Crew collaboration in space: a naturalistic decision-making perspective
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Orasanu, Judith
2005-01-01
Successful long-duration space missions will depend on the ability of crewmembers to respond promptly and effectively to unanticipated problems that arise under highly stressful conditions. Naturalistic decision making (NDM) exploits the knowledge and experience of decision makers in meaningful work domains, especially complex sociotechnical systems, including aviation and space. Decision making in these ambiguous, dynamic, high-risk environments is a complex task that involves defining the nature of the problem and crafting a response to achieve one's goals. Goal conflicts, time pressures, and uncertain outcomes may further complicate the process. This paper reviews theory and research pertaining to the NDM model and traces some of the implications for space crews and other groups that perform meaningful work in extreme environments. It concludes with specific recommendations for preparing exploration crews to use NDM effectively.
Naturalistic Decision Making for Power System Operators
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Greitzer, Frank L.; Podmore, Robin; Robinson, Marck
2010-02-01
Motivation – Investigations of large-scale outages in the North American interconnected electric system often attribute the causes to three T’s: Trees, Training and Tools. To document and understand the mental processes used by expert operators when making critical decisions, a naturalistic decision making (NDM) model was developed. Transcripts of conversations were analyzed to reveal and assess NDM-based performance criteria. Findings/Design – An item analysis indicated that the operators’ Situation Awareness Levels, mental models, and mental simulations can be mapped at different points in the training scenario. This may identify improved training methods or analytical/ visualization tools. Originality/Value – This studymore » applies for the first time, the concepts of Recognition Primed Decision Making, Situation Awareness Levels and Cognitive Task Analysis to training of electric power system operators. Take away message – The NDM approach provides a viable framework for systematic training management to accelerate learning in simulator-based training scenarios for power system operators and teams.« less
Baker-Ericzén, Mary J; Jenkins, Melissa M; Park, Soojin; Garland, Ann F
2015-02-01
Mental health professionals' decision-making practice is an area of increasing interest and importance, especially in the pediatric research and clinical communities. The present study explored the role of prior training in evidence-based treatments on clinicians' assessment and treatment formulations using case vignettes. Specifically, study aims included using the Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) cognitive theory to 1) examine potential associations between EBT training and decision-making processes (novice versus expert type), and 2) explore how client and family contextual information affects clinical decision-making. Forty-eight clinicians across two groups (EBT trained=14, Not EBT trained=34) participated. Clinicians were comparable on professional experience, demographics, and discipline. The quasi-experimental design used an analog "think aloud" method where clinicians read case vignettes about a child with disruptive behavior problems and verbalized case conceptualization and treatment planning out-loud. Responses were coded according to NDM theory. MANOVA results were significant for EBT training status such that EBT trained clinicians' displayed cognitive processes more closely aligned with "expert" decision-makers and non-EBT trained clinicians' decision processes were more similar to "novice" decision-makers, following NDM theory. Non-EBT trained clinicians assigned significantly more diagnoses, provided less detailed treatment plans and discussed fewer EBTs. Parent/family contextual information also appeared to influence decision-making. This study offers a preliminary investigation of the possible broader impacts of EBT training and potential associations with development of expert decision-making skills. Targeting clinicians' decision-making may be an important avenue to pursue within dissemination-implementation efforts in mental health practice.
Baker-Ericzén, Mary J.; Jenkins, Melissa M.; Park, Soojin; Garland, Ann F.
2014-01-01
Background Mental health professionals’ decision-making practice is an area of increasing interest and importance, especially in the pediatric research and clinical communities. Objective The present study explored the role of prior training in evidence-based treatments on clinicians’ assessment and treatment formulations using case vignettes. Specifically, study aims included using the Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) cognitive theory to 1) examine potential associations between EBT training and decision-making processes (novice versus expert type), and 2) explore how client and family contextual information affects clinical decision-making. Methods Forty-eight clinicians across two groups (EBT trained=14, Not EBT trained=34) participated. Clinicians were comparable on professional experience, demographics, and discipline. The quasi-experimental design used an analog “think aloud” method where clinicians read case vignettes about a child with disruptive behavior problems and verbalized case conceptualization and treatment planning out-loud. Responses were coded according to NDM theory. Results MANOVA results were significant for EBT training status such that EBT trained clinicians’ displayed cognitive processes more closely aligned with “expert” decision-makers and non-EBT trained clinicians’ decision processes were more similar to “novice” decision-makers, following NDM theory. Non-EBT trained clinicians assigned significantly more diagnoses, provided less detailed treatment plans and discussed fewer EBTs. Parent/family contextual information also appeared to influence decision-making. Conclusion This study offers a preliminary investigation of the possible broader impacts of EBT training and potential associations with development of expert decision-making skills. Targeting clinicians’ decision-making may be an important avenue to pursue within dissemination-implementation efforts in mental health practice. PMID:25892901
Helsloot, Ira; Groenendaal, Jelle
2011-07-01
This study uses the naturalistic decision-making (NDM) perspective to examine how Dutch forensic team leaders (i.e., the officers in charge of criminal forensic research from the crime scene until the use of laboratory assistance) make decisions in real-life settings and identifies the contextual factors that might influence those decisions. First, a focus group interview was conducted to identify four NDM mechanisms in day-to-day forensic decision making. Second, a serious game was conducted to examine the influence of three of these contextual mechanisms. The results uncovered that forensic team leaders (i) were attracted to obtain further information when more information was initially made available, (ii) were likely to devote more attention to emotionally charged cases, and (iii) used not only forensic evidence in the decision making but also tactical, unverified information of the police inquiry. Interestingly, the measured contextual influences did not deviate significantly from a control group of laypeople. © 2011 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Greitzer, Frank L.; Podmore, Robin
2008-11-17
The focus of the present study is on improved training approaches to accelerate learning and improved methods for analyzing effectiveness of tools within a high-fidelity power grid simulated environment. A theory-based model has been developed to document and understand the mental processes that an expert power system operator uses when making critical decisions. The theoretical foundation for the method is based on the concepts of situation awareness, the methods of cognitive task analysis, and the naturalistic decision making (NDM) approach of Recognition Primed Decision Making. The method has been systematically explored and refined as part of a capability demonstration ofmore » a high-fidelity real-time power system simulator under normal and emergency conditions. To examine NDM processes, we analyzed transcripts of operator-to-operator conversations during the simulated scenario to reveal and assess NDM-based performance criteria. The results of the analysis indicate that the proposed framework can be used constructively to map or assess the Situation Awareness Level of the operators at each point in the scenario. We can also identify the mental models and mental simulations that the operators employ at different points in the scenario. This report documents the method, describes elements of the model, and provides appendices that document the simulation scenario and the associated mental models used by operators in the scenario.« less
Naturalistic Decision Making For Power System Operators
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Greitzer, Frank L.; Podmore, Robin; Robinson, Marck
2009-06-23
Abstract: Motivation -- As indicated by the Blackout of 2003, the North American interconnected electric system is vulnerable to cascading outages and widespread blackouts. Investigations of large scale outages often attribute the causes to the three T’s: Trees, Training and Tools. A systematic approach has been developed to document and understand the mental processes that an expert power system operator uses when making critical decisions. The approach has been developed and refined as part of a capability demonstration of a high-fidelity real-time power system simulator under normal and emergency conditions. To examine naturalistic decision making (NDM) processes, transcripts of operator-to-operatormore » conversations are analyzed to reveal and assess NDM-based performance criteria. Findings/Design -- The results of the study indicate that we can map the Situation Awareness Level of the operators at each point in the scenario. We can also identify clearly what mental models and mental simulations are being performed at different points in the scenario. As a result of this research we expect that we can identify improved training methods and improved analytical and visualization tools for power system operators. Originality/Value -- The research applies for the first time, the concepts of Recognition Primed Decision Making, Situation Awareness Levels and Cognitive Task Analysis to training of electric power system operators. Take away message -- The NDM approach provides an ideal framework for systematic training management and mitigation to accelerate learning in team-based training scenarios with high-fidelity power grid simulators.« less
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Boyes, Mike; Potter, Tom
2015-01-01
This research examined the decisions that highly experienced outdoor leaders made on backpacking expeditions conducted by a tertiary institution in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The purpose of the research was to document decision problems and explore them as Recognition-Primed Decisions (RPD) within naturalistic decision making (NDM)…
Implications of the Naturalistic Decision Making Framework for Information Dominance.
1997-07-01
Information Dominance , defined as an operational advantage obtained through superior effectiveness of informational activity. NDM is the study of how people use their experience to make decisions in field settings. Expertise was considered at both the individual and the team level of decision making. The report defines the components of expertise and identifies obstacles to the acquisition of Information Dominance . These obstacles include: (1) excessive data, (2) pre-processed data, (3) excessive procedures, (4) performing formal analyses, (5) passive
Nonstationary decision model for flood risk decision scaling
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Spence, Caitlin M.; Brown, Casey M.
2016-11-01
Hydroclimatic stationarity is increasingly questioned as a default assumption in flood risk management (FRM), but successor methods are not yet established. Some potential successors depend on estimates of future flood quantiles, but methods for estimating future design storms are subject to high levels of uncertainty. Here we apply a Nonstationary Decision Model (NDM) to flood risk planning within the decision scaling framework. The NDM combines a nonstationary probability distribution of annual peak flow with optimal selection of flood management alternatives using robustness measures. The NDM incorporates structural and nonstructural FRM interventions and valuation of flows supporting ecosystem services to calculate expected cost of a given FRM strategy. A search for the minimum-cost strategy under incrementally varied representative scenarios extending across the plausible range of flood trend and value of the natural flow regime discovers candidate FRM strategies that are evaluated and compared through a decision scaling analysis (DSA). The DSA selects a management strategy that is optimal or close to optimal across the broadest range of scenarios or across the set of scenarios deemed most likely to occur according to estimates of future flood hazard. We illustrate the decision framework using a stylized example flood management decision based on the Iowa City flood management system, which has experienced recent unprecedented high flow episodes. The DSA indicates a preference for combining infrastructural and nonstructural adaptation measures to manage flood risk and makes clear that options-based approaches cannot be assumed to be "no" or "low regret."
Conditions for Intuitive Expertise: A Failure to Disagree
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kahneman, Daniel; Klein, Gary
2009-01-01
This article reports on an effort to explore the differences between two approaches to intuition and expertise that are often viewed as conflicting: heuristics and biases (HB) and naturalistic decision making (NDM). Starting from the obvious fact that professional intuition is sometimes marvelous and sometimes flawed, the authors attempt to map…
Decision-making in nursing practice: An integrative literature review.
Nibbelink, Christine W; Brewer, Barbara B
2018-03-01
To identify and summarise factors and processes related to registered nurses' patient care decision-making in medical-surgical environments. A secondary goal of this literature review was to determine whether medical-surgical decision-making literature included factors that appeared to be similar to concepts and factors in naturalistic decision making (NDM). Decision-making in acute care nursing requires an evaluation of many complex factors. While decision-making research in acute care nursing is prevalent, errors in decision-making continue to lead to poor patient outcomes. Naturalistic decision making may provide a framework for further exploring decision-making in acute care nursing practice. A better understanding of the literature is needed to guide future research to more effectively support acute care nurse decision-making. PubMed and CINAHL databases were searched, and research meeting criteria was included. Data were identified from all included articles, and themes were developed based on these data. Key findings in this review include nursing experience and associated factors; organisation and unit culture influences on decision-making; education; understanding patient status; situation awareness; and autonomy. Acute care nurses employ a variety of decision-making factors and processes and informally identify experienced nurses to be important resources for decision-making. Incorporation of evidence into acute care nursing practice continues to be a struggle for acute care nurses. This review indicates that naturalistic decision making may be applicable to decision-making nursing research. Experienced nurses bring a broad range of previous patient encounters to their practice influencing their intuitive, unconscious processes which facilitates decision-making. Using naturalistic decision making as a conceptual framework to guide research may help with understanding how to better support less experienced nurses' decision-making for enhanced patient outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Training for Aviation Decision Making: The Naturalistic Decision Making Perspective
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Orasanu, Judith; Shafto, Michael G. (Technical Monitor)
1995-01-01
This paper describes the implications of a naturalistic decision making (NDM) perspective for training air crews to make flight-related decisions. The implications are based on two types of analyses: (a) identification of distinctive features that serve as a basis for classifying a diverse set of decision events actually encountered by flight crews, and (b) performance strategies that distinguished more from less effective crews flying full-mission simulators, as well as performance analyses from NTSB accident investigations. Six training recommendations are offered: (1) Because of the diversity of decision situations, crews need to be aware that different strategies may be appropriate for different problems; (2) Given that situation assessment is essential to making a good decision, it is important to train specific content knowledge needed to recognize critical conditions, to assess risks and available time, and to develop strategies to verify or diagnose the problem; (3) Tendencies to oversimplify problems may be overcome by training to evaluate options in terms of goals, constraints, consequences, and prevailing conditions; (4) In order to provide the time to gather information and consider options, it is essential to manage the situation, which includes managing crew workload, prioritizing tasks, contingency planning, buying time (e.g., requesting holding or vectors), and using low workload periods to prepare for high workload; (5) Evaluating resource requirements ("What do I need?") and capabilities ("'What do I have?" ) are essential to making good decisions. Using resources to meet requirements may involve the cabin crew, ATC, dispatchers, and maintenance personnel; (6) Given that decisions must often be made under high risk, time pressure, and workload, train under realistic flight conditions to promote the development of robust decision skills.
Errors in Aviation Decision Making: Bad Decisions or Bad Luck?
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Orasanu, Judith; Martin, Lynne; Davison, Jeannie; Null, Cynthia H. (Technical Monitor)
1998-01-01
Despite efforts to design systems and procedures to support 'correct' and safe operations in aviation, errors in human judgment still occur and contribute to accidents. In this paper we examine how an NDM (naturalistic decision making) approach might help us to understand the role of decision processes in negative outcomes. Our strategy was to examine a collection of identified decision errors through the lens of an aviation decision process model and to search for common patterns. The second, and more difficult, task was to determine what might account for those patterns. The corpus we analyzed consisted of tactical decision errors identified by the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) from a set of accidents in which crew behavior contributed to the accident. A common pattern emerged: about three quarters of the errors represented plan-continuation errors, that is, a decision to continue with the original plan despite cues that suggested changing the course of action. Features in the context that might contribute to these errors were identified: (a) ambiguous dynamic conditions and (b) organizational and socially-induced goal conflicts. We hypothesize that 'errors' are mediated by underestimation of risk and failure to analyze the potential consequences of continuing with the initial plan. Stressors may further contribute to these effects. Suggestions for improving performance in these error-inducing contexts are discussed.
Zhu, Kongkai; Lu, Junyan; Liang, Zhongjie; Kong, Xiangqian; Ye, Fei; Jin, Lu; Geng, Heji; Chen, Yong; Zheng, Mingyue; Jiang, Hualiang; Li, Jun-Qian; Luo, Cheng
2013-03-01
New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) has emerged as a major global threat to human health for its rapid rate of dissemination and ability to make pathogenic microbes resistant to almost all known β-lactam antibiotics. In addition, effective NDM-1 inhibitors have not been identified to date. In spite of the plethora of structural and kinetic data available, the accurate molecular characteristics of and details on the enzymatic reaction of NDM-1 hydrolyzing β-lactam antibiotics remain incompletely understood. In this study, a combined computational approach including molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations was performed to characterize the catalytic mechanism of meropenem catalyzed by NDM-1. The quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics results indicate that the ionized D124 is beneficial to the cleavage of the C-N bond within the β-lactam ring. Meanwhile, it is energetically favorable to form an intermediate if no water molecule coordinates to Zn2. Moreover, according to the molecular dynamics results, the conserved residue K211 plays a pivotal role in substrate binding and catalysis, which is quite consistent with previous mutagenesis data. Our study provides detailed insights into the catalytic mechanism of NDM-1 hydrolyzing meropenem β-lactam antibiotics and offers clues for the discovery of new antibiotics against NDM-1 positive strains in clinical studies.
Stunnenberg, Bas C; Woertman, Willem; Raaphorst, Joost; Statland, Jeffrey M; Griggs, Robert C; Timmermans, Janneke; Saris, Christiaan G; Schouwenberg, Bas J; Groenewoud, Hans M; Stegeman, Dick F; van Engelen, Baziel G M; Drost, Gea; van der Wilt, Gert Jan
2015-03-25
To obtain evidence for the clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatments for patients with rare diseases is a challenge. Non-dystrophic myotonia (NDM) is a group of inherited, rare muscle diseases characterized by muscle stiffness. The reimbursement of mexiletine, the expert opinion drug for NDM, has been discontinued in some countries due to a lack of independent randomized controlled trials (RCTs). It remains unclear however, which concessions can be accepted towards the level 1 evidence needed for coverage decisions, in rare diseases. Considering the large number of rare diseases with a lack of treatment evidence, more experience with innovative trial designs is needed. Both NDM and mexiletine are well suited for an N-of-1 trial design. A Bayesian approach allows for the combination of N-of-1 trials, which enables the assessment of outcomes on the patient and group level simultaneously. We will combine 30 individual, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled N-of-1 trials of mexiletine (600 mg daily) vs. placebo in genetically confirmed NDM patients using hierarchical Bayesian modeling. Our results will be compared and combined with the main results of an international cross-over RCT (mexiletine vs. placebo in NDM) published in 2012 that will be used as an informative prior. Similar criteria of eligibility, treatment regimen, end-points and measurement instruments are employed as used in the international cross-over RCT. The treatment of patients with NDM with mexiletine offers a unique opportunity to compare outcomes and efficiency of novel N-of-1 trial-based designs and conventional approaches in producing evidence of clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatments for patients with rare diseases. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02045667.
Direct conversion of theophylline to 3-methylxanthine by metabolically engineered E. coli.
Algharrawi, Khalid H R; Summers, Ryan M; Gopishetty, Sridhar; Subramanian, Mani
2015-12-21
Methylxanthines are natural and synthetic compounds found in many foods, drinks, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Aside from caffeine, production of many methylxanthines is currently performed by chemical synthesis. This process utilizes many chemicals, multiple reactions, and different reaction conditions, making it complicated, environmentally dissatisfactory, and expensive, especially for monomethylxanthines and paraxanthine. A microbial platform could provide an economical, environmentally friendly approach to produce these chemicals in large quantities. The recently discovered genes in our laboratory from Pseudomonas putida, ndmA, ndmB, and ndmD, provide an excellent starting point for precisely engineering Escherichia coli with various gene combinations to produce specific high-value paraxanthine and 1-, 3-, and 7-methylxanthines from any of the economical feedstocks including caffeine, theobromine or theophylline. Here, we show the first example of direct conversion of theophylline to 3-methylxanthine by a metabolically engineered strain of E. coli. Here we report the construction of E. coli strains with ndmA and ndmD, capable of producing 3-methylxanthine from exogenously fed theophylline. The strains were engineered with various dosages of the ndmA and ndmD genes, screened, and the best strain was selected for large-scale conversion of theophylline to 3-methylxanthine. Strain pDdA grown in super broth was the most efficient strain; 15 mg/mL cells produced 135 mg/L (0.81 mM) 3-methylxanthine from 1 mM theophylline. An additional 21.6 mg/L (0.13 mM) 1-methylxanthine were also produced, attributed to slight activity of NdmA at the N 3 -position of theophylline. The 1- and 3-methylxanthine products were separated by preparative chromatography with less than 5% loss during purification and were identical to commercially available standards. Purity of the isolated 3-methylxanthine was comparable to a commercially available standard, with no contaminant peaks as observed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrophotometry or nuclear magnetic resonance. We were able to biologically produce and separate 100 mg of highly pure 3-methylxanthine from theophylline (1,3-dimethylxanthine). The N-demethylation reaction was catalyzed by E. coli engineered with N-demethylase genes, ndmA and ndmD. This microbial conversion represents a first step to develop a new biological platform for the production of methylxanthines from economical feedstocks such as caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline.
NDM-1 encoded by a pNDM-BJ01-like plasmid p3SP-NDM in clinical Enterobacter aerogenes.
Chen, Zhenhong; Li, Hongxia; Feng, Jiao; Li, Yuxue; Chen, Xin; Guo, Xuemin; Chen, Weijun; Wang, Li; Lin, Lei; Yang, Huiying; Yang, Wenhui; Wang, Jie; Zhou, Dongsheng; Liu, Changting; Yin, Zhe
2015-01-01
A carbapenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacter aerogenes strain named 3-SP was isolated from a human case of pneumonia in a Chinese teaching hospital. NDM-1 carbapenemase is produced by a pNDM-BJ01-like conjugative plasmid designated p3SP-NDM to account for carbapenem resistance of 3-SP. p3SP-NDM was fully sequenced and compared with all publically available pNDM-BJ01-like plasmids. The genetic differences between p3SP-NDM and pNDM-BJ01 include only 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms, a 1 bp deletion and a 706 bp deletion. p3SP-NDM and pNDM-BJ01 harbor an identical Tn125 element organized as ISAba125, bla NDM-1, ble MBL, ΔtrpF, dsbC, cutA, ΔgroES, groEL, ISCR27, and ISAba125. The bla NDM-1 surrounding regions in these pNDM-BJ01-like plasmids have a conserved linear organization ISAba14-aphA6-Tn125-unknown IS, with considerable genetic differences identified within or immediately downstream of Tn125. All reported pNDM-BJ01-like plasmids are exclusively found in Acinetobacter, whereas this is the first report of identification of a pNDM-BJ01-like plasmid in Enterobacteriaceae.
Liu, Lu; Feng, Yu; McNally, Alan; Zong, Zhiyong
2018-06-14
New Delhi MBL (NDM) is a type of carbapenemase; 20 variants of NDM have been identified to date. We have found a new variant of NDM, NDM-21, and describe it here. A carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli was subjected to WGS using an Illumina X10 sequencer to identify the antimicrobial resistance genes and its ST. The gene encoding the new variant of NDM was cloned into E. coli DH5α, with blaNDM-5 being cloned as the control. Transformants were tested for susceptibility to carbapenems. Mating was performed to obtain the plasmid carrying the new blaNDM gene and the complete plasmid sequence was obtained using long-read MinION sequencing. The E. coli isolate belonged to ST617 and phylogenetic group A. It had a gene encoding NDM-21, a new NDM variant. NDM-21 differs from NDM-5 by a Gly-to-Ser amino acid substitution at position 69 (G69S). NDM-21 retains the same activity against carbapenems as NDM-5. blaNDM-21 is carried by a 46.1 kb IncX3 plasmid, which is self-transmissible, and is located in a complex genetic context as blaNDM-5. The isolate also carried blaCTX-M-55, which encodes an ESBL conferring resistance to aztreonam (which completed its resistance to all clinically available β-lactams), and rmtB, which mediates high-level resistance to aminoglycosides, on an IncFII plasmid. A new NDM variant has been identified and blaNDM-21 has evolved from blaNDM-5 on an IncX3 plasmid.
NDM-1 encoded by a pNDM-BJ01-like plasmid p3SP-NDM in clinical Enterobacter aerogenes
Chen, Zhenhong; Li, Hongxia; Feng, Jiao; Li, Yuxue; Chen, Xin; Guo, Xuemin; Chen, Weijun; Wang, Li; Lin, Lei; Yang, Huiying; Yang, Wenhui; Wang, Jie; Zhou, Dongsheng; Liu, Changting; Yin, Zhe
2015-01-01
A carbapenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacter aerogenes strain named 3-SP was isolated from a human case of pneumonia in a Chinese teaching hospital. NDM-1 carbapenemase is produced by a pNDM-BJ01-like conjugative plasmid designated p3SP-NDM to account for carbapenem resistance of 3-SP. p3SP-NDM was fully sequenced and compared with all publically available pNDM-BJ01-like plasmids. The genetic differences between p3SP-NDM and pNDM-BJ01 include only 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms, a 1 bp deletion and a 706 bp deletion. p3SP-NDM and pNDM-BJ01 harbor an identical Tn125 element organized as ISAba125, blaNDM−1, bleMBL, ΔtrpF, dsbC, cutA, ΔgroES, groEL, ISCR27, and ISAba125. The blaNDM−1 surrounding regions in these pNDM-BJ01-like plasmids have a conserved linear organization ISAba14-aphA6-Tn125-unknown IS, with considerable genetic differences identified within or immediately downstream of Tn125. All reported pNDM-BJ01-like plasmids are exclusively found in Acinetobacter, whereas this is the first report of identification of a pNDM-BJ01-like plasmid in Enterobacteriaceae. PMID:25926823
Boutal, Hervé; Naas, Thierry; Devilliers, Karine; Oueslati, Saoussen; Bernabeu, Sandrine; Simon, Stéphanie
2017-01-01
ABSTRACT The global spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) that are often resistant to most, if not all, classes of antibiotics is a major public health concern. The NDM-1 carbapenemase is among the most worrisome carbapenemases given its rapid worldwide spread. We have developed and evaluated a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) (called the NDM LFIA) for the rapid and reliable detection of NDM-like carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae from culture colonies. We evaluated the NDM LFIA using 175 reference enterobacterial isolates with characterized β-lactamase gene content and 74 nonduplicate consecutive carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates referred for expertise to the French National Reference Center (NRC) for Antibiotic Resistance during a 1-week period (in June 2016). The reference collection included 55 non-carbapenemase producers and 120 carbapenemase producers, including 27 NDM producers. All 27 NDM-like carbapenemase producers of the reference collection were correctly detected in less than 15 min by the NDM LFIA, including 22 strains producing NDM-1, 2 producing NDM-4, 1 producing NDM-5, 1 producing NDM-7, and 1 producing NDM-9. All non-NDM-1 producers gave a negative result with the NDM LFIA. No cross-reaction was observed with carbapenemases (VIM, IMP, NDM, KPC, and OXA-48-like), extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) (TEM, SHV, and CTX-M), AmpCs (CMY-2, DHA-2, and ACC-1), and oxacillinases (OXA-1, -2, -9, and -10). Similarly, among the 74 referred nonduplicate consecutive clinical isolates, all 7 NDM-like producers were identified. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity of the assay were 100% for NDM-like carbapenemase detection with strains cultured on agar. The NDM LFIA was efficient, rapid, and easy to implement in the routine workflow of a clinical microbiology laboratory for the confirmation of NDM-like carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. PMID:28404680
Khong, Wei Xin; Marimuthu, Kalisvar; Teo, Jeanette; Ding, Yichen; Xia, Eryu; Lee, Jia Jun; Ong, Rick Twee-Hee; Venkatachalam, Indumathi; Cherng, Benjamin; Pada, Surinder Kaur; Choong, Weng Lam; Smitasin, Nares; Ooi, Say Tat; Deepak, Rama Narayana; Kurup, Asok; Fong, Raymond; Van La, My; Tan, Thean Yen; Koh, Tse Hsien; Lin, Raymond Tzer Pin; Tan, Eng Lee; Krishnan, Prabha Unny; Singh, Siddharth; Pitout, Johann D; Teo, Yik-Ying; Yang, Liang; Ng, Oon Tek
2016-11-01
Owing to gene transposition and plasmid conjugation, New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) is typically identified among varied Enterobacteriaceae species and STs. We used WGS to characterize the chromosomal and plasmid molecular epidemiology of NDM transmission involving four institutions in Singapore. Thirty-three Enterobacteriaceae isolates (collection years 2010-14) were sequenced using short-read sequencing-by-synthesis and analysed. Long-read single molecule, real-time sequencing (SMRTS) was used to characterize genetically a novel plasmid pSg1-NDM carried on Klebsiella pneumoniae ST147. In 20 (61%) isolates, bla NDM was located on the pNDM-ECS01 plasmid in the background of multiple bacterial STs, including eight K. pneumoniae STs and five Escherichia coli STs. In six (18%) isolates, a novel bla NDM -positive plasmid, pSg1-NDM, was found only in K. pneumoniae ST147. The pSg1-NDM-K. pneumoniae ST147 clone (Sg1-NDM) was fully sequenced using SMRTS. pSg1-NDM, a 90 103 bp IncR plasmid, carried genes responsible for resistance to six classes of antimicrobials. A large portion of pSg1-NDM had no significant homology to any known plasmids in GenBank. pSg1-NDM had no conjugative transfer region. Combined chromosomal-plasmid phylogenetic analysis revealed five clusters of clonal bacterial NDM-positive plasmid transmission, of which two were inter-institution clusters. The largest inter-institution cluster involved six K. pneumoniae ST147-pSg1-NDM isolates. Fifteen patients were involved in transmission clusters, of which four had ward contact, six had hospital contact and five had an unknown transmission link. A combined sequencing-by-synthesis and SMRTS approach can determine effectively the transmission clusters of bla NDM and genetically characterize novel plasmids. Plasmid molecular epidemiology is important to understanding NDM spread as bla NDM -positive plasmids can conjugate extensively across species and STs. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Marcoccia, Francesca; Bottoni, Carlo; Sabatini, Alessia; Colapietro, Martina; Mercuri, Paola Sandra; Galleni, Moreno; Kerff, Frédéric; Matagne, André; Celenza, Giuseppe; Amicosante, Gianfranco
2016-01-01
Two laboratory mutants of NDM-1 were generated by replacing the isoleucine at position 35 with threonine and serine residues: the NDM-1I35T and NDM-1I35S enzymes. These mutants were well characterized, and their kinetic parameters were compared with those of the NDM-1 wild type. The kcat, Km, and kcat/Km values calculated for the two mutants were slightly different from those of the wild-type enzyme. Interestingly, the kcat/Km of NDM-1I35S for loracarbef was about 14-fold higher than that of NDM-1. Far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra of NDM-1 and NDM-1I35T and NDM-1I35S enzymes suggest local structural rearrangements in the secondary structure with a marked reduction of α-helix content in the mutants. PMID:26856833
Carvalho, Maria J.; Toleman, Mark A.; White, P. Lewis; Connor, Thomas R.; Mushtaq, Ammara; Weeks, Janis L.; Kumarasamy, Karthikeyan K.; Raven, Katherine E.; Török, M. Estée; Peacock, Sharon J.; Howe, Robin A.; Walsh, Timothy R.
2014-01-01
The blaNDM-1 gene is associated with extensive drug resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. This probably spread to Enterobacteriaceae from Acinetobacter spp., and we characterized plasmids associated with blaNDM-1 in Acinetobacter spp. to gain insight into their role in this dissemination. Four clinical NDM-1-producing Acinetobacter species strains from India and Pakistan were investigated. A plasmid harboring blaNDM-1, pNDM-40-1, was characterized by whole-genome sequencing of Acinetobacter bereziniae CHI-40-1 and comparison with related plasmids. The presence of similar plasmids in strains from Pakistan was sought by PCR and sequencing of amplicons. Conjugation frequency was tested and stability of pNDM-40-1 investigated by real-time PCR of isolates passaged with and without antimicrobial selection pressure. A. bereziniae and Acinetobacter haemolyticus strains contained plasmids similar to the pNDM-BJ01-like plasmids identified in Acinetobacter spp. in China. The backbone of pNDM-40-1 was almost identical to that of pNDM-BJ01-like plasmids, but the transposon harboring blaNDM-1, Tn125, contained two short deletions. Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter pittii transconjugants were readily obtained. Transconjugants retained pNDM-40-1 after a 14-day passage experiment, although stability was greater with meropenem selection. Fragments of pNDM-BJ01-like plasmid backbones are found near blaNDM-1 in some genetic contexts from Enterobacteriaceae, suggesting that cross-genus transfer has occurred. pNDM-BJ01-like plasmids have been described in isolates originating from a wide geographical region in southern Asia. In vitro data on plasmid transfer and stability suggest that these plasmids could have contributed to the spread of blaNDM-1 into Enterobacteriaceae. PMID:25421466
Ahmad, Nayeem; Ali, Syed Manazir; Khan, Asad U
2018-03-01
A total 402 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were recovered from blood and rectal swabs of 1,000 infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Jawaharlal Medical College and Hospital Aligarh, India. Carbapenamase producers were determined by Carba NP phenotype biochemical assay. Out of 402 isolates, it was the first time three of the isolates were identified as Enterobacter aerogenes carrying bla NDM-4, bla NDM-5, and bla NDM-7 genes. These genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis. The isolates were further characterized to know the plasmid type and genetic environment features, including integron and IS elements. All the three E. aerogenes isolates (AK-93, AK-95, and AK-96) were resistant to all β-lactams, including carbapenems. The β-lactamase genes bla OXA-1 , bla OXA-9, bla SHV-1 , and bla VIM-2 were also found to be coassociated with bla NDM-4 in AK-93, bla OXA-1 , bla OXA-9, and bla CMY-149 were found to be coexisted with bla NDM-5 in AK-95, and bla OXA-1; bla OXA-9, and bla CMY-145 were also found to be coassociated with bla NDM-7 in AK-96, identified by PCR analysis. Plasmid-based replicon typing revealed plasmids of different incompatibility in E. aerogenes in each of the isolates, AK-93 AK-95, and AK-96, respectively. ERIC-PCR was performed for the analysis of genetic relatedness of the strains. We found bla NDM-4 , bla NDM-5, and bla NDM-7 producing three E. aerogenes strains, which were not clonally related. Genetic environment analysis revealed the presence of bleomycin resistance gene (ble MBL ) to downstream of bla NDM and complete ISAba125 sequence were found upstream of bla NDM in all the three variants of these isolates. This is the first time we have identified bla NDM-4 , bla NDM-5, and bla NDM-7 in E. aerogenes species, isolated from the NICU of a tertiary care hospital in India.
Summers, Ryan M.; Louie, Tai Man; Yu, Chi-Li; Gakhar, Lokesh; Louie, Kailin C.
2012-01-01
The molecular basis for the ability of bacteria to live on caffeine as a sole carbon and nitrogen source is unknown. Pseudomonas putida CBB5, which grows on several purine alkaloids, metabolizes caffeine and related methylxanthines via sequential N-demethylation to xanthine. Metabolism of caffeine by CBB5 was previously attributed to one broad-specificity methylxanthine N-demethylase composed of two subunits, NdmA and NdmB. Here, we report that NdmA and NdmB are actually two independent Rieske nonheme iron monooxygenases with N1- and N3-specific N-demethylation activity, respectively. Activity for both enzymes is dependent on electron transfer from NADH via a redox-center-dense Rieske reductase, NdmD. NdmD itself is a novel protein with one Rieske [2Fe-2S] cluster, one plant-type [2Fe-2S] cluster, and one flavin mononucleotide (FMN) per enzyme. All ndm genes are located in a 13.2-kb genomic DNA fragment which also contained a formaldehyde dehydrogenase. ndmA, ndmB, and ndmD were cloned as His6 fusion genes, expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified using a Ni-NTA column. NdmA-His6 plus His6-NdmD catalyzed N1-demethylation of caffeine, theophylline, paraxanthine, and 1-methylxanthine to theobromine, 3-methylxanthine, 7-methylxanthine, and xanthine, respectively. NdmB-His6 plus His6-NdmD catalyzed N3-demethylation of theobromine, 3-methylxanthine, caffeine, and theophylline to 7-methylxanthine, xanthine, paraxanthine, and 1-methylxanthine, respectively. One formaldehyde was produced from each methyl group removed. Activity of an N7-specific N-demethylase, NdmC, has been confirmed biochemically. This is the first report of bacterial N-demethylase genes that enable bacteria to live on caffeine. These genes represent a new class of Rieske oxygenases and have the potential to produce biofuels, animal feed, and pharmaceuticals from coffee and tea waste. PMID:22328667
NDM-1 encoded by a pNDM-HN380-like plasmid pNDM-BJ03 in clinical Enterobacter cloacae.
Lü, Yang; Liu, Wei; Liang, Hui; Zhao, Shulong; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Jia; Jin, Cheng; Hu, Hongyan
2018-02-01
A carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter cloacae hhy03 with a bla NDM-1 and bla SHV-12 -coharboring plasmid was isolated from a sputum specimen of a patient. This is the third nucleotide sequence report of bla NDM-1 -harboring plasmid from Enterobacter cloacae that have caused lethal infections in China, indicating the spread of NDM-1 by IncX3 plasmid between Enterobacteriaceae. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.
2014-01-01
Antibiotic resistance (AR) is often rooted in inappropriate antibiotic use, but poor water quality and inadequate sanitation exacerbate the problem, especially in emerging countries. An example is increasing multi-AR due to mobile carbapenemases, such as NDM-1 protein (coded by blaNDM-1 genes), which can produce extreme drug-resistant phenotypes. In 2010, NDM-1 positive isolates and blaNDM-1 genes were detected in surface waters across Delhi and have since been detected across the urban world. However, little is known about blaNDM-1 levels in more pristine locations, such as the headwaters of the Upper Ganges River. This area is of particular interest because it receives massive numbers of visitors during seasonal pilgrimages in May/June, including visitors from urban India. Here we quantified blaNDM-1 abundances, other AR genes (ARG), and coliform bacteria in sediments and water column samples from seven sites in the Rishikesh-Haridwar region of the Upper Ganges and five sites on the Yamuna River in Delhi to contrast blaNDM-1 levels and water quality conditions between season and region. Water quality in the Yamuna was very poor (e.g., anoxia at all sites), and blaNDM-1 abundances were high across sites in water (5.4 ± 0.4 log(blaNDM-1·mL–1); 95% confidence interval) and sediment (6.3 ± 0.7 log(blaNDM-1·mg–1)) samples from both seasons. In contrast, water column blaNDM-1 abundances were very low across all sites in the Upper Ganges in February (2.1 ± 0.6 log(blaNDM-1·mL–1)), and water quality was good (e.g., near saturation oxygen). However, per capita blaNDM-1 levels were 20 times greater in June in the Ganges water column relative to February, and blaNDM-1 levels significantly correlated with fecal coliform levels (r = 0.61; p = 0.007). Given that waste management infrastructure is limited in Rishikesh-Haridwar, data imply blaNDM-1 levels are higher in visitor’s wastes than local residents, which results in seasonally higher blaNDM-1 levels in the river. Pilgrimage areas without adequate waste treatment are possible “hot spots” for AR transmission, and waste treatment must be improved to reduce broader AR dissemination via exposed returning visitors. PMID:24521347
A Comparison of Computational Cognitive Models: Agent-Based Systems Versus Rule-Based Architectures
2003-03-01
Java™ How To Program , Prentice Hall, 1999. Friedman-Hill, E., Jess, The Expert System Shell for the Java Platform, Sandia National Laboratories, 2001...transition from the descriptive NDM theory to a computational model raises several questions: Who is an experienced decision maker? How do you model the...progression from being a novice to an experienced decision maker? How does the model account for previous experiences? Are there situations where
Tada, Tatsuya; Miyoshi-Akiyama, Tohru; Shimada, Kayo; Kirikae, Teruo
2014-06-01
New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-3 (NDM-3) was identified in a multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolate, NCGM77, obtained from the feces of a patient in Japan. The enzymatic activities of NDM-3 against β-lactams were similar to those of NDM-1, although NDM-3 showed slightly lower kcat/Km ratios for all the β-lactams tested except for doripenem. The genetic context for blaNDM-3 was tnpA-blaNDM-3-bleMBL-trpF-dsbC-tnpA-sulI-qacEdeltaI-aadA2-dfrA1, which was present on an approximately 250-kb plasmid. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Phan, H T T; Stoesser, N; Maciuca, I E; Toma, F; Szekely, E; Flonta, M; Pankhurst, L; Do, T; Peto, T E A; Walker, A S; Crook, D W; Timofte, D
2018-01-01
Abstract Background and Objectives Serratia marcescens is an emerging nosocomial pathogen, and the carbapenemase blaNDM has been reported in several surveys in Romania. We aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiology of S. marcescens in two Romanian hospitals over 2010–15, including a neonatal NDM-1 S. marcescens outbreak. Methods Isolates were sequenced using Illumina technology together with carbapenem-non-susceptible NDM-1-positive and NDM-1-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae to provide genomic context. A subset was sequenced with MinION to fully resolve NDM-1 plasmid structures. Resistance genes, plasmid replicons and ISs were identified in silico for all isolates; an annotated phylogeny was reconstructed for S. marcescens. Fully resolved study NDM-1 plasmid sequences were compared with the most closely related publicly available NDM-1 plasmid reference. Results 44/45 isolates were successfully sequenced (S. marcescens, n = 33; K. pneumoniae, n = 7; E. cloacae, n = 4); 10 with MinION. The S. marcescens phylogeny demonstrated several discrete clusters of NDM-1-positive and -negative isolates. All NDM-1-positive isolates across species harboured a pKOX_NDM1-like plasmid; more detailed comparisons of the plasmid structures demonstrated a number of differences, but highlighted the largely conserved plasmid backbones across species and hospital sites. Conclusions The molecular epidemiology is most consistent with the importation of a pKOX_NDM1-like plasmid into Romania and its dissemination amongst K. pneumoniae/E. cloacae and subsequently S. marcescens across hospitals. The data suggested multiple acquisitions of this plasmid by S. marcescens in the two hospitals studied; transmission events within centres, including a large outbreak on the Targu Mures neonatal unit; and sharing of the pKOX_NDM1-like plasmid between species within outbreaks. PMID:29237003
Discovery of Novel New Delhi Metallo-β-Lactamases-1 Inhibitors by Multistep Virtual Screening
Wang, Xuequan; Lu, Meiling; Shi, Yang; Ou, Yu; Cheng, Xiaodong
2015-01-01
The emergence of NDM-1 containing multi-antibiotic resistant "Superbugs" necessitates the needs of developing of novel NDM-1inhibitors. In this study, we report the discovery of novel NDM-1 inhibitors by multi-step virtual screening. From a 2,800,000 virtual drug-like compound library selected from the ZINC database, we generated a focused NDM-1 inhibitor library containing 298 compounds of which 44 chemical compounds were purchased and evaluated experimentally for their ability to inhibit NDM-1 in vitro. Three novel NDM-1 inhibitors with micromolar IC50 values were validated. The most potent inhibitor, VNI-41, inhibited NDM-1 with an IC50 of 29.6 ± 1.3 μM. Molecular dynamic simulation revealed that VNI-41 interacted extensively with the active site. In particular, the sulfonamide group of VNI-41 interacts directly with the metal ion Zn1 that is critical for the catalysis. These results demonstrate the feasibility of applying virtual screening methodologies in identifying novel inhibitors for NDM-1, a metallo-β-lactamase with a malleable active site and provide a mechanism base for rational design of NDM-1 inhibitors using sulfonamide as a functional scaffold. PMID:25734558
Embelin Restores Carbapenem Efficacy against NDM-1-Positive Pathogens
Ning, Nian-Zhi; Liu, Xiong; Chen, Fanghong; Zhou, Peng; Hu, Lihong; Huang, Jian; Li, Zhan; Huang, Jie; Li, Tao; Wang, Hui
2018-01-01
The emergence and spread of carbapenemase in Gram-negative pathogens poses an enormous threat to global public health. New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) inactivates nearly every class of β-lactam antibiotics, including carbapenem; however, there is no clinically useful NDM-1 inhibitor. Embelin, an important ingredient in traditional herbal medicine, has anti-tumor effects. The current study is the first to discover and examine the inhibitory activity of embelin against β-lactamase NDM-1. The IC50 of embelin was 2.1 ± 0.2 μM when tested against NDM-1 carbapenemase. Most regions of the embelin molecule were buried within NDM-1’s active site, and the hydroxyl group of embelin interacted directly with the metal ion Zn2+, as shown by molecular dynamic simulation. Systematic analysis of the antibacterial activities of embelin and antibiotics demonstrated that embelin restored meropenem activity against a panel of NDM-positive pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Based on these results, embelin could be a promising carbapenem adjuvant candidate against NDM-1-producing bacterial strains. PMID:29422890
Zhang, Chuanfu; Qiu, Shaofu; Wang, Yong; Qi, Lihua; Hao, Rongzhang; Liu, Xuelin; Shi, Yun; Hu, Xiaofeng; An, Daizhi; Li, Zhenjun; Li, Peng; Wang, Ligui; Cui, Jiajun; Wang, Pan; Huang, Liuyu; Klena, John D; Song, Hongbin
2014-01-01
Multidrug resistant microbes present in the environment are a potential public health risk. In this study, we investigate the presence of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1) producing bacteria in the 99 water samples in Beijing City, including river water, treated drinking water, raw water samples from the pools and sewage from 4 comprehensive hospitals. For the bla NDM-1 positive isolate, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was further analyzed, and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed to determine the genetic relationship among the NDM-1 producing isolates from sewage and human, as well as the clinical strains without NDM-1. The results indicate that there was a higher isolation of NDM-1 producing Acinetobacter baumannii from the sewage of the hospitals, while no NDM-1 producing isolates were recovered from samples obtained from the river, drinking, or fishpond water. Surprisingly, these isolates were markedly different from the clinical isolates in drug resistance and pulsed field gel electrophoresis profiles, suggesting different evolutionary relationships. Our results showed that the hospital sewage may be one of the diffusion reservoirs of NDM-1 producing bacteria.
Ahmad, Nayeem; Khalid, Shamsi; Ali, Syed M.; Khan, Asad U.
2018-01-01
Carbapenem-resistance among enterobacteriaceae has become a global health concern. The objective of this study was to understand NDM producing enterobacteriaceae and their genetic basis of resistance, spreading in neonatal intensive care unit. Carbapenem resistant NDM producing enterobacteriaceae isolates were recovered from rectal swab and blood sample of infants admitted in NICU. These were determined by using Carba-NP test. All isolates were identified using BD PhoenixTM−100 and MICs were determined by broth microdilution method. The blaNDM and associated resistant markers were checked by PCR followed by sequencing. Moreover, ERIC-PCR and genetic environment of blaNDM gene were also performed for the analysis of clonal relationship and genetic surrounding of the strains. We characterized 44 isolates with blaNDM variants in Escherichia coli (45.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (40.9%), Citrobacter freundii (4.5%), Citrobacter braakii (2.3%), Klebsiella oxytoca (2.3%), Enterobacter cloacae (2.3%), Enterobacter aerogenes (2.2%) from NICU, showing resistance against all antibiotics except colistin and polymixin B. ISAba125 and bleomycin gene were found surrounding all blaNDM variants, besides class I integron on plasmid. (ERIC)-PCR data revealed non-clonal relatedness among most of the isolates. The transfer of resistant markers was confirmed by conjugation experiment. The PCR-based replicon typing was carried out using DNA of transconjugants. These isolates carried NDM-1 (20.45%), NDM-4 (36.36%), NDM-5 (38.64%), NDM-7 (4.55%), along with OXA, CMY, and SHV variants on conjugative plasmid of IncFIA, IncFIC, IncF, IncK, IncFIB, IncB/O, IncHI1, IncP, IncY, IncFIIA, IncI1, and IncN types. An increased number of carbapenem-resistant NDM producing enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from NICU which is alarming signal for health workers and policy makers. Hence, it is utmost important to think about infection control measures. PMID:29563908
Dissemination of blaNDM-5 gene via an IncX3-type plasmid among non-clonal Escherichia coli in China.
Li, Xi; Fu, Ying; Shen, Mengyuan; Huang, Danyan; Du, Xiaoxing; Hu, Qingfeng; Zhou, Yonglie; Wang, Dairong; Yu, Yunsong
2018-01-01
The emergence and spread of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae has been a serious challenge to manage in the clinic due to its rapid dissemination of multi-drug resistance worldwide. As one main type of carbapenemases, New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)is able to confer resistance to almost all β-lactams, including carbapenems, in Enterobacteriaceae . Recently, New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-5 attracted extensive attention because of increased resistance to carbapenems and widespread dissemination. However, the dissemination mechanism of bla NDM-5 gene remains unclear. A total of 224 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates (CRE) were collected from different hospitals in Zhejiang province. NDM-5-positive isolates were identified and subjected to genotyping, susceptibility testing, and clinical data analysis. We established the genetic location of bla NDM-5 with southern blot hybridisation, and analysed plasmids containing bla NDM-5 with filter mating and DNA sequencing. Eleven New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-5 (NDM-5)-producing strains were identified, including 9 Escherichia coli strains, 1 Klebsiella pneumoniae strain, and 1 Citrobacter freundii strain. No epidemiological links for E. coli isolates were identified by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). S1-PFGE and southern blot suggested that the bla NDM-5 gene was located on a 46-kb IncX3-type plasmid in all isolates. Nine of the 11 isolates (81.8%) tested could successfully transfer their carbapenem-resistant phenotype to E. coli strain C600. Moreover, sequence analysis further showed that this plasmid possessed high sequence similarity to most of previously reported bla NDM-5 -habouring plasmids in China. The present data in this study showed the IncX3 type plasmid played an important role in the dissemination of bla NDM-5 in Enterobacteriaceae . In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to isolate both E. coli and C. freundii strains carrying bla NDM-5 from one single patient, which further indicated the possibility of bla NDM-5 transmission among diverse species. Close surveillance is urgently needed to monitor the further dissemination of NDM-5-producing isolates.
Dissemination of NDM-1-Producing Enterobacteriaceae Mediated by the IncX3-Type Plasmid
Fu, Ying; Du, Xiaoxing; Shen, Yuqin; Yu, Yunsong
2015-01-01
The emergence and spread of NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae have resulted in a worldwide public health risk that has affected some provinces of China. China is an exceptionally large country, and there is a crucial need to investigate the epidemic of bla NDM-1-positive Enterobacteriaceae in our province. A total of 186 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates (CRE) were collected in a grade-3 hospital in Zhejiang province. Carbapenem-resistant genes, including bla KPC, bla IMP, bla VIM, bla OXA-48 and bla NDM-1 were screened and sequenced. Ninety isolates were identified as harboring the bla KPC-2 genes, and five bla NDM-1-positive isolates were uncovered. XbaI-PFGE revealed that three bla NDM-1-positive K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to two different clones. S1-PFGE and southern blot suggested that the bla NDM-1 genes were located on IncX3-type plasmids with two different sizes ranging from 33.3 to 54.7 kb (n=4) and 104.5 to 138.9 kb (n=1), respectively, all of which could easily transfer to Escherichia coli by conjugation and electrotransformation. The high-throughput sequencing of two plasmids was performed leading to the identification of a smaller 54-kb plasmid, which had high sequence similarity with a previously reported pCFNDM-CN, and a larger plasmid in which only a 7.8-kb sequence of a common gene environment around bla NDM-1 (bla NDM-1-trpF- dsbC-cutA1-groEL-ΔInsE,) was detected. PCR mapping and sequencing demonstrated that four smaller bla NDM-1 plasmids contained a common gene environment around bla NDM-1 (IS5-bla NDM-1-trpF- dsbC-cutA1-groEL). We monitored the CRE epidemic in our hospital and determined that KPC-2 carbapenemase was a major risk to patient health and the IncX3-type plasmid played a vital role in the spread of the bla NDM-1 gene among the CRE. PMID:26047502
Khalil, Mahmoud A F; Elgaml, Abdelaziz; El-Mowafy, Mohammed
2017-06-01
Despite expansion of the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) worldwide, the incident of outbreaks regarding Egypt is still uncommon. In this survey, we denounce the emanation of multidrug-resistant NDM-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Egypt. We have reclaimed 46 unrepeatable carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates at El-demerdash hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. All the isolates showed a decreased sensitivity to imipenem and meropenem via the disc diffusion method. Among the isolates, 10 were proven as NDM-1 producers by utilizing the phenotypic methods (modified Hodge test and EDTA synergistic test) and specific PCR detection of NDM-1 encoding gene, bla NDM-1 . The isolates hosting the bla NDM-1 showed an elevated resistance to several classes of β-lactam and non β-lactam antibiotics. All bla NDM-1 -harboring isolates have showed positivity for one or more other plasmid-mediated bla genes; in addition, the isolates carried class 1 integron. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR results revealed that majority of the isolates, including the NDM-1 producers, are unrelated to each other. This highlights the danger of horizontal transfer of plasmids encoding for such carbapenemases, including NDM-1, between the isolates of K. pneumoniae. In summary, this study has confirmed the incidence of bla NDM-1 together with other bla genes among the K. pneumoniae isolates in Egypt. Control and prevention of infection can be achieved through early detection of resistance genes among bacterial isolates; through limiting the dispersal of these organisms.
Wei, Wen-Juan; Yang, Hai-Fei; Ye, Ying; Li, Jia-Bin
2015-01-01
Objective: To review the origin, diagnosis, treatment and public health concern of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing bacteria. Data Sources: We searched database for studies published in English. The database of PubMed from 2007 to 2015 was used to conduct a search using the keyword term “NDM and Acinetobacter or Enterobacteriaceae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa.” Study Selection: We collected data including the relevant articles on international transmission, testing methods and treatment strategies of NDM-positive bacteria. Worldwide NDM cases were reviewed based on 22 case reports. Results: The first documented case of infection caused by bacteria producing NDM-1 occurred in India, in 2008. Since then, 13 blaNDM variants have been reported. The rise of NDM is not only due to its high rate of genetic transfer among unrelated bacterial species, but also to human factors such as travel, sanitation and food production and preparation. With limited treatment options, scientists try to improve available therapies and create new ones. Conclusions: In order to slow down the spread of these NDM-positive bacteria, a series of measures must be implemented. The creation and transmission of blaNDM are potentially global health issues, which are not issues for one country or one medical community, but for global priorities in general and for individual wound care practitioners specifically. PMID:26168840
Clinical Variants of New Delhi Metallo-β-Lactamase Are Evolving To Overcome Zinc Scarcity.
Stewart, Alesha C; Bethel, Christopher R; VanPelt, Jamie; Bergstrom, Alex; Cheng, Zishuo; Miller, Callie G; Williams, Cameron; Poth, Robert; Morris, Matthew; Lahey, Olivia; Nix, Jay C; Tierney, David L; Page, Richard C; Crowder, Michael W; Bonomo, Robert A; Fast, Walter
2017-12-08
Use and misuse of antibiotics have driven the evolution of serine β-lactamases to better recognize new generations of β-lactam drugs, but the selective pressures driving evolution of metallo-β-lactamases are less clear. Here, we present evidence that New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) is evolving to overcome the selective pressure of zinc(II) scarcity. Studies of NDM-1, NDM-4 (M154L), and NDM-12 (M154L, G222D) demonstrate that the point mutant M154L, contained in 50% of clinical NDM variants, selectively enhances resistance to the penam ampicillin at low zinc(II) concentrations relevant to infection sites. Each of the clinical variants is shown to be progressively more thermostable and to bind zinc(II) more tightly than NDM-1, but a selective enhancement of penam turnover at low zinc(II) concentrations indicates that most of the improvement derives from catalysis rather than stability. X-ray crystallography of NDM-4 and NDM-12, as well as bioinorganic spectroscopy of dizinc(II), zinc(II)/cobalt(II), and dicobalt(II) metalloforms probe the mechanism of enhanced resistance and reveal perturbations of the dinuclear metal cluster that underlie improved catalysis. These studies support the proposal that zinc(II) scarcity, rather than changes in antibiotic structure, is driving the evolution of new NDM variants in clinical settings.
Liu, Shui; Zhou, Yonglin; Niu, Xiaodi; Wang, Tingting; Li, Jiyun; Liu, Zhongjie; Wang, Jianfeng; Tang, Shusheng; Wang, Yang; Deng, Xuming
2018-12-01
The emergence of plasmid-mediated New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) in carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens is an increasing clinical threat. Here we report the discovery of an NDM-1 inhibitor, magnolol, through enzyme inhibition screening. We showed that magnolol significantly inhibited NDM enzyme activity (IC 50 = 6.47 µg/mL), and it restored the activity of meropenem against Escherichia coli ZC-YN3, an NDM-1-producing E. coli isolate, in in vitro antibacterial activity assays. Magnolol lacked direct antibacterial activity, but compared with meropenem alone, it reduced the MICs of meropenem against E. coli ZC-YN3 by 4-fold and killed almost all the bacteria within 3 h. Molecular modeling and a mutational analysis demonstrated that magnolol binds directly to the catalytic pocket (residues 110 to 200) of NDM-1, thereby blocking the binding of the substrate to NDM-1 and leading to its inactivation. Our results demonstrate that the combination of magnolol and meropenem may have the potential to treat infections caused by NDM-1-positive, carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens.
Chen, L; Peirano, G; Lynch, T; Chavda, K D; Gregson, D B; Church, D L; Conly, J; Kreiswirth, B N; Pitout, J D
2015-12-07
Enterobacteriaceae with blaNDM-7 are relatively uncommon and had previously been described in Europe, India, the United States, and Japan. This study describes the characteristics of Enterobacteriaceae (Klebsiella pneumoniae [n = 2], Escherichia coli [n = 2], Serratia marcescens [n = 1], and Enterobacter hormaechei [n = 1] isolates) with blaNDM-7 obtained from 4 patients from Calgary, Canada, from 2013 to 2014. The 46,161-bp IncX3 plasmids with blaNDM-7 are highly similar to other blaNDM-harboring IncX3 plasmids and, interestingly, showed identical structures within the different isolates. This finding may indicate horizontal transmission within our health region, or it may indicate contact with individuals from areas of endemicity within the hospital setting. Patients infected or colonized with bacteria containing blaNDM-7 IncX3 plasmids generate infection control challenges. Epidemiological and molecular studies are required to better understand the dynamics of transmission, the risk factors, and the reservoirs for bacteria harboring blaNDM-7. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S. marcescens and E. hormaechei with blaNDM-7. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
High Incidence of Escherichia coli Strains Coharboring mcr-1 and blaNDM from Chickens.
Liu, Bao-Tao; Song, Feng-Jing; Zou, Ming; Zhang, Qi-Di; Shan, Hu
2017-03-01
This study investigated the characteristics of Escherichia coli isolates carrying mcr-1-bla NDM from a chicken farm in China. Of the 78 E. coli isolates, 21 clonally unrelated isolates carried mcr-1-bla NDM Diverse IncI2 plasmids disseminated mcr-1 , while the dissemination of bla NDM was mediated by diverse IncB/O plasmids. More striking was the colocalization of resistance genes mcr-1 and bla NDM-4 in an IncHI2/ST3 plasmid, which might pose a great challenge for public health. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.
Xie, Lianyan; Dou, Yi; Zhou, Kaixin; Chen, Yue; Han, Lizhong; Guo, Xiaokui; Sun, Jingyong
2017-01-01
Objectives: To describe the genetic environment, transferability, and antibiotic susceptibility of one clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate harboring both bla OXA-48 and bla NDM-1 on different plasmids from a Chinese hospital. Methods: The isolate was subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing using Etest and PCR. The plasmids harboring bla OXA-48 and bla NDM-1 were analyzed through conjugation experiments, S1-nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and hybridization with specific probes. Plasmid DNA was sequenced using Pacbio RS II and annotated using RAST. Results: K. pneumoniae RJ119, carrying both bla OXA-48 and bla NDM-1 , was resistant to almost all carbapenems, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolone, and aminoglycosides and belonged to ST307. bla OXA-48 was located on a 61,748-bp IncL/M conjugative plasmid, which displayed overall nucleotide identity (99%) to pKPN-E1-Nr.7. bla NDM-1 was located on a 335,317-bp conjugative plasmid, which was a fusion of a bla NDM-1 -harboring InA/C plasmid pNDM-US (140,825 bp, 99% identity) and an IncFIB plasmid pKPN-c22 (178,563 bp, 99% identity). The transconjugant RJ119-1 harboring bla NDM-1 was susceptible to carbapenem, and there was an insertion of IS 10 into the bla NDM-1 gene. Conclusion: This is the first report of the coexistence of bla OXA-48 and bla NDM-1 in one K. pneumoniae clinical isolate in China. OXA-48 in RJ119 contributed to the majority to its high resistance to carbapenems, whereas NDM-1 remained unexpressed, most likely due to the insertion of IS 10 . Our results provide new insight for the relationship between genetic diagnosis and clinical treatment. They also indicate that increased surveillance of bla OXA-48 is urgently needed in China.
Impact of blaNDM-1 on fitness and pathogenicity of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Göttig, Stephan; Riedel-Christ, Sara; Saleh, Ahmad; Kempf, Volkhard A J; Hamprecht, Axel
2016-06-01
The objective of this study was to determine whether acquisition of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) has an impact on the fitness and virulence of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Growth kinetics and the cost of fitness of NDM-1 plasmid carriage were assessed in isogenic E. coli J53 and K. pneumoniae PRZ in vitro by pairwise competition assays. The pathogenicity of NDM-1-expressing E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains and their isogenic controls was analysed in vivo using a Galleria mellonella infection model. The cytotoxicity of NDM-1 was assessed in A549 human lung epithelial cells using the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. No differences in growth kinetics were recorded between NDM-1-expressing strains and controls (P = 0.92). A reduction in fitness of NDM-1-carrying strains was observed both for E. coli J53 and K. pneumoniae PRZ [selection rate constant (s) = -1.27 ± 0.27 for E. coli J53 and -0.19 ± 0.14 for K. pneumoniae PRZ; P < 0.0001]. Survival of G. mellonella larvae infected with NDM-1-expressing strains and controls was similar for E. coli J53 and K. pneumoniae PRZ. Cytotoxicity in A549 cells was not affected by NDM-1 expression (P > 0.05). The presence of blaNDM-1 did not increase the virulence or cytotoxicity of isogenic strains. However, there was a considerable cost of fitness incurred by carriage of the pNDM-1 plasmid. Interestingly, the cost of fitness was significantly higher in E. coli J53 compared with K. pneumoniae PRZ. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.
Polak, David; Naddaf, Raja; Shapira, Lior; Weiss, Ervin I; Houri-Haddad, Yael
2013-07-01
Periodontitis is a polymicrobial infectious disease. A novel potential chemical treatment modality may lie in bacterial anti-adhesive materials, such as cranberry juice fractions. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of high molecular weight cranberry constituent (non-dialyzable material [NDM]) on the virulence of a mixed infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum in mice. In vitro, the anti-adhesive property of NDM was validated on epithelial cell culture, and inhibition of coaggregation was tested using a coaggregation assay. The in vivo effect was tested on the outcome of experimental periodontitis induced by a P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum mixed infection, and also on the local host response using the subcutaneous chamber model of infection. Phagocytosis was also tested on RAW macrophages by the use of fluorescent-labeled bacteria. NDM was found to inhibit the adhesion of both species of bacteria onto epithelial cells and to inhibit coaggregation in a dose-dependent manner. NDM consumption by mice attenuated the severity of experimental periodontitis compared with a mixed infection without NDM treatment. In infected subcutaneous chambers, NDM alone reduced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels induced by the mixed infection. In vitro, NDM eliminated TNF-α expression by macrophages that were exposed to P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum, without impairing their viability. Furthermore, NDM increased the phagocytosis of P. gingivalis. The results indicate that the use of NDM may hold potential protective and/or preventive modalities in periodontal disease. Underlying mechanisms for this trait may perhaps be the anti-adhesive properties of NDM or its potential effect on inflammation.
Shen, Yong; Xiao, Wei-Qiang; Gong, Jiao-Mei; Pan, Jun; Xu, Qing-Xia
2017-03-01
The increase in bla NDM -1 in Enterobacteriaceae has become a major concern worldwide. In previous study, we investigated clonal dissemination and mechanisms of resistance to carbapenem in China. We carried out retrospective surveillance for bla NDM -1 among carbapenem-resistant enterobacter strains, which were isolated from patients at our hospital by bacterial strains selection, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, species identification, and molecular detection of resistance gene. We found three bla NDM -1 -positive isolates which were identified as Enterobacter aerogenes in clinical patients in China. The bla NDM -1 -positive Enterobacter aerogenes isolates were first found. It is important to mandate prudent usage of antibiotics and implement infection control measures to control the spread of these resistant bla NDM -1 -positive strains. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Onychomycosis due to nondermatophytic molds.
