Adhesion in the biologic environment

There are good reasons to believe that adhesion of particulate matter in all wet, salty, biochemically active circumstances follows a common pattern, and that such adhesion can be effectively controlled by adjusting the surface properties - especially surface energy--of the substrate involved. One of the most compelling proofs of, at least, the bioengineering utility of surface energy modification to maximize or minimize biological adhesion is the successful, now long-term, implantation of total artificial hearts. These pumps, and the related intra-aortic balloons and left ventricular assist devices, do not accumulate blood clots or thrombotic masses during their contact with natural blood. Since surfaces contacting blood have received most careful scrutiny for more than a decade, the instruction gained from examining the usual and unusual sequelae of blood cell adhesion to nonphysiologic surfaces has been most valuable in revealing the general features of biological adhesion in other, less well-studied, circumstances. The initial events of blood contact with foreign solid surfaces are briefly reviewed, and the impressive similarities of these events to sequences in oceanic fouling of heat exchangers, cell culture experiments and dental plaque formation are highlighted. A unifying concept, based on control of the surface free energy through an empirical correlate called the "critical surface tension," is presented as an explanation for the common features of biological adhesion in all of Nature's domains.     

“Making Room”: A Thematic Analysis Study of the Process of Postpartum Maternal Adjustment

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Mothers are especially vulnerable to the onset or recurrence of psychological symptoms during the postpartum period. However, protective psychosocial factors may...     

Risks in Management of Enteral Nutrition in Intensive Care Units: A Literature Review and Narrative Synthesis

Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) have a high risk of developing malnutrition, and this is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. In clinical practice, nutrition, including enteral nutrition (EN), is often not prioritized. Resulting from this, risks and safety issues for patients and healthcare professionals can emerge. The aim of this literature review, inspired by the Rapid Review Guidebook by Dobbins, 2017, was to identify risks and safety issues for patient safety in the management of EN in critically ill patients in the ICU. Three databases were used to identify studies between 2009 and 2020. We assessed 3495 studies for eligibility and included 62 in our narrative synthesis. Several risks and problems were identified: No use of clinical assessment or screening nutrition assessment, inadequate tube management, missing energy target, missing a nutritionist, bad hygiene and handling, wrong time management and speed, nutritional interruptions, wrong body position, gastrointestinal complication and infections, missing or not using guidelines, understaffing, and lack of education. Raising awareness of these risks is a central aspect in patient safety in ICU. Clinical experts can use a checklist with 12 identified top risks and the recommendations drawn up to carry out their own risk analysis in clinical practice.     

Erratum zu: Durchimpfung von Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland: Aktuelle Daten aus KiGGS Welle 2 und Trends aus der KiGGS-Studie

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Ein Erratum zu dieser Publikation wurde veröffentlicht: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-019-02901-5     

Verstetigung partizipativer Forschung über das Projektende hinaus: Partizipative Qualitätsentwicklung in der kommunalen Gesundheitsförderung

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Die zeitliche Befristung der Projekte partizipativer Gesundheitsforschung (PGF) erschwert es, die angestrebten konkreten...     

Job Accommodations,Return to Work and Job Retention of People with Physical Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation - Purpose We aimed to identify job accommodations that help persons with physical disabilities maintain or return to work and explore the barriers and...     

A Systematic Review of Job Loss Prevention Interventions for Persons with Inflammatory Arthritis

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation - Purpose To present an overview of the evidence of the effect of job loss prevention interventions, aiming to improve work ability and decrease absenteeism...     

The impact on quality of life of diet restrictions and disease symptoms associated with phenylketonuria: a time trade-off and discrete choice experiment study

The European Journal of Health Economics - Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder leading to a deficiency in the metabolism of phenylalanine (Phe). Elevated Phe levels in the blood, tissue...     

Cardiovascular risk independently predicts small functional bladder storage capacity

International Urology and Nephrology - We aimed to determine the potential relationship between atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) score, which equates to 10-year risk of...