Protocols for breaking bad news in health care: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This scoping review will map the available evidence on communication protocols for breaking bad news to adult patients and their families in health care. INTRODUCTION: Breaking bad news to adult patients and their families is a challenging task for health care professionals. To address these challenges, communication protocols have been developed to support health care professionals in breaking bad news in a compassionate and effective manner while respecting each patient's individuality. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This scoping review will consider all studies that focus on communication protocols (original or adapted versions) to break bad news to adult patients and/or their families (adults) in any health care context, regardless of the approach (face-to-face, telephone, video, or other). Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies, systematic reviews, and text and opinion papers will be considered for inclusion in this review. METHODS: This review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. The search strategy will aim to locate both published and unpublished evidence in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The databases to be searched include CINAHL Plus Complete (EBSCOhost), MEDLINE (PubMed), Academic Search Complete, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection. Gray literature will also be searched for. Two independent reviewers will independently perform study selection and data extraction. Data will be extracted using a data extraction tool developed by the reviewers. Any disagreements that arise between the reviewers will be resolved through discussion or with an additional reviewer. Data will be presented in tabular and narrative format. DETAILS OF THE REVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN OPEN SCIENCE FRAMEWORK: https://osf.io/s6ru7/.

The African Psyllid Trioza erytreae Del Guercio (1918) Is Very Sensitive to Low Relative Humidity and High Temperatures.

The African citrus psyllid, Trioza erytreae, is one of the two vectors of Huanglongbing, the most serious citrus disease worldwide. The first detection of T. erytreae in the European mainland was on the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula in 2014. Since then, the pest has spread throughout northern Spain (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, País Vasco) and along the western Atlantic coast of Portugal (from the Douro e Minho region to the Algarve). We conducted a series of laboratory experiments on lemon plants at different temperatures (from 8 to 34 °C) and humidity conditions (from 40 to 90%) to find out the influence of extreme temperatures and relative humidities (RHs) on the mortality, development and reproduction of T. erytreae. Our results show that temperatures above 30 °C and below 10 °C are very detrimental for nymphal development and nymphs were unable to reach the adult stage. Furthermore, eggs were unable to hatch under temperatures above 33 °C and below 8 °C. Adult mortality was highest at 34 °C and killed more than 50% of the population. We also found that relative humidity is crucial for the development and survival of T. erytreae. Nymphs were unable to reach the adult stage at an RH of 90% and 40%. Also, fecundity was significantly reduced at 90 and 40% RH, and fertility was lowest at 40% RH. Nymphal mortality was highest at an RH of 40%, which was the most detrimental humidity among all tested for the survival and development of T. erytreae. Our work concludes that T. erytreae establishment and spread will be maximum in regions with a temperate and humid climate, being rare in regions where dry and hot weather conditions predominate.

Microtubule association of TRIM3 revealed by differential extraction proteomics.

The microtubule network is formed from polymerised tubulin subunits and associating proteins, which govern microtubule dynamics and a diverse array of functions. To identify novel microtubule-binding proteins, we have developed an unbiased biochemical assay, which relies on the selective extraction of cytosolic proteins from U2OS cells, while leaving behind the microtubule network. Candidate proteins are linked to microtubules by their sensitivities to the depolymerising drug nocodazole or the microtubule-stabilising drug taxol, which is quantitated by mass spectrometry. Our approach is benchmarked by co-segregation of tubulin and previously established microtubule-binding proteins. We then identify several novel candidate microtubule-binding proteins, from which we have selected the ubiquitin E3 ligase tripartite motif-containing protein 3 (TRIM3) for further characterisation. We map TRIM3 microtubule binding to its C-terminal NHL-repeat region. We show that TRIM3 is required for the accumulation of acetylated tubulin, following treatment with taxol. Furthermore, loss of TRIM3 partially recapitulates the reduction in nocodazole-resistant microtubules characteristic of α-tubulin acetyltransferase 1 (ATAT1) depletion. These results can be explained by a decrease in ATAT1 following depletion of TRIM3 that is independent of transcription.

