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1.
J Chem Phys ; 161(2)2024 Jul 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38973763

ABSTRACT

We studied the nonequilibrium dynamics of a cycling three-state Potts model using simulations and theory. This model can be tuned from thermal-equilibrium to far-from-equilibrium conditions. At low cycling energy, the homogeneous dominant state cycles via nucleation and growth, while spiral waves are formed at high energy. For large systems, a discontinuous transition occurs from these cyclic homogeneous phases to spiral waves, while the opposite transition is absent. Conversely, these two modes can coexist for small systems. The waves can be reproduced by a continuum theory, and the transition can be understood from the competition between nucleation and growth.

2.
BMC Med Res Methodol ; 23(1): 234, 2023 10 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37838681

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in major disruption to healthcare delivery worldwide causing medical services to adapt their standard practices. Learning how these adaptations result in unintended patient harm is essential to mitigate against future incidents. Incident reporting and learning system data can be used to identify areas to improve patient safety. A classification system is required to make sense of such data to identify learning and priorities for further in-depth investigation. The Patient Safety (PISA) classification system was created for this purpose, but it is not known if classification systems are sufficient to capture novel safety concepts arising from crises like the pandemic. We aimed to review the application of the PISA classification system during the COVID-19 pandemic to appraise whether modifications were required to maintain its meaningful use for the pandemic context. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods study integrating two phases in an exploratory, sequential design. This included a comparative secondary analysis of patient safety incident reports from two studies conducted during the first wave of the pandemic, where we coded patient-reported incidents from the UK and clinician-reported incidents from France. The findings were presented to a focus group of experts in classification systems and patient safety, and a thematic analysis was conducted on the resultant transcript. RESULTS: We identified five key themes derived from the data analysis and expert group discussion. These included capitalising on the unique perspective of safety concerns from different groups, that existing frameworks do identify priority areas to investigate further, the objectives of a study shape the data interpretation, the pandemic spotlighted long-standing patient concerns, and the time period in which data are collected offers valuable context to aid explanation. The group consensus was that no COVID-19-specific codes were warranted, and the PISA classification system was fit for purpose. CONCLUSIONS: We have scrutinised the meaningful use of the PISA classification system's application during a period of systemic healthcare constraint, the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these constraints, we found the framework can be successfully applied to incident reports to enable deductive analysis, identify areas for further enquiry and thus support organisational learning. No new or amended codes were warranted. Organisations and investigators can use our findings when reviewing their own classification systems.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Patient Safety , Humans , Pandemics , Medical Errors , COVID-19/epidemiology , Risk Management
3.
Eur Spine J ; 32(8): 2805-2807, 2023 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37103576

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe a cheap simulation model used to reduce the learning curve of the interlaminar full-endoscopic discectomy in a pilot study. INTRODUCTION: The steep and difficult learning curve remain one of the main obstacles against the widespread diffusion of interlaminar full endoscopic lumbar discectomy (ILFED). One solution to overcome this learning curve is training with deliberate practice. As realistic models are relatively expensive and cadaver workshops not readily available, we developed a simple and cheap model to train the key steps of the procedure. METHODS: A simple and cheap model were designed. It consists of a king oyster mushroom stalk, a glove finger, a sponge and cotton wool. In order to fix the model to the table and to simulate the level of the patient's skin whereupon the hand of the surgeon relies, a wooden holding device was also used. As the purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the model as a stimulator, it was tested during an advanced endoscopic training course. RESULTS: A step-by-step learning method with key steps was used by participants attending an advanced ILFED training on expensive realistic models. The model was considered as comparable and enough realistic to train key steps in order to reduce the learning curve and training costs. CONCLUSION: We present an affordable, simple and reproducible training model, which allows for deliberate practice of the key steps of the ILFED procedure. The model may be used by surgeons starting with spinal endoscopy.


