Validity and reliability of the Spanish caregiver reaction assessment scale for caregivers of people with dementia.

AIM: Of the few instruments available to measure the important, positive aspects of caring, the Caregiver Reaction Assessment is regarded as the most suitable, but there is no validated Spanish version. The aim of this study was to translate the Caregiver Reaction Assessment into Spanish and assess its psychometric properties. METHODS: The Caregiver Reaction Assessment was translated into Spanish and then back translated. Validation included construct validity, criterion validity and reliability: 287 interviews were conducted with informal caregivers of patients with dementia between November 2010 and April 2012. RESULTS: Principal component analysis confirmed the original instrument's five subscales. Criterion validity showed a moderate negative correlation between the impact on health and the EQ-5D (r = -.43), that is, a greater impact on health correlated with lower health-related quality of life. The Caregiver Reaction Assessment showed good internal consistency, with a Cronbach alpha of .804, and good temporal stability for the distinct subscales, with intraclass correlation coefficients varying from .683 to .729 (p < .001). CONCLUSION: The Caregiver Reaction Assessment is a reliable, valid instrument for the measurement of the reactions of informal caregivers of patients with dementia, with good psychometric properties.

Developing a haemodialysis acuity tool (the HAT study): A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Haemodialysis units are now managing an increasing number of patients with varying needs and levels of acuity. To maintain safety, haemodialysis patients must be placed in the most appropriate dialysis unit that has the required human and physical resources to care for them. The first step towards achieving these goals is to develop a tool specific to haemodialysis units to effectively measure patient acuity. OBJECTIVE: To develop a haemodialysis acuity tool, utilising a focus group approach, in assessing patient's suitability for a specific dialysis location thus ensuring patient safety. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional qualitative study via a focus group approach. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were nurse unit managers and team leaders of a District Renal Service. APPROACH: Participants were interviewed to explore their views on the elements and measures identified in the research aims. Themes for interviews were informed by current literature on acuity tools for haemodialysis patients' admission to the dialysis units. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and progressively analysed using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Ten nurse unit managers/team leaders (100%) were interviewed and thematic analysis of the transcripts was conducted utilising the deductive approach. Five themes were identified which will form the main categories in the development of the tool, namely: Age/frailty; co-morbidity; physical; dialysis; and psychosocial. CONCLUSION: This study is instrumental in the development of the haemodialysis acuity tool which can be used in allocating dialysis location specific to patient's needs and available resources. The tool can also be used in analysing patient care processes and resource requirements based on the patients' and unit's profile.

New Advances in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-like Dogs.

Similar to humans, dogs could suffer an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-like syndrome (ADHD-like). In fact, several studies highlight the use of dogs as a model for studying ADHD. This condition entails behavioral problems expressed through impulsivity, attention issues, hyperactivity, and/or aggression, compromising the quality of life for both the caregiver and the dog. The pathophysiology of ADHD-like is complex and is associated with dysregulation of various neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. The expression of ADHD-like behavior in dogs would appear to depend on a classical gene-environment interaction as is the case with many neurological disorders in humans. In addition to the described symptomatology, ADHD-like dogs can exhibit strong comorbidities with compulsive behaviors, aggressiveness, inappropriate elimination and fearfulness, in addition to epilepsy, foreign body ingestion, and pruritus. In spite of the fact that there is no veterinary consensus about the diagnosis of ADHD-like, some validated questionnaires could be helpful, but these cannot be used as a unique diagnostic tool. The use of drugs, such as fluoxetine, in addition to an adequate environmental enrichment, relaxation protocols, and behavior modification can achieve an adequate quality of life for both the dog and caregivers.

Nursing diagnoses disturbed body image (00118) and situational low self-esteem (00120) in patients with head and neck cancer: Differential clinical validation using Q methodology.

