Navigating the challenges of lipid nanoparticle formulation: the role of unpegylated lipid surfactants in enhancing drug loading and stability.

Lipid nanoparticles have proved an attractive approach for drug delivery; however, the challenges of optimising formulation stability and increasing drug loading have limited progression. In this work, we investigate the role of unpegylated lipid surfactants (helper lipids) in nanoparticle formation and the effect of blending helper lipids with pegylated lipid surfactants on the formation and stability of lipid-based nanoparticles by nanoprecipitation. Furthermore, blends of unpegylated/pegylated lipid surfactants were examined for ability to accommodate higher drug loading formulations by means of a higher weight percentage (wt%) of drug relative to total mass of formulation components (i.e. drug, surfactants and lipids). Characterisation included evaluation of particle diameter, size distribution, drug loading and nanoformulation stability. Our findings demonstrate that the addition of unpegylated lipid surfactant (Lipoid S100) to pegylated lipid surfactant (Brij S20) enhances stability, particularly at higher weight percentages of the core material. This blending approach enables drug loading capacities exceeding 10% in the lipid nanoparticles. Notably, Lipoid S100 exhibited nucleating properties that aided in the formation and stabilisation of the nanoparticles. Furthermore, we examined the incorporation of a model drug into the lipid nanoparticle formulations. Blending the model drug with the core material disrupted the crystallinity of the core, offering additional potential benefits in terms of drug release and stability. This comprehensive investigation provides valuable insights into the interplay between surfactant properties, core material composition, and nanoparticle behaviour. The study enhances our understanding of lipid materials and offers guidance for the design and optimisation of lipid nanoparticle formulations.

Socially assistive robots in health and social care: Acceptance and cultural factors. Results from an exploratory international online survey.

AIM: This study explored the views of an international sample of registered nurses and midwives working in health and social care concerning socially assistive robots (SARs), and the relationship between dimensions of culture and rejection of the idea that SARs had benefits in these settings. METHODS: An online survey was used to obtain rankings of (among other topics) the extent to which SARs have benefits for health and social care. It also asked for free text responses regarding any concerns about SARs. RESULTS: Most respondents were overwhelmingly positive about SARs' benefits. A small minority strongly rejected this idea, and qualitative analysis of the objections raised by them revealed three major themes: things might go wrong, depersonalization, and patient-related concerns. However, many participants who were highly accepting of the benefits of SARs expressed similar objections. Cultural dimensions of long-term orientation and uncertainty avoidance feature prominently in technology acceptance research. Therefore, the relationship between the proportion of respondents from each country who felt that SARs had no benefits and each country's ratings on long-term orientation and uncertainty avoidance were also examined. A significant positive correlation was found for long-term orientation, but not for uncertainty avoidance. CONCLUSION: Most respondents were positive about the benefits of SARs, and similar concerns about their use were expressed both by those who strongly accepted the idea that they had benefits and those who did not. Some evidence was found to suggest that cultural factors were related to rejecting the idea that SARs had benefits.

Enactment of compassionate leadership by nursing and midwifery managers: results from an international online survey.

AIM: To explore the views of an international sample of nursing and midwifery managers concerning attributes that they associate with compassionate management. METHOD: A cross-sectional online survey. Using a snowballing sampling method, 1217 responses were collected from nursing and midwifery managers in 17 countries. A total of complete 933 responses to a question related to which actions and behaviours indicated that a manager was exercising compassionate leadership were analysed for this paper. First, content analysis of the responses was conducted, and second, a relative distribution of the identified themes for the overall sample and for each participating country was calculated. RESULTS: Six main themes were identified describing the attributes of a compassionate leader: (1) Virtuous support, (2) Communication, (3) Personal virtues of the manager, (4) Participatory communication, (5) Growth/flourishing/ nurturing and (6) Team cohesion. The first three themes mentioned above collectively accounted for 63% of the responses, and can therefore be considered to be the most important characteristics of compassionate management behaviour. CONCLUSION: The key indicators of compassionate management in nursing and midwifery which were identified emphasise approachability, active and sensitive listening, sympathetic responses to staff members' difficulties (especially concerning child and other caring responsibilities), active support of and advocacy for the staff team and active problem solving and conflict resolution. While there were differences between the countries' views on compassionate healthcare management, some themes were widely represented among different countries' responses, which suggest key indicators of compassionate management that apply across cultures.