Subject(s)
Agaricales , Diskectomy, Percutaneous , Intervertebral Disc Displacement , Humans , Learning Curve , Pilot Projects , Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery , Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery , Endoscopy/methods , Diskectomy/methods , Treatment Outcome , Retrospective Studies , Diskectomy, Percutaneous/methods
4.
Health Info Libr J ; 2023 Nov 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38013506

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medication discontinuation studies explore the outcomes of stopping a medication compared to continuing it. Comprehensively identifying medication discontinuation articles in bibliographic databases remains challenging due to variability in terminology. OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate search filters to retrieve medication discontinuation articles in Medline and Embase. METHODS: We identified medication discontinuation articles in a convenience sample of systematic reviews. We used primary articles to create two reference sets for Medline and Embase, respectively. The reference sets were equally divided by randomization in development sets and validation sets. Terms relevant for discontinuation were identified by term frequency analysis in development sets and combined to develop two search filters that maximized relative recalls. The filters were validated against validation sets. Relative recalls were calculated with their 95% confidences intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: We included 316 articles for Medline and 407 articles for Embase, from 15 systematic reviews. The Medline optimized search filter combined 7 terms. The Embase optimized search filter combined 8 terms. The relative recalls were respectively 92% (95% CI: 87-96) and 91% (95% CI: 86-94). CONCLUSIONS: We developed two search filters for retrieving medication discontinuation articles in Medline and Embase. Further research is needed to estimate precision and specificity of the filters.

5.
Rev Med Suisse ; 19(852): 2263-2266, 2023 Nov 29.
Article in French | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38019545

ABSTRACT

Winter sports are the cause of a significant number of spinal injuries in Switzerland. However, the number of patients, the mechanism, the presentation, the diagnosis and the treatment of vertebral fractures have considerably evolved over the last decades. As the hospital of Sion, in Valais, is particularly exposed to these diagnoses, we analyzed two series of prospective cases 30 years apart (1989-1990 and 2019-2020) and propose a review of the main types and mechanisms of fractures, diagnosis, and management for the primary care physician.


Les sports d'hiver sont à l'origine d'un nombre important de lésions de la colonne vertébrale en Suisse. Cependant, le nombre de patients, le mécanisme, la présentation, le diagnostic et le traitement des fractures vertébrales ont considérablement évolué au cours des dernières décennies. L'hôpital de Sion, en Valais, étant particulièrement exposé à ces diagnostics, nous avons analysé deux séries de cas prospectives à 30 ans d'intervalle (1989-1990 et 2019-2020) et proposons une revue des principaux types et mécanismes de fractures, diagnostics, et prises en charge pour le médecin de premier recours.


Subject(s)
Fractures, Bone , Spinal Fractures , Sports , Humans , Spinal Fractures/epidemiology , Spinal Fractures/etiology , Spinal Fractures/therapy , Hospitals , Switzerland/epidemiology
6.
Soft Matter ; 18(13): 2634-2645, 2022 Mar 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35302131

ABSTRACT

Particles in soft matter interact through the deformation field they create, as in the "cheerios" effect or the curvature-mediated interactions of membrane proteins. Using a simple model for field-mediated interactions between passive particles, or active particles that switch conformation randomly or synchronously, we derive generic results concerning multibody interactions, activity driven patterns, and retardation effects.

7.
BMC Med Res Methodol ; 22(1): 79, 2022 03 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35337283

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Deprescribing literature has been increasing rapidly. Our aim was to develop and validate search filters to identify articles on deprescribing in Medline via PubMed and in Embase via Embase.com . METHODS: Articles published from 2011 to 2020 in a core set of eight journals (covering fields of interest for deprescribing, such as geriatrics, pharmacology and primary care) formed a reference set. Each article was screened independently in duplicate and classified as relevant or non-relevant to deprescribing. Relevant terms were identified by term frequency analysis in a 70% subset of the reference set. Selected title and abstract terms, MeSH terms and Emtree terms were combined to develop two highly sensitive filters for Medline via Pubmed and Embase via Embase.com . The filters were validated against the remaining 30% of the reference set. Sensitivity, specificity and precision were calculated with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: A total of 23,741 articles were aggregated in the reference set, and 224 were classified as relevant to deprescribing. A total of 34 terms and 4 MeSH terms were identified to develop the Medline search filter. A total of 27 terms and 6 Emtree terms were identified to develop the Embase search filter. The sensitivity was 92% (95% CI: 83-97%) in Medline via Pubmed and 91% (95% CI: 82-96%) in Embase via Embase.com . CONCLUSIONS: These are the first deprescribing search filters that have been developed objectively and validated. These filters can be used in search strategies for future deprescribing reviews. Further prospective studies are needed to assess their effectiveness and efficiency when used in systematic reviews.