PURPOSE: When submitted to mutilating surgery, patients with head and neck cancer may present profound physical and psychosocial changes, temporary or definitive, with an individual impact and family. The most frequent human responses to this health condition are subjective, particularly concerning body image and self-esteem. Differential validation emerges to provide nurses with clinical indicators for clinical reasoning and planning of effective interventions, considering the specific defining characteristics of each diagnosis. This study aimed at conducting a differential clinical validation of the nursing diagnoses of disturbed body image and low situational self-esteem in patients with head and neck cancer using Q methodology. METHOD: We performed an observational cross-sectional study using Q methodology. Thirty-eight participants were included. Data were analyzed using Q methodology procedures. The research and ethics committee approved the study. FINDINGS: Factor analysis was performed, and eight defining characteristics were identified for the diagnosis of disturbed body image and one for situational low self-esteem: avoiding looking at one's body, avoiding touching one's body, the behavior of monitoring one's body, depersonalization of body part by use of impersonal pronouns, focus on past appearance, focus on past function, negative feeling about body, and refusal at acknowledging change and helplessness. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the Q methodology in this process of differential validation allowed the study of two diagnoses of a subjective nature, disclosing the most specific defining characteristics of each and contributing to increasing the knowledge of these human responses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: This study contributes to a better understanding of the predominant defining characteristics of the diagnoses under study. In terms of the NANDA-I taxonomy, it helps to raise the levels of evidence for diagnoses. Using a qualitative and quantitative methodology allows for maintaining a more holistic research approach and greater rigor and acceptance of the results.

OBJETIVO: Os doentes com cancro de cabeça e pescoço, submetidos a cirurgias mutilantes, apresentam profundas alterações físicas e psicossociais, temporárias ou definitivas, com impacto no indivíduo e na família. As respostas humanas mais frequentes nestes processos de doença são de natureza subjetiva, principalmente relacionados à imagem corporal e à autoestima. A validação diferencial surge com o objetivo de fornecer aos enfermeiros indicadores clínicos para raciocínio clínico e planeamento de intervenções efetivas, considerando as características definidoras específicas de cada diagnóstico. Realizar validação clínica diferencial dos diagnósticos de enfermagem distúrbio da imagem corporal e baixa autoestima situacional em doentes com câncer de cabeça e pescoço, utilizando a metodologia Q. MÉTODO: Estudo observacional transversal com metodologia Q. Trinta e oito participantes foram incluídos. Foi usada a metodologia Q para analisar os dados. A comissão de ética e de investigação aprovou o estudo. RESULTADOS: Foi realizada análise fatorial, sendo identificadas oito características definidoras para o diagnóstico de imagem corporal perturbada e uma para baixa autoestima situacional: Evitar olhar para o seu corpo, evitar tocar no corpo, comportamento de monitorização do corpo, despersonalização da perda através do uso de pronomes impessoais, foco na aparência passada, foco em função do passado, sentimento negativo acerca do corpo, recusa em reconhecer a mudança e desamparo. CONCLUSÕES: A utilização da metodologia Q, neste processo de validação diferencial, permitiu o estudo de dois diagnósticos de natureza subjetiva numa população vulnerável, contribuindo para aumentar o conhecimento das suas necessidades. IMPLICAÇÕES PARA A PRÁTICA DE ENFERMAGEM: Contribuir para uma melhor compreensão das características definidoras predominantes dos diagnósticos em estudo. Em termos da taxonomia NANDA - I, ajuda a elevar os níveis de evidência para diagnósticos. A utilização de uma metodologia qualitativa e quantitativa permite manter uma abordagem de investigação mais holística e um maior rigor e aceitação dos resultados.

Serotonin and Dopamine Blood Levels in ADHD-Like Dogs.

