Surgical outcomes in surgical oncology patients who participated in a family involvement program.

Background: There is a lack of evidence regarding the relationship between family involvement and outcomes in gastrointestinal oncology patients after surgery. To evaluate the effect of a family involvement program for patients undergoing oncologic gastrointestinal surgery on unplanned readmissions within 30 days after surgery.

Methods: A multicenter patient-preference cohort study compared 2 groups: patients who participated in the family involvement program versus usual care.

[Self-stigma and social support in patients with addiction problems].

Background: Patients with a substance use disorder often experience self-stigma. Support of the environment seems to decrease self-stigma, but little is known about the relationship with experienced and desired social support.

Aims: To gain insight in the relationships between experienced social support, desired social support and self-stigma, and to examine whether the severity of the substance use disorder plays a role in these relationships.

When opinions differ: the development of a reflection tool for youth professionals to support shared decision-making with parents.

The importance of shared decision-making (SDM) in youth care is increasingly emphasised. Professional reflection on the decision-making process is an important means to improve the use of SDM in practice. In this study, we report on the development of a reflection tool for youth professionals primarily to use when they hold a different opinion then parents about referral to specialised youth care services.

Clinical and Ergonomic Comparison Between a Robotic Assisted Transfer Device and a Mobile Floor Lift During Caregiver-Assisted Wheelchair Transfers.

Background: The robotic assisted transfer device was developed as an updated lift technology to reduce adjustments in posture while increasing capabilities offered by transfer devices. The purpose of this study was to compare the trunk biomechanics of a robotic assisted transfer device and a mechanical floor lift in the transfer of a care recipient by a caregiver during essential transfer tasks.

Methods: Investigators enrolled 28 caregiver/care recipient dyads to complete 36 transferring tasks.

Changes in the Number of Medal Events, Sport Events, and Classes During the Paralympic Games: A Historical Overview.

Purpose: To chart how changes in the number of medal events relate to changes in the number of sport events and classes during the Paralympic Games (PG) between 1960 and 2018.

Methods: Web-scraping was used to extract information from the website of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on all unique medal events, sport events, and classes per PG, which were then accumulated per sport to descriptively identify and further explore changes.

Results: The increased number of medal events during the early Summer Games (SG) (1960-1984: 113-975) and Winter Games (WG) (1976-1994: 55-113) was primarily due to an increased number of classes and sport events.

Comparison of trunk mechanics and spatiotemporal outcomes in caregivers using a robotic assisted transfer device and a mobile floor lift.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare trunk mechanics, distance covered, and average instantaneous velocity and acceleration recorded with caregivers performing transfer tasks using a research mannequin with both a prototype robotic assisted transfer device (RATD) and a mobile floor lift.

Design: Cross-Sectional.

Setting: Biomechanics Lab and Human Engineering Research Laboratories.

Health Outcomes Used to Determine Facets of Health-related Quality of Life for Post-9/11 Veterans Using Assistive Technology for A Combat-related Mobility Impairment: A Literature Review.

Introduction: Novel rehabilitation methods, including distribution and adoption of assistive technology for lower extremity impairments, are becoming crucial to ensure positive quality of life in all individuals. The quality of life of post-9/11 combat veterans is not well understood, in comparison to research on other populations. The following essay describes a review on health outcomes used to determine health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) among combat-injured service members who require mobility-related assistive technology.

Assessment of Muscle Activation of Caregivers Performing Dependent Transfers With a Novel Robotic-Assisted Transfer Device Compared With the Hoyer Advance.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare muscle activity in caregivers while using a novel robotic-assisted transfer device (Strong Arm) to a clinical standard of care (Hoyer Advance).

Design: A quasi-experimental design was used in which 20 caregivers (33 ± 15 yrs old) performed transfers with three surfaces (toilet, bench, and shower chair) with the Strong Arm and Hoyer Advance. Transfer completion time (seconds), peak percentage surface electromyography (EMG), and integrated EMG of the bilateral erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major and anterior deltoid were measured.

