SARS-CoV-2 can spread by close contact through large droplet spray and indirect contact via contaminated objects. There is mounting evidence that it can also be transmitted by inhalation of infected ...saliva aerosol particles. These particles are generated when breathing, talking, laughing, coughing or sneezing. It can be assumed that aerosol particle concentrations should be kept low in order to minimize the potential risk of airborne virus transmission. This paper presents measurements of aerosol particle concentrations in a gym, where saliva aerosol production is pronounced. 35 test persons performed physical exercise and aerosol particle concentrations, CO2 concentrations, air temperature and relative humidity were obtained in the room of 886 m³. A separate test was used to discriminate between human endogenous and exogenous aerosol particles. Aerosol particle removal by mechanical ventilation and mobile air cleaning units was measured. The gym test showed that ventilation with air-change rate ACH = 2.2 h−1, i.e. 4.5 times the minimum of the Dutch Building Code, was insufficient to stop the significant aerosol concentration rise over 30 min. Air cleaning alone with ACH = 1.39 h−1 had a similar effect as ventilation alone. Simplified mathematical models were engaged to provide further insight into ventilation, air cleaning and deposition. It was shown that combining the above-mentioned ventilation and air cleaning can reduce aerosol particle concentrations with 80 to 90% , depending on aerosol size. This combination of existing ventilation supplemented with air cleaning is energy efficient and can also be applied for other indoor environments.
•Aerosol particle concentration measurements in a gym with 35 exercising persons.•Assessment of deposition, ventilation and air cleaning (AC) for aerosol reduction.•Gym ventilation with ACH = 2.2 h−1 has similar effect as air cleaning with ACH = 1.39 h−1.•Application of simplified mathematical models to predict other scenarios.•Combining ventilation & AC gives reduction factors 2.3 up to 3.7 depending on aerosol size.
Abstract This study aimed to identify risk factors for long-term sexual dysfunction (SD) after rectal cancer treatment. Patients with resectable rectal cancer were randomised to total mesorectal ...excision with or without preoperative radiotherapy (PRT). Preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months postoperatively, SD scores were filled out in questionnaires. Possible risk factors for postoperative deterioration of sexual functioning, including patients’ demographics, tumour-specific factors and treatment-related variables, were investigated with univariate and multivariable regression analyses. Increase in general SD, erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory problems were reported by 76.4, 79.8 and 72.2 percent of the male patients, respectively. Risk factors were nerve damage, blood loss, anastomotic leakage, PRT and the presence of a stoma. In female patients, increase in general SD, dyspareunia and vaginal dryness were reported by 61.5, 59.1 and 56.6 percent, respectively. This was associated with PRT and the presence of a stoma. SD occurs frequently after rectal cancer treatment and is caused by surgical (nerve) damage with an additional effect of PRT. Patients should be informed preoperatively, and education of surgeons in neuroanatomy may provide the key to the improvement of functional outcome.
This study evaluates the feasibility of a nine-month advanced quality-improvement program aimed at enhancing the quality of care provided by primary care physical therapists in the Netherlands. The ...evaluation is based on routinely collected health outcomes of patients with nonspecific low back pain, assessing three feasibility domains: (1) appropriateness, feasibility, and acceptability for quality-improvement purposes; (2) impact on clinical performance; and (3) impact on learning and behavioral change.
A mixed-methods quality-improvement study using a concurrent triangulation design was conducted in primary care physical therapist practice. Feedback reports on the processes and outcomes of care, peer assessment, and self-assessment were used in a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle based on self-selected goals. The program's appropriateness, feasibility, and acceptability, as well as the impact on clinical performance, were evaluated using the Intervention Appropriate Measure, Feasibility Intervention Measure, Acceptability Intervention Measure (for these three measure, possible scores range from 4 to 20), and with a self-assessment of clinical performance (scored 0-10), respectively. The impact on learning and behavioral change was evaluated qualitatively with a directed content analysis.