Subject(s)
Deprescriptions , Humans , MEDLINE , Medical Subject Headings , PubMed , Systematic Reviews as Topic
8.
Ann Pharmacother ; 56(7): 800-808, 2022 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34553640

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) deprescribing is recommended in case of inappropriate use. Patient education materials are key elements in the deprescribing process. OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to develop patient education material for PPI deprescribing in primary care in France. METHODS: This was a mixed-methods study involving (1) a literature review of the existing patient education materials on PPI deprescribing to identify key points to optimize the layout and content of the document; (2) development of a first version of the brochure by a pluri-professional steering group, following the national reference methodology of the French National Authority for Health (Haute Autorité de Santé) and iterative modifications of the patient brochure; (3) assessment of the content and understandability of the brochure by questionnaires followed by semistructured interviews with target patients; and (4) iterative brochure readability assessment with the Flesch reading ease tool. RESULTS: The final patient education material is a double-sided A3 brochure-that is, 4 A4 pages. The first round of user testing by questionnaire (n = 14 patients) led to modifications to improve the document understandability, validated in the second round of user testing by questionnaire (n = 10 patients). The semistructured interviews (n = 10 patients) highlighted an adequate comprehension, whereas actionability required some minor modifications. The readability test score of the final education brochure was 59.4. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: This patient education brochure for PPI deprescribing is targeted to patients in primary care. Its impact on PPI deprescribing will be assessed in a population-based pragmatic trial in primary care.


Subject(s)
Deprescriptions , Proton Pump Inhibitors , Comprehension , France , Humans , Patient Education as Topic , Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use
9.
BMC Health Serv Res ; 22(1): 219, 2022 Feb 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35177042

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Inappropriately using proton pump inhibitors (PPI) is associated with severe adverse drug reactions and may have major consequences on healthcare costs. Deprescribing (the process by which a healthcare professional supervises the withdrawal of an inappropriate medication, to manage polypharmacy and improve outcomes) should be considered when an inappropriate PPI prescription is identified. Deprescribing interventions directed solely to prescribers have limited efficacy and are rarely targeted to patients. The aim of this trial is to assess the efficacy of a multi-faceted intervention with patients and general practitioners (GPs) to deprescribe PPI. METHODS: We will conduct a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, population-based, controlled trial in two regions of Western France. GPs with practices with over 100 patients, and their adult patient to whom over 300 defined daily doses (DDD) of PPIs have been dispensed in the year before baseline will be included. A total of 1300 GPs and 33,000 patients will be cluster-randomized by GPs practices. Three arms will be compared: i) a multi-faceted intervention associating a) a patient education brochure about PPI deprescribing sent directly to patients (the brochure was designed using a mixed-methods study), and b) a personalized letter with the Bruyere's PPI deprescribing algorithm sent to their respective GPs, or ii) a single intervention where only the GPs received the letter and algorithm, or iii) no intervention. The primary outcome will be PPI deprescribing, defined as the proportion of patients achieving at least a 50% decrease in the amount of PPI dispensed to them (DDD/year) at 12 months compared to baseline. Secondary outcomes will include incremental cost-utility ratio (using EQ-5D-5L scale and National Health Insurance's database), acid rebound (using the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Impact Scale), and the patients' attitudes towards deprescribing (using the French rPATD). DISCUSSION: Based on previous trials, we anticipate more than 10% "successful PPI deprescribing" in the multi-faceted intervention compared to the single intervention on GPs and the control arm. The study has been funded through a national grant and will be launched in autumn 2020, for early results by the end of 2022. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04255823 ; first registered on February 5, 2020.