Hwang, Sung Min; Suh, Moo Kyu; Ha, Gyoung Yim
2012-05-01
Although there have been many studies about onychomycosis due to nondermatophytic molds (NDM), few studies about etiologic agents including NDM in onychomycosis have been reported in Korea. This study investigated onychomycosis due to NDM in the Gyeongju area of Korea. In the 10-year period from 1999~2009, we reviewed 59 patients with onychomycosis due to NDM. The etiologic agents were identified by cultures on Sabouraud's Dextrose agar with and without cycloheximide. In some cases, internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis was done. NDM isolated considered pathogens when the presence of fungal elements was identified by direct microscopy observation and in follow-up cultures yielding the same fungi. Onychomycosis due to NDM comprised 2.3% of all onychomycosis. Of the 59 patients with onychomycosis due to NDM, 84.7% were toenail onychomycosis and 15.3% were fingernail onychomycosis. The incidence rate was highest in the fifth decade (27.1%). The ratio of male to female patients was 1:1.6. The frequency of associated diseases, in descending order, was hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cerebral hematoma. Distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis (86.4%) was the most common clinical type of onychomycosis. Aspergillus spp. was the most frequently isolated etiologic agent of onychomycosis due to NDM (83.0%). Other causative agents were Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (10.2%), Acremonium spp. (3.4%), Fusarium solani (1.7%), and Chaetomium globosum (1.7%). Because of the increase in onychomycosis due to NDM, we suggest the need of a careful mycological examination in patients with onychomycosis.
Insulin therapy in neonatal diabetes mellitus: a review of the literature.
Rabbone, Ivana; Barbetti, Fabrizio; Gentilella, Raffaella; Mossetto, Gilberto; Bonfanti, Riccardo; Maffeis, Claudio; Iafusco, Dario; Piccinno, Elvira
2017-07-01
Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is a rare disorder, and guidance is limited regarding its optimal management. We reviewed insulin usage in NDM, with a focus on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). A PubMed search identified 40 reports of patients with NDM treated with insulin published between 1994 and 2016. Data concerning treatment of NDM are limited. CSII resolves some of the issues associated with insulin therapy in neonates. No clinical trials of CSII in NDM have been reported. Case reports suggest that CSII is a safe and effective means of treating NDM. CSII was initiated to improve glycaemic control, for practicality and convenience, and to overcome difficulties associated with the maintenance of long-term intravenous catheters. CSII can provide better glycaemic control than multiple daily injections, with few hypoglycaemic events. Continuous glucose monitoring integrated with the pump helps provide more precise control of blood glucose levels. CSII generally uses short-acting insulin or rapid-acting insulin analogues, and those that are approved for use in neonates appear to be appropriate for the treatment of NDM using an insulin pump. Information from case reports indicates that CSII is safe and effective for the management of NDM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Chou, Andrew; Roa, Marylette; Evangelista, Michael A; Sulit, Arielle Kae; Lagamayo, Evelina; Torres, Brian C; Klinzing, David C; Daroy, Maria Luisa G; Navoa-Ng, Josephine; Sucgang, Richard; Zechiedrich, Lynn
2016-10-01
We sought to determine the epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and to investigate the emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in two teaching hospitals in Manila, Philippines. We screened 364 Enterobacteriaceae for carbapenem resistance between 2012 and 2013 and detected four carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates from three different patients. We used whole genome sequencing to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles and confirmed the presence of carbapenemase genes by multiplex PCR. We used multilocus sequence typing and PCR-based replicon typing to genetically characterize the carbapenem-resistant isolates. The carbapenemase gene bla NDM was detected in K. pneumoniae isolates from two patients. The first patient had ventilator-associated pneumonia and lumbar shunt infection from K. pneumoniae ST273 carrying bla NDM-7 . The second patient had asymptomatic genitourinary colonization with K. pneumoniae ST656 carrying bla NDM-1 . The third patient had a gluteal abscess with K. pneumoniae ST1 that did not carry a carbapenemase gene, but did carry bla DHA-1 , bla OXA-1 , and bla SHV-1 . In this study, we report the first cases of bla NDM -carrying pathogens in the Philippines and add to the growing evidence of the worldwide spread of ST273 and NDM-7, a more efficient carbapenem hydrolyzer than NDM-1.
Chou, Andrew; Roa, Marylette; Evangelista, Michael A.; Sulit, Arielle Kae; Lagamayo, Evelina; Torres, Brian C.; Klinzing, David C.; Daroy, Maria Luisa G.; Navoa-Ng, Josephine; Sucgang, Richard
2016-01-01
We sought to determine the epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and to investigate the emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in two teaching hospitals in Manila, Philippines. We screened 364 Enterobacteriaceae for carbapenem resistance between 2012 and 2013 and detected four carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates from three different patients. We used whole genome sequencing to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles and confirmed the presence of carbapenemase genes by multiplex PCR. We used multilocus sequence typing and PCR-based replicon typing to genetically characterize the carbapenem-resistant isolates. The carbapenemase gene blaNDM was detected in K. pneumoniae isolates from two patients. The first patient had ventilator-associated pneumonia and lumbar shunt infection from K. pneumoniae ST273 carrying blaNDM-7. The second patient had asymptomatic genitourinary colonization with K. pneumoniae ST656 carrying blaNDM-1. The third patient had a gluteal abscess with K. pneumoniae ST1 that did not carry a carbapenemase gene, but did carry blaDHA-1, blaOXA-1, and blaSHV-1. In this study, we report the first cases of blaNDM-carrying pathogens in the Philippines and add to the growing evidence of the worldwide spread of ST273 and NDM-7, a more efficient carbapenem hydrolyzer than NDM-1. PMID:27032000
Hammerum, Anette M; Hansen, Frank; Nielsen, Hans Linde; Jakobsen, Lotte; Stegger, Marc; Andersen, Paal S; Jensen, Paw; Nielsen, Tue Kjærgaard; Hansen, Lars Hestbjerg; Hasman, Henrik; Fuglsang-Damgaard, David
2016-11-01
An outbreak of NDM-1-producing Citrobacter freundii and possible secondary in vivo spread of bla NDM-1 to other Enterobacteriaceae were investigated. From October 2012 to March 2015, meropenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 45 samples from seven patients at Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark. In silico resistance genes, Inc plasmid types and STs (MLST) were obtained from WGS data from 24 meropenem-resistant isolates (13 C. freundii, 6 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 4 Escherichia coli and 1 Klebsiella oxytoca) and 1 meropenem-susceptible K. oxytoca. The sequences of the meropenem-resistant C. freundii isolates were compared by phylogenetic analyses. In vitro susceptibility to 21 antimicrobial agents was tested. Furthermore, in vitro conjugation and plasmid characterization was performed. From the seven patients, 13 highly clonal ST18 NDM-1-producing C. freundii were isolated. The ST18 NDM-1-producing C. freundii isolates were only susceptible to tetracycline, tigecycline, colistin and fosfomycin (except for the C. freundii isolates from Patient 2 and Patient 7, which were additionally resistant to tetracycline). The E. coli and K. pneumoniae from different patients belonged to different STs, indicating in vivo transfer of bla NDM-1 in the individual patients. This was further supported by in vitro conjugation and detection of a 154 kb IncA/C2 plasmid with bla NDM-1 . Patient screenings failed to reveal any additional cases. None of the patients had a history of recent travel abroad and the source of the bla NDM-1 plasmid was unknown. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an NDM-1-producing C. freundii outbreak and secondary in vivo spread of an IncA/C2 plasmid with bla NDM-1 to other Enterobacteriaceae. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Thermokinetic profile of NDM-1 and its inhibition by small carboxylic acids
Wang, Qian; He, Yuan; Lu, Rui; Wang, Wen-Ming; Yang, Ke-Wu; Fan, Hai Ming; Jin, Yi; Blackburn, G. Michael
2018-01-01
The New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1) is an important clinical target for antimicrobial research, but there are insufficient clinically useful inhibitors and the details of NDM-1 enzyme catalysis remain unclear. The aim of this work is to provide a thermodynamic profile of NDM-1 catalysed hydrolysis of β-lactams using an isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) approach and to apply this new method to the identification of new low-molecular-weight dicarboxylic acid inhibitors. The results reveal that hydrolysis of penicillin G and imipenem by NDM-1 share the same thermodynamic features with a significant intrinsic enthalpy change and the release of one proton into solution, while NDM-1 hydrolysis of cefazolin exhibits a different mechanism with a smaller enthalpy change and the release of two protons. The inhibitory constants of four carboxylic acids are found to be in the micromolar range. The compounds pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid and thiazolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid show the best inhibitory potency and are confirmed to inhibit NDM-1 using a clinical strain of Escherichia coli. The pyridine compound is further shown to restore the susceptibility of this E. coli strain to imipenem, at an inhibitor concentration of 400 μM, while the thiazoline compound also shows a synergistic effect with imipenem. These results provide valuable information to enrich current understanding on the catalytic mechanism of NDM-1 and to aid the future optimisation of β-lactamase inhibitors based on these scaffolds to tackle the problem of antibiotic resistance. PMID:29507059
Environmental waters and blaNDM-1 in Belgrade, Serbia: endemicity questioned.
Novovic, K; Filipic, B; Veljovic, K; Begovic, J; Mirkovic, N; Jovcic, B
2015-04-01
New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) will soon become the most commonly isolated and distributed metallo-beta-lactamase worldwide due to its rapid international dissemination and its ability to be expressed by numerous Gram-negative pathogens. NDM-positive bacteria pose a significant public health threat in the Indian subcontinent and the Balkans, which have been designated as endemic regions. Our study was focused on urban rivers, a lake and springheads as a potential source of NDM-1-producing strains in Serbia, but also as a source of other metallo-beta-lactamases and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria. A total of 69 beta-lactam resistant isolates, belonging to 12 bacterial genera, were collected from 8 out of 10 different locations in Belgrade, of which the most were from a popular recreational site, Ada Ciganlija Lake. Phenotypic tests revealed 7 (10.14%) ESBL-producing isolates and 39 (56.52%) isolates resistant to imipenem, of which 32 were positive for metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) production. PCR and sequencing revealed the presence of genetic determinants for SHV (3 isolates), DHA-1 (1 isolate) and CMY-2 (1 isolate) beta-lactamases. However, we did not detect any NDM-1-producing strains (previously described cases of NDM-1 from Serbia were limited to Belgrade), so we propose that Serbian NDM-1 is in fact a transplant and a nosocomial, rather than an environmental, issue and that Serbia is not an endemic region for NDM-1. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Pathogenicity of pan-drug-resistant Serratia marcescens harbouring blaNDM-1.
Gruber, Teresa M; Göttig, Stephan; Mark, Laura; Christ, Sara; Kempf, Volkhard A J; Wichelhaus, Thomas A; Hamprecht, Axel
2015-04-01
To characterize a pan-drug-resistant Serratia marcescens clinical isolate carrying the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-1. The presence of β-lactamase genes was examined by PCR and sequencing. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by antibiotic gradient test. Transformation assays, transconjugation assays, PFGE and PCR-based replicon typing were used for plasmid analysis. Horizontal gene transfer was evaluated by liquid mating using Escherichia coli J53 as a recipient. Pathogenicity of NDM-1 expressing S. marcescens was analysed using the Galleria mellonella infection model. S. marcescens isolate SM1890 was non-susceptible to all tested antibiotics, with minocycline retaining intermediate activity. blaNDM-1 was located on a 140 kb IncA/C-type plasmid which was transferable to E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae by conjugation. The LD50 of the NDM-positive, SM1890 isolate was higher than that of other, NDM-1 negative, S. marcescens strains. The presence of a blaNDM-1-harbouring IncA/C plasmid resulted in marked resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, but had no significant effect on virulence of isogenic strains. Because of the intrinsic resistance of S. marcescens to colistin and reduced susceptibility to tigecycline, treatment options for infections by NDM-1-positive isolates are extremely limited in this species. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-04-28
... royalties of $10 per acre and 16\\2/3\\ percent. The lessee paid the $500 administration fee for the... terms and conditions of the leases; The increased rental of $10 per acre; The increased royalty of 16\\2...
Wang, Yang; Zhang, Rongmin; Li, Jiyun; Wu, Zuowei; Yin, Wenjuan; Schwarz, Stefan; Tyrrell, Jonathan M; Zheng, Yongjun; Wang, Shaolin; Shen, Zhangqi; Liu, Zhihai; Liu, Jianye; Lei, Lei; Li, Mei; Zhang, Qidi; Wu, Congming; Zhang, Qijing; Wu, Yongning; Walsh, Timothy R; Shen, Jianzhong
2017-02-06
By 2030, the global population will be 8.5 billion, placing pressure on international poultry production, of which China is a key producer 1 . From April 2017, China will implement the withdrawal of colistin as a growth promoter, removing over 8,000 tonnes per year from the Chinese farming sector 2 . To understand the impact of banning colistin and the epidemiology of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli (using bla NDM and mcr-1 as marker genes), we sampled poultry, dogs, sewage, wild birds and flies. Here, we show that mcr-1, but not bla NDM , is prevalent in hatcheries, but bla NDM quickly contaminates flocks through dogs, flies and wild birds. We also screened samples directly for resistance genes to understand the true breadth and depth of the environmental and animal resistome. Direct sample testing for bla NDM and mcr-1 in hatcheries, commercial farms, a slaughterhouse and supermarkets revealed considerably higher levels of positive samples than the bla NDM - and mcr-1-positive E. coli, indicating a substantial segment of unseen resistome-a phenomenon we have termed the 'phantom resistome'. Whole-genome sequencing identified common bla NDM -positive E. coli shared among farms, flies, dogs and farmers, providing direct evidence of carbapenem-resistant E. coli transmission and environmental contamination.
Scenario driven data modelling: a method for integrating diverse sources of data and data streams
2011-01-01
Background Biology is rapidly becoming a data intensive, data-driven science. It is essential that data is represented and connected in ways that best represent its full conceptual content and allows both automated integration and data driven decision-making. Recent advancements in distributed multi-relational directed graphs, implemented in the form of the Semantic Web make it possible to deal with complicated heterogeneous data in new and interesting ways. Results This paper presents a new approach, scenario driven data modelling (SDDM), that integrates multi-relational directed graphs with data streams. SDDM can be applied to virtually any data integration challenge with widely divergent types of data and data streams. In this work, we explored integrating genetics data with reports from traditional media. SDDM was applied to the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase gene (NDM-1), an emerging global health threat. The SDDM process constructed a scenario, created a RDF multi-relational directed graph that linked diverse types of data to the Semantic Web, implemented RDF conversion tools (RDFizers) to bring content into the Sematic Web, identified data streams and analytical routines to analyse those streams, and identified user requirements and graph traversals to meet end-user requirements. Conclusions We provided an example where SDDM was applied to a complex data integration challenge. The process created a model of the emerging NDM-1 health threat, identified and filled gaps in that model, and constructed reliable software that monitored data streams based on the scenario derived multi-relational directed graph. The SDDM process significantly reduced the software requirements phase by letting the scenario and resulting multi-relational directed graph define what is possible and then set the scope of the user requirements. Approaches like SDDM will be critical to the future of data intensive, data-driven science because they automate the process of converting massive data streams into usable knowledge. PMID:22165854
Wiskirchen, Dora E; Nordmann, Patrice; Crandon, Jared L; Nicolau, David P
2014-01-01
Doripenem and ertapenem have demonstrated efficacy against several NDM-1-producing isolates in vivo, despite having high MICs. In this study, we sought to further characterize the efficacy profiles of humanized regimens of standard (500 mg given every 8 h) and high-dose, prolonged infusion of doripenem (2 g given every 8 h, 4-h infusion) and 1 g of ertapenem given intravenously every 24 h and the comparator regimens of ceftazidime at 2 g given every 8 h (2-h infusion), levofloxacin at 500 mg every 24 h, and aztreonam at 2 g every 6 h (1-h infusion) against a wider range of isolates in a murine thigh infection model. An isogenic wild-type strain and NDM-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and eight clinical NDM-1-producing members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were tested in immunocompetent- and neutropenic-mouse models. The wild-type strain was susceptible to all of the agents, while the isogenic NDM-1-producing strain was resistant to ceftazidime, doripenem, and ertapenem. Clinical NDM-1-producing strains were resistant to nearly all five of the agents (two were susceptible to levofloxacin). In immunocompetent mice, all of the agents produced ≥1-log10 CFU reductions of the isogenic wild-type and NDM-1-producing strains after 24 h. Minimal efficacy of ceftazidime, aztreonam, and levofloxacin against the clinical NDM-1-producing strains was observed. However, despite in vitro resistance, ≥1-log10 CFU reductions of six of eight clinical strains were achieved with high-dose, prolonged infusion of doripenem and ertapenem. Slight enhancements of doripenem activity over the standard doses were obtained with high-dose, prolonged infusion for three of the four isolates tested. Similar efficacy observations were noted in neutropenic mice. These data suggest that carbapenems are a viable treatment option for infections caused by NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae.
Unusual association of NDM-1 with KPC-2 and armA among Brazilian Enterobacteriaceae isolates
Quiles, M.G.; Rocchetti, T.T.; Fehlberg, L.C.; Kusano, E.J.U.; Chebabo, A.; Pereira, R.M.G.; Gales, A.C.; Pignatari, A.C.C.
2014-01-01
We report the microbiological characterization of four New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (bla NDM-1)-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. bla NDM-1 was located on a conjugative plasmid and was associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-2 (bla KPC-2) or aminoglycoside-resistance methylase (armA), a 16S rRNA methylase not previously reported in Brazil, in two distinct strains of Enterobacter cloacae. Our results suggested that the introduction of bla NDM-1 in Brazil has been accompanied by rapid spread, since our isolates showed no genetic relationship. PMID:25466163
Mahon, Bláthnaid M; Brehony, Carina; McGrath, Elaine; Killeen, James; Cormican, Martin; Hickey, Paul; Keane, Shane; Hanahoe, Belinda; Dolan, Ann; Morris, Dearbháile
2017-01-01
In this study, New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)-producing Enterobacteriaceae were identified in Irish recreational waters and sewage. Indistinguishable NDM-producing Escherichia coli by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were isolated from sewage, a fresh water stream and a human source. NDM-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from sewage and seawater in the same area were closely related to each other and to a human isolate. This raises concerns regarding the potential for sewage discharges to contribute to the spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. PMID:28449738
Islam, Moydul; Hasan, Rashedul; Hossain, M. Iqbal; Nabi, Ashikun; Rahman, Mahdia; Goessens, Wil H. F.; Endtz, Hubert P.; Faruque, Shah M.
2017-01-01
ABSTRACT Resistance to carbapenem antibiotics through the production of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) constitutes an emerging challenge in the treatment of bacterial infections. To monitor the possible source of the spread of these organisms in Dhaka, Bangladesh, we conducted a comparative analysis of wastewater samples from hospital-adjacent areas (HAR) and from community areas (COM), as well as public tap water samples, for the occurrence and characteristics of NDM-1-producing bacteria. Of 72 HAR samples tested, 51 (71%) samples were positive for NDM-1-producing bacteria, as evidenced by phenotypic tests and the presence of the blaNDM-1 gene, compared to 5 of 41 (12.1%) samples from COM samples (P < 0.001). All tap water samples were negative for NDM-1-producing bacteria. Klebsiella pneumoniae (44%) was the predominant bacterial species among blaNDM-1-positive isolates, followed by Escherichia coli (29%), Acinetobacter spp. (15%), and Enterobacter spp. (9%). These bacteria were also positive for one or more other antibiotic resistance genes, including blaCTX-M-1 (80%), blaCTX-M-15 (63%), blaTEM (76%), blaSHV (33%), blaCMY-2 (16%), blaOXA-48-like (2%), blaOXA-1 (53%), and blaOXA-47-like (60%) genes. Around 40% of the isolates contained a qnr gene, while 50% had 16S rRNA methylase genes. The majority of isolates hosted multiple plasmids, and plasmids of 30 to 50 MDa carrying blaNDM-1 were self-transmissible. Our results highlight a number of issues related to the characteristics and source of spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria as a potential public health threat. In view of the existing practice of discharging untreated liquid waste into the environment, hospitals in Dhaka city contribute to the potential dissemination of NDM-1-producing bacteria into the community. IMPORTANCE Infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae are extremely difficult to manage due to their marked resistance to a wide range of antibiotics. NDM-1 is the most recently described carbapenemase, and the blaNDM-1 gene, which encodes NDM-1, is located on self-transmissible plasmids that also carry a considerable number of other antibiotic resistance genes. The present study shows a high prevalence of NDM-1-producing organisms in the wastewater samples from hospital-adjacent areas as a potential source for the spread of these organisms to community areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study also examines the characteristics of the isolates and their potential to horizontally transmit the resistance determinants. The significance of our research is in identifying the mode of spread of multiple-antibiotic-resistant organisms, which will allow the development of containment measures, leading to broader impacts in reducing their spread to the community. PMID:28526792
Subirats, Jèssica; Royo, Elena; Balcázar, José Luis; Borrego, Carles M
2017-03-01
In this study, we have developed real-time PCR assays using SYBR Green chemistry to detect all known alleles of bla KPC , bla NDM , and bla OXA-48 -like carbapenemase genes in water, sediment, and biofilm samples collected from hospital and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and rivers receiving chronic WWTP discharges. The amplification of bla KPC , bla NDM , and bla OXA-48 DNA was linear over 7 log dilutions (R 2 between 0.995 and 0.997) and showing efficiencies ranging from 92.6% to 100.3%. The analytical sensitivity indicated that the reaction for bla KPC , bla NDM , and bla OXA-48 -like genes was able to detect 35, 16, and 19 copy numbers per assay, respectively. The three carbapenemase genes were detected in hospital effluents, whereas only the bla KPC and bla NDM genes were detected in biofilm and sediment samples collected from wastewater-impacted rivers. The detection of bla KPC , bla NDM , and bla OXA-48 -like genes in different matrices suggests that carbapenem-resistant bacteria occur in both planktonic and benthic habitats thus expanding the range of resistance reservoirs for last-resort antibiotics. We believe that these real-time PCR assays would be a powerful tool for the rapid detection and quantification of bla KPC , bla NDM , and bla OXA-48 -like genes in complex environmental samples.
Vasconcelos, R.B.; Salles, L.P.; Silva, I. Oliveira e; Gulart, L.V.M.; Souza, D.K.; Torres, F.A.G.; Bocca, A.L.; Silva, A.A.M. Rosa e
2013-01-01
Follicle cultures reproduce in vitro the functional features observed in vivo. In a search for an ideal model, we cultured bovine antral follicle wall sections (FWS) in a serum-free defined medium (DM) known to induce 17β-estradiol (E2) production, and in a nondefined medium (NDM) containing serum. Follicles were sectioned and cultured in NDM or DM for 24 or 48 h. Morphological features were determined by light microscopy. Gene expression of steroidogenic enzymes and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor were determined by RT-PCR; progesterone (P4) and E2 concentrations in the media were measured by radioimmunoassay. DM, but not NDM, maintained an FWS morphology in vitro that was similar to fresh tissue. DM also induced an increase in the expression of all steroidogenic enzymes, except FSH receptor, but NDM did not. In both DM and NDM, there was a gradual increase in P4 throughout the culture period; however, P4 concentration was significantly higher in NDM. In both media, E2 concentration was increased at 24 h, followed by a decrease at 48 h. The E2:P4 ratio was higher in DM than in NDM. These results suggest that DM maintains morphological structure, upregulates the expression of steroidogenic enzyme genes, and maintains steroid production with a high E2:P4 ratio in FWS cultures. PMID:23969977
Marquez-Ortiz, Ricaurte Alejandro; Haggerty, Leanne; Olarte, Narda; Duarte, Carolina; Garza-Ramos, Ulises; Silva-Sanchez, Jesus; Castro, Betsy E.; Sim, Eby M.; Beltran, Mauricio; Moncada, María V.; Valderrama, Alberto; Castellanos, Jaime E.; Charles, Ian G.; Vanegas, Natasha
2017-01-01
Abstract Bacteria that produce the broad-spectrum Carbapenem antibiotic New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) place a burden on health care systems worldwide, due to the limited treatment options for infections caused by them and the rapid global spread of this antibiotic resistance mechanism. Although it is believed that the associated resistance gene blaNDM-1 originated in Acinetobacter spp., the role of Enterobacteriaceae in its dissemination remains unclear. In this study, we used whole genome sequencing to investigate the dissemination dynamics of blaNDM-1-positive plasmids in a set of 21 clinical NDM-1-positive isolates from Colombia and Mexico (Providencia rettgeri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii) as well as six representative NDM-1-positive Escherichia coli transconjugants. Additionally, the plasmids from three representative P. rettgeri isolates were sequenced by PacBio sequencing and finished. Our results demonstrate the presence of previously reported plasmids from K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii in different genetic backgrounds and geographically distant locations in Colombia. Three new previously unclassified plasmids were also identified in P. rettgeri from Colombia and Mexico, plus an interesting genetic link between NDM-1-positive P. rettgeri from distant geographic locations (Canada, Mexico, Colombia, and Israel) without any reported epidemiological links was discovered. Finally, we detected a relationship between plasmids present in P. rettgeri and plasmids from A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae. Overall, our findings suggest a Russian doll model for the dissemination of blaNDM-1 in Latin America, with P. rettgeri playing a central role in this process, and reveal new insights into the evolution and dissemination of plasmids carrying such antibiotic resistance genes. PMID:28854628
Shoja, Saeed; Ansari, Maryam; Faridi, Forogh; Azad, Mohsen; Davoodian, Parivash; Javadpour, Sedigheh; Farahani, Abbas; Mobarrez, Banafsheh Douzandeh; Karmostaji, Afsaneh
2018-05-01
The spread of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae especially bla NDM-1 -carrying isolates is a great concern worldwide. In this study we describe the molecular basis of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae in three teaching hospitals at Bandar Abbas, south of Iran. A total of 170 nonduplicate clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae were investigated. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed by disc diffusion method. PCR was carried out for detection of carbapenemase (bla KPC , bla IMP , bla VIM , bla NDM , bla SPM , bla OXA-48 , and bla OXA-181 ) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (bla CTX-M , bla SHV , bla TEM , bla VEB , bla GES , and bla PER ). Clonal relatedness of bla NDM-1 -positive isolates was evaluated by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Tigecycline was the most effective antimicrobial agent with 96.5% susceptibility. In addition, 6.5% of the isolates were carbapenem resistant. Bla NDM-1 was identified in four isolates (isolate A-D) and all of them were multidrug-resistant. MLST revealed that bla NDM-1 -positive isolates were clonally related and belonged to two distinct clonal complexes, including sequence type (ST) 13 and ST 392. In addition to bla NDM-1, isolate A coharbored bla SHV-11 , bla CTX-M-15 , and bla TEM-1 , isolate B harbored bla SHV-11 and bla CTX-M-15 , and isolates C and D contained both bla SHV-1 and bla CTX-M-15 . Our results indicate that NDM-1-producing K. pneumoniae ST 13 and ST 392 are disseminated in our region. Moreover, one of our major concerns is that these isolates may be more prevalent in the near future. Tracking and urgent intervention is necessary for control and prevention of these resistant isolates.
Glycemic control indicators in patients with neonatal diabetes mellitus
Suzuki, Shigeru; Koga, Masafumi
2014-01-01
Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is a type of diabetes mellitus caused by genetic abnormality which develops in insulin dependent state within 6 mo after birth. HbA1c is widely used in clinical practice for diabetes mellitus as the gold standard glycemic control indicator; however, fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is the main hemoglobin in neonates and so HbA1c cannot be used as a glycemic control indicator in NDM. Glycated albumin (GA), another glycemic control indicator, is not affected by HbF. We reported that GA can be used as a glycemic control indicator in NDM. However, it was later found that because of increased metabolism of albumin, GA shows an apparently lower level in relation to plasma glucose in NDM; measures to solve this problem were needed. In this review, we outlined the most recent findings concerning glycemic control indicators in neonates or NDM. PMID:24748932
Coexistence of Two blaNDM-5 Genes on an IncF Plasmid as Revealed by Nanopore Sequencing.
Feng, Yu; Liu, Lu; McNally, Alan; Zong, Zhiyong
2018-05-01
In a carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolate of sequence type 167, two copies of bla NDM-5 were found on a 144,225-bp IncF self-transmissible plasmid of the F36:A4:B - type. Both bla NDM-5 genes were located in 11,065-bp regions flanked by two copies of IS 26 The two regions were identical in sequence but were present at different locations on the plasmid, suggesting a duplication of the same region. This study highlights the complex genetic contexts of bla NDM-5 . Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.
Spectroscopic and Mechanistic Studies of Heterodimetallic Forms of Metallo-β-lactamase NDM-1
2015-01-01
In an effort to characterize the roles of each metal ion in metallo-β-lactamase NDM-1, heterodimetallic analogues (CoCo-, ZnCo-, and CoCd-) of the enzyme were generated and characterized. UV–vis, 1H NMR, EPR, and EXAFS spectroscopies were used to confirm the fidelity of the metal substitutions, including the presence of a homogeneous, heterodimetallic cluster, with a single-atom bridge. This marks the first preparation of a metallo-β-lactamase selectively substituted with a paramagnetic metal ion, Co(II), either in the Zn1 (CoCd-NDM-1) or in the Zn2 site (ZnCo-NDM-1), as well as both (CoCo-NDM-1). We then used these metal-substituted forms of the enzyme to probe the reaction mechanism, using steady-state and stopped-flow kinetics, stopped-flow fluorescence, and rapid-freeze-quench EPR. Both metal sites show significant effects on the kinetic constants, and both paramagnetic variants (CoCd- and ZnCo-NDM-1) showed significant structural changes on reaction with substrate. These changes are discussed in terms of a minimal kinetic mechanism that incorporates all of the data. PMID:24754678
[Implementation of nurse demand managment in primary health care service providers in Catalonia].
Brugués Brugués, Alba; Cubells Asensio, Irene; Flores Mateo, Gemma
2017-11-01
To describe and analyse the implementaction of nurse demand managment (NDM) among health care providers in Catalonia from 2005 to 2014. Cross sectional survey. Participants All service providers in Catalonia (n=37). Main measurements Interviews with nurse manager of each health care provides about ht barriers and facilitators concerning NDM. Facilitators and barriers were classified into 3 types: (i)health professional (competence, attitudes, motivation for change and individual characteristics); (ii)social context (patients and companions), and (iii)system related factors (organization and structure, economic incentives). Of the 37 providers, 26 (70.3%) have implemented the Demand Management Nurse (NDM). The main barriers identified are the nurse prescriptin regulation, lack of knowledge and skills of nurses, and the lack of protocols at the start of implantation. Among the facilitators are the specific training of professionals, a higher ratio of nurses to doctors, consensus circuits with all professionals and linking the implementation of NDM to economic incentives. NDM is consolidated in Catalonia. However, the NDM should be included in the curricula of nursing degree and continuing education programs in primary care teams. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
Closely related NDM-1-encoding plasmids from Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Taiwan.
Chen, Chao-Ju; Wu, Tsu-Lan; Lu, Po-Liang; Chen, Ying-Tsong; Fung, Chang-Phone; Chuang, Yin-Ching; Lin, Jung-Chung; Siu, L Kristopher
2014-01-01
Two plasmids carrying blaNDM-1 isolated from carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) and carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CR-EC) were sequenced. CR-KP and CR-EC were isolated from two Taiwanese patients without travel histories. Complete sequencing of the plasmids (pLK75 and pLK78) was conducted using a shotgun approach. Annotation of the contigs was performed using the RAST Server, followed by manual inspection and correction. These similar plasmids were obtained from two patients with overlapping stays at the same hospital. The pLK75 and pLK78 plasmids were 56,489-bp and 56,072-bp in length, respectively. Plasmid annotation revealed a common backbone similar to the IncN plasmid pR46. The regions flanking the blaNDM-1 genes in these plasmids were very similar to plasmid pNDM-HU01 in Japan, which contains a complex class 1 integron located next to an ISCR1 element. The ISCR1 element has been suggested to provide a powerful mechanism for mobilising antibiotic resistance genes. Two indigenous NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae cases were identified for the first time in Taiwan, highlighting the alarming introduction of NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae in this region.
Effects of cranberry components on human aggressive periodontitis gingival fibroblasts.
Tipton, D A; Babu, J P; Dabbous, M Kh
2013-08-01
Aggressive periodontitis (AgP) causes rapid periodontal breakdown involving AgP gingival fibroblast production of cytokines [i.e. interleukin (IL)-6, a bone metabolism regulator], and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3. Lipopolysaccharide upregulates fibroblast IL-6 and MMP-3, via transcription factors (i.e. NF-κB). Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) inhibits lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophage and normal gingival fibroblast activities, but little is known of its effects on AgP fibroblasts. Objectives of this study are to use AgP fibroblasts, to determine cytotoxicity of cranberry components or periodontopathogen (Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis) lipopolysaccharide ± cranberry components, and effects of cranberry components on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated NF-κB activation and IL-6 and MMP-3 production. AgP fibroblasts were incubated ≤ 6 d with high molecular weight non-dialyzable material (NDM) (derived from cranberry juice (1-500 μg/mL) or lipopolysaccharide (1 μg/mL) ± NDM. Membrane damage and viability were assessed by enzyme activity released into cell supernatants and activity of a mitochondrial enzyme, respectively. Secreted IL-6 and MMP-3 were measured by ELISA. NF-κB p65 was measured via binding to an oligonucleotide containing the NF-κB consensus site. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and Scheffe's F procedure for post hoc comparisons. Short-term exposure to NDM, or lipopolysaccharide ± NDM caused no membrane damage. NDM (≤ 100 μg/mL) or lipopolysaccharide ± NDM had no effect on viability ≤ 7 d exposure. NDM (50 μg/mL) inhibited lipopolysaccharide-stimulated p65 (P ≤ 0.003) and constitutive or lipopolysaccharide-stimulated MMP-3 (P ≤ 0.02). NDM increased AgP fibroblast constitutive or lipopolysaccharide-stimulated IL-6 (P ≤ 0.0001), but inhibited normal human gingival fibroblast IL-6 (P ≤ 0.01). Lack of toxicity of low NDM concentrations, and its inhibition of NF-κB and MMP-3, suggest that cranberry components may regulate AgP fibroblast inflammatory responses. Distinct effects of NDM on AgP and gingival fibroblast production of IL-6 (which can have both positive and negative effects on bone metabolism) may reflect phenotypic differences in IL-6 regulation in the two cell types. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Romero-Alvarez, Daniel; Reyes, Jorge; Quezada, Viviana; Satán, Carolina; Cevallos, Nelson; Barrera, Sofía; Trueba, Gabriel; Escobar, Luis E; Villacís, José E
2017-12-01
To describe a clinical case of Klebsiella pneumoniae harboring a New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) plasmid in Ecuador and to present a map of reports of NDM isolates in South America. The modified Hodge test, carbapenem inactivation method, imipenem-EDTA disk method (synergy), and Rapidec Carba NP test were used to identify antibiotic resistance mechanisms. The presence of resistance genes was explored with a conjugation assay, and molecular confirmation of NDM was performed by PCR and DNA sequencing. Plasmid characterization was conducted by PCR-based replicon typing. A literature review was performed in Google Scholar and PubMed to identify reports from South America. An HIV-infected patient, who had never traveled abroad, developed a bloodstream infection caused by K. pneumoniae ST147 harboring the NDM-1 resistance gene in a plasmid from the IncA/C group. Local circulation of NDM has also been described in other South American countries, in particular in Colombia and Brazil, although published scientific records were not found for other countries. This report presents the first evidence of autochthonous circulation of the NDM-1 resistance gene harbored by an IncA/C plasmid isolated from a K. pneumoniae ST147 in Ecuador. Efforts should be implemented to monitor and characterize the spatial and temporal distribution of NDM in Ecuador and other countries of South America. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Massone, Sara; Ciarlo, Eleonora; Vella, Serena; Nizzari, Mario; Florio, Tullio; Russo, Claudio; Cancedda, Ranieri; Pagano, Aldo
2012-07-01
Neuroblastoma Differentiation Marker 29 (NDM29) is a RNA polymerase (pol) III-transcribed non-coding (nc) RNA whose synthesis drives neuroblastoma (NB) cell differentiation to a nonmalignant neuron-like phenotype. Since in this process a complex pattern of molecular changes is associated to plasma membrane protein repertoire we hypothesized that the expression of NDM29 might influence also key players of neurodegenerative pathways. In this work we show that the NDM29-dependent cell maturation induces amyloid precursor protein (APP) synthesis, leading to the increase of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) secretion and the concomitant increment of Aβ x-42/Aβ x-40 ratio. We also demonstrate that the expression of NDM29 RNA, and the consequent increase of Aβ formation, can be promoted by inflammatory stimuli (and repressed by anti-inflammatory drugs). Moreover, NDM29 expression was detected in normal human brains although an abnormal increased synthesis of this ncRNA is induced in patients affected by neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the complex of events triggered by NDM29 expression induces a condition that favors the formation of Aβ peptides in the extracellular space, as it may occur in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In addition, these data unexpectedly show that a pol III-dependent small RNA can act as key regulator of brain physiology and/or pathology suggesting that a better knowledge of this portion of the human transcriptome might provide hints for neurodegeneration studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Emergence of blaNDM-7-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Gabon, 2016.
Moussounda, Mesmin; Diene, Seydina M; Dos Santos, Sandra; Goudeau, Alain; François, Patrice; van der Mee-Marquet, Nathalie
2017-02-01
Reports of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Africa remain rare and assess mostly bla OXA-48 -producing isolates from Mediterranean countries and South Africa. We identified bla NDM-7 -producing Enterobacteriaceae in Gabon in 2016. The isolates contained bla NDM-7 IncX3 plasmids that were unusual and similar to the one described in a colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae SZ04 isolate from China.
Summers, Ryan M; Louie, Tai Man; Yu, Chi Li; Subramanian, Mani
2011-02-01
N-Demethylation of many xenobiotics and naturally occurring purine alkaloids such as caffeine and theobromine is primarily catalysed in higher organisms, ranging from fungi to mammals, by the well-studied membrane-associated cytochrome P450s. In contrast, there is no well-characterized enzyme for N-demethylation of purine alkaloids from bacteria, despite several reports on their utilization as sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Here, we provide what we believe to be the first detailed characterization of a purified N-demethylase from Pseudomonas putida CBB5. The soluble N-demethylase holoenzyme is composed of two components, a reductase component with cytochrome c reductase activity (Ccr) and a two-subunit N-demethylase component (Ndm). Ndm, with a native molecular mass of 240 kDa, is composed of NdmA (40 kDa) and NdmB (35 kDa). Ccr transfers reducing equivalents from NAD(P)H to Ndm, which catalyses an oxygen-dependent N-demethylation of methylxanthines to xanthine, formaldehyde and water. Paraxanthine and 7-methylxanthine were determined to be the best substrates, with apparent K(m) and k(cat) values of 50.4±6.8 μM and 16.2±0.6 min(-1), and 63.8±7.5 μM and 94.8±3.0 min(-1), respectively. Ndm also displayed activity towards caffeine, theobromine, theophylline and 3-methylxanthine, all of which are growth substrates for this organism. Ndm was deduced to be a Rieske [2Fe-2S]-domain-containing non-haem iron oxygenase based on (i) its distinct absorption spectrum and (ii) significant identity of the N-terminal sequences of NdmA and NdmB with the gene product of an uncharacterized caffeine demethylase in P. putida IF-3 and a hypothetical protein in Janthinobacterium sp. Marseille, both predicted to be Rieske non-haem iron oxygenases.
Naim, Huma; Rizvi, Meher; Azam, Mohd; Gupta, Richa; Taneja, Neelam; Shukla, Indu; Khan, Haris M.
2017-01-01
INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) in general and blaNDM-1 in particular. It also aimed at evaluating clinical characteristics and outcome in patients infected with MBLs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 116 carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (CRGNB) were evaluated in the study. These CRGNB were tested for MBL production both phenotypically for MBLs and genotypically for blaNDM-1 gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Representative stains of NDM-1 isolates were further sequenced by Triyat Scientific Co., (Nagpur, India). RESULTS: Among 116 CRGNB Citrobacter species 28 (24.13%) was the most common pathogen. Phenotypically, MHT, imipenem-EDTA (IPM-EDTA) double-disk synergy test and IPM-EDTA combined disk synergy test (CDST) detected MBL production in 105 (90.51%), 96 (81.03%), and 87 (75%) CRGNB, respectively. However, blaNDM-1 genes were detected in 66 (56.89%) isolates. The prevalence of blaNDM-1 gene was highest among Escherichia coli 26 (100%). Considering PCR as gold standard, it was observed that IMP-EDTA CDST was most specific (78.38%) while MHT was most sensitive (97.47%). Results of blaNDM-1 gene by PCR were further confirmed by sequencing (Triyat genomics, Nagpur). All the 11 representative strains were confirmed to be an NDM-1 gene. The presence of MBLs in our group of patients (non-Intensive Care Unit patients) is a cause for concern. However, on tracing their outcome, it was interesting to note that while the duration of stay lengthened in a large number of patients 112 (96.5%), mortality was relatively low 5 (4.31%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide insight into the prevalence of MBLs, including blaNDM-1, in a tertiary care hospital. Antibiotic stewardship implemented in all seriousness may to a great extent stave off the impending pan-drug resistance. The surprising outcome of our patients suggests either that the bacteria trade off virulence for drug resistance or the relatively robust immune response of non ICU patients fights back. PMID:28706386
Datta, Saswati; Roy, Subhasree; Chatterjee, Somdatta; Saha, Anindya; Sen, Barsha; Pal, Titir; Som, Tapas; Basu, Sulagna
2014-01-01
Treatment of neonatal sepsis has become a challenge with the emergence of carbapenemase-producing bacteria. This study documents the trend of carbapenem susceptibility in Enterobacteriaceae that caused septicaemia in neonates over a five year period (2007–2011) and the molecular characterisation of Enterobacteriaceae resistant to carbapenems and cephalosporins. Hundred and five Enterobacteriaceae including Escherichia coli (n = 27), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 68) and Enterobacter spp. (n = 10) were isolated from blood of septicaemic neonates followed by antibiotic susceptibility tests, determination of MIC values, phenotypic and genotypic detection of β-lactamases. Carbapenem was the most active antimicrobial tested after tigecycline. CTX-M type was the most prevalent ESBL throughout the period (82%). New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1), which is a recent addition to the carbapenemase list, was the only carbapenemase identified in our setting. Fourteen percent of the isolates possessed bla NDM-1. Carbapenem non-susceptibility was first observed in 2007 and it was due to loss of Omp F/Ompk36 in combination with the presence of ESBLs/AmpCs. NDM-1 first emerged in E. coli during 2008; later in 2010, the resistance was detected in K. pneumoniae and E. cloacae isolates. NDM-1-producing isolates were resistant to other broad-spectrum antibiotics and possessed ESBLs, AmpCs, 16S-rRNA methylases, AAC(6′)-Ib-cr, bleomycin resistant gene and class 1 integron. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis of the NDM-1-producing isolates indicated that the isolates were clonally diverse. The study also showed that there was a significantly higher incidence of sepsis caused by NDM-1-harbouring isolates in the male sex, in neonates with low birth weight and neonates born at an extramural centre. However, sepsis with NDM-1-harbouring isolates did not result in a higher mortality rate. The study is the first to review the carbapenem resistance patterns in neonatal sepsis over an extended period of time. The study highlights the persistence of ESBLs (CTX-Ms) and the emergence of NDM-1 in Enterobacteriaceae in the unit. PMID:25406074
Liu, Bao-Tao; Song, Feng-Jing; Zou, Ming; Hao, Zhi-Hui; Shan, Hu
2017-02-01
We report the presence of mcr-1 in Escherichia coli and carbapenem-resistant Cronobacter sakazakii from the same diseased chicken. The mcr-1 gene linked with ISApl1 was located on two different IncI2 plasmids, including one multidrug plasmid in E. coli, whereas fosA3-bla NDM-9 was on an IncB/O plasmid in C. sakazakii The development of the fosA3-bla NDM-9 resistance region was mediated by IS26 The colocation of mcr-1 or bla NDM-9 with other resistance genes will accelerate the dissemination of the two genes. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.
Campos, Juliana Coutinho; da Silva, Maria José Félix; dos Santos, Paulo Roberto Nascimento; Barros, Elaine Menezes; Pereira, Mayne de Oliveira; Seco, Bruna Mara Silva; Magagnin, Cibele Massotti; Leiroz, Leonardo Kalab; de Oliveira, Théo Gremen Mimary; de Faria-Júnior, Célio; Cerdeira, Louise Teixeira; Barth, Afonso Luís; Sampaio, Suely Carlos Ferreira; Zavascki, Alexandre Prehn; Poirel, Laurent; Sampaio, Jorge Luiz Mello
2015-12-01
In Enterobacteriaceae, the blaNDM genes have been found in many different genetic contexts, and a wide diversity of plasmid scaffolds bearing those genes has been found. In August 2013, we identified NDM-1-producing Escherichia coli and Enterobacter hormaechei strains from a single rectal swab sample from a patient hospitalized in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who had no history of travel abroad. Complete DNA sequencing using the Illumina platform and annotation of the two plasmids harboring the blaNDM-1 gene, one from each strain, showed that they belonged to incompatibility groups IncFIIK and IncX3 and harbored a novel transposon named Tn3000. Similar genetic structures have been identified among other isolates in Brazil but also on plasmids from other continents. Our findings suggest that the blaNDM-1 gene may be transmitted by Tn3000 in different parts of the world. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Emergence of blaNDM-7–Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Gabon, 2016
Moussounda, Mesmin; Diene, Seydina M.; Dos Santos, Sandra; Goudeau, Alain; van der Mee-Marquet, Nathalie
2017-01-01
Reports of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Africa remain rare and assess mostly blaOXA-48–producing isolates from Mediterranean countries and South Africa. We identified blaNDM-7–producing Enterobacteriaceae in Gabon in 2016. The isolates contained blaNDM-7 IncX3 plasmids that were unusual and similar to the one described in a colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae SZ04 isolate from China. PMID:28098536
Vella, Serena; Penna, Ilaria; Longo, Luca; Pioggia, Giulia; Garbati, Patrizia; Florio, Tullio; Rossi, Fabio; Pagano, Aldo
2015-01-01
High Risk Neuroblastoma (HR-NB) is a pediatric cancer characterized by high malignancy and remarkable cell heterogeneity within the tumour nodules. In a recent study, we demonstrated that in vitro and in vivo over-expression of the non-coding RNA NDM29 (neuroblastoma differentiation marker 29) induces NB cell differentiation, dramatically reducing their malignancy. Among gene expression changes, differentiated phenotype induced by NDM29 is characterized by decrease of the expression of ABC transporters responsible for anticancer drug resistance. Thus, the pharmacological induction of NDM29, in principle, might represent a possible novel strategy to increase cytotoxic drug responses. In this work, we identify a small molecule able to induce the expression of NDM29 in NB cells, conferring to malignant cells increased susceptibility to cisplatin cytotoxic effects. We demonstrate that the pharmacological induction of NDM29 expression in vivo enhances the antitumoral effects of chemotherapy specifically on tumour initiating/cancer stem cells sub-population, usually refractory to therapies and responsible for tumour relapse. In summary, we suggest a novel therapeutical approach possibly useful to treat very aggressive NB cases with poor prognosis. This novel pharmacological strategy aims to promote differentiation of “stem-like” cells to render them more susceptible to the killing action of cytotoxic anticancer drugs. PMID:26674674
Vella, Serena; Penna, Ilaria; Longo, Luca; Pioggia, Giulia; Garbati, Patrizia; Florio, Tullio; Rossi, Fabio; Pagano, Aldo
2015-12-17
High Risk Neuroblastoma (HR-NB) is a pediatric cancer characterized by high malignancy and remarkable cell heterogeneity within the tumour nodules. In a recent study, we demonstrated that in vitro and in vivo over-expression of the non-coding RNA NDM29 (neuroblastoma differentiation marker 29) induces NB cell differentiation, dramatically reducing their malignancy. Among gene expression changes, differentiated phenotype induced by NDM29 is characterized by decrease of the expression of ABC transporters responsible for anticancer drug resistance. Thus, the pharmacological induction of NDM29, in principle, might represent a possible novel strategy to increase cytotoxic drug responses. In this work, we identify a small molecule able to induce the expression of NDM29 in NB cells, conferring to malignant cells increased susceptibility to cisplatin cytotoxic effects. We demonstrate that the pharmacological induction of NDM29 expression in vivo enhances the antitumoral effects of chemotherapy specifically on tumour initiating/cancer stem cells sub-population, usually refractory to therapies and responsible for tumour relapse. In summary, we suggest a novel therapeutical approach possibly useful to treat very aggressive NB cases with poor prognosis. This novel pharmacological strategy aims to promote differentiation of "stem-like" cells to render them more susceptible to the killing action of cytotoxic anticancer drugs.
Abidin, Nor Zanariah Zainol; Sulong, Anita; Alfizah, Hanafiah; Ding, Chuan Hun; Muttaqillah, Najihan Abdul Samat; Rahman, Md Mostafizur
2015-01-01
The New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) enzyme is a plasmid-encoded enzyme that inactivates carbapenem antibiotics. This study aims to ascertain if the modified Hodge test (MHT) has a role in screening for NDM-1 in Enterobacteriaceae with reduced carbapenem susceptibility. Over a period of one year, all Enterobacteriaceae isolates from all clinical specimens with reduced susceptibility to at least one carbapenem were subjected to MHT and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of the NDM-1 gene. A total of 13,098 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were screened and 63 (0.48%) had reduced susceptibility to at least one carbapenem. Out of the 63 isolates, 45 (71.4%) were MHT-positive. The NDM-1 gene was detected in 18 of the 63 isolates (28.6%). All 18 PCR-positive isolates were also MHT-positive. Thus, the sensitivity and specificity of the MHT in detecting NDM-1 in Enterobacteriaceae with reduced carbapenem susceptibility are 100% and 40%, respectively. The MHT is a useful test to screen for the presence of NDM-1 in Enterobacteriaceae with reduced carbapenem susceptibility. However, due to its rather low specificity, all MHT-positive isolates should be subjected to alternative tests (e.g. PCR) for confirmation, especially if other types of carbapenemases (e.g. KPC) are prevalent.
Duque, Cristiane; João, Mariana Ferreira Dib; Camargo, Gabriela Alessandra da Cruz Galhardo; Teixeira, Gláucia Schuindt; Machado, Thamiris Santana; Azevedo, Rebeca de Souza; Mariano, Flávia Sammartino; Colombo, Natália Helena; Vizoto, Natália Leal; Mattos-Graner, Renata de Oliveira
2017-01-01
The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of periodontal pathogens, systemic inflammatory mediators and lipid profiles in type 1 diabetes children (DM) with those observed in children without diabetes (NDM), both with gingivitis. Twenty-four DM children and twenty-seven NDM controls were evaluated. The periodontal status, glycemic and lipid profiles were determined for both groups. Subgingival samples of periodontal sites were collected to determine the prevalence of periodontal microorganisms by PCR. Blood samples were collected for IL-1-β, TNF-α and IL-6 analysis using ELISA kits. Periodontal conditions of DM and NDM patients were similar, without statistical differences in periodontal indices. When considering patients with gingivitis, all lipid parameters evaluated were highest in the DM group; Capnocytophaga sputigena and Capnocytophaga ochracea were more prevalent in the periodontal sites of DM children. "Red complex" bacteria were detected in few sites of DM and NDM groups. Fusobacterium nucleatum and Campylobacter rectus were frequently found in both groups. Similar levels of IL-1-β, TNF-α and IL-6 were detected in DM and NDM children. Clinical and immunological profiles are similar between DM and NDM children. The presence of Capnocytophaga sputigena and Capnocytophaga ochracea were associated with gingivitis in DM children.
DUQUE, Cristiane; JOÃO, Mariana Ferreira Dib; CAMARGO, Gabriela Alessandra da Cruz Galhardo; TEIXEIRA, Gláucia Schuindt; MACHADO, Thamiris Santana; AZEVEDO, Rebeca de Souza; MARIANO, Flávia Sammartino; COLOMBO, Natália Helena; VIZOTO, Natália Leal; MATTOS-GRANER, Renata de Oliveira
2017-01-01
Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of periodontal pathogens, systemic inflammatory mediators and lipid profiles in type 1 diabetes children (DM) with those observed in children without diabetes (NDM), both with gingivitis. Material and methods Twenty-four DM children and twenty-seven NDM controls were evaluated. The periodontal status, glycemic and lipid profiles were determined for both groups. Subgingival samples of periodontal sites were collected to determine the prevalence of periodontal microorganisms by PCR. Blood samples were collected for IL-1-β, TNF-α and IL-6 analysis using ELISA kits. Results Periodontal conditions of DM and NDM patients were similar, without statistical differences in periodontal indices. When considering patients with gingivitis, all lipid parameters evaluated were highest in the DM group; Capnocytophaga sputigena and Capnocytophaga ochracea were more prevalent in the periodontal sites of DM children. “Red complex” bacteria were detected in few sites of DM and NDM groups. Fusobacterium nucleatum and Campylobacter rectus were frequently found in both groups. Similar levels of IL-1-β, TNF-α and IL-6 were detected in DM and NDM children. Conclusion Clinical and immunological profiles are similar between DM and NDM children. The presence of Capnocytophaga sputigena and Capnocytophaga ochracea were associated with gingivitis in DM children. PMID:28403363
Antibiotic sensitivity pattern in blaNDM-1-positive and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae
Mulla, Summaiya; Charan, Jaykaran; Rajdev, Sangita
2016-01-01
Background: Some studies published in recent time revealed that many bacteria from Enterobacteriaceae group are multi-antibiotic-resistant because of the production enzymes carbapenemase particularly New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase encoded by gene called blaNDM-1. Looking at public health importance of this issue there is a need for studies at other centers to confirm or refute published findings. Objectives: This study was designed with the aim of exploring antibiotic resistance in Enterobacteriaceae group of bacteria and also to explore gene and enzyme responsible for it. Materials and Methods: Samples of Enterobacteriaceae were collected from wards and outpatient departments. Antibiotic sensitivity was checked by an automated system (VITEK 2 COMPACT). Carbapenemase production was assessed by Modified Hodge Test. Presence of blaNDM-1 was assessed by polymerase chain reaction. Statistics: Frequency and percentage were used to describe the data. Frequency of sensitivity was compared between carbapenemase producers and noncarbapenemase producers by Fisher's exact test. Results: Forty-seven percent bacteria were found to be producing carbapenemase enzyme. These bacteria were significantly less sensitive to cefoperazone, cefepime, and amikacin. Among carbapenemase-producing organisms, 3% and 6% were resistant to tigecycline and colistin, respectively. Forty percent bacteria were found to be having blaNDM-1 gene. There was a significant difference between blaNDM-1-positive and blaNDM-1-negative for sensitivity toward cefoperazone + sulbactam, imipenem, meropenem, amikacin, tobramycine, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin. Conclusion: Presence of carbapenemase enzyme and blaNDM-1 gene is associated with high level of resistance in Enterobacteriaceae group of bacteria and only few antibiotics have good sensitivity for these organisms. PMID:26958516
Ranawaka, Ranthilaka R; Nagahawatte, Ajith; Gunasekara, Thusitha Aravinda; Weerakoon, Hema S; de Silva, S H Padmal
2016-08-01
Nondermatophyte mold (NDM) onychomycosis shows poor response to current topical, oral or device-related antifungal therapies. This study was aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of itraconazole and terbinafine pulse therapy on NDM onychomycosis. Mycologically proven subjects were treated with itraconazole 400 mg daily or terbinafine 500 mg daily for 7 days/month; two pulses for fingernails and three pulses for toenails(SLCTR/2013/013). One-hundred seventy-eight patients underwent mycological studies and 148 had positive fungal isolates. NDM were the prevailing fungi, 68.2%, followed by candida species 21.6%, and dermatophytes made up only 10.1%. Out of NDM Aspergillus spp (75.1%) predominated followed by 8.9% Fusarium spp and 4.95% Penicillium spp. The clinical cure at completion of pulse therapy was statistically significant 9.2% versus 2.0% (p < 0.05) in itraconazole group. But no statistically significant difference was detected between the two regimens at the end of 12 months; 65.1% versus 54.64%. Recurrences observed in both groups (6.5% vs. 4.1%) were not statistically significant. With itraconazole pulse 68.22% Aspergillus spp, 50.0% Fusarium spp and 84.6% Penicillium spp showed clinical cure, while terbinafine pulse cured 55.0% Aspergillus spp and 50.0% Fusarium spp. NDM was the prevailing fungi in onychomycosis in Sri Lanka. Both itraconazole and terbinafine were partially effective on NDM onychomycosis showing a clinical cure of 54-65%. Future research should focus on searching more effective antifungal for NDM onychomycosis.
Emergence of NDM-1 among carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Iraqi hospitals.
Hussein, Nadheema Hammood
2017-09-01
Carbapenems are the last drugs of choice apart from colistin against serious infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria. However, there are increasing number of reports indicating prevailing emergence of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing clinical isolates worldwide and among them New Delhi MBL (NDM) is the most prevalent one. This study reports NDM-1 for the first time among Klebsiella pneumoniae from hospitalized patients in Baghdad, Iraq. Fifty-five clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae resistant to carbapenem were investigated from burned wounds, sputum, and blood samples. The susceptibility to different antibiotics was tested by VITEK-2 system. All strains were multidrug-resistant and they showed nine different antimicrobial-resistant patterns (A-I) and the most effective antibiotic on these strains was levofloxacin (85.45%). The phenotypic detection of carbapenemases by MASTDISCS D70C revealed 29 (52.73%) strains were MBL-producing, out of 55 were carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae strains. The bla NDM-1 and other MBL genes were detected by conventional PCR and the result showed 37 (67.27%) strains positive for bla NDM-1 gene and only 5 (9.1%) strains harbored bla IMP gene, while all strains were negative for bla VIM , bla SIM , bla GIM , and bla SPM genes. Our results showed the coexistence of both bla NDM-1 and bla IMP genes in three strains of K. pneumoniae, while indicated widespread NDM-1 in Baghdad, Iraq. Hence, it is necessary to follow proper infection control practices and physicians should be aware of the patients with such risk factors.
Ho, Pak Leung; Lo, Wai U.; Yeung, Man Kiu; Lin, Chi Ho; Chow, Kin Hung; Ang, Irene; Tong, Amy Hin Yan; Bao, Jessie Yun-Juan; Lok, Si; Lo, Janice Yee Chi
2011-01-01
Background The emergence of plasmid-mediated carbapenemases, such as NDM-1 in Enterobacteriaceae is a major public health issue. Since they mediate resistance to virtually all β-lactam antibiotics and there is often co-resistance to other antibiotic classes, the therapeutic options for infections caused by these organisms are very limited. Methodology We characterized the first NDM-1 producing E. coli isolate recovered in Hong Kong. The plasmid encoding the metallo-β-lactamase gene was sequenced. Principal Findings The plasmid, pNDM-HK readily transferred to E. coli J53 at high frequencies. It belongs to the broad host range IncL/M incompatibility group and is 88803 bp in size. Sequence alignment showed that pNDM-HK has a 55 kb backbone which shared 97% homology with pEL60 originating from the plant pathogen, Erwina amylovora in Lebanon and a 28.9 kb variable region. The plasmid backbone includes the mucAB genes mediating ultraviolet light resistance. The 28.9 kb region has a composite transposon-like structure which includes intact or truncated genes associated with resistance to β-lactams (bla TEM-1, bla NDM-1, Δbla DHA-1), aminoglycosides (aacC2, armA), sulphonamides (sul1) and macrolides (mel, mph2). It also harbors the following mobile elements: IS26, ISCR1, tnpU, tnpAcp2, tnpD, ΔtnpATn1 and insL. Certain blocks within the 28.9 kb variable region had homology with the corresponding sequences in the widely disseminated plasmids, pCTX-M3, pMUR050 and pKP048 originating from bacteria in Poland in 1996, in Spain in 2002 and in China in 2006, respectively. Significance The genetic support of NDM-1 gene suggests that it has evolved through complex pathways. The association with broad host range plasmid and multiple mobile genetic elements explain its observed horizontal mobility in multiple bacterial taxa. PMID:21445317
O'Connor, C; Cormican, M; Boo, T W; McGrath, E; Slevin, B; O'Gorman, A; Commane, M; Mahony, S; O'Donovan, E; Powell, J; Monahan, R; Finnegan, C; Kiernan, M G; Coffey, J C; Power, L; O'Connell, N H; Dunne, C P
2016-12-01
Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) may cause healthcare-associated infections with high mortality rates. New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) is among the most recently discovered carbapenemases. To report the first outbreak of NDM-1 CPE in Ireland, including microbiological and epidemiological characteristics, and assessing the impact of infection prevention and control measures. This was a retrospective microbiological and epidemiological review. Cases were defined as patients with a CPE-positive culture. Contacts were designated as roommates or ward mates. This outbreak involved 10 patients with a median age of 71 years (range: 45-90), located in three separate but affiliated healthcare facilities. One patient was infected (the index case); the nine others were colonized. Nine NDM-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, an NDM-1-producing Escherichia coli and a K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Enterobacter cloacae were detected between week 24, 2014 and week 37, 2014. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated similarity. NDM-1-positive isolates were meropenem resistant with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 12 to 32 μg/mL. All were tigecycline susceptible (MICs ≤1 μg/mL). One isolate was colistin resistant (MIC 4.0 μg/mL; mcr-1 gene not detected). In 2015, four further NDM-1 isolates were detected. The successful management of this outbreak was achieved via the prompt implementation of enhanced infection prevention and control practices to prevent transmission. These patients did not have a history of travel outside of Ireland, but several had frequent hospitalizations in Ireland, raising concerns regarding the possibility of increasing but unrecognized prevalence of NDM-1 and potential decline in value of travel history as a marker of colonization risk. Copyright © 2016 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Retrieval of charge mobility from apparent charge packet movements in LDPE thin films
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Meng, Jia; Zhang, Yewen; Holé, Stéphane; Zheng, Feihu; An, Zhenlian
2017-03-01
The charge packet phenomenon observed in polyethylene materials has been reported extensively during the last decades. To explain its movement, Negative Differential Mobility (NDM) theory is a competitive model among several proposed mechanisms. However, as a key concept of this theory, a sufficiently acute relationship between charge mobility and electric field has never been reported until now, which makes it hard to precisely describe the migration of charge packets with this theory. Based on the substantial negative-charge packet observations with a sufficiently by wide electric field range from 15 kV/mm to 50 kV/mm, the present contribution successfully retrieved the negative-charge mobility from the apparent charge packet movements, which reveals a much closer relationship between the NDM theory and charge packet migrations. Back simulations of charge packets with the retrieved charge mobility offer a good agreement with the experimental data.
Toleman, Mark A; Bugert, Joachim J; Nizam, Syed A
2015-06-01
Carriage of the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase variant 1 (NDM-1) enables drug resistance to move between communities and hospitals. In Bangladesh, we found the blaNDM-1 gene in 62% of environmental waters and in fermentative and nonfermentative gram-negative bacteria. Escherichia coli sequence type (ST) 101 was most commonly found, reflecting a common global relationship between ST101 and NDM-1.
McGann, Patrick; Hang, Jun; Clifford, Robert J; Yang, Yu; Kwak, Yoon I; Kuschner, Robert A; Lesho, Emil P; Waterman, Paige E
2012-04-01
In response to global concerns over the spread of the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase gene 1, bla(NDM-1), a monthly surveillance program was initiated in September 2010. All carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative strains forwarded to our facility are screened for this gene. To date, 321 carbapenem-resistant isolates, encompassing 11 bacterial species, have been tested. In February 2011, two strains of Providencia stuartii, submitted from a military hospital in Afghanistan, tested positive for bla(NDM-1). Both strains were identical by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). bla(NDM-1) was carried on a large plasmid, pMR0211, which was sequenced by emulsion PCR and pyrosequencing. pMR0211 is 178,277 bp in size and belongs to incompatibility group A/C. The plasmid consists of a backbone with considerable homology to pAR060302 from Escherichia coli, and it retains many of the antibiotic resistance genes associated with it. The plasmid also shares common elements with the pNDM-HK plasmid, including bla(NDM-1), armA, and sul1. However, gene orientation is reversed, and a 3-kb fragment from this region is absent from pMR0211. pMR0211 also contains additional genes, including the aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme loci aadA and aac(6'), the quinolone resistance gene qnrA, a gene with highest homology to a U32 family peptidase from Shewanella amazonensis, and the bla(OXA-10) gene. The finding of this gene in an intrinsically colistin-resistant species such as Providencia stuartii is especially worrisome, as it renders the organism resistant to nearly every available antibiotic. The presence of multiple insertion sequences and transposons flanking the region containing the bla(NDM-1) gene further highlights the potential mobility associated with this gene.