Ten physical therapists from two practices participated in this study. They rated the program with a mean of 16.5 (SD 1.9) for appropriateness, 17.1 (SD 2.2) for feasibility, and 16.4 (SD 1.5) for acceptability. Participants gave their development in clinical performance a mean score of 6.7 (SD 1.8). Participants became aware of the potential value of using outcome data and gained insight into their own routines and motivations. They changed their data collection routines, implemented data in their routine practice, and explored the impact on their clinical behavior.
This explorative study demonstrated that a quality-improvement program, using health outcomes from a national registry, is judged to be feasible.
This study provides preliminary evidence on how physical therapists may use health outcomes to improve their quality, which can be further used in initiatives to improve outcome-based care in primary physical therapy.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
CEKLJ, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We have measured phosphorus abundances in nine disk stars between −1 < Fe/H < -0.5 and in 12 members of the Hyades open cluster using two P I lines at 1.06 m. High-resolution infrared spectra were ...obtained using Phoenix on Gemini South and abundances were determined by comparing synthetic spectra to the observations. The average abundance for the dwarf stars in our Hyades sample was <P/Fe> = -0.01 0.06 and dex for the three giants. The consistency suggests that abundances derived using the 1.06 m P I lines are not subjected to temperature- or luminosity-dependent systematic effects at high metallicities. Our P/Fe ratios measured in disk stars are consistent with chemical evolution models with P yields increased by a factor of 2.75. We find that P/O, P/Mg, P/Si, and P/Ti ratios are consistent with the solar ratio over a range of −1.0 < Fe/H < 0.2 with the P/Si ratio increasing by ∼0.1-0.2 dex at the lowest Fe/H ratios. Finally, the evolution of P/Fe with age is similar to other elements, providing evidence that P is produced at the same sites.
Pteropods are a group of planktonic gastropods that are widely regarded as biological indicators for assessing the impacts of ocean acidification. Their aragonitic shells are highly sensitive to ...acute changes in ocean chemistry. However, to gain insight into their potential to adapt to current climate change, we need to accurately reconstruct their evolutionary history and assess their responses to past changes in the Earth’s carbon cycle. Here, we resolve the phylogeny and timing of pteropod evolution with a phylogenomic dataset (2,654 genes) incorporating new data for 21 pteropod species and revised fossil evidence. In agreement with traditional taxonomy, we recovered molecular support for a division between “sea butterflies” (Thecosomata; mucus-web feeders) and “sea angels” (Gymnosomata; active predators). Molecular dating demonstrated that these two lineages diverged in the early Cretaceous, and that all main pteropod clades, including shelled, partially-shelled, and unshelled groups, diverged in the mid- to late Cretaceous. Hence, these clades originated prior to and subsequently survived major global change events, including the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), the closest analog to modern-day ocean acidification and warming. Our findings indicate that planktonic aragonitic calcifiers have shown resilience to perturbations in the Earth’s carbon cycle over evolutionary timescales.
Chlorine Isotope Ratios in M Giants Maas, Z. G.; Pilachowski, C. A.
The Astronomical journal,
07/2018, Letnik:
156, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We have measured the chlorine isotope ratio in six M giant stars using HCl 1-0 P8 features at 3.7 microns with R ∼ 50000 spectra from Phoenix on Gemini South. The average Cl isotope ratio for our ...sample of stars is 2.66 0.58 and the range of measured Cl isotope ratios is 1.76 < 35Cl/37Cl < 3.42. The solar system meteoric Cl isotope ratio of 3.13 is consistent with the range seen in the six stars. We suspect the large variations in Cl isotope ratio are intrinsic to the stars in our sample given the uncertainties. Our average isotopic ratio is higher than the value of 1.80 for the solar neighborhood at solar metallicity predicted by galactic chemical evolution models. Finally, the stellar isotope ratios in our sample are similar to those measured in the interstellar medium.
Maternal Pertussis Vaccination (MPV) during pregnancy became part of the National Immunization Program in the Netherlands late 2019. This study aims to identify social-psychological factors ...associated with MPV acceptance among Dutch women to add to the current understanding of vaccine hesitancy worldwide, and to inform the development of communication and information campaigns about MPV.