As with humans, dogs can suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-like (ADHD-like) behaviors naturally and exhibit high levels of hyperactivity/impulsivity and attention deficit problems, making the domestic dog a potential animal model for ADHD. ADHD has a very complex pathophysiology in which many neurotransmitters are involved, such as serotonin and dopamine. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum serotonin and dopamine levels in dogs with ADHD-like symptomatology. Fifty-eight dogs were studied, of which, thirty-six were classified as ADHD-like after physical and behavioral assessments. Additionally, the dogs' owners performed a series of scientifically validated questionnaires which included C-BARQ, the Dog Impulsivity Assessment Scale, and the Dog-ADHD rating scale. Serum from every animal was collected after the behavioral assessments and analyzed with commercial ELISA tests for serotonin and dopamine determination. Kruskal-Wallis tests and Lasso regressions were applied to assess the relationships between both neurotransmitters and the ADHD-like behaviors (as assessed by clinical evaluation and through the different questionnaires). The dogs clinically classified as ADHD-like showed lower serotonin and dopamine concentrations. Further, serotonin and dopamine levels were also linked to aggression, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Decreased serotonin concentrations were also related to fear, attachment, and touch sensitivity. Finally, it must be noted that our data suggested a strong relationship between serotonin and dopamine and ADHD-like behaviors.

How to Write a Comprehensive and Informative Research Abstract.

OBJECTIVES: This article provides practical guidance on developing a comprehensible abstract, including those required for funding applications, conferences, and publication. In addition, we discuss and demonstrate the practicalities of editing and revising an abstract for conference or peer review and identify emerging formats that may be more relevant to nurses and researchers. DATA SOURCES: This article has been informed by literature and the coauthors' respective experiences of preparing and reviewing abstracts for publication and conference presentation. CONCLUSION: Abstracts are a valuable tool to communicate the most important elements of the methods and results of a research project for a conference, manuscript, or even a research funding application. However, abstracts may often be an overlooked part of the dissemination process. An abstract determines whether or not a piece of research is relevant for presentation at a conference or valuable enough to be considered for peer review and subsequent publication. A strong and clearly written abstract positively predisposes reviewers of grant applications. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Writing an abstract is arguably the most challenging component of academic writing, summarizing the results of a substantive research project in three to five sentences and positioning them concisely within the background and implications for future practice, policy, and research. A well-written abstract is clear, concise, and critical and requires time and revision to ensure success.

A descriptive study of the clinical impacts on COVID-19 survivors using telemonitoring (The TeleCOVID Study).

Background: There is increasing evidence that COVID-19 survivors are at increased risk of experiencing a wide range of cardiovascular complications post infection; however, there are no validated models or clear guidelines for remotely monitoring the cardiac health of COVID-19 survivors. Objective: This study aims to test a virtual, in-home healthcare monitoring model of care for detection of clinical symptoms and impacts on COVID-19 survivors. It also aims to demonstrate system usability and feasibility. Methods: This open label, prospective, descriptive study was conducted in South Western Sydney. Included in the study were patients admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of COVID-19 between June 2021 and November 2021. Eligible participants after consent were provided with a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen saturation and a S-Patch EX to monitor their electrocardiogram (ECG) for a duration of 3 months. Data was transmitted in real-time to a mobile phone via Bluetooth technology and results were sent to the study team via a cloud-based platform. All the data was reviewed in a timely manner by the investigator team, for post COVID-19 related symptoms, such as reduction in oxygen saturation and arrhythmia. Outcome measure: This study was designed for feasibility in real clinical setting implementation, enabling the study team to develop and utilise a virtual, in-home healthcare monitoring model of care to detect post COVID-19 clinical symptoms and impacts on COVID-19 survivors. Results: During the study period, 23 patients provided consent for participation. Out of which 19 patients commenced monitoring. Sixteen patients with 81 (73.6%) valid tests were included in the analysis and amongst them seven patients were detected by artificial intelligence to have cardiac arrhythmias but not clinically symptomatic. The patients with arrhythmias had a higher occurrence of supraventricular ectopy, and most of them took at least 2 tests before detection. Notably, patients with arrhythmia had significantly more tests than those without [t-test, t (13) = 2.29, p < 0.05]. Conclusions: Preliminary observations have identified cardiac arrhythmias on prolonged cardiac monitoring in 7 out of the first 16 participants who completed their 3 months follow-up. This has allowed early escalation to their treating doctors for further investigations and early interventions.

