Mercury, selenium, and fatty acids in the axial muscle of largemouth bass: evaluating the influence of seasonal and sexual changes in fish condition and reproductive status.

Largemouth bass (LMB, 265-475 mm) were collected to document whether changes in fish condition and reproductive status influenced the concentration of total mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) in axial muscle by season and sex. The fatty acid (FA) composition of fish was also examined to describe seasonal and sexual differences and identify whether arachidonic acid (ARA) could be used as a biomarker of Hg toxicity. There was a trend for females to have lower (p < 0.062) Se concentrations than males. The concentration of Se for females during spring (mean ± SD, 686 ± 51 ng/g dw) was 15% lower than males (806 ± 67 ng/g dw). Lower Se concentrations in females than males continued through summer and fall. Concentration of Hg for females during spring (152 ± 39 ng/g ww) was also 59% lower than males (373 ± 303 ng/g ww), but the difference was not significant (p > 0.2). The percent of lipids was greatest in fall and winter (3%) and comprised primarily of omega-3 fatty acids (35 g/100 g lipid). Fish condition as measured by percent lipids and relative weight was negatively (p < 0.02) related to Hg concentration for females and males. Lipid content for both sexes was also positively (p < 0.05) related to the Se:Hg ratio. Relative weight was positively related to the Se:Hg ratio for females during all seasons (p = 0.014), but only during spring and summer for males (p < 0.007). A low Se:Hg value was associated with an elevation in ARA for both sexes and a reduced hepatosomatic index in males. Data suggested that females transferred muscle stores of Se and Hg to developing oocytes during spring. This study generates hypotheses regarding the physiological drivers of seasonal and sexual variability in Hg, Se, and FA in LMB that may be applicable to other species and have implications for fisheries health and management.

Types and Treatment of Hair Loss in Men and Women.

In this article, the author focuses on 4 common hair loss disorders that occur in both men and women. The author discusses research related to androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and scarring alopecia and provides details on how to approach and manage these diseases according to patient gender. There are a range of tools and tests that can assist with the diagnostic process and help ensure that relevant and high standards of patient care are maintained. In some cases, no medical intervention is always a treatment option. However, appropriate medical treatments, although still relatively limited in some cases, are safe and have proven efficacy. Hair loss has immense emotional and psychological impact in both genders, and it is always important to consider this when planning hair loss management pathways.

Types and Treatment of Hair Loss in Men and Women.

In this article, the author focuses on 4 common hair loss disorders that occur in both men and women. The author discusses research related to androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and scarring alopecia and provides details on how to approach and manage these diseases according to patient gender. There are a range of tools and tests that can assist with the diagnostic process and help ensure that relevant and high standards of patient care are maintained. In some cases, no medical intervention is always a treatment option. However, appropriate medical treatments, although still relatively limited in some cases, are safe and have proven efficacy. Hair loss has immense emotional and psychological impact in both genders, and it is always important to consider this when planning hair loss management pathways.

Review of the Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Alopecia.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a new approach in dermatology and there is evidence to suggest that it provides excellent adjuvant treatment for nonscarring alopecia cases. There is evidence supporting the hypothesis that PRP therapy increases hair growth and thickness in patients with nonscarring alopecia. Studies including participants with scarring alopecia are limited and larger scale studies with tighter controls in PRP preparation, administration, and follow-up are needed to determine whether this is a clinically sound approach. Further symptom control analysis is also warranted as in both single and combination PRP therapy trials there are little data to support treatment effect on symptoms such as burning and itching. In this article, the author explains PRP preparation processes and PRP types and compares stand-alone PRP therapy with combination PRP study results. The author also makes recommendations for treatment and discusses the future of PRP research.

Parental Conceptualizations of Autism and Deafness in British Deaf Children.