Bisthiazolidines: A Substrate-Mimicking Scaffold as an Inhibitor of the NDM-1 Carbapenemase.
González, Mariano M; Kosmopoulou, Magda; Mojica, Maria F; Castillo, Valerie; Hinchliffe, Philip; Pettinati, Ilaria; Brem, Jürgen; Schofield, Christopher J; Mahler, Graciela; Bonomo, Robert A; Llarrull, Leticia I; Spencer, James; Vila, Alejandro J
2015-11-13
Pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria resistant to almost all β-lactam antibiotics are a major public health threat. Zn(II)-dependent or metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) produced by these bacteria inactivate most β-lactam antibiotics, including the carbapenems, which are "last line therapies" for life-threatening Gram-negative infections. NDM-1 is a carbapenemase belonging to the MBL family that is rapidly spreading worldwide. Regrettably, inhibitors of MBLs are not yet developed. Here we present the bisthiazolidine (BTZ) scaffold as a structure with some features of β-lactam substrates, which can be modified with metal-binding groups to target the MBL active site. Inspired by known interactions of MBLs with β-lactams, we designed four BTZs that behave as in vitro NDM-1 inhibitors with Ki values in the low micromolar range (from 7 ± 1 to 19 ± 3 μM). NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that they inhibit hydrolysis of imipenem in NDM-1-producing Escherichia coli. In vitro time kill cell-based assays against a variety of bacterial strains harboring blaNDM-1 including Acinetobacter baumannii show that the compounds restore the antibacterial activity of imipenem. A crystal structure of the most potent heterocycle (L-CS319) in complex with NDM-1 at 1.9 Å resolution identified both structural determinants for inhibitor binding and opportunities for further improvements in potency.
Ali, Abid; Azam, Mohd W; Khan, Asad U
2018-06-01
New Delhi metallo β-lactamase-1 is one of the carbapenemases, causing hydrolysis of almost all β-lactamase antibiotics. Seventeen different NDM variants have been reported so far, they varied in their sequences either by single or multiple amino acid substitutions. Hence, it is important to understand its structural and functional relation. In the earlier studies role of active site residues has been studied but non-active site residues has not studied in detail. Therefore, we have initiated to further comprehend its structure and function relation by mutating some of its non-active site residues. A laboratory mutant of NDM-1 was generated by PCR-based site-directed mutagenesis, replacing Q to A at 123 position. The MICs of imipenem and meropenem for NDM-1 Q123A were found increased by 2 fold as compare to wild type and so the hydrolytic activity was enhanced (Kcat/Km) as compared to NDM-1 wild type. GOLD fitness scores were also found in favour of kinetics data. Secondary structure for α-helical content was determined by Far-UV circular dichroism (CD), which showed significant conformational changes. We conclude a noteworthy role of non-active-site amino acid residues in the catalytic activity of NDM-1. This study also provides an insight of emergence of new variants through natural evolution. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase around the world: an eReview using Google Maps.
Berrazeg, M; Diene, Sm; Medjahed, L; Parola, P; Drissi, M; Raoult, D; Rolain, Jm
2014-05-22
Gram-negative carbapenem-resistant bacteria, in particular those producing New Delhi Metallo-betalactamase-1 (NDM-1), are a major global health problem. To inform the scientific and medical community in real time about worldwide dissemination of isolates of NDM-1-producing bacteria, we used the PubMed database to review all available publications from the first description in 2009 up to 31 December 2012, and created a regularly updated worldwide dissemination map using a web-based mapping application. We retrieved 33 reviews, and 136 case reports describing 950 isolates of NDM-1-producing bacteria. Klebsiella pneumoniae (n= 359) and Escherichia coli (n=268) were the most commonly reported bacteria producing NDM-1 enzyme. Several case reports of infections due to imported NDM-1 producing bacteria have been reported in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Oman. In most cases (132/153, 86.3%), patients had connections with the Indian subcontinent or Balkan countries. Those infected were originally from these areas, had either spent time and/or been hospitalised there, or were potentially linked to other patients who had been hospitalised in these regions. By using Google Maps, we were able to trace spread of NDM-1-producing bacteria. We strongly encourage epidemiologists to use these types of interactive tools for surveillance purposes and use the information to prevent the spread and outbreaks of such bacteria.
Dipicolinic Acid Derivatives as Inhibitors of New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase-1.
Chen, Allie Y; Thomas, Pei W; Stewart, Alesha C; Bergstrom, Alexander; Cheng, Zishuo; Miller, Callie; Bethel, Christopher R; Marshall, Steven H; Credille, Cy V; Riley, Christopher L; Page, Richard C; Bonomo, Robert A; Crowder, Michael W; Tierney, David L; Fast, Walter; Cohen, Seth M
2017-09-14
The efficacy of β-lactam antibiotics is threatened by the emergence and global spread of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) mediated resistance, specifically New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1). By utilization of fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD), a new class of inhibitors for NDM-1 and two related β-lactamases, IMP-1 and VIM-2, was identified. On the basis of 2,6-dipicolinic acid (DPA), several libraries were synthesized for structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis. Inhibitor 36 (IC 50 = 80 nM) was identified to be highly selective for MBLs when compared to other Zn(II) metalloenzymes. While DPA displayed a propensity to chelate metal ions from NDM-1, 36 formed a stable NDM-1:Zn(II):inhibitor ternary complex, as demonstrated by 1 H NMR, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, equilibrium dialysis, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence emission, and UV-vis spectroscopy. When coadministered with 36 (at concentrations nontoxic to mammalian cells), the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of imipenem against clinical isolates of Eschericia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae harboring NDM-1 were reduced to susceptible levels.
Gao, Kaifu; Zhao, Yunjie
2017-04-13
New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) is a novel β-lactamase enzyme that confers enteric bacteria with nearly complete resistance to all β-lactam antibiotics, so it raises a formidable and global threat to human health. However, the binding mechanism between apo-NDM-1 and antibiotics as well as related conformational changes remains poorly understood, which largely hinders the overcoming of its antibiotic resistance. In our study, long-time conventional molecular dynamics simulation and Markov state models were applied to reveal both the dynamical and conformational landscape of apo-NDM-1: the MD simulation demonstrates that loop L3, which is responsible for antibiotic binding, is the most flexible and undergoes dramatic conformational changes; moreover, the Markov state model built from the simulation maps four metastable states including open, semiopen, and closed conformations of loop L3 as well as frequent transitions between the states. Our findings propose a possible conformational selection model for the binding mechanism between apo-NDM-1 and antibiotics, which facilitates the design of novel inhibitors and antibiotics.
Occurrence of Enterobacter hormaechei carrying blaNDM-1 and blaKPC-2 in China.
Yang, Biwei; Feng, Yu; McNally, Alan; Zong, Zhiyong
2018-02-01
Three carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates of the Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) were recovered from different patients in a hospital. All 3 isolates carried 2 carbapenemase genes bla KPC-2 and bla NDM-1 . A study was performed to characterize their relatedness and to investigate possible links among the patients. Whole genome sequencing revealed that the isolates were Enterobacter hormaechei and belonged to ST177 of the ECC. There were 19-142 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between the isolates, suggesting that the isolates were likely from a central reservoir, which might have existed for some time. bla KPC-2 and bla NDM-1 were carried on 2 different IncF-type plasmids in the isolates. The 3 bla NDM-1 -carrying plasmids were almost identical and were self-transmissible, while the bla KPC-2 -carrying plasmids were only transmissible in the presence of the bla NDM-1 -carrying plasmid. The source of and direct links among them were not identified, suggesting a hospital transmission of a common multidrug resistant strain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Solgi, Hamid; Giske, Christian G; Badmasti, Farzad; Aghamohammad, Shadi; Havaei, Seyed Asghar; Sabeti, Shahram; Mostafavizadeh, Kamyar; Shahcheraghi, Fereshteh
2017-11-01
The emergence of carbapenem resistance among Escherichia coli is a serious threat to public health. The objective of this study was to investigate resistance genes and clonality of carbapenem resistant E. coli in Iran. Between February 2015 and July 2016, a total of 32 non-duplicate E. coli isolates that were ertapenem resistant or intermediate (R/I-ETP) were collected from patient clinical or surveillance cultures (rectal swabs) at two university hospitals. Resistance genes were identified by PCR and sequencing. Conjugation experiments, PCR-based replicon typing, PFGE and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed. PCR assays showed, among the 32 isolates, twenty-nine strains produced carbapenemase genes. The predominant carbapenemase was bla OXA-48 (82.8%), followed by bla NDM-1 (31%), bla NDM-7 (6.9%) and bla OXA-181 (3.4%). Seven of the bla NDM positive isolates co-harbored bla OXA-48 carbapenemases. The bla NDM and bla OXA-48 were found in IncA/C and IncL/M conjugative plasmids, respectively. The bla CTX-M-15 , qnrA and intI1 genes were also present in most isolates. The PFGE revealed genetic diversity among the 28 E. coli isolates, which belonged to six minor PFGE clusters and 14 isolates were singletons. The 26 isolates were distributed into 18 STs, of which two were dominant (ST648 and ST167). We identified one bla NDM-1 -positive ST131 E. coli isolates that harbor the bla CTX-M-15 and bla TEM genes. Horizontal transfer of IncA/C and IncL/M plasmids has likely facilitated the spread of the bla OXA-48 and bla NDM genes among E. coli. Their clonal diversity and the presence of faecal carriers in isolates suggest an endemic spread of OXA-48 and NDM. Therefore, it emphasizes the critical importance of monitoring and controlling the spread of carbapenem resistant E. coli. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Bocanegra-Ibarias, Paola; Garza-González, Elvira; Morfín-Otero, Rayo; Barrios, Humberto; Villarreal-Treviño, Licet; Rodríguez-Noriega, Eduardo; Garza-Ramos, Ulises; Petersen-Morfin, Santiago; Silva-Sanchez, Jesus
2017-01-01
To characterize the microbiological, molecular and epidemiological data of an outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in a tertiary-care hospital in Mexico. From September 2014 to July 2015, all CRE clinical isolates recovered during an outbreak in the Hospital Civil "Fray Antonio Alcalde" in Jalisco, Mexico were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility, carbapenemase production, carbapenemase-encoding genes, and plasmid profiles. Horizontal transfer of imipenem resistance; and clonal diversity by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST); as well as biofilm production and the presence of 14 virulence genes were analyzed in selected isolates. Fifty-two carbapenem-resistant isolates corresponding to 5 species were detected, i.e., Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 46), Enterobacter cloacae (n = 3), Escherichia coli (n = 1), Providencia rettgeri (n = 1) and Citrobacter freundii (n = 1) with carbapenemase encoding genes blaNDM-1 (n = 48), blaVIM (n = 3), blaIMP (n = 1) and blaKPC (n = 1) detected in these isolates. The blaNDM-1 gene was detected in plasmids from 130- to 170-kb in K. pneumoniae (n = 46); E. cloacae (n = 3), E. coli (n = 1) and P. rettgeri (n = 1). The transfer of plasmids harboring the blaNDM-1 gene was obtained in eight transconjugants. One plasmid restriction pattern was detected, with the blaNDM-1 identified in different restriction fragments. Predominant clone A of K. pneumoniae isolates archived 28/46 (60%) isolates and belongs to ST392. Besides, ST307, ST309, ST846, ST2399, and ST2400 were detected for K. pneumoniae; as well as E. cloacae ST182 and E. coli ST10. The fimA and uge genes were more likely to be identified in K. pneumoniae carbapenem-susceptible isolates (p = <0.001) and biofilm production was more liable to be observed in carbapenem-resistant isolates (p = <0.05). Four Enterobacteriaceae species harboring the blaNDM-1 gene were detected in a nosocomial outbreak in Mexico; horizontal transfer and strain transmission were demonstrated for the blaNDM-1 gene. Given the variation in the size of the plasmid harboring blaNDM-1, complex rearrangements must also be occurring.
Pasteran, Fernando; Gonzalez, Lisandro J.; Albornoz, Ezequiel; Bahr, Guillermo; Vila, Alejandro J.
2015-01-01
Accurate detection of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacilli is of utmost importance for the control of nosocomial spread and the initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. The modified Hodge test (MHT), a carbapenem inactivation assay, has shown poor sensitivity in detecting the worldwide spread of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM). Recent studies demonstrated that NDM is a lipoprotein anchored to the outer membrane in Gram-negative bacteria, unlike all other known carbapenemases. Here we report that membrane anchoring of β-lactamases precludes detection of carbapenemase activity by the MHT. We also show that this limitation can be overcome by the addition of Triton X-100 during the test, which allows detection of NDM. We propose an improved version of the assay, called the Triton Hodge test (THT), which allows detection of membrane-bound carbapenemases with the addition of this nonionic surfactant. This test was challenged with a panel of 185 clinical isolates (145 carrying known carbapenemase-encoding genes and 40 carbapenemase nonproducers). The THT displayed test sensitivity of >90% against NDM-producing clinical isolates, while improving performance against other carbapenemases. Ertapenem provided the highest sensitivity (97 to 100%, depending on the type of carbapenemase), followed by meropenem (92.5 to 100%). Test specificity was not affected by the addition of Triton (87.5% and 92.5% with ertapenem and meropenem, respectively). This simple inexpensive test confers a large improvement to the sensitivity of the MHT for the detection of NDM and other carbapenemases. PMID:26719442
Di, Doris Y W; Jang, Jeonghwan; Unno, Tatsuya; Hur, Hor-Gil
2017-04-01
To examine the presence of pathogenic bacteria carrying New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase in the environment and to characterize the genome structures of these strains. Phenotypic screening of antimicrobial susceptibility and WGS were conducted on three Klebsiella variicola strains possessing NDM-9 isolated from an urban river. Three carbapenem-resistant K. variicola isolated from Gwangju tributary were found to possess bla NDM-9 genes. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing indicated resistance of these strains to aminoglycosides, carbapenems, cephems, folate pathway inhibitors, fosfomycin and penicillins, but susceptibility to fluoroquinolones, phenicols, tetracyclines and miscellaneous agents. WGS revealed that the 108 kb IncFII(Y)-like plasmids carry bla NDM-9 sandwiched between IS 15 for the GJ1 strain, IS 26 for the GJ2 strain, IS 15D1 for the GJ3 strain and IS Vsa3 , and further bracketed by IS 26 and Tn AS3 along with the mercury resistance operon upstream and the class 1 integron composed of gene cassettes of aadA2 , dfrA12 and sul1 downstream. An aph(3')-Ia gene conferring resistance to aminoglycosides is located after the integrons. Chromosomally encoded bla LEN-13 , fosA , aqxA and oqxB genes, as well as plasmid-mediated bla TEM-1B and bla CTX-M-65 encoding ESBL, ant(3')-Ia and mph (A) genes, were also identified. The findings of the present study provide us with the information that NDM-9 has been spreading into the environment. Dissemination of NDM-9 in the environment has raised a health risk alarm as this variant of NDM carries MDR genes with highly transferable mobile genetic elements, increasing the possibility of resistance gene transfer among microorganisms in the environment. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Sonnevend, Ágnes; Ghazawi, Akela; Hashmey, Rayhan; Haidermota, Aliasgher; Girgis, Safinaz; Alfaresi, Mubarak; Omar, Mohammed; Paterson, David L.; Zowawi, Hosam M.
2017-01-01
ABSTRACT The emergence of pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains is an increasing concern. In the present study, we describe a cluster of 9 pan-resistant K. pneumoniae sequence type 147 (ST147) isolates encountered in 4 patients over nearly 1 year in 3 hospitals of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The isolates exhibited highly similar genotypes. All produced chromosomally encoded OXA-181, and the majority also produced the NDM-5 carbapenemase. As with the previously described single isolate from the UAE, MS6671, the mgrB was disrupted by a functional, ISEcp1-driven blaOXA-181 insertion causing resistance to carbapenems. The mutation was successfully complemented with an intact mgrB gene, indicating that it was responsible for colistin resistance. blaNDM-5 was located within a resistance island of an approximately 100-kb IncFII plasmid carrying ermB, mph(A), blaTEM-1B, rmtB, blaNDM-5, sul1, aadA2, and dfrA12 resistance genes. Sequencing this plasmid (pABC143-NDM) revealed that its backbone was nearly identical to that of plasmid pMS6671E from which several resistance genes, including blaNDM-5, had been deleted. More extensive similarities of the backbone and the resistance island were found between pABC143C-NDM and the blaNDM-5-carrying IncFII plasmids of two K. pneumoniae ST147 isolates from South Korea, one of which was colistin resistant, and both also produced OXA-181. Notably, one of these strains was isolated from a patient transferred from the UAE. Our data show that this pan-resistant clone has an alarming capacity to maintain itself over an extended period of time and is even likely to be transmitted internationally. PMID:28438945
Sonnevend, Ágnes; Ghazawi, Akela; Hashmey, Rayhan; Haidermota, Aliasgher; Girgis, Safinaz; Alfaresi, Mubarak; Omar, Mohammed; Paterson, David L; Zowawi, Hosam M; Pál, Tibor
2017-07-01
The emergence of pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains is an increasing concern. In the present study, we describe a cluster of 9 pan-resistant K. pneumoniae sequence type 147 (ST147) isolates encountered in 4 patients over nearly 1 year in 3 hospitals of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The isolates exhibited highly similar genotypes. All produced chromosomally encoded OXA-181, and the majority also produced the NDM-5 carbapenemase. As with the previously described single isolate from the UAE, MS6671, the mgrB was disrupted by a functional, IS Ecp1 -driven bla OXA-181 insertion causing resistance to carbapenems. The mutation was successfully complemented with an intact mgrB gene, indicating that it was responsible for colistin resistance. bla NDM-5 was located within a resistance island of an approximately 100-kb IncFII plasmid carrying ermB , mph (A), bla TEM-1B , rmtB , bla NDM-5 , sul1 , aadA2 , and dfrA12 resistance genes. Sequencing this plasmid (pABC143-NDM) revealed that its backbone was nearly identical to that of plasmid pMS6671E from which several resistance genes, including bla NDM-5 , had been deleted. More extensive similarities of the backbone and the resistance island were found between pABC143C-NDM and the bla NDM-5 -carrying IncFII plasmids of two K. pneumoniae ST147 isolates from South Korea, one of which was colistin resistant, and both also produced OXA-181. Notably, one of these strains was isolated from a patient transferred from the UAE. Our data show that this pan-resistant clone has an alarming capacity to maintain itself over an extended period of time and is even likely to be transmitted internationally. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.
Mataseje, L F; Boyd, D A; Lefebvre, B; Bryce, E; Embree, J; Gravel, D; Katz, K; Kibsey, P; Kuhn, M; Langley, J; Mitchell, R; Roscoe, D; Simor, A; Taylor, G; Thomas, E; Turgeon, N; Mulvey, M R
2014-03-01
Emergence of plasmids harbouring bla(NDM-1) is a major public health concern due to their association with multidrug resistance and their potential mobility. PCR was used to detect bla(NDM-1) from clinical isolates of Providencia rettgeri (PR) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP). Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined using Vitek 2. The complete DNA sequence of two bla(NDM-1) plasmids (pPrY2001 and pKp11-42) was obtained using a 454-Genome Sequencer FLX. Contig assembly and gap closures were confirmed by PCR-based sequencing. Comparative analysis was done using BLASTn and BLASTp algorithms. Both clinical isolates were resistant to all β-lactams, carbapenems, aminoglycosides, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and susceptible to tigecycline. Plasmid pPrY2001 (113 295 bp) was isolated from PR. It did not show significant homology to any known plasmid backbone and contained a truncated repA and novel repB. Two bla(NDM-1)-harbouring plasmids from Acinetobacter lwoffii (JQ001791 and JQ060896) shared 100% similarity to a 15 kb region that contained bla(NDM-1). pPrY2001 also contained a type II toxin/antitoxin system. pKp11-42 (146 695 bp) was isolated from KP. It contained multiple repA genes. The plasmid backbone had the highest homology to the IncFIIk plasmid type (51% coverage, 100% nucleotide identity). The bla(NDM-1) region was unique in that it was flanked upstream by IS3000 and downstream by a novel transposon designated Tn6229. pKp11-42 also contained a number of mutagenesis and plasmid stability proteins. pPrY2001 differed from all known plasmids due to its novel backbone and repB. pKp11-42 was similar to IncFIIk plasmids and contained a number of genes that aid in plasmid persistence.
Yang, Wenli; Wei, Huiqin; Sang, Yanmei
2013-01-01
The ATP-sensitive K+ channel controls insulin secretion from the islet. Mutations in KCNJ11 can cause permanent and transient neonatal diabetes. To date, more than 30 KCNJ11 mutations have been revealed as related to the onset of neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM), most of which are responsive to glibenclamide treatment. In the present study, we sequenced the KCNJ11 gene in a Chinese girl diagnosed with NDM and in her parents. An in-frame 15-bp KCNJ11 deletion was identified in the patient, whereas no KCNJ11 deletions were found in her parents, indicating that this deletion was de novo. The patient was responsive to the treatment of glibenclamide. Ten months of follow-up showed that, besides permanent NDM, the motor and intelligence development of the girl was normal and she suffered no onset of convulsions. The result, to some degree, improved our knowledge on NDM.
Pasteran, Fernando; Gonzalez, Lisandro J; Albornoz, Ezequiel; Bahr, Guillermo; Vila, Alejandro J; Corso, Alejandra
2016-03-01
Accurate detection of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacilli is of utmost importance for the control of nosocomial spread and the initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. The modified Hodge test (MHT), a carbapenem inactivation assay, has shown poor sensitivity in detecting the worldwide spread of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM). Recent studies demonstrated that NDM is a lipoprotein anchored to the outer membrane in Gram-negative bacteria, unlike all other known carbapenemases. Here we report that membrane anchoring of β-lactamases precludes detection of carbapenemase activity by the MHT. We also show that this limitation can be overcome by the addition of Triton X-100 during the test, which allows detection of NDM. We propose an improved version of the assay, called the Triton Hodge test (THT), which allows detection of membrane-bound carbapenemases with the addition of this nonionic surfactant. This test was challenged with a panel of 185 clinical isolates (145 carrying known carbapenemase-encoding genes and 40 carbapenemase nonproducers). The THT displayed test sensitivity of >90% against NDM-producing clinical isolates, while improving performance against other carbapenemases. Ertapenem provided the highest sensitivity (97 to 100%, depending on the type of carbapenemase), followed by meropenem (92.5 to 100%). Test specificity was not affected by the addition of Triton (87.5% and 92.5% with ertapenem and meropenem, respectively). This simple inexpensive test confers a large improvement to the sensitivity of the MHT for the detection of NDM and other carbapenemases. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Kim, Sang Eun; Park, Hye-Jin; Jeong, Hye Kyoung; Kim, Mi-Jung; Kim, Minyeong; Bae, Ok-Nam; Baek, Seung-Hoon
2015-07-31
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas are an extremely aggressive and devastating type of cancer with high mortality. Given the dense stroma and poor vascularization, accessibility to nutrients is limited in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we aimed to elucidate the role of autophagy in promoting the survival of human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells exposed to nutrient-deprived media (NDM) lacking glucose, amino acids, and serum. NDM inhibited Akt activity and phosphorylation of p70 S6K, and induced AMPK activation and mitochondrial depolarization. NDM also time-dependently increased LC3-II accumulation, number of GFP-LC3 puncta, and colocalization between GFP-LC3 and lysosomes. These results suggested that autophagy was progressively activated through Akt- and AMPK-mTOR pathway in nutrient-deficient PANC-1 cells. Autophagy inhibitors (chloroquine and wortmannin) or silencing of Atg5 augmented PANC-1 cell death in NDM. In cells exposed to NDM, chloroquine and wortmannin induced apoptosis and Z-VAD-fmk inhibited cytotoxicity of these inhibitors. These data demonstrate that autophagy is anti-apoptotic and sustains the survival of PANC-1 cells following extreme nutrient deprivation. Autophagy modulation may be a viable therapeutic option for cancer cells located in the core of solid tumors with a nutrient-deficient microenvironment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Gajamer, Varsha Rani; Bhattacharjee, Amitabha; Paul, Deepjyoti; Deshamukhya, Chandrayee; Singh, Ashish Kr; Pradhan, Nilu; Tiwari, Hare Krishna
2018-05-15
Carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli are of major clinical concern. The present study aimed to identify NDM-5 producing E.coli associated with community-acquired urinary tract infection, co-harboring ESBL genes and a pattern of imipenem MIC creep. A total of 973 urine samples were collected from females of age between 18-49 diagnosed with UTI. Isolates were identified by standard microbiological procedures. Presence of bla NDM and ESBL genes was determined by PCR assay and sequencing.PCR based replicon typing was performed. Plasmid stability of all bla producers and their transformants study were analyzed by serial passages and MIC creep phenomenon was analysed by studying revertants. Among 34 bla NDM-5 positive E.coli isolates, 21 isolates co harbored bla CTX-M-15 , followed by multiple combinations of genes. The study revealed diverse types of plasmids type viz; HI1, I1, FIA+FIB, FIA and Y. The strains showed progressive plasmid loss after 31 passages.Twenty-eight isolates mostly had MIC value of 0.5μg/ml and 1μg/ml against imipenem, ertapenem and meropenem. However, on studying the MIC creep activity; the MIC was found elevated from 0.5ug/ml to 64μg/ml and from 1μg/ml to 128μg/ml. While analyzing the revertants, MIC of most of the NDM positive isolates was reduced to 16μg/ml after the 30th serial passages. This study observed a unique phenotype of NDM producers which is not been reported earlier. In the current study, the observed phenomenon poses a global threat as these pathogens may evade phenotypic screening by routine laboratories. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Mantilla-Calderon, David; Jumat, Muhammad Raihan; Wang, Tiannyu; Ganesan, Pugalenthi; Al-Jassim, Nada
2016-01-01
The emergence of resistance to last-resort antibiotics is a public health concern of global scale. Besides direct person-to-person propagation, environmental pathways might contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we describe the incidence of blaNDM-1, a gene conferring resistance to carbapenems, in the wastewater of the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, over a 1-year period. blaNDM-1 was detected at concentrations ranging from 104 to 105 copies/m3 of untreated wastewater during the entire monitoring period. These results indicate the ubiquity and high incidence of blaNDM-1 in the local wastewater. To track the bacteria carrying blaNDM-1, we isolated Escherichia coli PI7, a strain of sequence type 101 (ST101), from wastewater around the Hajj event in October 2013. Genome sequencing of this strain revealed an extensive repertoire of ARGs as well as virulence and invasive traits. These traits were further confirmed by antibiotic resistance profiling and in vitro cell internalization in HeLa cell cultures. Given that this strain remains viable even after a certain duration in the sewerage, and that Jeddah lacks a robust sanitary infrastructure to fully capture all generated sewage, the presence of this bacterium in the untreated wastewater represents a potential hazard to the local public health. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a blaNDM-1-positive E. coli strain isolated from a nonnosocomial environment in Saudi Arabia and may set a priority concern for the need to establish improved surveillance for carbapenem-resistant E. coli in the country and nearby regions. PMID:27324770
The emergence of pan-resistant Gram-negative pathogens merits a rapid global political response.
Walsh, Timothy R; Toleman, Mark A
2012-01-01
Recent media coverage of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1) put antibiotic resistance back on the political map if only for the wrong reasons, mainly the reaction to the naming of NDM-1 and the incorrect assumption that medical tourism was being deliberately targeted. However, work on NDM-1 has most certainly highlighted the rapid dissemination of new antibiotic resistance mechanisms via economic globalization. The example of NDM-1 has also magnified the desperate need for a publicly funded global antibiotic surveillance system rather than just national or regional systems. Furthermore, there is a pressing need to establish a global task force to enforce international transparency and accountability on antibiotic stewardship and the implementation of measures to curb antibiotic resistance. An international antibiotic stewardship index should be established that is related to each country's gross domestic product (GDP) and assesses how much of their GDP is committed to publically funded health initiatives aimed at controlling antibiotic resistance.
Genomic Epidemiology of Global Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacter spp., 2008-2014.
Peirano, Gisele; Matsumura, Yasufumi; Adams, Mark D; Bradford, Patricia; Motyl, Mary; Chen, Liang; Kreiswirth, Barry N; Pitout, Johann D D
2018-06-01
We performed whole-genome sequencing on 170 clinical carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter spp. isolates collected globally during 2008-2014. The most common carbapenemase was VIM, followed by New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM), Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, oxacillin 48, and IMP. The isolates were of predominantly 2 species (E. xiangfangensis and E. hormaechei subsp. steigerwaltii) and 4 global clones (sequence type [ST] 114, ST93, ST90, and ST78) with different clades within ST114 and ST90. Particular genetic structures surrounding carbapenemase genes were circulating locally in various institutions within the same or between different STs in Greece, Guatemala, Italy, Spain, Serbia, and Vietnam. We found a common NDM genetic structure (NDM-GE-U.S.), previously described on pNDM-U.S. from Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC BAA-214, in 14 different clones obtained from 6 countries spanning 4 continents. Our study highlights the importance of surveillance programs using whole-genome sequencing in providing insight into the molecular epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter spp.
Lustgarten, Michael S; Fielding, Roger A
2017-12-15
Reduced skeletal muscle density in older adults is associated with insulin resistance, decreased physical function, and an increased all-cause mortality risk. To elucidate mechanisms that may underlie the maintenance of skeletal muscle density, we conducted a secondary analysis of previously published muscle composition and serum metabolomic data in 73 older adults (average age, 78y). Multivariable-adjusted linear regression was used to examine associations between 321 metabolites with muscle composition, defined as the ratio between normal density (NDM) with low density (LDM) thigh muscle cross sectional area (NDM/LDM). Sixty metabolites were significantly (p≤0.05 and q<0.30) associated with NDM/LDM. Decreased renal function and the immune response have been previously linked with reduced muscle density, but the mechanisms underlying these connections are less clear. Metabolites that were significantly associated with muscle composition were then tested for their association with circulating markers of renal function (blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid), and with the immune response (neutrophils/lymphocytes) and activation (kynurenine/tryptophan). 43 significant NDM/LDM metabolites (including urea) were co-associated with at least 1 marker of renal function; 23 of these metabolites have been previously identified as uremic solutes. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was significantly associated with NDM/LDM (β±SE: -0.3±0.1, p=0.01, q=0.04). 35 significant NDM/LDM metabolites were co-associated with immune activation. Carbamylation (defined as homocitrulline/lysine) was identified as a pathway that may link renal function and immune activation with muscle composition, as 29 significant NDM/LDM metabolites were co-associated with homocitrulline/lysine, with at least 2 markers of renal function, and with kynurenine/tryptophan. When considering that elevated urea and uremic metabolites have been linked with an increased systemic microbial burden, that antimicrobial defense can be reduced in the presence of carbamylation, and that adipocytes can promote host defense, we propose the novel hypothesis that the age-related increase in adipogenesis within muscle may be a compensatory antimicrobial response to protect against an elevated microbial burden. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
[Onychocola canadensis Sigler in onychomycosis : A new dermatophyte-like mould in Germany].
Nenoff, P; Schorlemmer, B; Uhrlaß, S; Baunacke, A; Baunacke, A; Friedrichs, C; Iffländer, J; Syhre, E; Schneider, A; Krüger, C; Maier, T
2016-09-01
Moulds or non-dermatophyte moulds (NDM) are being increasingly isolated as causative agent of onychomycoses. Known causes of a NDM-OM are Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Fusarium, Aspergillus, Acremonium, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, Arthrographis kalrae, and Chaetomium. In this article, 5 patients with suspected nail infection due to Onychocola canadensis are reported for the first time in Germany. Systemic antifungal agents are not considered to be effective in NDM onychomycosis. In individual cases, however, terbinafine seems to be effective in Onychocola canadensis infection of the nails. Treatment of choice represents, however, nontraumatic nail avulsion using 40 % urea ointment followed by antifungal nail lacquer with ciclopirox olamine or amorolfine.
Rafei, Rayane; Dabboussi, Fouad; Hamze, Monzer; Eveillard, Matthieu; Lemarié, Carole; Mallat, Hassan; Rolain, Jean-Marc; Joly-Guillou, Marie-Laure; Kempf, Marie
2014-04-01
The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has been observed worldwide. We describe the first detection of A. baumannii carrying the blaNDM-1 gene in Lebanon, isolated from Syrian patients wounded during the civil war. Four carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains isolated in 2012 in the Tripoli Government Hospital, Lebanon, from civilians wounded during the Syrian war, were analysed. Susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion testing, and resistance to carbapenems was confirmed by Etest. The presence of blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-24-like, blaOXA-58-like, blaOXA-143-like, and blaNDM was investigated by PCR. Clonal relationships were studied by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and blaOXA-51 sequence-based typing. All isolates harboured the blaNDM-1 gene and were negative for other tested carbapenemases. They all belonged to the sequence type 85 and formed a single cluster by PFGE. Finally, blaOXA-51-like gene sequencing revealed the presence of the blaOXA-94 variant in all four isolates. These findings show that Syria constitutes a reservoir for NDM-1-producing bacteria. These results also highlight the need for effective measures to stop the threatening spread of such strains. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Companion animals are a source of zoonotic infections and especially important considering the potential of companion animals to harbor antibiotic resistant pathogens. In this study, blaNDM positive Escherichia coli from companion animals, humans, and the environment from Mansoura, Egypt were charac...
Household transmission of NDM-producing E. coli in New Zealand.
Blakiston, Matthew; Roberts, Sally A; Freeman, Joshua T; Heffernan, Helen
2017-03-24
This report describes the introduction of an extensively antibiotic-resistant carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli into a hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, by a patient who was a household contact of recent travellers to the Indian subcontinent. The carbapenemase was identified as New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) and reflects probable household transmission in the context of a recent upsurge in NDM-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolation in New Zealand. The observations in this report suggest that hospital screening practices to identify carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) colonised patients may need to be extended to include travellers to high-risk countries who were not hospitalised during their trip, and possibly also their close contacts.
78 FR 37234 - Notice of Invitation; Coal Exploration License Application NDM 105349, ND
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2013-06-20
...] Notice of Invitation; Coal Exploration License Application NDM 105349, ND AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Members of the public are invited to participate with BNI Coal Ltd. on a pro rata cost sharing basis in a program for the exploration of coal deposits owned by the...
Girlich, Delphine; Dortet, Laurent; Poirel, Laurent; Nordmann, Patrice
2015-01-01
To decipher the mechanisms and their associated genetic determinants responsible for β-lactam resistance in a Proteus mirabilis clinical isolate. The entire genetic structure surrounding the β-lactam resistance genes was characterized by PCR, gene walking and DNA sequencing. Genes encoding the carbapenemase NDM-1 and the ESBL VEB-6 were located in a 38.5 kb MDR structure, which itself was inserted into a new variant of the Proteus genomic island 1 (PGI1). This new PGI1-PmPEL variant of 64.4 kb was chromosomally located, as an external circular form in the P. mirabilis isolate, suggesting potential mobility. This is the first known description of the bla(NDM-1) gene in a genomic island structure, which might further enhance the spread of the bla(NDM-1) carbapenemase gene among enteric pathogens. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Chen, Jiao; Chen, Hui; Shi, Yun; Hu, Feng; Lao, Xingzhen; Gao, Xiangdong; Zheng, Heng; Yao, Wenbing
2013-01-01
New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) has attracted extensive attention for its high catalytic activities of hydrolyzing almost all β-lactam antibiotics. NDM-1 shows relatively higher similarity to subclass B1 metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs), but its residue at position 229 is identical to that of B2/B3 MβLs, which is a Tyr instead of a B1-MβL-conserved Trp. To elucidate the possible role of Y229 in the bioactivity of NDM-1, we performed mutagenesis study and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Although residue Y229 is spatially distant from the active site and not contacting directly with the substrate or zinc ions, the Y229W mutant was found to have higher kcat and Km values than those of wild-type NDM-1, resulting in 1 ∼ 7 fold increases in k(cat) /K(m) values against tested antibiotics. In addition, our MD simulations illustrated the enhanced flexibility of Loop 2 upon Y229W mutation, which could increase the kinetics of both substrate entrance (kon) and product egress (koff). The enhanced flexibility of Loop 2 might allow the enzyme to adjust the geometry of its active site to accommodate substrates with different structures, broadening its substrate spectrum. This study indicated the possible role of the residue at position 229 in the evolution of NDM-1.
Tipton, David A; Christian, James; Blumer, Adam
2016-08-01
Osteoarthritis (OA) in the TMJ is characterized by deterioration of articular cartilage and secondary inflammatory changes. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) stimulates IL-6, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in synovial fluid of TMJ with internal derangement and bony changes. The cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) contains polyphenolic compounds that inhibit production of pro-inflammatory molecules by gingival cells in response to several stimulators. This study examined effects of cranberry components on IL-1β-stimulated IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF production by human TMJ synovial fibroblast-like cells. Cranberry high molecular weight non-dialyzable material (NDM) was derived from cranberry juice. Human TMJ synovial fibroblast-like cells from joints with degenerative OA and an ankylosed TMJ without degeneration were incubated with IL-1β (0.001-1nM)±NDM (25-250μg/ml) (2h preincubation). Viability was assessed via activity of a mitochondrial enzyme. IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF in culture supernatants were measured by ELISA; NF-κB and AP-1 transcription factors were measured in nuclear extracts via binding to specific oligonucleotides. ANOVA and Scheffe's F procedure for post hoc comparisons. NDM did not affect cell viability but inhibited IL-1β stimulated IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF production in all cell lines (p<0.05). NDM partially reduced nuclear levels of NF-κB and AP-1 (p<0.04), depending upon cell line and time of exposure to IL-1β+NDM. Cranberry NDM inhibition of IL-1β-stimulated IL- 6, IL-8, and VEGF production by TMJ synovial fibroblast-like cells suggests that cranberry components may be useful as a host modulatory therapeutic agent to prevent or treat inflammatory arthropathies of the TMJ. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Yang, Qiu; Rui, Yongyu
2016-01-01
Nosocomial infections caused by Acinetobacter spp. resistant to carbapenems are increasingly reported worldwide. Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter (CRA) is becoming a serious concern with increasing patient morbidity, mortality, and lengths of hospital stay. Therefore, the rapid detection of CRA is essential for epidemiological surveillance. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been extensively used for the rapid identification of most pathogens. In this study, we have developed two multiplex real-time PCR assays to detect and differentiate A. baumannii and non-A. baumannii Acinetobacter spp, and common carbapenemase genes, including blaNDM, blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-40-like, blaOXA-51-like, and blaOXA-58-like. We demonstrate the potential utility of these assays for the direct detection of blaNDM-, blaOXA-23-like-, blaOXA-40-like-, blaOXA-51-like-, and blaOXA-58-like-positive CRA in clinical specimens. Primers were specifically designed, and two multiplex real-time PCR assays were developed: multiplex real-time PCR assay1 for the detection of Acinetobacter baumannii 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer sequence, the Acinetobacter recA gene, and class-B-metalloenzyme-encoding gene blaNDM; and multiplex real-time PCR assay2 to detect class-D-oxacillinase-encoding genes (blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-40-like, blaOXA-51-like,and blaOXA-58-like). The assays were performed on an ABI Prism 7500 FAST Real-Time PCR System. CRA isolates were used to compare the assays with conventional PCR and sequencing. Known amounts of CRA cells were added to sputum and fecal specimens and used to test the multiplex real-time PCR assays. The results for target and nontarget amplification showed that the multiplex real-time PCR assays were specific, the limit of detection for each target was 10 copies per 20 μL reaction volume, the assays were linear over six log dilutions of the target genes (r2 > 0.99), and the Ct values of the coefficients of variation for intra- and interassay reproducibility were less than 5%. The multiplex real-time PCR assays showed 100% concordance with conventional PCR when tested against 400 CRA isolates and their sensitivity for the target DNA in sputum and fecal specimens was 102 CFU/mL. Therefore, these novel multiplex real-time PCR assays allow the sensitive and specific characterization and differentiation of blaNDM-, blaOXA-23-like-, blaOXA-40-like-, blaOXA-51-like-, and blaOXA-58-like-positive CRA, making them potential tools for the direct detection of CRA in clinical specimens and the surveillance of nosocomial infections. PMID:27391234
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... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLMT922200-12-L13100000-FI0000-P; NDM95190... of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Per 30 U.S.C. 188(d), ABACO Energy LLC, Brent..., Panther Energy Company LLC, David Peterson, Rainbow Energy Marketing Corporation, Red Willow Great Plains...
An Alu-like RNA promotes cell differentiation and reduces malignancy of human neuroblastoma cells.
Castelnuovo, Manuele; Massone, Sara; Tasso, Roberta; Fiorino, Gloria; Gatti, Monica; Robello, Mauro; Gatta, Elena; Berger, Audrey; Strub, Katharina; Florio, Tullio; Dieci, Giorgio; Cancedda, Ranieri; Pagano, Aldo
2010-10-01
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric cancer characterized by remarkable cell heterogeneity within the tumor nodules. Here, we demonstrate that the synthesis of a pol III-transcribed noncoding (nc) RNA (NDM29) strongly restricts NB development by promoting cell differentiation, a drop of malignancy processes, and a dramatic reduction of the tumor initiating cell (TIC) fraction in the NB cell population. Notably, the overexpression of NDM29 also confers to malignant NB cells an unpredicted susceptibility to the effects of antiblastic drugs used in NB therapy. Altogether, these results suggest the induction of NDM29 expression as possible treatment to increase cancer cells vulnerability to therapeutics and the measure of its synthesis in NB explants as prognostic factor of this cancer type.
[Consumer involvement in the Disease Management Guideline for Asthma--a background report].
Senger, Sylvia; Lelgemann, Monika; Kopp, Ina
2006-01-01
In the past clinical guidelines were mainly developed by experts and in everyday clinical practice almost exclusively used by clinical experts, while issues that were relevant from the patients' (consumers') point of view tended to be neglected. But then, the majority of patient information has not been perceptibly connected to clinical guidelines. Connecting the development of clinical guidelines with the development of patient information publications would make good sense for both products, though. On the one hand, evidence-based treatment guidelines could be made available to the actual target group of the clinical care process--i.e. the patients or consumers--and on the other hand, patient experiences and competencies (social evidence) might inform the production of guidelines. Such a procedure demands the cooperation of clinical experts and patients. So far there are no generally accepted methods in Germany for the practical implementation of consumer involvement on both the organizational and content level with the aim of involving patients in the development process of guidelines as well as the production of the respective patient information versions. Such a methodology shall be established as part of the National Program for Disease Management Guidelines. For the first time in this program, patient involvement is being exercised within the scope of the National Disease Management Guideline for Asthma (NDM Asthma). Here, patients are involved in the NDM development process by providing the opportunity to comment on the consented guideline draft and to participate in the translation of the NDM Asthma into a patient version. The present paper is a background report describing the current state of work and indicating consequences for some future developments.
76 FR 46839 - Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of Terminated Oil and Gas Lease NDM 95192
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-08-03
... and royalties of $10 per acre and 16\\2/3\\ percent. The lessees paid the $500 administration fee for... River Royalty Corporation timely filed a petition for reinstatement of competitive oil and gas lease NDM... original terms and conditions of the lease; The increased rental of $10 per acre; The increased royalty of...
MARCHIORI, DEBORA; PAOLO ZANELLO, PIER
2017-01-01
Background/Aim: Breast cancer survivors in adjuvant therapy, frequently experience the estrogen deficiency with genitourinary symptoms mostly represented by recurrent bacterial cystitis. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine, D-mannose and Morinda citrifolia fruit extract (NDM), when associated to antibiotic therapy, in reducing the persistence of recurrent cystitis in this risk population. Patients and Methods: Sixty breast cancer survived women with recurrent cystitis were retrospectively examined. Group 1, comprised of 40 patients treated with antibiotic therapy associated with NDM lasting for six months, Group 2 comprised of 20 patients treated with antibiotics alone. Results: The use of NDM in combination with antibiotic therapy showed a significant reduction in positive urine cultures, compared to antibiotics alone. Subjects of Group 1 rather than those of Group 2, showed improvement in symptoms score of urgency, frequency, urge incontinence, recurrent cystitis, bladder and urethral pain. Conclusion: In breast cancer survived women affected by genitourinary discomfort, the combination of NDM and antibiotic therapy showed a greater efficacy in reducing urinary tract infections and urinary discomfort with respect to antibiotic use only. PMID:28882961
Marchiori, Debora; Zanello, Pier Paolo
2017-01-01
Breast cancer survivors in adjuvant therapy, frequently experience the estrogen deficiency with genitourinary symptoms mostly represented by recurrent bacterial cystitis. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine, D-mannose and Morinda citrifolia fruit extract (NDM), when associated to antibiotic therapy, in reducing the persistence of recurrent cystitis in this risk population. Sixty breast cancer survived women with recurrent cystitis were retrospectively examined. Group 1, comprised of 40 patients treated with antibiotic therapy associated with NDM lasting for six months, Group 2 comprised of 20 patients treated with antibiotics alone. The use of NDM in combination with antibiotic therapy showed a significant reduction in positive urine cultures, compared to antibiotics alone. Subjects of Group 1 rather than those of Group 2, showed improvement in symptoms score of urgency, frequency, urge incontinence, recurrent cystitis, bladder and urethral pain. In breast cancer survived women affected by genitourinary discomfort, the combination of NDM and antibiotic therapy showed a greater efficacy in reducing urinary tract infections and urinary discomfort with respect to antibiotic use only. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.
Enhancement of the performance of GaN IMPATT diodes by negative differential mobility
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Dai, Yang; Yang, Lin’an, E-mail: layang@xidian.edu.cn; Chen, Qing
2016-05-15
A theoretical analysis of high-efficiency punch-through operation GaN-based terahertz IMPATT diodes has been carried out in this paper. It is shown that the negative differential mobility (NDM) characteristics of GaN coupled with the space charge effect acting as a self-feedback system can markedly increase the drift velocity of injection carriers, and thereby enhance diode performance under appropriate external RF voltage. The behavior of traveling electrons in the transit zone is investigated in detail. It is found that the IMPATT diode with a punch-through structure operating in the NDM mode exhibits superior characteristics compared with the equivalent diode operating in themore » Si-like constant mobility mode. In particular, the NDM-mode diode can tolerate a larger RF voltage swing than that operating in constant mobility mode. Numerical simulation results reveal that the highest efficiency of 26.6% and maximum RF power of 2.29 W can be achieved for the NDM-mode diode at a frequency of 225 GHz. A highest efficiency of 19.0% and maximum RF power of 1.58 W are obtained for the diode with constant mobility.« less
Michael, M; Phebus, R K; Thippareddi, H; Subbiah, J; Birla, S L; Schmidt, K A
2014-12-01
Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella species have been associated with human illnesses from consumption of contaminated nonfat dry milk (NDM), a key ingredient in powdered infant formula and many other foods. Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella spp. can survive the spray-drying process if milk is contaminated after pasteurization, and the dried product can be contaminated from environmental sources. Compared with conventional heating, radio-frequency dielectric heating (RFDH) is a faster and more uniform process for heating low-moisture foods. The objective of this study was to design an RFDH process to achieve target destruction (log reductions) of C. sakazakii and Salmonella spp. The thermal destruction (decimal reduction time; D-value) of C. sakazakii and Salmonella spp. in NDM (high-heat, HH; and low-heat, LH) was determined at 75, 80, 85, or 90 °C using a thermal-death-time (TDT) disk method, and the z-values (the temperature increase required to obtain a decimal reduction of the D-value) were calculated. Time and temperature requirements to achieve specific destruction of the pathogens were calculated from the thermal destruction parameters, and the efficacy of the RFDH process was validated by heating NDM using RFDH to achieve the target temperatures and holding the product in a convection oven for the required period. Linear regression was used to determine the D-values and z-values. The D-values of C. sakazakii in HH- and LH-NDM were 24.86 and 23.0 min at 75 °C, 13.75 and 7.52 min at 80 °C, 8.0 and 6.03 min at 85 °C, and 5.57 and 5.37 min at 90 °C, respectively. The D-values of Salmonella spp. in HH- and LH-NDM were 23.02 and 24.94 min at 75 °C, 10.45 and 12.54 min at 80 °C, 8.63 and 8.68 min at 85 °C, and 5.82 and 4.55 min at 90 °C, respectively. The predicted and observed destruction of C. sakazakii and Salmonella spp. were in agreement, indicating that the behavior of the organisms was similar regardless of the heating system (conventional vs. RFDH). Radio-frequency dielectric heating can be used as a faster and more uniform heating method for NDM to achieve target temperatures for a postprocess lethality treatment of NDM before packaging. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae and Nonfermentative Bacteria, the Philippines, 2013-2016.
Velasco, John Mark; Valderama, Maria Theresa; Peacock, Trent; Warawadee, Nirdnoy; Nogrado, Kathyleen; Navarro, Fatima Claire; Chua, Domingo; Apichai, Srijan; Sirigade, Ruekit; Macareo, Louis R; Swierczewski, Brett
2017-09-01
During 2013-2016, we isolated bla NDM - and bla VIM -harboring Enterobacteriaceae and nonfermentative bacteria from patients in the Philippines. Of 130 carbapenem-resistant isolates tested, 45 were Carba NP-positive; 43 harbored bla NDM , and 2 harbored bla VIM . Multidrug-resistant microbial pathogen surveillance and antimicrobial drug stewardship are needed to prevent further spread of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase variants.
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-03-09
... terms for rentals and royalties of $10 per acre and 16\\2/3\\ percent. The lessee paid the $500 administration fee for the reinstatement of each lease and $163 cost for publishing this Notice. The lessee met... increased royalty of 16\\2/3\\ percent; and The $163 cost of publishing this Notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...
van Ditzhuijzen, Nienke S.; Kurata, Mie; van den Heuvel, Mieke; Sorop, Oana; van Duin, Richard W. B.; Krabbendam-Peters, Ilona; Ligthart, Jurgen; Witberg, Karen; Murawska, Magdalena; Bouma, Brett; Villiger, Martin; Garcia-Garcia, Hector M.; Serruys, Patrick W.; Zijlstra, Felix; van Soest, Gijs; Duncker, Dirk-Jan; Regar, Evelyn; van Beusekom, Heleen M. M.
2017-01-01
Background DM remains a risk factor for poor outcome after stent-implantation, but little is known if and how DM affects the vascular response to BVS. Aim The aim of our study was to examine coronary responses to bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) in swine with and without diabetes mellitus fed a ‘fast-food’ diet (FF-DM and FF-NDM, respectively) by sequential optical coherence tomography (OCT)-imaging and histology. Methods Fifteen male swine were evaluated. Eight received streptozotocin-injection to induce DM. After 9 months (M), 32 single BVS were implanted in epicardial arteries with a stent to artery (S/A)-ratio of 1.1:1 under quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and OCT guidance. Lumen, scaffold, neointimal coverage and composition were assessed by QCA, OCT and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) pre- and/or post-procedure, at 3M and 6M. Additionally, polarization-sensitive (PS)-OCT was performed in 7 swine at 6M. After sacrifice at 3M and 6M, histology and polymer degradation analysis were performed. Results Late lumen loss was high (~60%) within the first 3M after BVS-implantation (P<0.01 FF-DM vs. FF-NDM) and stabilized between 3M and 6M (<5% change in FF-DM, ~10% in FF-NDM; P>0.20). Neointimal coverage was highly heterogeneous in all swine (DM vs. NDM P>0.05), with focal lipid accumulation, irregular collagen distribution and neointimal calcification. Likewise, polymer mass loss was low (~2% at 3M, ~5% at 6M;P>0.20) and not associated with DM or inflammation. Conclusion Scaffold coverage showed signs of neo-atherosclerosis in all FF-DM and FF-NDM swine, scaffold polymer was preserved and the vascular response to BVS was not influenced by diabetes. PMID:28898243
van Ditzhuijzen, Nienke S; Kurata, Mie; van den Heuvel, Mieke; Sorop, Oana; van Duin, Richard W B; Krabbendam-Peters, Ilona; Ligthart, Jurgen; Witberg, Karen; Murawska, Magdalena; Bouma, Brett; Villiger, Martin; Garcia-Garcia, Hector M; Serruys, Patrick W; Zijlstra, Felix; van Soest, Gijs; Duncker, Dirk-Jan; Regar, Evelyn; van Beusekom, Heleen M M
2017-01-01
DM remains a risk factor for poor outcome after stent-implantation, but little is known if and how DM affects the vascular response to BVS. The aim of our study was to examine coronary responses to bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) in swine with and without diabetes mellitus fed a 'fast-food' diet (FF-DM and FF-NDM, respectively) by sequential optical coherence tomography (OCT)-imaging and histology. Fifteen male swine were evaluated. Eight received streptozotocin-injection to induce DM. After 9 months (M), 32 single BVS were implanted in epicardial arteries with a stent to artery (S/A)-ratio of 1.1:1 under quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and OCT guidance. Lumen, scaffold, neointimal coverage and composition were assessed by QCA, OCT and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) pre- and/or post-procedure, at 3M and 6M. Additionally, polarization-sensitive (PS)-OCT was performed in 7 swine at 6M. After sacrifice at 3M and 6M, histology and polymer degradation analysis were performed. Late lumen loss was high (~60%) within the first 3M after BVS-implantation (P<0.01 FF-DM vs. FF-NDM) and stabilized between 3M and 6M (<5% change in FF-DM, ~10% in FF-NDM; P>0.20). Neointimal coverage was highly heterogeneous in all swine (DM vs. NDM P>0.05), with focal lipid accumulation, irregular collagen distribution and neointimal calcification. Likewise, polymer mass loss was low (~2% at 3M, ~5% at 6M;P>0.20) and not associated with DM or inflammation. Scaffold coverage showed signs of neo-atherosclerosis in all FF-DM and FF-NDM swine, scaffold polymer was preserved and the vascular response to BVS was not influenced by diabetes.
Hosseinzadeh, Zahra; Sedigh Ebrahim-Saraie, Hadi; Sarvari, Jamal; Mardaneh, Jalal; Dehghani, Behzad; Rokni-Hosseini, Seyed Mohammad Hossein; Motamedifar, Mohammad
2018-06-01
One of the most important emerging carbapenem-resistant bacteria is Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae). The present study aimed to investigate the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of K. pneumoniae isolates and detection of carbapenemase producing K. pneumoniae obtained from Iranian hospitalized patients. This cross-sectional study was performed on 211 K. pneumoniae isolates which were recovered from different clinical specimens from 2014 to 2015. Modified Hodge test (MHT) and double disk synergy test (DDST) were done for detection of carbapenemase and metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) producing K. pneumoniae. The presence of antibiotic resistance determinants was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The results of antibiotic susceptibility showed that all isolates were resistant to ampicillin, and then mostly resistant to piperacillin and ceftazidime with 76.3% and 66.8%, respectively. On the other hand, the highest sensitivity was toward polymyxin B, followed by carbapenems. Of 29 carbapenem-resistant isolates, all were high-level imipenem-resistant isolates (Minimum inhibitory concentration ≥4), except 4 isolates. The results of MHT and DDST showed that 93.1% (27/29) of carbapenem-resistant isolates were carbapenemase and MBL producing isolates, respectively. The presence of bla NDM-1 and bla OXA-48-like genes was detected in 27 (10.9%) and 2 (0.9%) isolates, respectively. This is the first identification of bla NDM-1 and bla OXA-48-like in K. pneumoniae in Southwestern Iran and the highest reported prevalence of bla NDM in this bacterium from Iran. Since carbapenem-resistant isolates containing New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 (NDM-1) were almost resistant to all the tested antibiotics, the resistance due to this gene may be increased in the near future as a potential health threat. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.
Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae and Nonfermentative Bacteria, the Philippines, 2013–2016
Valderama, Maria Theresa; Peacock, Trent; Warawadee, Nirdnoy; Nogrado, Kathyleen; Navarro, Fatima Claire; Chua, Domingo; Apichai, Srijan; Sirigade, Ruekit; Macareo, Louis R.; Swierczewski, Brett
2017-01-01
During 2013–2016, we isolated blaNDM- and blaVIM-harboring Enterobacteriaceae and nonfermentative bacteria from patients in the Philippines. Of 130 carbapenem-resistant isolates tested, 45 were Carba NP–positive; 43 harbored blaNDM, and 2 harbored blaVIM. Multidrug-resistant microbial pathogen surveillance and antimicrobial drug stewardship are needed to prevent further spread of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase variants. PMID:28820383
Li, Xi; Sun, Long; Zhu, Yongze; Shen, Mengyuan; Tu, Yuexing
2018-04-14
The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli has become a serious challenge to manage in the clinic because of multidrug resistance. Here we report the draft genome sequence of NDM-3-producing E. coli strain NT1 isolated from a bloodstream infection in China. Whole genomic DNA of E. coli strain NT1 was extracted and was sequenced using an Illumina HiSeq™ X Ten platform. The generated sequence reads were assembled using CLC Genomics Workbench. The draft genome was annotated using Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology (RAST). Bioinformatics analysis was further performed. The genome size was calculated at 5,353 620bp, with 5297 protein-coding sequences and the presence of genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, β-lactams, quinolones, macrolides, phenicols, sulphonamides, tetracycline and trimethoprim. In addition, genes encoding virulence factors were also identified. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an E. coli strain producing NDM-3 isolated from a human bloodstream infection. The genome sequence will provide valuable information to understand antibiotic resistance mechanisms and pathogenic mechanisms in this strain. Close surveillance is urgently needed to monitor the spread of NDM-3-producing isolates. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Tamariz, Jesus; Llanos, Carlos; Seas, Carlos; Montenegro, Paola; Lagos, Jose; Fernandes, Miriam R; Cerdeira, Louise; Lincopan, Nilton
2018-03-29
We present here the draft genome sequence of the first New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1)-producing Escherichia coli strain, belonging to sequence type 155 (ST155), isolated in Peru. Assembly of this draft genome resulted in 5,061,184 bp, revealing a clinically significant resistome for β-lactams, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, phenicols, sulfonamides, trimethoprim, and fluoroquinolones. Copyright © 2018 Tamariz et al.
Sassi, Asma; Loucif, Lotfi; Gupta, Sushim Kumar; Dekhil, Mazouz; Chettibi, Houria
2014-01-01
Here, we report the first autochthonous cases of infections caused by blaNDM-5 New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli strains recovered from urine and blood specimens of three patients from Algeria between January 2012 and February 2013. The three isolates belong to sequence type 2659 and they coexpress blaCTX-M-15 with the blaTEM-1 and blaaadA2 genes. PMID:24982080
Negative differential mobility in interacting particle systems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chatterjee, Amit Kumar; Basu, Urna; Mohanty, P. K.
2018-05-01
Driven particles in the presence of crowded environment, obstacles, or kinetic constraints often exhibit negative differential mobility (NDM) due to their decreased dynamical activity. Based on the empirical studies of conserved lattice gas model, two species exclusion model and other interacting particle systems we propose a new mechanism for complex many-particle systems where slowing down of certain non-driven degrees of freedom by the external field can give rise to NDM. To prove that the slowing down of the non-driven degrees is indeed the underlying cause, we consider several driven diffusive systems including two species exclusion models, misanthrope process, and show from the exact steady state results that NDM indeed appears when some non-driven modes are slowed down deliberately. For clarity, we also provide a simple pedagogical example of two interacting random walkers on a ring which conforms to the proposed scenario.
First Case of NDM-1-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Annaba University Hospital, Algeria.
Abderrahim, Amel; Djahmi, Nassima; Pujol, Charlotte; Nedjai, Sabina; Bentakouk, Mohamed Cherif; Kirane-Gacemi, Djamila; Dekhil, Mazouz; Sotto, Albert; Lavigne, Jean-Philippe; Pantel, Alix
2017-10-01
The aim of this study was to characterize two carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates recovered from urine samples in a patient hospitalized at Annaba University hospital (Algeria) in 2014. Two K. pneumoniae isolates were studied because they proved resistant to almost all antibiotics tested with a high level resistance to ertapenem (minimum inhibitory concentration = 32 mg/L). The results of modified Hodge test and combined disk test (ROSCO Diagnostica, Taastrup, Denmark) were positive. The two isolates harbored the bla NDM-1 gene and one was also positive for bla CTX-M-15 . Screening of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance contents detected aac(6')-Ib-cr, aac(3')-II, qnrB2, and oqxAB in both isolates. Multilocus sequence typing demonstrated that the two isolates belonged to sequence type 147. However, repetitive sequence-based PCR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that they were not clonally related. The bla NDM-1 gene and all other resistant genes were contained on an IncR plasmid of c.a. 85 kb. This study comprises the first identification of NDM-1-producing K. pneumoniae in Algeria. We thus confirm the concerning worldwide dissemination of this carbapenemase that involves the emergence of the IncR plasmid and the success of the ST147 clonal complex harboring it.
Grulich-Henn, J; Wagner, V; Thon, A; Schober, E; Marg, W; Kapellen, T M; Haberland, H; Raile, K; Ellard, S; Flanagan, S E; Hattersley, A T; Holl, R W
2010-06-01
The aim of this study was to elucidate the entities and the frequency of neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) in a large representative database for paediatric diabetes patients in Germany and Austria. Based on the continuous diabetes data acquisition system for prospective surveillance (DPV), which includes 51,587 patients with onset of diabetes before the age of 18 years from 299 centres in Germany and Austria, we searched for patients with onset of diabetes mellitus in the first 6 months of life. Ninety patients were identified, comprising 0.17% of all paediatric cases in the DPV registry. This represented an incidence of approximately one case in 89,000 live births in Germany. A monogenic basis for NDM was established in 30 subjects (seven UPD6, 10 KCNJ11, seven ABCC8, two FOXP3, two PDX1, one INS, one EIF2AK3). Pancreatic hypoplasia or agenesis was reported in 10 patients and seven subjects were classified as having Type 1 diabetes by their centres. Transient neonatal diabetes (TNDM) accounted for approximately 10% of all cases with NDM. No aetiology was defined in 41 subjects, which may reflect incomplete genetic testing or novel genetic aetiologies. Based on a large database, we identified a higher rate of NDM in Germany than has been reported previously. Full molecular genetic testing should be performed in all patients diagnosed before 6 months of age.
Duan, Juan; Hu, Chuncai; Guo, Jiafan; Guo, Lianxian; Sun, Jia; Zhao, Zuguo
2018-02-28
The mechanism of substrate hydrolysis of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1) has been reported, but the process in which NDM-1 captures and transports the substrate into its active center remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the process of the substrate entry into the NDM-1 activity center through long unguided molecular dynamics simulations using meropenem as the substrate. A total of 550 individual simulations were performed, each of which for 200 ns, and 110 of them showed enzyme-substrate binding events. The results reveal three categories of relatively persistent and noteworthy enzyme-substrate binding configurations, which we call configurations A, B, and C. We performed binding free energy calculations of the enzyme-substrate complexes of different configurations using the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area method. The role of each residue of the active site in binding the substrate was investigated using energy decomposition analysis. The simulated trajectories provide a continuous atomic-level view of the entire binding process, revealing potentially valuable regions where the enzyme and the substrate interact persistently and five possible pathways of the substrate entering into the active center, which were validated using well-tempered metadynamics. These findings provide important insights into the binding mechanism of meropenem to NDM-1, which may provide new prospects for the design of novel metallo-β-lactamase inhibitors and enzyme-resistant antibiotics.