Towards a national strategy for the provision of spiritual care during major health disasters: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Spirituality is beneficial to health. Evidence around the benefits of Spiritual care (SC) is advancing, and training is becoming part of healthcare professional development. As the COVID-19 crisis showed, during major health disasters (MHDs), the demand for SC grows exponentially, while the burden of care and focus on preserving life often hamper its provision. Nonetheless, existing health emergency strategic frameworks lack preparedness for the provision of SC. AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the components for a National Strategy (NS) for the provision of SC during MHDs. METHODS: Descriptive, cross-sectional, qualitative phenomenological design based on individual, semi-structured e-interviews with nursing managers and National Health Service/volunteer chaplains based in England. Thematic analysis of 25 e-interview data was performed based on a dialogic collaborative process. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Eleven themes were identified as components of the proposed NS. From these components, specific recommendations for practical actions are provided. An integrated framework approach and smart investments in resources, staff training and technologies should be led by the paradigm of culturally competent and compassionate care. CONCLUSION: The need to have strategic frameworks, both national and local, that better equip a country healthcare sector to prevent, face, and recover from MHDs is paramount. Catering for the spiritual needs of the affected population should be a key aspect of any health emergency strategy to ensure the preservation of quality care.

Intratendinous hamstring injuries: sequential MRIs as a tool to reduce the risk of reinjury in elite sport.

Hamstring injuries are the most common muscle injuries in elite football. Injuries involving the intramuscular tendon are considered more significant, with longer return to play (RTP) times and an increased risk of reinjury. MRI is the gold standard investigation for muscle injuries, but initial findings cannot accurately determine RTP times. The role of MRI in monitoring muscle and tendon healing is not well described. We present three cases of hamstring injuries with intramuscular tendon involvement, illustrating the changes seen on MRI during progressive tendon healing and describing how we utilised this information to inform safe rehabilitation progression. We conclude that intramuscular hamstring tendon healing can be accurately seen on sequential MRI scans and that this information, when combined with traditional rehabilitation markers in and elite sport environment, can be utilised by clinicians to determine the earliest but safe RTP.

Spiritual Support During COVID-19 in England: A Scoping Study of Online Sources.

Spiritual support is a key element of holistic care, and better healthcare professionals training and stronger strategic guidelines become urgent in light of health disasters and emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, the aim of this study was to explore spiritual support provision within mass and social media and the websites of spiritual leaders, institutions and NHS chaplaincy units during COVID-19 in England, between March and May 2020. A scoping review design informed by Levac and colleagues' five-staged framework was adopted, and adapted with a multi-strategy search to scope the different domains of online sources. Results revealed that spiritual support for dying patients, their families, health care staff, spiritual leaders and chaplains, had to be drastically reduced, both in quality and quantity, as well as being provided via different technological devices or domestic symbolic actions. No mention was found of a central strategy for the provision of spiritual support. This study points to the importance of developing centralized strategies to prepare healthcare systems and professionals in relation to spiritual support provision, both routinely and during health disasters and emergencies. Further research will have to explore innovative practices, in particular the role of digital technologies, in spiritual support provision.

Missing out on good mentors.

My concern with the proposal to swap mentors for two new roles (news, 31 May) is that nurses who are good with students won't be able to help them if they are not on the approved list.

Left atrial phasic function interacts to support left ventricular filling during exercise in healthy athletes.

We studied the contribution of phasic left atrial (LA) function to left ventricular (LV) filling during exercise. We hypothesized that reduced LV filling time at moderate-intensity exercise limits LA passive emptying and increases LA active emptying. Twenty endurance-trained males (55 ± 6 yr) were studied at rest and during light- (∼100 beats/min) and moderate-intensity (∼130 beats/min) exercise. Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography were used to assess phasic volumes and diastolic function. LV end-diastolic volume increased from rest to light exercise (54 ± 6 to 58 ± 5 ml/m(2), P < 0.01) and from light to moderate exercise (58 ± 5 to 62 ± 6 ml/m(2), P < 0.01). LA maximal volume increased from rest to light exercise (26 ± 4 to 30 ± 5 ml/m(2), P < 0.01) related to atrioventricular plane displacement (r = 0.55, P < 0.005), without further change at moderate exercise. LA passive emptying increased at light exercise (9 ± 2 to 13 ± 3 ml/m(2), P < 0.01) and then returned to baseline at moderate exercise, whereas LA active emptying increased appreciably only at moderate exercise (6 ± 2 to 14 ± 3 ml/m(2), P < 0.01). Thus, the total atrial emptying volume did not increase beyond light exercise, and the increase in LV filling at moderate exercise could be attributed primarily to an increase in the conduit flow volume (19 ± 3 to 25 ± 5 ml/m(2), P < 0.01). LA filling increases during exercise in relation to augmented LV longitudinal contraction. Conduit flow increases progressively with exercise in athletes, although this is driven by LV properties rather than intrinsic LA function. The pump function of the LA augments only at moderate exercise due to a reduced diastolic filling time and the Frank-Starling mechanism.

Thematic analysis of psychiatric patients' perceptions of nursing staff.