The co-occurrence of childhood deafness and autism raises complex challenges for diagnosis and family support. In this article, we explore with hearing and Deaf parents their observations of the interaction between deafness and autism and identify how the intersections of deafness and autism are conceptualized in everyday life. Eight parents participated (two of whom were Deaf BSL users) in semi-structured interviews in either BSL or spoken English. Data analysis was underpinned by a phenomenological approach in the hermeneutic tradition. Findings are discussed in terms of parents' perceptions of the relevance of deafness to their understanding of autism for their particular child, the effects of autism on sign and spoken language development and the relationship between deafness and autism in terms of their own and others' attributions of their children's characteristics. The significance of the findings for parental contributions' to diagnostic assessment and the tailoring of family support are considered.

Dementia and the Deaf community: knowledge and service access.

OBJECTIVES: This study concerns culturally Deaf people in the United Kingdom who use British Sign Language (BSL). Its objective was to explore how Deaf people's knowledge about dementia and access to services is mediated by their minoritised cultural-linguistic status. METHODS: Twenty-six members of the Deaf community participated in one of three Deaf-led focus groups in BSL corresponding with the sample of: Deaf people over the age of 60 without dementia; Deaf people aged 18-60 working professional roles unconnected with dementia services; ordinary members of the Deaf community aged 18-60. Data were subjected to a thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Participants' concerns about their poor levels of knowledge and understanding of dementia were augmented by their awareness that without sustained social contact in BSL opportunities for earlier recognition of dementia would be lost. Although primary care services were identified as the first port of call for dementia-related concerns, there was widespread mistrust of their effectiveness because of failures in communication and cultural competence. Confirmed diagnosis of dementia was not viewed as a gateway to services and support because Deaf organisations, dementia-related organisations and mainstream adult services were perceived to be ill-equipped to respond to the needs of Deaf people with dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Locating problems of late diagnosis within the Deaf community's poor awareness and knowledge of dementia fails to recognise the structural barriers Deaf people face in timely access to services and accurate recognition of dementia-related changes.

Atomic Layer Deposition of Large-Area Polycrystalline Transition Metal Dichalcogenides from 100 °C through Control of Plasma Chemistry.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, such as MoS2, are intensely studied for applications in electronics. However, the difficulty of depositing large-area films of sufficient quality under application-relevant conditions remains a major challenge. Herein, we demonstrate deposition of polycrystalline, wafer-scale MoS2, TiS2, and WS2 films of controlled thickness at record-low temperatures down to 100 °C using plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. We show that preventing excess sulfur incorporation from H2S-based plasma is the key to deposition of crystalline films, which can be achieved by adding H2 to the plasma feed gas. Film composition, crystallinity, growth, morphology, and electrical properties of MoS x films prepared within a broad range of deposition conditions have been systematically characterized. Film characteristics are correlated with results of field-effect transistors based on MoS2 films deposited at 100 °C. The capability to deposit MoS2 on poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates showcases the potential of our process for flexible devices. Furthermore, the composition control achieved by tailoring plasma chemistry is relevant for all low-temperature plasma-enhanced deposition processes of metal chalcogenides.

Revisiting the Evidence for the Reuse of Enteral Feeding Equipment in Ambulatory Patients: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The reuse of enteral tube feeding (ETF) equipment is not recommended due to the risk of microbial contamination and subsequent risk of infection; however, this practice continues in many ambulatory settings. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to review the evidence underpinning the cleaning and reuse of ETF equipment. METHODS: Studies that investigated the reuse, decontamination, and/or cleaning of ETF equipment were considered for inclusion. Electronic databases were searched (no limits were placed on date of publication, age, or duration of reuse). Extracted data were assessed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) and reported in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations. RESULTS: Ten studies met inclusion criteria: 3 investigated changes to clinical outcomes with extending reuse from 24 to ≤72 hours using water rinses; 5 considered the efficacy of various cleaning methods assessed in laboratory conditions; 2 used a combination of both approaches. Sufficient data to allow GRADE assessment was found only for bottle-type containers. CONCLUSIONS: A very low level of evidence supports the cleaning and reuse of rigid and "unspecified" bottle containers; no studies were found to inform the reuse of syringes used for bolus feeding or any equipment used for water infusion or flushes. There is an absence of literature evaluating the safety and clinical outcomes of cleaning and reusing ETF equipment, and research is required to support equipment reuse.

