Occupational Therapy in Psychiatric Short-Term Hospitalization Units: Scoping Review.

Given the context, the overarching aim is to identify scientific publications on occupational therapy in Psychiatric-Short-Term-Hospitalization-Units. Specific objectives include: (a) Analyzing the historical development of this research area; (b) Synthesizing existing evidence on the nature of documentary sources on occupational therapy in in Psychiatric-Short-Term-Hospitalization-Units; (c) Detailing the volume of scientific literature on occupational therapy in these units; (e) Evaluating available evidence on occupational therapy interventions to improve functionality, quality of life, and recovery in individuals admitted to in Psychiatric-Short-Term-Hospitalization-Units. A scoping review method was employed to conduct a historical mapping of research on in Psychiatric-Short-Term-Hospitalization-Units. The review proceeded in five stages following PRISMA guidelines. After applying selection criteria, the search identified 446 references. Findings are presented under three headings: (a) Historical trends in the scientific literature on occupational therapy and in Psychiatric-Short-Term-Hospitalization-Units; (b) Nature and volume of articles included in the occupational therapy synthesis in Psychiatric Short-Term Hospitalization Units; (c) Data extraction on methodological variables in the research of occupational therapy articles in in Psychiatric-Short-Term-Hospitalization-Units; and (d) Data extraction on research outcome variables of occupational therapy articles in Psychiatric Short-Term Hospitalization Units. The growth of occupational therapy in in Psychiatric-Short-Term-Hospitalization-Units is emphasized, with an increase in qualitative studies. Occupational therapy is underscored as an integral part of care, supporting the diversity and effectiveness of interventions. Common diagnoses include schizophrenia and depressive disorders. Group interventions and the spiritual dimension positively influence the quality of care and meaningful routines for recovery in in Psychiatric-Short-Term-Hospitalization-Units.

Water-Repellent Galvanized Steel Surfaces Obtained by Sintering of Zinc Nanopowder.

Galvanized steel surfaces are widely used in industry as a solution to prevent corrosion of steel tools that operate in outdoor or corrosive and oxidative environments. These objects are coated with a zinc protective layer deposited by hot dip galvanization. Turning the surface of galvanized steel tools into superhydrophobic may lead to very useful functionalities, although it may be a difficult task, because the preservation of the thin zinc layer is a claim. We propose herein the use of a bottom-up approach based on sandblasting, followed by sintering of zinc nanoparticles on the galvanized steel substrate, which allowed us to produce a zinc-made hierarchical structure required for superhydrophobicity. These samples acquired a double-scale structure that led to superhydrophobicity when they were later hydrophobized with a thin fluoropolymer layer. We found that sandblasting might be useful but not mandatory, unlike the sintering process, which was essential to reach superhydrophobicity. We found that, under certain experimental conditions, the surfaces showed outstanding water-repellent properties. We observed that the sandblasting on galvanized steel caused more damage than the sintering process. Sintering of low-melting-point metal nanoparticles was revealed as a promising strategy to fabricate functional metallic surfaces.

A Q-method approach to perceptions of professional reasoning in occupational therapy undergraduates.

BACKGROUND: Professional reasoning provides a firm basis for the development of teaching and assessment strategies to support the acquisition of skills by healthcare students. Nevertheless, occupational therapy educators should use diverse methods of learning assessment to examine student learning outcomes more fully with an evaluation that supports the overall complexity of the process, particularly learners' subjective experience. The aim of this article is to identify the range of perspectives among occupational therapy undergraduates regarding terms or concepts that are key for improving their professional reasoning. METHODS: Q-methodology was used to address the aim of the study. A concourse relating to a series of ideas, phrases, terminology, and concepts associated with various studies on professional reasoning in occupational therapy, specifically on students in this field, was generated. The terms that had the clearest evidence, the most relevance or the greatest number of citations in the literature were collected (n = 37). The P-set was assembled by non-probabilistic sampling for convenience. It comprised undergraduate university students in occupational therapy. Factor analysis was conducted using Ken-Q Analysis v.1.0.6, reducing the number of Q-sets to smaller groups of factors representing a common perspective. RESULTS: Through statistical analysis of the Q-sorts of 37 occupational therapy students, 8 default factors were identified. The four factors in accordance with the selection criteria were rotated by varimax rotation to identify variables that could be grouped together. Each viewpoint was interpreted, discussed and liked to different aspects of professional reasoning in occupational therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The observed perceptions were linked to the various aspects of professional reasoning that have been widely discussed in the occupational therapy literature. For most of the students, there was a strong correspondence between the narrative, interactive and conditional aspects of the various components.

