Understanding Loneliness in Older Adults: Reports from Experts by Experience to Reach Digital Solutions.

Loneliness is a subjective experience escalating worldwide and affecting older adults. Digital solutions can play a major role in addressing loneliness, although its use has been facing resistance due to scarce involvement of older adults in its design. MOAI LABS is an ongoing European project that adopts a co-design process to develop digital solutions to address loneliness in older adults. This study reports the experience of loneliness shared by a group of eight community-dwelling older Portuguese adults (aged 64 to 86 years old), who are "experts by experience" (who feel alone). Findings were obtained from two co-creation sessions that were audio-recorded, and transcribed. The data analysis was performed involving the research team and the "experts by experience." Three themes emerged: 1) loneliness as a detrimental "state of the soul"; 2) loneliness reinforced by features of the aging process; and 3) loneliness builds more loneliness. MOAI LABS co-design process of digital solutions will embrace these experiences and involve frontline gerontological social workers who have experience with older adults' loneliness.

Study protocol: healthy urban living and ageing in place (HULAP): an international, mixed methods study examining the associations between physical activity, built and social environments for older adults the UK and Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The ability to 'age in place' is dependent on a range of inter-personal, social and built environment attributes, with the latter being a key area for potential intervention. There is an emerging body of evidence that indicates the type of built environment features that may best support age friendly communities, but there is a need to expand and consolidate this, while generating a better understanding of how on how research findings can be most effectively be translated in to policy and practice. METHODS: The study is based on two case study cities, Curtiba (Brazil) and Belfast (UK), which have highly contrasting physical, social and policy environments. The study deploys a mix methods approach, mirrored in each city. This includes the recruitment of 300 participants in each city to wear GPS and accelerometers, a survey capturing physical functioning and other personal attributes, as well as their perception of their local environment using NEWS-A. The study will also measure the built environments of the cities using GIS and develop a tool for auditing the routes used by participants around their neighbourhoods. The study seeks to comparatively map the policy actors and resources involved in healthy ageing in the two cities through interviews, focus groups and discourse analysis. Finally, the study has a significant knowledge exchange component, including the development of a tool to assess the capacities of both researchers and research users to maximise the impact of the research findings. DISCUSSION: The HULAP study has been designed and implemented by a multi-disciplinary team and integrates differing methodologies to purposefully impact on policy and practice on healthy ageing in high and low-middle income countries. It has particular strengths in its combination of objective and self-reported measures using validated tools and the integration of GPS, accelerometer and GIS data to provide a robust assessment of 'spatial energetics'. The strong knowledge exchange strand means that the study is expected to also contribute to our understanding of how to maximise research impact in this field and create effective evidence for linking older adult's physical activity with the social, built and policy environments.

Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Alveolar Osteitis in a Patient With Acute Lymphoid Leukemia: A Case Report.

Introduction: Acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) is a malignant disease, the prognosis of which depends on the age of the patient and the treatment. The aim of this article was to report the treatment of this rare and interesting case of alveolar osteitis with antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in a patient with ALL that was resolved efficiently and quickly. Case Presentation: A 33-year-old male diagnosed with ALL attended the public service, complaining of pain in the region of tooth 48, without function. Extraction was performed, and the patient returned for postoperative follow-up, complaining of severe pain in the area of the alveolus. Clinical examination revealed osteitis. The alveolus was treated using aPDT with 0.005% methylene blue photosensitizer, followed by the application of a low-level red laser at a wavelength of 660 nm (321 J/cm2 - site). After 15 days, soft tissue closure was observed and complete filling of the alveolus was observed radiographically with a 7-month follow-up. Conclusion: The authors suggest that aPDT can be an effective treatment of alveolar osteitis in a patient with ALL.

Translating healthcare research evidence into practice: The role of linked boundary objects.