Cancer nursing research priorities: A rapid review.

PURPOSE: Identifying cancer nursing research priorities is central to influencing the direction of cancer care research. The aim of this rapid review was to explore research priorities identified by oncology nurses for cancer care delivery between 2019 and 2022. METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis informed the design of the rapid review. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PUBMED, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies published between December 1st, 2018, and September 30th, 2022. This timeframe was chosen to account for the latest relevant evidence synthesis, as well as changes in cancer care necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Quality Assessment of Diverse Studies tool was used to appraise quality. RESULTS: Four studies met the inclusion criteria. Many of the research priorities identified were influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The top cancer nursing research priority identified was the role of technology in improving patient and caregiver symptoms and health outcomes. Other most prevalent research priorities were focused on symptom management, culturally sensitive palliative and psychosocial care, early/integrated palliative care, financial toxicity, modifiable risk factors related to social determinants of health, public and patient involvement in research, and oncology nurses' well-being and scope of practice. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate a need to steer a strategic programme of cancer nursing research towards digitalisation in cancer care to meet the current needs of people living with cancer and their caregivers. However, cancer nurses' burnout, staff shortages and disparities in specialist education will hinder the implementation of certain models of care.

An Overview of the Fundamentals of Data Management, Analysis, and Interpretation in Quantitative Research.

OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of three consecutive stages involved in the processing of quantitative research data (ie, data management, analysis, and interpretation) with the aid of practical examples to foster enhanced understanding. DATA SOURCES: Published scientific articles, research textbooks, and expert advice were used. CONCLUSION: Typically, a considerable amount of numerical research data is collected that require analysis. On entry into a data set, data must be carefully checked for errors and missing values, and then variables must be defined and coded as part of data management. Quantitative data analysis involves the use of statistics. Descriptive statistics help summarize the variables in a data set to show what is typical for a sample. Measures of central tendency (ie, mean, median, mode), measures of spread (standard deviation), and parameter estimation measures (confidence intervals) may be calculated. Inferential statistics aid in testing hypotheses about whether or not a hypothesized effect, relationship, or difference is likely true. Inferential statistical tests produce a value for probability, the P value. The P value informs about whether an effect, relationship, or difference might exist in reality. Crucially, it must be accompanied by a measure of magnitude (effect size) to help interpret how small or large this effect, relationship, or difference is. Effect sizes provide key information for clinical decision-making in health care. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Developing capacity in the management, analysis, and interpretation of quantitative research data can have a multifaceted impact in enhancing nurses' confidence in understanding, evaluating, and applying quantitative evidence in cancer nursing practice.

Multi-center, pragmatic, cluster-randomized, controlled trial of standardized peritoneal dialysis (PD) training versus usual care on PD-related infections (the TEACH-PD trial): trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related infections, such as peritonitis, exit site, and tunnel infections, substantially impair the sustainability of PD. Accordingly, PD-related infection is the top-priority research outcome for patients and caregivers. While PD nurse trainers teach patients to perform their own PD, PD training curricula are not standardized or informed by an evidentiary base and may offer a potential approach to prevent PD infections. The Targeted Education ApproaCH to improve Peritoneal Dialysis outcomes (TEACH-PD) trial evaluates whether a standardized training curriculum for PD nurse trainers and incident PD patients based on the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) guidelines reduces PD-related infections compared to usual training practices. METHODS: The TEACH-PD trial is a registry-based, pragmatic, open-label, multi-center, binational, cluster-randomized controlled trial. TEACH-PD will recruit adults aged 18 years or older who have not previously undergone PD training at 42 PD treatment units (clusters) in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) between July 2019 and June 2023. Clusters will be randomized 1:1 to standardized TEACH-PD training curriculum or usual training practice. The primary trial outcome is the time to the first occurrence of any PD-related infection (exit site infection, tunnel infection, or peritonitis). The secondary trial outcomes are the individual components of the primary outcome, infection-associated catheter removal, transfer to hemodialysis (greater than 30 days and 180 days), quality of life, hospitalization, all-cause death, a composite of transfer to hemodialysis or all-cause death, and cost-effectiveness. Participants are followed for a minimum of 12 months with a targeted average follow-up period of 2 years. Participant and outcome data are collected from the ANZ Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) and the New Zealand Peritoneal Dialysis (NZPD) Registry. This protocol follows the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines. DISCUSSION: TEACH-PD is a registry-based, cluster-randomized pragmatic trial that aims to provide high-certainty evidence about whether an ISPD guideline-informed standardized PD training curriculum for PD nurse trainers and adult patients prevents PD-related infections. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03816111. Registered on 24 January 2019.