A simple strategy to improve the interfacial activity of true Janus gold nanoparticles: a shorter hydrophilic capping ligand.

Janus gold nanoparticles (JPs) of ∼4 nm-diameter half functionalized with 1-hexanethiol as a hydrophobic capping ligand exhibit significantly higher interfacial activity, reproducibility and rheological response when the other half is functionalized with 1,2-mercaptopropanediol (JPs-MPD) than with 2-(2-mercaptoethoxy)ethanol (JPs-MEE), both acting as hydrophilic capping ligands. The interfacial pressure measured by pendant drop tensiometry reaches 50 mN m(-1) and 35 mN m(-1) for the JPs-MPD at the water/air and water/decane interface, respectively. At the same area per particle, the JPs-MEE reveal significantly lower interfacial pressure: 15 mN m(-1) and 5 mN m(-1) at the water/air and water/decane interface, respectively. Interfacial dilatational rheology measurements also show an elastic shell behaviour at higher compression states for JPs-MPD while the JPs-MEE present near-zero elasticity. The enhanced interfacial activity of JPs-MPD is explained in terms of chemical and hydration differences between the MPD and MEE ligands, where MPD has a shorter hydrocarbon chain and twice as many hydroxyl terminal groups as MEE.

Impact of the collective diffusion of charged nanoparticles in the convective/capillary deposition directed by receding contact lines.

The motion of electrically charged particles under crowding conditions and subjected to evaporation-driven capillary flow might be ruled by collective diffusion. The concentration gradient developed inside an evaporating drop of colloidal suspension may reduce by diffusion the number of particles transported toward the contact line by convection. Unlike self-diffusion coefficient, the cooperative diffusion coefficient of interacting particles becomes more pronounced in crowded environments. In this work, we examined experimentally the role of the collective diffusion of charge-stabilized nanoparticles in colloidal patterning. To decouple the sustained evaporation from the contact line motion, we conducted evaporating menisci experiments with driven receding contact lines at low capillary number. This allowed us to explore convective assembly at fixed and low bulk concentration, which enabled to develop high concentration gradients. At fixed velocity of receding contact line, we explored a variety of substrate-particle systems where the particle-particle electrostatic interaction was changed (via p H) as well as the substrate receding contact angle and the relative humidity. We found that the particle deposition directed by receding contact lines may be controlled by the interplay between evaporative convection and collective diffusion, particularly at low particle concentration.

Mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells in acute cardiovascular events in the PROCELL study: time-course after acute myocardial infarction and stroke.