How do we know what we don't know? Exploring Deaf people's experiences of supporting their Deaf family member living with dementia.

Deaf sign language users living with dementia and their carers, some of whom are Deaf, routinely face everyday barriers in accessing information, support (both formal and informal) and services. The familial care situation is further complicated given that most Deaf people will choose a life partner who is Deaf and most Deaf couples will have hearing children. This study focussed specifically on the everyday experiences of Deaf carers and the impact of caring for a loved one with dementia. Drawing on data from a wider consultation about dementia care, three Deaf carers were directly interviewed in British Sign Language by a Deaf researcher about their everyday experiences of care, support, and services. Thematic analysis focussed on: access is more than the provision of interpreters; effective care for the carers; and unknowing risk taking. Findings demonstrate the multifaceted effects of barriers to knowledge and information when the care partner is also Deaf, the urgent need for effective support for Deaf carers and unrecognised safeguarding concerns that are a result of lack of access to forms of basic knowledge about living with someone with dementia and potential coping strategies. Nonetheless, the participants demonstrated novel solutions and resilience in the face of these multiple challenges. Implications are drawn for future targeted services to supported Deaf carers of people affected by dementia.

The Lived Experience and Legacy of Pragmatics for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children.

In this article, we discuss deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children's pragmatic difficulties and strengths from within the lived experiences of 5 hearing parents of DHH children and 5 DHH adults (one of whom is also a parent of a deaf child). We define lived experience as both a specific form of knowledge (first-hand stories from everyday life) and a unique way of knowing (reflecting and telling from insider perspectives). The parents and DHH adults involved coauthored the article alongside 2 experienced researcher-practitioners. Key themes include what pragmatic challenges feel like for a DHH person, why they arise, how they might result in longer-term consequences (such as implications for well-being) that can continue into adulthood, what might be pragmatic strengths in this population, and what might be done to ameliorate pragmatic difficulties. We end the article with reflections on the significance of individual parents and DHH adults in the coproduction and execution of research on this topic and make suggestions for future directions of inquiry.

Authentic public and patient involvement with Deaf sign language users: It is not just about language access.

This article concerns Public and Patient Involvement practice with Deaf people who are sign language users. It draws on the experience of public and patient involvement in a project concerning Deaf people's lived experience of dementia and focusses on: (i) creating the conditions of trust in circumstances of unrecorded knowledge; (ii) being a community insider as a necessary but not sufficient condition without public and patient involvement and (iii) community consultation as influencing positive public and patient involvement practice. It sets out a series of recommendations for authentic public and patient involvement practice with Deaf sign language users linked to each of these themes before considering more generally barriers to Deaf people's involvement in public and patient involvement in health and social care research.

Challenges of Realising Patient-Centred Outcomes for Deaf Patients.

In general populations, it has been recognised that patients play a key role in the quality of their own healthcare. However, the idea of realising patient-centred outcomes for the signing Deaf community, who experience the world in a visual way, raises some challenging issues that are rarely acknowledged. Using published research and translational health projects involving Deaf people both in the UK and internationally, this article discusses the challenges of realising patient-centred outcomes for Deaf people who are sign language users. The discussion includes an examination of: barriers to accessing healthcare for Deaf people; the impact of an insufficient acquisition of knowledge about health-related issues; Deaf people's limited fund of information; not recognising Deaf people's values and citizenship rights; and challenges in gathering Deaf people's reported outcomes. We contend that without including Deaf people in shaping the healthcare experience for them, whether at an interpersonal level of patient engagement or at a structural level, the concept of fulfilling patient-centred outcomes for Deaf people is not achievable.

Sickle cell anemia: targeting the role of fetal hemoglobin in therapy.