Recent years have seen widespread interest in the process of evidence implementation and growth of implementation science. Whilst this work has drawn attention to the challenges and complexities of implementing evidence into everyday practice, for the most part, studies of implementation uphold the ideal of a linear 'pipeline' between research and front-line care. In contrast, this paper adopts a practice perspective on knowledge, and draws on science and technology studies concepts to identify how the socio-material environment contributes to the translation of evidence across multiple organisational and professional boundaries. Findings report on a qualitative case study of implementing fall prevention research evidence at a large teaching hospital in Portugal. Data is from forty-six in-depth semi-structured interviews with clinical and non-clinical staff. The case highlights how linked boundary objects bridge temporally sequential boundaries between research and different practice communities, hence facilitating the translation of research evidence into everyday practice. The initial boundary object (the 'Morse' fall risk assessment scale) contributed to evidence being taken up by specialist nurses within the hospital, while a second boundary object (a pink patient wristband) engendered a change in practice of a wider network of actors. Nevertheless, the symbolic connection between the two linked boundary objects remained precarious, dependent on networks of interaction and communication. The study highlights the role of material objects in the ongoing translation of research evidence into everyday clinical practice.

The persecution and deservedness scale.

OBJECTIVES: To design a brief measure to assess both the severity of paranoid thinking and the perceived deservedness of persecution, which can be employed in clinical and non-clinical populations. BACKGROUND: No existing measure is adequate for these purposes. METHODS: In Study 1, we selected 10 items for a persecution and deservedness scale (PaDS) using data from 318 UK and 290 Portuguese undergraduate students, who also completed the Beck Depression Inventory and the Fenigstein's Paranoia Scale. In Study 2, we made comparisons between 45 clinical participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or delusional disorder and the UK students from Study 1. The psychometric properties of the PaDS were analysed for separate persecution (P) and deservedness (D) subscales. RESULTS: The 10-item PaDS subscales were internally reliable for both clinical and student samples. Correlations with other measures of depressive mood and paranoid thinking indicate that the P subscale has concurrent validity. Higher P and D scores were observed in UK students compared to Portuguese students. The clinical participants' P scores subscale were significantly higher than the students' scores but their D scores were lower. CONCLUSIONS: The PaDS is a reliable and valid measure of paranoid thinking and perceived deservedness of persecution, which is sensitive for use in clinical and non-clinical populations. Paranoid thinking appears to be mainly bad-me in non-clinical groups but poor-me in psychotic psychiatric patients.

The role of place on healthcare quality improvement: A qualitative case study of a teaching hospital.

This article examines how the built environment impacts, and is impacted by, healthcare staff day to day practice, care outcomes and the design of new quality and patient safety (Q&PS) projects. It also explores how perceptions of the built environment affect inter-professional dynamics. In doing so, it contributes to the overlooked interplay between the physical, social, and symbolic dimensions associated with a hospital's place. The study draws on 46 in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted at a large teaching hospital in Portugal formed by two buildings. Interview transcripts were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. The major contribution of this study is to advance the understanding of the interactions among the different dimensions of place on Q&PS improvement. For example, findings indicate that some of the characteristics of the physical infrastructure of the hospital have a negative impact on the quality of care provided and/or significantly limit the initiatives that can be implemented to improve it, including refurbishment works. However, decisions on refurbishment works were also influenced by the characteristics of the patient population, hospital budget, etc. Likewise, clinicians' emotional reactions to the limitations of the buildings depended on their expectations of the buildings and the symbolic projections they attributed to them. Nevertheless, differences between clinicians' expectations regarding the physical infrastructure and its actual features influenced clinicians' views on Q&PS initiatives designed by non-clinicians.

Public policies on healthcare-associated infections: a Brazil and UK case study.

To summarize the historical events and drivers underlying public policy for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in Brazil and in the United Kingdom. In doing so, the article aims to identify lessons and recommendations for future development of public policy. The analysis is based on a historical overview of national healthcare-associated infections programs taken from previously published sources. Findings highlight how the development of healthcare-associated infections prevention and control policies followed similar trajectories in Brazil and the United Kingdom. This can be conceptualized around four sequential phases: Formation, Consolidation, Standardization, and Monitoring and Evaluation. However, while we identified similar phases of development in Brazil and the United Kingdom, it can be seen that the former entered each stage around 20 years after the latter.