Mitochondrial RNA methyltransferase TRMT61B is a new, potential biomarker and therapeutic target for highly aneuploid cancers.

Despite being frequently observed in cancer cells, chromosomal instability (CIN) and its immediate consequence, aneuploidy, trigger adverse effects on cellular homeostasis that need to be overcome by anti-stress mechanisms. As such, these safeguard responses represent a tumor-specific Achilles heel, since CIN and aneuploidy are rarely observed in normal cells. Recent data have revealed that epitranscriptomic marks catalyzed by RNA-modifying enzymes change under various stress insults. However, whether aneuploidy is associated with such RNA modifying pathways remains to be determined. Through an in silico search for aneuploidy biomarkers in cancer cells, we found TRMT61B, a mitochondrial RNA methyltransferase enzyme, to be associated with high levels of aneuploidy. Accordingly, TRMT61B protein levels are increased in tumor cell lines with an imbalanced karyotype as well as in different tumor types when compared to control tissues. Interestingly, while TRMT61B depletion induces senescence in melanoma cell lines with low levels of aneuploidy, it leads to apoptosis in cells with high levels. The therapeutic potential of these results was further validated by targeting TRMT61B in transwell and xenografts assays. We show that TRM61B depletion reduces the expression of several mitochondrial encoded proteins and limits mitochondrial function. Taken together, these results identify a new biomarker of aneuploidy in cancer cells that could potentially be used to selectively target highly aneuploid tumors.

A Pilot Study on a Nurse Rehabilitation Program: Could It Be Applied to COVID-19 Patients?

(1) Background: An aging population, pollution and an increase in life habits that are harmful to respiratory health, and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to an increase in chronic respiratory diseases. Thus, this pilot study aims to describe an intervention program on the training of respiratory patients to maintain airway permeability and preventing complications. (2) Methods: An observational, analytical, and prospective study was proposed. After the initial evaluation of each user during hospitalization, the program started with two sessions, at discharge for the second phase, and fifteen days after discharge for the third phase. Throughout the program's implementation, the modified Medical Research Council scale and the Barthel Index were applied. (3) Results: The population studied aged between 39 and 76 years, diagnosed with pneumonia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, showed a significant improvement in the degrees of dyspnea and levels of functionality, as well as an adequate level of learning. (4) Conclusions: This program positively impacted the patients' independence by reducing dyspnea and increasing functionality of the patients included in this study. The set of exercises and techniques can be replicated at home and may be fundamental in the management of respective recovery, as well as in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Differential validation of nursing diagnoses: An integrative literature review on the use of the method.

PURPOSE: This review aimed to analyze the use of differential validation of nursing diagnosis. METHODS: Integrative literature review with search on international databases. The diagnoses, the type of the diagnosis differential validation, the sample, the method, main results, and the limitations were extracted. Ten studies were included. FINDINGS: Differential diagnostic validation publication dates from 1994, and Brazil was the predominant country. CONCLUSIONS: This method seems helpful in improving diagnosis accuracy, particularly those related to subjective, behavioral, or complex human responses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Using this model may facilitate understanding the specificity of nursing diagnosis, which is critical for teaching clinical reasoning and for new opportunities to research.