We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey among 611 women (174 pregnant women, 205 women who had given birth in the past two years and 232 women of 20–35 years old). The primary and secondary outcomes were vaccination intention and attitude towards MPV, respectively. Pearson’s correlation and regression analyses were used to examine social-psychological and socio-demographic determinants of the outcomes.
Vaccination intention was most explained by attitudes towards MPV, beliefs about safety, moral norm and the belief about the effectiveness of MPV (R2 = 0.79). Other factors associated were injunctive norm, anticipated regret of vaccinating, and decisional certainty. Attitudes towards MPV were further explained by descriptive norm, risk perceptions of side effects, and risk perceptions of the baby getting pertussis when not vaccinating, and fear of MPV and of the disease (R2 = 0.76). Finally, pregnant women had a significantly lower intention and less positive attitude towards MPV than non-pregnant women.
Communication about MPV should address the most important determinants of MPV intention and attitude, i.e. beliefs about safety and effectiveness and moral norms. Furthermore, such information may benefit from taking into account affective feelings of pregnant women such as anticipated regret and fear towards MPV. Further research could explore this. The timing of communication about MPV can be important as determinants of MPV acceptance may vary depending on pregnancy status.
Phosphorus Abundances in FGK Stars Maas, Z. G.; Pilachowski, C. A.; Cescutti, G.
The Astrophysical journal,
06/2017, Letnik:
841, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We measured phosphorus abundances in 22 FGK dwarfs and giants that span −0.55 < Fe/H 0.2 using spectra obtained with the Phoenix high-resolution infrared spectrometer on the Kitt Peak National ...Observatory Mayall 4 m telescope, the Gemini South Telescope, and the Arcturus spectral atlas. We fit synthetic spectra to the P i feature at 10581 to determine abundances for our sample. Our results are consistent with previously measured phosphorus abundances; the average P/Fe ratio measured in Fe/H bins of 0.2 dex for our stars are within ∼1 compared to averages from other IR phosphorus studies. Our study provides more evidence that models of chemical evolution using the results of theoretical yields are underproducing phosphorus compared to the observed abundances. Our data better fit a chemical evolution model with phosphorus yields increased by a factor of 2.75 compared to models with unadjusted yields. We also found average P/Si = 0.02 0.07 and P/S = 0.15 0.15 for our sample, showing no significant deviations from the solar ratios for P/Si and P/S ratios.
The heterogeneity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered one of the most significant barriers to finding effective therapeutic interventions. In October, 2007, the National Institute of ...Neurological Disorders and Stroke, with support from the Brain Injury Association of America, the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, and the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research, convened a workshop to outline the steps needed to develop a reliable, efficient and valid classification system for TBI that could be used to link specific patterns of brain and neurovascular injury with appropriate therapeutic interventions. Currently, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is the primary selection criterion for inclusion in most TBI clinical trials. While the GCS is extremely useful in the clinical management and prognosis of TBI, it does not provide specific information about the pathophysiologic mechanisms which are responsible for neurological deficits and targeted by interventions. On the premise that brain injuries with similar pathoanatomic features are likely to share common pathophysiologic mechanisms, participants proposed that a new, multidimensional classification system should be developed for TBI clinical trials. It was agreed that preclinical models were vital in establishing pathophysiologic mechanisms relevant to specific pathoanatomic types of TBI and verifying that a given therapeutic approach improves outcome in these targeted TBI types. In a clinical trial, patients with the targeted pathoanatomic injury type would be selected using an initial diagnostic entry criterion, including their severity of injury. Coexisting brain injury types would be identified and multivariate prognostic modeling used for refinement of inclusion/exclusion criteria and patient stratification. Outcome assessment would utilize endpoints relevant to the targeted injury type. Advantages and disadvantages of currently available diagnostic, monitoring, and assessment tools were discussed. Recommendations were made for enhancing the utility of available or emerging tools in order to facilitate implementation of a pathoanatomic classification approach for clinical trials.
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