'Poor me' versus 'bad me' paranoia and the instability of persecutory ideation.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether there are two stable types of paranoia, 'poor me' and 'bad me', as described by Trower and Chadwick (1995), and whether beliefs about the deservedness of persecution are associated with psychological measures. METHODS: In-patients experiencing persecutory delusions were assigned either to 'poor me' (PM) or 'bad me'(BM) groups, according to their rating of a perceived deservedness scale, which was repeated on subsequent assessments. Participants were assessed for depression (BDI); construction of the self (Self-to-Others Scale); autonomy and sociotropy (PSI); perceived parental behaviour (PBI); attributional style (ASQ) and, meaningful daily events (DEI, devised for the study). A healthy control group was also assessed. RESULTS: Many patients' perceived deservedness of persecution varied across time, so that some patients were PM at one point in time but BM at another. BM paranoia was associated with high levels of depression. PM and BM patients groups both scored higher than the controls on the subscales of Self-to-Others Scale and on the PSI. PM patients exhibited a marked self-serving bias on the ASQ, and reported less parental care on the PSI, compared to the BM patients. Both groups reported less PBI mother care than the controls. BM patients reported more failure events than PM patients or controls. PM patients reported more loss of control events than the than BM patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: PM and BM paranoia may represent separate phases of an unstable phenomenon. The findings are consistent with an attributional account of paranoid thinking.

The impact of accreditation on healthcare quality improvement: a qualitative case study.

Purpose Research on accreditation has mostly focused on assessing its impact using large scale quantitative studies, yet little is known on how quality is improved in practice through an accreditation process. Using a case study of an acute teaching hospital in Portugal, the purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics through which accreditation can lead to an improvement in the quality of healthcare services provided. Design/methodology/approach Data for the case study was collected through 46 in-depth semi-structured interviews with 49 clinical and non-clinical members of staff. Data were analyzed using a framework thematic analysis. Findings Interviewees felt that hospital accreditation contributed to the improvement of healthcare quality in general, and more specifically to patient safety, as it fostered staff reflection, a higher standardization of practices, and a greater focus on quality improvement. However, findings also suggest that the positive impact of accreditation resulted from the approach the hospital adopted in its implementation as well as the fact that several of the procedures and practices required by accreditation were already in place at the hospital, albeit often in an informal way. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted in only one hospital. The design of an accreditation implementation plan tailored to the hospital's context can significantly contribute to positive outcomes in terms of quality and patient safety improvements. Originality/value This study provides a better understanding of how accreditation can contribute to healthcare quality improvement. It offers important lessons on the factors and processes that potentiate quality improvements through accreditation.

Morphological aspects and physical properties of enamel and dentine of Sus domesticus: A tooth model in laboratory research.

This study aims to describe and analyze morphological and physical properties of deciduous teeth of Sus domesticus. Ultrastructural analysis, mineral composition and microhardness of enamel and dentine tissues were performed on 10 skulls of S. domesticus. External anatomic characteristics and the internal anatomy of the teeth were also described. Data regarding microhardness and ultrastructural analysis were subjected to statistical tests. For ultrastructural analysis, we used the analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey's post hoc (p≤0.05) test. In the analysis of microhardness, the difference between the enamel and dentine tissues was analyzed by a Student's t test. Values were expressed as mean with standard error. The results of ultrastructural analysis showed the presence of an enamel prism pattern. A dentinal tubule pattern was also observed, with a larger diameter in the pulp chamber and the cervical third, in comparison to middle and apical thirds. We observed an average microhardness of 259.2kgf/mm(2) for enamel and 55.17kgf/mm(2) for dentine. In porcine enamel and dentine, the chemical elements Ca and P showed the highest concentration. The analysis of internal anatomy revealed the presence of a simple root canal system and the occurrence of main canals in the roots. The observed features are compatible with the functional demand of these animals, following a pattern very similar to that seen in other groups of mammals, which can encourage the development of research using dental elements from the pig as a substitute for human teeth in laboratory research.

