Critical Care Nurses' Knowledge on Prevention of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: This study aims to assess the knowledge of Palestinian critical care nurses regarding the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), an acquired infection that affects critically ill patients on ventilators in hospitals. Nurses caring for these patients may not always be aware of the most effective methods to prevent VAP.

Materials And Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in five government hospitals in Gaza Strip, Palestine over 3 months.

Psychological Distress and Relational Intimacy following Sexual Violence: A Longitudinal Study.

Increasing evidence shows how distress following sexual violence might spill over to victims' romantic relationship functioning. However, studies investigating the reverse spillover between relationship functioning and psychological distress following sexual violence are lacking. The current study therefore aimed to investigate the bidirectional association between victims' psychological distress (posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety and stress) and emotional and sexual intimacy using a three-wave yearly survey study of a community sample of sexual violence victims ( = 274, 89% women, 3% men and 8% trans persons, = 32 years, = 10.

Implementing primary care concepts in higher education: a mixed method study in Flanders (Belgium).

Background: The policy shift towards person-centred integrated primary care systems drives interest in primary care across higher education programs. In Flanders, the Primary Care Academy (PCA) is established to support this policy shift. The PCA focusses on the concepts of goal-oriented care, self-management, and interprofessional collaboration to support the shift towards integrated care and to integrate them in curricula in order to strengthen and develop a futureproof health system.

The influence of geometric nonconformance of the SB4 tension clamps on their strength and elasticity characteristics.

The paper presents comparative laboratory investigations of tension fastener models that attach rails to concrete sleepers. The aim of the paper was to assess the influence of geometric nonconformity of the actual industrial product that meets the PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.

Nurses' knowledge toward hemodialysis vascular access devices: A cross-sectional study in Palestine.

Objective: To assess the nurses' knowledge of vascular access devices for patients undergoing hemodialysis programs in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the nurses' knowledge of hemodialysis vascular access using the convenience sampling technique. The assessment tool comprised 60 items related to the nurses' knowledge and 7 items on demographic characteristics at hemodialysis units in 5 governmental hospitals in the Gaza Strip, between March and June 2023.

Stress among Nursing Students in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted stress levels across various professions, particularly in the medical field. This increase in stress has also affected medical students, including nursing students, who faced unprecedented and challenging circumstances. Nursing students, in particular, experienced added pressure due to observing the frontline experiences of nurses and the new demands placed upon them.

Application of the Gradient-Boosting with Regression Trees to Predict the Coefficient of Friction on Drawbead in Sheet Metal Forming.

Correct design of the sheet metal forming process requires knowledge of the friction phenomenon occurring in various areas of the drawpiece. Additionally, the friction at the drawbead is decisive to ensure that the sheet flows in the desired direction. This article presents the results of experimental tests enabling the determination of the coefficient of friction at the drawbead and using a specially designed tribometer.

Regular Consumption of Green Tea as an Element of Diet Therapy in Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI).

The liver is a highly metabolically active organ, and one of the causes of its dysfunction is the damage caused by drugs and their metabolites as well as dietary supplements and herbal preparations. A common feature of such damage is drugs, which allows it to be defined as drug-induced liver injury (DILI). In this review, we analysed available research findings in the global literature regarding the effects of green tea and/or its phenolic compounds on liver function in the context of protective action during prolonged exposure to xenobiotics.

Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant and Protective Activities of Various Types of Extracts from L. and Nutt. Herb Grown in Poland.

Introduction: The available literature indicates that and are raw materials with great potential for use in prevention and therapy. Therefore, the aims of this study were to assess the phytochemical profile and antioxidant and cytoprotective properties of extracts prepared using various solvents, additionally taking into account different methods of drying the plant material.

Methods: Hydrodistilled oil was analysed by GC-MS.

High-level military and sport leaders' everyday challenges and psychological skills: A cross-contextual repeated measures study.

Research shows that high-level military and sport leaders share a high-stress and high-stakes leader role due to similar experiences of demanding conditions mainly manifested in psychological burden. This raises research questions about leaders' psychological strategies to maintain their mental health and performance under demanding conditions. Thus, the current study investigated how experienced demanding conditions were related to self-rated leader performance level and mental health indicators among high-level military and sport leaders and whether the application of psychological skills by these leaders moderated these relationships.

Green spaces contribute to structural resilience of the gut microbiota in urban mammals.

The gut microbiome of wild animals is subject to various environmental influences, including those associated with human-induced alterations to the environment. We investigated how the gut microbiota of a synurbic rodent species, the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), change in cities of varying sizes, seeking the urban microbiota signature for this species. Fecal samples for analysis were collected from animals living in non-urbanized areas and green spaces of different-sized cities (Poland).