The mobilization pattern and functionality of endothelial progenitor cells after an acute ischemic event remain largely unknown. The aim of our study was to characterize and compare the short- and long-term mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells after acute myocardial infarction or atherothrombotic stroke, and to determine the relationship between these cell counts and plasma concentrations of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) and Von Willebrand factor (VWF) as surrogate markers of endothelial damage and inflammation. In addition, we assessed whether endothelial progenitor cells behave like functional endothelial cells. We included 150 patients with acute myocardial infarction or atherothrombotic stroke and 145 controls. Endothelial progenitor cells [CD45-, CD34+, KDR+, CD133+], circulating endothelial cells [CD45-, CD146+, CD31+], VWF, and VCAM-1 levels were measured in controls (baseline only) and in patients within 24h (baseline) and at 7, 30, and 180 days after the event. Myocardial infarction patients had higher counts of endothelial progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells than the controls (201.0/mL vs. 57.0/mL; p<0.01 and 181.0/mL vs. 62.0/mL; p<0.01). Endothelial progenitor cells peaked at 30 days post-infarction (201.0/mL vs. 369.5/mL; p<0.01), as did VCAM-1 (573.7 ng/mL vs. 701.8 ng/mL; p<0.01). At 180 days post-infarction, circulating endothelial cells and VWF decreased, compared to baseline. In stroke patients, the number of endothelial progenitor cells - but not circulating endothelial cells - was higher than in controls (90.0/mL vs. 37.0/mL; p=0.01; 105.0/mL vs. 71.0/mL; p=0.11). At 30 days after stroke, however, VCAM-1 peaked (628.1/mL vs. 869.1/mL; p<0.01) but there was no significant change in endothelial progenitor cells (90/mL vs. 78/mL; p<0.34). At 180 days after stroke, circulating endothelial cells and VWF decreased, compared to baseline. Cultured endothelial progenitor cells from controls and myocardial infarction patients had endothelial phenotype characteristics and exhibited functional differences in adhesion and Ca(2+) influx, but not in proliferation and vasculogenesis. In myocardial infarction patients, VCAM-1 levels and mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells peaked at 30 days after the ischemic event. Although a similar VCAM-1 kinetic was observed in stroke patients, endothelial progenitor cells did not increase. Endothelial progenitor cells had mature endothelial capabilities in vitro.

Interfacial Activity and Contact Angle of Homogeneous, Functionalized, and Janus Nanoparticles at the Water/Decane Interface.

Surface heterogeneity affects the behavior of nanoparticles at liquid interfaces. To gain a deeper understanding on the details of these phenomena, we have measured the interfacial activity and contact angle at water/decane interfaces for three different types of nanoparticles: homogeneous poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), silica functionalized with a capping ligand containing a methacrylate terminal group, and Ag-based Janus colloids with two capping ligands of different hydrophobicity. The interfacial activity was analyzed by pendant drop tensiometry, and the contact angle was measured directly by freeze-fracture shadow-casting cryo-scanning electron microscopy. The silver Janus nanoparticles presented the highest interfacial activity, compared to the silica nanoparticles and the homogeneous PMMA nanoparticles. Additionally, increasing the bulk concentration of the PMMA and silica nanoparticles up to 100-fold compared to the Janus nanoparticles led to silica particles forming fractal-like structures at the interface, contrary to the PMMA particles that did not show any spontaneous adsorption.

Comparison of the interfacial activity between homogeneous and Janus gold nanoparticles by pendant drop tensiometry.

The interfacial activity of 3.5 nm homogeneous (HPs) and amphiphilic Janus gold nanoparticles (JPs) was characterized by pendant drop tensiometry for water/air and water/decane interfaces. This technique requires a smaller quantity of nanoparticles than the traditional Langmuir balance technique. The direct deposition at the interface of the nanoparticles dispersed in a spreading solvent also requires smaller quantities of sample than does adsorption from the bulk. From the growing and shrinking of the pendant drops, the interfacial activity of the nanoparticles can be evaluated and compared within a wide range of area per particle. In this work, the JPs exhibited a higher interfacial activity than did the HPs in all cases. A hard disk model fits the piecewise compression isotherm of the HPs, yet this model underestimates the interactions between the JPs adsorbed at the interface.

Novel Ti surface coated with PVA hydrogel and chitosan nanoparticles with antibacterial drug release: An experimental in vitro study.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to design a novel titanium surface coated with a PVA hydrogel matrix and chitosan-based nanoparticles and to investigate the antibiotic release and its ability to inhibit microbial activity. METHODS: Two drug delivery systems were developed and mixed. Chitosan-based nanoparticles (NP) and a polyvinyl alcohol film (PVA). The size, ζ-potential, stability, adhesive properties, and encapsulation profile of NP, as well as the release kinetics of drug delivery systems and their antimicrobial ability of PVA and PVANP films, were studied on Ti surfaces. The systems were loaded with doxycycline, vancomycin, and doxepin hydrochloride. RESULTS: Nanoparticles presented a ζ-potential greater than 30 mV for 45 days and the efficiency drug encapsulation was 26.88% ± 1.51% for doxycycline, 16.09% ± 10.24% for vancomycin and 17.57% ± 11.08% for doxepin. In addition, PVA films were loaded with 125 µg/mL of doxycycline, 125 µg/mL of vancomycin, and 100 µg/mL of doxepin. PVANP-doxycycline achieved the antibacterial effect at 4 h while PVA-doxycycline maintained its effect at 24 h.