Therapeutic and informal interactions with nurses are integral to the quality of care that psychiatric patients receive. How well these interactions are performed, and their impact on the experience and outcomes of inpatient care, have not been subject to systematic evaluation. The aim of the present study was to examine patients' perceptions of the personal and professional qualities of nursing staff and how these contribute to the ward environment. Patients (n = 119) from 16 acute psychiatric wards were interviewed using a schedule developed by a service-user researcher. Transcriptions of interviews were coded and organized into six themes: staff duties, staff disposition, control, communication and engagement, therapeutic ward environment, and consistency. Patients recognized that nurses have a difficult and stressful job, but frequently expressed feelings of anger, frustration, and hopelessness about their experience of the wards. Patients frequently felt that nursing staff did not understand issues from their perspective or attempt to empathize with them. The findings indicate poorly-communicated and inconsistent care. Initiatives to improve patients' experiences of acute psychiatric wards are urgently needed.

Measuring the economic costs of discrimination experienced by people with mental health problems: development of the Costs of Discrimination Assessment (CODA).

PURPOSE: Stigma and discrimination are faced by many with mental health problems and this may affect the uptake of services and engagement in leisure and recreational activities. The aims of this study were to develop a schedule to measure the impact of stigma and discrimination on service use, employment and leisure activities and to estimate the value of such reductions. METHODS: A questionnaire, the Cost of Discrimination Assessment, was developed and piloted in a sample people with mental health problems. Costs were calculated and test-retest reliability assessed. RESULTS: Test-retest reliability was good for most items. A substantial proportion of the sample had experienced negative impacts on employment as a result of stigma and discrimination. Around one-fifth had reduced contacts with general practitioners in the previous 6 months due to stigma and discrimination and the leisure activity most affected was visiting pubs/restaurants/café. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, stigma and discrimination result in reduced use of services and reduced engagement in leisure activities. This represents a welfare loss to individuals.

Left atrial functional changes following short-term exercise training.

BACKGROUND: Exercise-induced adaptations of the human atria remain understudied, particularly early in the training process. We examined the effects of short-term high-intensity interval training (HIT) and continuous moderate-intensity training (CMT) on left atrial (LA) systolic and diastolic function, relative to left ventricular (LV) function in young, healthy men, by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). METHODS: Fourteen untrained men (mean age = 25 ± 4 years) were randomized to HIT or CMT, and assessed before and after six training sessions over a 12-day period. HIT included 8-12 intervals of cycling for 60 s at 95-100% of maximal aerobic power (VO2MAX), interspersed by 75 s of cycling at 10 % VO2MAX. CMT consisted of 90-120 min of cycling at 65% VO2MAX. RESULTS: VO2MAX increased following HIT and CMT by 11.5 and 5.5%, respectively (p < 0.05). Calculated plasma volume expanded 11 % following HIT and 10% following CMT (p < 0.005). Resting LV volumes and ejection fraction were unaltered following training. Peak atrial longitudinal strain increased following HIT (41.8 ± 5.2%-47.1 ± 3.7%, p < 0.01) and CMT (38.5 ± 4.6%-41.7 ± 6.0%, p < 0.01). Atrial systolic strain rate increased following HIT (1.6 ± 0.2%/s-2.0 ± 0.3%/s, p < 0.01) and CMT (1.6 ± 0.2%/s-1.9 ± 0.2%/s, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LA function assessed by STE improves rapidly during short-term intensive exercise training.

Evaluation of a comedy intervention to improve coping and help-seeking for mental health problems in a women's prison.

Rates of mental illness and self-harm are very high among women prisoners. Questionnaires assessed prisoners' knowledge of and attitudes towards mental health problems, and relevant behavioural intentions before and after the intervention, to evaluate the effectiveness of a comedy show in a women's prison to reduce mental health stigma and improve coping and help-seeking for mental health problems. The intervention appeared to have been successful in improving some aspects of prisoners' knowledge about the effectiveness of psychotherapy (Z = - 2.304, p = 0.021) and likelihood of recovery from mental health problems (Z = - 2.699, p = 0.007). There were significant post-intervention increases in the proportion who stated they would discuss or disclose mental health problems with all but one of the sources of help in the questionnaire, which was consistent with the increases in the number of prisoners who rated themselves as likely to start using different sources of help or prison activities. There was no improvement in intentions to associate with people with a mental health problem. The intervention appeared effective in improving factors that might increase help-seeking and improve coping, but not those that would change behaviour towards others with a mental health problem.

Improving trends in gender disparities in the Department of Veterans Affairs: 2008-2013.

Increasing numbers of women veterans using Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services has contributed to the need for equitable, high-quality care for women. The VA has evaluated performance measure data by gender since 2006. In 2008, the VA launched a 5-year women's health redesign, and, in 2011, gender disparity improvement was included on leadership performance plans. We examined data from VA Office of Analytics and Business Intelligence quarterly gender reports for trends in gender disparities in gender-neutral performance measures from 2008 to 2013. Through reporting of data by gender, leadership involvement, electronic reminders, and population management dashboards, VA has seen a decreasing trend in gender inequities on most Health Effectiveness Data and Information Set performance measures.