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Summary: Post‐intensive care syndrome describes the physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms which persist following critical illness. At present there is limited understanding of the pathological mechanisms contributing to the development of post‐intensive care syndrome. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise current evidence exploring the association between inflammation and features of post‐intensive care syndrome in survivors of critical illness. Relevant databases were systematically searched for studies of human participants exposed to critical illness. We sought studies that reported results for biomarkers with an identified role in the pathophysiology of inflammation obtained at any time‐point in the patient journey and an outcome measure of any feature of post‐intensive care syndrome at any point following hospital discharge. We included 32 studies, with 23 in the primary analysis and nine in a brain injury subgroup analysis. In the primary analysis, 47 different biomarkers were sampled and 44 different outcome measures were employed. Of the biomarkers which were sampled in five or more studies, interleukin‐8, C‐reactive protein and interleukin‐10 most frequently showed associations with post‐intensive care syndrome outcomes in 71%, 62% and 60% of studies, respectively. There was variability in terms of which biomarkers were sampled, time‐points of sampling and outcome measures reported. Overall, there was mixed evidence of a potential association between an inflammatory process and long‐term patient outcomes following critical illness. Further high‐quality research is required to develop a longitudinal inflammatory profile of survivors of critical illness over the recovery period and evaluate the association with outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetostratigraphy, numerical dating, and facies mapping have been combined to provide the first cross-basin correlation of the Eocene southeastern Pyrenean foreland basin in northeastern Spain. This has enabled (1) depositional systems on the northern and southern margins of the basin to be dated and correlated across the basin and (2) changes in the rates of sediment accumulation in time and space to be evaluated. By sampling correlative intervals at several locations in a transect across the basin, magnetozones were detected that otherwise may have been misinterpreted due to recent magnetic overprinting, or missed by wide sampling intervals in previous magnetostratigraphic surveys. Results of this study indicate that marginal marine strata of the southeastern part of the foreland near the Vic area of Spain are 5 m.y. older than previously thought, the base of the interval (46 Ma) being middle Lutetian in age. By proposing an age of at least 35.68 Ma for the overlying Cardona evaporite unit, the age span of the marine interval in the studied part of the foreland is [approximately] 10 m.y. Contrary to earlier interpretations, no major southward migration of the southeastern Pyrenean foreland basin depocenter is recorded by the basin stratigraphy during the initial stages of middle Eocene marine sedimentation in the southern margin of the basin. However, marked basin asymmetry is observed later in its evolution as the top of the marine deposits records northward increase in the thickness of chron C17n.1n (37.47-36.61 Ma). This asymmetry is also proved by the presence of a larger number of magnetozones within marine strata at the top of the marine interval in the northern sector. These results imply that previous age calibrations and the estimated rates of tectonic processes and sedimentation within the foreland need to be reassessed. The implications for basin infill architecture evolution through time and space, subsidence analysis, and depocenter evolution through time are addressed.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to describe learning styles of third year nursing students. DESIGN: An interventional study Setting: a public university in Jordan. SUBJECTS: Used a purposive sample of 92 nursing students who were enrolled in maternity nursing course. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Measure the difference in learning styles of nursing students after introducing an intervention of PBL as a teaching methodology. RESULTS: The dominant learning preference of the students was the read/write preference followed by the kinesthetic, still most of the students represented a multimodal learning preference. No significant difference was found between males and females. A significant difference in the learning preferences of the students in the pre-post test was found. In the pretest the mean of the total VARK score 13.9 (SD=2) where as in the post test the mean of the total VARK score=16.5 (SD=3.5). In the pre-test 54% of students had a multimodal preference whereas 68% of students have a multimodal preference post-test. CONCLUSIONS: Most students are able to learn effectively as long as the instructor provides different learning activities in the areas assessed in VARK. Active learning might be enhanced in large classrooms by presenting models and demonstrations, discussions, debates, answering questions, and role playing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We determined whether local regulation by vasoactive agents differs in the myometrial and omental vascular beds in the pregnant sheep. Specifically, we hypothesized that there would be blunting of in vitro responses to constrictor agonists, enhancement of sensitivity to dilator agonists, or both in myometrial compared with omental resistance arteries.Study Design: We compared in vitro responsiveness of small resistance intramyometrial and omental arteries from near-term pregnant ewes to the vasoconstrictor agents norepinephrine, U46619 (a thromboxane sympathomimetic), and potassium and the vasodilator agents acetylcholine and bradykinin.Results: The vascular sensitivity and the maximum response of intramyometrial small arteries to U46619 was attenuated compared with that of omental arteries. There were no significant differences between the intramyometrial and omental arteries in response to norepinephrine, potassium, acetylcholine, or bradykinin.Conclusions: These results support regional heterogeneity of regulation of function in different maternal vascular beds during pregnancy. The relative insensitivity of the myometrial arteries to the thromboxane mimetic indicates the existence of decreased constrictor function that may facilitate preservation of uterine blood flow in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]