Sickle cell anemia results from the single amino acid substitution of valine for glutamic acid in the beta-chain owing to a nucleotide defect that causes the production of abnormal beta-chains in hemoglobin S. Abnormal hemoglobin chains form polymers in the deoxygenated state, leading to the characteristic sickle cells. The polymerization of deoxygenated hemoglobin S accounts for the pathologic changes in sickle cell disease. The main-stay of therapy in sickle cell disease aims to reduce the amount of sickled hemoglobin present through the prevention of polymerization and reversal of this process. One way of discouraging polymerization is to increase the level of fetal hemoglobin, which because of its high oxygen affinity, does not participate in the polymerization process. Fetal hemoglobin production may be induced pharmacologically or by the use of gene therapy and genetic engineering techniques.

An importance-performance analysis of hospital information system attributes: A nurses' perspective.

PURPOSE: Health workers have numerous concerns about hospital IS (HIS) usage. Addressing these concerns requires understanding the system attributes most important to their satisfaction and productivity. Following a recent HIS implementation, our objective was to identify priorities for managerial intervention based on user evaluations of the performance of the HIS attributes as well as the relative importance of these attributes to user satisfaction and productivity outcomes. PROCEDURES: We collected data along a set of attributes representing system quality, data quality, information quality, and service quality from 154 nurse users. Their quantitative responses were analysed using the partial least squares approach followed by an importance-performance analysis. Qualitative responses were analysed using thematic analysis to triangulate and supplement the quantitative findings. MAIN FINDINGS: Two system quality attributes (responsiveness and ease of learning), one information quality attribute (detail), one service quality attribute (sufficient support), and three data quality attributes (records complete, accurate and never missing) were identified as high priorities for intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Our application of importance-performance analysis is unique in HIS evaluation and we have illustrated its utility for identifying those system attributes for which underperformance is not acceptable to users and therefore should be high priorities for intervention.

Understanding dementia: effective information access from the Deaf community's perspective.

This study concerns older Deaf sign language users in the UK. Its aim was to explore how to enable effective information access and promote awareness and understanding of dementia from a culturally Deaf perspective. A purposive sample of 26 Deaf people without dementia participated in one of three focus groups facilitated directly in British Sign Language (BSL) without an intermediate interpreter. The sample was differentiated by age, role in the Deaf community, and diversity of educational attainment and professional experience. A phenomenological approach underpinned the thematic analysis of data. The findings demonstrate: (i) translation into (BSL) is a necessary but not sufficient condition to support understanding. Attention to culturally preferred means of engagement with information is vital; (ii) the content of information is best presented utilising structures and formats which cohere with Deaf people's visual cognitive strengths; and (iii) the importance of cultural values and cultural practices in raising awareness and building understanding of dementia. These include collective rather than individual responsibility for knowledge transfer and the pan-national nature of knowledge transfer among Deaf people(s). The discussion demonstrates how these specific features of effective information access and awareness building have universal implications relevant to public engagement and the promotion of general knowledge consistent with the National Dementia Strategy (England).

Clinical audit of subjects with snoring & sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome fitted with mandibular repositioning splint.

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) are often treated with mandibular repositioning splints (MRS), but the efficacy and satisfaction of them has not been comprehensively addressed. A survey on the use of and satisfaction with MRS was posted to 177 patients referred by a hospital orthodontic department for custom-fitting of a MRS. Data were analysed using non-parametric techniques. The response rate was 81% (n=144). Responders (30F, 114M) had mean (SD) age of 51 (11) years, apnoea+hypopnoea index (AHI) of 24 (21) per hr and Epworth Score of 10 (5) at diagnosis, and had been supplied with their MRS a median 7 (IQR 5-11) months previously. Fifty of the 144 patients (35%) had been offered continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment but had declined or abandoned this. Self-reported MRS use was 5 (2) h/night, with 74 of the 144 patients (51%) continuing to use MRS at least occasionally at a median 7 months after fitting. Survival analysis showed 12% still using MRS at 12 months. Epworth score fell slightly with MRS therapy [-2.4 (3.5); P=0.005] and 7 daytime and 2 nocturnal symptoms improved in MRS users (all P<0.05). Marital satisfaction did not change with MRS. Problems preventing MRS use in 70 non-users included: non-retention (n=12), sore mouth (n=13) or jaw (n=7), difficulties falling asleep (n=10) or breathing (n=7), excessive salivation (n=4), dental damage (n=4) and other problems (n=3). Continued use of MRS therapy was associated with a higher number of teeth, low marital satisfaction perceived by partners and greater improvement in symptoms reported by patients and partners. Continuance with MRS may be low and linked to tolerance problems.