'Poor me' versus 'Bad me' paranoia: the association between self-beliefs and the instability of persecutory ideation.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether different self-attributes would be associated with different degrees of deservedness of persecution in a clinical paranoid sample. BACKGROUND: Some studies have shown differences between the self-esteem (SE) of individuals with 'Poor Me' (PM) and 'Bad Me' (BM) paranoia (Bentall et al., 2009; Chadwick, Trower, Juusti-Butler, & Maguire, 2005). Most studies investigating this relationship have employed a cross-sectional design, precluding the investigation of changes over time. METHODS: In the cross-sectional part of the study, 45 clinical participants and 25 controls were assessed in terms of paranoia, deservedness of persecution, SE, self-discrepancies, daily events, and coping strategies. In the longitudinal part of the study, the clinical group was re-assessed over a period of another 2 days, in order to study changes in these variables. RESULTS: At baseline, there were no differences between the SE of the two paranoia presentations, which was significantly lower than the controls'. However, the paired-samples repeated analysis found the SE of individuals when in a PM presentation was higher than when they were BM. Only BM paranoia was found to be associated with higher self-ideal:self-actual self-discrepancies than the other groups. The longitudinal analysis indicated that, having been PM and having low SE at the previous assessment day made it more likely that individuals would be in BM subsequently. No differences in causal attributions made for ecological events were found between the groups. Higher SE was found to be more likely when individuals coped with adversities by using social support. CONCLUSIONS: Both deservedness of persecution and self-views appear to be unstable in individuals with paranoia and to change consistently over time, a finding which is in keeping with Bentall et al.'s (2001) dynamic model of paranoia.

Public policies on healthcare-associated infections: a Brazil and UK case study

ABSTRACT To summarize the historical events and drivers underlying public policy for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in Brazil and in the United Kingdom. In doing so, the article aims to identify lessons and recommendations for future development of public policy. The analysis is based on a historical overview of national healthcare-associated infections programs taken from previously published sources. Findings highlight how the development of healthcare-associated infections prevention and control policies followed similar trajectories in Brazil and the United Kingdom. This can be conceptualized around four sequential phases: Formation, Consolidation, Standardization, and Monitoring and Evaluation. However, while we identified similar phases of development in Brazil and the United Kingdom, it can be seen that the former entered each stage around 20 years after the latter.

Coping in subclinical paranoia: A two nations study.

BACKGROUND: Trower and Chadwick argued that there are two types of paranoia: 'poor me', in which persecution is seen as undeserved, and 'bad me', in which it is perceived to be deserved. These authors outlined a theory which accounts for both types of paranoia and makes predictions regarding their stability. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To examine whether different degrees of persecutory ideation and deservedness are associated with different coping strategies in non-clinical populations. METHODOLOGY: Six hundred and eight university students from two European countries (UK and Portugal) took part via the Internet, and were assessed in terms of the severity of persecution and deservedness (Persecution and Deservedness Scale), mood (Beck Depression Inventory), and coping strategies (Response Styles to Depression Questionnaire and COPE Questionnaire). RESULTS: Deservedness was associated with acceptance and with engaging in dangerous activities. CONCLUSIONS: 'Poor me' and 'bad me' paranoia may represent separate phases of the same unstable defensive phenomenon. The effectiveness of the existing psychological interventions in prodromal psychosis could be increased by addressing the negative impact of safety behaviours and of substance misuse and by encouraging the practice of more adaptive ways of dealing with everyday problems.

A influência da doença periodontal e a manipulação dos tecidos periodontais na bacteremia sistêmica: uma revisão de literatura / The influence of periodontal disease and the manipulation of periodontal tissues on systemic bacteremia: a review of the literature

Periodontal disease is the most prevalent oral infection in patients admitted to intensive care units. The periodontium is surrounded by a multitude of lymphatic vessels. Through this path, the lymphatic fluid mixes with the venous blood, resulting in an invasion of bacteria in the circulatory system, even for a short period of time. Periodontal bacteria, in addition to entering the circulatory system, produce inflammatory mediators that are generally not limited to periodontal tissues. Through these and other processes, it is possible to observe the relationship between periodontal diseases and systemic diseases. The objective of this review was to observe the pathways between periodontal disease and systemic events, emphasizing the bacteremia caused by the manipulation of periodontal tissues in patients with periodontitis. A search was performed on the Pubmed, Lilacs and Scielo databases, using the English descriptors "periodontal diseases", "periodontitis", "bacteremia", "bacteraemia" and "periodontal therapy". Studies show that periodontal disease and manipulation of periodontal tissues are capable of promoting bacteremia and of influencing systemic diseases. It was also concluded that the studies present a heterogeneous methodology, which suggests the need for greater standardization to better compare the data (AU)

