by peers. Finally, it is observed that the method has similar results in different contexts and with different groups of students.
Abstract
Aims
To describe the prevalence and characteristics of pain in adult hospitalised patients, as well as to analyse the concordance between patient‐reported and recorded pain and its impact on ...analgesic management.
Design
A cross sectional study.
Methods
The study was performed on a sample of 611 patients, from October to December 2017. Data were obtained from patient interviews, review of medical and nursing records and review of electronic prescribing.
Results
The prevalence of pain at the time of the interview was 36.7%. The median VAS score was 4. 90% of the patients had their pain assessed within the last 24 h; however, concordance between patient‐reported pain and recorded pain in the nursing record was slight.
Conclusion
Pain is still often documented inadequately. Despite the wide use of analgesics, half of the patients with moderate to severe pain do not have adequate pain management. A systematic assessment and recording of pain promotes appropriate analgesic prescription.
Implications for the profession and patient care
The findings of our study provide insight into the main gaps in the correct management of pain in hospitalised patients. A systematic assessment and recording of the pain suffered by the patient facilitates its control and allows a better management of the analgesic prescription by the physician. This information could help hospital managers to develop training programmes on pain assessment and on the importance of doctor–nurse collaboration to improve pain management, increasing the quality of care and reducing hospital costs.
Reporting method
The study has adhered to the relevant EQUATOR guidelines, according to The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies.
Most of the EBP measuring instruments available to date present limitations both in the operationalisation of the construct and also in the rigour of their psychometric development, as revealed in ...the literature review performed. The aim of this paper is to provide rigorous and adequate reliability and validity evidence of the scores of a new transdisciplinary psychometric tool, the Health Sciences Evidence-Based Practice (HS-EBP), for measuring the construct EBP in Health Sciences professionals.
A pilot study and a subsequent two-stage validation test sample were conducted to progressively refine the instrument until a reduced 60-item version with a five-factor latent structure. Reliability was analysed through both Cronbach's alpha coefficient and intraclass correlations (ICC). Latent structure was contrasted using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) following a model comparison aproach. Evidence of criterion validity of the scores obtained was achieved by considering attitudinal resistance to change, burnout, and quality of professional life as criterion variables; while convergent validity was assessed using the Spanish version of the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ-19).
Adequate evidence of both reliability and ICC was obtained for the five dimensions of the questionnaire. According to the CFA model comparison, the best fit corresponded to the five-factor model (RMSEA = 0.049; CI 90% RMSEA = 0.047; 0.050; CFI = 0.99). Adequate criterion and convergent validity evidence was also provided. Finally, the HS-EBP showed the capability to find differences between EBP training levels as an important evidence of decision validity.
Reliability and validity evidence obtained regarding the HS-EBP confirm the adequate operationalisation of the EBP construct as a process put into practice to respond to every clinical situation arising in the daily practice of professionals in health sciences (transprofessional). The tool could be useful for EBP individual assessment and for evaluating the impact of specific interventions to improve EBP.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose: To analyse if there are retina microvascular changes and choroidal thickness changes correlate with the degree of disability among patients with sclerosis multiple (MS) disease during a ...year.
Methods: It was analysed the vascular changes (choroidal thickness and vascular macular plexuses) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in multiple sclerosis (MS) according to the degree of disability measured by the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) in 1 year prospective study. Patients were divided into two groups: low disability group (EDSS score ≤ 3) and high disability group (EDSS > 3). Anatomical parameters and duration of the course disease was also analysed. Any subject has neuritis history and patients were divided depend on the type of MS: relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).
Results: Anatomical parameters were thinner in patients with the highest degree of disability and in patients with PPMS. Macular choroidal thickness (MCT) showed a significant decrease in the group which had moderate–severe disability. Retinal vascular macular plexuses showed no difference according to the EDSS score or type of MS.
Conclusions: Patients with a clinical worsening of their MS at 1 year showed a significant decrease in macular choroidal thickness compared to their baseline situation.
Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, and due to its favorable prognosis, the extent of surgery has been a matter of debate. About 10% of these tumors are located in the ...thyroid isthmus, with no specific management in current guidelines. In the last decades, isthmusectomy has been proposed as a therapeutic option for isthmic papillary thyroid carcinoma, although there is no consensus on its management. We present two cases of patients from our institution with solitary isthmic papillary thyroid carcinoma without clinical macroscopic extrathyroidal extension or clinical-radiological lymph node involvement who were treated with isthmusectomy without prophylactic lymph node dissection. Neither of them had any postoperative complications. Both had an intermediate risk of recurrence due to aggressive variants. None of them had signs of recurrence during follow-up. We intend to show that isthmusectomy seems to be an effective and safe surgical alternative in selected patients through these cases.
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