Liew, Siew Mun; Rajasekaram, Ganeswrei; Puthucheary, Savithri D; Chua, Kek Heng
2018-02-09
The increasing incidence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa along with the discovery of novel metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) is of concern. In this study, the isolation of Malaysian MBL-producing P. aeruginosa clinical strains was investigated. Fifty-three P. aeruginosa clinical strains were isolated from different patients in Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor Bahru, Malaysia in 2015. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was conducted. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of imipenem and meropenem were determined by Etest. The carbapenem-resistant strains were screened for MBL production by IMP-EDTA double disk synergy test (DDST), MBL imipenem/imipenem-inhibitor (IP/IPI) Etest and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genotyping was performed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis. Three (5.7%) clinical strains were identified as MBL producers. Multidrug resistance was observed in the three strains, and two were resistant to all the antimicrobials tested. Sequencing analysis confirmed the three strains to harbour carbapenemase genes: one with bla IMP-1 , one with bla VIM-2 and the other with bla NDM-1 genes. These multidrug resistant strains were identified as sequence type (ST) 235 and ST308. None of the bla IMP-1 and bla NDM-1 genes have been reported in Malaysian P. aeruginosa. The emergence of imipenemase 1 (IMP-1)- and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1)-producing P. aeruginosa in Malaysia maybe travel-associated. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Al-Zahrani, Ibrahim A; Alsiri, Bander A
2018-01-01
To identify the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and the most common types of cabapenemases among CRKP in the Southern (Asir) province hospitals, Saudi Arabia. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted between late April and September in 2015. A total of 54 Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) isolates with reduced sensitivity to carbapenems were obtained from various clinical specimens of the 2 largest hospitals in the Southern province. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of carbapenems were confirmed using E-test. Molecular detection of the most common carbapenemase genes (blaIMP, bla-carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinase [OXA-48], blaVIM, bla-New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamas [NDM], and blaKPC) was performed using multiplex-polymerase chain reaction. Results: The current study found that increasing age and intensive care unit admission were associated with CRKP isolation. The major type of carbapenemases was OXA-48 with 81.5% (n=44) and it seems to reach an endemic level. New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamas (NDM) was the second most frequent carbapenemase by 7.4% (n=4) of isolates while Verona integron-encoded metallo-ß-lactamase (VIM) was reported only in one isolate. Conclusion: Saudi Arabia receives large numbers of visitors and migrant workers from OXA-48 and NDM endemic countries such as Turkey, India, and Pakistan every year.
Sonnevend, Ágnes; Ghazawi, Akela A.; Hashmey, Rayhan; Jamal, Wafaa; Rotimi, Vincent O.; Shibl, Atef M.; Al-Jardani, Amina; Al-Abri, Seif S.; Tariq, Waheed U. Z.; Weber, Stefan; Pál, Tibor
2015-01-01
To establish the role of local transmission versus possible pathogen import due to previous foreign exposure in infections caused by carbapenem non-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae in the Arabian Peninsula, 200 independent isolates collected in 16 hospitals of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates were studied. All strains were multidrug resistant; 42.5% of them also qualified as extremely drug resistant. The frequency of various carbapenemases varied according to the participating countries, but in the collection, as a whole, bla NDM-1 was the most frequently encountered carbapenemase gene (46.5%) followed by bla OXA-48-like gene (32.5%). A comparatively high rate (8.9%) of multi-clonal strains carrying both bla NDM and bla OXA-48-like genes in the United Arab Emirates, representing the most resistant subgroup, was encountered. No KPC-expressing isolates were detected. Three major clones of bla NDM-1 carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae of ST152 (n = 22, Saudi Arabia), ST14 (n = 7, United Arab Emirates) and ST147 types (n = 9, Oman) were identified, the latter two clones carrying similar, but not identical HI1b incompatibility type plasmids of >170kb. While from 78.6% of the cases with documented foreign hospitalization bla NDM positive strains were isolated, these strains formed only 25.6% of all the isolates expressing this enzyme. In fact, 56.8% of the NDM, 75.7% of OXA-48-like and 90.9% of VIM positive strains were recovered from patients without documented foreign exposure, neither in the form of travel or prior hospitalization abroad, suggesting a high rate of autochthonous infections. This, considering the extensive links of these countries to the rest of the world, predicts that trends in the local epidemiology of carbapenem resistant strains may increasingly affect the spread of these pathogens on the global scale. These results call for improved surveillance of carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. PMID:26110660
Townell, Nicola; Nimmo, Graeme R.; George, Narelle M.; Robson, Jennifer; Vohra, Renu; Davis, Louise; Heney, Claire; Paterson, David L.
2015-01-01
The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has been increasing worldwide. blaIMP has been reported to be the predominant carbapenemase-encoding gene within Enterobacteriaceae in Australia. However, there are limited data currently available on CPE from Queensland, Australia. A total of 58 CPE isolates were isolated between July 2009 and March 2014 from Queensland hospitals. The clonality of isolates was determined by Diversilab repetitive sequence-based PCR. The isolates were investigated for the resistance mechanisms carbapenemase, extended-spectrum β-lactamase, and AmpC β-lactamase and for aminoglycoside resistance and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes by PCR. The plasmid types associated with carbapenemase-encoding genes were characterized. The majority of the CPE were Enterobacter cloacae (n = 29). The majority of Queensland CPE isolates were IMP producers and comprised 11 species (n = 48). Nine NDM-producing Enterobacteriaceae were identified. One NDM-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate coproduced OXA-48. One K. pneumoniae isolate was an OXA-181 producer. The incidence of IMP producers increased significantly in 2013. blaIMP-4 was found in all IMP-producing isolates. blaTEM, qnrB, and aacA4 were common among IMP-4 producers. The HI2 (67%) and L/M (21%) replicons were associated with blaIMP-4. All HI2 plasmids were of sequence type 1 (ST1). All but one of the NDM producers possessed blaCTX-M-15. The 16S rRNA methylase genes found among NDM producers were armA, rmtB, rmtC, and rmtF. The substantial increase in the prevalence of CPE in Queensland has been associated mainly with the emergence E. cloacae strains possessing HI2 plasmids carrying blaIMP-4 over the past 2 years. The importation of NDM producers and/or OXA-48-like producers in patients also contributed to the increased emergence of CPE. PMID:25918153
Hu, Ya; Liu, Lu; Zhang, Xiaoxia; Feng, Yu; Zong, Zhiyong
2017-01-01
We determined the in vitro susceptibility of four aminoglycosides, which are not of the 4,6-disubstituted deoxystreptamine (DOS) subclass against a collection of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). CRE clinical strains ( n = 134) were collected from multiple hospitals in China and carried bla NDM ( bla NDM-1 , bla NDM-5 or bla NDM-7 ; n = 66), bla KPC-2 ( n = 62) or bla IMP-4 ( n = 7; including one carrying bla NDM-1 and bla IMP-4 ). MICs of neomycin, paromomycin, streptomycin and apramycin as well as three 4,6-disubstituted DOS aminoglycosides (amikacin, gentamicin and tobramycin) were determined using the broth microdilution with breakpoints defined by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (for amikacin, gentamicin and tobramycin), US Food and Drug Administration (streptomycin), the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (apramycin) or la Société Française de Microbiologie (neomycin and paromomycin). Apramycin-resistant strains were subjected to whole genome sequencing using Illumina X10 platform. Among CRE strains, 65.7, 64.9, 79.1, and 95.5% were susceptible to neomycin (MIC 50 /MIC 90 , 8/256 μg/ml), paromomycin (4/>256 μg/ml), streptomycin (16/256 μg/ml) and apramycin (4/8 μg/ml), respectively, while only 55.2, 28.4, and 35.1% were susceptible to amikacin (32/>256 μg/ml), gentamicin (128/>256 μg/ml) and tobramycin (64/>256 μg/ml), respectively. Six CRE strains including five Escherichia coli of different sequence types and one Klebsiella pneumoniae were resistant to apramycin and the apramycin-resistant gene aac(3)-IVa was detected in all of these strains. In conclusion, neomycin, paromomycin, streptomycin and apramycin retain activity against most CRE strains. Although none of these non-4,6-disubstituted DOS aminoglycosides are suitable for intravenous use in human at present, these agents warrant further investigations to be used against CRE infections.
Sartor, Anna L.; Balkhy, Hanan H.; Walsh, Timothy R.; Al Johani, Sameera M.; AlJindan, Reem Y.; Alfaresi, Mubarak; Ibrahim, Emad; Al-Jardani, Amina; Al-Abri, Seif; Al Salman, Jameela; Dashti, Ali A.; Kutbi, Abdullah H.; Schlebusch, Sanmarié; Sidjabat, Hanna E.; Paterson, David L.
2014-01-01
The molecular epidemiology and mechanisms of resistance of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) were determined in hospitals in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Isolates were subjected to PCR-based detection of antibiotic-resistant genes and repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) assessments of clonality. Sixty-two isolates which screened positive for potential carbapenemase production were assessed, and 45 were found to produce carbapenemase. The most common carbapenemases were of the OXA-48 (35 isolates) and NDM (16 isolates) types; 6 isolates were found to coproduce the OXA-48 and NDM types. No KPC-type, VIM-type, or IMP-type producers were detected. Multiple clones were detected with seven clusters of clonally related Klebsiella pneumoniae. Awareness of CRE in GCC countries has important implications for controlling the spread of CRE in the Middle East and in hospitals accommodating patients transferred from the region. PMID:24637692
Li, Jia; Liu, Fei; Wang, Qi; Ge, Pupu; Woo, Patrick C. Y.; Yan, Jinghua; Zhao, Yanlin; Gao, George F.; Liu, Cui Hua; Liu, Changting
2014-01-01
The emergence and rapid spread of New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains has caused a great concern worldwide. To better understand the mechanisms underlying environmental adaptation of those highly drug-resistant K. pneumoniae strains, we took advantage of the China's Shenzhou 10 spacecraft mission to conduct comparative genomic and transcriptomic analysis of a NDM-1 K. pneumoniae strain (ATCC BAA-2146) being cultivated under different conditions. The samples were recovered from semisolid medium placed on the ground (D strain), in simulated space condition (M strain), or in Shenzhou 10 spacecraft (T strain) for analysis. Our data revealed multiple variations underlying pathogen adaptation into different environments in terms of changes in morphology, H2O2 tolerance and biofilm formation ability, genomic stability and regulation of metabolic pathways. Additionally, we found a few non-coding RNAs to be differentially regulated. The results are helpful for better understanding the adaptive mechanisms of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. PMID:25163721
Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli in Asia: epidemiology and management.
Sidjabat, Hanna E; Paterson, David L
2015-05-01
Escherichia coli has become multiresistant by way of production of a variety of β-lactamases. The prevalence of CTX-M-producing E. coli has reached 60-79% in certain parts of Asia. The acquisition of CTX-M plasmids by E. coli sequence type 131, a successful clone of E. coli, has caused further dissemination of CTX-M-producing E. coli. The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing E. coli, especially Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing E. coli has been increasing in Asia. K. pneumoniae carbapenemase and NDM have now been found in E. coli sequence type 131. The occurrence of NDM-producing E. coli is a major concern particularly in the Indian subcontinent, but now elsewhere in Asia as well. There are multiple reasons why antibiotic resistance in E. coli in Asia has reached such extreme levels. Approaches beyond antibiotic therapy, such as prevention of antibiotic resistance by antibiotic stewardship and protecting natural microbiome, are strategies to avoid further spread of antibiotic resistance.
[Neonatal diabetes mellitus and KCNJ11 gene mutation: report of a family case].
Orío Hernández, M; de la Serna Martínez, M; González Casado, I; Lapunzina, P; Gracia Bouthelier, R
2008-06-01
Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is characterized by hyperglycemia within the first month of life and insulin dependence for at least two weeks. There are two types of NDM, transient (TNDM) and permanent (PNDM), which are genetically different. We report the case of two brothers who developed hyperglycemia without ketosis on the 18th day and 2 h of life, respectively. Thyroid function tests, abdominal ultrasound and karyotype where normal and there were no pancreatic antibodies. The first one required insulin therapy for the first 92 days of life and the second for 5 months. The mother developed gestational diabetes during both pregnancies and she was later diagnosed diabetes mellitus (without antibodies). They were studied for mutations in KCNJ11 gene (principally related to the permanent form). The three of them showed the E229K mutation (frequently associated with the transient form). A genetic study is essential in NDM to achieve the most accurate prognosis possible.
Solanki, Rachana; Vanjari, Lavanya; Subramanian, Sreevidya; B, Aparna; E, Nagapriyanka; Lakshmi, Vemu
2014-12-01
Carbapenem resistant pathogens cause infections associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This study evaluates the use of Multiplex PCR for rapid detection of carbapenemase genes among carbapenem resistant Gram negative bacteria in comparison with the existing phenotypic methods like modified Hodge test (MHT), combined disc test (CDT) and automated methods. A total of 100 Carbapenem resistant clinical isolates, [Escherichia coli (25), Klebsiella pneumoniae (35) P. aeruginosa (18) and Acinetobacter baumannii (22)] were screened for the presence of carbapenemases (bla NDM-1, bla VIM , blaIMP and blaKPC genes) by phenotype methods such as the modified Hodge test (MHT) and combined disc test (CDT) and the molecular methods such as Multiplex PCR. Seventy of the 100 isolates were MHT positive while, 65 isolates were positive by CDT. All the CDT positive isolates with EDTA and APB were Metallo betalactamase (MBL) and K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) producers respectively. bla NDM-1 was present as a lone gene in 44 isolates. In 14 isolates bla NDM-1 gene was present with blaKPC gene, and in one isolate bla NDM-1 gene was present with blaVIM , gene. Only one E. coli isolate had a lone blaKPC gene. We didn't find bla IMP gene in any of the isolates. Neither of the genes could be detected in 35 isolates. Accurate detection of the genes related with carbapenemase production by Molecular methods like Multiplex PCR overcome the limitations of the phenotypic methods and Automated systems.
Lynch, Tarah; Chen, Liang; Peirano, Gisele; Gregson, Dan B; Church, Deirdre L; Conly, John; Kreiswirth, Barry N; Pitout, Johann D
2016-09-01
During 2013, ST278 Klebsiella pneumoniae with blaNDM-7 was isolated from the urine (KpN01) and rectum (KpN02) of a patient in Calgary, Canada. The same strain (KpN04) was subsequently isolated from another patient in the same unit. Interestingly, a carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae ST278 (KpN06) was obtained 1 month later from the blood of the second patient. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed that the loss of carbapenem-resistance in KpN06 was due to a 5-kb deletion on the blaNDM-7-harboring IncX3 plasmid. In addition, an IncFIB plasmid in KpN06 had a 27-kb deletion that removed genes encoding for heavy metal resistance. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the K. pneumoniae ST278 from patient 2 was likely a descendant of KpN02 and that KpN06 was a close progenitor of an environmental ST278. It is unclear whether KpN06 lost the blaNDM-7 gene in vivo. This study detailed the remarkable plasticity and speed of evolutionary changes in multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae, demonstrating the highly recombinant nature of this species. It also highlights the ability of NGS to clarify molecular microevolutionary events within antibiotic-resistant organisms. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.
Pfeifer, Yvonne; Trifonova, Angelina; Pietsch, Michael; Brunner, Magdalena; Todorova, Iva; Gergova, Ivanka; Wilharm, Gottfried; Werner, Guido; Savov, Encho
2017-04-01
We characterized 72 isolates with reduced susceptibility to carbapenems (50 Acinetobacter spp., 13 Proteus mirabilis, five Escherichia coli, one Morganella morganii, one Enterobacter cloacae, one Providencia rettgeri, and one Pseudomonas aeruginosa) from a hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria. Different β-lactamase genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Bacterial strain typing was performed by enzymatic macrorestriction and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing as well as multilocus sequence typing for selected isolates. The majority of Acinetobacter baumannii (46/50) and one Acinetobacter pittii isolate harbored carbapenemase genes bla OXA-23 or bla OXA-72 ; two A. baumannii contained both genes. PFGE typing of all A. baumannii showed the presence of nine different clones belonging to eight sequence types ST350, ST208, ST436, ST437, ST449, ST231, ST502, and ST579. Molecular characterization of the remaining isolates confirmed the presence of one NDM-1-producing E. coli-ST101 clone (five isolates) and one P. mirabilis clone (13 isolates) with VIM-1 and CMY-99. Furthermore, NDM-1 was identified in P. rettgeri and M. morganii and VIM-2 in the P. aeruginosa isolate. The permanent introduction of OXA-23/72 carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii clones into the hospital and the repeated occurrence of one VIM-1-producing P. mirabilis and one NDM-1-producing E. coli-ST101 clone over a period of more than 1 year is of concern and requires intensified investigations.
Henson, Sonal P; Boinett, Christine J; Ellington, Matthew J; Kagia, Ngure; Mwarumba, Salim; Nyongesa, Sammy; Mturi, Neema; Kariuki, Samuel; Scott, J Anthony G; Thomson, Nicholas R; Morpeth, Susan C
2017-10-01
Multidrug resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. Recent years have seen an explosion of resistance to extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and emergence of carbapenem resistance. Here, we examine 198 invasive K. pneumoniae isolates collected from over a decade in Kilifi County Hospital (KCH) in Kenya. We observe a significant increase in MDR K. pneumoniae isolates, particularly to third generation cephalosporins conferred by ESBLs. Using whole-genome sequences, we describe the population structure and the distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes within it. More than half of the isolates examined in this study were ESBL-positive, encoding CTX-M-15, SHV-2, SHV-12 and SHV-27, and 79% were MDR conferring resistance to at least three antimicrobial classes. Although no isolates in our dataset were found to be resistant to carbapenems we did find a plasmid with the genetic architecture of a known New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM)-carrying plasmid in 25 isolates. In the absence of carbapenem use in KCH and because of the instability of the NDM-1 gene in the plasmid, the NDM-1 gene has been lost in these isolates. Our data suggests that isolates that encode NDM-1 could be present in the population; should carbapenems be introduced as treatment in public hospitals in Kenya, resistance is likely to ensue rapidly. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.
Baran, Irmak; Aksu, Neriman
2016-04-06
Enterobacteriaceae are among the most common pathogens that are responsible for serious community-acquired, hospital-acquired, and health-care associated infections. The emergence and spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have become an increasing concern for healthcare services worldwide. Infections caused by these bacteria have been associated with significant morbidity and mortality and treatment options have been limited. The rapid and accurate detection of carbapenem resistance in these bacteria is important for infection control. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotypic and genotypic features of CRE strains isolated in a tertiary-level reference hospital in Turkey. A total of 181 CRE strains were included in the study. Antimicrobial susceptibility rates were tested using Vitek 2 system. Modified Hodge test (MHT) was performed using meropenem and ertapenem discs. Metallo-β-lactamase antimicrobial gradient test (E-test MBL strips) were used for evaluation of metallo-β-lactamase production. A multiplex PCR was used for detection of carbapenems resistance genes (IMP, VIM, KPC, NDM-1 and OXA-48). The OXA-48 gene was detected in 86 strains, NDM-1 gene in six strains, VIM gene in one strain. IMP and KPC genes were not identified. Three strains produced both OXA-48 and NDM-1 and one strain produced both OXA-48 and VIM. In two patients more than one genus of OXA-48 positive CREs was isolated. Ninety-two of the isolates were multidrug-resistant. One hundred and ten isolates were MHT with meropenem (MEM-MHT) positive and 109 isolates were MHT with ertapenem (ERT-MHT) positive. Nine of the isolates were positive with E-test MBL strips. The sensitivity of MEM-MHT and ERT-MHT for detection of OXA-48 was 70.9 and 70.6 %, respectively. MEM-MHT was found highly discriminative for OXA-48 Escherichia coli (p < 0.001). The sensitivity of E-test MBL for NDM-1 was 66.7 %. A statistically significant correlation was observed between OXA-48 gene and MHT positivity and between NDM-1, VIM gene and E-test MBL positivity (p < 0.001). OXA-48 gene is spreading rapidly to many different species of Enterobacteriaceae in the hospital environment. While OXA-48 is still the most common source of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae in our country, NDM-1 is increasingly being isolated from patients without a history of foreign contact.
Characterization of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from Tamil Nadu.
Nachimuthu, Ramesh; Subramani, Ramkumar; Maray, Suresh; Gothandam, K M; Sivamangala, Karthikeyan; Manohar, Prasanth; Bozdogan, Bülent
2016-10-01
Carbapenem resistance is disseminating worldwide among Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to identify carbapenem-resistance level and to determine the mechanism of carbapenem resistance among clinical isolates from two centres in Tamil Nadu. In the present study, a total of 93 Gram-negative isolates, which is found to be resistant to carbapenem by disk diffusion test in two centres, were included. All isolates are identified at species level by 16S rRNA sequencing. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of isolates for Meropenem were tested by agar dilution method. Presence of blaOXA, blaNDM, blaVIM, blaIMP and blaKPC genes was tested by PCR in all isolates. Amplicons were sequenced for confirmation of the genes. Among 93 isolates, 48 (%52) were Escherichia coli, 10 (%11) Klebsiella pneumoniae, nine (%10) Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Minimal inhibitory concentration results showed that of 93 suspected carbapenem-resistant isolates, 27 had meropenem MICs ≥ 2 μg/ml. The MIC range, MIC50 and MIC90 were < 0.06 to >128 μg/ml, 0.12 and 16 μg/ml, respectively. Fig. 1 . Among meropenem-resistant isolates, E. coli were the most common (9/48, 22%), followed by K. pneumoniae (7/9, 77%), P. aeruginosa (6/10, 60%), Acinetobacter baumannii (2/2, 100%), Enterobacter hormaechei (2/3, 67%) and one Providencia rettgeri (1/1, 100%). PCR results showed that 16 of 93 carried blaNDM, three oxa181, and one imp4. Among blaNDM carriers, nine were E. coli, four Klebsiella pneumoniae, two E. hormaechei and one P. rettgeri. Three K. pneumoniae were OXA-181 carriers. The only imp4 carrier was P. aeruginosa. A total of seven carbapenem-resistant isolates were negatives by PCR for the genes studied. All carbapenem-resistance gene-positive isolates had meropenem MICs >2 μg/ml. Our results confirm the dissemination of NDM and emergence of OXA-181 beta-lactamase among Gram-negative bacteria in South India. This study showed the emergence of NDM producer in clinical isolates of E. hormaechei and P. rettgeri in India.
Lerner, A; Solter, E; Rachi, E; Adler, A; Rechnitzer, H; Miron, D; Krupnick, L; Sela, S; Aga, E; Ziv, Y; Peretz, A; Labay, K; Rahav, G; Geffen, Y; Hussein, K; Eluk, O; Carmeli, Y; Schwaber, M J
2016-01-01
Since 2013, four hospitals in northern Israel have been providing care for Syrian nationals, primarily those wounded in the ongoing civil war. We analyzed carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) isolates obtained from these patients. Isolate identification was performed using the VITEK 2 system. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for the presence of bla KPC, bla NDM, and bla OXA-48. Susceptibility testing and genotyping were performed on selected isolates. During the study period, 595 Syrian patients were hospitalized, most of them young men. Thirty-two confirmed CPE isolates were grown from cultures taken from 30 patients. All but five isolates were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Nineteen isolates produced NDM and 13 produced OXA-48. Among a further 29 isolates tested, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) showed that ST278 and ST38 were the major sequence types among the NDM-producing K. pneumoniae and OXA-48-producing E. coli isolates, respectively. Most were resistant to all three carbapenems in use in Israel and to gentamicin, but susceptible to colistin and fosfomycin. The source for bacterial acquisition could not be determined; however, some patients admitted to different medical centers were found to carry the same sequence type. CPE containing bla NDM and bla OXA-48 were prevalent among Syrian wounded hospitalized patients in northern Israel. The finding of the same sequence type among patients at different medical centers implies a common, prehospital source for these patients. These findings have implications for public health throughout the region.
A Novel KCNJ11 Mutation Associated with Transient Neonatal Diabetes
Gole, Evangelia; Oikonomou, Stavroula; Ellard, Sian; De Franco, Elisa; Karavanaki, Kyriaki
2018-01-01
Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is a rare type of monogenic diabetes that presents in the first 6 months of life. Activating mutations in the KCNJ11 gene encoding for the Kir6.2 subunit of the ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP ) channel can lead to transient NDM (TNDM) or to permanent NDM (PNDM). A female infant presented on the 22nd day of life with severe hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis (glucose: 907mg/dL, blood gas pH: 6.84, HCO3: 6 mmol/L). She was initially managed with intravenous (IV) fluids and IV insulin. Ketoacidosis resolved within 48 hours and she was started on subcutaneous insulin injections with intermediate acting insulin NPH twice daily requiring initially 0.75-1.35 IU/kg/d. Pre-prandial C-peptide levels were 0.51 ng/mL (normal: 1.77-4.68). Insulin requirements were gradually reduced and insulin administration was discontinued at the age of 10 months with subsequent normal glucose and HbA1c levels. C-peptide levels normalized (pre-prandial: 1.6 ng/mL, postprandial: 2 ng/mL). Genetic analysis identified a novel missense mutation (p.Pro254Gln) in the KCNJ11 gene. We report a novel KCNJ11 mutation in a patient who presented in the first month of life with a phenotype of NDM that subsided at the age of 10 months. It is likely that the novel p.P254Q mutation results in mild impairment of the KATP channel function leading to TNDM. PMID:28943514
Zowawi, Hosam M; Sartor, Anna L; Balkhy, Hanan H; Walsh, Timothy R; Al Johani, Sameera M; AlJindan, Reem Y; Alfaresi, Mubarak; Ibrahim, Emad; Al-Jardani, Amina; Al-Abri, Seif; Al Salman, Jameela; Dashti, Ali A; Kutbi, Abdullah H; Schlebusch, Sanmarié; Sidjabat, Hanna E; Paterson, David L
2014-06-01
The molecular epidemiology and mechanisms of resistance of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) were determined in hospitals in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Isolates were subjected to PCR-based detection of antibiotic-resistant genes and repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) assessments of clonality. Sixty-two isolates which screened positive for potential carbapenemase production were assessed, and 45 were found to produce carbapenemase. The most common carbapenemases were of the OXA-48 (35 isolates) and NDM (16 isolates) types; 6 isolates were found to coproduce the OXA-48 and NDM types. No KPC-type, VIM-type, or IMP-type producers were detected. Multiple clones were detected with seven clusters of clonally related Klebsiella pneumoniae. Awareness of CRE in GCC countries has important implications for controlling the spread of CRE in the Middle East and in hospitals accommodating patients transferred from the region. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Nieves-Rivera, Francisco; González-Pijem, Lilliam
2011-06-01
Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is a rare disorder. A one-month-old boy presented with vomiting, hyperglycemia (968 mg/dl [53.8 mmol/L]), severe acetonemia, and metabolic acidosis (pH 6.95, HCO3-4.2 mmol/L). A second child (three months of age) presented with upper respiratory tract symptoms and a plasma glucose level of 835 mg/dl, without acetonemia or acidosis. Both were hospitalized and managed with intravenous fluids and then discharged on insulin. Genetic testing identified the presence of the de nova V59M and E322K activating mutations in the KCNJ11 gene encoding the sulphonylurea/potassium channel (Kir6.2 subunit) of the insulin beta cell. Both patients were switched to glibenclamide and remain off insulin. To our knowledge, these are the first children in Puerto Rico identified with NDM secondary to a KCNJ11 activating mutation. We conclude that NDM secondary to KCNJ11/Kir6.2 activating mutations, although unusual, should be considered in similar cases since patients with these mutations could come off insulin.
Aspergillus species as emerging causative agents of onychomycosis.
Nouripour-Sisakht, S; Mirhendi, H; Shidfar, M R; Ahmadi, B; Rezaei-Matehkolaei, A; Geramishoar, M; Zarei, F; Jalalizand, N
2015-06-01
Onychomycosis is a common nail infection caused by dermatophytes, non-dermatophyte molds (NDM), and yeasts. Aspergillus species are emerging as increasing causes of toenail onychomycosis. The purpose of this study was species delineation of Aspergillus spp. isolated from patients with onychomycosis. During a period of one year (2012-2013), nail samples were collected from patients clinically suspected of onychomycosis and subjected to microscopic examination and culture. Species identification was performed based on macro- and micro-morphology of colonies. For precise species identification, PCR-amplification and sequencing of the beta-tubulin gene followed by BLAST queries were performed where required. A total of 463/2,292 (20.2%) tested nails were diagnosed with onychomycosis. Among the positive specimens, 154 cases (33.2%) were identified as saprophytic NDM onychomycosis, 135 (29.2%) of which were attributable to Aspergillus. Aspergillus species isolated from the infected nails included Aspergillus flavus (77.3%, n=119), Aspergillus niger (n=4), Aspergillus tubingensis (n=4), Aspergillus terreus (n=3), Aspergillus sydowii (n=2), Aspergillus spp. (n=2), and Aspergillus candidus (n=1). Among the patients diagnosed with onychomycosis due to Aspergillus (average patient age, 47.4 years), 40 had fingernail and 95 toenail involvement. The large toenails were most commonly affected. This study identified a markedly high occurrence of A. flavus, and this fungus appears to be an emerging cause of saprophytic onychomycosis in Iran. The study moreover highlights the necessity of differentiating between dermatophytic and non-dermatophytic nail infections for informed decisions on appropriate therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
[Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and new directions of antimicrobial chemotherapy].
Tateda, Kazuhiro
2012-05-01
The emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms are becoming more and more serious and are a worldwide problem. Recent trends in new antibiotic-resistant organisms include multiple-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRP), MDR-Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) and New Deli metallo beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) -producing bacteria. Antibiotic combination therapy is an option to overcome these MDR organisms. A breakpoint checkerboard plate was created to measure antibiotic combination effects at breakpoint concentrations, making it possible to evaluate the synergy of antibiotic combination within 24 hours. In this article, recent topics regarding antibiotic-resistant organisms are briefly reviewed and the directions of antibiotic chemotherapy against these organisms are discussed.
Carreiro, Marina Pimenta; Lauria, Márcio W; Naves, Gabriel Nino T; Miranda, Paulo Augusto C; Leite, Ricardo Barsaglini; Rajão, Kamilla Maria Araújo Brandão; de Aguiar, Regina Amélia Lopes Pessoa; Nogueira, Anelise Impeliziere; Ribeiro-Oliveira, Antônio
2016-09-01
To study glucose profiles of gestational diabetes (GDM) patients with 72 h of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) either before (GDM1) or after (GDM2) dietary counseling, comparing them with nondiabetic (NDM) controls. We performed CGM on 22 GDM patients; 11 before and 11 after dietary counseling and compared them to 11 healthy controls. Several physiological and clinical characteristics of the glucose profiles were compared across the groups, including comparisons for pooled 24-h measures and hourly median values, summary measures representing glucose exposure (area under the median curves) and variability (amplitude, standard deviation, interquartile range), and time points related to meals. Most women (81.8%) in the GDM groups had fasting glucose <95mg/dL, suggesting mild GDM. Variability, glucose levels 1 and 2h after breakfast and dinner, peak values after dinner and glucose levels between breakfast and lunch, were all significantly higher in GDM1 than NDM (P<0.05 for all comparisons). The GDM2 results were similar to NDM in all aforementioned comparisons (P>0.05). Both GDM groups spent more time with glucose levels above 140mg/dL when compared with the NDM group. No differences among the groups were found for: pooled measurements and hourly comparisons, exposure, nocturnal, fasting, between lunch and dinner and before meals, as well as after lunch (P>0.05 for all). The main differences between the mild GDM1 group and healthy controls were related to glucose variability and excursions above 140mg/dL, while glucose exposure was similar. Glucose levels after breakfast and dinner also discerned the GDM1 group. Dietary counseling was able to keep glucose levels to those of healthy patients. © 2016 European Society of Endocrinology.
Arezki, F; Afailal, I; Bosler, O; Steinbusch, H W; Calas, A
1987-01-01
In an attempt to define cytophysiological criteria with which to establish whether or not a given neuron is serotoninergic, radioautography was combined with serotonin (5-HT) immunocytochemistry on the same sections from the nucleus raphe dorsalis (NRD) and/or nucleus dorsomedialis hypothalami (NDM) in rats subjected to intraventricular administrations of (3H)-5-HT or (3H)-dopamine (DA). All the (3H)-5-HT-accumulating neurons (cell bodies, dendrites and terminals) were found to be distinct from the (3H)-DA labeled ones and invariably immunostained for 5-HT in both regions studied. However, some immunoreactive neuronal elements within the area of tracer diffusion did not exhibit significant radioautographic labeling. In the NDM where 5-HT immunoreactive nerve cells could be detected only after intraventricular administration of 5-HT, these were found to be definitely distinct from the tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive and (3H)-DA labeled neurons of the dopaminergic periventricular-arcuate complex. After immunostaining for GAD at the electron microscopic level, (3H)-5-HT labeled nerve cells and terminals were not found to exhibit any significant immunoreactivity. Associations between (3H)-DA labeled and GAD immunoreactive processes with 5-HT immunoreactive or (3H)-5-HT-accumulating neurons, respectively, could also be observed in the NDM. When considered as a whole along with previous observations by other authors indicating a probable synthesis of 5-HT within NDM neurons, our data suggest that a given neuron can be classified as serotoninergic on the sole basis of its ability to selectively take up exogenous 5-HT under experimental conditions compatible with non interspecific labeling of catecholaminergic neurons. They also provide valuable information on the neurochemical environment and possible control of central serotoninergic neurons.
Kanakatti Shankar, Roopa; Pihoker, Catherine; Dolan, Lawrence M; Standiford, Debra; Badaru, Angela; Dabelea, Dana; Rodriguez, Beatriz; Black, Mary Helen; Imperatore, Giuseppina; Hattersley, Andrew; Ellard, Sian; Gilliam, Lisa K
2013-05-01
Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is defined as diabetes with onset before 6 months of age. Nearly half of individuals with NDM are affected by permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus (PNDM). Mutations in KATP channel genes (KCNJ11, ABCC8) and the insulin gene (INS) are the most common causes of PNDM. To estimate the prevalence of PNDM among SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth (SEARCH) study participants (2001-2008) and to identify the genetic mutations causing PNDM. SEARCH is a multicenter population-based study of diabetes in youth <20 yr of age. Participants diagnosed with diabetes before 6 months of age were invited for genetic testing for mutations in the KCNJ11, ABCC8, and INS genes. Of the 15,829 SEARCH participants with diabetes, 39 were diagnosed before 6 months of age. Thirty-five of them had PNDM (0.22% of all diabetes cases in SEARCH), 3 had transient neonatal diabetes that had remitted by 18 months and 1 was unknown. The majority of them (66.7%) had a clinical diagnosis of type1 diabetes by their health care provider. Population prevalence of PNDM in youth <20 yr was estimated at 1 in 252 000. Seven participants underwent genetic testing; mutations causing PNDM were identified in five (71%), (two KCNJ11, three INS). We report the first population-based frequency of PNDM in the US based on the frequency of PNDM in SEARCH. Patients with NDM are often misclassified as having type1 diabetes. Widespread education is essential to encourage appropriate genetic testing and treatment of NDM. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Gerhard, Robert Steven; Patil, Dattatraya; Liu, Yuan; Ogan, Kenneth; Alemozaffar, Mehrdad; Jani, Ashesh B; Kucuk, Omer N; Master, Viraj A; Gillespie, Theresa W; Filson, Christopher P
2017-05-01
We characterized factors related to nondefinitive management (NDM) of patients with high-risk prostate cancer and assessed impact from race, insurance status, and facility-level volume of technologically advanced prostate cancer treatments (i.e., intensity-modulated radiation therapy, robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy) on this outcome. We identified men with high-risk localized prostate cancer (based on D׳Amico criteria) in the National Cancer Database (2010-2012). Primary outcome was NDM (i.e., delayed/no treatment with prostatectomy/radiation therapy or androgen-deprivation monotherapy). Treating facilities were classified by quartiles of proportions of patients treated with advanced technology. Multivariable regression estimated odds of primary outcome based on race, insurance status, and facility-level technology use, and evaluated for interactions between these covariates. Among 60,300 patients, 9,265 (15.4%) received NDM. This was more common among non-White men (P<0.001), Medicaid/uninsured patients (P<0.001), and those managed at facilities in the lowest quartile of technology use (25.1% vs. 11.0% highest, P<0.001). Though NDM was common among non-White men with Medicaid/no insurance treated at low-technology centers (43% vs. 10% White, private/Medicare, high-tech facility; adjusted odds ratios = 7.18, P<0.001), this was less likely if this group was managed at a high-tech hospital (22% vs. 43% low-tech, P<0.001). Technology use at a facility correlates with high-quality prostate cancer care and is associated with diminished disparities based on insurance status and patient race. More research is required to characterize other facility-level factors explaining these findings. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Gilbert, Kerry K.; Smith, Michael P.; Sobczak, Stéphane; James, C. Roger; Sizer, Phillip S.; Brismée, Jean-Michel
2015-01-01
Objectives Manual and physical therapists incorporate neurodynamic mobilisation (NDM) to improve function and decrease pain. Little is known about the mechanisms by which these interventions affect neural tissue. The objective of this research was to assess the effects of repetitive straight leg raise (SLR) NDM on the fluid dynamics within the fourth lumbar nerve root in unembalmed cadavers. Methods A biomimetic solution (Toluidine Blue Stock 1% and Plasma) was injected intraneurally, deep to the epineurium, into the L4 nerve roots of seven unembalmed cadavers. The initial dye spread was allowed to stabilise and measured with a digital calliper. Once the initial longitudinal dye spread stabilised, an intervention strategy (repetitive SLR) was applied incorporating NDMs (stretch/relax cycles) at a rate of 30 repetitions per minute for 5 minutes. Post-intervention calliper measurements of the longitudinal dye spread were measured. Results The mean experimental posttest longitudinal dye spread measurement (1.1 ± 0.9 mm) was significantly greater (P = 0.02) than the initial stabilised pretest longitudinal dye spread measurement. Increases ranged from 0.0 to 2.6 mm and represented an average of 7.9% and up to an 18.1% increase in longitudinal dye spread. Discussion Passive NDM in the form of repetitive SLR induced a significant increase in longitudinal fluid dispersion in the L4 nerve root of human cadaveric specimen. Lower limb NDM may be beneficial in promoting nerve function by limiting or altering intraneural fluid accumulation within the nerve root, thus preventing the adverse effects of intraneural oedema. PMID:26955255
Hasassri, M Earth; Boyce, Thomas G; Norgan, Andrew P; Cunningham, Scott A; Jeraldo, Patricio R; Weissman, Scott J; Patel, Robin; Banerjee, Ritu; Pogue, Jason M; Kaye, Keith S
2016-06-01
We describe a 16-year-old neutropenic patient from the Middle East with bloodstream infection caused by two carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli isolates that we characterized by whole-genome sequencing. While one displayed meropenem resistance and was blaNDM positive, the other demonstrated meropenem susceptibility yet harbored blaOXA181 (which encodes a blaOXA48-like enzyme). This report highlights the challenge of laboratory detection of blaOXA48-like enzymes and the clinical implications of genotypic resistance detection in carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Costa, Delfina; Gigoni, Arianna; Würth, Roberto; Cancedda, Ranieri; Florio, Tullio; Pagano, Aldo
2014-01-01
Metformin is a widely used oral hypoglycemizing agent recently proposed as potential anti-cancer drug. In this study we report the antiproliferative effect of metformin treatment in a high risk neuroblastoma cell model, focusing on possible effects associated to different levels of differentiation and/or tumor initiating potential. Antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of metformin were tested in human SKNBE2 and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines and in SKNBE2 cells in which differentiation is induced by retinoic acid treatment or stable overexpression of NDM29 non-coding RNA, both conditions characterized by a neuron-like differentiated phenotype. We found that metformin significantly inhibits the proliferation of NB cells, an effect that correlates with the inhibition of Akt, while AMPK activity resulted unchanged. Notably, metformin effects were modulated in a different ways by differentiating stimuli, being abolished after retinoic acid treatment but potentiated by overexpression of NDM29. These data suggest the efficacy of metformin as neuroblastoma anticancer agent, and support the requirement of further studies on the possible role of the differentiation status on the antiproliferative effects of this drug.
Plant regeneration from cell suspension-derived protoplasts of Phalaenopsis.
Shrestha, B R; Tokuhara, K; Mii, M
2007-06-01
Protoplasts isolated from cell suspension culture of Phalaenopsis "Wataboushi" were cultured by (a) embedding in gellan gum-solidified hormone-free 1/2 New Dogashima medium (1/2 NDM) containing 0.44 M sorbitol, 0.06 M sucrose and 0.1 g/l L-glutamine (standard method) and (b) beads method using beads of gellan gum or sodium alginate as the gelling agents which were surrounded by liquid NDM. Although, the two beads methods gave less frequency of initial protoplast division than the standard method, the former finally resulted in higher frequency of microcolony formation than the latter. The highest frequency of microcolony formation (23%) was obtained when protoplasts were embedded in 1% Ca-alginate beads and subcultured every two weeks by replacing the surrounding liquid culture medium with a decrease in sorbitol concentration by 0.1 M. Colonies visible to the naked eyes were observed within 2 months of culture and the regenerated calluses were transferred onto hormone-free NDM supplemented with 10 g/l maltose and 0.3% (w/v) gellan gum, on which PLBs were formed and proliferated profusely. The PLBs were regenerated into plantlets after changing the carbon source to 10 g/l sorbitol and successfully acclimatized to greenhouse conditions.
In vitro and in vivo activity of Manuka honey against NDM-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11.
Qamar, Muhammad Usman; Saleem, Sidrah; Toleman, Mark Alexander; Saqalein, Muhammad; Waseem, Muhammad; Nisar, Muhammad Atif; Khurshid, Mohsin; Taj, Zeeshan; Jahan, Shah
2018-01-01
To determine the therapeutic potential of Manuka honey against New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11 in vitro and in vivo. Carbapenamases and metallo-β-lactamases-producing K. pneumoniae ST11 isolated from blood culture was confirmed by VITEK-2 ® system, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight and multilocus sequence typing, followed by determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (μg/ml) using VITEK-2 system. Genetic analysis of bla NDM-1 was done by PCR, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and DNA hybridization. In vitro and in vivo efficacy of Manuka honey was performed by microbroth dilution assay and BALB/c mice model respectively. K. pneumoniae ST11 displayed resistance to commonly used antibiotics. bla NDM-1 was located on 150 and 270kb plasmids. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of Manuka honey was 30% (v/v) and substantial reduction of bacterial mean log value (>1 log) was observed in mice. Histological analysis of mice liver and kidneys demonstrated mild to moderate inflammation. Manuka honey can be used as an alternate therapeutic approach for management of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-producing pathogens.
Horie, Hitoshi; Chiba, Asuka; Wada, Shigeo
2018-05-01
β-Lactamase-producing bacteria encode enzymes that inactivate β-lactam antibiotics by catalyzing the hydrolysis of the β-lactam ring. Crude soy saponins were observed to have synergistic effects on the antimicrobial activity of β-lactam antibiotics against β-lactamase-producing Staphylococcus aureus strains. Furthermore, the activities of β-lactamases derived from Enterobacter cloacae , Escherichia coli , and S. aureus were decreased significantly in the presence of crude soy saponins. This inhibitory effect was also observed against the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1), an enzyme whose activity is not inhibited by the current β-lactamase inhibitors. The synergistic effect on the antimicrobial activity of β-lactam antibiotics by crude soy saponins was thought to result from the inhibition the β-lactamase activity. The components of crude soy saponins include several kinds of soyasaponins and soyasapogenols. It was revealed that soyasaponin V has the highest inhibitory activity against NDM-1. The combined use of soy saponins with β-lactam antibiotics is expected to serve as a new therapeutic modality, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of β-lactam antibiotics against infectious diseases caused by β-lactamase-producing bacteria, including those encoding NDM-1.
Coexistence of mcr-1 and blaNDM-1 in Escherichia coli from Venezuela.
Delgado-Blas, Jose F; Ovejero, Cristina M; Abadia-Patiño, Lorena; Gonzalez-Zorn, Bruno
2016-10-01
We studied the presence of the mobile colistin resistance gene mcr-1 in human, animal, and environmental Enterobacteriaceae samples from Cumana, Venezuela, that were collected in 2015. The mcr-1 gene was detected in 2/93 Escherichia coli isolates from swine (novel ST452) and human (ST19) samples that were resistant to colistin. Whole-genome sequencing and transformation experiments identified mcr-1 on an IncI2 plasmid. One of the isolates also bore the widely spread carbapenemase NDM-1. A One Health approach is necessary to further elucidate the flux of these high-risk genes. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Kwiatkowski, Paweł; Pruss, Agata; Grygorcewicz, Bartłomiej; Wojciuk, Bartosz; Dołęgowska, Barbara; Giedrys-Kalemba, Stefania; Kochan, Ewa; Sienkiewicz, Monika
2018-04-30
The aim of the study was to investigate possible synergistic effects between several selected, commercially available essential oils and gentamicin against extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. ESBLs production was confirmed by double-disk synergy test. Isolates positive for bla NDM-1 gene were found among the tested strains. K. pneumoniae ATCC ® BAA-1705™ strain was used as a control. The checkerboard method was applied to assess the synergistic and additive action of nine essential oils: caraway, fennel, peppermint, geranium, basil, clove, thyme, clary sage, and lavender, respectively, in combination with gentamicin. Our results indicated that peppermint oil combined with gentamicin showed synergistic activity against both control, ESBL-producing and NDM-1-producing isolates. Caraway essential oil demonstrated synergy with gentamicin toward ESBL-producing and additionally gentamicin-resistant strains. The additive effect was observed for gentamicin combined with thyme, fennel, basil, and clary sage. Because of their synergistic activity with gentamicin, peppermint, and caraway oils in particular, can be considered as an alternative or an addition for the control of infections with limited therapeutic options due to multidrug resistance.
Kazmierczak, Krystyna M; Rabine, Sharon; Hackel, Meredith; McLaughlin, Robert E; Biedenbach, Douglas J; Bouchillon, Samuel K; Sahm, Daniel F; Bradford, Patricia A
2016-02-01
Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) hydrolyze all classes of β-lactams except monobactams and are not inhibited by classic serine β-lactamase inhibitors. Gram-negative pathogens isolated from patient infections were collected from 202 medical centers in 40 countries as part of a global surveillance study from 2012 to 2014. Carbapenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were characterized for bla genes encoding VIM, IMP, NDM, SPM, and GIM variants using PCR and sequencing. A total of 471 MBL-positive isolates included the following species (numbers of isolates are in parentheses): P. aeruginosa (308), Klebsiella spp. (85), Enterobacter spp. (39), Proteeae (16), Citrobacter freundii (12), Escherichia coli (6), and Serratia marcescens (5) and were submitted by sites from 34 countries. Of these, 69.6% were collected in 9 countries (numbers of isolates are in parentheses): Russia (72), Greece (61), Philippines (54), Venezuela (29), and Kuwait, Nigeria, Romania, South Africa, and Thailand (20 to 25 isolates each). Thirty-two different MBL variants were detected (14 VIM, 14 IMP, and 4 NDM enzymes). Seven novel MBL variants were encountered in the study, each differing from a previously reported variant by one amino acid substitution: VIM-42 (VIM-1 [V223I]), VIM-43 (VIM-4 [A24V]), VIM-44 (VIM-2 [K257N]), VIM-45 (VIM-2 [T35I]), IMP-48 (IMP-14 [I69T]), IMP-49 (IMP-18 [V49F]), and NDM-16 (NDM-1 [R264H]). The in vitro activities of all tested antibiotics against MBL-positive Enterobacteriaceae were significantly reduced with the exception of that of aztreonam-avibactam (MIC90, 0.5 to 1 μg/ml), whereas colistin was the most effective agent against MBL-positive P. aeruginosa isolates (>97% susceptible). Although the global percentage of isolates encoding MBLs remains relatively low, their detection in 12 species, 34 countries, and all regions participating in this surveillance study is concerning. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Rabine, Sharon; Hackel, Meredith; McLaughlin, Robert E.; Biedenbach, Douglas J.; Bouchillon, Samuel K.; Sahm, Daniel F.; Bradford, Patricia A.
2015-01-01
Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) hydrolyze all classes of β-lactams except monobactams and are not inhibited by classic serine β-lactamase inhibitors. Gram-negative pathogens isolated from patient infections were collected from 202 medical centers in 40 countries as part of a global surveillance study from 2012 to 2014. Carbapenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were characterized for bla genes encoding VIM, IMP, NDM, SPM, and GIM variants using PCR and sequencing. A total of 471 MBL-positive isolates included the following species (numbers of isolates are in parentheses): P. aeruginosa (308), Klebsiella spp. (85), Enterobacter spp. (39), Proteeae (16), Citrobacter freundii (12), Escherichia coli (6), and Serratia marcescens (5) and were submitted by sites from 34 countries. Of these, 69.6% were collected in 9 countries (numbers of isolates are in parentheses): Russia (72), Greece (61), Philippines (54), Venezuela (29), and Kuwait, Nigeria, Romania, South Africa, and Thailand (20 to 25 isolates each). Thirty-two different MBL variants were detected (14 VIM, 14 IMP, and 4 NDM enzymes). Seven novel MBL variants were encountered in the study, each differing from a previously reported variant by one amino acid substitution: VIM-42 (VIM-1 [V223I]), VIM-43 (VIM-4 [A24V]), VIM-44 (VIM-2 [K257N]), VIM-45 (VIM-2 [T35I]), IMP-48 (IMP-14 [I69T]), IMP-49 (IMP-18 [V49F]), and NDM-16 (NDM-1 [R264H]). The in vitro activities of all tested antibiotics against MBL-positive Enterobacteriaceae were significantly reduced with the exception of that of aztreonam-avibactam (MIC90, 0.5 to 1 μg/ml), whereas colistin was the most effective agent against MBL-positive P. aeruginosa isolates (>97% susceptible). Although the global percentage of isolates encoding MBLs remains relatively low, their detection in 12 species, 34 countries, and all regions participating in this surveillance study is concerning. PMID:26643349
Zaman, Taher Uz; Alrodayyan, Maha; Albladi, Maha; Aldrees, Mohammed; Siddique, Mohammed Ismail; Aljohani, Sameera; Balkhy, Hanan H
2018-05-03
The nexus between resistance determinants, plasmid type, and clonality appears to play a crucial role in the dissemination and survival of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP). The incidence of infections involving CRKP in Saudi Arabia is increasing and there is a need for detailed molecular profiling of this pathogen for CRKP surveillance and control. The resistance determinants of 71 non-redundant CRKP isolates were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. Plasmid typing was performed using PCR-based replicon typing and the clonality of isolates was determined by multilocus sequence typing. Capsular polysaccharide synthesis genes and other virulence factors were examined using multiplex PCR. Diversity was calculated using DIVEIN, clonal relationship was determined using eBURST, and phylogenetic analysis was performed using SplitsTree4. A polyclonal OXA-48 gene alone was the most common carbapenemase detected in 48/71 (67.6%) isolates followed by NDM-1 alone in 9/71 (12.7%) isolates. Coproduction of OXA-48 and NDM-1 was observed in 6/71 (8.5%) isolates. Both carbapenemase genes could be transferred into an Escherichia coli recipient. CTX-M-15 was the most abundant extended-spectrum β-lactamase gene detected in 47/71 (66.2%) isolates, whereas clone-specific CTX-M-14 (ST-199 and -709) was found in 15/71 (21%) isolates. Sixty-seven of 71 isolates were positive for one or more plasmid replicons. The replicons detected were: IncFII; IncFIIK; IncFIA; IncFIB; L/M; IncI1; and IncN. FIIK and L/M were predominant, with 69 and 67% positivity, respectively. All isolates were negative for the magA (K1), rmpA, and K2 genes and presented a non-hypermucoviscous phenotype. A polyclonal CRKP reservoir of sequence types (STs)-37, - 199, and - 152 was observed and ST-152 appeared to be a "frequent carrier" of the NDM-1 gene. ST-199, a singleton not previously reported, showed a sequence diversity suggestive of positive selection. A significant association was evident between resistance determinants and the clonal types of K. pneumoniae: all ST-152 isolates were positive for NDM-1 but negative for OXA-48; ST-199 isolates were positive for OXA-48 but negative for NDM-1; and ST-709 and -199 isolates were positive for CTX-M-14. The incidence of certain clonal types in large numbers predicts an outbreak-like situation and warrants stringent surveillance and infection control.
Bulman, Zackery P; Chen, Liang; Walsh, Thomas J; Satlin, Michael J; Qian, Yuli; Bulitta, Jürgen B; Peloquin, Charles A; Holden, Patricia N; Nation, Roger L; Li, Jian; Kreiswirth, Barry N; Tsuji, Brian T
2017-07-25
The rapid increase of carbapenem resistance in Gram-negative bacteria has resurrected the importance of the polymyxin antibiotics. The recent discovery of plasmid-mediated polymyxin resistance ( mcr - 1 ) in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae serves as an important indicator that the golden era of antibiotics is under serious threat. We assessed the bacterial killing of 15 different FDA-approved antibiotics alone and in combination with polymyxin B in time-killing experiments against Escherichia coli MCR1_NJ, the first reported isolate in the United States to coharbor mcr-1 and a New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase gene ( bla NDM-5 ). The most promising regimens were advanced to the hollow-fiber infection model (HFIM), where human pharmacokinetics for polymyxin B, aztreonam, and amikacin were simulated over 240 h. Exposure to polymyxin B monotherapy was accompanied by MCR1_NJ regrowth but not resistance amplification (polymyxin B MIC from 0 to 240 h [MIC 0h to MIC 240h ] of 4 mg/liter), whereas amikacin monotherapy caused regrowth and simultaneous resistance amplification (amikacin MIC 0h of 4 mg/liter versus MIC 240h of >64 mg/liter). No MCR1_NJ colonies were observed for any of the aztreonam-containing regimens after 72 h. However, HFIM cartridges for both aztreonam monotherapy and the polymyxin B-plus-aztreonam regimen were remarkably turbid, and the presence of long, filamentous MCR1_NJ cells was evident in scanning electron microscopy, suggestive of a nonreplicating persister (NRP) phenotype. In contrast, the 3-drug combination of polymyxin B, aztreonam, and amikacin provided complete eradication (>8-log 10 CFU/ml reduction) with suppression of resistance and prevention of NRP formation. This is the first comprehensive pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic study to evaluate triple-drug combinations for polymyxin- and carbapenem-resistant E. coli coproducing MCR-1 and NDM-5 and will aid in the preparation for a so-called "postantibiotic" era. IMPORTANCE A global health crisis may be on the horizon, as the golden era of antibiotics is under serious threat. We recently reported the first case in the United States of a highly resistant, Escherichia coli so-called "superbug" (MCR1_NJ), coharboring two of the most worrying antibiotic resistance genes, encoding mobile colistin resistance ( mcr - 1 ) and a New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase ( bla NDM-5 ). Worryingly, the medical community is vulnerable to this emerging bacterial threat because optimal treatment strategies are undefined. Here, we report the activity of an optimized combination using simulated human doses of commercially available antibiotics against MCR1_NJ. A unique triple combination involving a cocktail of polymyxin B, aztreonam, and amikacin eradicated the MCR-1- and NDM-5-producing E. coli Each antimicrobial agent administered as monotherapy or in double combinations failed to eradicate MCR1_NJ at a high inoculum. To our knowledge, this is the first study to propose 3-drug therapeutic solutions against superbugs coharboring mcr-1 and bla NDM , seeking to prepare clinicians for future occurrences of these pathogens. Copyright © 2017 Bulman et al.
Micropropagation of Phalaenopsis and Doritaenopsis by culturing shoot tips of flower stalk buds.
Tokuhara, K; Mii, M
1993-11-01
Green Protocorm-like Bodies (PLB) with high multiplication capacity were induced from shoot tips of flower stalk buds having 1 or 2 leaf primordia using New Dogashima Medium (NDM) containing 0.1 mg l(-1) α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 1 mg 1(-1) 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). These PLB were subcultured on the same medium. More than 10,000 PLBs were obtained from a few buds on a single flower stalk within one year. After transfer onto NDM containing no plant growth regulator (PGR), the PLB developed into plantlets. The micropropagation method formulated in this study was applicable to 12 different genotypes. These results suggest that the methodology could be used on a commercial scale for vegetative propagation of Phalaenopsis and Doritaenopsis.
Nonlinear Dynamical Modes as a Basis for Short-Term Forecast of Climate Variability
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Feigin, A. M.; Mukhin, D.; Gavrilov, A.; Seleznev, A.; Loskutov, E.
2017-12-01
We study abilities of data-driven stochastic models constructed by nonlinear dynamical decomposition of spatially distributed data to quantitative (short-term) forecast of climate characteristics. We compare two data processing techniques: (i) widely used empirical orthogonal function approach, and (ii) nonlinear dynamical modes (NDMs) framework [1,2]. We also make comparison of two kinds of the prognostic models: (i) traditional autoregression (linear) model and (ii) model in the form of random ("stochastic") nonlinear dynamical system [3]. We apply all combinations of the above-mentioned data mining techniques and kinds of models to short-term forecasts of climate indices based on sea surface temperature (SST) data. We use NOAA_ERSST_V4 dataset (monthly SST with space resolution 20 × 20) covering the tropical belt and starting from the year 1960. We demonstrate that NDM-based nonlinear model shows better prediction skill versus EOF-based linear and nonlinear models. Finally we discuss capability of NDM-based nonlinear model for long-term (decadal) prediction of climate variability. [1] D. Mukhin, A. Gavrilov, E. Loskutov , A.Feigin, J.Kurths, 2015: Principal nonlinear dynamical modes of climate variability, Scientific Reports, rep. 5, 15510; doi: 10.1038/srep15510. [2] Gavrilov, A., Mukhin, D., Loskutov, E., Volodin, E., Feigin, A., & Kurths, J., 2016: Method for reconstructing nonlinear modes with adaptive structure from multidimensional data. Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, 26(12), 123101. [3] Ya. Molkov, D. Mukhin, E. Loskutov, A. Feigin, 2012: Random dynamical models from time series. Phys. Rev. E, Vol. 85, n.3.
The role of doxycycline in the therapy of multidrug-resistant E. coli - an in vitro study.
Lai, Chih-Cheng; Chen, Chi-Chung; Huang, Hui-Ling; Chuang, Yin-Ching; Tang, Hung-Jen
2016-08-18
This study assessed the in vitro antibacterial activity of combinations of amikacin and doxycycline or tigecycline against multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates. Twenty-four different pulsotypes, including 10 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-, 10 carbapenem-resistant, 2 New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)- and 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-E. coli isolates were collected. All 24 isolates were susceptible to amikacin and tigecycline. Only 30% of ESBL and 50% of carbapenem-resistant E. coli were susceptible to doxycycline. Both of the NDM-E. coli had a MIC of 64 μg/ml. The checkerboard method showed that for the ESBL- and carbapenem-resistant E. coli, the synergistic effects of amikacin/doxycycline were 80% and 90%, respectively. For the two KPC- and two NDM-E. coli, the FIC index of amikacin/doxycycline were 0.5/0.375 and 0.5/0.281, respectively. For the ESBL- and carbapenem-resistant E. coli isolates, the combinations of amikacin and doxycycline exhibited synergistic activities against 80%, and 80% and 10% vs 60%, and 80% and 10% of the isolates at concentrations of 1x, 1/2x and 1/4xMIC, respectively. The synergistic effect seems to be similar for doxycycline and tigecycline based combinations with amikacin. In conclusion, the antibacterial activity of doxycycline can be enhanced by the addition of amikacin and is observed against most multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates.
Taha, Doris; Barbar, Maha; Kanaan, Hassan; Williamson Balfe, John
2003-10-15
We report on two sibs (of 4) with a syndrome of minor facial anomalies, proportionate IUGR, neonatal non-autoimmune diabetes mellitus (NDM), severe congenital hypothyroidism (CH), cholestasis, congenital glaucoma, and polycystic kidneys. Liver disease progressed to hepatic fibrosis. The renal disease was characterized by large kidneys and multiple small cysts with deficient corticomedullary junction differentiation and normal kidney function. The phenotype observed in the two sibs was identical. Although a combination of liver, kidney, and pancreatic involvement has been described in Ivemark syndrome (hepato-renal-pancreatic syndrome), the coexistence of NDM, CH, and glaucoma in both sibs suggests the possibility that this combination of manifestations describes a new autosomal recessive syndrome. Mutation analysis for several candidate genes is warranted. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bhattacharya, D; Dey, S; Kadam, S; Kalal, S; Jali, S; Koley, H; Sinha, R; Nag, D; Kholkute, S D; Roy, S
2015-05-01
Pseudomonas putida is an uncommon opportunistic pathogen, usually susceptible to antimicrobial agents. Data concerning resistance to antimicrobial agents in clinical P. putida isolates are limited. To the best of our knowledge we report for the first time the isolation of NDM-1-producing multidrug-resistant P. putida from a case of acute gastroenteritis. The isolate showed resistance to a wide range of antimicrobials, including fluoroquinolones, third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems. The isolate also exhibited multiple mutations in the quinolone resistance determining region and showed the presence of qepA, bla TEM , bla OXA1 and bla OXA7 genes. The present study highlights the importance of looking for the relatively rare aetiological agents in clinical samples that do not yield common pathogens.
Bhattacharya, D.; Dey, S.; Kadam, S.; Kalal, S.; Jali, S.; Koley, H.; Sinha, R.; Nag, D.; Kholkute, S.D.; Roy, S.
2015-01-01
Pseudomonas putida is an uncommon opportunistic pathogen, usually susceptible to antimicrobial agents. Data concerning resistance to antimicrobial agents in clinical P. putida isolates are limited. To the best of our knowledge we report for the first time the isolation of NDM-1-producing multidrug-resistant P. putida from a case of acute gastroenteritis. The isolate showed resistance to a wide range of antimicrobials, including fluoroquinolones, third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems. The isolate also exhibited multiple mutations in the quinolone resistance determining region and showed the presence of qepA, blaTEM, blaOXA1 and blaOXA7 genes. The present study highlights the importance of looking for the relatively rare aetiological agents in clinical samples that do not yield common pathogens. PMID:25893095
Sanchez, Danilo Garcia; de Melo, Fernanda Maciel; Savazzi, Eduardo Angelino; Stehling, Eliana Guedes
2018-06-16
Bacterial resistance occurs by spontaneous mutations or horizontal gene transfer mediated by mobile genetic elements, which represents a great concern. Resistance to β-lactam antibiotics is mainly due to the production of β-lactamases, and an important mechanism of fluoroquinolone resistance is the acquisition plasmid determinants. The aim of this study was to verify the presence of β-lactamase-encoding genes and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes in different water samples obtained from São Paulo state, Brazil. A high level of these resistance genes was detected, being the bla SHV , bla GES , and qnr the most prevalent. Besides that, the bla NDM gene, which codify an important and hazardous metallo-β-lactamase, was detected.
Anomalous mobility of a driven active particle in a steady laminar flow
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cecconi, F.; Puglisi, A.; Sarracino, A.; Vulpiani, A.
2018-07-01
We study, via extensive numerical simulations, the force–velocity curve of an active particle advected by a steady laminar flow, in the nonlinear response regime. Our model for an active particle relies on a colored noise term that mimics its persistent motion over a time scale . We find that the active particle dynamics shows non-trivial effects, such as negative differential and absolute mobility (NDM and ANM, respectively). We explore the space of the model parameters and compare the observed behaviors with those obtained for a passive particle () advected by the same laminar flow. Our results show that the phenomena of NDM and ANM are quite robust with respect to the details of the considered noise: in particular for finite a more complex force–velocity relation can be observed.