A doença periodontal é a infecção bucal de maior prevalência em pacientes internados em unidades de terapia intensiva. O periodonto é cercado por uma infinidade de vasos linfáticos. Por este trajeto, o fluido linfático se mistura ao sangue venoso, resultando numa invasão de bactérias no sistema circulatório, ainda que por curto período de tempo. As bactérias periodontais, além de adentrarem no sistema circulatório, produzem mediadores inflamatórios que, geralmente, não se limitam aos tecidos periodontais. Por meio desses e outros processos, é possível observar a relação das doenças periodontais com as doenças sistêmicas. O objetivo desta revisão foi observar as vias de ligação entre a doença periodontal e os eventos sistêmicos, salientando a bacteremia originada da manipulação dos tecidos periodontais em pacientes com periodontite. Foi realizada uma busca nas bases de dados Pubmed, Lilacs e Scielo, utilizando os descritores em inglês "periodontal diseases", "periodontitis", "bacteremia", "bacteraemia", "periodontal therapy". Estudos mostram que a doença periodontal e a manipulação dos tecidos periodontais são capazes de promover a bacteremia e de influenciar doenças sistêmicas. Concluiu-se ainda, que os estudos apresentam uma metodologia heterogênea, o que sugere a necessidade de maior padronização para melhor comparação dos dados (AU)

Avaliação do perfil periodontal dos pacientes atendidos na Faculdade de Odontologia da Unievangélica / Periodontal assessment profile of patients treated in the College of Dentistry UniEVANGÉLICA / Periodontal assessment profile of patients treated in the College of Dentistry UniEVANGÉLICA

INTRODUÇÃO: A Doença Periodontal é caracterizada por uma doença infecciosa resultante da inflamação dos tecidos de suporte e do tecido de revestimento dos dentes. Esta pode ser classificada em: gengivite quando compromete o periodonto de proteção e periodontite que acomete os tecidos de inserção. OBJETIVO: Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar o perfil periodontal dos pacientes atendidos na Faculdade de Odontologia da UniEVANGÉLICA, Anápolis- GO. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Esta pesquisa documental descritiva retrospectiva avaliou prontuários de pacientes atendidos na clínica da Faculdade de Odontologia da UniEVANGÉLICA no período de 2009 a 2014. Nos prontuários foram analisados principalmente o Registro Periodontal Simplificado (PSR), a classificação da doença periodontal e o periograma dos pacientes que apresentaram periodontite. RESULTADOS: Dentre os 233 prontuários, 68% (n = 158) eram mulheres, 33,05% (n = 77) tinham entre 40 e 50 anos e 21% (n = 51) eram fumantes. Destes, 55 % (n = 129) possuíam gengivite e 45% (n=104) periodontite. Dos pacientes com periodontite, a Crônica Localizada foi constatada em 48% (n = 50), a Crônica Generalizada em 40% (n = 42), enquanto as Agressivas Localizada e Generalizada foram encontradas em 7% (n = 7) e 5% (n = 5) respectivamente. Pelos dados do PSR, pode-se observar que 49% (n = 114) apresentaram o código asterisco. CONCLUSÃO: De acordo com os resultados obtidos nesta pesquisa, pode-se notar uma prevalência de pacientes do gênero feminino e a gengivite foi a doença periodontal mais prevalente seguida pela periodontite crônica localizada.

INTRODUCTION: The Periodontal Disease is characterized by an infectious disease resulted from the inflammation of covering tissues (gingivitis) and/or of the support tissue (periodontitis) of teeth. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to verify the periodontal profile of the patients attended at UniEVANGÉLICA’S Dental School. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This is a descriptive documental and retrospective research that evaluated the records of the patients that were attended at UniEvangélica’s Dental School clinic from 2009 to 2014. The Periodontal Screening and Record (PSR), the periodontal disease’s classification and the periodontal chart of the patients that presented periodontitis were the main analysis performed from the records. RESULTS: Among the 233 records, 68% (n=158) were women, 33,05% (n=77) among 40 to 50 years old and 21% (n=51) were smokers. Among these, 55% (n=129) presented gingivitis, from the patients with periodontitis, 48% (n=50) were diagnosed with the Localized Chronic periodontitis, 40% (n=42) with the Generalized Chronic, while 7% (n=7) and 5% (n=5) had the Aggressive Localized and the Generalized Periodontitis, respectively. Through the PSR data, it was noticed that 49% (n=114) presented the asterisk code. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this research, a female prevalence could be noticed and the gingivitis was the most prevalent periodontal disease, followed by the Localized Chronic Periodontitis