Influences of spatial practices on pressure ulcer management in the context of spinal cord injury

Nursing practice is significantly influenced by the type and use of space in which nursing is practised. While investigating current patterns of service delivery for the management of pressure ulcers from the perspective of people with spinal cord injuries and their families, the space in which care was delivered was identified as a central determinant of care. Qualitative methods were used to investigate consumer perspectives among patients residing in both metropolitan and rural communities who had been hospitalized for the management of pressure ulcers. Issues related to the spatial practices of the hospital are discussed, demonstrating a link between well-being and the creation of an appropriate caring milieu. It is concluded that service could be improved markedly if health-care professionals placed more consideration on the impact of space on their service delivery.

Effect of flooding on estuarine bivalve populations near the mouth of the Hopkins River, Victoria, Australia

The densities of two common intertidal/shallow subtidal bivalves, Soletellina alba and Arthritica helmsi, were sampled in vegetated and unvegetated habitats of the Hopkins River estuary on three occasions during the  autumn/winter 1995.Winter flooding coincided with mass mortalities of the infaunal bivalve S. alba, but not A. helmsi. Mortalities were apparent for individuals living deeper in the sediment (≈35 cm) in vegetated and unvegetated habitats, but small S. alba (<1mm) were less susceptible to mortality than larger individuals (>1mm). Mortalities were similar across different habitat types and sediment depths, and at multiple sites within close proximity to the estuary mouth.

Community-based study on knowledge, attitude and practice on the mode of transmission, prevention and treatment of the Buruli ulcer in Ga West District, Ghana

Buruli ulcer disease (BUD), a devastating tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, occurs in more than 80% of the administrative districts of Ghana. To elucidate community perceptions and
understanding of the aetiology of BUD, attitudes towards Buruli patients and treatment-seeking behaviours, we conducted a survey with 504 heads of households and seven focus group discussions in Ga West District, Ghana. Although 67% of participants regarded BUD as a health problem, 53% did not know its cause. Sixteen per cent attributed the cause to drinking non-potable water, 8.1% mentioned poor personal hygiene or dirty surroundings, and 5.5% identified swimming or wading in ponds as a risk factor. About 5.2% thought that witchcraft and curses cause BUD, and 71.8% indicated that BU sufferers first seek treatment from herbalists and only refer to the hospital as a last resort. The main
reasons were prospects of prolonged hospital stay, cost of transport, loss of earnings and opportunity associated with parents attending their children’s hospitalization over extended period, delays in being
attended by medical staff, and not knowing the cause of the disease or required treatment. The level of acceptance of BUD sufferers was high in adults but less so in children. The challenge facing health workers is to break the vicious cycle of poor medical outcomes leading to poor attitudes to hospital treatment in the community. Because herbalists are often the first people consulted by those who contract the disease, they need to be trained in early recognition of the pre-ulcerative stage of Buruli lesions.

In situ growth of Soletellina alba (Bivalvia: Psammobiidae) in response to detrital supply and mouth status in a seasonally-closed estuary

The supply of detritus is an important food source for many soft-sediment invertebrates, but its importance for their growth and condition is rarely, if ever, tested directly using manipulative field experiments. Therefore, we designed such a study to: (1) test the importance of fine particulate organic matter for the growth and condition of the infaunal bivalve Soletellina alba; (2) indirectly test the feeding mode of S. alba, which has been assumed to be a deposit feeder like other members of the same superfamily (Tellinoidea); (3) compare growth rates across two summers with contrasting patterns of estuary mouth opening/closing; and (4) compare the condition of individuals used in two field studies (i.e. present versus past) and a past laboratory study. Neither growth nor condition differed when organic content of the sediments was varied, which suggests that S. alba is either a suspension feeder or capable of switching modes of feeding. There was considerable interannual variation in growth with greater growth occurring during the summer with a longer period of mouth opening. This suggests that periods of mouth closure may reduce secondary production within seasonally-closed estuaries. Potential artefacts associated with laboratory trials were also identified, with laboratory bivalves exhibiting poorer condition than those used in two field trials. The present study provides no evidence that variable quantities and qualities of organic matter within the sediments influence the growth and condition of S. alba, but future studies should focus on food supplied via the water column when the estuary is open versus closed.

Conspicuous, ultraviolet-rich mouth colours in begging chicks

There is as yet no clear consensus on the function of vivid mouth colours in begging chicks. A major obstacle to our understanding has been that no studies have measured gape colours independently of human colour perception. Here, we present the first study, to our knowledge, to use UV-VIS spectrometry to quantify the gape colour, background nest colour and nest light environment of eight European passerines. Both mouths and the surrounding flanges show striking and previously unreported peaks of reflectance in the ultraviolet, coupled with high long-wavelength reflectance responsible for the human-visible appearance of the gape. High ultraviolet reflectance is likely to have an important effect on the conspicuousness of nestling mouths, since contrast with the nest background is maximal in the ultraviolet. Furthermore, the dual-peak nature of the spectra suggests that gapes are avian non-spectral colours analogous to human purple.

Development and evaluation of an ELISA for the detection and 3D antibodies to foot and mouth disease virus

A group specific ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) was developed to detect virus infection associated antibodies in the serum of animals infected with any serotype of foot and mouth disease virus. The assay was developed from non-infectious sources, and is therefore suitable for use in countries where FMDV is exotic.

Effect of an arginine-containing nutritional supplement on pressure ulcer healing in community spinal patients

Objective: To determine whether or not the use of an arginine-containing nutritional supplement could result in signifi cantly shorter pressure ulcer (PU) healing times in people with spinal cord injuries living in the community, compared with a comparative historical control group. Method: Eighteen spinal-cord-injured patients (all part of a hospital spinal outreach service) received 9g of a commercial powdered arginine supplement per day until full PU healing occurred. Healing rates were compared against 17 historical control patients (as assessed by medical history audit). 
Results: Baseline characteristics (age, gender, injury level and time) were similar between groups. Mean ulcer healing times were 10.5 ± 1.3 weeks versus 21 ± 3.7 weeks (p<0.05) in the intervention and control groups respectively. Comparison of healing rates in the intervention group against expected healing rates derived from the medical literature showed that intervention patients had a signifi cantly shorter mean healing time (category 2 PU: 5.5±1.3 weeks versus 13.4 weeks; category 3 PU: 12.5 ± 1.9 weeks versus 18.2 weeks; category 4 PU: 14.4 ± 4.8 weeks versus 22.1 weeks). A diagnosis of diabetes did not significantly alter healing rates in either group. Conclusion: Results from this observational study show a promising benefit of arginine supplementation on PU healing for individuals with spinal cord injury living in the community.

The effects of cultural values in word-of-mouth communication

When new products and brands are introduced into other cultures, the speed and extent of the product's acceptance are important concerns for marketers. The spread of positive word of mouth (WOM) and the lack of negative WOM about the product or brand by early adopter groups are critical to the product's successful diffusion in a population. This is the first study to investigate the effects of consumers' cultural values on their WOM behavior. Data analysis from two samples indicates that the pattern, type, and target receivers of consumers' WOM activity depend on their cultural values. The authors use Hofstede's four cultural dimensions to test the effects of cultural values on WOM behavior to social in- and out-groups. They find that all four dimensions have significant effects on WOM engagement to those groups. Although the authors could not determine the causal nature of the relationships because of the sample design used, they argue that marketers should monitor the cultural values of their market to anticipate in- and out-group discussions and the choice of appropriate brand communication strategies in other countries.