Understanding the petal effect: Wetting properties and surface structure of natural rose petals and rose petal-derived surfaces.

The petal effect is identified as a non-wetting state with high drop adhesion. The wetting behavior of petal surfaces is attributed to the papillose structure of their epidermis, which leads to a Cassie-Baxter regime combined with strong pinning sites. Under this scenario, sessile drops are pearl shaped and, unlike lotus-like surfaces, firmly attached to the surface. Petal surfaces are used as inspiration for the fabrication of functional parahydrophobic surfaces such as antibacterial or water-harvesting surfaces. In this work, two types of rose petals were replicated by using a templating technique based in Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocasting. The topographic structure, the condensation mechanism under saturated environments and the wetting properties of the natural rose petal and their negative and positive replicas were analyzed. Finally, we performed prospective ice adhesion studies to elucidate whether petal-like surfaces may be used as deicing solutions.

Clinical comparison of marginal fit of ceramic inlays between digital and conventional impressions.

PURPOSE: The aim of this stuldy was to compare the clinical marginal fit of CAD-CAM inlays obtained from intraoral digital impression or addition silicone impression techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 31 inlays for prosthodontics purposes of 31 patients: 15 based on intraoral digital impressions (DI group); and 16 based on a conventional impression technique (CI group). Inlays included occlusal and a non-occlusal surface. Inlays were milled in ceramic. The inlay-teeth interface was replicated by placing each inlay in its corresponding uncemented clinical preparation and taking interface impressions with silicone material from occlusal and free surfaces. Interface analysis was made using white light confocal microscopy (WLCM) (scanning area: 694 × 510 µm2) from the impression samples. The gap size and the inlay overextension were measured from the microscopy topographies. For analytical purposes (i.e., 95-%-confidence intervals calculations and P-value calculations), the procedure REGRESS in SUDAAN was used to account for clustering (i.e., multiple measurements). For p-value calculation, the log transformation of the dependent variables was used to normalize the distributions. RESULTS: Marginal fit values for occlusal and free surfaces were affected by the type of impression. There were no differences between surfaces (occlusal vs. free). Gap obtained for DI group was 164 ± 84 µm and that for CI group was 209 ± 104 µm, and there were statistical differences between them (p = .041). Mean overextension values were 60 ± 59 µm for DI group and 67 ± 73 µm for CI group, and there were no differences between then (p = .553). CONCLUSION: Digital impression achieved inlays with higher clinical marginal fit and performed better than the conventional silicone materials.

Exploring Occupational Therapists' Professional Identity: A Q-Method Study.

(1) Background: This study examines the nature of the rarely studied factors of the professional identity from an occupational therapist's perspective. (2) Methods: Q-methodology was applied to identify the different perspectives. Participants were selected through a non-probability sampling procedure in the whole Spanish territory. Different assessment tools were considered, in order to develop an ad hoc tool which had 40 statements classified into four categories. A factor analysis was performed by applying Ken-Q analysis v.1.0. (3) Results: Thirty-seven occupational therapists participated in the study. Their diverse approaches revealed different perspectives that influence the professional identity of occupational therapists: professional identity, due to referents, a grey field on professional identity, reaffirming a common professional identity, the role of education and mentors on professional identity and the outcome of ongoing training, in order to develop the abovementioned identity. (4) Conclusions: Once the different aspects of the professional identity have been understood, future educational initiatives can be designed to adapt curricula to the professional scene.

Analysis of Occupational Therapy Students' Pedagogical Practices for the Forging of Professional Identity and Development of Professional Intelligence: A Scoping Review.

