scholarly journals Minimally invasive physiological correlates of social behaviour in belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) under human care

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin T. Richard ◽  
Rachael Levine ◽  
Tracy A. Romano ◽  
Becky L. Sartini
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Reproductive Physiology ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Male Display

Simultaneous observations of reproductive physiology and behaviour were conducted on a group of two male and two female belugas under professionally managed care for one year to explore potential mating strategies. Weekly blow sampling for progesterone in females was used to define the breeding season by detecting three oestrous cycles in one female. Twice weekly blow sampling for testosterone and twice monthly testes measurements via ultrasonography were used to detect reproductive seasonality in both males. Female–male association frequency varied longitudinally, with 70% of all interactions occurring during the 16-week breeding season. Male–male associations did not vary seasonally. Male display behaviours towards the female occurred 14.8 times more frequently during the breeding season (0.164 ± 0.188 behaviours/min) than outside of the breeding season (0.011 ± 0.042 behaviours/min). The cycling female responded variably to male display behaviours by altering swim speed or body orientation towards the male. Although this small sample size limits broad conclusions, the frequent display behaviours, low copulation rate and lack of serious male–male aggression are consistent with predictions for pre-copulatory female mate choice developed from the current knowledge of beluga reproductive physiology. These observations, which are not feasible for wild belugas, provide important management considerations because reduced opportunities for mate choice could limit the reproductive rate, especially in small populations.

scholarly journals Post-stroke fatigue: a scoping review

F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazaleh Aali ◽  
Avril Drummond ◽  
Roshan das Nair ◽  
Farhad Shokraneh
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Post Stroke

Background: Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is one of the most common and frustrating outcomes of stroke. It has a high prevalence and it can persist for many years after stroke. PSF itself contributes to a wider range of undesirable outcomes that affect all aspects of daily life. The aim of this review was to identify and summarise the most recent research on PSF, in order to update the evidence base. Methods: We updated an existing review (Hinkle et al. 2017) systematically searching CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and PubMed to cover new research studies between 1st March 2016 and the search date (19th January 2020). We included interventional and observational research, and clinical practice guidelines that were not covered in the original review. After duplicate removal in EndNote, two reviewers screened the search results in Rayyan, and data from eligible full texts were extracted onto an Excel spreadsheet. Finally, we used RobotReviewer and a human reviewer to assess the risk of bias of randomised trials for this scoping review. Results: We identified 45 records for 30 studies (14 observational, 10 interventional studies, and 6 guidelines). Apart from one, the interventional studies were single-centred, had high risk of bias and small sample size (median 50). They investigated exercise, pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, education, and light therapy. Observational studies mainly reported the factors related to PSF including co-morbidities, depression and anxiety, quality of life, activities of daily living, stroke severity, medication use and polypharmacy, polymorphism, pain, apathy, limb heaviness, neuroticism, mobility, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Guidelines either did not report on PSF or, when reported, their recommendations were supported by little or low level of evidence. Conclusion: Although we identified a number of recent studies which have added to our current knowledge on PSF, none are robust enough to change current clinical practice.

scholarly journals Post-stroke fatigue: a scoping review

F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazaleh Aali ◽  
Avril Drummond ◽  
Roshan das Nair ◽  
Farhad Shokraneh
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Post Stroke

Background: Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is one of the most common and frustrating outcomes of stroke. It has a high prevalence and it can persist for many years after stroke. PSF itself contributes to a wider range of undesirable outcomes that affect all aspects of daily life. The aim of this review was to identify and summarise the most recent research on PSF, in order to update the evidence base. Methods: We updated an existing review (Hinkle et al. 2017) systematically searching CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and PubMed to cover new research studies between 1st March 2016 and the search date (19th January 2020). We included interventional and observational research, and clinical practice guidelines that were not covered in the original review. After duplicate removal in EndNote, two reviewers screened the search results in Rayyan, and data from eligible full texts were extracted onto an Excel spreadsheet. Finally, we used RobotReviewer and a human reviewer to assess the risk of bias of randomised trials for this scoping review. Results: We identified 45 records for 30 studies (14 observational, 10 interventional studies, and 6 guidelines). Apart from one, the interventional studies were single-centred, had high risk of bias and small sample size (median 50). They investigated exercise, pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, education, and light therapy. Observational studies mainly reported the factors related to PSF including co-morbidities, depression and anxiety, quality of life, activities of daily living, stroke severity, medication use and polypharmacy, polymorphism, pain, apathy, limb heaviness, neuroticism, mobility, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Guidelines either did not report on PSF or, when reported, their recommendations were supported by little or low level of evidence. Conclusion: Although we identified a number of recent studies which have added to our current knowledge on PSF, none are robust enough to change current clinical practice.