Coexistence of metallo-beta-lactamase-encoding genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Mohanam, Lavanya; Menon, Thangam
2017-07-01
The emergence and rapid spread of carbapenem resistance mediated by metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is of major concern due to limited therapeutic options. This study was aimed at detecting the presence of MBL and its association with integrons in imipenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates and to determine their genetic relatedness. A total of 213 P. aeruginosa isolates were collected from two tertiary care centres and tested against anti-pseudomonal antibiotics by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, followed by the detection of MBL production by combined disk method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of meropenem was determined by E-test. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for the detection of blaSPM, blaIMP, blaVIM, blaNDM, blaGIM and blaSIM. PCR was carried out to characterize the variable region of class 1 integron. Transcongujation assay was carried out for the confirmation of plasmid-mediated resistance. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence (ERIC)-PCR was performed for determining the genetic relatedness among P. aeruginosa isolates. Of the 213 P. aeruginosa isolates, 22 (10%) were found to be carbapenem resistant and these were from pus 18 (82%), urine 2 (9%), sputum 1 (5%) and tracheal wash 1 (5%). Among 22 isolates, 18 (81.8%) were found to be MBL producers by phenotypic method and MIC range of meropenem was 8 to >32 μg/ml. PCR amplification showed that 20 (91%) isolates carried any one of the MBL genes tested: blaVIM and blaNDM in seven (32%) and six (27%) isolates, respectively; blaVIM and blaNDMin three (14%); blaIMP and blaNDM in two (9%); blaVIM and blaIMP in one (5%) isolate. The blaVIM, blaIMP and blaNDM were found to co-exist in one isolate. None of the isolates were positive for blaSPM, blaSIM and blaGIM. All 22 isolates carried class I integron. Of the 20 MBL-positive isolates, transconjugants were obtained for 15 isolates. ERIC-PCR analysis showed all isolates to be clonally independent. Our results showed 10.3 per cent of carbapenem resistance among P. aeruginosa isolates, and the coexistence of MBL-encoding genes among P. aeruginosa mediated by class I integron.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kar, Swayamsiddha; Adithya, K. S.; Shankar, Pruthvik; Jagadeesh Babu, N.; Srivastava, Sailesh; Nageswara Rao, G.
2017-07-01
Nine chalcones were prepared via Claisen-Schmidt condensation, and characterized by UV-vis, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry. One of the representative member 4-NDM-TC has been studied via single crystal XRD and the TGA/DTA technique. SHG efficiency and NLO susceptibilities of the chalcones have been evaluated by the Kurtz and Perry method and Degenerate Four Wave Mixing techniques respectively. 3-Cl-4‧-HC was noted to possess SHG efficiency 1.37 times that of urea while 4-NDM-TC returned the highest third order NLO susceptibilities with respect to CS2. In silico studies help evaluate various physical parameters, in correlating the observed activities. In conclusion, the structure-activity relationship was derived based on the in silico and experimental results for the third order NLO susceptibilities.
Rabbone, Ivana; Barbetti, Fabrizio; Marigliano, Marco; Bonfanti, Riccardo; Piccinno, Elvira; Ortolani, Federica; Ignaccolo, Giovanna; Maffeis, Claudio; Confetto, Santino; Cerutti, Franco; Zanfardino, Angela; Iafusco, Dario
2016-08-01
Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is defined as hyperglycemia and impaired insulin secretion with onset within 6 months of birth. While rare, NDM presents complex challenges regarding the management of glycemic control. The availability of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion pumps (CSII) in combination with continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGM) provides an opportunity to monitor glucose levels more closely and deliver insulin more safely. We report four cases of young infants with NDM successfully treated with CSII and CGM. Moreover, in two cases with Kir 6.2 mutation, we describe the use of CSII in switching therapy from insulin to sulfonylurea treatment. Insulin pump requirement for the 4 neonatal diabetes cases was the same regardless of disease pathogenesis and c-peptide levels. No dilution of insulin was needed. The use of an integrated CGM system helped in a more precise control of BG levels with the possibility of several modifications of insulin basal rates. Moreover, as showed in the first two case-reports, when the treatment was switched from insulin to glibenclamide, according to identification of Kir 6.2 mutation and diagnosis of NPDM, the CSII therapy demonstrated to be helpful in allowing gradual insulin suspension and progressive introduction of sulfonylurea. During the neonatal period, the use of CSII therapy is safe, more physiological, accurate and easier for the insulin administration management. Furthermore, CSII therapy is safe during the switch of therapy from insulin to glibenclamide for infants with permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus.
Nansseu, Jobert Richie N; Ngo-Um, Suzanne S; Balti, Eric V
2016-11-10
In the absence of existing data, the present review intends to determine the incidence, prevalence and/or genetic determinants of neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM), with expected contribution to disease characterization. We will include cross-sectional, cohort or case-control studies which have reported the incidence, prevalence and/or genetic determinants of NDM between January 01, 2000 and May 31, 2016, published in English or French languages and without any geographical limitation. PubMed and EMBASE will be extensively screened to identify potentially eligible studies, completed by manual search. Two authors will independently screen, select studies, extract data, and assess the risk of bias; disagreements will be resolved by consensus. Clinical heterogeneity will be investigated by examining the design and setting (including geographic region), procedure used for genetic testing, calculation of incidence or prevalence, and outcomes in each study. Studies found to be clinically homogeneous will be pooled together through a random effects meta-analysis. Statistical heterogeneity will be assessed using the chi-square test of homogeneity and quantified using the I 2 statistic. In case of substantial heterogeneity, subgroup analyses will be undertaken. Publication bias will be assessed with funnel plots, complemented with the use of Egger's test of bias. This systematic review and meta-analysis is expected to draw a clear picture of phenotypic and genotypic presentations of NDM in order to better understand the condition and adequately address challenges in respect with its management. PROSPERO CRD42016039765.
Zhao, Chao; Luo, Kunli; Du, Yajun; Tian, Yuan; Long, Jie; Zhao, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Shixi
2017-04-01
The Northern Daba Mountains (NDM) of Shaanxi Province, China, are a well-known selenium (Se)-rich area, and the area is also known for endemic fluorine (F) and arsenic (As) poisoning. In order to study the hydrochemical characteristics and trace element contents of the natural waters of this region, 62 water samples were collected from Lan'gao area in the NDM. The hydrochemical composition was principally characterized by Ca·Mg-HCO 3 ·SO 4 . F and As concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.67 mg/L and from 0.33 to 6.29 μg/L, respectively, lower than Chinese national standard and international guidelines for drinking water quality. One year of monitoring proved that F and As in natural water were not the sources of the local fluorosis and arseniasis in the NDM. The average Se concentration in fissure water was 5.20 μg/L. The average Se content of river water was 2.82 μg/L, 14 times that of the world's surface level (0.2 μg/L). The Se content in eight samples reached the Chinese national standards for mineral drinking water quality (>10 μg/L). Contrasting the water samples of May, July, and September in 2015 shows that the Se content is relatively stable and the increase of humidity might be beneficial to increase the content of selenium and strontium in water.
Tang, Chen-Yi
2017-01-01
Aims To explore the differences in salivary BPI fold containing family A, member 1 (BPIFA1) concentration among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects with various severities of chronic periodontitis and to determine whether BPIFA1 in saliva can be used as a potential biomarker of T2DM. Methods Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from 44 subjects with T2DM and 44 without T2DM (NDM). Additionally, demographic data and general health parameters, including fasting blood glucose (FBG) and body mass index (BMI), were collected. We also detected full-mouth clinical periodontal parameters including probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding index (BI), and plaque index (PLI). Salivary BPIFA1, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations were also detected. Results BPIFA1 in saliva was detected at relatively high levels. T2DM subjects had decreased salivary BPIFA1 concentrations (P = 0.031). In T2DM subjects with nonperiodontitis or severe periodontitis, the level of BPIFA1 was significantly lower compared with that of NDM. Salivary TNF-α concentration displayed a similar trend to BPIFA1 in the NDM group. Conclusions BPIFA1 protein is rich in saliva and might be used as a potential predictive biomarker of T2DM, especially in patients with severe periodontitis and nonperiodontitis. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-ROC-17010310. PMID:29109737
Degerman, Alexander; Rinne, Teemu; Särkkä, Anna-Kaisa; Salmi, Juha; Alho, Kimmo
2008-06-01
Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and magnetic fields (ERFs) were used to compare brain activity associated with selective attention to sound location or pitch in humans. Sixteen healthy adults participated in the ERP experiment, and 11 adults in the ERF experiment. In different conditions, the participants focused their attention on a designated sound location or pitch, or pictures presented on a screen, in order to detect target sounds or pictures among the attended stimuli. In the Attend Location condition, the location of sounds varied randomly (left or right), while their pitch (high or low) was kept constant. In the Attend Pitch condition, sounds of varying pitch (high or low) were presented at a constant location (left or right). Consistent with previous ERP results, selective attention to either sound feature produced a negative difference (Nd) between ERPs to attended and unattended sounds. In addition, ERPs showed a more posterior scalp distribution for the location-related Nd than for the pitch-related Nd, suggesting partially different generators for these Nds. The ERF source analyses found no source distribution differences between the pitch-related Ndm (the magnetic counterpart of the Nd) and location-related Ndm in the superior temporal cortex (STC), where the main sources of the Ndm effects are thought to be located. Thus, the ERP scalp distribution differences between the location-related and pitch-related Nd effects may have been caused by activity of areas outside the STC, perhaps in the inferior parietal regions.
Mathlouthi, Najla; El Salabi, Allaaeddin Ali; Ben Jomàa-Jemili, Mariem; Bakour, Sofiane; Al-Bayssari, Charbel; Zorgani, Abdulaziz A; Kraiema, Abdulmajeed; Elahmer, Omar; Okdah, Liliane; Rolain, Jean-Marc; Chouchani, Chedly
2016-07-01
Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen causing various nosocomial infections. The aim of this study was to characterise the molecular support of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii clinical isolates recovered from two Libyan hospitals. Bacterial isolates were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using disk diffusion and Etest methods, and carbapenem resistance determinants were studied by PCR amplification and sequencing. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed for typing of the isolates. All 36 imipenem-resistant isolates tested were identified as A. baumannii. The blaOXA-23 gene was detected in 29 strains (80.6%). The metallo-β-lactamase blaNDM-1 gene was detected in eight isolates (22.2%), showing dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii in Tripoli Medical Center and Burn and Plastic Surgery Hospital in Libya, including one isolate that co-expressed the blaOXA-23 gene. MLST revealed several sequence types (STs). Imipenem-resistant A. baumannii ST2 was the predominant clone (16/36; 44.4%). This study shows that NDM-1 and OXA-23 contribute to antibiotic resistance in Libyan hospitals and represents the first incidence of the association of these two carbapenemases in an autochthonous MDR A. baumannii isolated from patients in Libya, indicating that there is a longstanding infection control problem in these hospitals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of protocorm-like bodies in Cymbidium.
Chin, Dong Poh; Mishiba, Kei-ichiro; Mii, Masahiro
2007-06-01
Genetically transformed plants of Cymbidium were regenerated after cocultivating protocorm-like bodies (PLB) with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA101 (pIG121Hm) that harbored genes for beta-glucuronidase (gus), hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) and neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII). PLB of three genotypes maintained in liquid new Dogashima medium (NDM), were subjected to transformation experiments. The PLB inoculated with Agrobacterium produced secondary PLB, 4 weeks after transfer onto 2.5 g L(-1) gellan gum-solidified NDM containing 10 g L(-1) sucrose, 20 mg L(-1) hygromycin and 40 mg L(-1) meropenem. Transformation efficiency was affected by genotype and the presence of acetosyringone during cocultivation. The highest transformation efficiency was obtained when PLB from the genotype L4 were infected and cocultivated with Agrobacterium on medium containing 100 muM acetosyringone. Transformation of the hygromycin-resistant plantlets regenerated from different sites of inoculated PLB was confirmed by histochemical GUS assay, PCR analysis and Southern blot hybridization.
[Arms racing between human beings and pathogens: NDM-1 and superbugs].
Sun, Mingwei; Zheng, Beiwen; Gao, George F; Zhu, Baoli
2010-11-01
Throughout human history, pandemic bacterial diseases such as the plague and tuberculosis have posed an enormous threat to human beings. The discovery of antibiotics has provided us with powerful arsenal for the defense against bacterial infections. However, bacteria are acquiring more and more resistance genes to shield off antibiotics through mutation and horizontal gene transfer. Therefore, novel antibiotics must be produced and the arms race between bacterial pathogens and antibiotics is becoming increasingly intense. Recently, researchers have found that plasmids carrying a new metallo-beta-lactamase gene, blaNDM-1, and many other antibiotics resistance genes can easily spread through bacterial populations and confer recipient stains resistance to nearly all of the current antibiotics. It is a threat to the human health and a great challenge for our medical science, which we are facing. We need to find new ways to fight and win this arms racing.
Berdel, Dietrich; Buhl, Roland; Dierkesmann, Rainer; Niebling, Wilhelm; Schultz, Konrad; Ukena, Dieter; Worth, Heinrich; von Wichert, Peter; Ollenschläger, Günter; Kopp, Ina
2006-01-01
The National Disease Management Program (NDM Program) represents the basic content of structured, cross-sectoral healthcare. In particular, the NDM Program is directed towards coordinating different disciplines and areas of healthcare. The recommendations are developed through interdisciplinary consensus of the scientific medical societies on the basis of the best available evidence. Within this scope the scientific medical societies concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation of asthma consented upon a National Disease Management Guideline for Asthma in 2005. Among other things, the following cornerstones of asthma prevention were agreed upon: Breastfeeding and non-smoking were suggested as primary prevention measures for (expectant) parents. With respect to secondary prevention, recommendations have been made for allergen avoidance, active/passive smoking and immunotherapy. Regarding tertiary prevention, position statements on vaccination and specific immunotherapy are developed. The present paper presents both the original texts of the recommendations and the evidence underlying them.
Jeremiah, S S; Balaji, V; Anandan, S; Sahni, R D
2014-01-01
The modified Hodge test (MHT) is widely used as a screening test for the detection of carbapenemases in Gram-negative bacteria. This test has several pitfalls in terms of validity and interpretation. Also the test has a very low sensitivity in detecting the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM). Considering the degree of dissemination of the NDM and the growing pandemic of carbapenem resistance, a more accurate alternative test is needed at the earliest. The study intends to compare the performance of the MHT with the commercially available Neo-Sensitabs - Carbapenemases/Metallo-β-Lactamase (MBL) Confirmative Identification pack to find out whether the latter could be an efficient alternative to the former. A total of 105 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to imipenem and meropenem, collected prospectively over a period of 2 years were included in the study. The study isolates were tested with the MHT, the Neo-Sensitabs - Carbapenemases/MBL Confirmative Identification pack and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detecting the blaNDM-1 gene. Among the 105 isolates, the MHT identified 100 isolates as carbapenemase producers. In the five isolates negative for the MHT, four were found to produce MBLs by the Neo-Sensitabs. The Neo-Sensitabs did not have any false negatives when compared against the PCR. The MHT can give false negative results, which lead to failure in detecting the carbapenemase producers. Also considering the other pitfalls of the MHT, the Neo-Sensitabs--Carbapenemases/MBL Confirmative Identification pack could be a more efficient alternative for detection of carbapenemase production in Gram-negative bacteria.
Brugnoni, Raffaella; Canioni, Eleonora; Maccagnano, Elio; Bernasconi, Pia; Morandi, Lucia
2015-01-01
Skeletal muscle channelopathies (SMC), including non dystrophic myotonias (NDM) and periodic paralyses (PP), are characterized by considerable clinical overlap and clinical features not always allow addressing molecular diagnosis. Muscle imaging has been shown to be useful for differential diagnosis in neuromuscular disorders, however it has been relatively poorly investigated in SMC. We studied 15 patients affected by genetically confirmed SMC (NDM = 9, PP = 6) through muscle MRI or CT of thighs and legs, including 11 patients mutated in SCN4A gene, 2 in CACNA1S and 2 in CLCN1. Mean age at muscle imaging was 45.2 ± 18 years (range 22-70). Overall, fatty infiltration was found in thigh muscles in 8 (53%) patients and in leg muscles in 10 (60%). All patients mutated in CLCN1 and CACNA1S had abnormal thigh and/or leg muscle MRI, regardless the disease duration. On the contrary normal thigh and leg muscle MRI or CT scans were observed in 4/15 (27%) patients, all mutated in SCN4A. Variable degrees of fatty changes were found in patients mutated in SCN4A, CACNA1S and CLCN1. No differences on overall score of fatty infiltration were detected between NDM and PP (p-value = 0.953) neither between presence or absence of permanent weakness (p-value = 0.951). Our data confirm the presence of muscle fatty changes in the majority of SMC patients, although without any specific pattern of involvement. However muscle MRI may be a useful tool for longitudinal follow-up of SMC patients, in particular to evaluate the occurrence and the progression of fixed myopathy. PMID:27199537
Sanchez-Alcoholado, Lidia; Castellano-Castillo, Daniel; Jordán-Martínez, Laura; Moreno-Indias, Isabel; Cardila-Cruz, Pilar; Elena, Daniel; Muñoz-Garcia, Antonio J.; Jimenez-Navarro, Manuel
2017-01-01
Gut microbiota composition has been reported as a factor linking host metabolism with the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and intestinal immunity. Such gut microbiota has been shown to aggravate CVD by contributing to the production of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is a pro-atherogenic compound. Treg cells expressing the transcription factor Forkhead box protein P3 (FoxP3) play an essential role in the regulation of immune responses to commensal microbiota and have an atheroprotective role. However, the aim of this study was to analyze the role of gut microbiota on cardio-metabolic parameters and immunity in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with and without type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). The study included 16 coronary CAD-DM2 patients, and 16 age, sex, and BMI matched CAD patients without DM2 (CAD-NDM2). Fecal bacterial DNA was extracted and analyzed by sequencing in a GS Junior 454 platform followed by a bioinformatic analysis (QIIME and PICRUSt). The present study indicated that the diversity and composition of gut microbiota were different between the CAD-DM2 and CAD-NDM2 patients. The abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes was lower, whereas the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were higher in CAD-DM2 patients than those in the CAD-NDM2 group. CAD-DM2 patients had significantly less beneficial or commensal bacteria (such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Bacteroides fragilis) and more opportunistic pathogens (such as Enterobacteriaceae, Streptococcus, and Desulfovibrio). Additionally, CAD-DM2 patients had significantly higher levels of plasma zonulin, TMAO, and IL-1B and significantly lower levels of IL-10 and FOXP3 mRNA expression than CAD-NDM2. Moreover, in the CAD-MD2 group, the increase in Enterobacteriaceae and the decrease in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were significantly associated with the increase in serum TMAO levels, while the decrease in the abundance of Bacteroides fragilis was associated with the reduction in the FOXP3 mRNA expression, implicated in the development and function of Treg cells. These results suggest that the presence of DM2 is related to an impaired regulation of the immune system in CAD patients, mediated in part by the gut microbiota composition and functionality and the production and effects of their gut microbiota derived molecules. PMID:29051757
Zhang, Xingyu; Chen, Di; Xu, Guifeng; Huang, Weichun; Wang, Xing
2018-01-01
Infection by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) is a public health challenge worldwide, in particular among children, which was associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. There was limited data in pediatric populations, thus this study aimed to investigate molecular epidemiology and drug resistant mechanism of CR-KP strains from pediatric patients in Shanghai, China. A total of 41 clinical CR-KP isolates from sputum, urine, blood or drainage fluid were collected between July 2014 and May 2015 in Shanghai Children's Medical Center. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), antibiotic susceptibility testing, PCR amplification and sequencing of the drug resistance associated genes were applied to all these isolates. MLST analysis revealed 16 distinct STs identified within the 41 isolates, among which the most frequently represented were ST11(19.5%),ST25(14.6%),ST76(14.6%),ST37(9.8%).One new ST was first identified. All CR-KP isolates showed MDR phenotypes and were resistance to ceftazidime, imipenem, piperacillin / tazobactam, ceftriaxone, ampicillin /sulbactam, aztreonam. They were confirmed as carbapenemase producer, NDM-1 (56.1%, 23/41), IMP (26.8%, 11/41), KPC-2 (22.0%, 9/41) were detected. Of note, two isolates carried simultaneously both NDM-1 and IMP-4. All CR-KP strains contained at least one of extended spectrum β-lactamase genes tested(TEM, SHV, OXA-1, CTX-M group) and six isolates carried both ESBL and AmpC genes(DHA-1). Among the penicllinase and β-lactamase genes, the most frequently one is SHV(92.7%,38/41), followed by TEM-1(68.3%,28/41), CTX-M-14(43.9%,18/41), CTX-M-15(43.9%,14/41), OXA-1(14.6%,6/41). In the present study, NDM-1-producing isolates was the predominant CR-KP strains in children, follow by IMP and KPC-producing strains. NDM-1and IMP-4 were more frequent than KPC-2 and showed a multiclonal background. Those suggested carbapenem-resistant in children is diverse, and certain resistance mechanisms differ from prevalent genotypes in adults in the same region. Knowledge of the molecular epidemiology and drug resistant mechanism of CR-KP can have a profound effect on clinical treatment, infection control measures and public health policies for children.
A Clinicomycological Study of Cutaneous Mycoses in Sawai Man Singh Hospital of Jaipur, North India
Vyas, Aruna; Pathan, Nazneen; Sharma, Rajni; Vyas, Leela
2013-01-01
Background: Because of the widespread prevalence of the various cutaneous mycoses in a tropical country like India, it is important to know their patterns of etiology and clinical presentations. Aim: The present study was conducted in order to identify the clinical pattern of various cutaneous mycoses and the common etiological agents affecting the study populations admitted in SMS Hospital, Jaipur, in North India. Materials and Methods: Skin scrapings and hair and nail samples of 160 patients with clinical suspicion of dermatophytosis were collected and subjected to direct microscopy and were cultured in Sabouraud's dextrose agar. Fungal species were identified by macroscopic and microscopic examination. Data were presented as simple descriptive statistics (SPSS, Version 17.0 (Chicago Il, USA). Epi Info Version 3.5.1 (CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA). Results: Among the 160 clinically suspected patients of cutaneous mycoses, 60 (37.5%) were confirmed by culture. Dermatophytes and non-dermatophytes (NDM) were isolated from 66.6% (40/60) and 33.3% (20/60) of the positive cultures, respectively. Tinea capitis (50%) 30/60 was the most frequent clinical pattern and genus Trichophyton violaceum 32.5% (13/40) was the most common isolate in dermatophytosis-positive samples. Among the patients positive for NDM by culture, Tinea unguium 35% (7/20) was the most common clinical presentation and Aspergillus species 40% (8/20) were the most common etiological agents isolated. Conclusion: Although dermatophtes have been isolated from the cases of cutaneous mycoses all over the world with various frequencies, the role of NDM in the different cutaneous infections other than those of nail infections need to be evaluated. PMID:24380015
Manohar, Prasanth; Shanthini, Thamaraiselvan; Ayyanar, Ramankannan; Bozdogan, Bulent; Wilson, Aruni; Tamhankar, Ashok J; Nachimuthu, Ramesh; Lopes, Bruno S
2017-07-01
The occurrence of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance among Gram-negative bacteria is increasing worldwide. The aim of this study was to understand the distribution of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance in two areas in Tamil Nadu, India. The clinical isolates (n=89) used in this study were collected from two diagnostic centres in Tamil Nadu, India. The bacterial isolates were screened for meropenem- and colistin-resistance. Further, resistance genes blaNDM-1, blaOXA-48-like, blaIMP, blaVIM, blaKPC, mcr-1 and mcr-2 and integrons were studied. The synergistic effect of meropenem in combination with colistin was assessed. A total of 89 bacterial isolates were studied which included Escherichia coli (n=43), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=18), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=10), Enterobacter cloacae (n=6), Acinetobacter baumannii (n=5), Klebsiella oxytoca (n=4), Proteus mirabilis (n=2) and Salmonella paratyphi (n=1). MIC testing showed that 58/89 (65 %) and 29/89 (32 %) isolates were resistant to meropenem and colistin, respectively, whereas 27/89 (30 %) isolates were resistant to both antibiotics. Escherichia coli, K. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter cloacae isolates were blaNDM-1-positive (n=20). Some strains of Escherichia coli, K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca were blaOXA-181-positive (n=4). Class 1, 2 and 3 integrons were found in 24, 20 and 3 isolates, respectively. Nine NDM-1-positive Escherichia coli strains could transfer carbapenem resistance via plasmids to susceptible Escherichia coli AB1157. Meropenem and colistin showed synergy in 10/20 (50 %) isolates by 24 h time-kill studies. Our results highlight the distribution of carbapenem- and colistin-resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from the Tamil Nadu region in South India.
Mahalingam, Niranjana; Manivannan, Bhavani; Khamari, Balaram; Siddaramappa, Shivakumara; Adak, Sudeshna; Bulagonda, Eswarappa Pradeep
2018-05-08
The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of CTX-M, TEM, SHV, VIM, NDM and OXA genes in carbapenemase-producing E. coli and their transmissibility at a tertiary care hospital in south India. Twenty-one carbapenem-resistant E. coli (CRE) were collected from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram, India. Resistance to antibiotics was analyzed by Vitek-2, and identity of the isolates was confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing. RAPD and ERIC-PCR was performed for molecular typing. Metallo beta-lactamase production was confirmed by double disc synergy test. Presence of the extended spectrum beta lactamases CTX-M, TEM and SHV, and the carbapenemases NDM, VIM and OXA were determined by PCR. Carbapenemase variants were further confirmed by sequencing. Transmissibility of the genes was tested by conjugation. Twelve of the twenty-one (57%) carbapenem-resistant E. coli isolates were community-acquired, indicating the spread of CRE in environmental samples. TEM and NDM-5 were found to be the major beta-lactamases produced by the pathogens. OXA-181 was found in five of the isolates. All the 21 isolates were found to harbor more than one of the tested beta-lactamases, and all the isolates were found to have the capacity to participate in conjugation; fifteen of the transconjugants were found to have acquired the tested beta-lactamases, substantiating their ability to get transferred to other strains of bacteria. Monitoring of community-acquired carbapenem-resistant bacteria is very important as the association of resistance determinants with mobile genetic elements would present a serious clinical challenge. ©2018The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.
Moubareck, Carole Ayoub; Mouftah, Shaimaa F; Pál, Tibor; Ghazawi, Akela; Halat, Dalal H; Nabi, Anju; AlSharhan, Mouza A; AlDeesi, Zulfa O; Peters, Christabel C; Celiloglu, Handan; Sannegowda, Manjunath; Sarkis, Dolla K; Sonnevend, Ágnes
2018-03-09
Few studies have addressed the molecular epidemiology of carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) isolates in the Arabian Peninsula, and such investigations have been missing from Dubai, a major economical, tourism and medical centre of the region. The antibiotic susceptibility, the carbapenemase type produced, and the clonality of 89 CRE strains isolated in five major Dubai hospitals in June 2015 - June 2016 were determined. Thirty three percent of the collection of 70 K. pneumoniae, 13 E. coli and 6 other Enterobacteriaceae were extremely drug resistant, 27% were resistant to colistin, and 4.5% (four K. pneumoniae isolates) were resistant to all antibiotics tested. The colistin resistance rate in K. pneumoniae was 31.4%. None of the isolates carried mobile colistin resistance genes. Seventy-seven isolates produced carbapenemase: 53.3% OXA-48-like, 24.7% NDM, and 22.1% both OXA-48-like and NDM, respectively. PFGE clustered 50% of K. pneumoniae into a 35-membered group, which showed significant association with double carbapenemase production, with extreme drug resistance, and with being isolated from Emirati patients. Members of the cluster belonged to sequence type ST14. The rate of colistin resistance in K. pneumoniae ST14 was 37.1% vs. 27.1% of K. pneumoniae isolates outside of the cluster. Two of the panresistant K. pneumoniae isolates also belonged to ST14, whereas the other two were ST15 and ST231, respectively. In conclusion, beyond the overall high colistin resistance rate in CRE, the emergence of a highly resistant clone of K. pneumoniae ST14 in all Dubai hospitals investigated is a serious problem requiring immediate attention. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Dong, Fang; Zhang, Ye; Yao, Kaihu; Lu, Jie; Guo, Lingyun; Lyu, Shuang; Yang, Ying; Wang, Yan; Zheng, Hongyan; Song, Wenqi; Liu, Gang
2018-03-01
The spread of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKp) has become a significant problem worldwide; however, relevant data in children are limited. We performed a retrospective study to better understand the epidemiology of CRKp bloodstream infections at Beijing Children's Hospital. A total of 164 K. pneumoniae strains were collected from blood cultures between January 2011 and September 2014, of which 52 (31.7%) were CRKp strains. All 52 CRKp strains were multidrug resistant; 46 (88.5%) and 49 (94.2%) isolates were resistant to meropenem and imipenem, respectively. Low rates of resistance to amikacin (5.8%), levofloxacin (7.7%), and ciprofloxacin (15.4%) were observed. All isolates were susceptible to colistin. Among the tested carbapenem resistance genes, the predominant gene was bla NDM-1 , detected in 28 (53.8%) isolates, followed by bla IMP-4 (19, 36.5%) and bla KPC-2 (4, 7.7%). Multilocus sequence typing identified 31 sequence types (STs), the most predominant of which was ST782 (9, 29.0%). All ST782 strains were New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) producing. Four novel STs (ST2010, ST2011, ST2012, and ST2013) and two novel alleles (phoE243 and tonB324) were also detected. Hematologic disease was the most common underlying disease (73.1%). All children received initial empirical therapy. A total of 59.6% (31/52) patients received inappropriate empirical therapy, and 45.2% (14/31) changed antimicrobial therapy after blood culture results were obtained. The overall mortality rate was 11.5%. In conclusion, we observed a high rate of CRKp isolates collected from blood cultures and the predominance of NDM-1-producing K. pneumoniae among children from 2011 to 2014.
Samuelsen, Ørjan; Overballe-Petersen, Søren; Bjørnholt, Jørgen Vildershøj; Brisse, Sylvain; Doumith, Michel; Woodford, Neil; Hopkins, Katie L; Aasnæs, Bettina; Haldorsen, Bjørg; Sundsfjord, Arnfinn
2017-01-01
The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) is increasing worldwide. Here we present associated patient data and molecular, epidemiological and phenotypic characteristics of all CPE isolates in Norway from 2007 to 2014 confirmed at the Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance. All confirmed CPE isolates were characterized pheno- and genotypically, including by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Patient data were reviewed retrospectively. In total 59 CPE isolates were identified from 53 patients. Urine was the dominant clinical sample source (37%) and only 15% of the isolates were obtained from faecal screening. The majority of cases (62%) were directly associated with travel or hospitalization abroad, but both intra-hospital transmission and one inter-hospital outbreak were observed. The number of CPE cases/year was low (2-14 cases/year), but an increasing trend was observed. Klebsiella spp. (n = 38) and E. coli (n = 14) were the dominant species and blaKPC (n = 20), blaNDM (n = 19), blaOXA-48-like (n = 12) and blaVIM (n = 7) were the dominant carbapenemase gene families. The CPE isolates were genetically diverse except for K. pneumoniae where clonal group 258 associated with blaKPC dominated. All isolates were multidrug-resistant and a significant proportion (21%) were resistant to colistin. Interestingly, all blaOXA-48-like, and a large proportion of blaNDM-positive Klebsiella spp. (89%) and E. coli (83%) isolates were susceptible in vitro to mecillinam. Thus, mecillinam could have a role in the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections caused by OXA-48- or NDM-producing E. coli or K. pneumoniae. In conclusion, the impact of CPE in Norway is still limited and mainly associated with travel abroad, reflected in the diversity of clones and carbapenemase genes.
Molecular dynamics simulation studies of novel β-lactamase inhibitor.
Ul Haq, Farhan; Abro, Asma; Raza, Saad; Liedl, Klaus R; Azam, Syed Sikander
2017-06-01
New Delhi Metallo-β-Lactamase-1 (NDM-1) has drawn great attention due to its diverse antibiotic resistant activity. It can hydrolyze almost all clinically available β-lactam antibiotics. To inhibit the activity of NDM-1 a new strategy is proposed using computational methods. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to analyze the molecular interactions between selected inhibitor candidates and NDM-1 structure. The enzyme-ligand complex is subject to binding free energy calculations using MM(PB/GB)SA methods. The role of each residue of the active site contributing in ligand binding affinity is explored using energy decomposition analysis. Furthermore, a hydrogen bonding network between ligand and enzyme active site is observed and key residues are identified ensuring that the ligand stays inside the active site and maintains its movement towards the active site pocket. A production run of 150ns is carried out and results are analyzed using root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), and radius of gyration (Rg) to explain the stability of enzyme ligand complex. Important active site residue e.g. PHE70, VAL73, TRP93, HIS122, GLN123, ASP124, HIS189, LYS216, CYS208, LYS211, ALA215, HIS250, and SER251 were observed to be involved in ligand attachemet inside the active site pocket, hence depicting its inhibitor potential. Hydrogen bonds involved in structural stability are analyzed through radial distribution function (RDF) and contribution of important residues involved in ligand movement is explained using a novel analytical tool, axial frequency distribution (AFD) to observe the role of important hydrogen bonding partners between ligand atoms and active site residues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Sjölander, Isabella; Hansen, Frank; Elmanama, Abdelraouf; Khayyat, Rasha; Abu-Zant, Alaeddin; Hussein, Ayman; Taha, Adham Abu; Hammerum, Anette M; Ciofu, Oana
2014-06-01
The aim of this study was to screen for carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in Palestine and subsequently to identify and investigate the mechanisms of resistance. For a period of 6 weeks, all Gram-negative isolates were collected from six Palestinian hospital laboratories and were tested for susceptibility using 10μg meropenem disks. Isolates showing resistance to meropenem were further investigated. The presence of carbapenemases was assessed by PCR. In addition, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, an efflux pump inhibitor assay and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were performed. Isolates producing carbapenemases were further investigated by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). In total, 248 Gram-negative isolates were collected from the six laboratories. Among the 248 tested isolates, 15 Acinetobacter baumannii and 6 Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to meropenem. One A. baumannii from Gaza produced NDM-2 and belonged to ST103. Thirteen of the carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates possessed the intrinsic upregulated bla OXA-66 gene and one isolate carried bla OXA-51 . All but one of the OXA-66-producing A. baumannii belonged to ST2; the remaining isolate belonged to ST183. One of the carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa was classified as VIM-4-producing and three were VIM-2-producing isolates. The three VIM-2-producing isolates belonged to three new sequences types (ST1562, ST1563 and ST1564). All of the carbapenemase-producing isolates were multiresistant non-fermenters. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on NDM-producing A. baumannii and VIM-producing P. aeruginosa from Palestine. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1994-01-01
Program: The Development and Manufacture of a Gelled Nitromethane Explosive for Project ESSEX." DNA PR 0004, UCRL -51536, October 1974. (AD A001343...STRBE-CFLO AITTN: T. Hater STRBE-NE (3 cys) Technical Library STRBE-ND, Spitzer 3701 North Fairfax Drive STRBE-NDM, Dillon Arlington, VA 22203-1714
A Quantitative Measure of Handgrip Myotonia in Non-dystrophic Myotonia
Statland, Jeffrey M; Bundy, Brian N; Wang, Yunxia; Trivedi, Jaya R; Rayan, Dipa Raja; Herbelin, Laura; Donlan, Merideth; McLin, Rhonda; Eichinger, Katy J; Findlater, Karen; Dewar, Liz; Pandya, Shree; Martens, William B; Venance, Shannon L; Matthews, Emma; Amato, Anthony A; Hanna, Michael G; Griggs, Robert C; Barohn, Richard J
2012-01-01
Introduction Non-dystrophic Myotonia (NDM) is characterized by myotonia without muscle wasting. A standardized quantitative myotonia assessment (QMA) is important for clinical trials. Methods Myotonia was assessed in 91 individuals enrolled in a natural history study using a commercially available computerized handgrip myometer and automated software. Average peak force and 90% to 5% relaxation times were compared to historical normal controls studied with identical methods. Results 30 subjects had chloride channel mutations, 31 sodium channel mutations, 6 DM2, and 24 no identified mutation. Chloride channel mutations were associated with prolonged 1st handgrip relaxation times, and warm up on subsequent handgrips. Sodium channel mutations were associated with prolonged 1st handgrip relaxation times and paradoxical myotonia or warm-up, depending on underlying mutations. DM2 subjects had normal relaxation times but decreased peak force. Sample size estimates are provided for clinical trial planning. Conclusion QMA is an automated, non-invasive technique for evaluating myotonia in NDM. PMID:22987687
Improving decision making in crisis.
Higgins, Guy; Freedman, Jennifer
2013-01-01
The most critical activity during emergencies or crises is making decisions about what to do next. This paper provides insights into the challenges that people face in making decisions at any time, but particularly during emergencies and crises. It also introduces the reader to the concept of different sense-making/decision-making domains, the human behaviours that can adversely affect decision making - decision derailers - and ways in which emergency responders can leverage this knowledge to make better decisions. While the literature on decision making is extensive, this paper is focused on those aspects that apply particularly to decision making in emergencies or times of crisis.
75 FR 3921 - Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of Terminated Oil and Gas Lease NDM 94701
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-01-25
... Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Per 30 U.S.C. 188(d), Aavark Services, Inc., timely filed a... per Sec. 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188). We are proposing to...
Tipton, D A; Cho, S; Zacharia, N; Dabbous, M K
2013-10-01
Gingival epithelial cells and fibroblasts participate in periodontal inflammation and destruction, producing interleukin (IL)-6, a regulator of osteoclastic bone resorption, and the neutrophil chemoattractant IL-8. IL-17, a product of T-helper 17 cells, may play a role in periodontitis by stimulating cytokine production by gingival cells. The cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is rich in polyphenols, particularly proanthocyanidins, which have antioxidant and other beneficial properties. Cranberry components inhibit pro-inflammatory activities of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human macrophages, gingival fibroblasts, and epithelial cells, but little is known of its effects on IL-17-stimulated cytokine production. The objectives were to determine the effects of IL-17 ± cranberry components on IL-6 and IL-8 production by human gingival epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Cranberry high molecular weight non-dialyzable material (NDM), which is rich in proanthocyanidins, was derived from cranberry juice. Human gingival epithelial cells and normal human gingival fibroblasts were incubated with NDM (5-50 μg/mL), IL-17 (0.5-100 ng/mL), or NDM + IL-17 in serum-free medium for 6 d. IL-6 and IL-8 in culture supernatants were measured by ELISA. Membrane damage and viability were assessed by lactate dehydrogenase activity released into cell supernatants and activity of a mitochondrial enzyme, respectively. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Scheffe's F procedure for post hoc comparisons. In both cell lines, IL-17 (≥ ~5-10 ng/mL) significantly stimulated production of IL-6 (p < 0.005) and IL-8 (p < 0.03). Non-toxic levels of NDM inhibited constitutive IL-6 and IL-8 production by epithelial cells (p ≤ 0.01) and fibroblasts (p ≤ 0.03) as well as IL-17-stimulated cytokine production by epithelial cells [IL-6 (maximum ~80% inhibition; p ≤ 0.0001); IL-8 (maximum ~70% inhibition; p ≤ 0.03)] and fibroblasts [IL-6 (maximum ~90% inhibition; p ≤ 0.0001); IL-8 (maximum ~80% inhibition; p ≤ 0.008)]. Cranberry NDM inhibition of constitutive and IL-17-stimulated IL-6 and IL-8 production by gingival fibroblasts and epithelial cells suggests that cranberry components could be useful as a host modulatory therapeutic agent to prevent or treat periodontitis. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Shared Decision-Making in the Management of Congenital Vascular Malformations.
Horbach, Sophie E R; Ubbink, Dirk T; Stubenrouch, Fabienne E; Koelemay, Mark J W; van der Vleuten, Carine J M; Verhoeven, Bas H; Reekers, Jim A; Schultze Kool, Leo J; van der Horst, Chantal M A M
2017-03-01
In shared decision-making, clinicians and patients arrive at a joint treatment decision, by incorporating best available evidence and the patients' personal values and preferences. Little is known about the role of shared decision-making in managing patients with congenital vascular malformations, for which preference-sensitive decision-making seems obvious. The authors investigated preferences regarding decision-making and current shared decision-making behavior during physician-patient encounters. In two Dutch university hospitals, adults and children with congenital vascular malformations facing a treatment-related decision were enrolled. Before the consultation, patients (or parents of children) expressed their preference regarding decision-making (Control Preferences Scale). Afterward, participants completed shared decision-making-specific questionnaires (nine-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire, CollaboRATE, and satisfaction), and physicians completed the Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire-Physician questionnaire. Consultations were audiotaped and patient involvement was scored by two independent researchers using the five-item Observing Patient Involvement instrument. All questionnaire results were expressed on a scale of 0 to 100 (optimum shared decision-making). Fifty-five participants (24 parents and 31 adult patients) were included. Two-thirds preferred the shared decision-making approach (Control Preferences Scale). Objective five-item Observing Patient Involvement scores were low (mean ± SD, 31 ± 15), whereas patient and physician Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire scores were high, with means of 68 ± 18 and 68 ± 19, respectively. The median CollaboRATE score was 93. There was no clear relationship between shared decision-making and satisfaction scores. Although adults and parents of children with vascular malformations express a strong desire for shared decision-making, objective shared decision-making behavior is still lacking, most likely because of poor awareness of the shared decision-making concept among patients, parents, and physicians. To improve shared decision-making practice, targeted interventions (e.g., decision aids, staff training) are essential.
Decision Making on the Labor and Delivery Unit: An Investigation of Influencing Factors.
Gregory, Megan E; Sonesh, Shirley C; Feitosa, Jennifer; Benishek, Lauren E; Hughes, Ashley M; Salas, Eduardo
2017-09-01
Objective The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between negative affect (NA), decision-making style, time stress, and decision quality in health care. Background Health care providers must often make swift, high-stakes decisions. Influencing factors of the decision-making process in this context have been understudied. Method Within a sample of labor and delivery nurses, physicians, and allied personnel, we used self-report measures to examine the impact of trait factors, including NA, decision-making style, and perceived time stress, on decision quality in a situational judgment test (Study 1). In Study 2, we observed the influence of state NA, state decision-making style, state time stress, and their relationship with decision quality on real clinical decisions. Results In Study 1, we found that trait NA significantly predicted avoidant decision-making style. Furthermore, those who were higher on trait time stress and trait avoidant decision-making style exhibited poorer decisions. In Study 2, we observed associations between state NA with state avoidant and analytical decision-making styles. We also observed that these decision-making styles, when considered in tandem with time stress, were influential in predicting clinical decision quality. Conclusion NA predicts some decision-making styles, and decision-making style can affect decision quality under time stress. This is particularly true for state factors. Application Individual differences, such as affect and decision-making style, should be considered during selection. Training to reduce time stress perceptions should be provided.
Boland, Laura; McIsaac, Daniel I; Lawson, Margaret L
2016-04-01
To explore multiple stakeholders' perceived barriers to and facilitators of implementing shared decision making and decision support in a tertiary paediatric hospital. An interpretive descriptive qualitative study was conducted using focus groups and interviews to examine senior hospital administrators', clinicians', parents' and youths' perceived barriers to and facilitators of shared decision making and decision support implementation. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Fifty-seven stakeholders participated. Six barrier and facilitator themes emerged. The main barrier was gaps in stakeholders' knowledge of shared decision making and decision support. Facilitators included compatibility between shared decision making and the hospital's culture and ideal practices, perceptions of positive patient and family outcomes associated with shared decision making, and positive attitudes regarding shared decision making and decision support. However, youth attitudes regarding the necessity and usefulness of a decision support program were a barrier. Two themes were both a barrier and a facilitator. First, stakeholder groups were uncertain which clinical situations are suitable for shared decision making (eg, new diagnoses, chronic illnesses, complex decisions or urgent decisions). Second, the clinical process may be hindered if shared decision making and decision support decrease efficiency and workflow; however, shared decision making may reduce repeat visits and save time over the long term. Specific knowledge translation strategies that improve shared decision making knowledge and match specific barriers identified by each stakeholder group may be required to promote successful shared decision making and decision support implementation in the authors' paediatric hospital.
Decision-making on shared sanitation in the informal settlements of Kisumu, Kenya.
Simiyu, Sheillah; Swilling, Mark; Cairncross, Sandy
2017-10-01
Unlike most quantitative studies that investigate decision-making on investing in sanitation, this study adopted a qualitative approach to investigate decision-making on shared sanitation in the informal settlements of Kisumu city, in Kenya. Using a grounded theory approach, landlords and tenants were interviewed to identify sanitation decisions, individuals involved in decision-making and factors influencing decision-making. The results indicate that the main sanitation decisions are on investment, emptying, repair and cleaning. Landlords make investment, emptying and repair decisions, while tenants make cleaning decisions. Absentee landlords are less involved in most decision-making compared to live-in landlords, who rarely consult tenants in decision-making. Tenants make decisions after consultations with a third party and often collectively with other tenants. Sanitation interventions in informal settlements should thus, target landlords and tenants, with investment efforts being directed at landlords and maintenance efforts at tenants.
Gillespie, Mary
2010-11-01
Nurses' clinical decision-making is a complex process that holds potential to influence the quality of care provided and patient outcomes. The evolution of nurses' decision-making that occurs with experience has been well documented. In addition, literature includes numerous strategies and approaches purported to support development of nurses' clinical decision-making. There has been, however, significantly less attention given to the process of assessing nurses' clinical decision-making and novice clinical educators are often challenged with knowing how to best support nurses and nursing students in developing their clinical decision-making capacity. The Situated Clinical Decision-Making framework is presented for use by clinical educators: it provides a structured approach to analyzing nursing students' and novice nurses' decision-making in clinical nursing practice, assists educators in identifying specific issues within nurses' clinical decision-making, and guides selection of relevant strategies to support development of clinical decision-making. A series of questions is offered as a guide for clinical educators when assessing nurses' clinical decision-making. The discussion presents key considerations related to analysis of various decision-making components, including common sources of challenge and errors that may occur within nurses' clinical decision-making. An exemplar illustrates use of the framework and guiding questions. Implications of this approach for selection of strategies that support development of clinical decision-making are highlighted. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
[Decision Making and Electrodermal Activity].
Kobayakawa, Mutsutaka
2016-08-01
Decision making is aided by emotions. Bodily responses, such as sweating, heartbeat, and visceral sensation, are used to monitor the emotional state during decision making. Because decision making in dairy life is complicated and cognitively demanding, these bodily signals are thought to facilitate the decision making process by assigning positive or negative values for each of the behavioral options. The sweat response in a decision making task is measured by skin conductance response (SCR). SCR in decision making is divided into two categories: anticipatory SCR is observed before making decisions, and reward/punishment SCR is observed after the outcome of the decision is perceived. Brain lesion studies in human revealed that the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex are important in decision making. Patients with lesinon in the amygdala exhibit neither the anticipatory nor reward/punishment SCRs, while patients with the ventromedial prefrontal lesions have deficits only in the anticipatory SCRs. Decision making tasks and SCR analysis have contributed to reveal the implicit aspects of decision making. Further research is necessary for clarifying the role of explicit process of decision making and its relationship with the implicit process.
Orom, Heather; Biddle, Caitlin; Underwood, Willie; Nelson, Christian J.; Homish, D. Lynn
2016-01-01
Objective We explored whether active patient involvement in decision making and greater patient knowledge are associated with better treatment decision making experiences and better quality of life (QOL) among men with clinically localized prostate cancer. Localized prostate cancer treatment decision-making is an advantageous model for studying patient treatment decision-making dynamics as there are multiple treatment options and a lack of empirical evidence to recommend one over the other; consequently, it is recommended that patients be fully involved in making the decision. Methods Men with newly diagnosed clinically localized prostate cancer (N=1529) completed measures of decisional control, prostate cancer knowledge, and their decision-making experience (decisional conflict, and decision-making satisfaction and difficulty) shortly after they made their treatment decision. Prostate cancer-specific QOL was assessed 6-months after treatment. Results More active involvement in decision making and greater knowledge were associated with lower decisional conflict and higher decision-making satisfaction, but greater decision-making difficulty. An interaction between decisional control and knowledge revealed that greater knowledge was only associated with greater difficulty for men actively involved in making the decision (67% of sample). Greater knowledge, but not decisional control predicted better QOL 6-months post-treatment. Conclusion Although men who are actively involved in decision making and more knowledgeable may make more informed decisions, they could benefit from decisional support (e.g., decision-making aids, emotional support from providers, strategies for reducing emotional distress) to make the process easier. Men who were more knowledgeable about prostate cancer and treatment side effects at the time they made their treatment decision may have appraised their QOL as higher because they had realistic expectations about side effects. PMID:26957566
Orom, Heather; Biddle, Caitlin; Underwood, Willie; Nelson, Christian J; Homish, D Lynn
2016-08-01
We explored whether active patient involvement in decision making and greater patient knowledge are associated with better treatment decision-making experiences and better quality of life (QOL) among men with clinically localized prostate cancer. Localized prostate cancer treatment decision making is an advantageous model for studying patient treatment decision-making dynamics because there are multiple treatment options and a lack of empirical evidence to recommend one over the other; consequently, it is recommended that patients be fully involved in making the decision. Men with newly diagnosed clinically localized prostate cancer (N = 1529) completed measures of decisional control, prostate cancer knowledge, and decision-making experiences (decisional conflict and decision-making satisfaction and difficulty) shortly after they made their treatment decision. Prostate cancer-specific QOL was assessed at 6 months after treatment. More active involvement in decision making and greater knowledge were associated with lower decisional conflict and higher decision-making satisfaction but greater decision-making difficulty. An interaction between decisional control and knowledge revealed that greater knowledge was only associated with greater difficulty for men actively involved in making the decision (67% of sample). Greater knowledge, but not decisional control, predicted better QOL 6 months after treatment. Although men who are actively involved in decision making and more knowledgeable may make more informed decisions, they could benefit from decisional support (e.g., decision-making aids, emotional support from providers, strategies for reducing emotional distress) to make the process easier. Men who were more knowledgeable about prostate cancer and treatment side effects at the time that they made their treatment decision may have appraised their QOL as higher because they had realistic expectations about side effects. © The Author(s) 2016.
Boland, Laura; McIsaac, Daniel I; Lawson, Margaret L
2016-01-01
OBJECTIVE: To explore multiple stakeholders’ perceived barriers to and facilitators of implementing shared decision making and decision support in a tertiary paediatric hospital. METHODS: An interpretive descriptive qualitative study was conducted using focus groups and interviews to examine senior hospital administrators’, clinicians’, parents’ and youths’ perceived barriers to and facilitators of shared decision making and decision support implementation. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-seven stakeholders participated. Six barrier and facilitator themes emerged. The main barrier was gaps in stakeholders’ knowledge of shared decision making and decision support. Facilitators included compatibility between shared decision making and the hospital’s culture and ideal practices, perceptions of positive patient and family outcomes associated with shared decision making, and positive attitudes regarding shared decision making and decision support. However, youth attitudes regarding the necessity and usefulness of a decision support program were a barrier. Two themes were both a barrier and a facilitator. First, stakeholder groups were uncertain which clinical situations are suitable for shared decision making (eg, new diagnoses, chronic illnesses, complex decisions or urgent decisions). Second, the clinical process may be hindered if shared decision making and decision support decrease efficiency and workflow; however, shared decision making may reduce repeat visits and save time over the long term. CONCLUSIONS: Specific knowledge translation strategies that improve shared decision making knowledge and match specific barriers identified by each stakeholder group may be required to promote successful shared decision making and decision support implementation in the authors’ paediatric hospital. PMID:27398058
Deadlock Detection in Computer Networks
1977-09-01
it entity class name (ndm-procownerref) = -:"node tab5le" I procnode_name z res-rnode-name call then return; nc ll c eck -for-deadlock(p_obplref...demo12 ~-exlusive sae con Caobridg Fina Sttonaa con0 Official Distribution List Defense Documentation Center New York Area Office Cameron Station 715
Nakao, Takashi; Ohira, Hideki; Northoff, Georg
2012-01-01
Most experimental studies of decision-making have specifically examined situations in which a single less-predictable correct answer exists (externally guided decision-making under uncertainty). Along with such externally guided decision-making, there are instances of decision-making in which no correct answer based on external circumstances is available for the subject (internally guided decision-making). Such decisions are usually made in the context of moral decision-making as well as in preference judgment, where the answer depends on the subject’s own, i.e., internal, preferences rather than on external, i.e., circumstantial, criteria. The neuronal and psychological mechanisms that allow guidance of decisions based on more internally oriented criteria in the absence of external ones remain unclear. This study was undertaken to compare decision-making of these two kinds empirically and theoretically. First, we reviewed studies of decision-making to clarify experimental–operational differences between externally guided and internally guided decision-making. Second, using multi-level kernel density analysis, a whole-brain-based quantitative meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies was performed. Our meta-analysis revealed that the neural network used predominantly for internally guided decision-making differs from that for externally guided decision-making under uncertainty. This result suggests that studying only externally guided decision-making under uncertainty is insufficient to account for decision-making processes in the brain. Finally, based on the review and results of the meta-analysis, we discuss the differences and relations between decision-making of these two types in terms of their operational, neuronal, and theoretical characteristics. PMID:22403525
One Way of Thinking About Decision Making.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dalis, Gus T.; Strasser, Ben B.
The authors present the DALSTRA model of decision making, a descriptive statement of ways individuals or groups respond to different kinds of decision-making problems they encounter. Decision making is viewed in two phases: the decision-making antecedents (whether to decide, how to decide) and the modes of decision making (Chance/Impulse,…
Strategic Decision Making Paradigms: A Primer for Senior Leaders
2009-07-01
decision making . STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING Strategic Change: There are several strategic...influenced by stakeholders outside of the organization. The Ontology of Strategic Decision Making . Strategic decisions are non-routine and involve...Coates USAWC, July 2009 5 The Complexity of Strategic Decision Making Strategic decisions entail “ill-structured,”6 “messy” or
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gresch, Helge; Hasselhorn, Marcus; Bögeholz, Susanne
2013-10-01
Dealing with socio-scientific issues in science classes enables students to participate productively in controversial discussions concerning ethical topics, such as sustainable development. In this respect, well-structured decision-making processes are essential for elaborate reasoning. To foster decision-making competence, a computer-based programme was developed that trains secondary school students (grades 11-13) in decision-making strategies. The main research question is: does training students to use these strategies foster decision-making competence? In addition, the influence of meta-decision aids was examined. Students conducted a task analysis to select an appropriate strategy prior to the decision-making process. Hence, the second research question is: does combining decision-making training with a task analysis enhance decision-making competence at a higher rate? To answer these questions, 386 students were tested in a pre-post-follow-up control-group design that included two training groups (decision-making strategies/decision-making strategies combined with a task analysis) and a control group (decision-making with additional ecological information instead of strategic training). An open-ended questionnaire was used to assess decision-making competence in situations related to sustainable development. The decision-making training led to a significant improvement in the post-test and the follow-up, which was administered three months after the training. Long-term effects on the quality of the students' decisions were evident for both training groups. Gains in competence when reflecting upon the decision-making processes of others were found, to a lesser extent, in the training group that received the additional meta-decision training. In conclusion, training in decision-making strategies is a promising approach to deal with socio-scientific issues related to sustainable development.
Kon, Alexander A; Davidson, Judy E; Morrison, Wynne; Danis, Marion; White, Douglas B
2016-01-01
Shared decision making is endorsed by critical care organizations; however, there remains confusion about what shared decision making is, when it should be used, and approaches to promote partnerships in treatment decisions. The purpose of this statement is to define shared decision making, recommend when shared decision making should be used, identify the range of ethically acceptable decision-making models, and present important communication skills. The American College of Critical Care Medicine and American Thoracic Society Ethics Committees reviewed empirical research and normative analyses published in peer-reviewed journals to generate recommendations. Recommendations approved by consensus of the full Ethics Committees of American College of Critical Care Medicine and American Thoracic Society were included in the statement. Six recommendations were endorsed: 1) DEFINITION: Shared decision making is a collaborative process that allows patients, or their surrogates, and clinicians to make healthcare decisions together, taking into account the best scientific evidence available, as well as the patient's values, goals, and preferences. 2) Clinicians should engage in a shared decision making process to define overall goals of care (including decisions regarding limiting or withdrawing life-prolonging interventions) and when making major treatment decisions that may be affected by personal values, goals, and preferences. 3) Clinicians should use as their "default" approach a shared decision making process that includes three main elements: information exchange, deliberation, and making a treatment decision. 4) A wide range of decision-making approaches are ethically supportable, including patient- or surrogate-directed and clinician-directed models. Clinicians should tailor the decision-making process based on the preferences of the patient or surrogate. 5) Clinicians should be trained in communication skills. 6) Research is needed to evaluate decision-making strategies. Patient and surrogate preferences for decision-making roles regarding value-laden choices range from preferring to exercise significant authority to ceding such authority to providers. Clinicians should adapt the decision-making model to the needs and preferences of the patient or surrogate.
Dhukaram, Anandhi Vivekanandan; Baber, Chris
2015-06-01
Patients make various healthcare decisions on a daily basis. Such day-to-day decision making can have significant consequences on their own health, treatment, care, and costs. While decision aids (DAs) provide effective support in enhancing patient's decision making, to date there have been few studies examining patient's decision making process or exploring how the understanding of such decision processes can aid in extracting requirements for the design of DAs. This paper applies Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) to analyse patient's decision making in order to inform requirements for supporting self-care decision making. This study uses focus groups to elicit information from elderly cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients concerning a range of decision situations they face on a daily basis. Specifically, the focus groups addressed issues related to the decision making of CVD in terms of medication compliance, pain, diet and exercise. The results of these focus groups are used to develop high level views using CWA. CWA framework decomposes the complex decision making problem to inform three approaches to DA design: one design based on high level requirements; one based on a normative model of decision-making for patients; and the third based on a range of heuristics that patients seem to use. CWA helps in extracting and synthesising decision making from different perspectives: decision processes, work organisation, patient competencies and strategies used in decision making. As decision making can be influenced by human behaviour like skills, rules and knowledge, it is argued that patients require support to different types of decision making. This paper also provides insights for designers in using CWA framework for the design of effective DAs to support patients in self-management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Decision-making in Swiss home-like childbirth: A grounded theory study.
Meyer, Yvonne; Frank, Franziska; Schläppy Muntwyler, Franziska; Fleming, Valerie; Pehlke-Milde, Jessica
2017-12-01
Decision-making in midwifery, including a claim for shared decision-making between midwives and women, is of major significance for the health of mother and child. Midwives have little information about how to share decision-making responsibilities with women, especially when complications arise during birth. To increase understanding of decision-making in complex home-like birth settings by exploring midwives' and women's perspectives and to develop a dynamic model integrating participatory processes for making shared decisions. The study, based on grounded theory methodology, analysed 20 interviews of midwives and 20 women who had experienced complications in home-like births. The central phenomenon that arose from the data was "defining/redefining decision as a joint commitment to healthy childbirth". The sub-indicators that make up this phenomenon were safety, responsibility, mutual and personal commitments. These sub-indicators were also identified to influence temporal conditions of decision-making and to apply different strategies for shared decision-making. Women adopted strategies such as delegating a decision, making the midwife's decision her own, challenging a decision or taking a decision driven by the dynamics of childbirth. Midwives employed strategies such as remaining indecisive, approving a woman's decision, making an informed decision or taking the necessary decision. To respond to recommendations for shared responsibility for care, midwives need to strengthen their shared decision-making skills. The visual model of decision-making in childbirth derived from the data provides a framework for transferring clinical reasoning into practice. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Mahmoodi, Neda; Sargeant, Sally
2017-01-01
This interview-based study uses phenomenology as a theoretical framework and thematic analysis to challenge existing explanatory frameworks of shared decision-making, in an exploration of women's experiences and perceptions of shared decision-making for adjuvant treatment in breast cancer. Three themes emerged are as follows: (1) women's desire to participate in shared decision-making, (2) the degree to which shared decision-making is perceived to be shared and (3) to what extent are women empowered within shared decision-making. Studying breast cancer patients' subjective experiences of adjuvant treatment decision-making provides a broader perspective on patient participatory role preferences and doctor-patient power dynamics within shared decision-making for breast cancer.
Measuring Shared Decision Making in Psychiatric Care
Salyers, Michelle P.; Matthias, Marianne S.; Fukui, Sadaaki; Holter, Mark C.; Collins, Linda; Rose, Nichole; Thompson, John; Coffman, Melinda; Torrey, William C.
2014-01-01
Objective Shared decision making is widely recognized to facilitate effective health care; tools are needed to measure the level of shared decision making in psychiatric practice. Methods A coding scheme assessing shared decision making in medical settings (1) was adapted, including creation of a manual. Trained raters analyzed 170 audio recordings of psychiatric medication check-up visits. Results Inter-rater reliability among three raters for a subset of 20 recordings ranged from 67% to 100% agreement for the presence of each of nine elements of shared decision making and 100% for the overall agreement between provider and consumer. Just over half of the decisions met minimum criteria for shared decision making. Shared decision making was not related to length of visit after controlling for complexity of decision. Conclusions The shared decision making rating scale appears to reliably assess shared decision making in psychiatric practice and could be helpful for future research, training, and implementation efforts. PMID:22854725
Linking decision-making research and cancer prevention and control: important themes.
McCaul, Kevin D; Peters, Ellen; Nelson, Wendy; Stefanek, Michael
2005-07-01
This article describes 6 themes underlying the multiple presentations from the Basic and Applied Decision Making in Cancer Control meeting, held February 19-20, 2004. The following themes have important implications for research and practice linking basic decision-making research to cancer prevention and control: (a) Traditional decision-making theories fail to capture real-world decision making, (b) decision makers are often unable to predict future preferences, (c) preferences are often constructed on the spot and thus are influenced by situational cues, (d) decision makers often rely on feelings rather than beliefs when making a decision, (e) the perspective of the decision maker is critical in determining preferences, and (f) informed decision making may--or may not--yield the best decisions.
Story, William T.; Burgard, Sarah A.
2012-01-01
This study examines the association between maternal health service utilization and household decision-making in Bangladesh. Most studies of the predictors of reproductive health service use focus on women’s reports; however, men are often involved in these decisions as well. Recently, studies have started to explore the association between health outcomes and reports of household decision-making from both husbands and wives as matched pairs. Many studies of household decision-making emphasize the importance of the wife alone making decisions; however, some have argued that joint decision-making between husbands and wives may yield better reproductive health outcomes than women making decisions without input or agreement from their partners. Husbands’ involvement in decision-making is particularly important in Bangladesh because men often dominate household decisions related to large, health-related purchases. We use matched husband and wife reports about who makes common household decisions to predict use of antenatal and skilled delivery care, using data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Results from regression analyses suggest that it is important to consider whether husbands and wives give concordant responses about who makes household decisions since discordant reports about who makes these decisions are negatively associated with reproductive health care use. In addition, compared to joint decision-making, husband-only decision-making is negatively associated with antenatal care use and skilled delivery care. Finally, associations between household decision-making arrangements and health service utilization vary depending on whose report is used and the type of health service utilized. PMID:23068556
Story, William T; Burgard, Sarah A
2012-12-01
This study examines the association between maternal health service utilization and household decision-making in Bangladesh. Most studies of the predictors of reproductive health service utilization focus on women's reports; however, men are often involved in these decisions as well. Recently, studies have started to explore the association between health outcomes and reports of household decision-making from both husbands and wives as matched pairs. Many studies of household decision-making emphasize the importance of the wife alone making decisions; however, some have argued that joint decision-making between husbands and wives may yield better reproductive health outcomes than women making decisions without input or agreement from their partners. Husbands' involvement in decision-making is particularly important in Bangladesh because men often dominate household decisions related to large, health-related purchases. We use matched husband and wife reports about who makes common household decisions to predict use of antenatal and skilled delivery care, using data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Results from regression analyses suggest that it is important to consider whether husbands and wives give concordant responses about who makes household decisions since discordant reports about who makes these decisions are negatively associated with reproductive health care use. In addition, compared to joint decision-making, husband-only decision-making is negatively associated with antenatal care use and skilled delivery care. Finally, associations between household decision-making arrangements and health service utilization vary depending on whose report is used and the type of health service utilized. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Shared decision-making in epilepsy management.