OBJETIVO: O objetivo desta revisão foi analisar a utilização da validação diferencial de diagnósticos de enfermagem. MÉTODOS: Revisão integrativa da literatura com pesquisa em bases de dados internacionais. Foram extraídos dados referentes ao tipo de diagnóstico, validação diferencial, amostra, metodologia, principais resultados e limitações. Foram incluídos 10 estudos. RESULTADOS: Foram identificadas publicações desde 1994, sendo o Brasil o país predominante. CONCLUSÕES: Este modelo parece ser útil para melhorar a precisão do diagnóstico, particularmente aqueles relacionados a respostas humanas subjetivas, comportamentais ou complexas. IMPLICAÇÕES PARA A PRÁTICA: O uso deste modelo pode facilitar a compreensão da especificidade do diagnóstico de enfermagem, que é fundamental para o ensino do raciocínio clínico, para novas oportunidades de pesquisa.

Sirt1 protects against high-fat diet-induced metabolic damage.

The identification of new pharmacological approaches to effectively prevent, treat, and cure the metabolic syndrome is of crucial importance. Excessive exposure to dietary lipids causes inflammatory responses, deranges the homeostasis of cellular metabolism, and is believed to constitute a key initiator of the metabolic syndrome. Mammalian Sirt1 is a protein deacetylase that has been involved in resveratrol-mediated protection from high-fat diet-induced metabolic damage, but direct proof for the implication of Sirt1 has remained elusive. Here, we report that mice with moderate overexpression of Sirt1 under the control of its natural promoter exhibit fat mass gain similar to wild-type controls when exposed to a high-fat diet. Higher energy expenditure appears to be compensated by a parallel increase in food intake. Interestingly, transgenic Sirt1 mice under a high-fat diet show lower lipid-induced inflammation along with better glucose tolerance, and are almost entirely protected from hepatic steatosis. We present data indicating that such beneficial effects of Sirt1 are due to at least two mechanisms: induction of antioxidant proteins MnSOD and Nrf1, possibly via stimulation of PGC1alpha, and lower activation of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNFalpha and IL-6, via down-modulation of NFkappaB activity. Together, these results provide direct proof of the protective potential of Sirt1 against the metabolic consequences of chronic exposure to a high-fat diet.

The challenges of nursing information systems: a narrative review of the literature. / Os desafios dos sistemas de informação em enfermagem: uma revisão narrativa da literatura.

Nursing information systems, where quality indicators are integrated, focus on the standardization of health records and the consequent visibility of the provided care. Despite the acknowledged importance of the contributions of information systems, their implementation has been characterized by several challenges, so we propose to reflect on them. To identify the evidence available in the literature on these same challenges, a narrative review of the literature was developed, with the analysis of relevant articles and reports on this issue. It is clear in the literature the importance of information systems for obtaining quality indicators that are sensitive to nursing care, with a positive impact on the quality of care, allowing for measurable quality in interventions, as well as facilitating inter and intra-institutional comparability, in real-time or in a retrospective analysis. The challenges encountered and which urgently needs to be resolved in clinical practice are related to the difficulty for professionals to perceive the impact of computer records, the visibility of nursing indicators and the time that is allocated in the context of providing care to carry out these records.