Sleep-disordered breathing as a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease: a case-control study in patients with transient ischemic attacks.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The evidence that obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea (OSAH) is a risk factor for ischemic cerebrovascular disease is inconclusive. We explored this relationship in transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients because they are less likely than stroke patients to have OSAH as a consequence of cerebrovascular disease. METHODS: We performed a case-control study among 86 patients with TIA from a hospital neurovascular clinic, matched for age (+/-5 years) and sex with controls from the referring local family practice registers. RESULTS: Forty-nine of the 86 matched pairs were male and the body mass index was similar among cases and controls. The primary outcome measure, the apnea/hypopnea index [AHI=number of (apneas+hypopneas)/h slept, measured during overnight polysomnography and scored blind to case-control status], was the same for cases and controls (21/hour). However, the median number of 4% desaturations during sleep was slightly greater in the cases (12/hour) than controls (6/hour, P=0.04). There were the expected associations between TIA and higher fibrinogen levels (TIA 3.3, control 3.0 g/L, P=0.01), previous myocardial infarction (TIA 22, control 6%, P=0.007), a history of ever smoking (TIA 71, control 54%, P=0.01), hypertension (TIA 51, control 21%, P=0.001), and raised cholesterol (TIA 27, control 10%, P=0.01), with a weak trend for diabetes mellitus (TIA 10, control 6%, P=0.4). CONCLUSIONS: OSAH does not appear to be strongly associated with TIAs.

Understanding the personhood of Deaf people with dementia: methodological issues.

This article concerns Deaf people in the United Kingdom, who use sign language, who have a formal diagnosis of dementia and who have participated in interviews in British Sign Language (BSL) about their experience of living with dementia. We address the methodological challenges involved in enabling culturally meaningful participation in circumstances where the non-verbal is not equivalent to the non-linguistic. We demonstrate the use of interpretative narrative representation of data for purposes of cultural brokering. We explore the contribution of Deaf people's experiences and the analysis of their visual, spatial narratives to debates about personhood and the embodied self in dementia studies. Finally, we consider the significance of the situational as cultural in relation to holistic interpretation of narrative.

Bispectral index values and spectral edge frequency at different stages of physiologic sleep.

UNLABELLED: Bispectral index (BIS) and spectral edge frequency (SEF) are used as measures of depth of anesthesia and sedation. We tested whether these signals could predict physiologic sleep stages, by taking processed electroencephalogram measurements and recording full polysomnography through a night's sleep in 10 subjects being investigated for mild sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. Computerized polysomnograph signals were analyzed manually according to standard criteria, classifying each 30-s epoch as a specific sleep stage. The BIS and SEF values were taken at the end of each period of sleep when the same stage had lasted for at least 2 min. Before sleep, median values for BIS were 97 +/- 12.1 and for SEF 23 +/- 4.2 Hz. After sleep initiation, the median BIS values for arousal, light, slow wave, and rapid eye movement sleep were 67 +/- 20.2, 50 +/- 16.5, 42 +/- 11.2, and 48 +/- 7.1, respectively, and the median SEF values were 20 +/- 4.7, 15 +/- 3.6, 10 +/- 2.6, and 19 +/- 4.1 Hz, respectively. Although both BIS and SEF decreased with increasing sleep depth, the distribution of values at each sleep depth was considerable, with overlap between each sleep stage. Neither BIS nor SEF reliably indicated conventionally determined sleep stages. In addition, the response of the BIS was slow and patients could arouse with low BIS values, which then took some time to increase. IMPLICATIONS: Although computer processing of the electroencephalogram can provide an adequate index of depth of anesthesia, the same processing cannot reliably convey depth of natural sleep. At each sleep stage, the output signal has a wide range of possible values.