Pickrell, W O; Elwyn, G; Smith, P E M
2015-06-01
Policy makers, clinicians, and patients increasingly recognize the need for greater patient involvement in clinical decision-making. Shared decision-making helps address these concerns by providing a framework for clinicians and patients to make decisions together using the best evidence. Shared decision-making is applicable to situations where several acceptable options exist (clinical equipoise). Such situations occur commonly in epilepsy, for example, in decisions regarding the choice of medication, treatment in pregnancy, and medication withdrawal. A talk model is a way of implementing shared decision-making during consultations, and decision aids are useful tools to assist in the process. Although there is limited evidence available for shared decision-making in epilepsy, there are several benefits of shared decision-making in general including improved decision quality, more informed choices, and better treatment concordance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
[Shared decision-making in medical practice--patient-centred communication skills].
van Staveren, Remke
2011-01-01
Most patients (70%) want to participate actively in important healthcare decisions, the rest (30%) prefer the doctor to make the decision for them. Shared decision-making provides more patient satisfaction, a better quality of life and contributes to a better doctor-patient relationship. Patients making their own decision generally make a well considered and medically sensible choice. In shared decision-making the doctor asks many open questions, gives and requests much information, asks if the patient wishes to participate in the decision-making and explicitly takes into account patient circumstances and preferences. Shared decision-making should remain an individual choice and should not become a new dogma.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Perez, Maya; Gati, Itamar
2017-01-01
We tested the associations among the career decision-making difficulties, the career decision status, and either (a) the career decision-making profiles of 575 young adults, or (b) the coping strategies of 379 young adults. As hypothesized, a more advanced decision status was negatively associated with both career decision-making difficulties…
Edwards, Adrian; Elwyn, Glyn
2006-01-01
Abstract Background Shared decision making has practical implications for everyday health care. However, it stems from largely theoretical frameworks and is not widely implemented in routine practice. Aims We undertook an empirical study to inform understanding of shared decision making and how it can be operationalized more widely. Method The study involved patients visiting UK general practitioners already well experienced in shared decision making. After these consultations, semi‐structured telephone interviews were conducted and analysed using the constant comparative method of content analysis. Results All patients described at least some components of shared decision making but half appeared to perceive the decision as shared and half as ‘patient‐led’. However, patients exhibited some uncertainty about who had made the decision, reflecting different meanings of decision making from those described in the literature. A distinction is indicated between the process of involvement (option portrayal, exchange of information and exploring preferences for who makes the decision) and the actual decisional responsibility (who makes the decision). The process of involvement appeared to deliver benefits for patients, not the action of making the decision. Preferences for decisional responsibility varied during some consultations, generating unsatisfactory interactions when actual decisional responsibility did not align with patient preferences at that stage of a consultation. However, when conducted well, shared decision making enhanced reported satisfaction, understanding and confidence in the decisions. Conclusions Practitioners can focus more on the process of involving patients in decision making rather than attaching importance to who actually makes the decision. They also need to be aware of the potential for changing patient preferences for decisional responsibility during a consultation and address non‐alignment of patient preferences with the actual model of decision making if this occurs. PMID:17083558
Toward an Expanded Definition of Adaptive Decision Making.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Phillips, Susan D.
1997-01-01
Uses the lifespan, life-space model to examine the definition of adaptive decision making. Reviews the existing definition of adaptive decision making as "rational" decision making and offers alternate perspectives on decision making with an emphasis on the implications of using the model. Makes suggestions for future theory, research,…
Clarke, Gemma; Galbraith, Sarah; Woodward, Jeremy; Holland, Anthony; Barclay, Stephen
2015-06-11
Some people with progressive neurological diseases find they need additional support with eating and drinking at mealtimes, and may require artificial nutrition and hydration. Decisions concerning artificial nutrition and hydration at the end of life are ethically complex, particularly if the individual lacks decision-making capacity. Decisions may concern issues of life and death: weighing the potential for increasing morbidity and prolonging suffering, with potentially shortening life. When individuals lack decision-making capacity, the standard processes of obtaining informed consent for medical interventions are disrupted. Increasingly multi-professional groups are being utilised to make difficult ethical decisions within healthcare. This paper reports upon a service evaluation which examined decision-making within a UK hospital Feeding Issues Multi-Professional Team. A three month observation of a hospital-based multi-professional team concerning feeding issues, and a one year examination of their records. The key research questions are: a) How are decisions made concerning artificial nutrition for individuals at risk of lacking decision-making capacity? b) What are the key decision-making factors that are balanced? c) Who is involved in the decision-making process? Decision-making was not a singular decision, but rather involved many different steps. Discussions involving relatives and other clinicians, often took place outside of meetings. Topics of discussion varied but the outcome relied upon balancing the information along four interdependent axes: (1) Risks, burdens and benefits; (2) Treatment goals; (3) Normative ethical values; (4) Interested parties. Decision-making was a dynamic ongoing process with many people involved. The multiple points of decision-making, and the number of people involved with the decision-making process, mean the question of 'who decides' cannot be fully answered. There is a potential for anonymity of multiple decision-makers to arise. Decisions in real world clinical practice may not fit precisely into a model of decision-making. The findings from this service evaluation illustrate that within multi-professional team decision-making; decisions may contain elements of both substituted and supported decision-making, and may be better represented as existing upon a continuum.
Registered nurses' decision-making regarding documentation in patients' progress notes.
Tower, Marion; Chaboyer, Wendy; Green, Quentine; Dyer, Kirsten; Wallis, Marianne
2012-10-01
To examine registered nurses' decision-making when documenting care in patients' progress notes. What constitutes effective nursing documentation is supported by available guidelines. However, ineffective documentation continues to be cited as a major cause of adverse events for patients. Decision-making in clinical practice is a complex process. To make an effective decision, the decision-maker must be situationally aware. The concept of situation awareness and its implications for making safe decisions has been examined extensively in air safety and more recently is being applied to health. The study was situated in a naturalistic paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 17 registered nurses who used think-aloud research methods when making decisions about documenting information in patients' progress notes. Follow-up interviews were conducted to validate interpretations. Data were analysed systematically for evidence of cues that demonstrated situation awareness as nurses made decisions about documentation. Three distinct decision-making scenarios were illuminated from the analysis: the newly admitted patient, the patient whose condition was as expected and the discharging patient. Nurses used mental models for decision-making in documenting in progress notes, and the cues nurses used to direct their assessment of patients' needs demonstrated situation awareness at different levels. Nurses demonstrate situation awareness at different levels in their decision-making processes. While situation awareness is important, it is also important to use an appropriate decision-making framework. Cognitive continuum theory is suggested as a decision-making model that could support situation awareness when nurses made decisions about documenting patient care. Because nurses are key decision-makers, it is imperative that effective decisions are made that translate into safe clinical care. Including situation awareness training, combined with employing cognitive continuum theory as a decision-making framework, provides a powerful means of guiding nurses' decision-making. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
A timely account of the role of duration in decision making.
Ariely, D; Zakay, D
2001-09-01
The current work takes a general perspective on the role of time in decision making. There are many different relationships and interactions between time and decision making, and no single summary can do justice to this topic. In this paper we will describe a few of the aspects in which time and decision making are interleaved: (a) temporal perspectives of decisions--the various temporal orientations that decision-makers may adopt while making decisions, and the impact of such temporal orientations on the decision process and its outcomes; (b) time as a medium within which decisions take place--the nature of decision processes that occur along time; (c) time as a resource and as a contextual factor--the implications of shortage in time resources and the impact of time limits on decision making processes and performance; (d) time as a commodity--time as the subject matter of decision making. The paper ends with a few general questions on the role of duration in decision making.
What is known about parents' treatment decisions? A narrative review of pediatric decision making.
Lipstein, Ellen A; Brinkman, William B; Britto, Maria T
2012-01-01
With the increasing complexity of decisions in pediatric medicine, there is a growing need to understand the pediatric decision-making process. To conduct a narrative review of the current research on parent decision making about pediatric treatments and identify areas in need of further investigation. Articles presenting original research on parent decision making were identified from MEDLINE (1966-6/2011), using the terms "decision making," "parent," and "child." We included papers focused on treatment decisions but excluded those focused on information disclosure to children, vaccination, and research participation decisions. We found 55 papers describing 52 distinct studies, the majority being descriptive, qualitative studies of the decision-making process, with very limited assessment of decision outcomes. Although parents' preferences for degree of participation in pediatric decision making vary, most are interested in sharing the decision with the provider. In addition to the provider, parents are influenced in their decision making by changes in their child's health status, other community members, prior knowledge, and personal factors, such as emotions and faith. Parents struggle to balance these influences as well as to know when to include their child in decision making. Current research demonstrates a diversity of influences on parent decision making and parent decision preferences; however, little is known about decision outcomes or interventions to improve outcomes. Further investigation, using prospective methods, is needed in order to understand how to support parents through the difficult treatment decisions.
Composite collective decision-making
Czaczkes, Tomer J.; Czaczkes, Benjamin; Iglhaut, Carolin; Heinze, Jürgen
2015-01-01
Individual animals are adept at making decisions and have cognitive abilities, such as memory, which allow them to hone their decisions. Social animals can also share information. This allows social animals to make adaptive group-level decisions. Both individual and collective decision-making systems also have drawbacks and limitations, and while both are well studied, the interaction between them is still poorly understood. Here, we study how individual and collective decision-making interact during ant foraging. We first gathered empirical data on memory-based foraging persistence in the ant Lasius niger. We used these data to create an agent-based model where ants may use social information (trail pheromones), private information (memories) or both to make foraging decisions. The combined use of social and private information by individuals results in greater efficiency at the group level than when either information source was used alone. The modelled ants couple consensus decision-making, allowing them to quickly exploit high-quality food sources, and combined decision-making, allowing different individuals to specialize in exploiting different resource patches. Such a composite collective decision-making system reaps the benefits of both its constituent parts. Exploiting such insights into composite collective decision-making may lead to improved decision-making algorithms. PMID:26019155
Analysis of the decision-making process of nurse managers: a collective reflection.
Eduardo, Elizabete Araujo; Peres, Aida Maris; de Almeida, Maria de Lourdes; Roglio, Karina de Dea; Bernardino, Elizabeth
2015-01-01
to analyze the decision-making model adopted by nurses from the perspective of some decision-making process theories. qualitative approach, based on action research. Semi-structured questionnaires and seminars were conducted from April to June 2012 in order to understand the nature of decisions and the decision-making process of nine nurses in position of managers at a public hospital in Southern Brazil. Data were subjected to content analysis. data were classified in two categories: the current situation of decision-making, which showed a lack of systematization; the construction and collective decision-making, which emphasizes the need to develop a decision-making model. the decision-making model used by nurses is limited because it does not consider two important factors: the limits of human rationality, and the external and internal organizational environments that influence and determine right decisions.
Shared Decision-Making for Nursing Practice: An Integrative Review.
Truglio-Londrigan, Marie; Slyer, Jason T
2018-01-01
Shared decision-making has received national and international interest by providers, educators, researchers, and policy makers. The literature on shared decision-making is extensive, dealing with the individual components of shared decision-making rather than a comprehensive process. This view of shared decision-making leaves healthcare providers to wonder how to integrate shared decision-making into practice. To understand shared decision-making as a comprehensive process from the perspective of the patient and provider in all healthcare settings. An integrative review was conducted applying a systematic approach involving a literature search, data evaluation, and data analysis. The search included articles from PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PsycINFO from 1970 through 2016. Articles included quantitative experimental and non-experimental designs, qualitative, and theoretical articles about shared decision-making between all healthcare providers and patients in all healthcare settings. Fifty-two papers were included in this integrative review. Three categories emerged from the synthesis: (a) communication/ relationship building; (b) working towards a shared decision; and (c) action for shared decision-making. Each major theme contained sub-themes represented in the proposed visual representation for shared decision-making. A comprehensive understanding of shared decision-making between the nurse and the patient was identified. A visual representation offers a guide that depicts shared decision-making as a process taking place during a healthcare encounter with implications for the continuation of shared decisions over time offering patients an opportunity to return to the nurse for reconsiderations of past shared decisions.
Does future-oriented thinking predict adolescent decision making?
Eskritt, Michelle; Doucette, Jesslyn; Robitaille, Lori
2014-01-01
A number of theorists, as well as plain common sense, suggest that future-oriented thinking (FOT) should be involved in decision making; therefore, the development of FOT should be related to better quality decision making. FOT and quality of the decision making were measured in adolescents as well as adults in 2 different experiments. Though the results of the first experiment revealed an increase in quality of decision making across adolescence into adulthood, there was no relationship between FOT and decision making. In the second experiment, FOT predicted performance on a more deliberative decision-making task independent of age, but not performance on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Performance on the IGT was instead related to emotion regulation. The study's findings suggest that FOT can be related to reflective decision making but not necessarily decision making that is more intuitive.
Mothers' process of decision making for gastrostomy placement.
Brotherton, Ailsa; Abbott, Janice
2012-05-01
In this article we present the findings of an exploration of mothers' discourses on decision making for gastrostomy placement for their child. Exploring in-depth interviews of a purposive sample, we analyzed the mothers' discourses of the decision-making process to understand how their experiences of the process influenced their subsequent constructions of decision making. Mothers negotiated decision making by reflecting on their personal experiences of feeding their child, either orally or via a tube, and interwove their background experiences with the communications from members of the health care team until a decision was reached. Decision making was often fraught with difficulty, resulting in anxiety and guilt. Experiences of decision making ranged from perceived coercion to true choice, which encompasses a truly child-centered decision. The resulting impact of the decision-making process on the mothers was profound. We conclude with an exploration of the implications for clinical practice and describe how health care professionals can support mothers to ensure that decision-making processes for gastrostomy placement in children are significantly improved.
Path Analysis Examining Self-Efficacy and Decision-Making Performance on a Simulated Baseball Task
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hepler, Teri J.; Feltz, Deborah L.
2012-01-01
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between decision-making self-efficacy and decision-making performance in sport. Undergraduate students (N = 78) performed 10 trials of a decision-making task in baseball. Self-efficacy was measured before performing each trial. Decision-making performance was assessed by decision speed and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Curseu, Petru Lucian; Schruijer, Sandra G. L.
2012-01-01
This study investigates the relationship between the five decision-making styles evaluated by the General Decision-Making Style Inventory, indecisiveness, and rationality in decision making. Using a sample of 102 middle-level managers, the results show that the rational style positively predicts rationality in decision making and negatively…
Patients' understanding of shared decision making in a mental health setting.
Eliacin, Johanne; Salyers, Michelle P; Kukla, Marina; Matthias, Marianne S
2015-05-01
Shared decision making is a fundamental component of patient-centered care and has been linked to positive health outcomes. Increasingly, researchers are turning their attention to shared decision making in mental health; however, few studies have explored decision making in these settings from patients' perspectives. We examined patients' accounts and understanding of shared decision making. We analyzed interviews from 54 veterans receiving outpatient mental health care at a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the United States. Although patients' understanding of shared decision making was consistent with accounts published in the literature, participants reported that shared decision making goes well beyond these components. They identified the patient-provider relationship as the bedrock of shared decision making and highlighted several factors that interfere with shared decision making. Our findings highlight the importance of the patient-provider relationship as a fundamental element of shared decision making and point to areas for potential improvement. © The Author(s) 2014.
López-Cerero, Lorena; Almirante, Benito
2014-12-01
The dissemination of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae has occurred very quickly and has crossed borders rapidly between countries and continents. In some areas, it has exceeded the holding capacity of health systems, reaching epidemic proportions. This form of dissemination has not been the same for all enzymes, with KPC, NDM and OXA-48 genes having a greater ability to spread. These enzymes have primarily been spread clonally in the case of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae from the initial epicenter located in New York, with a very small number of strains causing outbreaks. For NDM and OXA- 48, these resistance determinants have been vehiculized by clones with a high transmission capacity; however, simultaneous horizontal transmission is also playing an important role. The most important identified reservoirs are colonized or infected individuals from endemic areas or centers with outbreaks, but the contaminated goods from these endemic areas also play a part. An international effort is needed to control the spread of these multiresistant pathogens. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
Li, Xi; Zhu, Yongze; Shen, Mengyuan; Du, Jing; Zhang, Lei; Wang, Dairong
2018-03-01
Enterobacter cloacae is one of the major pathogens responsible for a variety of human infections. Here we report the draft genome sequence of multidrug-resistant E. cloacae strain HBY isolated from a female patient in China. Whole genomic DNA of E. cloacae strain HBY was extracted and was sequenced using an Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 platform. The generated sequence reads were assembled using CLC Genomics Workbench. The draft genome was annotated using Rapid Annotations using Subsystems Technology (RAST), and the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes was identified. The 5799439-bp genome contains various antimicrobial resistance genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, β-lactams, fosfomycin, macrolides, sulphonamides and fluoroquinolones. Notably, the strain was identified to carry two main carbapenemase genes (bla KPC-2 and bla NDM-1 ). The genome sequence reported in this study will provide valuable information to understand antibiotic resistance mechanisms in this strain. It is important to monitor the spread strains of Enterobacter sp. encoding both of these carbapenemase genes. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Raj, Anil; Wins, K. Leo Dev; Varadarajan, A. S.
2016-09-01
Surface roughness is one of the important parameters, which not only affects the service life of a component but also serves as a good index of machinability. Near Dry Machining, methods (NDM) are considered as sustainable alternative for workshops trying to bring down their dependence on cutting fluids and the hazards associated with their indiscriminate usage. The present work presents a comparison of the surface roughness and chip characteristics during hard turning of AISI H13 tool work steel using hard metal inserts under two popular NDM techniques namely the minimal fluid application and the Minimum Quantity Lubrication technique(MQL) using an experiment designed based on Taguchi's techniques. The statistical method of analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the relative significance of input parameters consisting of cutting speed, feed and depth of cut on the attainable surface finish and the chip characteristics. It was observed that the performance during minimal fluid application was better than that during MQL application.
National evidence on the use of shared decision making in prostate-specific antigen screening.
Han, Paul K J; Kobrin, Sarah; Breen, Nancy; Joseph, Djenaba A; Li, Jun; Frosch, Dominick L; Klabunde, Carrie N
2013-01-01
Recent clinical practice guidelines on prostate cancer screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test (PSA screening) have recommended that clinicians practice shared decision making-a process involving clinician-patient discussion of the pros, cons, and uncertainties of screening. We undertook a study to determine the prevalence of shared decision making in both PSA screening and nonscreening, as well as patient characteristics associated with shared decision making. A nationally representative sample of 3,427 men aged 50 to 74 years participating in the 2010 National Health Interview Survey responded to questions on the extent of shared decision making (past physician-patient discussion of advantages, disadvantages, and scientific uncertainty associated with PSA screening), PSA screening intensity (tests in past 5 years), and sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. Nearly two-thirds (64.3%) of men reported no past physician-patient discussion of advantages, disadvantages, or scientific uncertainty (no shared decision making); 27.8% reported discussion of 1 to 2 elements only (partial shared decision making); 8.0% reported discussion of all 3 elements (full shared decision making). Nearly one-half (44.2%) reported no PSA screening, 27.8% reported low-intensity (less-than-annual) screening, and 25.1% reported high-intensity (nearly annual) screening. Absence of shared decision making was more prevalent in men who were not screened; 88% (95% CI, 86.2%-90.1%) of nonscreened men reported no shared decision making compared with 39% (95% CI, 35.0%-43.3%) of men undergoing high-intensity screening. Extent of shared decision making was associated with black race, Hispanic ethnicity, higher education, health insurance, and physician recommendation. Screening intensity was associated with older age, higher education, usual source of medical care, and physician recommendation, as well as with partial vs no or full shared decision making. Most US men report little shared decision making in PSA screening, and the lack of shared decision making is more prevalent in nonscreened than in screened men. Screening intensity is greatest with partial shared decision making, and different elements of shared decision making are associated with distinct patient characteristics. Shared decision making needs to be improved in decisions for and against PSA screening.
Rennie, Sarah C; van Rij, Andre M; Jaye, Chrystal; Hall, Katherine H
2011-06-01
Decision making is a key competency of surgeons; however, how best to assess decisions and decision makers is not clearly established. The aim of the present study was to identify criteria that inform judgments about surgical trainees' decision-making skills. A qualitative free text web-based survey was distributed to recognized international experts in Surgery, Medical Education, and Cognitive Research. Half the participants were asked to identify features of good decisions, characteristics of good decision makers, and essential factors for developing good decision-making skills. The other half were asked to consider these areas in relation to poor decision making. Template analysis of free text responses was performed. Twenty-nine (52%) experts responded to the survey, identifying 13 categories for judging a decision and 14 for judging a decision maker. Twelve features/characteristics overlapped (considered, informed, well timed, aware of limitations, communicated, knowledgeable, collaborative, patient-focused, flexible, able to act on the decision, evidence-based, and coherent). Fifteen categories were generated for essential factors leading to development of decision-making skills that fall into three major themes (personal qualities, training, and culture). The categories compiled from the perspectives of good/poor were predominantly the inverse of each other; however, the weighting given to some categories varied. This study provides criteria described by experts when considering surgical decisions, decision makers, and development of decision-making skills. It proposes a working definition of a good decision maker. Understanding these criteria will enable clinical teachers to better recognize and encourage good decision-making skills and identify poor decision-making skills for remediation.
Autonomy and couples' joint decision-making in healthcare.
Osamor, Pauline E; Grady, Christine
2018-01-11
Respect for autonomy is a key principle in bioethics. However, respecting autonomy in practice is complex because most people define themselves and make decisions influenced by a complex network of social relationships. The extent to which individual autonomy operates for each partner within the context of decision-making within marital or similar relationships is largely unexplored. This paper explores issues related to decision-making by couples (couples' joint decision-making) for health care and the circumstances under which such a practice should be respected as compatible with autonomous decision-making. We discuss the concept of autonomy as it applies to persons and to actions, human interdependency and gender roles in decision-making, the dynamics and outcomes of couples' joint decision-making, and the ethics of couples' joint decision-making. We believe that the extent to which couples' joint decision-making might be deemed ethically acceptable will vary depending on the context. Given that in many traditional marriages the woman is the less dominant partner, we consider a spectrum of scenarios of couples' joint decision-making about a woman's own health care that move from those that are acceptably autonomous to those that are not consistent with respecting the woman's autonomous decision-making. To the extent that there is evidence that both members of a couple understand a decision, intend it, and that neither completely controls the other, couples' joint decision-making should be viewed as consistent with the principle of respect for the woman's autonomy. At the other end of the spectrum are decisions made by the man without the woman's input, representing domination of one partner by the other. We recommend viewing the dynamics of couples' joint decision-making as existing on a continuum of degrees of autonomy. This continuum-based perspective implies that couples' joint decision-making should not be taken at face value but should be assessed against the specific cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds and personal circumstances of the individuals in question.
Integrating Decision Making and Mental Health Interventions Research: Research Directions
Wills, Celia E.; Holmes-Rovner, Margaret
2006-01-01
The importance of incorporating patient and provider decision-making processes is in the forefront of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) agenda for improving mental health interventions and services. Key concepts in patient decision making are highlighted within a simplified model of patient decision making that links patient-level/“micro” variables to services-level/“macro” variables via the decision-making process that is a target for interventions. The prospective agenda for incorporating decision-making concepts in mental health research includes (a) improved measures for characterizing decision-making processes that are matched to study populations, complexity, and types of decision making; (b) testing decision aids in effectiveness research for diverse populations and clinical settings; and (c) improving the understanding and incorporation of preference concepts in enhanced intervention designs. PMID:16724158
An introduction to behavioural decision-making theories for paediatricians.
Haward, Marlyse F; Janvier, Annie
2015-04-01
Behavioural decision-making theories provide insights into how people make choices under conditions of uncertainty. However, few have been studied in paediatrics. This study introduces these theories, reviews current research and makes recommendations for their application within the context of shared decision-making. As parents are expected to share decision-making in paediatrics, it is critical that the fields of behavioural economics, communication and decision sciences merge with paediatric clinical ethics to optimise decision-making. ©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Shared decision-making, gender and new technologies.
Zeiler, Kristin
2007-09-01
Much discussion of decision-making processes in medicine has been patient-centred. It has been assumed that there is, most often, one patient. Less attention has been given to shared decision-making processes where two or more patients are involved. This article aims to contribute to this special area. What conditions need to be met if decision-making can be said to be shared? What is a shared decision-making process and what is a shared autonomous decision-making process? Why make the distinction? Examples are drawn from the area of new reproductive medicine and clinical genetics. Possible gender-differences in shared decision-making are discussed.
What Is Known about Parents’ Treatment Decisions? A Narrative Review of Pediatric Decision Making
Lipstein, Ellen A.; Brinkman, William B.; Britto, Maria T.
2013-01-01
Background With the increasing complexity of decisions in pediatric medicine, there is a growing need to understand the pediatric decision-making process. Objective To conduct a narrative review of the current research on parent decision making about pediatric treatments and identify areas in need of further investigation. Methods Articles presenting original research on parent decision making were identified from MEDLINE (1966–6/2011), using the terms “decision making,” “parent,” and “child.” We included papers focused on treatment decisions but excluded those focused on information disclosure to children, vaccination, and research participation decisions. Results We found 55 papers describing 52 distinct studies, the majority being descriptive, qualitative studies of the decision-making process, with very limited assessment of decision outcomes. Although parents’ preferences for degree of participation in pediatric decision making vary, most are interested in sharing the decision with the provider. In addition to the provider, parents are influenced in their decision making by changes in their child’s health status, other community members, prior knowledge, and personal factors, such as emotions and faith. Parents struggle to balance these influences as well as to know when to include their child in decision making. Conclusions Current research demonstrates a diversity of influences on parent decision making and parent decision preferences; however, little is known about decision outcomes or interventions to improve outcomes. Further investigation, using prospective methods, is needed in order to understand how to support parents through the difficult treatment decisions. PMID:21969136
Administrative decision making: a stepwise method.
Oetjen, Reid M; Oetjen, Dawn M; Rotarius, Timothy
2008-01-01
Today's health care organizations face tremendous challenges and fierce competition. These pressures impact the decisions that managers must execute on any given day, not to mention the ever-present constraints of time, personnel, competencies, and finances. The importance of making quality and informed decisions cannot be underestimated. Traditional decision making methods are inadequate for today's larger, more complex health care organizations and the rapidly changing health care environment. As a result, today's health care managers and their teams need new approaches to making decisions for their organizations. This article examines the managerial decision making process and offers a model that can be used as a decision making template to help managers successfully navigate the choppy health care seas. The administrative decision making model will enable health care managers and other key decision makers to avoid the common pitfalls of poor decision making and guide their organizations to success.
Miller, Keith W; Wolf, Marty J; Grodzinsky, Frances
2017-04-01
In this paper we address the question of when a researcher is justified in describing his or her artificial agent as demonstrating ethical decision-making. The paper is motivated by the amount of research being done that attempts to imbue artificial agents with expertise in ethical decision-making. It seems clear that computing systems make decisions, in that they make choices between different options; and there is scholarship in philosophy that addresses the distinction between ethical decision-making and general decision-making. Essentially, the qualitative difference between ethical decisions and general decisions is that ethical decisions must be part of the process of developing ethical expertise within an agent. We use this distinction in examining publicity surrounding a particular experiment in which a simulated robot attempted to safeguard simulated humans from falling into a hole. We conclude that any suggestions that this simulated robot was making ethical decisions were misleading.
Toward a Psychology of Surrogate Decision Making.
Tunney, Richard J; Ziegler, Fenja V
2015-11-01
In everyday life, many of the decisions that we make are made on behalf of other people. A growing body of research suggests that we often, but not always, make different decisions on behalf of other people than the other person would choose. This is problematic in the practical case of legally designated surrogate decision makers, who may not meet the substituted judgment standard. Here, we review evidence from studies of surrogate decision making and examine the extent to which surrogate decision making accurately predicts the recipient's wishes, or if it is an incomplete or distorted application of the surrogate's own decision-making processes. We find no existing domain-general model of surrogate decision making. We propose a framework by which surrogate decision making can be assessed and a novel domain-general theory as a unifying explanatory concept for surrogate decisions. © The Author(s) 2015.
Group Dynamics and Decision Making: Backcountry Recreationists in Avalanche Terrain
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bright, Leslie Shay
2010-01-01
The purpose of this study was to describe and determine the prevalence of decision-making characteristics of recreational backcountry groups when making a decision of where to travel and ride in avalanche terrain from the perspective of individuals. Decision-making characteristics encompassed communication, decision-making processes, leadership,…
24 CFR 55.20 - Decision making process.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-04-01
... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Decision making process. 55.20... Decision making process. The decision making process for compliance with this part contains eight steps... decision making process are: (a) Step 1. Determine whether the proposed action is located in a 100-year...
Field and Experience Influences on Ethical Decision-Making in the Sciences
Mumford, Michael D.; Connelly, Shane; Murphy, Stephen T.; Devenport, Lynn D.; Antes, Alison L.; Brown, Ryan P.; Hill, Jason H.; Waples, Ethan P.
2009-01-01
Differences across fields and experience levels are frequently considered in discussions of ethical decision-making and ethical behavior. In the present study, doctoral students in the health, biological, and social sciences completed measures of ethical decision-making. The effects of field and level of experience with respect to ethical decision-making, metacognitive reasoning strategies, social-behavioral responses, and exposure to unethical events were examined. Social and biological scientists performed better than health scientists with respect to ethical decision-making. Furthermore, the ethical decision-making of health science students decreased as experience increased. Moreover, these effects appeared to be linked to the specific strategies underlying participants' ethical decision-making. The implications of these findings for ethical decision-making are discussed. PMID:19750129
Research on Bidding Decision-making of International Public-Private Partnership Projects
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hu, Zhen Yu; Zhang, Shui Bo; Liu, Xin Yan
2018-06-01
In order to select the optimal quasi-bidding project for an investment enterprise, a bidding decision-making model for international PPP projects was established in this paper. Firstly, the literature frequency statistics method was adopted to screen out the bidding decision-making indexes, and accordingly the bidding decision-making index system for international PPP projects was constructed. Then, the group decision-making characteristic root method, the entropy weight method, and the optimization model based on least square method were used to set the decision-making index weights. The optimal quasi-bidding project was thus determined by calculating the consistent effect measure of each decision-making index value and the comprehensive effect measure of each quasi-bidding project. Finally, the bidding decision-making model for international PPP projects was further illustrated by a hypothetical case. This model can effectively serve as a theoretical foundation and technical support for the bidding decision-making of international PPP projects.
Categorization = Decision Making + Generalization
Seger, Carol A; Peterson, Erik J.
2013-01-01
We rarely, if ever, repeatedly encounter exactly the same situation. This makes generalization crucial for real world decision making. We argue that categorization, the study of generalizable representations, is a type of decision making, and that categorization learning research would benefit from approaches developed to study the neuroscience of decision making. Similarly, methods developed to examine generalization and learning within the field of categorization may enhance decision making research. We first discuss perceptual information processing and integration, with an emphasis on accumulator models. We then examine learning the value of different decision making choices via experience, emphasizing reinforcement learning modeling approaches. Next we discuss how value is combined with other factors in decision making, emphasizing the effects of uncertainty. Finally, we describe how a final decision is selected via thresholding processes implemented by the basal ganglia and related regions. We also consider how memory related functions in the hippocampus may be integrated with decision making mechanisms and contribute to categorization. PMID:23548891
Analyzing the effectiveness of teaching and factors in clinical decision-making.
Hsieh, Ming-Chen; Lee, Ming-Shinn; Chen, Tsung-Ying; Tsai, Tsuen-Chiuan; Pai, Yi-Fong; Sheu, Min-Muh
2017-01-01
The aim of this study is to prepare junior physicians, clinical education should focus on the teaching of clinical decision-making. This research is designed to explore teaching of clinical decision-making and to analyze the benefits of an "Analogy guide clinical decision-making" as a learning intervention for junior doctors. This study had a "quasi-experimental design" and was conducted in a medical center in eastern Taiwan. Participants and Program Description: Thirty junior doctors and three clinical teachers were involved in the study. The experimental group (15) received 1 h of instruction from the "Analogy guide for teaching clinical decision-making" every day for 3 months. Program Evaluation: A "Clinical decision-making self-evaluation form" was used as the assessment tool to evaluate participant learning efficiency before and after the teaching program. Semi-structured qualitative research interviews were also conducted. We found using the analogy guide for teaching clinical decision-making could help enhance junior doctors' self-confidence. Important factors influencing clinical decision-making included workload, decision-making, and past experience. Clinical teaching using the analogy guide for clinical decision-making may be a helpful tool for training and can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of decision-making.
Father- and Mother-Adolescent Decision-Making in Mexican-Origin Families
Perez-Brena, Norma; Updegraff, Kimberly A.; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J.
2013-01-01
Understanding the prevalence and correlates of decisional autonomy within specific cultural contexts is necessary to fully understand how family processes are embedded within culture. The goals of this study were to describe mothers’ and fathers’ decision-making with adolescents (M = 12.51 years, SD = 0.58; 51% female), including parent-unilateral, joint, and youth-unilateral decision-making, and to examine the socio-cultural and family characteristics associated with these different types of decision-making in 246 Mexican-origin families. Mothers reported more joint and youth-unilateral decision-making and less parent-unilateral decision-making than did fathers. Fathers reported more youth-unilateral decision-making with sons than with daughters. Further, for mothers, more traditional gender role attitudes and higher levels of mother-adolescent conflict were associated with more parent-unilateral and less joint decision-making. In contrast, for fathers, lower levels of respect values were associated with more youth-unilateral decision-making with sons, and higher levels of parent-adolescent warmth was associated with more youth-unilateral decision-making with daughters. The importance of understanding the different correlates of mothers’ and fathers’ decision-making with sons versus daughters is discussed. PMID:21484288
Kim, Nam Hoon; Kim, Tae Joon; Kim, Nan Hee; Choi, Kyung Mook; Baik, Sei Hyun; Choi, Dong Seop; Park, Yousung; Kim, Sin Gon
2016-07-01
Both low socioeconomic status (SES) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are important risk factors for mortality. However, little is known about their combined effects and relative contribution to the mortality risk.From a nationwide cohort provided by the National Health Insurance Service in Korea, 153,075 subjects who were over 30 years of age from 2003 to 2004 were followed-up until 2010. The SESs of the subjects in the DM and non-DM (NDM) groups were categorized into 3 groups (highest 30% as S1, middle 40% as S2, and lowest 30% as S3) based on the subjects' income levels.During the 7.9-year follow-up, 3933 deaths occurred. When the subjects were stratified into 6 groups by their socioeconomic and diabetes status, a linearly increasing pattern of the hazard ratio (HR) of mortality from the higher SES without diabetes group (NDM-S1, as a reference) to the lower SES with diabetes group (DM-S3; HR, 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.80-2.36) was observed (P for trend < 0.001). Notably, subjects with DM in the highest SES group (DM-S1) had a significantly higher mortality risk than did non-DM subjects in the lowest SES group (NDM-S3). This pattern was maintained in cause-specific mortality but was more prominent in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and less prominent in cancer mortality. The association was not affected by gender; however, in individuals <60 years of age, the combined effects of SES and DM on mortality were more prominent (DM-S3; HR, 3.68, 95% CI, 2.95-4.60) than in those ≥60 years of age.Low SES and DM were major determinants of mortality and synergistically increased the risks of all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality.
Nutritional status and birth outcomes of the diabetic and non-diabetic pregnant women.
Begum, S; Huda, S N; Musarrat, N; Ahmed, S; Banu, L A; Ali, S M Keramat
2002-12-01
This cross sectional study compares the nutritional status and birth outcomes of 357 diabetic and non-diabetic pregnant women (203 DM and 154 NDM as control). Uncomplicated diabetic and non-diabetic pregnant women of singleton pregnancies with age range of 19-35 years were enrolled at term in BIRDEM hospital. Maternal anthropometry and neonatal anthropometric measurements were taken following standard techniques. Educational level was significantly different between the groups. The diabetic mothers were found significantly less educated (p<0.0001) compared to non-diabetic mothers. Highly significant differences were observed between the groups on mean maternal age, weight at term, height, body mass index (BMI), mid arm circumference (MAC), and hemoglobin concentration (p values for all: <0.001) with higher values for the DM group. Most of the DM pregnant mothers were either overweight (BMI: 26.0-29.0) or obese (BMI: >29.0), on the other hand most of the NDM pregnant mothers were within normal range (BMI: 19.8-26.0). DM pregnant mothers were found more anemic (45.8% vs. 23.4%; p<0.001). Mean birth weight of the infants of DM & NDM groups were 3100g +/- .500g and 2850g +/- 360g respectively. The mean chest circumference of the infants of DM mothers was found significantly higher for diabetic group (p<0.01). DM mothers delivered most of the preterm babies (16.3% vs. 5.8%; p<0.002) and macrosomy babies were found only in this group (5.9%). Significant correlation was observed between birth weight and maternal MAC (p<0.001) in both the groups. Head circumference was found significantly correlated with maternal MAC and age in the DM group only. Diabetic pregnant women were significantly different compared to the non-diabetic group by nutritional status. The DM group experienced more anemia and preterm deliveries and macrosomic babies were born only in them.
Hopkins, Katie L; Mushtaq, Shazad; Richardson, Judith F; Doumith, Michel; de Pinna, Elizabeth; Cheasty, Tom; Wain, John; Livermore, David M; Woodford, Neil
2014-05-01
Rifaximin is licensed in the EU and USA for treating travellers' diarrhoea caused by non-invasive bacteria. Selection for resistance mechanisms of public health significance might occur if these are linked to rifamycin resistance. Rifaximin MICs were determined by agar dilution for 90 isolates each of Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica, typhoidal S. enterica and Campylobacter spp., an additional 60 E. coli with CTX-M ESBLs isolated from patients with travellers' diarrhoea, and 30 non-diarrhoeal carbapenemase-producing E. coli. Comparators were rifampicin, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and doxycycline. Isolates with rifaximin MICs>32 mg/L were screened for arr genes, and critical rpoB regions were sequenced. Rifaximin was active at ≤32 mg/L against 436/450 (96.9%) diverse Enterobacteriaceae, whereas 81/90 (90%) Campylobacter spp. were resistant to rifaximin at ≥128 mg/L. Rifaximin MICs were ≥128 mg/L for two Shigella and five MDR E. coli producing NDM (n = 3), OXA-48 (n = 1) or CTX-M-15 (n = 1). Two of the five MDR E. coli had plasmids harbouring arr-2 together with bla(NDM), and two (one each with bla(NDM) and bla(CTX-M-15)) had His526Asn substitutions in RpoB. The rifamycin resistance mechanism remained undefined in one MDR E. coli isolate (with bla(OXA-48)) and the two Shigella isolates. Rifaximin showed good in vitro activity against diverse Enterobacteriaceae but was largely inactive against Campylobacter spp. Rifaximin has potential to co-select MDR E. coli in the gut flora, but much stronger associations were seen between ESBL and/or carbapenemase production and resistance to alternative treatments for travellers' diarrhoea, notably ciprofloxacin and azithromycin. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Bado, Inés; Ezdra, Romina Papa; Cordeiro, Nicolás; Outeda, Matilde; Caiata, Leticia; García-Fulgueiras, Virginia; Seija, Verónica; Vignoli, Rafael
2018-03-08
The objective of the present study was to characterise the mechanisms underlying quinolone and oxyimino-cephalosporin resistance in a Citrobacter freundii clinical isolate obtained from the ICU in Uruguay's University Hospital. Citrobacter freundii strain CF638 was isolated from a urine culture. Identification and susceptibility testing were performed using the VITEK ® 2 system, and MIC determination and disc diffusion assay, respectively. Resistance genes and mobile genetic elements were identified, by PCR and sequencing. Plasmid transfer was assessed by conjugation; plasmid, size was estimated by treatment with S1 and PFGE. Plasmid incompatibility, group and toxin-antitoxin systems were sought by PCR. Strain CF638 showed a multi-drug resistant profile, including, resistance to carbapenemes and quinolones. Transconjugant TcCF638, harbouring a ∼200 kb IncA/C plasmid, also showed resistance to all β-lactams, (except for aztreonam), and diminished susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. PCR, assays were positive for bla NDM-1 and qnrVC in CF638 and TcCF638. Two different class 1 integrons were detected, In127 and In907. In127, featured the genetic array: aadA2-ltr2. Conversely, complex In907 featured, two variable regions (VR); VR-1 consisted of aadB-bla OXA-10 -aadA1cc, whereas, VR-2, featured a gene qnrVC6 108 bp downstream from the ISCR1 and 45 bp, upstream from the qacEΔ1. Expression of qnrVC6 would be on account of a, putative promoter region, detected using the Neural Network Promoter, Prediction program. To the best of our knowledge this constitutes the first report of a qnrVC gene within a complex class 1 integron, and the first report as well of the occurrence of such gene in an NDM-1-producing enterobacterial clinical isolate. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Sheng, Wang-Huei; Badal, Robert E.
2013-01-01
The increasing trend of β-lactam resistance among Enterobacteriaceae is a worldwide threat. Enterobacteriaceae isolates causing intra-abdominal infections (IAI) from the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART) collected in 2008 and 2009 from the Asia-Pacific region were investigated. Detection of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), AmpC β-lactamases, and carbapenemases was performed by multiplex PCR. A total of 699 Enterobacteriaceae isolates with positive genotypic results, included Escherichia coli (n = 443), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 187), Enterobacter cloacae (n = 45), Klebsiella oxytoca (n = 9), Citrobacter freundii (n = 5), Proteus mirabilis (n = 3), Enterobacter aerogenes (n = 2), Morganella morganii (n = 2), and one each of Enterobacter asburiae, Proteus vulgaris, and Providencia rettgeri were analyzed. Nearly 20% of these β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates were from community-associated IAI. CTX-M (588 isolates, including 428 [72.8%] with CTX-M-15) was the most common ESBL, followed by SHV (n = 59) and TEM (n = 4). CMY (n = 110, including 102 [92.7%] with CMY-2) was the most common AmpC β-lactamase, followed by DHA (n = 46) and ACT/MIR (n = 40). NDM (n = 65, including 62 [95.4%] with NDM-1) was the most common carbapenemase, followed by IMP (n = 7) and OXA (n = 7). Isolates from hospital-associated IAI had more complicated β-lactamase combinations than isolates from the community. Carbapenemases were all exclusively detected in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from India, except that IMP β-lactamases were also detected in Philippines and Australia. CTX-M β-lactamases were the predominant ESBLs produced by Enterobacteriaceae causing IAI in the Asia-Pacific region. Emergence of CTX-M-15-, CMY-2-, and NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates is of major concern and highlights the need for further surveillance in this area. PMID:23587958
Pollett, S.; Miller, S.; Hindler, J.; Uslan, D.; Carvalho, M.
2014-01-01
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are a concern for health care in the United States but remain relatively uncommon in California. We describe the phenotype, clonality, and carbapenemase-encoding genes present in CRE isolated from patients at a Californian tertiary health care system. CRE for this study were identified by evaluating the antibiograms of Enterobacteriaceae isolated in the UCLA Health System from 2011 to 2013 for isolates that were not susceptible to meropenem and/or imipenem. The identification of these isolates was subsequently confirmed by matrix-associated laser desorption ionization–time of flight, and broth microdilution tests were repeated to confirm the CRE phenotype. Real-time PCR for blaKPC, blaSME, blaIMP, blaNDM-1, blaVIM, and blaOXA-48 was performed. Clonality was assessed by repetitive sequence-based PCR (repPCR) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Of 15,839 nonduplicate clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates, 115 (0.73%) met the study definition for CRE. This number increased from 0.5% (44/8165) in the first half of the study to 0.9% (71/7674) in the second (P = 0.004). The most common CRE species were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Escherichia coli. A carbapenemase-encoding gene was found in 81.7% (94/115) of CRE and included blaKPC (78.3%), blaNDM-1 (0.9%), and blaSME (2.6%). The majority of blaKPC genes were in K. pneumoniae isolates, which fell into 14 clonal groups on typing. blaKPC was identified in more than one species of CRE cultured from the same patient in four cases. Three blaSME-carrying Serratia marcescens isolates and one blaNDM-1 carrying Providencia rettgeri isolate were detected. CRE are increasing in California, and carbapenemases, particularly KPC, are a common mechanism for carbapenem resistance in this region. PMID:25210072
Shared Decision-Making for Nursing Practice: An Integrative Review
Truglio-Londrigan, Marie; Slyer, Jason T.
2018-01-01
Background: Shared decision-making has received national and international interest by providers, educators, researchers, and policy makers. The literature on shared decision-making is extensive, dealing with the individual components of shared decision-making rather than a comprehensive process. This view of shared decision-making leaves healthcare providers to wonder how to integrate shared decision-making into practice. Objective: To understand shared decision-making as a comprehensive process from the perspective of the patient and provider in all healthcare settings. Methods: An integrative review was conducted applying a systematic approach involving a literature search, data evaluation, and data analysis. The search included articles from PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PsycINFO from 1970 through 2016. Articles included quantitative experimental and non-experimental designs, qualitative, and theoretical articles about shared decision-making between all healthcare providers and patients in all healthcare settings. Results: Fifty-two papers were included in this integrative review. Three categories emerged from the synthesis: (a) communication/ relationship building; (b) working towards a shared decision; and (c) action for shared decision-making. Each major theme contained sub-themes represented in the proposed visual representation for shared decision-making. Conclusion: A comprehensive understanding of shared decision-making between the nurse and the patient was identified. A visual representation offers a guide that depicts shared decision-making as a process taking place during a healthcare encounter with implications for the continuation of shared decisions over time offering patients an opportunity to return to the nurse for reconsiderations of past shared decisions. PMID:29456779
Composite collective decision-making.
Czaczkes, Tomer J; Czaczkes, Benjamin; Iglhaut, Carolin; Heinze, Jürgen
2015-06-22
Individual animals are adept at making decisions and have cognitive abilities, such as memory, which allow them to hone their decisions. Social animals can also share information. This allows social animals to make adaptive group-level decisions. Both individual and collective decision-making systems also have drawbacks and limitations, and while both are well studied, the interaction between them is still poorly understood. Here, we study how individual and collective decision-making interact during ant foraging. We first gathered empirical data on memory-based foraging persistence in the ant Lasius niger. We used these data to create an agent-based model where ants may use social information (trail pheromones), private information (memories) or both to make foraging decisions. The combined use of social and private information by individuals results in greater efficiency at the group level than when either information source was used alone. The modelled ants couple consensus decision-making, allowing them to quickly exploit high-quality food sources, and combined decision-making, allowing different individuals to specialize in exploiting different resource patches. Such a composite collective decision-making system reaps the benefits of both its constituent parts. Exploiting such insights into composite collective decision-making may lead to improved decision-making algorithms. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.
The Relations between Decision Making in Social Relationships and Decision Making Styles
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sari, Enver
2008-01-01
The research reported in this paper aimed to examine the relationships between decisiveness in social relationships, and the decision-making styles of a group of university students and to investigate the contributions of decision-making styles in predicting decisiveness in social relationship (conflict resolution, social relationship selection…
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ernst, Kathleen M; Van Riemsdijk, Dr. Micheline
This article studies the participation of stakeholders in climate change decision-making in Alaska s National Parks. We place stakeholder participation within literatures on environmental and climate change decision-making. We conducted participant observation and interviews in two planning workshops to investigate the decision-making process, and our findings are three-fold. First, the inclusion of diverse stakeholders expanded climate change decision-making beyond National Park Service (NPS) institutional constraints. Second, workshops of the Climate Change Scenario Planning Project (CCSPP) enhanced institutional understandings of participants attitudes towards climate change and climate change decision-making. Third, the geographical context of climate change influences the decision-making process. Asmore » the first regional approach to climate change decision-making within the NPS, the CCSPP serves as a model for future climate change planning in public land agencies. This study shows how the participation of stakeholders can contribute to robust decisions, may move climate change decision-making beyond institutional barriers, and can provide information about attitudes towards climate change decision-making.« less
Hamilton, Jada G; Lillie, Sarah E; Alden, Dana L; Scherer, Laura; Oser, Megan; Rini, Christine; Tanaka, Miho; Baleix, John; Brewster, Mikki; Craddock Lee, Simon; Goldstein, Mary K; Jacobson, Robert M; Myers, Ronald E; Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J; Waters, Erika A
2017-02-01
Informed and shared decision making are critical aspects of patient-centered care, which has contributed to an emphasis on decision support interventions to promote good medical decision making. However, researchers and healthcare providers have not reached a consensus on what defines a good decision, nor how to evaluate it. This position paper, informed by conference sessions featuring diverse stakeholders held at the 2015 Society of Behavioral Medicine and Society for Medical Decision Making annual meetings, describes key concepts that influence the decision making process itself and that may change what it means to make a good decision: interpersonal factors, structural constraints, affective influences, and values clarification methods. This paper also proposes specific research questions within each of these priority areas, with the goal of moving medical decision making research to a more comprehensive definition of a good medical decision, and enhancing the ability to measure and improve the decision making process.
Multi-disciplinary decision making in general practice.
Kirby, Ann; Murphy, Aileen; Bradley, Colin
2018-04-09
Purpose Internationally, healthcare systems are moving towards delivering care in an integrated manner which advocates a multi-disciplinary approach to decision making. Such an approach is formally encouraged in the management of Atrial Fibrillation patients through the European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Since the emergence of new oral anticoagulants switching between oral anticoagulants (OACs) has become prevalent. This case study considers the role of multi-disciplinary decision making, given the complex nature of the agents. The purpose of this paper is to explore Irish General Practitioners' (GPs) experience of switching between all OACs for Arial Fibrillation (AF) patients; prevalence of multi-disciplinary decision making in OAC switching decisions and seeks to determine the GP characteristics that appear to influence the likelihood of multi-disciplinary decision making. Design/methodology/approach A probit model is used to determine the factors influencing multi-disciplinary decision making and a multinomial logit is used to examine the factors influencing who is involved in the multi-disciplinary decisions. Findings Results reveal that while some multi-disciplinary decision-making is occurring (64 per cent), it is not standard practice despite international guidelines on integrated care. Moreover, there is a lack of patient participation in the decision-making process. Female GPs and GPs who have initiated prescriptions for OACs are more likely to engage in multi-disciplinary decision-making surrounding switching OACs amongst AF patients. GPs with training practices were less likely to engage with cardiac consultants and those in urban areas were more likely to engage with other (non-cardiac) consultants. Originality/value For optimal decision making under uncertainty multi-disciplinary decision-making is needed to make a more informed judgement and to improve treatment decisions and reduce the opportunity cost of making the wrong decision.
Decision sidestepping: How the motivation for closure prompts individuals to bypass decision making.
Otto, Ashley S; Clarkson, Joshua J; Kardes, Frank R
2016-07-01
We all too often have to make decisions-from the mundane (e.g., what to eat for breakfast) to the complex (e.g., what to buy a loved one)-and yet there exists a multitude of strategies that allows us to make a decision. This work focuses on a subset of decision strategies that allows individuals to make decisions by bypassing the decision-making process-a phenomenon we term decision sidestepping. Critical to the present manuscript, however, we contend that decision sidestepping stems from the motivation to achieve closure. We link this proposition back to the fundamental nature of closure and how those seeking closure are highly bothered by decision making. As such, we argue that the motivation to achieve closure prompts a reliance on sidestepping strategies (e.g., default bias, choice delegation, status quo bias, inaction inertia, option fixation) to reduce the bothersome nature of decision making. In support of this framework, five experiments demonstrate that (a) those seeking closure are more likely to engage in decision sidestepping, (b) the effect of closure on sidestepping stems from the bothersome nature of decision making, and (c) the reliance on sidestepping results in downstream consequences for subsequent choice. Taken together, these findings offer unique insight into the cognitive motivations stimulating a reliance on decision sidestepping and thus a novel framework by which to understand how individuals make decisions while bypassing the decision-making process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).
Samsi, Kritika; Manthorpe, Jill
2013-06-01
Exercising choice and control over decisions is central to quality of life. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (England and Wales) provides a legal framework to safeguard the rights of people with dementia to make their own decisions for as long as possible. The impact of this on long-term planning has been investigated; everyday decision-making in people's own homes remains unexplored. Using a phenomenological approach, we interviewed 12 dyads (one person with dementia + one carer) four times over one year to ascertain experience of decision-making, how decisions were negotiated, and how dynamics changed. Qualitative interviews were conducted in people's own homes, and thematic analysis was applied to transcripts. Respecting autonomy, decision-specificity and best interests underlay most everyday decisions in this sample. Over time, dyads transitioned from supported decision-making, where person with dementia and carer made decisions together, to substituted decision-making, where carers took over much decision-making. Points along this continuum represented carers' active involvement in retaining their relative's engagement through providing cues, reducing options, using retrospective information, and using the best interests principle. Long-term spouse carers seemed most equipped to make substitute decisions for their spouses; adult children and friend carers struggled with this. Carers may gradually take on decision-making for people with dementia. This can bring with it added stresses, such as determining their relative's decision-making capacity and weighing up what is in their best interests. Practitioners and support services should provide timely advice to carers and people with dementia around everyday decision-making, and be mindful how abilities may change.
Watanabe, Yoshiko; Takahashi, Miyako; Kai, Ichiro
2008-02-27
Over the last decade, patient involvement in treatment-related decision-making has been widely advocated in Japan, where patient-physician encounters are still under the influence of the long-standing tradition of paternalism. Despite this profound change in clinical practice, studies investigating the actual preferences of Japanese people regarding involvement in treatment-related decision-making are limited. The main objectives of this study were to (1) reveal the actual level of involvement of Japanese cancer patients in the treatment-related decision-making and their overall satisfaction with the decision-making process, and (2) consider the practical implications of increased satisfaction in cancer patients with regard to the decision-making process. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 Japanese cancer patients who were recruited from a cancer self-help group in Tokyo. The interviews were qualitatively analysed using the approach described by Lofland and Lofland. The analyses of the patients' interviews focused on 2 aspects: (1) who made treatment-related decisions (the physician or the patient), and (2) the informants' overall satisfaction with the decision-making process. The analyses revealed the following 5 categories of decision-making: 'patient as the active decision maker', 'doctor selection', 'wilfully entrusting the physician', 'compelled decision-making', and 'surrendering decision-making'. While the informants under the first 3 categories were fairly satisfied with the decision-making process, those under the latter 2 were extremely dissatisfied. Informants' views regarding their preferred role in the decision-making process varied substantially from complete physician control to complete patient control; the key factor for their satisfaction was the relation between their preferred involvement in decision-making and their actual level of involvement, irrespective of who the decision maker was. In order to increase patient satisfaction with regard to the treatment-related decision-making process, healthcare professionals in Japan must assess individual patient preferences and provide healthcare accordingly. Moreover, a better environment should be created in hospitals and in society to facilitate patients in expressing their preferences and appropriate resources need to be made available to facilitate their decision-making process.
Statland, Jeffrey M; Bundy, Brian N; Wang, Yunxia; Rayan, Dipa Raja; Trivedi, Jaya R; Sansone, Valeria A; Salajegheh, Mohammad K; Venance, Shannon L.; Ciafaloni, Emma; Matthews, Emma; Meola, Giovanni; Herbelin, Laura; Griggs, Robert C; Barohn, Richard J; Hanna, Michael G
2012-01-01
Context Non-dystrophic myotonias (NDM) are rare diseases caused by mutations in skeletal muscle ion channels. Patients experience delayed muscle relaxation causing functionally-limiting stiffness and pain. Mexiletine-induced sodium channel blockade reduced myotonia in case studies and one single blind trial. As is common in rare diseases, larger studies of safety and efficacy have not previously been considered feasible. Objective To determine the effects of mexiletine for symptoms and signs of myotonia in NDM. Design, Setting, and Participation Fifty-nine patients with NDM participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled two-period crossover study conducted between December 23, 2008 and March 30, 2011 at 7 neuromuscular referral centers in 4 countries, as part of the NIH-funded Rare Disease Clinical Research Network. Intervention Oral 200 mg mexiletine or placebo capsules three times daily for 4 weeks, followed by the opposite intervention for 4 weeks, with 1 week wash-out between periods. Main Outcome Measures Patient-reported stiffness recorded on an interactive voice response diary (IVR) was the primary endpoint (1 ‘minimal’ to 9 ‘worst ever experienced’). Secondary endpoints included IVR-reported changes in pain, weakness, and tiredness, clinical myotonia assessment, quantitative grip myotonia, Individualized Neuromuscular Quality of Life (INQoL, percent of maximal detrimental impact), SF-36, electrophysiological exercise testing, and needle EMG. Results Mexiletine significantly improved patient-reported stiffness on the IVR. Because of a statistically significant interaction between treatment and period for this outcome, primary endpoint is presented by period (period 1 means were mexiletine 2.53 versus placebo 4.21, difference −1.68, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] −2.66, −0.706, P<0.001; period 2 means were mexiletine 1.60 versus placebo 5.27, difference −3.68, 95% CI −3.85, −0.139, P=0.04). Mexiletine improved the INQoL QOL score (mexiletine 14.0, placebo 16.7, difference −2.69, 95% CI −4.07, −1.30, P<0.001) and decreased handgrip myotonia on clinical exam (seconds: mexiletine 0.164, placebo 0.494, difference −0.330, 95% CI −0.633, −0.142, P<0.001). The most common adverse effect was gastrointestinal (9 mexiletine, 1 placebo). Two participants experienced transient cardiac effects that did not require stopping the study (1 placebo, 1 mexiletine). One serious adverse event was determined to be not study-related. Conclusion In this preliminary study of patients with NDM, the use of mexiletine compared with placebo resulted in improved patient-reported stiffness over 4 weeks of treatment, despite some concern about the maintenance of blinding. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT 00832000 PMID:23032552
The potential for shared decision-making and decision aids in rehabilitation medicine.
van Til, Janine A; Drossaert, Constance H C; Punter, R Annemiek; Ijzerman, Maarten J
2010-06-01
Shared decision-making and the use of decision aids are increasingly promoted in various healthcare settings. The extent of their current use and potential in rehabilitation medicine is unknown. The aim of the present study was to explore the barriers to and facilitators of shared decision-making and use of decision aids in daily practice, and to explore the perceptions of physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) physicians toward them. A cross-sectional survey of 408 PRM physicians was performed (response rate 31%). PRM physicians expressed the highest levels of comfort with shared decision-making as opposed to paternalistic and informed decision-making. The majority reported that shared decision-making constituted their usual approach. The most important barriers to shared decision-making were cases in which the patient received conflicting recommendations and when the patient had difficulty accepting the disease. Key facilitators were the patient's trust in the PRM physician and the patient being knowledgeable about the disease and about treatment options. PRM physicians' attitudes towards the use of decision aids to inform patients were moderately positive. Shared decision-making appears to have great potential in the rehabilitation setting. Increasing the use of decision aids may contribute to the further implementation of shared decision-making.
Conflict and Group Decision-Making: A New Approach.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dace, Karen L.
In the opinion of decision-making scholars, conflict is a natural component of group decision-making. A new direction for conflict and group decision-making theory and research will help dispel the confusion as to the promotive or disruptive nature of disagreement in group decision-making. Conflict literature is replete with descriptions of the…
Dementia, Decision Making, and Capacity.
Darby, R Ryan; Dickerson, Bradford C
After participating in this activity, learners should be better able to:• Assess the neuropsychological literature on decision making and the medical and legal assessment of capacity in patients with dementia• Identify the limitations of integrating findings from decision-making research into capacity assessments for patients with dementia ABSTRACT: Medical and legal professionals face the challenge of assessing capacity and competency to make medical, legal, and financial decisions in dementia patients with impaired decision making. While such assessments have classically focused on the capacity for complex reasoning and executive functions, research in decision making has revealed that motivational and metacognitive processes are also important. We first briefly review the neuropsychological literature on decision making and on the medical and legal assessment of capacity. Next, we discuss the limitations of integrating findings from decision-making research into capacity assessments, including the group-to-individual inference problem, the unclear role of neuroimaging in capacity assessments, and the lack of capacity measures that integrate important facets of decision making. Finally, we present several case examples where we attempt to demonstrate the potential benefits and important limitations of using decision-making research to aid in capacity determinations.
Rosenthal, Sara A; Nolan, Marie T
2013-07-01
To synthesize the existing qualitative literature about parent ethical decision making in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and to investigate the potential impact of culture on parents' decision making experiences. PubMed, CINAHL plus, and PsychInfo using the search terms parental decision making, culture, race, decision making, and parental decisions. Qualitative research studies investigating decision making for infants in the NICU from the parents' perspective were included. Studies involving older pediatric populations were excluded. Ten primary qualitative research articles were included. The primary author read all manuscripts and tabulated themes related to parents' ethical decision making. Study findings were synthesized using meta-ethnography involving translating concepts of separate studies into one another, exploring contradictions, and organizing these concepts into new theories. Key themes included parent involvement in decision making, parental role, necessity of good information, need for communication, desire for hope and compassion conveyed by providers, decision making satisfaction, and trust in caregiving team. A preliminary theoretical framework of ethical parent decision making was modeled based on the proposed relationships between the themes. Parent preferences for their involvement in decision making, their perceptions of communication with providers, and their relationships with providers are all important factors in the experience of making decisions for their infants. Needs of parents were the same regardless the ethnic or racial diversity of study participants. © 2013 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
Decision making about Pap test use among Korean immigrant women: A qualitative study.
Kim, Kyounghae; Kim, Soohyun; Gallo, Joseph J; Nolan, Marie T; Han, Hae-Ra
2017-08-01
Understanding how individuals make decisions about Pap tests concerning their personal values helps health-care providers offer tailored approaches to guide patients' decision making. Yet research has largely ignored decision making about Pap tests among immigrant women who experience increased risk of cervical cancer. To explore decision making about Pap tests among Korean immigrant women. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using 32 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Korean immigrant women residing in a north-eastern metropolitan area. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive coding. Although most women with positive decisions made their own decisions, some women deferred to their providers, and others made decisions in collaboration with their providers and significant others. While women making positive decisions tended to consider both barriers to and facilitators of having Pap tests, women making negative decisions predominantly discussed the barriers to having Pap tests, such as modesty and differences between the South Korean and US health-care systems. The women's reflections on their decisions differed regarding their Pap test decisions. Women's desired roles in the decision-making process and reflection on their decision outcome appeared to vary, although most participants with positive decisions made their own decisions and were satisfied with their decisions. Future research should conduct longitudinal, quantitative studies to test our findings regarding decision-making processes and outcomes about Pap tests. The findings should be incorporated into cervical cancer screening practices to fulfil the unmet needs of immigrant women in patient-provider communication and to facilitate women's decision making about Pap tests. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Dunn, Sandra I; Cragg, Betty; Graham, Ian D; Medves, Jennifer; Gaboury, Isabelle
2018-05-01
Shared decision-making provides an opportunity for the knowledge and skills of care providers to synergistically influence patient care. Little is known about interprofessional shared decision-making processes in critical care settings. The aim of this study was to explore interprofessional team members' perspectives about the nature of interprofessional shared decision-making in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and to determine if there are any differences in perspectives across professional groups. An exploratory qualitative approach was used consisting of semi-structured interviews with 22 members of an interprofessional team working in a tertiary care NICU in Canada. Participants identified four key roles involved in interprofessional shared decision-making: leader, clinical experts, parents, and synthesizer. Participants perceived that interprofessional shared decision-making happens through collaboration, sharing, and weighing the options, the evidence and the credibility of opinions put forward. The process of interprofessional shared decision-making leads to a well-informed decision and participants feeling valued. Findings from this study identified key concepts of interprofessional shared decision-making, increased awareness of differing professional perspectives about this process of shared decision-making, and clarified understanding of the different roles involved in the decision-making process in an NICU.
Murshid, N S; Ely, G E
2016-10-01
Our objective was to assess whether microfinance participation affords greater contraceptive decision-making power to women. Population based secondary data analysis. In this cross-sectional study using nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011 we conducted multinomial logistic regression to estimate the odds of contraceptive decision-making by respondents and their husbands based on microfinance participation. Microfinance participation was measured as a dichotomous variable and contraceptive decision-making was conceptualized based on who made decisions about contraceptive use: respondents only; their partners or husbands only; or both. The odds of decision-making by the respondent, with the reference case being joint decision-making, were higher for microfinance participants, but they were not significant. The odds of decision-making by the husband, with the reference case again being joint decision-making, were significantly lower among men who were partnered with women who participated in microfinance (RRR = 0.70, P < 0.01). Microfinance participation by women allowed men to share decision-making power with their wives that resulted in higher odds of joint decision-making. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013: content, commentary, controversy.