Subject(s)
Deprescriptions , Proton Pump Inhibitors , Adult , Humans , Inappropriate Prescribing/prevention & control , Polypharmacy , Primary Health Care/methods , Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
10.
Rev Med Suisse ; 18(808): 2377-2383, 2022 Dec 14.
Article in French | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36515475

ABSTRACT

Spinal endoscopy is the result of an evolution of techniques and technologies in the service of an ever less invasive surgery. It allows the treatment of a large range of pathologies such as disc herniation or spinal stenosis and this range continues to increase. It has already proven its non-inferiority and cost-effectiveness compared to microsurgery despite a difficult learning curve. It has the potential to replace the microscopic «gold standard¼ as it allows a faster recovery for the patient and a shorter hospital stay.


L'endoscopie spinale est le résultat d'une évolution des techniques et des technologies au service d'une chirurgie toujours moins invasive. Elle permet de traiter un bon nombre de pathologies telles que la hernie discale ou la sténose canalaire et ce nombre continue d'augmenter. Elle a déjà prouvé sa non-infériorité et son rapport coûts-bénéfices avantageux par rapport à la microchirurgie, et ce, bien que sa courbe d'apprentissage ne soit pas toujours aisée. Elle a le potentiel de remplacer le « gold standard ¼ microscopique car elle permet une récupération plus rapide pour le patient et une hospitalisation plus courte.


Subject(s)
Intervertebral Disc Displacement , Lumbar Vertebrae , Humans , Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery , Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery , Lumbosacral Region/surgery , Endoscopy/methods , Microsurgery/methods , Treatment Outcome , Retrospective Studies
11.
J Antimicrob Chemother ; 76(3): 789-795, 2021 02 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33351903

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E. coli) in community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTI) has been increasing worldwide since 2000, but with large geographical variations. The aim of this study was to determine whether the ESBL-E. coli rate in urine samples from individuals with community-acquired UTI was associated with the local socio-economic, environmental, agricultural and healthcare characteristics. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in western France using data on antibiotic susceptibility of E. coli isolated from urine samples of individuals with community-acquired UTI analysed in non-hospital laboratories from 2015 to 2017. The ESBL-E. coli rate was calculated for each laboratory. Data on socio-economic characteristics, human antibiotic consumption, hospital bed density, animal farming density and percentage of agricultural land and surface water were retrieved at the municipality level and aggregated by study area. Their association with ESBL-E. coli prevalence was quantified using multivariate linear regression models with a backward selection. RESULTS: From 358 291 E. coli isolates from urine samples tested in 92 laboratories, the mean ESBL-E. coli prevalence for the study period was 3.30%. In an adjusted model, the ESBL-E. coli rate was significantly (P < 0.05) and positively associated with the local percentage of people >65 years old, third-generation cephalosporin use (DDD/1000 inhabitants), number of hospital beds/km2, poultry density, pig density and percentage of agricultural land. Lower deprivation was associated with a higher ESBL-E. coli rate. CONCLUSIONS: Several anthropogenic factors (primary care, hospitals and animal farming) are associated with the local ESBL-E. coli rate in community-acquired UTI. These results could contribute to improve risk management, including identification of at-risk patient groups.