Usability and task load comparison between a robotic assisted transfer device and a mechanical floor lift during caregiver assisted transfers on a care recipient.

Introduction: The RATD represents a novel methodology to reduce strain, manoeuvring, and cognitive load a caregiver experiences when conducting transfers on a mannequin. However, caregivers who used this new technology report suggested adjustments regarding the robot's human machine interface and shape as to improve transfer efficiency and comfort for care recipients. The purpose of this study was to test a redesigned RATD and compare its ergonomics during a transfer to those of a mechanical floor lift.

Parental substance use disorder and child abuse: risk factors for child maltreatment?

Although the literature consistently shows an association between parental substance use disorders (SUDs) and child abuse, it is unknown what factors discern non-abusive and abusive parents with SUDs. This study aims to investigate which specific risk factors are associated with child abuse in clinically treated parents with SUDs in the Netherlands. It examines two groups of parents with SUDs in a clinical setting, with and without known instances of child abuse.

Trajectories of Dynamic Risk Factors During Forensic Treatment: Growth Trajectory of Clinical Risk Factors in a Sample of Dutch Forensic Patients.

In this study, growth trajectories (from admission until unconditional release) of crime-related dynamic risk factors were investigated in a sample of Dutch forensic patients ( = 317), using latent growth curve modeling. After testing the unconditional model, three predictors were added: first-time offender versus recidivist, age, and treatment duration. Postanalyses were chi-square difference tests, tests, and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) to assess differences in trajectories.

Recidivism and predictors of recidivism among female high level persistent offenders after a special court order for persistent offenders in the Netherlands.

Previous research has shown that female persistent offenders have multiple psychiatric and psychosocial problems, such as substance use disorders, other mental disorders, financial problems and housing problems. The present study examined recidivism and predictors of recidivism in a sample of 74 Dutch female high level persistent offenders who had been subjected to a special court order for persistent offenders, called ISD [Inrichting Stelselmatige Daders]. The criminal records were studied to gain insight in the criminal charges against women after release from the ISD.

Person transfer assist systems: a literature review.

Objective: Novel developments in the robotics field have produced systems that can support person wheelchair transfers, maximize safety and reduce caregiver burden. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe these systems, their usability (or satisfaction), the context for which they have been or can be used and how they have been evaluated to determine evidence for their effectiveness.

Method: Available research on Person Transfer Assist Systems (PTAS) was systematically gathered using similar standards to the PRISMA guidelines.

The Influence of a Short Message Service Reminder on Non-Attendance in Addiction Care.

Non-attendance in mental healthcare is a substantial problem. Research has shown that sending a short message service (SMS) reminder could reduce non-attendance by 50 percent in general health services and by 25 percent in mental health institutions. However, no studies exist on the effect of sending SMS reminders in mental healthcare for addiction.

[Vision on man, vision on addiction: a multiple view of problems and recovery].

The way we look at addiction has changed dramatically over the past decades. Currently, the brain disease model is the leading model in the biomedical scientific literature. However, this model has been severely criticized and seems to apply mostly to people with a chronic form of addiction.

Substance use disorders and sexual behavior; the effects of alcohol and drugs on patients' sexual thoughts, feelings and behavior.

Introduction: Hardly any research exists on the relationship between substance use and sexual behaviors in patients with a substance use disorder. This study aimed to examine this relation by looking into perceived positive effects on sexual behavior, perceived negative effects and risky sexual behavior due to substance use in patient groups of users of alcohol, stimulants, sedatives and Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB). In addition, the current study aimed to address the question whether sexual behavior (e.

Pegfilgrastim Improves Survival of Lethally Irradiated Nonhuman Primates.

