The Impact of Antithrombotic Medications on Postoperative Bleeding Events Following Hemorrhoidectomy.

Background: Bleeding complications are a risk associated with hemorrhoid procedures. Despite the prevalence of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapies, including newer direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in the aging patient population there is a paucity of data regarding the impact of the use of antithrombotic therapy (AT) especially DOACs, on bleeding complications of hemorrhoid procedures.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients who had undergone a total of 1152 procedures, including hemorrhoid excision and ligation, at a single institution in the years 2016-2018.

Impact of Interprofessional Care Conferences Across Primary Care and Mental Health Organizations on Family Medicine Resident Learning.

Background And Objectives: Patients with severe mental illness often lack care coordination between primary care and mental health providers which can negatively impact patient outcomes. Team-based care is integral in the effective management of patients with multiple comorbidities, with the family physician central in coordinating holistic care. Family medicine residency programs must provide models of effective interprofessional collaboration and mental health treatment to prepare residents to navigate an evolving health care landscape.

Economic Evaluation of Provision of Postpartum Intrauterine Device Services in Bangladesh and Tanzania.

Introduction: Postpartum family planning is an effective means of achieving improved health outcomes for women and children, especially in low- and middle-income settings. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of an immediate postpartum intrauterine device (PPIUD) initiative compared with standard practice in Bangladesh and Tanzania (which is no immediate postpartum family planning counseling or service provision) to inform resource allocation decisions for governments and donors.

Methods: A decision analysis was constructed to compare the PPIUD program with standard practice.

Bridging Community Mental Health and Primary Care to Improve Medication Monitoring and Outcomes for Patients With Mental Illness Taking Second-Generation Antipsychotics-HDC/DFMC Bridge Project, Phase 1: Group Concept Mapping.

Objective: Patients with severe mental illness often lack care coordination between primary care and mental health providers. Siloed patient care across separate health care systems can negatively impact quality and safety of patient care. The purpose of the project discussed in this article is to effectively engage stakeholders from separate primary care and mental health organizations to develop an ideal cross-organization communication system to improve metabolic monitoring for their comanaged patients prescribed second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs).

Data quality, floor and ceiling effects, and test-retest reliability of the Mild Cognitive Impairment Questionnaire.

Background: The Mild Cognitive Impairment Questionnaire (MCQ) is a 13-item measure that assesses health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with mild cognitive impairment (PWMCI); it has two domains assessing the emotional and practical effects.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the MCQ.

Design: This is a longitudinal questionnaire-based study.

Biodegradability of Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate/Bacterial Cellulose Composites under Aerobic Conditions, Measured via Evolution of Carbon Dioxide and Spectroscopic and Diffraction Methods.

Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and bacterial cellulose (BC) are both natural polymeric materials that have the potential to replace traditional, nonrenewable polymers. In particular, the nanofibrillar form of bacterial cellulose makes it an effective reinforcement for PHB. Neat PHB, bacterial cellulose, and a composite of PHB/BC produced with 10 wt % cellulose were composted under accelerated aerobic test conditions, with biodegradability measured by the carbon dioxide evolution method, in conjunction with spectroscopic and diffraction methods to assess crystallinity changes during the biodegradation process.

Characteristics of starch-based films plasticised by glycerol and by the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate: a comparative study.

This paper reports the plasticisation effect of the ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim][OAc]), as compared with the traditionally used plasticiser, glycerol, on the characteristics of starch-based films. For minimising the additional effect of processing, a simple compression moulding process (which involves minimal shear) was used for preparation of starch-based films. The results show that [Emim][OAc] was favourable for plasticisation, i.

The development and validation of a patient-reported quality of life measure for people with mild cognitive impairment.

Background: No validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) exists specifically to assess quality of life in mild cognitive impairment (MCI); we report a study conducted to develop such a measure.

Methods: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with 23 people with MCI in order to determine items for a draft questionnaire. These interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed.

Exploring the experiences of people with mild cognitive impairment and their caregivers with particular reference to healthcare - a qualitative study.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; PWMCI) and their "advocates," particularly within healthcare services.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 PWMCI diagnosed ≤6 months ago and 20 advocates recruited via patients. The resulting data were content-analyzed.

False-positive rapid plasma reagin testing in patients with acute Plasmodium vivax malaria: a case control study.

