Publications by authors named "J A Smethurst"
Goals: Assess outcomes in patients with an index presentation of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) over a 13-year period.
Background: SBP, a bacterial infection of ascites, has a poor prognosis.
Study: Retrospective cohort study assessing mortality (standardised to 32 months) and prognostic factors in patients with SBP during two periods: period 1 (June 2006-November 2012) and period 2 (December 2012-May 2019).
Article Synopsis
- Vegetation, particularly roots from species like willow and gorse, increases soil shearing resistance by absorbing water and reinforcing the soil structure.
- Traditional models for predicting how rooted soils behave often rely on hard-to-measure parameters, resulting in inconsistent predictions due to the complex interactions between soil and roots.
- Researchers used advanced imaging techniques to measure soil behavior and found that root characteristics significantly affect shear resistance, leading to an improved model that accurately predicted the increased resistance in root-reinforced soils.
Rates of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are higher than following surgery and are dependent on patient factors and valve type. There is an increasing trend towards pre-emptive PPM insertion in patients with significant conduction disease prior to TAVI. We report results from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) on pre- and post-procedural PPM implantation in the TAVI population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVegetation on railway or highway slopes can improve slope stability through the generation of soil pore water suctions by plant transpiration and mechanical soil reinforcement by the roots. To incorporate the enhanced shearing resistance and stiffness of root-reinforced soils in stability calculations, it is necessary to understand and quantify its effectiveness. This requires integrated and sophisticated experimental and multi-scale modelling approaches to develop an understanding of the processes at different length scales, from individual root-soil interaction through to full soil-profile or slope scale.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This paper describes the effects of a maternity consumer representative training program on participants' confidence to fulfil this role and engagement in representative activities.
Methods: The present study was a descriptive, pre-post evaluation design with a 3-month follow-up. Fifty-eight people completed the program and 55 agreed to participate in the evaluation.