Subject(s)
Community-Acquired Infections , Escherichia coli Infections , Urinary Tract Infections , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy , Community-Acquired Infections/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Escherichia coli , Escherichia coli Infections/drug therapy , Escherichia coli Infections/epidemiology , France/epidemiology , Humans , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Swine , Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapy , Urinary Tract Infections/epidemiology , beta-Lactamases
12.
Soft Matter ; 17(22): 5560-5573, 2021 Jun 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33978669

ABSTRACT

The phase behavior of a membrane induced by the binding of curvature-inducing proteins is studied by a combination of analytical and numerical approaches. In thermal equilibrium under the detailed balance between binding and unbinding, the membrane exhibits three phases: an unbound uniform flat phase (U), a bound uniform flat phase (B), and a separated/corrugated phase (SC). In the SC phase, the bound proteins form hexagonally-ordered bowl-shaped domains. The transitions between the U and SC phases and between the B and SC phases are second order and first order, respectively. At a small spontaneous curvature of the protein or high surface tension, the transition between B and SC phases becomes continuous. Moreover, a first-order transition between the U and B phases is found at zero spontaneous curvature driven by the Casimir-like interactions between rigid proteins. Furthermore, nonequilibrium dynamics is investigated by the addition of active binding and unbinding at a constant rate. The active binding and unbinding processes alter the stability of the SC phase.


Subject(s)
Proteins , Surface Tension
13.
Eur J Clin Pharmacol ; 77(11): 1713-1724, 2021 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34115158

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To establish a consensus on both explicit and implicit criteria in order to identify potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in French older people aged 75 years and over or 65 years and over with multimorbidity. METHODS: Fifteen experts in geriatrics, general practice, pharmacy, and clinical pharmacology were involved in a two-round Delphi survey to assess preliminary explicit and implicit criteria based on an extensive literature review and up-to-date evidence data. Experts were asked to rate their level of agreement using a 5-level Likert scale for inclusion of criteria and also for rationale and therapeutic alternatives. A consensus was considered as reached if at least 75% of the experts rated criteria as "strongly agreed" or "agreed." RESULTS: The new tool included a seven-step algorithm (implicit criteria) encompassing the three main domains that define PIP (i.e. overprescribing, underprescribing, and misprescribing) and 104 explicit criteria. Explicit criteria were divided into 6 tables related to inappropriate drug duplications (n = 7 criteria), omissions of medications and/or medication associations (n = 16), medications with an unfavourable benefit/risk ratio and/or a questionable efficacy (n = 39), medications with an unsuitable dose (n = 4) or duration (n = 6), drug-disease (n = 13), and drug-drug interactions (n = 19). CONCLUSION: The REMEDI[e]S tool (REview of potentially inappropriate MEDIcation pr[e]scribing in Seniors) is an original mixed tool, adapted to French medical practices, aimed at preventing PIP both at the individual level in clinical practice and the population level in large-scale studies. Therefore, its use could contribute to an improvement in healthcare professionals' prescribing practices and safer care in older adults.


Subject(s)
Delphi Technique , Inappropriate Prescribing/prevention & control , Potentially Inappropriate Medication List/standards , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/standards , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Algorithms , Female , France , Geriatrics , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Multimorbidity
14.
Eur J Clin Pharmacol ; 76(1): 17-21, 2020 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31690956

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Engaging patients in the process of deprescribing is a necessity. Several patient education materials have been developed for this purpose. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of the existing patient education materials for proton-pump inhibitors deprescribing. METHODS: We conducted a targeted inventory of the available materials on scientific literature and known repositories. We evaluated their suitability with the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) instrument. Materials were rated independently by two researchers and then discussed until consensus was reached. RESULTS: Seven patient education materials were identified. Three materials (42.9%) were deemed "superior" and 4 (57.1%) were deemed "adequate". Ratings were generally good in the categories of content, learning stimulation, motivation, typography and layout. The major weaknesses included the use of inappropriate graphics and the too demanding required reading grade level. These may decrease patient attention and comprehension and therefore the effectiveness of education materials. CONCLUSIONS: Suitability of the patient education materials on proton-pump inhibitors deprescribing is overall satisfactory. Greater attention on readability, graphics and inclusion of summaries will be needed for development of future materials.