Leukocyte growth factors (LGF), such as filgrastim, pegfilgrastim and sargramostim, have been used to mitigate the hematologic symptoms of acute radiation syndrome (ARS) after radiation accidents. Although these pharmaceuticals are currently approved for treatment of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression, such approval has not been granted for myelosuppression resulting from acute radiation exposure. Regulatory approval of drugs used to treat radiological or nuclear exposure injuries requires their development and testing in accordance with the Animal Efficacy Rule, set forth by the U.

Stretch-induced upregulation of connective tissue growth factor in rabbit cardiomyocytes.

Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF, CCN2) is considered to play an important role in cardiac remodelling. We studied whether stretch is a primary stimulus to induce CTGF expression in vivo in rabbit heart, and in vitro in isolated cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts. Twenty weeks of combined volume and pressure overload resulted in eccentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, with increased LV internal diameter (+36 %) and LV weight (+53 %).

The effects of assertive community treatment including integrated dual diagnosis treatment on nuisance acts and crimes in dual-diagnosis patients.

We investigated whether Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) combined with Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment (IDDT) is associated with a decrease in nuisance acts and crime convictions in dual-diagnosis repeated offenders. Forty-three patients were monitored from 21 months before until 12 months after the start of ACT-IDDT, using police data and the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS). Results show that while nuisance acts and convictions increased in the 21 months before the start of ACT-IDDT, nuisance acts decreased and convictions stabilized during the next 12 months.

Stretch-induced hypertrophy of isolated adult rabbit cardiomyocytes.

Both mechanical and humoral triggers have been put forward to explain the hypertrophic response of the challenged cardiomyocyte. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether cyclic equibiaxial stretch is a direct stimulus for isolated adult rabbit cardiomyocytes to develop hypertrophy and to explore the potential involvement of the autocrine/paracrine factors ANG II, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta(1), and IGF-I in this process. Isolated cardiomyocytes were exposed to 10% cyclic equibiaxial stretch (1 Hz) for up to 48 h or treated with ANG II (100 nM), TGF-beta(1) (5 ng/ml), IGF-I (100 ng/ml), ANG II type 1 (AT(1)) receptor blockers, or conditioned medium of stretched fibroblasts.

Re-expression of alpha skeletal actin as a marker for dedifferentiation in cardiac pathologies.

Differentiation of foetal cardiomyocytes is accompanied by sequential actin isoform expression, i.e. down-regulation of the 'embryonic' alpha smooth muscle actin, followed by an up-regulation of alpha skeletal actin (alphaSKA) and a final predominant expression of alpha cardiac actin (alphaCA).

Pacing-induced dys-synchrony preconditions rabbit myocardium against ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Background: Because increased mechanical load induces preconditioning (PC) and dys-synchrony increases loading in late-activated regions, we investigated whether dys-synchrony induced by ventricular pacing (VP) at normal heart rate leads to cardioprotection.

Methods And Results: Isolated working rabbit hearts were subjected to 35 minutes of global ischemia and 2 hours of reperfusion. Seven hearts underwent VP PC (3 periods of 5 minutes VP at the posterior left ventricular [LV] wall), 7 hearts underwent ischemic preconditioning (IPC) (3 periods of 5 minutes of global ischemia), and 9 hearts served as control (C).

Atrial ultrastructural changes during experimental atrial tachycardia depend on high ventricular rate.

Introduction: Atrial structural and electrophysiologic changes occur during atrial tachycardia. The role of high ventricular rate in these processes remains to be established.

Methods And Results: Six goats were subjected to 4 weeks of rapid atrioventricular (AV) pacing at an atrial and ventricular rate of 240 beats/min, resulting in development of congestive heart failure.

Police referral to victim support: the predictive and diagnostic value of the RISK (10) screening instrument.

One of the basic rights of crime victims granted under victim-orientated legislation introduced during the last 20 years in more than 100 countries worldwide is the right to be referred to victim support by the police. The under-utilization of psychological services by crime victims who are objectively in need of external support is substantial. Current legal procedures tend to perpetuate this unwanted condition.