Search

Objectives: Family caregivers (FCs) of cancer patients experience burden of care. The aims of this study are to describe the caregiving phenomenon among FCs of advanced cancer patients in a Latino community and to identify caregiver and patient characteristics associated with high-intensity subjective caregiver burden., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, advanced cancer patient-caregiver dyads assessed at a Palliative Care Unit in Santiago, Chile, enrolled in a longitudinal observational study were included. FCs completed questions to describe the caregiving phenomenon and surveys to assess burden of care, psychological distress, and perception of patients' symptoms; patients completed surveys to assess physical distress and quality of life (QOL). We explored associations between high-intensity subjective caregiver burden with caregiver and patient variables., Results: Two hundred seven dyads were analyzed. FCs were on average 50 years old and 75% female. Thirty-two percent of FCs experienced high-intensity subjective burden of care. Eighty two percent of FCs took care of the patient daily and 31% took care of the patient alone. In univariate analysis, high-intensity caregiver burden was associated with caregiver depression (59% vs. 27%; p  < 0.001), anxiety (86% vs. 67%; p  = 0.003), caring for the patient alone (45% vs. 24%; p  = 0.002), perception of patient symptom distress, patient religion, and worse patient QOL (mean [standard deviation] 58 [33] vs. 68 [27]; p  = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, FC depression (OR [95% confidence interval] 3.07 [1.43-6.60]; p  = 0.004), anxiety (3.02 [1.19-7.71]; p  = 0.021), caring for the patient alone (2.69 [1.26-5.77]; p  = 0.011), caregiver perception of patient's fatigue (1.26 [1.01-1.58]; p  = 0.04), and patient's religion (3.90 [1.21-12.61]; p  = 0.02) were independently associated with caregiver burden., Significance of Results: FCs of advanced cancer patients in a Latino community frequently experience high-intensity burden of care and are exposed to measures of objective burden. High-intensity burden is associated with both caregiver and patient factors. Policies should aim to make interventions on patient-caregiver dyads to decrease caregiving burden among Latinos.

Context: Demoralization is a state of existential distress in patients with advanced illness, typically with coping difficulties, feelings of loss of sense, and purpose in life and despair, among other things. The New Demoralization Scale (DS-II) is an evaluation tool for this syndrome, which has recently been reformulated on a shorter scale., Objectives: The objective of this study was to obtain a Spanish version of the DS-II and to assess its psychometric properties in advanced cancer patients in Spain and a number of Latin American countries., Methods: Following a translation-back translation process, a validation study and a confirmatory analysis using structural equation models with their corresponding latent constructs were undertaken. Patients completed the DS-II in Spanish (DS-II (es)), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised. Reliability was studied according to internal consistency; construct validity and concurrent validity with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised; discriminant validity using the Karnofsky Performance Status scale; and feasibility, with response ratio and required time. Cutoff points were established, and sensitivity and specificity were studied., Results: The DS-II (es) was obtained. One hundred fifty patients completed the validation study. The confirmatory analysis showed coherence, and all items correlated positively with their subscales and with the overall scale. Cronbach's alpha for the DS-II (es) was 0.88, for the sense and purpose subscale 0.83, and for the coping ability 0.79. Demoralization correlated significantly with emotional distress (rho = 0.73, P < 0.001). The tool distinguished between patients with diverse functional levels (rho = -0.319, P = 0.001). Cutoff points at 10 and 20 out of 32 were established. The scale showed high sensitivity (81.97%) and specificity (80.90%). The prevalence of demoralization was 33% in our sample., Conclusion: The Spanish version of the new Kissane DS-II demoralization scale has shown to be valid, reliable, and feasible with adequate psychometric properties., (Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, we investigate the capability of an axle box acceleration (ABA) system to evaluate the degradation at railway crossings. For this purpose, information from multiple sensors, namely, ABA signals, 3D rail profiles, Global Positioning System (GPS) and tachometer recordings, was collected from both nominal and degraded crossings. By proper correlation of the gathered data, an algorithm was proposed to distinguish the characteristic ABA related to the degradation and then to evaluate the health condition of crossings. The algorithm was then demonstrated on a crossing with an unknown degradation status, and its capability was verified via a 3D profile measurement. The results indicate that the ABA system is effective at monitoring two types of degradations. The first type is uneven deformation between the wing rail and crossing nose, corresponding to characteristic ABA frequencies of 230-350 and 460-650 Hz. The second type is local irregularity in the longitudinal slope of the crossing nose, corresponding to characteristic ABA frequencies of 460-650 Hz. The types and severity of the degradation can be evaluated by the spatial distribution and energy concentration of the characteristic frequencies of the ABA signals., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Railway infrastructure monitoring is a vital task to ensure rail transportation safety. A rail failure could result in not only a considerable impact on train delays and maintenance costs, but also on safety of passengers. In this article, the aim is to assess the risk of a rail failure by analyzing a type of rail surface defect called squats that are detected automatically among the huge number of records from video cameras. We propose an image processing approach for automatic detection of squats, especially severe types that are prone to rail breaks. We measure the visual length of the squats and use them to model the failure risk. For the assessment of the rail failure risk, we estimate the probability of rail failure based on the growth of squats. Moreover, we perform severity and crack growth analyses to consider the impact of rail traffic loads on defects in three different growth scenarios. The failure risk estimations are provided for several samples of squats with different crack growth lengths on a busy rail track of the Dutch railway network. The results illustrate the practicality and efficiency of the proposed approach., (© 2017 The Authors Risk Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Risk Analysis.)