Subject(s)
Deprescriptions , Health Literacy/statistics & numerical data , Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Humans , Teaching Materials
15.
Fam Pract ; 37(3): 325-331, 2020 07 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31935279

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many studies examined gender inequalities in research, but only a few data are available for general biomedical journals. We assessed the prevalence of female first authorship in general biomedical journals and examined its variations across a number of author, article and journal characteristics. METHODS: This study was nested within a larger project designed to analyze the bibliometric characteristics of scientific articles. We retrieved 767 randomly selected articles published in 2016 in high impact factor journals of primary healthcare (n = 9) and general internal medicine (n = 9). We extracted the following data: author (gender, number of publications and affiliation of the first author), paper (number of authors, number of participants and study design) and journal characteristics (journal discipline and 2015 impact factor). We compared the proportion of articles authored by women and men using univariate and multivariate logistic regressions adjusted for intra-cluster correlations. RESULTS: The female authorship proportion was 48% (63% for primary healthcare and 33% for general internal medicine, P-value < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, women published fewer articles (<5 versus >15 publications: OR 1.6 [95% CI 1.1-2.4]), were more often affiliated with institutions in the Western world (OR 2.2 [95% CI 1.2-3.9]), were more likely to publish qualitative studies (versus systematic reviews or experiments: OR 2.7 [95% CI 1.5-4.8]) and to publish in primary healthcare journals (OR 1.7 [95% CI 1.1-2.7]). CONCLUSIONS: The underrepresentation of women in articles published by general internal medicine journals, in articles from the non-Western world and in systematic reviews and trials should be addressed.


Subject(s)
Authorship , General Practice , Internal Medicine , Primary Health Care , Publishing/statistics & numerical data , Bibliometrics , Female , Humans , Male
16.
Chemistry ; 25(13): 3262-3266, 2019 Mar 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30600852

ABSTRACT

The copper-photocatalyzed borylation of aryl, heteroaryl, vinyl and alkyl halides (I and Br) was reported. The reaction proceeded using a new heteroleptic Cu complex under irradiation with blue LEDs, giving the corresponding boronic-acid esters in good to excellent yields. The reaction was extended to continuous-flow conditions to allow an easy scale-up. The mechanism of the reaction was studied and a mechanism based on a reductive quenching (CuI /CuI */Cu0 ) was suggested.

17.
Soft Matter ; 15(21): 4351-4362, 2019 May 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31074757

ABSTRACT

Within the framework of a discrete Gaussian model, we present analytical results for the interaction induced by a lamellar phase between small embedded colloidal particles. We consider the two limits of particles strongly adherent to the adjacent membranes and of particles impenetrable to the membranes. Our approach takes into account the finite size of the colloidal particles, the discrete nature of the layers, and includes the Casimir-like effect of fluctuations, which is very important for dilute phases. Monte Carlo simulations of the statistical behavior of the membrane-interacting colloidal particles account semi-quantitatively, without any adjustable parameters, for the experimental data measured on silica nanospheres inserted within lyotropic smectics. We predict the existence of finite-size and densely packed particle aggregates originating from the competition between attractive interactions between colloidal particles in the same layer and repulsion between colloidal particles one layer apart.

18.
Eur Phys J E Soft Matter ; 42(12): 156, 2019 Dec 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31834595

ABSTRACT

We show that a very good analytical approximation of Saffman-Delbrück's (SD) law (mobility of a bio-membrane inclusion) can be obtained easily from the velocity field produced by a pointlike force in a 2D fluid embedded in a solvent, by using a small wavelength cutoff of the order of the particle's radius a . With this method, we obtain analytical generalizations of the SD law that take into account the bilayer nature of the membrane and the intermonolayer friction b . We also derive, in a calculation that consistently couples the quasi-planar two-dimensional (2D) membrane flow with the 3D solvent flow, the correction to the SD law arising when the inclusion creates a local spontaneous curvature. For an inclusion spanning a flat bilayer, the SD law is found to hold simply upon replacing the 2D viscosity [Formula: see text] of the membrane by the sum of the monolayer viscosities, without influence of b as long as b is above a threshold in practice well below known experimental values. For an inclusion located in only one of the two monolayers (or adhering to one monolayer), the SD law is influenced by b when b < [Formula: see text]/(4a2) . In this case, the mobility can be increased by up to a factor of two, as the opposite monolayer is not fully dragged by the inclusion. For an inclusion creating a local spontaneous curvature, we show that the total friction is the sum of the SD friction and that due to the pull-back created by the membrane deformation, a point that was assumed without demonstration in the literature.