scholarly journals Exploring Nurses' Knowledge about Heart Failure before and after the Implementation of a Heart Failure Education Program

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Richmond
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Care Managers ◽  
Patient Teaching ◽  
Nurses Knowledge

<p>Heart failure (HF) has become a national epidemic, with 5.7 million Americans currently living with HF. Although HF is incurable, it is manageable if health care professionals apply current practice guidelines to patient teaching. Nurses are charged with providing comprehensive education about HF self-­‐management and it is imperative they stay abreast of evidence-­‐based guidelines. The purpose of this project was to explore the current HF knowledge of Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) registered nurse Care Managers employed at the Providence Veterans Administration Medical Center (PVAMC). The logic model and Knowles andragogy theory assisted this researcher in the creation of a clear, organized and systematic approach to assessing Care Managers’ knowledge and in planning a HF education program that was sensitive to the needs of adult learners. Nine Care Managers participated in two HF educational meetings and completed the Texas Tech University HF on-­‐line module. The Nurses Knowledge of Heart Failure Principles (NKHFP) questionnaire was administered to the Care Managers as pre and post-­‐tests to identify gaps in knowledge prior to and following this HF education program. The Care Managers incorrectly answered pivotal questions related to HF, indicating they may not have the most current knowledge of HF principles. Although the study was limited by a small sample size, it confirmed similar results found in the literature from studies that included larger numbers of participants. These findings suggest the need for continuing education programs that develop nursing competencies in patient teaching of high risk populations, such as HF patients, to enhance disease self-­‐management.</p>

scholarly journals Magnetophospenes in humans exposed to ELF MF up to 50 mT, a threshold study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Legros ◽  
J Modolo ◽  
M Corbacio ◽  
D Goulet ◽  
M Plante ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flux Density ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Magnetic Flux Density ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Total N ◽  
Eeg Data ◽  
Group 2

AbstractAlthough magnetophosphene perception is the most reliable reported effect on acute human neurophysiological responses to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field (MF) exposure, current knowledge is based on small sample size, non-replicated experiments. In this study, we established MF levels triggering magnetophosphenes at 20, 50, 60 and 100 Hz in humans. Magnetophosphene perception and EEG were collected in 55 magnetic flux density conditions randomly delivered in each frequency group (2 experiments, total n=145). Results indicate that threshold values 1) need to be reported as a function of dB/dt instead of flux density, and 2) are frequency-dependent (higher sensitivity to lower frequencies). No clear trend was found in EEG data.

scholarly journals An overview of genetic relationships of Canadian and adjacent populations of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) with emphasis on Baffin Bay and Canadian eastern Arctic populations

2002 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
BGE De March ◽  
L D Maiers ◽  
M K Friesen
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Genetic Relationships ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Baffin Island ◽  
Genetic Characteristics ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Small Sample Sizes