Dengue is an acute febrile illness caused by any of four dengue virus types (DENV-1-4). DENVs are transmitted by mosquitos of the genus Aedes (1) and are endemic throughout the tropics (2). In 2010, an estimated 390 million DENV infections occurred worldwide (2). During 2007-2013, a total of three to 10 dengue cases were reported annually in Arizona and all were travel-associated. During September-December 2014, coincident with a dengue outbreak in Sonora, Mexico, 93 travel-associated dengue cases were reported in Arizona residents; 70 (75%) cases were among residents of Yuma County, which borders San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. San Luis Río Colorado reported its first case of locally acquired dengue in September 2014. To investigate the temporal relationship of the dengue outbreaks in Yuma County and San Luis Río Colorado and compare patient characteristics and signs and symptoms, passive surveillance data from both locations were analyzed. In addition, household-based cluster investigations were conducted near the residences of reported dengue cases in Yuma County to identify unreported cases and assess risk for local transmission. Surveillance data identified 52 locally acquired cases (21% hospitalized) in San Luis Río Colorado and 70 travel-associated cases (66% hospitalized) in Yuma County with illness onset during September-December 2014. Among 194 persons who participated in the cluster investigations in Yuma County, 152 (78%) traveled to Mexico at least monthly during the preceding 3 months. Four (2%) of 161 Yuma County residents who provided serum samples for diagnostic testing during cluster investigations had detectable DENV immunoglobulin M (IgM); one reported a recent febrile illness, and all four had traveled to Mexico during the preceding 3 months. Entomologic assessments among 105 households revealed 24 water containers per 100 houses colonized by Ae. aegypti. Frequent travel to Mexico and Ae. aegypti colonization indicate risk for local transmission of DENV in Yuma County. Public health officials in Sonora and Arizona should continue to collaborate on dengue surveillance and educate the public regarding mosquito abatement and avoidance practices. Clinicians evaluating patients from the U.S.-Mexico border region should consider dengue in patients with acute febrile illness and report suspected cases to public health authorities.

Purpose of Review: The aim of this 2-year systematic review is to understand how learner assessment and curriculum evaluation of education in palliative care is being undertaken and to examine whether current undergraduate education influences the clinical patient's care., Recent Findings: Almost half of the 30 studies reviewed used a qualitative approach to evaluate learning experiences. Only three of them were controlled studies and a further one was a cohort study.When students openly express themselves, they agree that there is 'something' deep as regards the core or the essence of medical practice or nursing. They feel that they become better professionals and better prepared for the patients, not only in terms of end of life care, but also as regards care, irrespective of the phase of the disease.The inclusion of palliative care in undergraduate education is a way of providing knowledge, skill, and competences about palliative care (especially communication) and also improving attitudes toward caring in advanced disease and at the end of life. Different methods of experiential learning, even brief experiences, which bring students into close contact with palliative care clinical cases or patients, are providing better results., Summary: From research studies, there is only indirect evidence that palliative care training at university leads to better clinical care of patients. In the future, long-term cohort or controlled studies might answer that question.

In this paper we present a method of hybrid predictive control (HPC) based on a fuzzy model. The identification methodology for a nonlinear system with discrete state-space variables based on combining fuzzy clustering and principal component analysis is proposed. The fuzzy model is used for HPC design, where the optimization problem is solved by the use of genetic algorithms (GAs). An illustrative experiment on a hybrid tank system is conducted to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed approach.