Coping with sexual violence as a post-assault formed couple: A dyadic phenomenological interview analysis.

Increasing evidence shows that survivors of sexual violence frequently experience relationship difficulties following their victimization. Little is known regarding how couples which formed post-assault cope with the impact of the prior assault. Hence, the aim of the current study was to gain insight into post-assault formed couples' experiences in coping with the impact of sexual violence.

Enhancement of the Refractory Matrix Diamond-Reinforced Cutting Tool Composite with Zirconia Nano-Additive.

This paper presents the results of the experimental research on diamond-reinforced composites with WC-Co matrices enhanced with a ZrO additive. The samples were prepared using a modified spark plasma sintering method with a directly applied alternating current. The structure and performance of the basic composite 94 wt.

Interspecies transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria between wild birds and mammals in urban environment.

The transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among wild animal species may hold significant epidemiological implications. However, this issue is seldom explored due to the perceived complexity of these systems, which discourages experimental investigation. To address this knowledge gap, we chose a configuration of birds and mammals coexisting in an urban green area as a research model: the rook Corvus frugilegus and the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius.

Effects of Myofascial Release Techniques on Joint Range of Motion of Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Although myofascial release techniques (MRTs) are commonly used to improve athletes' range of motion (ROM), the effectiveness of MRTs may vary depending on the specific method performed. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of MRTs on the ROM performance of athletes. (2) Methods: The electronic databases of Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched to identify relevant articles published up to June 2023.

Perceptions of undergraduate medical students on artificial intelligence in medicine: mixed-methods survey study from Palestine.

Background: The current applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine continue to attract the attention of medical students. This study aimed to identify undergraduate medical students' attitudes toward AI in medicine, explore present AI-related training opportunities, investigate the need for AI inclusion in medical curricula, and determine preferred methods for teaching AI curricula.

Methods: This study uses a mixed-method cross-sectional design, including a quantitative study and a qualitative study, targeting Palestinian undergraduate medical students in the academic year 2022-2023.

Powder Bed Fusion 3D Printing in Precision Manufacturing for Biomedical Applications: A Comprehensive Review.

Precision manufacturing requirements are the key to ensuring the quality and reliability of biomedical implants. The powder bed fusion (PBF) technique offers a promising solution, enabling the creation of complex, patient-specific implants with a high degree of precision. This technology is revolutionizing the biomedical industry, paving the way for a new era of personalized medicine.

Concentration of metals and metalloids in livers of birds of various foraging guilds collected during the autumn migration period in Poland.

During migration, birds explore various habitats at stopover sites that differ in food resources and contamination levels. In this study, hepatic concentrations of 21 elements (metals and metalloids) in 11 species of birds, representing various foraging habitats (such as aquatic, aquatic/terrestrial, and terrestrial) and migration modes (migratory and sedentary) representing various foraging guilds (omnivores, piscivores, and molluscivores), were analyzed. The samples (N = 84) were collected during the autumn migration period in Poland.

Bioactivity, Cytotoxicity, and Tribological Studies of Nickel-Free Austenitic Stainless Steel Obtained via Powder Metallurgy Route.

In the present study, the bioactivity, cytotoxicity, and tribological properties of a nickel-free austenitic stainless steel produced via the mechanical alloying of elemental iron, chromium, and manganese nitride powders following by hot isostatic pressing was investigated. Powders after 90 h of mechanical alloying were consolidated via hot isostatic pressing at 1150 °C (1425 K) and heat treated at 1175 °C (1448 K) for 1 h in a vacuum with furnace cooling. Tribological tests were performed to determine the resistance of the as-received nickel-free steel.

Pain in Adolescence: Maternal and Paternal Factors Affecting Adolescents' Pain in Norway-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Pain in adolescence is considered a worldwide concern. Adolescents' pain affects family functioning. However, bidirectional associations should be considered as parental determinates such as pain, stress, and sociodemographic factors are also shown to influence pain in adolescence.

Promoting physical activity and a healthy active lifestyle in community-dwelling older adults: a design thinking approach for the development of a mobile health application.

Background: Physical activity (PA) has wide-ranging, and well documented benefits for older adults, encompassing physical, cognitive, and mental well-being. The World Health Organization advocates for a minimum of 150-300 min of moderate intensity PA per week, supplemented by muscle-strengthening exercises. However, the rates of PA among older adults remain a concern.