Pedagogical practices contribute to enhancing professional intelligence which is an indicator of maturity and development of professional identity. The research guiding question was: What are the pedagogical practices involved in occupational therapy students' professional identity formation? A scoping review using a six-stage methodological framework was used to capture a variety of evidence describing how professional identity has been conceptualised and integrated into the occupational therapy curriculum while noticing a link to professional intelligence. Databases included were: Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ProQuest ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, CSIC, Dialnet, PubMed, Pubmed Central, OTDBASE and Scielo. Qualitative content analysis was used to categorise learning outcomes into five components of professional identity that were associated with the pedagogical practices identified in the studies. n = 58 peer-reviewed journal articles were recorded. The articles were classified as intervention studies (n = 31; 53.4%), reviews (n = 12; 20.7%) and theoretical articles (n = 15; 25.9%). To ensure the feasibility of collecting and reporting results, we narrowed the focus to n = 31 intervention studies that provided information on pedagogical practices and learning outcomes on professional identity forging in students. This scoping review illustrates the variety of contexts in which students learn, the multiple dimensions of identity establishment, and the variety of pedagogical practices. These findings can be used to adapt and design focused formative curricula that support the development of professional identity.

Automation of an atomic force microscope via Arduino.

The Atomic Force Microscopy is a very versatile technique that allows to characterize surfaces by acquiring topographies with sub-nanometer resolution. This technique often overcomes the problems and capabilities of electron microscopy when characterizing few nanometers thin coatings over solid substrates. They are expensive, in the half million dollar range for standard units, and therefore it is often difficult to upgrade to new units with improved characteristics. One of these improvements, motorization and automation of the measurements is very interesting to sample different parts of a substrate in an unattended way. Here we report a low cost upgrade under 60 $ to a Dimension 3000 AFM based on a control unit using an Arduino Leonardo. It enables to acquire dozens or hundreds of images automatically by mimicking keyboard shortcuts and interfacing the AFM PCI card.

The Effectiveness of Community Occupational Therapy Interventions: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: This review aims to evaluate the level of scientific evidence for the effectiveness of Community Occupational Therapy interventions. METHODS: A systematic review was used to analyze and synthesize the studies collected. The databases of Cochrane, OTseeker, OTCATS, Web of Science, Scielo and Scopus were used in order to collect articles published between 2007 and 2020. PRISMA recommendations were followed. RESULTS: A total of 12 articles comprised part of the study (7 randomized controlled studies, 4 systematic reviews and 1 meta-analysis). The main areas of practice were geriatric gerontology (22.1%) and mental health (19.7%), which were statistically significant (χ2; p < 0.005) compared to the rest. Regarding the studies analyzed, all of them had scores of >7 on the PEDro and AMSTAR scales. CONCLUSIONS: Research on Community Occupational Therapy constitutes a consolidated line of research but the objectives and areas of research were limited. Descriptive qualitative methodology predominated and studies on the effectiveness of Community Occupational Therapy interventions showed a medium-low level of evidence.

Water heavily fractionated as it ascends on Mars as revealed by ExoMars/NOMAD.

Isotopic ratios and, in particular, the water D/H ratio are powerful tracers of the evolution and transport of water on Mars. From measurements performed with ExoMars/NOMAD, we observe marked and rapid variability of the D/H along altitude on Mars and across the whole planet. The observations (from April 2018 to April 2019) sample a broad range of events on Mars, including a global dust storm, the evolution of water released from the southern polar cap during southern summer, the equinox phases, and a short but intense regional dust storm. In three instances, we observe water at very high altitudes (>80 km), the prime region where water is photodissociated and starts its escape to space. Rayleigh distillation appears the be the driving force affecting the D/H in many cases, yet in some instances, the exchange of water reservoirs with distinctive D/H could be responsible.

Learning and Development of Diagnostic Reasoning in Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Students.