Our current knowledge of the molecular genetics of High Arctic beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) populations (West Greenland, Lancaster Sound/Barrow Strait, Grise Fiord) and populations that are related (southeast Baffin, Beaufort Sea), is presented. In general, genetic analyses confirm the designation of putative stocks and suggest the existence of more stocks than previously described. Comparisons based on mitochondrial DNA haplotypes show that West Greenland (1992) belugas were significantly differentiated from Lancaster Sound/Barrow Strait, Kimmirut, Iqaluit, and/or Pangnirtung but not from Grise Fiord. Grise Fiord haplotypes were not significantly differentiated from Lancaster Sound/Barrow Strait and not from southeast Baffin locations in some years. Lancaster Sound and southeast Baffin collections were not significantly differentiated from each other. These patterns existed for most years within locations, however a few yearly collections within major locations had different patterns. The collections that differed were small groups with few haplotypes, most likely relatives. Patterns in microsatellite differentiation were slightly different than those for haplotypes. This may be due to the fact that individuals in sampled summering populations breed with individuals in other populations during migration or in overwintering areas. West Greenland and Grise Fiord microsatellites were not significantly differentiated from each other. However, Greenland differed from Lancaster Sound and southeast Baffin Island, while Grise Fiord did not. In southeast Baffin Island, Pangnirtung samples differed from Kimmirut using both haplotypes and microsatellites. Iqaluit samples had intermediate genetic characteristics between Pangnirtung and Kimmirut. Patterns of significant differentiation among collections within locations was believed to be due to a combination of temporal patterns, sampling of relatives, chance, seasonal hunting, small sample sizes, and actual differences among populations.

Probing the ultrastructure of the mitotic and meiotic spindle in eggs: An expeditious approach based on semi-thin (0.25 μm) serial sections

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 552-555
Author(s):  
Conly L. Rieder ◽  
S. Bowser ◽  
R. Nowogrodzki ◽  
K. Ross ◽  
G. Sluder
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Meiotic Spindle ◽  
Serial Sections ◽  
Mitotic Apparatus ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Cell Cycles ◽  
Ultrastructural Studies

Eggs have long been a favorite material for studying the mechanism of karyokinesis in-vivo and in-vitro. They can be obtained in great numbers and, when fertilized, divide synchronously over many cell cycles. However, they are not considered to be a practical system for ultrastructural studies on the mitotic apparatus (MA) for several reasons, the most obvious of which is that sectioning them is a formidable task: over 1000 ultra-thin sections need to be cut from a single 80-100 μm diameter egg and of these sections only a small percentage will contain the area or structure of interest. Thus it is difficult and time consuming to obtain reliable ultrastructural data concerning the MA of eggs; and when it is obtained it is necessarily based on a small sample size.We have recently developed a procedure which will facilitate many studies concerned with the ultrastructure of the MA in eggs. It is based on the availability of biological HVEM's and on the observation that 0.25 μm thick serial sections can be screened at high resolution for content (after mounting on slot grids and staining with uranyl and lead) by phase contrast light microscopy (LM; Figs 1-2).

Validating the Factor Structure of the Stigma of Suicide Scale–Short Form Spanish Version Among Healthcare Students

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Ruthmarie Hernández-Torres ◽  
Paola Carminelli-Corretjer ◽  
Nelmit Tollinchi-Natali ◽  
Ernesto Rosario-Hernández ◽  
Yovanska Duarté-Vélez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Spanish Version ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthcare Students ◽  
Spanish Speaking

Abstract. Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among Spanish-speaking individuals. Suicide stigma can be a risk factor for suicide. A widely used measure is the Stigma of Suicide Scale-Short Form (SOSS-SF; Batterham, Calear, & Christensen, 2013 ). Although the SOSS-SF has established psychometric properties and factor structure in other languages and cultural contexts, no evidence is available from Spanish-speaking populations. Aim: This study aims to validate a Spanish translation of the SOSS-SF among a sample of Spanish-speaking healthcare students ( N = 277). Method: We implemented a cross-sectional design with quantitative techniques. Results: Following a structural equation modeling approach, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the three-factor model proposed by Batterham and colleagues (2013) . Limitations: The study was limited by the small sample size and recruitment by availability. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the Spanish version of the SOSS-SF is a valid and reliable tool with which to examine suicide stigma among Spanish-speaking populations.