Kelly, B D
2015-03-01
Ireland's Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill (2013) aims to reform the law relating to persons who require assistance exercising their decision-making capacity. When finalised, the Bill will replace Ireland's outdated Ward of Court system which has an all-or-nothing approach to capacity; does not adequately define capacity; is poorly responsive to change; makes unwieldy provision for appointing decision-makers; and has insufficient provision for review. To explore the content and implications of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill. Review of the content of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill and related literature. The new Bill includes a presumption of capacity and defines lack of capacity. All interventions must minimise restriction of rights and freedom, and have due regard for "dignity, bodily integrity, privacy and autonomy". The Bill proposes legal frameworks for "assisted decision-making" (where an individual voluntarily appoints someone to assist with specific decisions relating to personal welfare or property and affairs, by, among other measures, assisting the individual to communicate his or her "will and preferences"); "co-decision-making" (where the Circuit Court declares the individual's capacity is reduced but he or she can make specific decisions with a co-decision-maker to share authority); "decision-making representatives" (substitute decision-making); "enduring power of attorney"; and "informal decision-making on personal welfare matters" (without apparent oversight). These measures, if implemented, will shift Ireland's capacity laws away from an approach based on "best interests" to one based on "will and preferences", and increase compliance with the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Considering Risk and Resilience in Decision-Making
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Torres-Pomales, Wilfredo
2015-01-01
This paper examines the concepts of decision-making, risk analysis, uncertainty and resilience analysis. The relation between risk, vulnerability, and resilience is analyzed. The paper describes how complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity are the most critical factors in the definition of the approach and criteria for decision-making. Uncertainty in its various forms is what limits our ability to offer definitive answers to questions about the outcomes of alternatives in a decision-making process. It is shown that, although resilience-informed decision-making would seem fundamentally different from risk-informed decision-making, this is not the case as resilience-analysis can be easily incorporated within existing analytic-deliberative decision-making frameworks.
Xiao, Lin; Bechara, Antoine; Palmer, Paula H.; Trinidad, Dennis R.; Wei, Yonglan; Jia, Yong; Johnson, C. Anderson
2010-01-01
The goal of this study was to investigate how parents’ engagement of their child in everyday decision-making influenced their adolescent’s development on two neuropsychological functions, namely, affective decision-making and working memory, and its effect on adolescent binge-drinking behavior. We conducted a longitudinal study of 192 Chinese adolescents. In 10th grade, the adolescents were tested for their affective decision-making ability using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and working memory capacity using the Self-ordered Pointing Test (SOPT). Questionnaires were used to assess perceived parent-child engagement in decision-making, academic performance and drinking behavior. At one-year follow-up, the same neuropsychological tasks and questionnaires were repeated. Results indicate that working memory and academic performance were uninfluenced by parent-child engagement in decision-making. However, compared to adolescents whose parents made solitary decisions for them, adolescents engaged in everyday decision-making showed significant improvement on affective decision capacity and significantly less binge-drinking one year later. These findings suggest that parental engagement of children in everyday decision-making might foster the development of neurocognitive functioning relative to affective decision-making and reduce adolescent substance use behaviors. PMID:21804682
Sepucha, Karen R; Simmons, Leigh H; Barry, Michael J; Edgman-Levitan, Susan; Licurse, Adam M; Chaguturu, Sreekanth K
2016-04-01
Shared decision making is a core component of population health strategies aimed at improving patient engagement. Massachusetts General Hospital's integration of shared decision making into practice has focused on the following three elements: developing a culture receptive to, and health care providers skilled in, shared decision making conversations; using patient decision aids to help inform and engage patients; and providing infrastructure and resources to support the implementation of shared decision making in practice. In the period 2005-15, more than 900 clinicians and other staff members were trained in shared decision making, and more than 28,000 orders for one of about forty patient decision aids were placed to support informed patient-centered decisions. We profile two different implementation initiatives that increased the use of patient decision aids at the hospital's eighteen adult primary care practices, and we summarize key elements of the shared decision making program. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.
Role of affect in decision making.
Bandyopadhyay, Debarati; Pammi, V S Chandrasekhar; Srinivasan, Narayanan
2013-01-01
Emotion plays a major role in influencing our everyday cognitive and behavioral functions, including decision making. We introduce different ways in which emotions are characterized in terms of the way they influence or elicited by decision making. This chapter discusses different theories that have been proposed to explain the role of emotions in judgment and decision making. We also discuss incidental emotional influences, both long-duration influences like mood and short-duration influences by emotional context present prior to or during decision making. We present and discuss results from a study with emotional pictures presented prior to decision making and how that influences both decision processes and postdecision experience as a function of uncertainty. We conclude with a summary of the work on emotions and decision making in the context of decision-making theories and our work on incidental emotions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A decision-making model based on a spiking neural circuit and synaptic plasticity.
Wei, Hui; Bu, Yijie; Dai, Dawei
2017-10-01
To adapt to the environment and survive, most animals can control their behaviors by making decisions. The process of decision-making and responding according to cues in the environment is stable, sustainable, and learnable. Understanding how behaviors are regulated by neural circuits and the encoding and decoding mechanisms from stimuli to responses are important goals in neuroscience. From results observed in Drosophila experiments, the underlying decision-making process is discussed, and a neural circuit that implements a two-choice decision-making model is proposed to explain and reproduce the observations. Compared with previous two-choice decision making models, our model uses synaptic plasticity to explain changes in decision output given the same environment. Moreover, biological meanings of parameters of our decision-making model are discussed. In this paper, we explain at the micro-level (i.e., neurons and synapses) how observable decision-making behavior at the macro-level is acquired and achieved.
Neuroanatomical basis for recognition primed decision making.
Hudson, Darren
2013-01-01
Effective decision making under time constraints is often overlooked in medical decision making. The recognition primed decision making (RPDM) model was developed by Gary Klein based on previous recognized situations to develop a satisfactory solution to the current problem. Bayes Theorem is the most popular decision making model in medicine but is limited by the need for adequate time to consider all probabilities. Unlike other decision making models, there is a potential neurobiological basis for RPDM. This model has significant implication for health informatics and medical education.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Watson, Joanne; Wilson, Erin; Hagiliassis, Nick
2017-01-01
Background: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) promotes the use of supported decision making in lieu of substitute decision making. To date, there has been a lack of focus on supported decision making for people with severe or profound intellectual disability, including for end of life decisions.…
Nurse manager cognitive decision-making amidst stress and work complexity.
Shirey, Maria R; Ebright, Patricia R; McDaniel, Anna M
2013-01-01
The present study provides insight into nurse manager cognitive decision-making amidst stress and work complexity. Little is known about nurse manager decision-making amidst stress and work complexity. Because nurse manager decisions have the potential to impact patient care quality and safety, understanding their decision-making processes is useful for designing supportive interventions. This qualitative descriptive study interviewed 21 nurse managers from three hospitals to answer the research question: What decision-making processes do nurse managers utilize to address stressful situations in their nurse manager role? Face-to-face interviews incorporating components of the Critical Decision Method illuminated expert-novice practice differences. Content analysis identified one major theme and three sub-themes. The present study produced a cognitive model that guides nurse manager decision-making related to stressful situations. Experience in the role, organizational context and situation factors influenced nurse manager cognitive decision-making processes. Study findings suggest that chronic exposure to stress and work complexity negatively affects nurse manager health and their decision-making processes potentially threatening individual, patient and organizational outcomes. Cognitive decision-making varies based on nurse manager experience and these differences have coaching and mentoring implications. This present study contributes a current understanding of nurse manager decision-making amidst stress and work complexity. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Berger-Höger, Birte; Liethmann, Katrin; Mühlhauser, Ingrid; Haastert, Burkhard; Steckelberg, Anke
2015-10-12
Women with breast cancer want to participate in treatment decision-making. Guidelines have confirmed the right of informed shared decision-making. However, previous research has shown that the implementation of informed shared decision-making is suboptimal for reasons of limited resources of physicians, power imbalances between patients and physicians and missing evidence-based patient information. We developed an informed shared decision-making program for women with primary ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The program provides decision coaching for women by specialized nurses and aims at supporting involvement in decision-making and informed choices. In this trial, the informed shared decision-making program will be evaluated in breast care centers. A cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted to compare the informed shared decision-making program with standard care. The program comprises an evidence-based patient decision aid and training of physicians (2 hours) and specialized breast care and oncology nurses (4 days) in informed shared decision-making. Sixteen certified breast care centers will be included, with 192 women with primary DCIS being recruited. Primary outcome is the extent of patients' involvement in shared decision-making as assessed by the MAPPIN-Odyad (Multifocal approach to the 'sharing' in shared decision-making: observer instrument dyad). Secondary endpoints include the sub-measures of the MAPPIN-inventory (MAPPIN-Onurse, MAPPIN-Ophysician, MAPPIN-Opatient, MAPPIN-Qnurse, MAPPIN-Qpatient and MAPPIN-Qphysician), informed choice, decisional conflict and the duration of encounters. It is expected that decision coaching and the provision of evidence-based patient decision aids will increase patients' involvement in decision-making with informed choices and reduce decisional conflicts and duration of physician encounters. Furthermore, an accompanying process evaluation will be conducted. To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the implementation of decision coaches in German breast care centers. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN46305518 , date of registration: 5 June 2015.
Complexity science and participation in decision making among Taiwanese nurses.
Liu, Yi
2008-04-01
The perspective of interconnection in complexity science is used to examine the concept of participation in decision making among Taiwanese nurses in the context of Chinese communication culture. Participation in decision making among nurses has been widely discussed and tested in the Western healthcare systems. Many studies have shown that participation in decision making relates to nurses' autonomy, job satisfaction and quality of care. However, participation in decision making has not been fully discussed in Taiwan's nursing community. In a different cultural environment, participation in decision making may have different effects. The concept of participation in decision making is analysed in three facets of Chinese communication culture: (1) hierarchical social relationship; (2) harmony maintenance; and (3) insider effects. Key issues Taiwanese nurses might establish different levels of participation and need to use different strategies to enhance participation in decision making for desired outcomes. While applying participation in decision making in a different context, it is very important to consider the social and cultural differences. Two implications are made. First, nursing leaders/managers who are working with a multicultural team should be aware of the cultural difference in the pattern of interaction in the process of participation in decision making. Second, leaders/managers should be creative and try to apply different strategies to encourage staff's participation in decision making.
A review of clinical decision making: models and current research.
Banning, Maggi
2008-01-01
The aim of this paper was to review the current literature clinical decision-making models and the educational application of models to clinical practice. This was achieved by exploring the function and related research of the three available models of clinical decision making: information-processing model, the intuitive-humanist model and the clinical decision-making model. Clinical decision making is a unique process that involves the interplay between knowledge of pre-existing pathological conditions, explicit patient information, nursing care and experiential learning. Historically, two models of clinical decision making are recognized from the literature; the information-processing model and the intuitive-humanist model. The usefulness and application of both models has been examined in relation the provision of nursing care and care related outcomes. More recently a third model of clinical decision making has been proposed. This new multidimensional model contains elements of the information-processing model but also examines patient specific elements that are necessary for cue and pattern recognition. Literature review. Evaluation of the literature generated from MEDLINE, CINAHL, OVID, PUBMED and EBESCO systems and the Internet from 1980 to November 2005. The characteristics of the three models of decision making were identified and the related research discussed. Three approaches to clinical decision making were identified, each having its own attributes and uses. The most recent addition to the clinical decision making is a theoretical, multidimensional model which was developed through an evaluation of current literature and the assessment of a limited number of research studies that focused on the clinical decision-making skills of inexperienced nurses in pseudoclinical settings. The components of this model and the relative merits to clinical practice are discussed. It is proposed that clinical decision making improves as the nurse gains experience of nursing patients within a specific speciality and with experience, nurses gain a sense of saliency in relation to decision making. Experienced nurses may use all three forms of clinical decision making both independently and concurrently to solve nursing-related problems. It is suggested that O'Neill's clinical decision-making model could be tested by educators and experienced nurses to assess the efficacy of this hybrid approach to decision making.
Data-Based Decision Making in Education: Challenges and Opportunities
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schildkamp, Kim, Ed.; Lai, Mei Kuin, Ed.; Earl, Lorna, Ed.
2013-01-01
In a context where schools are held more and more accountable for the education they provide, data-based decision making has become increasingly important. This book brings together scholars from several countries to examine data-based decision making. Data-based decision making in this book refers to making decisions based on a broad range of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ballantine, R. Malcolm
Decision Support Systems (DSSs) are computer-based decision aids to use when making decisions which are partially amenable to rational decision-making procedures but contain elements where intuitive judgment is an essential component. In such situations, DSSs are used to improve the quality of decision-making. The DSS approach is based on Simon's…
Chong, Wei Wen; Aslani, Parisa; Chen, Timothy F
2013-05-01
Shared decision-making is an essential element of patient-centered care in mental health. Since mental health services involve healthcare providers from different professions, a multiple perspective to shared decision-making may be valuable. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of different healthcare professionals on shared decision-making and current interprofessional collaboration in mental healthcare. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 healthcare providers from a range of professions, which included medical practitioners (psychiatrists, general practitioners), pharmacists, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers. Findings indicated that healthcare providers supported the notion of shared decision-making in mental health, but felt that it should be condition dependent. Medical practitioners advocated a more active participation from consumers in treatment decision-making; whereas other providers (e.g. pharmacists, occupational therapists) focused more toward acknowledging consumers' needs in decisions, perceiving themselves to be in an advisory role in supporting consumers' decision-making. Although healthcare providers acknowledged the importance of interprofessional collaboration, only a minority discussed it within the context of shared decision-making. In conclusion, healthcare providers appeared to have differing perceptions on the level of consumer involvement in shared decision-making. Interprofessional roles to facilitate shared decision-making in mental health need to be acknowledged, understood and strengthened, before an interprofessional approach to shared decision-making in mental health can be effectively implemented.
Graphic Representations as Tools for Decision Making.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Howard, Judith
2001-01-01
Focuses on the use of graphic representations to enable students to improve their decision making skills in the social studies. Explores three visual aids used in assisting students with decision making: (1) the force field; (2) the decision tree; and (3) the decision making grid. (CMK)
Li, Nancy; Jayasinghe, Yasmin; Kemertzis, Matthew A; Moore, Paddy; Peate, Michelle
2017-06-01
Decisions surrounding fertility preservation (FP) in children, adolescents, and adults can be difficult due to the distress of a cancer diagnosis, time constraints for decision-making, and lack of efficacy data. This review examines the decision-making process of oncology patients and their parents (if patients are in the pediatric or adolescent population) to better understand experiences of decisional conflict and regret. Two electronic databases, Embase and Pubmed, were searched using the terms (Decision-making OR Conflict (Psychology) OR Decision regret) AND (Freezing OR Oocyte OR Ovarian tissue OR Semen preservation OR Fertility preservation OR Cryopreservation) AND (Neoplasms OR Cancer OR Chemotherapy OR Drug therapy OR Radiotherapy). Medical Subject Heading terms were utilized where possible. Included articles discussed FP decision-making from the patient's perspective. Thirty-five articles discussing FP decision-making were included (24 in the adult population, 11 in the pediatric and adolescent population). Key themes from these articles included the following: factors considered in FP decision-making, decision-making in established procedures and experimental procedures, decisional conflict and regret, the perceived importance of information, adolescent involvement in decision-making, and ethical considerations in the pediatric population. Unique ethical issues arise in the pediatric and adolescent population. Considering that the decision to pursue FP is known to be difficult in the adult population, decisional conflict and regret may be greater for parents who are making the decision for their child.
Dettlaff, Alan J; Christopher Graham, J; Holzman, Jesse; Baumann, Donald J; Fluke, John D
2015-11-01
When children come to the attention of the child welfare system, they become involved in a decision-making process in which decisions are made that have a significant effect on their future and well-being. The decision to remove children from their families is particularly complex; yet surprisingly little is understood about this decision-making process. This paper presents the results of a study to develop an instrument to explore, at the caseworker level, the context of the removal decision, with the objective of understanding the influence of the individual and organizational factors on this decision, drawing from the Decision Making Ecology as the underlying rationale for obtaining the measures. The instrument was based on the development of decision-making scales used in prior decision-making studies and administered to child protection caseworkers in several states. Analyses included reliability analyses, principal components analyses, and inter-correlations among the resulting scales. For one scale regarding removal decisions, a principal components analysis resulted in the extraction of two components, jointly identified as caseworkers' decision-making orientation, described as (1) an internal reference to decision-making and (2) an external reference to decision-making. Reliability analyses demonstrated acceptable to high internal consistency for 9 of the 11 scales. Full details of the reliability analyses, principal components analyses, and inter-correlations among the seven scales are discussed, along with implications for practice and the utility of this instrument to support the understanding of decision-making in child welfare. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
National Evidence on the Use of Shared Decision Making in Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening
Han, Paul K. J.; Kobrin, Sarah; Breen, Nancy; Joseph, Djenaba A.; Li, Jun; Frosch, Dominick L.; Klabunde, Carrie N.
2013-01-01
PURPOSE Recent clinical practice guidelines on prostate cancer screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test (PSA screening) have recommended that clinicians practice shared decision making—a process involving clinician-patient discussion of the pros, cons, and uncertainties of screening. We undertook a study to determine the prevalence of shared decision making in both PSA screening and nonscreening, as well as patient characteristics associated with shared decision making. METHODS A nationally representative sample of 3,427 men aged 50 to 74 years participating in the 2010 National Health Interview Survey responded to questions on the extent of shared decision making (past physician-patient discussion of advantages, disadvantages, and scientific uncertainty associated with PSA screening), PSA screening intensity (tests in past 5 years), and sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. RESULTS Nearly two-thirds (64.3%) of men reported no past physician-patient discussion of advantages, disadvantages, or scientific uncertainty (no shared decision making); 27.8% reported discussion of 1 to 2 elements only (partial shared decision making); 8.0% reported discussion of all 3 elements (full shared decision making). Nearly one-half (44.2%) reported no PSA screening, 27.8% reported low-intensity (less-than-annual) screening, and 25.1% reported high-intensity (nearly annual) screening. Absence of shared decision making was more prevalent in men who were not screened; 88% (95% CI, 86.2%–90.1%) of nonscreened men reported no shared decision making compared with 39% (95% CI, 35.0%–43.3%) of men undergoing high-intensity screening. Extent of shared decision making was associated with black race, Hispanic ethnicity, higher education, health insurance, and physician recommendation. Screening intensity was associated with older age, higher education, usual source of medical care, and physician recommendation, as well as with partial vs no or full shared decision making. CONCLUSIONS Most US men report little shared decision making in PSA screening, and the lack of shared decision making is more prevalent in nonscreened than in screened men. Screening intensity is greatest with partial shared decision making, and different elements of shared decision making are associated with distinct patient characteristics. Shared decision making needs to be improved in decisions for and against PSA screening. PMID:23835816
Shared decision making in chronic care in the context of evidence based practice in nursing.
Friesen-Storms, Jolanda H H M; Bours, Gerrie J J W; van der Weijden, Trudy; Beurskens, Anna J H M
2015-01-01
In the decision-making environment of evidence-based practice, the following three sources of information must be integrated: research evidence of the intervention, clinical expertise, and the patient's values. In reality, evidence-based practice usually focuses on research evidence (which may be translated into clinical practice guidelines) and clinical expertise without considering the individual patient's values. The shared decision-making model seems to be helpful in the integration of the individual patient's values in evidence-based practice. We aim to discuss the relevance of shared decision making in chronic care and to suggest how it can be integrated with evidence-based practice in nursing. We start by describing the following three possible approaches to guide the decision-making process: the paternalistic approach, the informed approach, and the shared decision-making approach. Implementation of shared decision making has gained considerable interest in cases lacking a strong best-treatment recommendation, and when the available treatment options are equivalent to some extent. We discuss that in chronic care it is important to always invite the patient to participate in the decision-making process. We delineate the following six attributes of health care interventions in chronic care that influence the degree of shared decision making: the level of research evidence, the number of available intervention options, the burden of side effects, the impact on lifestyle, the patient group values, and the impact on resources. Furthermore, the patient's willingness to participate in shared decision making, the clinical expertise of the nurse, and the context in which the decision making takes place affect the shared decision-making process. A knowledgeable and skilled nurse with a positive attitude towards shared decision making—integrated with evidence-based practice—can facilitate the shared decision-making process. We conclude that nurses as well as other health care professionals in chronic care should integrate shared decision making with evidence-based practice to deliver patient-centred care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Risk-taking and decision-making in youth: relationships to addiction vulnerability.
Balogh, Kornelia N; Mayes, Linda C; Potenza, Marc N
2013-03-01
Decision-making and risk-taking behavior undergo developmental changes during adolescence. Disadvantageous decision-making and increased risk-taking may lead to problematic behaviors such as substance use and abuse, pathological gambling and excessive internet use. Based on MEDLINE searches, this article reviews the literature on decision-making and risk-taking and their relationship to addiction vulnerability in youth. Decision-making and risk-taking behaviors involve brain areas that undergoing developmental changes during puberty and young adulthood. Individual differences and peer pressure also relate importantly to decision-making and risk-taking. Brain-based changes in emotional, motivational and cognitive processing may underlie risk-taking and decision-making propensities in adolescence, making this period a time of heightened vulnerability for engagement in additive behaviors.
López, Mónica E.; Kaplan, Celia P.; Nápoles, Anna M.; Hwang, E. Shelly; Livaudais, Jennifer C.; Karliner, Leah S.
2013-01-01
Objective To examine differences in treatment decision-making participation, satisfaction, and regret among Latinas and non-Latina whites with DCIS. Methods Survey of Latina and non-Latina white women diagnosed with DCIS. We assessed women’s preferences for involvement in decision-making, primary treatment decision maker, and participatory decision-making. We examined primary outcomes of satisfaction with treatment decision-making and treatment regret by ethnic-language group. Results Among 745 participants (349 Latinas, 396 white) Spanish-speaking Latinas (SSL) had the highest mean preference for involvement in decision-making score and the lowest mean participatory decision-making score and were more likely to defer their final treatment decision to their physicians than English-speaking Latinas or whites (26%, 13%, 18%, p<.05). SSLs reported lower satisfaction with treatment decision-making (OR 0.4; CI 95%, 0.2-0.8) and expressed more regret than whites (OR 6.2; CI 95%, 3.0-12.4). More participatory decision-making increased the odds of satisfaction (OR 1.5; CI 95%, 1.3-1.8) and decreased the odds of treatment regret (OR 0.8; CI 95%, 0.7-1.0), independent of ethnicity-language. Conclusion Language barriers impede the establishment of decision-making partnerships between Latinas and their physicians, and result in less satisfaction with the decision-making process and more treatment regret. Practice Implications Use of professional interpreters may address communication-related disparities for these women. PMID:24207116
López, Mónica E; Kaplan, Celia P; Nápoles, Anna M; Hwang, E Shelley; Livaudais, Jennifer C; Karliner, Leah S
2014-01-01
To examine differences in treatment decision-making participation, satisfaction, and regret among Latinas and non-Latina whites with DCIS. Survey of Latina and non-Latina white women diagnosed with DCIS. We assessed women's preferences for involvement in decision-making, primary treatment decision maker, and participatory decision-making. We examined primary outcomes of satisfaction with treatment decision-making and treatment regret by ethnic-language group. Among 745 participants (349 Latinas, 396 white) Spanish-speaking Latinas (SSL) had the highest mean preference for involvement in decision-making score and the lowest mean participatory decision-making score and were more likely to defer their final treatment decision to their physicians than English-speaking Latinas or whites (26%, 13%, 18%, p<0.05). SSLs reported lower satisfaction with treatment decision-making (OR 0.4; CI 95%, 0.2-0.8) and expressed more regret than whites (OR 6.2; CI 95%, 3.0-12.4). More participatory decision-making increased the odds of satisfaction (OR 1.5; CI 95%, 1.3-1.8) and decreased the odds of treatment regret (OR 0.8; CI 95%, 0.7-1.0), independent of ethnicity-language. Language barriers impede the establishment of decision-making partnerships between Latinas and their physicians, and result in less satisfaction with the decision-making process and more treatment regret. Use of professional interpreters may address communication-related disparities for these women. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Narrative Interest Standard: A Novel Approach to Surrogate Decision-Making for People With Dementia.
Wilkins, James M
2017-06-17
Dementia is a common neurodegenerative process that can significantly impair decision-making capacity as the disease progresses. When a person is found to lack capacity to make a decision, a surrogate decision-maker is generally sought to aid in decision-making. Typical bases for surrogate decision-making include the substituted judgment standard and the best interest standard. Given the heterogeneous and progressive course of dementia, however, these standards for surrogate decision-making are often insufficient in providing guidance for the decision-making for a person with dementia, escalating the likelihood of conflict in these decisions. In this article, the narrative interest standard is presented as a novel and more appropriate approach to surrogate decision-making for people with dementia. Through case presentation and ethical analysis, the standard mechanisms for surrogate decision-making for people with dementia are reviewed and critiqued. The narrative interest standard is then introduced and discussed as a dementia-specific model for surrogate decision-making. Through incorporation of elements of a best interest standard in focusing on the current benefit-burden ratio and elements of narrative to provide context, history, and flexibility for values and preferences that may change over time, the narrative interest standard allows for elaboration of an enriched context for surrogate decision-making for people with dementia. More importantly, however, a narrative approach encourages the direct contribution from people with dementia in authoring the story of what matters to them in their lives.
Quigley, Matthew; Dillon, Michael P; Fatone, Stefania
2018-02-01
Shared decision making is a consultative process designed to encourage patient participation in decision making by providing accurate information about the treatment options and supporting deliberation with the clinicians about treatment options. The process can be supported by resources such as decision aids and discussion guides designed to inform and facilitate often difficult conversations. As this process increases in use, there is opportunity to raise awareness of shared decision making and the international standards used to guide the development of quality resources for use in areas of prosthetic/orthotic care. To describe the process used to develop shared decision-making resources, using an illustrative example focused on decisions about the level of dysvascular partial foot amputation or transtibial amputation. Development process: The International Patient Decision Aid Standards were used to guide the development of the decision aid and discussion guide focused on decisions about the level of dysvascular partial foot amputation or transtibial amputation. Examples from these shared decision-making resources help illuminate the stages of development including scoping and design, research synthesis, iterative development of a prototype, and preliminary testing with patients and clinicians not involved in the development process. Lessons learnt through the process, such as using the International Patient Decision Aid Standards checklist and development guidelines, may help inform others wanting to develop similar shared decision-making resources given the applicability of shared decision making to many areas of prosthetic-/orthotic-related practice. Clinical relevance Shared decision making is a process designed to guide conversations that help patients make an informed decision about their healthcare. Raising awareness of shared decision making and the international standards for development of high-quality decision aids and discussion guides is important as the approach is introduced in prosthetic-/orthotic-related practice.
The involvement of the striatum in decision making
Goulet-Kennedy, Julie; Labbe, Sara; Fecteau, Shirley
2016-01-01
Decision making has been extensively studied in the context of economics and from a group perspective, but still little is known on individual decision making. Here we discuss the different cognitive processes involved in decision making and its associated neural substrates. The putative conductors in decision making appear to be the prefrontal cortex and the striatum. Impaired decision-making skills in various clinical populations have been associated with activity in the prefrontal cortex and in the striatum. We highlight the importance of strengthening the degree of integration of both cognitive and neural substrates in order to further our understanding of decision-making skills. In terms of cognitive paradigms, there is a need to improve the ecological value of experimental tasks that assess decision making in various contexts and with rewards; this would help translate laboratory learnings into real-life benefits. In terms of neural substrates, the use of neuroimaging techniques helps characterize the neural networks associated with decision making; more recently, ways to modulate brain activity, such as in the prefrontal cortex and connected regions (eg, striatum), with noninvasive brain stimulation have also shed light on the neural and cognitive substrates of decision making. Together, these cognitive and neural approaches might be useful for patients with impaired decision-making skills. The drive behind this line of work is that decision-making abilities underlie important aspects of wellness, health, security, and financial and social choices in our daily lives. PMID:27069380
Han, S Duke; Boyle, Patricia A; James, Bryan D; Yu, Lei; Bennett, David A
2015-04-01
To test the hypothesis that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with poorer financial and healthcare decision-making. Community-based epidemiological cohort study. Communities throughout northeastern Illinois. Older persons without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project (N = 730). All participants underwent a detailed clinical evaluation and decision-making assessment using a measure that closely approximates materials used in real-world financial and healthcare settings. This allowed for measurement of total decision-making and financial and healthcare decision-making. Regression models were used to examine whether MCI was associated with a lower level of decision-making. In subsequent analyses, the relationship between specific cognitive systems (episodic memory, semantic memory, working memory, perceptual speed, visuospatial ability) and decision-making was explored in participants with MCI. MCI was associated with lower total, financial, and healthcare decision-making scores after accounting for the effects of age, education, and sex. The effect of MCI on total decision-making was equivalent to the effect of more than 10 additional years of age. Additional models showed that, when considering multiple cognitive systems, perceptual speed accounted for the most variance in decision-making in participants with MCI. Persons with MCI may have poorer financial and healthcare decision-making in real-world situations, and perceptual speed may be an important contributor to poorer decision-making in persons with MCI. © 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.
Understanding shared decision making in pediatric otolaryngology.
Chorney, Jill; Haworth, Rebecca; Graham, M Elise; Ritchie, Krista; Curran, Janet A; Hong, Paul
2015-05-01
The aim of this study was to describe the level of decisional conflict experienced by parents considering surgery for their children and to determine if decisional conflict and perceptions of shared decision making are related. Prospective cohort study. Academic pediatric otolaryngology clinic. Sixty-five consecutive parents of children who underwent surgical consultation for elective otolaryngological procedures were prospectively enrolled. Participants completed the Shared Decision Making Questionnaire and the Decisional Conflict Scale. Surgeons completed the Shared Decision Making Questionnaire-Physician version. Eleven participants (16.9%) scored over 25 on the Decisional Conflict Scale, a previously defined clinical cutoff indicating significant decisional conflict. Parent years of education and parent ratings of shared decision making were significantly correlated with decisional conflict (positively and negatively correlated, respectively). A logistic regression indicated that shared decision making but not education predicted the presence of significant decisional conflict. Parent and physician ratings of shared decision making were not related, and there was no correlation between physician ratings of shared decision making and parental decisional conflict. Many parents experienced considerable decisional conflict when making decisions about their child's surgical treatment. Parents who perceived themselves as being more involved in the decision-making process reported less decisional conflict. Parents and physicians had different perceptions of shared decision making. Future research should develop and assess interventions to increase parents' involvement in decision making and explore the impact of significant decisional conflict on health outcomes. © American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.
Navigating the Decision Space: Shared Medical Decision Making as Distributed Cognition.
Lippa, Katherine D; Feufel, Markus A; Robinson, F Eric; Shalin, Valerie L
2017-06-01
Despite increasing prominence, little is known about the cognitive processes underlying shared decision making. To investigate these processes, we conceptualize shared decision making as a form of distributed cognition. We introduce a Decision Space Model to identify physical and social influences on decision making. Using field observations and interviews, we demonstrate that patients and physicians in both acute and chronic care consider these influences when identifying the need for a decision, searching for decision parameters, making actionable decisions Based on the distribution of access to information and actions, we then identify four related patterns: physician dominated; physician-defined, patient-made; patient-defined, physician-made; and patient-dominated decisions. Results suggests that (a) decision making is necessarily distributed between physicians and patients, (b) differential access to information and action over time requires participants to transform a distributed task into a shared decision, and (c) adverse outcomes may result from failures to integrate physician and patient reasoning. Our analysis unifies disparate findings in the medical decision-making literature and has implications for improving care and medical training.
Theories of Health Care Decision Making at the End of Life: A Meta-Ethnography.
Kim, Kyounghae; Heinze, Katherine; Xu, Jiayun; Kurtz, Melissa; Park, Hyunjeong; Foradori, Megan; Nolan, Marie T
2017-08-01
The aim of this meta-ethnography is to appraise the types and uses of theories relative to end-of-life decision making and to develop a conceptual framework to describe end-of-life decision making among patients with advanced cancers, heart failure, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their caregivers or providers. We used PubMed, Embase, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases to extract English-language articles published between January 2002 and April 2015. Forty-three articles were included. The most common theories included decision-making models ( n = 14) followed by family-centered ( n = 11) and behavioral change models ( n = 7). A conceptual framework was developed using themes including context of decision making, communication and negotiation of decision making, characteristics of decision makers, goals of decision making, options and alternatives, and outcomes. Future research should enhance and apply these theories to guide research to develop patient-centered decision-making programs that facilitate informed and shared decision making at the end of life among patients with advanced illness and their caregivers.
Watson, Joanne; Wilson, Erin; Hagiliassis, Nick
2017-11-01
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) promotes the use of supported decision making in lieu of substitute decision making. To date, there has been a lack of focus on supported decision making for people with severe or profound intellectual disability, including for end of life decisions. Five people with severe or profound intellectual disability's experiences of supported decision making were examined. This article is particularly focused on one participant's experiences at the end of his life. All five case studies identified that supporters were most effective in providing decision-making support for participants when they were relationally close to the person and had knowledge of the person's life story, particularly in relation to events that demonstrated preference. Findings from this study provide new understandings of supported decision making for people with severe or profound intellectual disability and have particular relevance for supporting decision making at the end of life. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Fischer, Sophia; Soyez, Katja; Gurtner, Sebastian
2015-05-01
Research testing the concept of decision-making styles in specific contexts such as health care-related choices is missing. Therefore, we examine the contextuality of Scott and Bruce's (1995) General Decision-Making Style Inventory with respect to patient choice situations. Scott and Bruce's scale was adapted for use as a patient decision-making style inventory. In total, 388 German patients who underwent elective joint surgery responded to a questionnaire about their provider choice. Confirmatory factor analyses within 2 independent samples assessed factorial structure, reliability, and validity of the scale. The final 4-dimensional, 13-item patient decision-making style inventory showed satisfactory psychometric properties. Data analyses supported reliability and construct validity. Besides the intuitive, dependent, and avoidant style, a new subdimension, called "comparative" decision-making style, emerged that originated from the rational dimension of the general model. This research provides evidence for the contextuality of decision-making style to specific choice situations. Using a limited set of indicators, this report proposes the patient decision-making style inventory as valid and feasible tool to assess patients' decision propensities. © The Author(s) 2015.
Evaluation of ADINA. Part I. Theory and Programing Descriptions.
1980-06-08
Problem," Numerical and Computer Methods in Structural Mechanics, S. J. Feaves, N. Pe-rone, J. Robinson and W.C. Schnobrich, eds., Academic Press, New...connectivity array N102 ’NDM*NlJME-ITW0 YL Element nodal coordinates N103 ---- NUME IELT Element number of nodes N104 NUME IPST Stress printing flag N105 NUME
A Review of Shared Decision-Making and Patient Decision Aids in Radiation Oncology.
Woodhouse, Kristina Demas; Tremont, Katie; Vachani, Anil; Schapira, Marilyn M; Vapiwala, Neha; Simone, Charles B; Berman, Abigail T
2017-06-01
Cancer treatment decisions are complex and may be challenging for patients, as multiple treatment options can often be reasonably considered. As a result, decisional support tools have been developed to assist patients in the decision-making process. A commonly used intervention to facilitate shared decision-making is a decision aid, which provides evidence-based outcomes information and guides patients towards choosing the treatment option that best aligns with their preferences and values. To ensure high quality, systematic frameworks and standards have been proposed for the development of an optimal aid for decision making. Studies have examined the impact of these tools on facilitating treatment decisions and improving decision-related outcomes. In radiation oncology, randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that decision aids have the potential to improve patient outcomes, including increased knowledge about treatment options and decreased decisional conflict with decision-making. This article provides an overview of the shared-decision making process and summarizes the development, validation, and implementation of decision aids as patient educational tools in radiation oncology. Finally, this article reviews the findings from decision aid studies in radiation oncology and offers various strategies to effectively implement shared decision-making into clinical practice.
Frequencies of decision making and monitoring in adaptive resource management
Johnson, Fred A.
2017-01-01
Adaptive management involves learning-oriented decision making in the presence of uncertainty about the responses of a resource system to management. It is implemented through an iterative sequence of decision making, monitoring and assessment of system responses, and incorporating what is learned into future decision making. Decision making at each point is informed by a value or objective function, for example total harvest anticipated over some time frame. The value function expresses the value associated with decisions, and it is influenced by system status as updated through monitoring. Often, decision making follows shortly after a monitoring event. However, it is certainly possible for the cadence of decision making to differ from that of monitoring. In this paper we consider different combinations of annual and biennial decision making, along with annual and biennial monitoring. With biennial decision making decisions are changed only every other year; with biennial monitoring field data are collected only every other year. Different cadences of decision making combine with annual and biennial monitoring to define 4 scenarios. Under each scenario we describe optimal valuations for active and passive adaptive decision making. We highlight patterns in valuation among scenarios, depending on the occurrence of monitoring and decision making events. Differences between years are tied to the fact that every other year a new decision can be made no matter what the scenario, and state information is available to inform that decision. In the subsequent year, however, in 3 of the 4 scenarios either a decision is repeated or monitoring does not occur (or both). There are substantive differences in optimal values among the scenarios, as well as the optimal policies producing those values. Especially noteworthy is the influence of monitoring cadence on valuation in some years. We highlight patterns in policy and valuation among the scenarios, and discuss management implications and extensions. PMID:28800591
Frequencies of decision making and monitoring in adaptive resource management
Williams, Byron K.; Johnson, Fred A.
2017-01-01
Adaptive management involves learning-oriented decision making in the presence of uncertainty about the responses of a resource system to management. It is implemented through an iterative sequence of decision making, monitoring and assessment of system responses, and incorporating what is learned into future decision making. Decision making at each point is informed by a value or objective function, for example total harvest anticipated over some time frame. The value function expresses the value associated with decisions, and it is influenced by system status as updated through monitoring. Often, decision making follows shortly after a monitoring event. However, it is certainly possible for the cadence of decision making to differ from that of monitoring. In this paper we consider different combinations of annual and biennial decision making, along with annual and biennial monitoring. With biennial decision making decisions are changed only every other year; with biennial monitoring field data are collected only every other year. Different cadences of decision making combine with annual and biennial monitoring to define 4 scenarios. Under each scenario we describe optimal valuations for active and passive adaptive decision making. We highlight patterns in valuation among scenarios, depending on the occurrence of monitoring and decision making events. Differences between years are tied to the fact that every other year a new decision can be made no matter what the scenario, and state information is available to inform that decision. In the subsequent year, however, in 3 of the 4 scenarios either a decision is repeated or monitoring does not occur (or both). There are substantive differences in optimal values among the scenarios, as well as the optimal policies producing those values. Especially noteworthy is the influence of monitoring cadence on valuation in some years. We highlight patterns in policy and valuation among the scenarios, and discuss management implications and extensions.
36 CFR 907.14 - Corporation decision making procedures.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-07-01
... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Corporation decision making... CORPORATION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 907.14 Corporation decision making procedures. To ensure that at major decision making points all relevant environmental concerns are considered by the Decision Maker, the...
Lynn, Spencer K.; Wormwood, Jolie B.; Barrett, Lisa F.; Quigley, Karen S.
2015-01-01
Behavior is comprised of decisions made from moment to moment (i.e., to respond one way or another). Often, the decision maker cannot be certain of the value to be accrued from the decision (i.e., the outcome value). Decisions made under outcome value uncertainty form the basis of the economic framework of decision making. Behavior is also based on perception—perception of the external physical world and of the internal bodily milieu, which both provide cues that guide decision making. These perceptual signals are also often uncertain: another person's scowling facial expression may indicate threat or intense concentration, alternatives that require different responses from the perceiver. Decisions made under perceptual uncertainty form the basis of the signals framework of decision making. Traditional behavioral economic approaches to decision making focus on the uncertainty that comes from variability in possible outcome values, and typically ignore the influence of perceptual uncertainty. Conversely, traditional signal detection approaches to decision making focus on the uncertainty that arises from variability in perceptual signals and typically ignore the influence of outcome value uncertainty. Here, we compare and contrast the economic and signals frameworks that guide research in decision making, with the aim of promoting their integration. We show that an integrated framework can expand our ability to understand a wider variety of decision-making behaviors, in particular the complexly determined real-world decisions we all make every day. PMID:26217275
Genital surgery for disorders of sex development: implementing a shared decision-making approach.
Karkazis, Katrina; Tamar-Mattis, Anne; Kon, Alexander A
2010-08-01
Ongoing controversy surrounds early genital surgery for children with disorders of sex development, making decisions about these procedures extraordinarily complex. Professional organizations have encouraged healthcare providers to adopt shared decision-making due to its broad potential to improve the decision-making process, perhaps most so when data are lacking, when there is no clear "best-choice" treatment, when decisions involve more than one choice, where each choice has both advantages and disadvantages, and where the ranking of options depends heavily on the decision-maker's values. We present a 6-step model for shared decision-making in decisions about genital surgery for disorders of sex development: (1) Set the stage and develop an appropriate team; (2) Establish preferences for information and roles in decision-making; (3) Perceive and address emotions; (4) Define concerns and values; (5) Identify options and present evidence; and (6) Share responsibility for making a decision. As long as controversy persists regarding surgery for DSD, an SDM process can facilitate the increased sharing of relevant information essential for making important health care decisions.
Real-life decision making in college students. II: Do individual differences show reliable effects?
Galotti, Kathleen M; Tandler, Jane M; Wiener, Hillary J D
2014-01-01
First-year undergraduates participated in a short-term longitudinal study of real-life decision making over their first 14 months of college. They were surveyed about 7 different decisions: choosing courses for upcoming terms (on 3 different occasions), choosing an academic major (twice), planning for the upcoming summer, and planning for sophomore-year housing. They also completed a survey of self-reported decision-making styles and the Need for Cognition survey (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982) to assess their focus on rationality and enjoyment of analytic thinking. Results showed few statistically significant correlations between stylistic measures and behavioral measures of decision making, in either the amount of information considered or the way in which the information integration tracked predictions of linear models of decision making applied to each participant's data. However, there were consistent correlations, across the 7 decisions, between stylistic measures and affective reactions to, or retrospective descriptions of, episodes of decision making. We suggest that decision-making styles instruments may better reflect the construction of narratives of self as a decision maker more than they do actual behavior during decision making.
Hogden, Anne; Greenfield, David; Nugus, Peter; Kiernan, Matthew C
2015-10-01
Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) face numerous decisions for symptom management and quality of life. Models of decision making in chronic disease and cancer care are insufficient for the complex and changing needs of patients with ALS . The aim was to examine the question: how can decision making that is both effective and patient-centred be enacted in ALS multidisciplinary care? Fifty-four respondents (32 health professionals, 14 patients and eight carers) from two specialized ALS multidisciplinary clinics participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed thematically. Comparison of stakeholder perspectives revealed six key themes of ALS decision making. These were the decision-making process; patient-centred focus; timing and planning; information sources; engagement with specialized ALS services; and access to non-specialized services. A model, embedded in the specialized ALS multidisciplinary clinic, was derived to guide patient decision making. The model is cyclic, with four stages: 'Participant Engagement'; 'Option Information'; 'Option Deliberation'; and 'Decision Implementation'. Effective and patient-centred decision making is enhanced by the structure of the specialized ALS clinic, which promotes patients' symptom management and quality of life goals. However, patient and carer engagement in ALS decision making is tested by the dynamic nature of ALS, and patient and family distress. Our model optimizes patient-centred decision making, by incorporating patients' cyclic decision-making patterns and facilitating carer inclusion in decision processes. The model captures the complexities of patient-centred decision making in ALS. The framework can assist patients and carers, health professionals, researchers and policymakers in this challenging disease environment. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
What is a good medical decision? A research agenda guided by perspectives from multiple stakeholders
Hamilton, Jada G.; Lillie, Sarah E.; Alden, Dana L.; Scherer, Laura; Oser, Megan; Rini, Christine; Tanaka, Miho; Baleix, John; Brewster, Mikki; Lee, Simon Craddock; Goldstein, Mary K.; Jacobson, Robert M.; Myers, Ronald E.; Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J.; Waters, Erika A.
2016-01-01
Informed and shared decision making are critical aspects of patient-centered care, which has contributed to an emphasis on decision support interventions to promote good medical decision making. However, researchers and healthcare providers have not reached a consensus on what defines a good decision, nor how to evaluate it. This position paper, informed by conference sessions featuring diverse stakeholders held at the 2015 Society of Behavioral Medicine and Society for Medical Decision Making annual meetings, describes key concepts that influence the decision making process itself and that may change what it means to make a good decision: interpersonal factors, structural constraints, affective influences, and values clarification methods. This paper also proposes specific research questions within each of these priority areas, with the goal of moving medical decision making research to a more comprehensive definition of a good medical decision, and enhancing the ability to measure and improve the decision making process. PMID:27566316
The Effect of Decision-Making Skill Training Programs on Self-Esteem and Decision-Making Styles
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Colakkadioglu, Oguzhan; Celik, D. Billur
2016-01-01
Problem Statement: Decision making is a critical cognitive process in every area of human life. In this process, the individuals play an active role and obtain outputs with their functional use of decision-making skills. Therefore, the decision-making process can affect the course of life, life satisfaction, and the social relations of an…
Adolescent Sexual Decision-Making: An Integrative Review.
Hulton, Linda J.
2001-10-03
PURPOSE: The purpose of this integrative review was to summarize the present literature to identify factors associated with adolescent sexual decision-making. Thirty-eight salient research studies were selected as a basis of this review from the databases of Medline, CINAHL, and Psychinfo using the Cooper methodology. CONCLUSIONS: Two categories of decision-making were identified: 1) The research on factors related to the decisions that adolescents make to become sexually active or to abstain from sexual activity; 2) The research on factors related to contraceptive decision-making. The most consistent findings were that the factors of gender differences, cognitive development, perception of benefits, parental influences, social influences, and sexual knowledge were important variables in the decision-making processes of adolescents. IMPLICATIONS: Practice implications for nursing suggest that clinicians should assess adolescent sexual decision-making in greater detail and address the social and psychological context in which sexual experiences occur. Nurses must be aware of the differences between adolescent and adult decision-making processes and incorporate knowledge of growth and development into intervention strategies. Moreover, to the degree that adolescent sexual decision-making proves to be less than rational, interventions designed to improve competent sexual decision-making are needed.
Suto, W M I; Clare, I C H; Holland, A J; Watson, P C
2005-03-01
Among adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs), there is a need not only to assess financial decision-making capacity, but also to understand how it can be maximized. Although increased financial independence is a goal for many people, it is essential that individuals' decision-making abilities are sufficient, and many factors may affect the development of such abilities. As part of a wider project on financial decision-making, we analysed previous data from a group of 30 adults with mild IDs, identifying correlations among four variables: (i) financial decision-making abilities; (ii) intellectual ability; (iii) understanding of some basic concepts relevant to finance; and (iv) decision-making opportunities in everyday life. The analysis indicated a direct relationship between ID and basic financial understanding. Strong relationships of a potentially reciprocal nature were identified between basic financial understanding and everyday decision-making opportunities, and between such opportunities and financial decision-making abilities. The findings suggest that the role of intellectual ability in determining financial decision-making abilities is only indirect, and that access to both basic skills education and everyday decision-making opportunities is crucial for maximizing capacity. The implications of this are discussed.
Giannunzio, Valeria; Degortes, Daniela; Tenconi, Elena; Collantoni, Enrico; Solmi, Marco; Santonastaso, Paolo; Favaro, Angela
2018-07-01
Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) often report difficulties in decision making, which may interfere with treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate decision making in a large sample of adolescent and adult patients with AN, by using the Iowa gambling task. Participants were 611 female individuals (310 patients and 301 controls) who underwent neuropsychological and clinical assessment. Significantly poorer decision-making performance was observed in adult patients, whereas no difference emerged between affected and nonaffected adolescents. Both adolescent and adult patients were characterized by trends for higher levels of attention to losses in comparison with healthy controls. Although healthy adult women exhibited better decision-making performance than healthy adolescents, in AN, there was no improvement of decision making with age. A cluster analysis identified 2 different styles of decision making in both patients and controls: a conservative style and an impulsive style. Our study provides evidence of dysfunctional decision making in adult patients with AN and reveals an association between poor decision making and excessive punishment sensitivity in AN. The clinical and scientific implications of these findings merit further exploration. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Twelve myths about shared decision making.
Légaré, France; Thompson-Leduc, Philippe
2014-09-01
As shared decision makes increasing headway in healthcare policy, it is under more scrutiny. We sought to identify and dispel the most prevalent myths about shared decision making. In 20 years in the shared decision making field one of the author has repeatedly heard mention of the same barriers to scaling up shared decision making across the healthcare spectrum. We conducted a selective literature review relating to shared decision making to further investigate these commonly perceived barriers and to seek evidence supporting their existence or not. Beliefs about barriers to scaling up shared decision making represent a wide range of historical, cultural, financial and scientific concerns. We found little evidence to support twelve of the most common beliefs about barriers to scaling up shared decision making, and indeed found evidence to the contrary. Our selective review of the literature suggests that twelve of the most commonly perceived barriers to scaling up shared decision making across the healthcare spectrum should be termed myths as they can be dispelled by evidence. Our review confirms that the current debate about shared decision making must not deter policy makers and clinicians from pursuing its scaling up across the healthcare continuum. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Medical decision-making in children and adolescents: developmental and neuroscientific aspects.
Grootens-Wiegers, Petronella; Hein, Irma M; van den Broek, Jos M; de Vries, Martine C
2017-05-08
Various international laws and guidelines stress the importance of respecting the developing autonomy of children and involving minors in decision-making regarding treatment and research participation. However, no universal agreement exists as to at what age minors should be deemed decision-making competent. Minors of the same age may show different levels of maturity. In addition, patients deemed rational conversation-partners as a child can suddenly become noncompliant as an adolescent. Age, context and development all play a role in decision-making competence. In this article we adopt a perspective on competence that specifically focuses on the impact of brain development on the child's decision-making process. We believe that the discussion on decision-making competence of minors can greatly benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. We adopted such an approach in order to contribute to the understanding on how to deal with children in decision-making situations. Evidence emerging from neuroscience research concerning the developing brain structures in minors is combined with insights from various other fields, such as psychology, decision-making science and ethics. Four capacities have been described that are required for (medical) decision-making: (1) communicating a choice; (2) understanding; (3) reasoning; and (4) appreciation. Each capacity is related to a number of specific skills and abilities that need to be sufficiently developed to support the capacity. Based on this approach it can be concluded that at the age of 12 children can have the capacity to be decision-making competent. However, this age coincides with the onset of adolescence. Early development of the brain's reward system combined with late development of the control system diminishes decision-making competence in adolescents in specific contexts. We conclude that even adolescents possessing capacities required for decision-making, may need support of facilitating environmental factors. This paper intends to offer insight in neuroscientific mechanisms underlying the medical decision-making capacities in minors and to stimulate practices for optimal involvement of minors. Developing minors become increasingly capable of decision-making, but the neurobiological development in adolescence affects competence in specific contexts. Adequate support should be offered in order to create a context in which minors can make competently make decisions.
Mild Cognitive Impairment is Associated with PoorerDecision Making in Community-Based Older Persons
Duke Han, S.; Boyle, Patricia A.; James, Bryan D.; Yu, Lei; Bennett, David A.
2015-01-01
Background/Objectives Financial and healthcare decision making are important for maintaining wellbeing and independence in old age. We tested the hypothesis that Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is associated with poorer decision making in financial and healthcare matters. Design Community-based epidemiologic cohort study. Setting Communities throughout Northeastern Illinois. Participants Participants were 730 older nondemented persons from the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Measurements All participants underwent a detailed clinical evaluation and decision making assessment using a measure that closely approximates materials utilized in real world financial and healthcare settings. This allowed for measurement of total decision making, as well as financial and healthcare decision making. Regression models were used to examine whether the presence of MCI was associated with a lower level of decision making. In subsequent analyses, we explored the relation of specific cognitive systems (i.e., episodic memory, semantic memory, working memory, perceptual speed, and visuospatial ability) with decision making in those with MCI. Results Results showed that MCI was associated with lower decision making total scores as well as financial and healthcare scores, respectively, after accounting for the effects of age, education, and sex. The effect of MCI on total decision making was equivalent to the effect of more than 10 additional years of age. Additional models showed that when considering multiple cognitive systems, perceptual speed accounted for the most variance in decision making among participants with MCI. Conclusion Results suggest that persons with MCI may exhibit poorer financial and healthcare decision making in real world situations, and that perceptual speed may be an important contributor to poorer decision making among persons with MCI. PMID:25850350
Family health care decision making and self-efficacy with patients with ALS at the end of life
NOLAN, MARIE T.; KUB, JOAN; HUGHES, MARK T.; TERRY, PETER B.; ASTROW, ALAN B.; CARBO, CYNTHIA A.; THOMPSON, RICHARD E.; CLAWSON, LORA; TEXEIRA, KENNETH; SULMASY, DANIEL P.
2008-01-01
Objective: Persons with ALS differ from those with other terminal illnesses in that they commonly retain capacity for decision making close to death. The role patients would opt to have their families play in decision making at the end of life may therefore be unique. This study compared the preferences of patients with ALS for involving family in health care decisions at the end of life with the actual involvement reported by the family after death. Methods: A descriptive correlational design with 16 patient–family member dyads was used. Quantitative findings were enriched with in-depth interviews of a subset of five family members following the patient's death. Results: Eighty-seven percent of patients had issued an advance directive. Patients who would opt to make health care decisions independently (i.e., according to the patient's preferences alone) were most likely to have their families report that decisions were made in the style that the patient preferred. Those who preferred shared decision making with family or decision making that relied upon the family were more likely to have their families report that decisions were made in a style that was more independent than preferred. When interviewed in depth, some family members described shared decision making although they had reported on the survey that the patient made independent decisions. Significance of results: The structure of advance directives may suggest to families that independent decision making is the ideal, causing them to avoid or underreport shared decision making. Fear of family recriminations may also cause family members to avoid or underreport shared decision making. Findings from this study might be used to guide clinicians in their discussions of treatments and health care decision making with persons with ALS and their families. PMID:18662421
The emergency patient's participation in medical decision-making.
Wang, Li-Hsiang; Goopy, Suzanne; Lin, Chun-Chih; Barnard, Alan; Han, Chin-Yen; Liu, Hsueh-Erh
2016-09-01
The purpose of this research was to explore the medical decision-making processes of patients in emergency departments. Studies indicate that patients should be given enough time to acquire relevant information and receive adequate support when they need to make medical decisions. It is difficult to satisfy these requirements in emergency situations. Limited research has addressed the topic of decision-making among emergency patients. This qualitative study used a broadly defined grounded theory approach to explore decision-making in an emergency department in Taiwan. Thirty emergency patients were recruited between June and December 2011 for semi-structured interviews that were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. The study identified three stages in medical decision-making by emergency patients: predecision (interpreting the problem); decision (a balancing act) and postdecision (reclaiming the self). Transference was identified as the core category and pattern of behaviour through which patients resolved their main concerns. This transference around decision-making represents a type of bricolage. The findings fill a gap in knowledge about the decision-making process among emergency patients. The results inform emergency professionals seeking to support patients faced with complex medical decision-making and suggest an emphasis on informed patient decision-making, advocacy, patient-centred care and in-service education of health staff. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Laidsaar-Powell, Rebekah; Butow, Phyllis; Bu, Stella; Charles, Cathy; Gafni, Amiram; Fisher, Alana; Juraskova, Ilona
2016-07-01
Little is known about how family are involved in cancer treatment decision-making. This study aimed to qualitatively explore Australian oncology clinicians', patients', and family members' attitudes towards, and experiences of, family involvement in decision-making. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 cancer patients, 33 family members, 10 oncology nurses and 11 oncologists. Framework analysis methods were used. Three main themes were uncovered: (i) how family are involved in the decision-making process: specific behaviours of family across 5 (extended) decision-making stages; (ii) attitudes towards family involvement in the decision-making process: balancing patient authority with the rights of the family; and (iii) factors influencing family involvement: patient, family, cultural, relationship, and decision. This study highlighted many specific behaviours of family throughout the decision-making process, the complex participant attitudes toward retaining patient authority whilst including the family, and insight into influencing factors. These findings will inform a conceptual framework describing family involvement in decision-making. Clinicians could ascertain participant preferences and remain open to the varying forms of family involvement in decision-making. Given the important role of family in the decision-making process, family inclusive consultation strategies are needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Individual differences in decision making competence revealed by multivariate fMRI.
Talukdar, Tanveer; Román, Francisco J; Operskalski, Joachim T; Zwilling, Christopher E; Barbey, Aron K
2018-06-01
While an extensive literature in decision neuroscience has elucidated the neurobiological foundations of decision making, prior research has focused primarily on group-level effects in a sample population. Due to the presence of inherent differences between individuals' cognitive abilities, it is also important to examine the neural correlates of decision making that explain interindividual variability in cognitive performance. This study therefore investigated how individual differences in decision making competence, as measured by the Adult Decision Making Competence (A-DMC) battery, are related to functional brain connectivity patterns derived from resting-state fMRI data in a sample of 304 healthy participants. We examined connectome-wide associations, identifying regions within frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital cortex that demonstrated significant associations with decision making competence. We then assessed whether the functional interactions between brain regions sensitive to decision making competence and seven intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) were predictive of specific facets of decision making assessed by subtests of the A-DMC battery. Our findings suggest that individual differences in specific facets of decision making competence are mediated by ICNs that support executive, social, and perceptual processes, and motivate an integrative framework for understanding the neural basis of individual differences in decision making competence. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Career Decision-Making Characteristics of Primary Education Students in Greece
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Despina; Mylonas, Kostas; Argyropoulou, Katerina; Drosos, Nikos
2013-01-01
The present study aims at investigating career decision-making process of 6th grade students with the use of the Childhood Career Decision-Making Questionnaire (CCDMQ). CCDMQ offers scores for the following three decision-making dimensions: (a) "Concerns/fears regarding career future", (b) "Investment ?n decision-making…
Decision Making in Adults with ADHD
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Montyla, Timo; Still, Johanna; Gullberg, Stina; Del Missier, Fabio
2012-01-01
Objectives: This study examined decision-making competence in ADHD by using multiple decision tasks with varying demands on analytic versus affective processes. Methods: Adults with ADHD and healthy controls completed two tasks of analytic decision making, as measured by the Adult Decision-Making Competence (A-DMC) battery, and two affective…
Fisher, Alana; Manicavasagar, Vijaya; Sharpe, Louise; Laidsaar-Powell, Rebekah; Juraskova, Ilona
2018-02-01
Treatment decision-making in bipolar II disorder (BPII) is challenging, yet the decision support needs of patients and family remain unknown. To explore patient and family perspectives of treatment decision-making in BPII. Semistructured, qualitative interviews were conducted with 28 patients with BPII-diagnosis and 13 family members with experience in treatment decision-making in the outpatient setting. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using framework methods. Participant demographics, clinical characteristics and preferences for patient decision-making involvement were assessed. Four inter-related themes emerged: (1) Attitudes and response to diagnosis and treatment; (2) Influences on decision-making; (3) The nature and flow of decision-making; (4) Decision support and challenges. Views differed according to patient involvement preferences, time since diagnosis and patients' current mood symptoms. This is the first known study to provide in-depth patient and family insights into the key factors influencing BPII treatment decision-making, and potential improvements and challenges to this process. Findings will inform the development of BPII treatment decision-making resources that better meet the informational and decision-support priorities of end users. This research was partly funded by a Postgraduate Research Grant awarded to the first author by the University of Sydney. No conflicts of interest declared.
Take the First Heuristic, Self-Efficacy, and Decision-Making in Sport
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hepler, Teri J.; Feltz, Deborah L.
2012-01-01
Can taking the first (TTF) option in decision-making lead to the best decisions in sports contexts? And, is one's decision-making self-efficacy in that context linked to TTF decisions? The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the TTF heuristic and self-efficacy in decision-making on a simulated sports task. Undergraduate and graduate…
Decision Making Under Uncertainty
2010-11-01
A sound approach to rational decision making requires a decision maker to establish decision objectives, identify alternatives, and evaluate those...often violate the axioms of rationality when making decisions under uncertainty. The systematic description of such observations may lead to the...which leads to “anchoring” on the initial value. The fact that individuals have been shown to deviate from rationality when making decisions
The enactment stage of end-of-life decision-making for children.
Sullivan, Jane Elizabeth; Gillam, Lynn Heather; Monagle, Paul Terence
2018-01-11
Typically pediatric end-of-life decision-making studies have examined the decision-making process, factors, and doctors' and parents' roles. Less attention has focussed on what happens after an end-of-life decision is made; that is, decision enactment and its outcome. This study explored the views and experiences of bereaved parents in end-of-life decision-making for their child. Findings reported relate to parents' experiences of acting on their decision. It is argued that this is one significant stage of the decision-making process. A qualitative methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with bereaved parents, who had discussed end-of-life decisions for their child who had a life-limiting condition and who had died. Data were thematically analysed. Twenty-five bereaved parents participated. Findings indicate that, despite differences in context, including the child's condition and age, end-of-life decision-making did not end when an end-of-life decision was made. Enacting the decision was the next stage in a process. Time intervals between stages and enactment pathways varied, but the enactment was always distinguishable as a separate stage. Decision enactment involved making further decisions - parents needed to discern the appropriate time to implement their decision to withdraw or withhold life-sustaining medical treatment. Unexpected events, including other people's actions, impacted on parents enacting their decision in the way they had planned. Several parents had to re-implement decisions when their child recovered from serious health issues without medical intervention. Significance of results A novel, critical finding was that parents experienced end-of-life decision-making as a sequence of interconnected stages, the final stage being enactment. The enactment stage involved further decision-making. End-of-life decision-making is better understood as a process rather than a discrete once-off event. The enactment stage has particular emotional and practical implications for parents. Greater understanding of this stage can improve clinician's support for parents as they care for their child.
Weeks, Laura; Balneaves, Lynda G; Paterson, Charlotte; Verhoef, Marja
2014-01-01
Patients with cancer consistently report conflict and anxiety when making decisions about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment. To design evidence-informed decision-support strategies, a better understanding is needed of how the decision-making process unfolds for these patients during their experience with cancer. We undertook this study to review the research literature regarding CAM-related decision-making by patients with cancer within the context of treatment, survivorship, and palliation. We also aimed to summarize emergent concepts within a preliminary conceptual framework. We conducted an integrative literature review, searching 12 electronic databases for articles published in English that described studies of the process, context, or outcomes of CAM-related decision-making. We summarized descriptive data using frequencies and used a descriptive constant comparative method to analyze statements about original qualitative results, with the goal of identifying distinct concepts pertaining to CAM-related decision-making by patients with cancer and the relationships among these concepts. Of 425 articles initially identified, 35 met our inclusion criteria. Seven unique concepts related to CAM and cancer decision-making emerged: decision-making phases, information-seeking and evaluation, decision-making roles, beliefs, contextual factors, decision-making outcomes, and the relationship between CAM and conventional medical decision-making. CAM decision-making begins with the diagnosis of cancer and encompasses 3 distinct phases (early, mid, and late), each marked by unique aims for CAM treatment and distinct patterns of information-seeking and evaluation. Phase transitions correspond to changes in health status or other milestones within the cancer trajectory. An emergent conceptual framework illustrating relationships among the 7 central concepts is presented. CAM-related decision-making by patients with cancer occurs as a nonlinear, complex, dynamic process. The conceptual framework presented here identifies influential factors within that process, as well as patients' unique needs during different phases. The framework can guide the development and evaluation of theory-based decision-support programs that are responsive to patients' beliefs and preferences.
[Cancer screening in clinical practice: the value of shared decision-making].
Cornuz, Jacques; Junod, Noëlle; Pasche, Olivier; Guessous, Idris
2010-07-14
Shared decision-making approach to uncertain clinical situations such as cancer screening seems more appropriate than ever. Shared decision making can be defined as an interactive process where physician and patient share all the stages of the decision making process. For patients who wish to be implicated in the management of their health conditions, physicians might express difficulty to do so. Use of patient decision aids appears to improve such process of shared decision making.