Os sistemas de informação em enfermagem, onde se integram os indicadores de qualidade, têm como foco a uniformização dos registos em saúde e a consequente visibilidade dos cuidados prestados. Apesar da reconhecida importância dos contributos dos sistemas de informação, a sua implementação tem-se pautado por vários desafios pelo que nos propomos assim a refletir sobre estes. Com o objetivo de identificar a evidência disponível na literatura sobre estes mesmos desafios, foi desenvolvida uma revisão narrativa da literatura com análise de artigos e relatórios pertinentes acerca desta questão. Está patente na literatura a importância dos sistemas de informação para a obtenção de indicadores de qualidade sensíveis aos cuidados de enfermagem, existindo efetivamente um impacto positivo na qualidade dos cuidados, permitindo a mensurabilidade da qualidade nas intervenções, bem como facilitando a comparabilidade intra e interinstitucional, em tempo real ou em análise retrospetiva. Os desafios encontrados e que urge resolver na prática clínica, relacionam-se com a dificuldade de os profissionais percecionarem o impacto dos registos informáticos, a visibilidade dos indicadores em enfermagem e o tempo que é alocado em contexto de prestação de cuidados para realizar estes registos.

Study of Behavioural Traits in Can de Palleiro (Galician Shepherd Dog).

The Can de Palleiro (CP) is an autochthonous canine breed from Galicia (NW Spain). Interestingly, no previous research has been published about the behaviour of this breed. Thus, the aim of the present study was to obtain a deeper understanding of CP behavioural and temperamental traits and detect any potentially problematic behaviour by using the Canine Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) and the Socially Acceptable Behaviour (SAB) test. Behavioural information was obtained from 377 dogs-177 CPs and 200 general population (GP) dogs-using the C-BARQ. Additionally, 32 dogs were enrolled to perform the SAB test (19 CPs and 13 GP dogs) in order to directly evaluate their temperament. Our results indicated that CP dogs had a lower tendency to show aggressiveness towards their owners (0.18 times lower, p = 0.033) and less fear of other dogs (by 0.43 times, p = 0.001), as well as higher trainability levels (2.56 times higher, p < 0.001) when compared to GP dogs. CP dogs also had increased odds of showing chasing behaviour (3.81 times higher, p < 0.001). Conversely, CPs had reduced odds of non-social fear, separation-related problems and excitability (by 0.42, 0.35 and 0.48 times, respectively; p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.002). The current research represents a starting point for the study of the behaviour of CPs, which appear to be a working breed, with guarding and, especially, herding characteristics.

Evaluation of the implementation of Assistant in Nursing workforce in haemodialysis units.

The aim of this project was to evaluate the introduction of Assistant in Nursing (AINs) in the haemodialysis units at a major tertiary Area Health Service in Sydney, Australia. All nursing staff were asked to complete a baseline and follow-up survey to determine changes to their attitudes to the new skill mix model and their satisfaction with the new organization of care delivery in their dialysis units. Comparison of the baseline and follow-up surveys in the paired data was favourable with nurses acknowledging that they would cope well with the introduction of AINs, and they were more likely to disagree with the statement that their workload would increase after the introduction of AINs in the follow-up survey. There was little difference in (i) the workload of the dialysis units before and during the intervention; and (ii) the incidence of patient and nursed related adverse outcome events.

Misdosing of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants in Primary Care.

PURPOSE: Prescription patterns of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are unknown among primary care physicians, where most patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) are diagnosed and followed up. The goal of this study was to evaluate overdosing and underdosing of NOACs in patients with NVAF followed up in primary care and determine their clinical predictors. METHODS: This multicenter cross-sectional study included all patients with NVAF followed up in 13 primary care units in the center region of Portugal. Patients receiving antithrombotic regimens other than NOACs and patients with missing data were excluded. FINDINGS: The study included 858 patients with NVAF on an NOAC regimen. Overall, 30.3% were prescribed an off-label dosage (25.4% with infratherapeutic dosing [ITD] and 4.9% with supratherapeutic dosing). Chronic kidney disease (odds ratio, 14.0; 95% CI, 5.4-36.5; P < 0.001) and female sex (odds ratio, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2-5.7; P < 0.001) were independent predictors of supratherapeutic dosing. We also found a significant effect of chronic kidney disease on ITD (odds ratio, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.258-0.678; P < 0.001). IMPLICATIONS: In primary care, NOACs are frequently prescribed with unadjusted dosages, generally infratherapeutic. Attention should be paid to women and patients with chronic kidney disease.