An Initial Investigation of Suicide Attempt Disclosures Among US Veterans

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Brooke A. Ammerman ◽  
Sarah P. Carter ◽  
Heather M. Gebhardt ◽  
Jonathan Buchholz ◽  
Mark A. Reger
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Attempt ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Psychiatric Treatment ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Professional Care ◽  
Patient Disclosure ◽  
Previous Suicide Attempt

Abstract. Background: Patient disclosure of prior suicidal behaviors is critical for effectively managing suicide risk; however, many attempts go undisclosed. Aims: The current study explored how responses following a suicide attempt disclosure may relate to help-seeking outcomes. Method: Participants included 37 veterans with a previous suicide attempt receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment. Veterans reported on their most and least helpful experiences disclosing their suicide attempt to others. Results: Veterans disclosed their suicide attempt to approximately eight individuals. Mental health professionals were the most cited recipient of their most helpful disclosure; romantic partners were the most common recipient of their least helpful disclosures. Positive reactions within the context of the least helpful disclosure experience were positively associated with a sense of connection with the disclosure recipient. Positive reactions within the most helpful disclosure experience were positively associated with the likelihood of future disclosure. No reactions were associated with having sought professional care or likelihood of seeking professional care. Limitations: The results are considered preliminary due to the small sample size. Conclusion: Findings suggest that while positive reactions may influence suicide attempt disclosure experiences broadly, additional research is needed to clarify factors that drive the decision to disclose a suicide attempt to a professional.

Investigating the Dynamics of Suicidal Ideation

Crisis ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Hallensleben ◽  
Lena Spangenberg ◽  
Thomas Forkmann ◽  
Dajana Rath ◽  
Ulrich Hegerl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Unipolar Depression ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
History Of ◽  
Severity Of Depression ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Depressive Episodes ◽  
Ema Method ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract. Background: Although the fluctuating nature of suicidal ideation (SI) has been described previously, longitudinal studies investigating the dynamics of SI are scarce. Aim: To demonstrate the fluctuation of SI across 6 days and up to 60 measurement points using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments (EMA). Method: Twenty inpatients with unipolar depression and current and/or lifetime suicidal ideation rated their momentary SI 10 times per day over a 6-day period. Mean squared successive difference (MSSD) was calculated as a measure of variability. Correlations of MSSD with severity of depression, number of previous depressive episodes, and history of suicidal behavior were examined. Results: Individual trajectories of SI are shown to illustrate fluctuation. MSSD values ranged from 0.2 to 21.7. No significant correlations of MSSD with several clinical parameters were found, but there are hints of associations between fluctuation of SI and severity of depression and suicidality. Limitations: Main limitation of this study is the small sample size leading to low power and probably missing potential effects. Further research with larger samples is necessary to shed light on the dynamics of SI. Conclusion: The results illustrate the dynamic nature and the diversity of trajectories of SI across 6 days in psychiatric inpatients with unipolar depression. Prediction of the fluctuation of SI might be of high clinical relevance. Further research using EMA and sophisticated analyses with larger samples is necessary to shed light on the dynamics of SI.

Participant Reactions to Suicide-Focused Research

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 367-374
Author(s):  
Sarah P. Carter ◽  
Brooke A. Ammerman ◽  
Heather M. Gebhardt ◽  
Jonathan Buchholz ◽  
Mark A. Reger
Keyword(s):  
Medical Records ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatient ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Inpatient Unit ◽  
Online Laboratory ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatient Unit ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Participant Reactions

Abstract. Background: Concerns exist regarding the perceived risks of conducting suicide-focused research among an acutely distressed population. Aims: The current study assessed changes in participant distress before and after participation in a suicide-focused research study conducted on a psychiatric inpatient unit. Method: Participants included 37 veterans who were receiving treatment on a psychiatric inpatient unit and completed a survey-based research study focused on suicide-related behaviors and experiences. Results: Participants reported no significant changes in self-reported distress. The majority of participants reported unchanged or decreased distress. Reviews of electronic medical records revealed no behavioral dysregulation and minimal use of as-needed medications or changes in mood following participation. Limitations: The study's small sample size and veteran population may limit generalizability. Conclusion: Findings add to research conducted across a variety of settings (i.e., outpatient, online, laboratory), indicating that participating in suicide-focused research is not significantly associated with increased distress or suicide risk.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document