19.
Fam Pract ; 36(4): 431-436, 2019 07 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30476030

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the number of submissions until acceptance and the time to publication between articles co-authored and articles not co-authored by statisticians. METHODS: We randomly selected 781 articles published in 2016 in 18 high impact factor journals of general internal medicine and primary care. For each article, we retrieved its date of submission to the journal and its first publication; we also contacted its corresponding author and asked about the number of submissions necessary from the first submission to a journal until acceptance and whether the article was co-authored by a statistician. After having excluded qualitative studies, we compared the articles co-authored with those not co-authored by statisticians in terms of number of submissions and submission-to-publication time, using negative binomial and Cox regressions, adjusted for intracluster correlations. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-eight authors completed the questionnaire (20%); 136 articles with quantitative design were included in the study. Overall, 63 articles (46%) were co-authored by statisticians. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of submissions (statistician group: mean 2.1 (SD 1.1) versus 2.2 (SD 1.2), P value 0.87). By contrast, we found a statistically significant difference in the submission-to-publication time (statistician group: median 211 days [interquartile range (IQR) 171] versus 260 (IQR 144); hazard ratio 1.44 (95% CI 1.01-2.03), adjusted P value 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Papers co-authored by statisticians have a shorter time to publication. We encourage researchers to closely involve statisticians in the design, conduct and statistical analysis of research, not only to ensure high standards of quality but also to speed up its publication.


Subject(s)
Authorship , Bibliometrics , Biomedical Research/trends , Periodicals as Topic , Statistics as Topic , Humans , Internal Medicine , Qualitative Research , Retrospective Studies , Time Factors
20.
Int J Clin Pract ; 73(9): 1-11, 2019 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31250954

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Urate Lowering Therapies (ULTs), mainly Xanthine Oxydase Inhibitors, are widely used by general practitioners (GPs) in asymptomatic hyperuricemia, although no guideline currently recommends to do so. The use of ULTs in asymptomatic hyperuricemia has been associated with an increased risk of ULTs-related adverse drug reactions. AIM: Our study aimed at exploring GPs' views and practices in relation to the prescription or non-prescription of ULT in asymptomatic hyperuricemia. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study using individual semi-structured interviews with 14 French GPs. We built a purposeful sample searching for maximum variation on 8 GPs' personal and professional criteria such as age, years of installation, location of their practice. We conducted a thematic analysis of the transcripts, following Miles and Huberman three steps model: data reduction, data presentation, conclusion drawing and verifications. RESULTS: We identified two behaviors leading to inappropriate prescription of ULTs among interviewed GPs. Primary prescribers frequently used uric acid serum levels and had a positive representation of ULTs. Other GPs behaved in an ambivalent way: they did not initiate ULTs, but systematically renewed preexisting prescriptions. They had a negative perception of ULTs but considered them unimportant during drug reassessment. De-prescribing occurred mainly because of external input such as the need to lighten the prescription or the participation in an audit in general practice. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support several strategies of ULTs de-prescribing in asymptomatic hyperuricemia: the promotion of de-prescribing of serum acid uric lab test in daily practice (a), supporting the clinical reasoning in the case of asymptomatic hyperuricemia detection (b) but also during ULTs renewals (c) leading to a prioritization of the safest prescriptions (d) through shared medical decision (e). Additional studies are necessary to further develop and evaluate these de-prescribing strategies.


Subject(s)
Family Practice/standards , General Practitioners/standards , Hyperuricemia/drug therapy , Inappropriate Prescribing/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions , Female , Humans , Hyperuricemia/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/standards , Qualitative Research , Uric Acid/blood
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