Non-treponemal tests such as the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) assay are mainstays of syphilis diagnosis, but false-positive tests are common. We identified false-positive RPR titers in 8.2% of patients with malaria due to Plasmodium vivax in northern Peru.

Role of depression in predicting time to conversion to mild cognitive impairment.

Objective: To establish whether, in a cohort with normal cognition, severity of depressive symptoms at baseline was related to the time taken for conversion to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and whether this interacted with other potential risk factors, including APOE ε4 status and demographic and cognitive variables.

Methods: In a population-based cohort study, 126 cognitively normal subjects were assessed for depressive symptoms at baseline using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and were then followed over 20 years with regular cognitive assessments. The interval-censored accelerated failure time model was used to establish whether GDS and other factors, including APOE ε4 status, predicted the median time to development of MCI.

In situ modifications to bacterial cellulose with the water insoluble polymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate.

Bacterial cellulose is a pure, highly crystalline form of cellulose produced from the bacteria Gluconacetobacter xylinus that has become of increasing interest in materials science due to its nanofibrillar structure, ideal for incorporation into other materials as a reinforcing material. The morphology and properties of bacterial cellulose can be altered by including additives not specifically required for growth of the bacteria in liquid media. The bioplastic poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), along with hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) and Tween 80 were selected and added to the growth media at different concentrations to examine their impact on the resulting cellulose, leading to changes in yield, crystallinity and morphology.

Altering the growth conditions of Gluconacetobacter xylinus to maximize the yield of bacterial cellulose.

An extensive matrix of different growth conditions including media, incubation time, inoculum volume, surface area and media volume were investigated in order to maximize the yield of bacterial cellulose produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinus, which will be used as reinforcement material to produce fully biodegradable composites. Crystallinity was shown to be controllable depending on the media and conditions employed. Samples with significant difference in crystallinity in a range from 50% to 95% were produced.

Living with mild cognitive impairment: the patient's and carer's experience.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a relatively common condition and rates of diagnosis are likely to increase in the near future. Little is known about the experiences of patients with MCI and their carers nor about the most appropriate interventions to support this group.

Methods: The existing literature on this topic up to July 2011 was identified via systematic searches of the Embase and Medline databases, the Cochrane Library and relevant sections of the National Electronic Library for Health.

Exploring the relationship between employment history and retired women's social relationships.

This study explores the relationship between retired women's employment history and their social integration and social support networks in retirement. Employment history is defined by former occupation (professional, paraprofessional, nonprofessional) and job continuity (discontinuous and continuous). The sample consists of 330 retired women ranging in age from 50 to 83 years, with diverse occupational histories, who were retired an average of 3.

Effect of annealing and pressure on microstructure of cornstarches with different amylose/amylopectin ratios.

This work focuses on the effect of annealing and pressure on microstructures of starch, in particular the crystal structure and crystallinity to further explore the mechanisms of annealing and pressure treatment. Cornstarches with different amylose/amylopectin ratios were used as model materials. Since the samples covered both A-type (high amylopectin starch: waxy and maize) and B-type (high amylose starch: G50 and G80) crystals, the results can be used to clarify some previous confusion.

Obstetrical complications in people at risk for developing schizophrenia.

Many factors have been associated with the development of schizophrenia, yet few studies have looked at these same factors in individuals considered at risk for schizophrenia, but who have not yet reached diagnostic threshold. The rate of obstetrical complications was assessed as part of a comprehensive battery in subjects at risk (N=52), or in the first episode of schizophrenia (N=18), and in normal comparison subjects (N=43). The rate of obstetrical complications was increased in the at risk (46%) and first episode (39%) samples compared to the normal comparison (19%) group, however, follow-up analyses were only significant between the at risk and normal comparison subjects.

Wheat-gluten-based natural polymer nanoparticle composites.

A series of wheat-gluten-based nanocomposites were produced by dispersing Cloisite-30B nanoclay particles into plasticized wheat gluten systems under thermal processing conditions. The exfoliation of the nanoparticles as confirmed by wide-angle X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy has resulted in significant enhancement of the mechanical properties for both deamidated proteins and vital gluten systems under 50% relative humidity (RH). Such strength improvement was also pronounced for wheat gluten (WG) systems under a high humidity condition (RH = 85%).