Background: In acute coronary syndromes (ACS) interaction among several haemostatic (S and C protein, antitrhombin Ill, C protein resistance, plasminogen, alpha 2-antiplasmi and inflammatory factors (white cell blood count, fibrinogen, reactive C protein) could have association with recurrent thrombosis and recurrence ischemia, reinfarction, shock and cardiovascular mortality., Methods: Prospective, controlled, with a six-year follow-up trial. END-POINT: Prove in acute phase and in a follow-up association among inflammatory, coagulation and fibrinolysis markers with cardiovascular adverse events., Inclusion: a) ischemic chest pain at rest > 20 minutes with ST depression or elevation ACS, b) clinical stability. EXCLUSION: a) > 75 years-old, b) ACS secondary stress, hypertensive crisis, aortic stenosis, c) another acute vascular syndromes suggesting acute ischemia, d) Killip and Kimbal III o IV, e) ejection fraction < 35%, f) pre-hospital treatment with any medication that modify coagulation or fibrinolysis, c) inflammatory acute or chronic process. CONTROL GROUPS: Healthy individuals and stable chronic heart disease patients whose were matched by age and sex. In all patients with ischemic heart disease angiography, nuclear medicine or echocardiography stress tests were done., Statistics: Chi square, student t-test. Lineal, logistic and multivariate regression. Kaplan-Meier and Cox survival curves. Statistical significance: p < 0.05., Results: 50 patients with non- or ST elevation ACS were enrolled. Regression logistic analysis indicated association among plasminogen, antithrombin III and C reactive-protein (p < 0.00001) with death. Protein C and S, protein C resistance and antithrombin III had correlation with death (p 0.0001) and recurrent ischemia (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that antithrombin III, plasminogen, C reactive-protein and fibrinogen had significant correlation with death (p 0.001), cardiogenic shock (0.001), new ST-elevation myocardial infarction (0.001)., Conclusion: These findings suggesting that in acute phase and in a follow-up of an ACS abnormal coagulation, inflammation and fibrinolysis markers had independent and direct relationship with cardiovascular adverse events.

Acute coronary syndromes have a heterogeneous clinical presentation with a broad spectrum for mortality and adverse events. It is mandatory to identify high risk groups for percutaneous coronary intervention and intensive antithrombotic treatment or common risk for standard treatment. In contemporaneous medicine it is important to get adequate risk stratification because the impact of hospitalary costs, antithrombotic and reperfusion treatment on health systems. The current pathophysiology of atherosclerosis is moving from a disease secondary to cholesterol deposit, to an inflammatory disease. In the stratification process, familiar history, chest pain, ST dynamic abnormalities, left ventricular wall motion abnormalities, all have predictive value. The association of indirect endothelial dysfunction, micro or macronecrosis and ventricular dysfunction markers increase this value. In our experience a close relationship among abnormal fibrinolysis, inflammation and anticoagulation proteins with adverse events has been proved in acute coronary syndromes. Other interesting finding--for it accessibility--in acute myocardial infarction under coronary percutaneous intervention is persistent ST elevation, leukocytes and fibrinogen predictive value. In population allelic polymorphisms -455A and -148T and fibrinogen ( >450 mg/dL) were associated with coronary disease. These polymorphisms improve risk stratification of coronary disease to establish a better secondary prevention and treatment.

Unlabelled: In acute phase leukocytes has been related with higher incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events, (MACE) this evidence in AMI ST elevation after mechanical reperfusion is poor. We study prospectively this group to relationship among mechanical reperfusion, leukocytes and MACE. Two groups were considered < 10,000/microL or > 10,000/microL; 271 patients had full inclusion criteria in a 5 year period; 93 had < 1 0,000/microL leukocytes. (8,300 +/- 1,254/microL) and 178 > 10,000/microL. (13,810 +/- 3,192/microL, p 0.0001). We did not observe any difference between both groups regarding demographic characteristics. At beginning leukocytosis group had higher flow TIMI 0 - 1 incidence (89% vs 75%, p 0.004) and in-hospital major cardiovascular adverse events (32% vs 14%, p 0.001) and in follow-up (5% vs 2%, p 0.04). Logistic regression model include > 60 years-old, diabetes, extensive anterior or inferior infarction, TIMI flow 0, 1, or 2, cardiogenic shock, leukocytosis and neuthrophilia, had close relationship with mortality (p = 0.0007, RM 1.40, IC 95% 0.410 - 4.841). Multiple regression that include leukocytosis and neuthrophlia had stronger correlation with major cardiovascular adverse events (mortality, r = 0.34 and cardiogenic shock, r = 0.27) and abnormal TIMI flow (r = 0.20)., Conclusion: Our results confirm close relationship among leukocitosis, thrombosis and major cardiovascular adverse events and extend this knowledge to acute phase and follow- up in acute myocardial infarction ST elevation under percutaneous coronary intervention. These results could be considered as evidence that connecting between endotelial dysfunction (inflammation-atherothrombosis) and cardiovascular disease.