BACKGROUND/AIM: One way to facilitate occupational therapy undergraduate students transferring their academic skills of data gathering and analysis to professional settings is to ensure they can competently use diagnostic reasoning. Nevertheless, there are several obvious gaps in empirical evidence related to the learning and development of this style of reasoning in occupational therapy undergraduates. The most important are related to promoting higher-order thinking and the use of information to solve problems in the context of professional practice. This study analyses undergraduates' diagnostic reasoning and its changes during their education. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multicentre study was conducted with a descriptive observational design. The study took place at the University of Coruña (Spain), University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), and University of el Valle (Colombia). The sample was n = 247. For data collection, a clinical case was specifically designed. IBM SPSS Statistics (v19) and EPIDAT 3.1 were used for the data analysis. RESULTS: Participants identified and categorized occupational performance problems. However, they had difficulties when identifying and categorizing the occupational performance components (specifically, the symptoms and signs of the disease presented in the study case). They presented limitations to analyse and synthesize the information collected to develop an explanation of the occupational problems and their causes. CONCLUSIONS: Undergraduate students' ability to analyse and synthesize information during data collection is poorly organized, so it makes the problem formulation difficult. This study contributes to the knowledge of undergraduates' diagnostic reasoning features, specifically the undergraduate students' capacities and limits to process information during the occupational assessment.

Individual and Environmental Factors Associated with Tobacco Smoking, Alcohol Abuse and Illegal Drug Consumption in University Students: A Mediating Analysis.

Substance abuse is a major and prevalent public health concern among university students. Tobacco smoking, risky alcohol behavior, and illegal drug consumption may lead to health problems and behavioral and academic issues. Several individual and environmental factors associate with substance abuse in this population, and the mediating effect of alcohol abuse in the relationship between tobacco smoking and drug consumption is yet to be explored. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the association of individual and environmental factors and substance use, and to analyze the relationship between tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse, and drug consumption, considering alcohol abuse as a possible mediator. A total of 550 Spanish undergraduate and postgraduate students completed several questionnaires regarding their smoking status, alcohol use, and drug consumption during the last six months. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore associations between factors. Direct, indirect and mediating effects were tested using a partial least squares approach (PLS-SEM). The results indicated that substance abuse is associated with being male, living with other students, and combined substance consumption. PLS-SEM showed a significant effect of tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse on drug consumption. Alcohol abuse plays a mediating role in the relationship between tobacco smoking and drug use.

Murine embryonic stem cell-derived pancreatic acinar cells recapitulate features of early pancreatic differentiation.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Acinar cells constitute 90% of the pancreas epithelium, are polarized, and secrete digestive enzymes. These cells play a crucial role in pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. However, there are limited models to study normal acinar cell differentiation in vitro. The aim of this work was to generate and characterize purified populations of pancreatic acinar cells from embryonic stem (ES) cells. METHODS: Reporter ES cells (Ela-pur) were generated that stably expressed both beta-galactosidase and puromycin resistance genes under the control of the elastase I promoter. Directed differentiation was achieved by incubation with conditioned media of cultured fetal pancreatic rudiments and adenoviral-mediated co-expression of p48/Ptf1a and Mist1, 2 basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors crucial for normal pancreatic acinar development and differentiation. RESULTS: Selected cells expressed multiple markers of acinar cells, including digestive enzymes and proteins of the secretory pathway, indicating activation of a coordinated differentiation program. The genes coding for digestive enzymes were not regulated as a single module, thus recapitulating what occurs during in vivo pancreatic development. The generated cells displayed transient agonist-induced Ca(2+) mobilization and showed a typical response to physiologic concentrations of secretagogues, including enzyme synthesis and secretion. Importantly, these effects did not imply the acquisition of a mixed acinar-ductal phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: These studies allow the generation of almost pure acinar-like cells from ES cells, providing a normal cell-based model for the study of the acinar differentiation program in vitro.

Ultrasonographic characteristics (cross-sectional area and relative echogenicity) of the digital flexor tendons and ligaments of the metacarpal region in Purebred Spanish horses.

The objectives of this study were to establish normal values for relative echogenicity (RE) and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the flexor tendons and ligaments of the metacarpal region of Purebred Spanish horses (PBSH), and to determine the effect of body mass index (BMI), age, sex and forelimb on these variables. Transverse ultrasonographic images were obtained using 20 normal PBSH (10 females, 10 males; 2-25 years of age; BMI 132.04-152.25; not in training). The images were digitised and values for CSA and RE were determined for each structure. The suspensory ligament was the most echogenic and the largest structure, and the superficial digital flexor tendon was the least echogenic and smallest of the tissues examined. The tendons and ligaments of the metacarpal region in PBSH showed similar RE but smaller CSAs when compared to other breeds.