Portuguese people’s views regarding the legitimacy of bonuses for senior executives in time of global crisis: a preliminary study

We applied a technique that has already been implemented in studies conducted in the field of bioethics to map people’s views regarding senior executive compensation. Fifty participants were presented with a number of concrete scenarios depicting the circumstances in which senior executives have received bonuses of variable amount, and they were asked to indicate the extent to which such bonuses may be considered as legitimate. The scenarios were created by varying four factors likely to impact of people’s views: (a) the extent to which the objectives fixed by the company have been attained or not, (b) the global, economic context in which the company has performed, (c) the availability of experienced senior executives in the sector considered, and (d) the amount of money that has been attributed, in terms of pay multiple. Three different personal positions were found. The most common position was that the legitimacy of bonuses mainly depends on the degree to which the company’s objectives have been attained. A small minority of people considered that bonuses were never legitimate, and an other minority of people considered that they were never fully legitimate but that in at least one case-comparatively low amount of money and the surpassing of objectives, bonuses can be viewed as somewhat legitimate (AU)

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Absenteísmo-doença entre profissionais de enfermagem da rede básica do SUS Campinas / Sick leaves among nursing professionals in basic healthcare centers of the Brazilian National Unified Healthcare System - SUS - in the city of Campinas

O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar índices de absenteísmo-doença entre profissionais de enfermagem de 16 Unidades Básicas de Saúde do Município de Campinas durante o ano de 2002. Foram obtidos junto à seção de Recursos Humanos Descentralizados dados de assiduidade de 311 trabalhadores de enfermagem de Centros de Saúde dos Distrito Norte e Leste do Município de Campinas, e calculados os índices de freqüência, gravidade e proporção de tempo perdido. As variáveis disponibilizadas foram tempo de trabalho na função, categoria funcional, sexo e carga horária semanal. Dados de pesquisas realizadas sobre absenteísmo com pessoal de hospital e do ramo industrial e empresarial foram utilizados para a análise e comparação com o presente estudo. A função de técnico ou auxiliar de enfermagem representou a maioria da população (82,6 por cento), a jornada de trabalho de 36 horas semanais foi realizada por 90,6 por cento dos pesquisados e 93,5 por cento eram do sexo feminino. O índice de freqüência de absenteísmo foi de 2,88 afastamentos iniciados por empregado/ ano, o de gravidade foi de 12,27 dias perdidos por empregado/ano, e a proporção de tempo perdido foi de 5,56 por cento ao ano. Os enfermeiros tiveram índice de freqüência menor que o de auxiliares e técnicos. Os índices encontrados neste trabalho foram maiores do que a maioria dos estudos realizados com profissionais de hospitais. A fim de minimizar o fenômeno como reflexo do impacto das condições desfavoráveis para a saúde do trabalhador, propõe-se diminuir da exposição às cargas de trabalho e melhorar a política de saúde do trabalhador para os servidores da categoria.

This report aims to analyze sick leave rates among healthcare professionals from 16 Basic Healthcare Units of the Brazilian National Unified Healthcare System (SUS) in the Municipality of Campinas during 2002. Data on worked days and sick leaves of 311 nurses and nursing aides working at Healthcare Centers of the North and East regions of the municipality of Campinas were obtained at the central administration, in order to calculate the frequency, severity and proportion of lost working time. Variables used were time on the job, job title, gender and weekly hour load. Results of the present study were compared with other published reports on sick leave rates in hospitals, manufacturing, and service settings. Most of the studied population comprised nursing aides and other healthcare technicians (82.6 percent), 90.6 percent had a weekly work load of 36 hours, and 93.5 percent of the group were women. Absenteeism frequency rate was of 2.88 new sick leaves per employee/year. The severity index was of 12.27 lost working days per employee/year, and the proportion of work time lost was 5.56 percent a year. Registered Nurses had lower frequency rates than nursing aides and technicians. Findings pointed to higher indexes and rates when compared with hospital data from other publications. A proposal is presented to minimize this phenomenon that results from the impact of conditions that are unfavorable to workers' health, through the reduction of the workload and the improvement of public health policy for this group of workers.