2016-09-01
Reports an error in "Decision sidestepping: How the motivation for closure prompts individuals to bypass decision making" by Ashley S. Otto, Joshua J. Clarkson and Frank R. Kardes ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 2016[Jul], Vol 111[1], 1-16). In the article, the main heading for Experiment 3 was missing due to a production error, and the first sentence of the first paragraph of Experiment 3 should begin as follows: Experiment 2 offered support for the hypothesis that those seeking closure engage in decision sidestepping to reduce the bothersome nature of decision making. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-30159-001.) We all too often have to make decisions—from the mundane (e.g., what to eat for breakfast) to the complex (e.g., what to buy a loved one)—and yet there exists a multitude of strategies that allows us to make a decision. This work focuses on a subset of decision strategies that allows individuals to make decisions by bypassing the decision-making process—a phenomenon we term decision sidestepping. Critical to the present manuscript, however, we contend that decision sidestepping stems from the motivation to achieve closure. We link this proposition back to the fundamental nature of closure and how those seeking closure are highly bothered by decision making. As such, we argue that the motivation to achieve closure prompts a reliance on sidestepping strategies (e.g., default bias, choice delegation, status quo bias, inaction inertia, option fixation) to reduce the bothersome nature of decision making. In support of this framework, five experiments demonstrate that (a) those seeking closure are more likely to engage in decision sidestepping, (b) the effect of closure on sidestepping stems from the bothersome nature of decision making, and (c) the reliance on sidestepping results in downstream consequences for subsequent choice. Taken together, these findings offer unique insight into the cognitive motivations stimulating a reliance on decision sidestepping and thus a novel framework by which to understand how individuals make decisions while bypassing the decision-making process. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved
Decision-Making under Criteria Uncertainty
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kureychik, V. M.; Safronenkova, I. B.
2018-05-01
Uncertainty is an essential part of a decision-making procedure. The paper deals with the problem of decision-making under criteria uncertainty. In this context, decision-making under uncertainty, types and conditions of uncertainty were examined. The decision-making problem under uncertainty was formalized. A modification of the mathematical decision support method under uncertainty via ontologies was proposed. A critical distinction of the developed method is ontology usage as its base elements. The goal of this work is a development of a decision-making method under criteria uncertainty with the use of ontologies in the area of multilayer board designing. This method is oriented to improvement of technical-economic values of the examined domain.
Risk-taking and decision-making in youth: relationships to addiction vulnerability
Balogh, Kornelia N.; Mayes, Linda C.; Potenza, Marc N.
2013-01-01
Background Decision-making and risk-taking behavior undergo developmental changes during adolescence. Disadvantageous decision-making and increased risk-taking may lead to problematic behaviors such as substance use and abuse, pathological gambling and excessive internet use. Methods Based on MEDLINE searches, this article reviews the literature on decision-making and risk-taking and their relationship to addiction vulnerability in youth. Results Decision-making and risk-taking behaviors involve brain areas that undergoing developmental changes during puberty and young adulthood. Individual differences and peer pressure also relate importantly to decision-making and risk-taking. Conclusions Brain-based changes in emotional, motivational and cognitive processing may underlie risk-taking and decision-making propensities in adolescence, making this period a time of heightened vulnerability for engagement in additive behaviors. PMID:24294500
Do patients want to participate in medical decision making?
Strull, W M; Lo, B; Charles, G
1984-12-07
Although shared decision making by patients and clinicians has been advocated, little is known about the degree of participation in decision making that patients actually prefer or about clinicians' appreciation of these preferences. We administered questionnaires about three aspects of decision making to 210 hypertensive outpatients and to their 50 clinicians, who represented three types of medical practices. We found that 41% of patients preferred more information about hypertension; clinicians underestimated patient preferences for discussion about therapy in 29% of cases and overestimated 11% (k = .22); and 53% of patients preferred to participate in making decisions, while clinicians believed that their patients desired to participate in 78% of cases. Many patients who preferred not to make initial therapeutic decisions did want to participate in ongoing evaluation of therapy. Thus, clinicians underestimate patients' desire for information and discussion but overestimate patients' desire to make decisions. Awareness of this discrepancy may facilitate communication and decision making.
Shared Problem Models and Crew Decision Making
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Orasanu, Judith; Statler, Irving C. (Technical Monitor)
1994-01-01
The importance of crew decision making to aviation safety has been well established through NTSB accident analyses: Crew judgment and decision making have been cited as causes or contributing factors in over half of all accidents in commercial air transport, general aviation, and military aviation. Yet the bulk of research on decision making has not proven helpful in improving the quality of decisions in the cockpit. One reason is that traditional analytic decision models are inappropriate to the dynamic complex nature of cockpit decision making and do not accurately describe what expert human decision makers do when they make decisions. A new model of dynamic naturalistic decision making is offered that may prove more useful for training or aiding cockpit decision making. Based on analyses of crew performance in full-mission simulation and National Transportation Safety Board accident reports, features that define effective decision strategies in abnormal or emergency situations have been identified. These include accurate situation assessment (including time and risk assessment), appreciation of the complexity of the problem, sensitivity to constraints on the decision, timeliness of the response, and use of adequate information. More effective crews also manage their workload to provide themselves with time and resources to make good decisions. In brief, good decisions are appropriate to the demands of the situation and reflect the crew's metacognitive skill. Effective crew decision making and overall performance are mediated by crew communication. Communication contributes to performance because it assures that all crew members have essential information, but it also regulates and coordinates crew actions and is the medium of collective thinking in response to a problem. This presentation will examine the relation between communication that serves to build performance. Implications of these findings for crew training will be discussed.
Reyna, Valerie F.; Nelson, Wendy L.; Han, Paul K.; Pignone, Michael P.
2014-01-01
We review decision-making along the cancer continuum in the contemporary context of informed and shared decision making, in which patients are encouraged to take a more active role in their health care. We discuss challenges to achieving informed and shared decision making, including cognitive limitations and emotional factors, but argue that understanding the mechanisms of decision making offers hope for improving decision support. Theoretical approaches to decision making that explain cognition, emotion, and their interaction are described, including classical psychophysical approaches, dual-process approaches that focus on conflicts between emotion versus cognition (or reason), and modern integrative approaches such as fuzzy-trace theory. In contrast to the earlier emphasis on rote use of numerical detail, modern approaches emphasize understanding the bottom-line gist of options (which encompasses emotion and other influences on meaning) and retrieving relevant social and moral values to apply to those gist representations. Finally, research on interventions to support better decision making in clinical settings is reviewed, drawing out implications for future research on decision making and cancer. PMID:25730718
Miller, Victoria A; Luce, Mary Frances; Nelson, Robert M
2011-01-01
To examine the relationship of external influence to parental distress when making a decision about research or treatment for a child with a life-threatening illness and to test potential moderators of this relationship. Parents (n = 219) who made a decision about research or treatment for a child completed measures of external influence, distress, decision-making preference, and coping. More external influence was associated with more hostility, uncertainty, and confusion. Decision-making preference and coping style moderated the relationship between external influence and distress: More external influence was associated with more distress when decision-making preference was low and task-focused coping was high. External influence appears to be related to distress in parents making research and treatment decisions for children with life-threatening illnesses. However, it is important to consider parent characteristics, such as decision-making preference and coping style, when examining the effects of contextual factors on distress during decision making.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ernst, Kathleen M; Van Riemsdijk, Dr. Micheline
This article studies the participation of stakeholders in climate change decision-making in Alaska s National Parks. We place stakeholder participation within literatures on environmental and climate change decision-making. We conducted participant observation and interviews in two planning workshops to investigate the decision-making process, and our findings are three-fold. First, the inclusion of diverse stakeholders expanded climate change decision-making beyond National Park Service (NPS) institutional constraints. Second, workshops of the Climate Change Scenario Planning Project (CCSPP) enhanced institutional understandings of participants attitudes towards climate change and climate change decision-making. Third, the geographical context of climate change influences the decisionmaking process. Asmore » the first regional approach to climate change decision-making within the NPS, the CCSPP serves as a model for future climate change planning in public land agencies. This study shows how the participation of stakeholders can contribute to robust decisions, may move climate change decision-making beyond institutional barriers, and can provide information about attitudes towards climate change decision-making.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Brewer, Jeffrey D.
The objective of this report is to promote increased understanding of decision making processes and hopefully to enable improved decision making regarding high-consequence, highly sophisticated technological systems. This report brings together insights regarding risk perception and decision making across domains ranging from nuclear power technology safety, cognitive psychology, economics, science education, public policy, and neural science (to name a few). It forms them into a unique, coherent, concise framework, and list of strategies to aid in decision making. It is suggested that all decision makers, whether ordinary citizens, academics, or political leaders, ought to cultivate their abilities to separate themore » wheat from the chaff in these types of decision making instances. The wheat includes proper data sources and helpful human decision making heuristics; these should be sought. The chaff includes ''unhelpful biases'' that hinder proper interpretation of available data and lead people unwittingly toward inappropriate decision making ''strategies''; obviously, these should be avoided. It is further proposed that successfully accomplishing the wheat vs. chaff separation is very difficult, yet tenable. This report hopes to expose and facilitate navigation away from decision-making traps which often ensnare the unwary. Furthermore, it is emphasized that one's personal decision making biases can be examined, and tools can be provided allowing better means to generate, evaluate, and select among decision options. Many examples in this report are tailored to the energy domain (esp. nuclear power for electricity generation). The decision making framework and approach presented here are applicable to any high-consequence, highly sophisticated technological system.« less
Factors and outcomes of decision making for cancer clinical trial participation.
Biedrzycki, Barbara A
2011-09-01
To describe factors and outcomes related to the decision-making process regarding participation in a cancer clinical trial. Cross-sectional, descriptive. Urban, academic, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the mid-Atlantic United States. 197 patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. Mailed survey using one investigator-developed instrument, eight instruments used in published research, and a medical record review. disease context, sociodemographics, hope, quality of life, trust in healthcare system, trust in health professional, preference for research decision control, understanding risks, and information. decision to accept or decline research participation and satisfaction with this decision. All of the factors within the Research Decision Making Model together predicted cancer clinical trial participation and satisfaction with this decision. The most frequently preferred decision-making style for research participation was shared (collaborative) (83%). Multiple factors affect decision making for cancer clinical trial participation and satisfaction with this decision. Shared decision making previously was an unrecognized factor and requires further investigation. Enhancing the process of research decision making may facilitate an increase in cancer clinical trial enrollment rates. Oncology nurses have unique opportunities as educators and researchers to support shared decision making by those who prefer this method for deciding whether to accept or decline cancer clinical trial participation.
Decision Making in the Airplane
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Orasanu, Judith; Shafto, Michael G. (Technical Monitor)
1995-01-01
The Importance of decision-making to safety in complex, dynamic environments like mission control centers, aviation, and offshore installations has been well established. NASA-ARC has a program of research dedicated to fostering safe and effective decision-making in the manned spaceflight environment. Because access to spaceflight is limited, environments with similar characteristics, including aviation and nuclear power plants, serve as analogs from which space-relevant data can be gathered and theories developed. Analyses of aviation accidents cite crew judgement and decision making as causes or contributing factors in over half of all accidents. Yet laboratory research on decision making has not proven especially helpful In improving the quality of decisions in these kinds of environments. One reason is that the traditional, analytic decision models are inappropriate to multi-dimensional, high-risk environments, and do not accurately describe what expert human decision makers do when they make decisions that have consequences. A new model of dynamic, naturalistic decision making is offered that may prove useful for improving decision making in complex, isolated, confined and high-risk environments. Based on analyses of crew performance in full-mission simulators and accident reports, features that define effective decision strategies in abnormal or emergency situations have been identified. These include accurate situation assessment (including time and risk assessment), appreciation of the complexity of the problem, sensitivity to constraints on the decision, timeliness of the response, and use of adequate information. More effective crews also manage their workload to provide themselves with time and resources to make good decisions. In brief, good decisions are appropriate to the demands of the situation. Effective crew decision making and overall performance are mediated by crew communication. Communication contributes to performance because it assures that all crew members have essential information, but it also regulates and coordinates crew actions and is the medium of collective thinking In response to a problem, This presentation will examine the relations between leadership, communication, decision making and overall crew performance. Implications of these findings for training will be discussed.
Correlates of healthcare and financial decision making among older adults without dementia.
Stewart, Christopher C; Yu, Lei; Wilson, Robert S; Bennett, David A; Boyle, Patricia A
2018-03-22
Healthcare and financial decision making among older persons has been previously associated with cognition, health and financial literacy, and risk aversion; however, the manner by which these resources support decision making remains unclear, as past studies have not systematically investigated the pathways linking these resources with decision making. In the current study, we use path analysis to examine the direct and indirect pathways linking age, education, cognition, literacy, and risk aversion with decision making. We also decomposed literacy into its subcomponents, conceptual knowledge and numeracy, in order to examine their associations with decision making. Participants were 937 community-based older adults without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project who completed a battery of cognitive tests and assessments of healthcare and financial decision making, health and financial literacy, and risk aversion. Age and education exerted effects on decision making, but nearly two thirds of their effects were indirect, working mostly through cognition and literacy. Cognition exerted a strong direct effect on decision making and a robust indirect effect working primarily through literacy. Literacy also exerted a powerful direct effect on decision making, as did its subcomponents, conceptual knowledge and numeracy. The direct effect of risk aversion was comparatively weak. In addition to cognition, health and financial literacy emerged as independent and primary correlates of healthcare and financial decision making. These findings suggest specific actions that might be taken to optimize healthcare and financial decision making and, by extension, improve health and well-being in advanced age. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Truglio-Londrigan, Marie
2013-10-01
To come to know, understand and describe the experience of shared decision-making in home-care from the nurse's perspective. The literature presents the concept of shared decision-making as a complex process characterised by a partnership between the healthcare provider and the patient, which is participatory and action oriented with education and negotiation leading to agreement. Few studies have been carried out to explore and describe the events that make up the experiences of shared decision-making in home-care from the nurse's perspective. A qualitative descriptive study was implemented. Semi structured interviews were performed with 10 home-care nurses who were asked to reflect on a time in their practice when they were involved in a shared decision-making process with their patient. All data were analysed using Colaizzi's method. The following Themes were uncovered: Begin where the patient is; Education for shared decision-making; The village and shared decision-making; and Whose decision is it? Each of the four Themes contained Subthemes. The findings of this study present shared decision-making as a complex, multidimensional and fluid process. A thorough understanding of shared decision-making is essential within the multiple contexts in which care is delivered. Nurses in clinical practice need to know and understand the events of the experience of shared decision-making. A more comprehensive understanding of these facts can assist home-care nurses in their practice with regard to the application of shared decision-making. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Development of the Supported Decision Making Inventory System.
Shogren, Karrie A; Wehmeyer, Michael L; Uyanik, Hatice; Heidrich, Megan
2017-12-01
Supported decision making has received increased attention as an alternative to guardianship and a means to enable people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to exercise their right to legal capacity. Assessments are needed that can used by people with disabilities and their systems of supports to identify and plan for needed supports to enable decision making. This article describes the steps taken to develop such an assessment tool, the Supported Decision Making Inventory System (SDMIS), and initial feedback received from self-advocates with intellectual disability. The three sections of the SDMIS (Supported Decision Making Personal Factors Inventory, Supported Decision Making Environmental Demands Inventory, and Decision Making Autonomy Inventory) are described and implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.
Competence and Quality in Real-Life Decision Making.
Geisler, Martin; Allwood, Carl Martin
2015-01-01
What distinguishes a competent decision maker and how should the issue of decision quality be approached in a real-life context? These questions were explored in three studies. In Study 1, using a web-based questionnaire and targeting a community sample, we investigated the relationships between objective and subjective indicators of real-life decision-making success. In Study 2 and 3, targeting two different samples of professionals, we explored if the prevalent cognitively oriented definition of decision-making competence could be beneficially expanded by adding aspects of competence in terms of social skills and time-approach. The predictive power for each of these three aspects of decision-making competence was explored for different indicators of real-life decision-making success. Overall, our results suggest that research on decision-making competence would benefit by expanding the definition of competence, by including decision-related abilities in terms of social skills and time-approach. Finally, the results also indicate that individual differences in real-life decision-making success profitably can be approached and measured by different criteria.
Goal Setting and Decision Making by At-Risk Youth
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Galotti, Kathleen M.; Kozberg, Steven F.; Gustafon, Mary
2009-01-01
Typically, adolescence is a time when individuals begin to make consequential, life-framing decisions. However, much of the decision-making literature focuses on high-risk decisions, such as the use of drugs and alcohol, while much less is known about how adolescents make positive decisions, for example, regarding their educational or career…
The Career Decision-Making Competence: A New Construct for the Career Realm
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ceschi, Andrea; Costantini, Arianna; Phillips, Susan D.; Sartori, Riccardo
2017-01-01
Purpose: This paper aims to link findings from laboratory-based decision-making research and decision-making competence (DMC) aspects that may be central for career-related decision-making processes. Past research has identified individual differences in rational responses in decision situations, which the authors refer to as DMC. Although there…
From Career Decision-Making Styles to Career Decision-Making Profiles: A Multidimensional Approach
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gati, Itamar; Landman, Shiri; Davidovitch, Shlomit; Asulin-Peretz, Lisa; Gadassi, Reuma
2010-01-01
Previous research on individual differences in career decision-making processes has often focused on classifying individuals into a few types of decision-making "styles" based on the most dominant trait or characteristic of their approach to the decision process (e.g., rational, intuitive, dependent; Harren, 1979). In this research, an…
Starks, Helene; Taylor, Janelle S.; Hopley, Elizabeth K.; Fryer-Edwards, Kelly
2007-01-01
BACKGROUND A majority of end-of-life medical decisions are made by surrogate decision-makers who have varying degrees of preparation and comfort with their role. Having a seriously ill family member is stressful for surrogates. Moreover, most clinicians have had little training in working effectively with surrogates. OBJECTIVES To better understand the challenges of decision-making from the surrogate’s perspective. DESIGN Semistructured telephone interview study of the experience of surrogate decision-making. PARTICIPANTS Fifty designated surrogates with previous decision-making experience. APPROACH We asked surrogates to describe and reflect on their experience of making medical decisions for others. After coding transcripts, we conducted a content analysis to identify and categorize factors that made decision-making more or less difficult for surrogates. RESULTS Surrogates identified four types of factors: (1) surrogate characteristics and life circumstances (such as coping strategies and competing responsibilities), (2) surrogates’ social networks (such as intrafamily discord about the “right” decision), (3) surrogate–patient relationships and communication (such as difficulties with honoring known preferences), and (4) surrogate–clinician communication and relationship (such as interacting with a single physician whom the surrogate recognizes as the clinical spokesperson vs. many clinicians). CONCLUSIONS These data provide insights into the challenges that surrogates encounter when making decisions for loved ones and indicate areas where clinicians could intervene to facilitate the process of surrogate decision-making. Clinicians may want to include surrogates in advance care planning prior to decision-making, identify and address surrogate stressors during decision-making, and designate one person to communicate information about the patient’s condition, prognosis, and treatment options. PMID:17619223
Shared decision-making during surgical consultation for gallstones at a safety-net hospital.
Mueck, Krislynn M; Leal, Isabel M; Wan, Charlie C; Goldberg, Braden F; Saunders, Tamara E; Millas, Stefanos G; Liang, Mike K; Ko, Tien C; Kao, Lillian S
2018-04-01
Understanding patient perspectives regarding shared decision-making is crucial to providing informed, patient-centered care. Little is known about perceptions of vulnerable patients regarding shared decision-making during surgical consultation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a validated tool reflects perceptions of shared decision-making accurately among patients seeking surgical consultation for gallstones at a safety-net hospital. A mixed methods study was conducted in a sample of adult patients with gallstones evaluated at a safety-net surgery clinic between May to July 2016. Semi-structured interviews were conducted after their initial surgical consultation and analyzed for emerging themes. Patients were administered the Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire and Autonomy Preference Scale. Univariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with shared decision-making and to compare the results of the surveys to those of the interviews. The majority of patients (N = 30) were female (90%), Hispanic (80%), Spanish-speaking (70%), and middle-aged (45.7 ± 16 years). The proportion of patients who perceived shared decision-making was greater in the Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire versus the interviews (83% vs 27%, P < .01). Age, sex, race/ethnicity, primary language, diagnosis, Autonomy Preference Scale score, and decision for operation was not associated with shared decision-making. Contributory factors to this discordance include patient unfamiliarity with shared decision-making, deference to surgeon authority, lack of discussion about different treatments, and confusion between aligned versus shared decisions. Available questionnaires may overestimate shared decision-making in vulnerable patients suggesting the need for alternative or modifications to existing methods. Furthermore, such metrics should be assessed for correlation with patient-reported outcomes, such as satisfaction with decisions and health status. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Stacey, Dawn; Hill, Sophie; McCaffery, Kirsten; Boland, Laura; Lewis, Krystina B; Horvat, Lidia
2017-01-01
Basic health literacy is required for making health decisions. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the use of shared decision making interventions for supporting patient involvement in making health decisions. The chapter provides a definition of shared decision making and discusses the link between shared decision making and the three levels of health literacy: functional, communicative/interactive, and critical. The Interprofessional Shared Decision Making Model is used to identify the various players involved: the patient, the family/surrogate/significant others, decision coach, and health care professionals. When patients are involved in shared decision making, they have better health outcomes, better healthcare experiences, and likely lower costs. Yet, their degree of involvement is influenced by their level of health literacy. Interventions to facilitate shared decision making are patient decision aids, decision coaching, and question prompt lists. Patient decision aids have been shown to improve knowledge, accurate risk perceptions, and chosen options congruent with patients' values. Decision coaching improves knowledge and patient satisfaction. Question prompts also improve satisfaction. When shared decision making interventions have been evaluated with patients presumed to have lower health literacy, they appeared to be more beneficial to disadvantaged groups compared to those with higher literacy or better socioeconomic status. However, special attention needs to be applied when designing these interventions for populations with lower literacy. Two case exemplars are provided to illustrate the design and choice of interventions to better support patients with varying levels of health literacy. Despite evidence indicating these interventions are effective for involving patients in shared decision making, few are used in routine clinical practice. To increase their uptake, implementation strategies need to overcome barriers interfering with their use. Implementation strategies include training health care professionals, adopting SDM interventions that target patients, such as patient decision aids, and monitor patients' decisional comfort using the SURE test. Integrating health literacy principles is important when developing interventions that facilitate shared decision making and essential to avoid inadvertently producing higher inequalities between patients with varying levels of health literacy.
Decision-Making Under Risk: Integrating Perspectives From Biology, Economics, and Psychology.
Mishra, Sandeep
2014-08-01
Decision-making under risk has been variably characterized and examined in many different disciplines. However, interdisciplinary integration has not been forthcoming. Classic theories of decision-making have not been amply revised in light of greater empirical data on actual patterns of decision-making behavior. Furthermore, the meta-theoretical framework of evolution by natural selection has been largely ignored in theories of decision-making under risk in the human behavioral sciences. In this review, I critically examine four of the most influential theories of decision-making from economics, psychology, and biology: expected utility theory, prospect theory, risk-sensitivity theory, and heuristic approaches. I focus especially on risk-sensitivity theory, which offers a framework for understanding decision-making under risk that explicitly involves evolutionary considerations. I also review robust empirical evidence for individual differences and environmental/situational factors that predict actual risky decision-making that any general theory must account for. Finally, I offer steps toward integrating various theoretical perspectives and empirical findings on risky decision-making. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.
Incentivizing shared decision making in the USA--where are we now?
Durand, Marie-Anne; Barr, Paul J; Walsh, Thom; Elwyn, Glyn
2015-06-01
The Affordable Care Act raised significant interest in the process of shared decision making, the role of patient decision aids, and incentivizing their utilization. However, it has not been clear how best to put incentives into practice, and how the implementation of shared decision making and the use of patient decision aids would be measured. Our goal was to review developments and proposals put forward. We performed a qualitative document analysis following a pragmatic search of Medline, Google, Google Scholar, Business Source Complete (Ebscohost), and LexisNexis from 2009-2013 using the following key words: "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act", "Decision Making", "Affordable Care Act", "Shared Decision Making", "measurement", "incentives", and "payment." We observed a lack of clarity about how to measure shared decision making, about how best to reward the use of patient decisions aids, and therefore how best to incentivize the process. Many documents clearly imply that providing and disseminating patient decision aids might be equivalent to shared decision making. However, there is little evidence that these tools, when used by patients in advance of clinical encounters, lead to significant change in patient-provider communication. The assessment of shared decision making for performance management remains challenging. Efforts to incentivize shared decision making are at risk of being limited to the promotion of patient decision aids, passing over the opportunity to influence the communication processes between patients and providers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Beyond shared decision-making: Collaboration in the age of recovery from serious mental illness.
Treichler, Emily B H; Spaulding, William D
2017-01-01
The role that people with serious mental illness (SMI) play in making decisions about their own treatment and rehabilitation is attracting increasing attention and scrutiny. This attention is embedded in a broader social/consumer movement, the recovery movement , whose agenda includes extensive reform of the mental health system and advancing respect for the dignity and autonomy of people with SMI. Shared decision-making (SDM) is an approach for enhancing consumer participation in health-care decision-making. SDM translates straightforwardly to specific clinical procedures that systematically identify domains of decision-making and guide the practitioner and consumer through making the decisions. In addition, Collaborative decision-making (CDM) is a set of guiding principles that avoids the connotations and limitations of SDM. CDM looks broadly at the range of decisions to be made in mental health care, and assigns consumers and providers equal responsibility and power in the decision-making process. It recognizes the diverse history, knowledge base, and values of each consumer by assuming patients can lead and contribute to decision-making, contributing both value-based information and technical information. This article further discusses the importance of CDM for people with SMI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
A Common Mechanism Underlying Food Choice and Social Decisions.
Krajbich, Ian; Hare, Todd; Bartling, Björn; Morishima, Yosuke; Fehr, Ernst
2015-10-01
People make numerous decisions every day including perceptual decisions such as walking through a crowd, decisions over primary rewards such as what to eat, and social decisions that require balancing own and others' benefits. The unifying principles behind choices in various domains are, however, still not well understood. Mathematical models that describe choice behavior in specific contexts have provided important insights into the computations that may underlie decision making in the brain. However, a critical and largely unanswered question is whether these models generalize from one choice context to another. Here we show that a model adapted from the perceptual decision-making domain and estimated on choices over food rewards accurately predicts choices and reaction times in four independent sets of subjects making social decisions. The robustness of the model across domains provides behavioral evidence for a common decision-making process in perceptual, primary reward, and social decision making.
A Common Mechanism Underlying Food Choice and Social Decisions
Krajbich, Ian; Hare, Todd; Bartling, Björn; Morishima, Yosuke; Fehr, Ernst
2015-01-01
People make numerous decisions every day including perceptual decisions such as walking through a crowd, decisions over primary rewards such as what to eat, and social decisions that require balancing own and others’ benefits. The unifying principles behind choices in various domains are, however, still not well understood. Mathematical models that describe choice behavior in specific contexts have provided important insights into the computations that may underlie decision making in the brain. However, a critical and largely unanswered question is whether these models generalize from one choice context to another. Here we show that a model adapted from the perceptual decision-making domain and estimated on choices over food rewards accurately predicts choices and reaction times in four independent sets of subjects making social decisions. The robustness of the model across domains provides behavioral evidence for a common decision-making process in perceptual, primary reward, and social decision making. PMID:26460812
The use of decision analysis to examine ethical decision making by critical care nurses.
Hughes, K K; Dvorak, E M
1997-01-01
To examine the extent to which critical care staff nurses make ethical decisions that coincide with those recommended by a decision analytic model. Nonexperimental, ex post facto. Midwestern university-affiliated 500 bed tertiary care medical center. One hundred critical care staff nurses randomly selected from seven critical care units. Complete responses were obtained from 82 nurses (for a final response rate of 82%). The dependent variable--consistent decision making--was measured as staff nurses' abilities to make ethical decisions that coincided with those prescribed by the decision model. Subjects completed two instruments, the Ethical Decision Analytic Model, a computer-administered instrument designed to measure staff nurses' abilities to make consistent decisions about a chemically-impaired colleague; and a Background Inventory. The results indicate marked consensus among nurses when informal methods were used. However, there was little consistency between the nurses' informal decisions and those recommended by the decision analytic model. Although 50% (n = 41) of all nurses chose a course of action that coincided with the model's least optimal alternative, few nurses agreed with the model as to the most optimal course of action. The findings also suggest that consistency was unrelated (p > 0.05) to the nurses' educational background or years of clinical experience; that most subjects reported receiving little or no education in decision making during their basic nursing education programs; but that exposure to decision-making strategies was related to years of nursing experience (p < 0.05). The findings differ from related studies that have found a moderate degree of consistency between nurses and decision analytic models for strictly clinical decision tasks, especially when those tasks were less complex. However, the findings partially coincide with other findings that decision analysis may not be particularly well-suited to the critical care environment. Additional research is needed to determine whether critical care nurses use the same decision-making methods as do other nurses; and to clarify the effects of decision task (clinical versus ethical) on nurses' decision making. It should not be assumed that methods used to study nurses' clinical decision making are applicable for all nurses or all types of decisions, including ethical decisions.
Jensen, Annesofie L; Wind, Gitte; Langdahl, Bente Lomholt; Lomborg, Kirsten
2018-01-01
Patients with chronic diseases like osteoporosis constantly have to make decisions related to their disease. Multifaceted osteoporosis group education (GE) may support patients' decision-making. This study investigated multifaceted osteoporosis GE focusing on the impact of GE on patients' decision-making related to treatment options and lifestyle. An interpretive description design using ethnographic methods was utilized with 14 women and three men diagnosed with osteoporosis who attended multifaceted GE. Data consisted of participant observation during GE and individual interviews. Attending GE had an impact on the patients' decision-making in all educational themes. Patients decided on new ways to manage osteoporosis and made decisions regarding bone health and how to implement a lifestyle ensuring bone health. During GE, teachers and patients shared evidence-based knowledge and personal experiences and preferences, respectively, leading to a two-way exchange of information and deliberation about recommendations. Though teachers and patients explored the implications of the decisions and shared their preferences, teachers stressed that the patients ultimately had to make the decision. Teachers therefore refrained from participating in the final step of the decision-making process. Attending GE has an impact on the patients' decision-making as it can initiate patient reflection and support decision-making.
Grootens-Wiegers, Petronella; Visser, Eline G; van Rossum, Annemarie M C; van Waardhuizen, Claudia N; de Wildt, Saskia N; Sweep, Boudewijn; van den Broek, Jos M; de Vries, Martine C
2017-01-01
To be able to truly involve adolescents in decision making about clinical research participation, we need more insight in the perspective of adolescents themselves. To this end, adolescents in an ongoing biobank study were consulted to test a tentative decision assessment tool. The perspectives of adolescents (n=8) concerning participation in decision making for research participation were explored in interviews with a tentative tool, which covered six topics: information material usage, understanding, disease perceptions, anxiety, decision-making process and role sharing. All adolescents unequivocally expressed the desire to be involved in decision making, but also wanted advice from their parents. The extent of the preferred role of adolescent versus parents varied between individuals. In decision making, adolescents relied on parents for information. More than half hardly used the information material. Adolescents in our study preferred a shared decision-making process. The extent of sharing varied between individuals. The decision assessment tool was a fruitful starting point to discuss adolescents' perspectives and may aid in tailoring the situation to the individual to achieve optimal participation practices. Consulting adolescents about their preferences concerning decision making using the tool will facilitate tailoring of the shared decision-making process and optimising the developing autonomy of minors.
[A study on participation in clinical decision making by home healthcare nurses].
Kim, Se Young
2010-12-01
This study was done to identify participation by home healthcare nurses in clinical decision making and factors influencing clinical decision making. A descriptive survey was used to collect data from 68 home healthcare nurses in 22 hospital-based home healthcare services in Korea. To investigate participation, the researcher developed 3 scenarios through interviews with 5 home healthcare nurses. A self-report questionnaire composed of tools for characteristics, factors of clinical decision making, and participation was used. Participation was relatively high, but significantly lower in the design phase (F=3.51, p=.032). Competency in clinical decision making (r=.45, p<.001), perception of the decision maker role (r=.47, p<.001), and perception of the utility of clinical practice guidelines (r=.25, p=.043) were significantly correlated with participation. Competency in clinical decision making (Odds ratio [OR]=41.79, p=.007) and perception of the decision maker role (OR=15.09, p=.007) were significant factors predicting participation in clinical decision making by home healthcare nurses. In order to encourage participation in clinical decision making, education programs should be provided to home healthcare nurses. Official clinical practice guidelines should be used to support home healthcare nurses' participation in clinical decision making in cases where they can identify and solve the patient health problems.
Duignan, Sophie; Ryan, Aedin; O'Keeffe, Dara; Kenny, Damien; McMahon, Colin J
2018-05-12
The complexity and potential biases involved in decision making have long been recognised and examined in both the aviation and business industries. More recently, the medical community have started to explore this concept and its particular importance in our field. Paediatric cardiology is a rapidly expanding field and for many of the conditions we treat, there is limited evidence available to support our decision-making. Variability exists within decision-making in paediatric cardiology and this may influence outcomes. There are no validated tools available to support and examine consistent decision-making for various treatment strategies in children with congenital heart disease in a multidisciplinary cardiology and cardiothoracic institution. Our primary objective was to analyse the complexity of decision-making for children with cardiac conditions in the context of our joint cardiology and cardiothoracic conference (JCC). Two paediatric cardiologists acted as investigators by observing the weekly joint cardiology-cardiothoracic surgery conference and prospectively evaluating the degree of complexity of decision-making in the management of 107 sequential children with congenital heart disease discussed. Additionally, the group consensus on the same patients was prospectively assessed to compare this to the independent observers. Of 107 consecutive children discussed at our JCC conference 32 (27%) went on to receive surgical intervention, 20 (17%) underwent catheterisation and 65 (56%) received medical treatment. There were 53 (50%) cases rated as simple by one senior observer, while 54 (50%) were rated as complex to some degree. There was high inter-observer agreement with a Krippendorff's alpha of ≥ 0.8 between 2 observers and between 2 observers and the group consensus as a whole for grading of the complexity of decision-making. Different decisions were occasionally made on patients with the same data set. Discussions revisiting the same patient, in complex cases, resulted in different management decisions being reached in this series. Anchoring of decision-making was witnessed in certain cases. Potential application of decision making algorithms is discussed in making decisions in paediatric cardiology patients. Decision-making in our institution's joint cardiology-cardiothoracic conference proved to be complex in approximately half of our patients. Inconsistency in decision-making for patients with the same diagnosis, and different decisions made for the same complex patient at different time points confounds the reliability of the decision-making process. These novel data highlight the absence of evidence-based medicine for many decisions, occasional lack of consistency and the impact of anchoring, heuristics and other biases in complex cases. Validated decision-making algorithms may assist in providing consistency to decision-making in this setting.
The effect of simulated narratives that leverage EMR data on shared decision-making: a pilot study.
Zeng-Treitler, Qing; Gibson, Bryan; Hill, Brent; Butler, Jorie; Christensen, Carrie; Redd, Douglas; Shao, Yijun; Bray, Bruce
2016-07-22
Shared decision-making can improve patient satisfaction and outcomes. To participate in shared decision-making, patients need information about the potential risks and benefits of treatment options. Our team has developed a novel prototype tool for shared decision-making called hearts like mine (HLM) that leverages EHR data to provide personalized information to patients regarding potential outcomes of different treatments. These potential outcomes are presented through an Icon array and/or simulated narratives for each "person" in the display. In this pilot project we sought to determine whether the inclusion of simulated narratives in the display affects individuals' decision-making. Thirty subjects participated in this block-randomized study in which they used a version of HLM with simulated narratives and a version without (or in the opposite order) to make a hypothetical therapeutic decision. After each decision, participants completed a questionnaire that measured decisional confidence. We used Chi square tests to compare decisions across conditions and Mann-Whitney U tests to examine the effects of narratives on decisional confidence. Finally, we calculated the mean of subjects' post-experiment rating of whether narratives were helpful in their decision-making. In this study, there was no effect of simulated narratives on treatment decisions (decision 1: Chi squared = 0, p = 1.0; decision 2: Chi squared = 0.574, p = 0.44) or Decisional confidence (decision 1, w = 105.5, p = 0.78; decision 2, w = 86.5, p = 0.28). Post-experiment, participants reported that narratives helped them to make decisions (mean = 3.3/4). We found that simulated narratives had no measurable effect on decisional confidence or decisions and most participants felt that the narratives were helpful to them in making therapeutic decisions. The use of simulated stories holds promise for promoting shared decision-making while minimizing their potential biasing effect.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kaskaya, Alper; Calp, Sükran; Kuru, Oguzhan
2017-01-01
Decision making is one of the most important life skills. While making correct, timely, accurate and appropriate decisions lead to positive changes in one's life, making incorrect decisions may have a negative impact. It is an important issue to examine what the 4th grade students in primary school have about the decision-making ability to be…
Impaired decision-making and brain shrinkage in alcoholism.
Le Berre, A-P; Rauchs, G; La Joie, R; Mézenge, F; Boudehent, C; Vabret, F; Segobin, S; Viader, F; Allain, P; Eustache, F; Pitel, A-L; Beaunieux, H
2014-03-01
Alcohol-dependent individuals usually favor instant gratification of alcohol use and ignore its long-term negative consequences, reflecting impaired decision-making. According to the somatic marker hypothesis, decision-making abilities are subtended by an extended brain network. As chronic alcohol consumption is known to be associated with brain shrinkage in this network, the present study investigated relationships between brain shrinkage and decision-making impairments in alcohol-dependent individuals early in abstinence using voxel-based morphometry. Thirty patients performed the Iowa Gambling Task and underwent a magnetic resonance imaging investigation (1.5T). Decision-making performances and brain data were compared with those of age-matched healthy controls. In the alcoholic group, a multiple regression analysis was conducted with two predictors (gray matter [GM] volume and decision-making measure) and two covariates (number of withdrawals and duration of alcoholism). Compared with controls, alcoholics had impaired decision-making and widespread reduced gray matter volume, especially in regions involved in decision-making. The regression analysis revealed links between high GM volume in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and right hippocampal formation, and high decision-making scores (P<0.001, uncorrected). Decision-making deficits in alcoholism may result from impairment of both emotional and cognitive networks. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Légaré, France; Moumjid-Ferdjaoui, Nora; Drolet, Renée; Stacey, Dawn; Härter, Martin; Bastian, Hilda; Beaulieu, Marie-Dominique; Borduas, Francine; Charles, Cathy; Coulter, Angela; Desroches, Sophie; Friedrich, Gwendolyn; Gafni, Amiram; Graham, Ian D.; Labrecque, Michel; LeBlanc, Annie; Légaré, Jean; Politi, Mary; Sargeant, Joan; Thomson, Richard
2014-01-01
Shared decision making is now making inroads in health care professionals’ continuing education curriculum, but there is no consensus on what core competencies are required by clinicians for effectively involving patients in health-related decisions. Ready-made programs for training clinicians in shared decision making are in high demand, but existing programs vary widely in their theoretical foundations, length, and content. An international, interdisciplinary group of 25 individuals met in 2012 to discuss theoretical approaches to making health-related decisions, compare notes on existing programs, take stock of stakeholders concerns, and deliberate on core competencies. This article summarizes the results of those discussions. Some participants believed that existing models already provide a sufficient conceptual basis for developing and implementing shared decision making competency-based training programs on a wide scale. Others argued that this would be premature as there is still no consensus on the definition of shared decision making or sufficient evidence to recommend specific competencies for implementing shared decision making. However, all participants agreed that there were 2 broad types of competencies that clinicians need for implementing shared decision making: relational competencies and risk communication competencies. Further multidisciplinary research could broaden and deepen our understanding of core competencies for shared decision making training. PMID:24347105
Doing what's right: A grounded theory of ethical decision-making in occupational therapy.
VanderKaay, Sandra; Letts, Lori; Jung, Bonny; Moll, Sandra E
2018-04-20
Ethical decision-making is an important aspect of reasoning in occupational therapy practice. However, the process of ethical decision-making within the broader context of reasoning is yet to be clearly explicated. The purpose of this study was to advance a theoretical understanding of the process by which occupational therapists make ethical decisions in day-to-day practice. A constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted, incorporating in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 occupational therapists from a range of practice settings and years of experience. Initially, participants nominated as key informants who were able to reflect on their decision-making processes were recruited. Theoretical sampling informed subsequent stages of data collection. Participants were asked to describe their process of ethical decision-making using scenarios from clinical practice. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a systematic process of initial then focused coding, and theoretical categorization to construct a theory regarding the process of ethical decision-making. An ethical decision-making prism was developed to capture three main processes: Considering the Fundamental Checklist, Consulting Others, and Doing What's Right. Ethical decision-making appeared to be an inductive and dialectical process with the occupational therapist at its core. Study findings advance our understanding of ethical decision-making in day-to-day clinical practice.
Mental fatigue impairs soccer-specific decision-making skill.
Smith, Mitchell R; Zeuwts, Linus; Lenoir, Matthieu; Hens, Nathalie; De Jong, Laura M S; Coutts, Aaron J
2016-07-01
This study aimed to investigate the impact of mental fatigue on soccer-specific decision-making. Twelve well-trained male soccer players performed a soccer-specific decision-making task on two occasions, separated by at least 72 h. The decision-making task was preceded in a randomised order by 30 min of the Stroop task (mental fatigue) or 30 min of reading from magazines (control). Subjective ratings of mental fatigue were measured before and after treatment, and mental effort (referring to treatment) and motivation (referring to the decision-making task) were measured after treatment. Performance on the soccer-specific decision-making task was assessed using response accuracy and time. Visual search behaviour was also assessed throughout the decision-making task. Subjective ratings of mental fatigue and effort were almost certainly higher following the Stroop task compared to the magazines. Motivation for the upcoming decision-making task was possibly higher following the Stroop task. Decision-making accuracy was very likely lower and response time likely higher in the mental fatigue condition. Mental fatigue had unclear effects on most visual search behaviour variables. The results suggest that mental fatigue impairs accuracy and speed of soccer-specific decision-making. These impairments are not likely related to changes in visual search behaviour.
Decision making and coping in healthcare: the Coping in Deliberation (CODE) framework.
Witt, Jana; Elwyn, Glyn; Wood, Fiona; Brain, Kate
2012-08-01
To develop a framework of decision making and coping in healthcare that describes the twin processes of appraisal and coping faced by patients making preference-sensitive healthcare decisions. We briefly review the literature for decision making theories and coping theories applicable to preference-sensitive decisions in healthcare settings. We describe first decision making, then coping and finally attempt to integrate these processes by building on current theory. Deliberation in healthcare may be described as a six step process, comprised of the presentation of a health threat, choice, options, preference construction, the decision itself and consolidation post-decision. Coping can be depicted in three stages, beginning with a threat, followed by primary and secondary appraisal and ultimately resulting in a coping effort. Drawing together concepts from prominent decision making theories and coping theories, we propose a multidimensional, interactive framework which integrates both processes and describes coping in deliberation. The proposed framework offers an insight into the complexity of decision making in preference-sensitive healthcare contexts from a patient perspective and may act as theoretical basis for decision support. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
A review of the literature: midwifery decision-making and birth.
Jefford, Elaine; Fahy, Kathleen; Sundin, Deborah
2010-12-01
Clinical decision-making was initially studied in medicine where hypothetico-deductive reasoning is the model for decision-making. The nursing perspective on clinical decision-making has largely been shaped by Patricia Benner's ground breaking work. Benner claimed expert nurses use humanistic-intuitive ways of making clinical decisions rather than the 'rational reasoning' as claimed by medicine. Clinical decision-making in midwifery is not the same as either nursing or medical decision-making because of the woman-midwife partnership where the woman is the ultimate decision-maker. CINHAL, Medline and Cochrane databases were systematically searched using key words derived from the guiding question. A review of the decision-making research literature in midwifery was undertaken where studies were published in English. The selection criteria for papers were: only research papers of direct relevance to the guiding research question were included in the review. Decision-making is under-researched in midwifery and more specifically birth, as only 4 research articles met the inclusion criteria in this review. Three of the studies involved qualified midwives, and one involved student midwives. Two studies were undertaken in England, one in Scotland and one in Sweden. The major findings synthesised from this review, are that; (1) midwifery decision-making during birth is socially negotiated involving hierarchies of surveillance and control; (2) the role of the woman in shared decision-making during birth has not been explored by midwifery research; (3) clinical decision-making encompasses clinical reasoning as essential but not sufficient for midwives to actually implement their preferred decision. We argue that existing research does not inform the discipline of the complexity of midwifery clinical decision-making during birth. A well-designed study would involve investigating the clinical reasoning skills of the midwife, her relationship with the woman, the context of the particular birthing unit and the employment status of the midwife. The role of the woman as decision-maker in her own care during birth also needs careful research attention. Copyright © 2010 Australian College of Midwives. All rights reserved.
A communication model of shared decision making: accounting for cancer treatment decisions.
Siminoff, Laura A; Step, Mary M
2005-07-01
The authors present a communication model of shared decision making (CMSDM) that explicitly identifies the communication process as the vehicle for decision making in cancer treatment. In this view, decision making is necessarily a sociocommunicative process whereby people enter into a relationship, exchange information, establish preferences, and choose a course of action. The model derives from contemporary notions of behavioral decision making and ethical conceptions of the doctor-patient relationship. This article briefly reviews the theoretical approaches to decision making, notes deficiencies, and embeds a more socially based process into the dynamics of the physician-patient relationship, focusing on cancer treatment decisions. In the CMSDM, decisions depend on (a) antecedent factors that have potential to influence communication, (b) jointly constructed communication climate, and (c) treatment preferences established by the physician and the patient.
Alden, Dana L; Friend, John M; Lee, Angela Y; de Vries, Marieke; Osawa, Ryosuke; Chen, Qimei
2015-12-01
Two studies identified core value influences on medical decision-making processes across and within cultures. In Study 1, Japanese and American adults reported desired levels of medical decision-making influence across conditions that varied in seriousness. Cultural antecedents (interdependence, independence, and power distance) were also measured. In Study 2, American adults reviewed a colorectal cancer screening decision aid. Decision preparedness was measured along with interdependence, independence, and desire for medical information. In Study 1, higher interdependence predicted stronger desire for decision-making information in both countries, but was significantly stronger in Japan. The path from information desire to decision-making influence desire was significant only in Japan. The independence path to desire for decision-making influence was significant only in the United States. Power distance effects negatively predicted desire for decision-making influence only in the United States. For Study 2, high (low) interdependents and women (men) in the United States felt that a colorectal cancer screening decision aid helped prepare them more (less) for a medical consultation. Low interdependent men were at significantly higher risk for low decision preparedness. Study 1 suggests that Japanese participants may tend to view medical decision-making influence as an interdependent, information sharing exchange, whereas American respondents may be more interested in power sharing that emphasizes greater independence. Study 2 demonstrates the need to assess value influences on medical decision-making processes within and across cultures and suggests that individually tailored versions of decision aids may optimize decision preparedness. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
Decision Making in Action: Applying Research to Practice
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Orasanu, Judith; Hart, Sandra G. (Technical Monitor)
1994-01-01
The importance of decision-making to safety in complex, dynamic environments like mission control centers, aviation, and offshore installations has been well established. NASA-ARC has a program of research dedicated to fostering safe and effective decision-making in the manned spaceflight environment: Because access to spaceflight is limited, environments with similar characteristics, including aviation and nuclear power plants, serve as analogs from which space-relevant data can be gathered and theories developed. Analyses of aviation accidents cite crew judgement and decision making as causes or contributing factors in over half of all accidents. Yet laboratory research on decision making has not proven especially helpful in improving the quality of decisions in these kinds of environments. One reason is that the traditional, analytic decision models are inappropriate to multi-dimensional, high-risk environments, and do not accurately describe what expert human decision makers do when they make decisions that have consequences. A new model of dynamic, naturalistic decision making is offered that may prove useful for improving decision making in complex, isolated, confined and high-risk environments. Based on analyses of crew performance in full-mission simulators and accident reports, features that define effective decision strategies in abnormal or emergency situations have been identified. These include accurate situation assessment (including time and risk assessment), appreciation of the complexity of the problem, sensitivity to constraints on the decision, timeliness of the response, and use of adequate information. More effective crews also manage their workload to provide themselves with time and resources to make good good decisions are appropriate to the demands of the situation. Effective crew decision making and overall performance are mediated by crew communication. Communication contributes to performance because it assures that all crew members have essential information, but it also regulates and coordinates crew actions and is the medium of collective thinking in response to a problem. This presentation will examine the relations between leadership, communication, decision making and overall crew performance. Implications of these findings for training will be discussed.
Incompetent Patients, Substitute Decision Making, and Quality of Life: Some Ethical Considerations
Kluge, Eike-Henner W.
2008-01-01
One of the most difficult situations facing physicians involves decision making by substitute decision makers for patients who have never been competent. This paper begins with a brief examination of the ethics of substitute decision making for previously competent patients. It then applies the results to substitute decision making for patients who have never been competent, and critically analyzes 5 models of substitute decision making for such patients, showing why each either contravenes basic ethical principles or fails to guarantee the use of ethically appropriate values. It concludes by sketching a modified objective reasonable person standard for substitute decision making that avoids valuational difficulties and allows for a protocol that satisfies ethical principles. PMID:19099031
A MDMP for All Seasons: Modifying the MDMP for Success
2004-05-26
4 Rational Decision - Making Theory ............................................................................. 5 Limited Rationality ... making instead of using the MDMP, which is an analytical decision - making process. Limited rationality and analytical decision - making will be discussed...limited rationality decision - making theories. FM 5.0 defines fundamentals of planning, such as commander’s involvement and developing creative plans
How Critical Thinking Shapes the Military Decision Making Process
2004-05-17
emotional rebuttal. Conversely, people cannot make good rational decisions without at least a twinge of emotion attached to the decision . 2) Our minds... decision they make . If emotions overwhelm reason, then decisions should be postponed.27 Service biases are one of the strongest emotional bias. Any...FINAL 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE How Critical Thinking Shapes the Military Decision Making Process 5a. CONTRACT
Liebherr, Magnus; Schiebener, Johannes; Averbeck, Heike; Brand, Matthias
2017-01-01
The ability of decision making plays a highly relevant role in our survival, but is adversely affected during the process of aging. The present review aims to provide a better understanding of age-related differences in decision making and the role of cognitive and emotional factors in this context. We reviewed the literature about age-effects on decision-making performance, focusing on decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In decisions under ambiguous risks, as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task, decisions are based on the experiences with consequences. In this case, many articles have attributed age-related impairments in decision making to changes in emotional and somatic reward- and punishment processing. In decisions under objective risks, as measured for example by the Game of Dice Task, decisions can be based on explicit information about risks and consequences. In this case, age-related changes have been attributed mainly to a cognitive decline, particularly impaired executive functions. However, recent findings challenge these conclusions. The present review summarizes neuropsychological and neurophysiological findings of age-related differences in decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In this context, the relevance of learning, but also of cognitive and emotional contributors - responsible for age-related differences in decision making - are additionally pointed out.
Liebherr, Magnus; Schiebener, Johannes; Averbeck, Heike; Brand, Matthias
2017-01-01
The ability of decision making plays a highly relevant role in our survival, but is adversely affected during the process of aging. The present review aims to provide a better understanding of age-related differences in decision making and the role of cognitive and emotional factors in this context. We reviewed the literature about age-effects on decision-making performance, focusing on decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In decisions under ambiguous risks, as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task, decisions are based on the experiences with consequences. In this case, many articles have attributed age-related impairments in decision making to changes in emotional and somatic reward- and punishment processing. In decisions under objective risks, as measured for example by the Game of Dice Task, decisions can be based on explicit information about risks and consequences. In this case, age-related changes have been attributed mainly to a cognitive decline, particularly impaired executive functions. However, recent findings challenge these conclusions. The present review summarizes neuropsychological and neurophysiological findings of age-related differences in decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In this context, the relevance of learning, but also of cognitive and emotional contributors – responsible for age-related differences in decision making – are additionally pointed out. PMID:29270145
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gadassi, Reuma; Gati, Itamar; Wagman-Rolnick, Halleli
2013-01-01
The present study investigated a new model for characterizing the way individuals make career decisions (career decision-making profiles [CDMP]). Using data from 285 students in a preacademic program, the present study assessed the association of the CDMP's dimensions with the Emotional and Personality-related Career decision-making Difficulties…
Couple decision making and use of cultural scripts in Malawi.
Mbweza, Ellen; Norr, Kathleen F; McElmurry, Beverly
2008-01-01
To examine the decision-making processes of husband and wife dyads in matrilineal and patrilineal marriage traditions of Malawi in the areas of money, food, pregnancy, contraception, and sexual relations. Qualitative grounded theory using simultaneous interviews of 60 husbands and wives (30 couples). Data were analyzed according to the guidelines of simultaneous data collection and analysis. The analysis resulted in development of core categories and categories of decision-making process. Data matrixes were used to identify similarities and differences within couples and across cases. Most couples reported using a mix of final decision-making approaches: husband-dominated, wife-dominated, and shared. Gender based and nongender based cultural scripts provided rationales for their approaches to decision making. Gender based cultural scripts (husband-dominant and wife-dominant) were used to justify decision-making approaches. Non-gender based cultural scripts (communicating openly, maintaining harmony, and children's welfare) supported shared decision making. Gender based cultural scripts were used in decision making more often among couples from the district with a patrilineal marriage tradition and where the husband had less than secondary school education and was not formally employed. Nongender based cultural scripts to encourage shared decision making can be used in designing culturally tailored reproductive health interventions for couples. Nurses who work with women and families should be aware of the variations that occur in actual couple decision-making approaches. Shared decision making can be used to encourage the involvement of men in reproductive health programs.
Grey situation group decision-making method based on prospect theory.
Zhang, Na; Fang, Zhigeng; Liu, Xiaqing
2014-01-01
This paper puts forward a grey situation group decision-making method on the basis of prospect theory, in view of the grey situation group decision-making problems that decisions are often made by multiple decision experts and those experts have risk preferences. The method takes the positive and negative ideal situation distance as reference points, defines positive and negative prospect value function, and introduces decision experts' risk preference into grey situation decision-making to make the final decision be more in line with decision experts' psychological behavior. Based on TOPSIS method, this paper determines the weight of each decision expert, sets up comprehensive prospect value matrix for decision experts' evaluation, and finally determines the optimal situation. At last, this paper verifies the effectiveness and feasibility of the method by means of a specific example.
Grey Situation Group Decision-Making Method Based on Prospect Theory
Zhang, Na; Fang, Zhigeng; Liu, Xiaqing
2014-01-01
This paper puts forward a grey situation group decision-making method on the basis of prospect theory, in view of the grey situation group decision-making problems that decisions are often made by multiple decision experts and those experts have risk preferences. The method takes the positive and negative ideal situation distance as reference points, defines positive and negative prospect value function, and introduces decision experts' risk preference into grey situation decision-making to make the final decision be more in line with decision experts' psychological behavior. Based on TOPSIS method, this paper determines the weight of each decision expert, sets up comprehensive prospect value matrix for decision experts' evaluation, and finally determines the optimal situation. At last, this paper verifies the effectiveness and feasibility of the method by means of a specific example. PMID:25197706
38 CFR 26.7 - VA environmental decision making and documents.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-07-01
... environmental decision making and documents. (a) Relevant environmental documents shall accompany other decision documents as they proceed through the decision-making process. (b) The major decision points for VA actions... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false VA environmental decision...
Factors that impact on emergency nurses' ethical decision-making ability.
Alba, Barbara
2016-11-10
Reliance on moral principles and professional codes has given nurses direction for ethical decision-making. However, rational models do not capture the emotion and reality of human choice. Intuitive response must be considered. Supporting intuition as an important ethical decision-making tool for nurses, the aim of this study was to determine relationships between intuition, years of worked nursing experience, and perceived ethical decision-making ability. A secondary aim explored the relationships between rational thought to years of worked nursing experience and perceived ethical decision-making ability. A non-experimental, correlational research design was used. The Rational Experiential Inventory measured intuition and rational thought. The Clinical Decision Making in Nursing Scale measured perceived ethical decision-making ability. Pearson's r was the statistical method used to analyze three primary and two secondary research questions. A sample of 182 emergency nurses was recruited electronically through the Emergency Nurses Association. Participants were self-selected. Approval to conduct this study was obtained by the Adelphi University Institutional Review Board. A relationship between intuition and perceived ethical decision-making ability (r = .252, p = .001) was a significant finding in this study. This study is one of the first of this nature to make a connection between intuition and nurses' ethical decision-making ability. This investigation contributes to a broader understanding of the different thought processes used by emergency nurses to make ethical decisions. © The Author(s) 2016.
Kim, Young Mi; Kols, Adrienne; Martin, Antonieta; Silva, David; Rinehart, Ward; Prammawat, Sarah; Johnson, Sarah; Church, Kathryn
2005-12-01
The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a decision-making tool to be used by providers and clients during family planning visits to improve the quality of services. It is important to examine the tool's usability and its impact on counseling and decision-making processes during family planning consultations. Thirteen providers in Mexico City were videotaped with family planning clients three months before and one month after attending a training session on the WHO decision-making tool. The videotapes were coded for client-provider communication and eye contact, and decision-making behaviors were rated. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions explored clients' and providers' opinions of the tool. After providers began using the decision-making tool, they gave clients more information on family planning, tailored that information more closely to clients' situations and more often discussed HIV/AIDS prevention, dual protection and condom use. Client involvement in the decision-making process and client active communication increased, contributing to a shift from provider-dominated to shared decision making. Clients reported that the tool helped them understand the provider's explanations and made them feel more comfortable talking and asking questions during consultations. After one month of practice with the decision-making tool, most providers felt comfortable with it and found it useful; however, they recommended some changes to the tool to help engage clients in the decision-making process. The decision-making tool was useful both as a job aid for providers and as a decision aid for clients.
Teachers' Grading Decision Making
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Isnawati, Ida; Saukah, Ali
2017-01-01
This study investigated teachers' grading decision making, focusing on their beliefs underlying their grading decision making, their grading practices and assessment types, and factors they considered in grading decision making. Two teachers from two junior high schools applying different curriculum policies in grade reporting in Indonesian…
Wirtz, Veronika; Cribb, Alan; Barber, Nick
2005-09-08
Previous theoretical and empirical work on health policy decisions about reimbursement focuses on specific rationales such as effectiveness, economic considerations and equal access for equal needs. As reimbursement decisions take place in a social and political context we propose that the analysis of decision-making should incorporate factors, which go beyond those commonly discussed. As an example we chose three health technologies (sildenafil, rivastigmine and statins) to investigate how decisions about reimbursement of medicines are made in the United Kingdom National Health Service and what factors influence these decisions. From face-to-face, in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 20 regional and national policy makers and stakeholders we identified two dimensions of decision-making, which extend beyond the rationales conventionally cited. The first dimension relates to the role of 'subjectivity' or 'the personal' in the decisions, including personal experiences of the condition and excitement about the novelty or potential benefit of the technology-these factors affect what counts as evidence, or how evidence is interpreted, in practice. The second dimension relates to the social and political function of decision-making and broadens what counts as the relevant ends of decision-making to include such things as maintaining relationships, avoiding organisational burden, generating politically and legally defensible decisions and demonstrating the willingness to care. More importantly, we will argue that these factors should not be treated as contaminants of an otherwise rational decision-making. On the contrary we suggest that they seem relevant, reasonable and also of substantial importance in considering in decision-making. Complementing the analysis of decision-making about reimbursement by incorporating these factors could increase our understanding and potentially improve decision-making.
Understanding medical decision making in hand surgery.
Myers, John; McCabe, Steven J
2005-10-01
The practice of medicine takes place in an environment of uncertainty. Expected value decision making, prospect theory, and regret theory are three theories of decision making under uncertainty that may be used to help us learn how patients and physicians make decisions. These theories form the underpinnings of decision analysis and provide the opportunity to introduce the broad discipline of decision science. Because decision analysis and economic analysis are underrepresented in upper extremity surgery, the authors believe these are important areas for future research.
Enhancing Decision-Making in STSE Education by Inducing Reflection and Self-Regulated Learning
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gresch, Helge; Hasselhorn, Marcus; Bögeholz, Susanne
2017-02-01
Thoughtful decision-making to resolve socioscientific issues is central to science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) education. One approach for attaining this goal involves fostering students' decision-making processes. Thus, the present study explores whether the application of decision-making strategies, combined with reflections on the decision-making processes of others, enhances decision-making competence. In addition, this study examines whether this process is supported by elements of self-regulated learning, i.e., self-reflection regarding one's own performance and the setting of goals for subsequent tasks. A computer-based training program which involves the resolution of socioscientific issues related to sustainable development was developed in two versions: with and without elements of self-regulated learning. Its effects on decision-making competence were analyzed using a pre test-post test follow-up control-group design ( N = 242 high school students). Decision-making competence was assessed using an open-ended questionnaire that focused on three facets: consideration of advantages and disadvantages, metadecision aspects, and reflection on the decision-making processes of others. The findings suggest that students in both training groups incorporated aspects of metadecision into their statements more often than students in the control group. Furthermore, both training groups were more successful in reflecting on the decision-making processes of others. The students who received additional training in self-regulated learning showed greater benefits in terms of metadecision aspects and reflection, and these effects remained significant two months later. Overall, our findings demonstrate that the application of decision-making strategies, combined with reflections on the decision-making process and elements of self-regulated learning, is a fruitful approach in STSE education.
Parental decision-making after ultrasound diagnosis of a serious foetal abnormality.
Bijma, Hilmar H; Wildschut, Hajo I J; van der Heide, Agnes; Passchier, Jan; Wladimiroff, Juriy W; van der Maas, Paul J
2005-01-01
The purpose of this article is to provide clinicians who are involved in the field of foetal medicine with a comprehensive overview of theories that are relevant for the parental decision-making process after ultrasound diagnosis of a serious foetal abnormality. Since little data are available of parental decision-making after ultrasound diagnosis of foetal abnormality, we reviewed the literature on parental decision-making in genetic counselling of couples at increased genetic risk together with the literature on general decision-making theories. The findings were linked to the specific situation of parental decision-making after an ultrasound diagnosis of foetal abnormality. Based on genetic counselling studies, several cognitive mechanisms play a role in parental decision-making regarding future pregnancies. Parents often have a binary perception of risk. Probabilistic information is translated into two options: the child will or will not be affected. The graduality of chance seems to be of little importance in this process. Instead, the focus shifts to the possible consequences for future family life. General decision-making theories often focus on rationality and coherence of the decision-making process. However, studies of both the influence of framing and the influence of stress indicate that emotional mechanisms can have an important and beneficial function in the decision-making process. Cognitive mechanisms that are elicited by emotions and that are not necessarily rational can have an important and beneficial function in parental decision-making after ultrasound diagnosis of a foetal abnormality. Consequently, the process of parental decision-making should not solely be assessed on the basis of its rationality, but also on the basis of the parental emotional outcome. Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.
How social cognition can inform social decision making.
Lee, Victoria K; Harris, Lasana T
2013-12-25
Social decision-making is often complex, requiring the decision-maker to make inferences of others' mental states in addition to engaging traditional decision-making processes like valuation and reward processing. A growing body of research in neuroeconomics has examined decision-making involving social and non-social stimuli to explore activity in brain regions such as the striatum and prefrontal cortex, largely ignoring the power of the social context. Perhaps more complex processes may influence decision-making in social vs. non-social contexts. Years of social psychology and social neuroscience research have documented a multitude of processes (e.g., mental state inferences, impression formation, spontaneous trait inferences) that occur upon viewing another person. These processes rely on a network of brain regions including medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), superior temporal sulcus (STS), temporal parietal junction, and precuneus among others. Undoubtedly, these social cognition processes affect social decision-making since mental state inferences occur spontaneously and automatically. Few studies have looked at how these social inference processes affect decision-making in a social context despite the capability of these inferences to serve as predictions that can guide future decision-making. Here we review and integrate the person perception and decision-making literatures to understand how social cognition can inform the study of social decision-making in a way that is consistent with both literatures. We identify gaps in both literatures-while behavioral economics largely ignores social processes that spontaneously occur upon viewing another person, social psychology has largely failed to talk about the implications of social cognition processes in an economic decision-making context-and examine the benefits of integrating social psychological theory with behavioral economic theory.
How social cognition can inform social decision making
Lee, Victoria K.; Harris, Lasana T.
2013-01-01
Social decision-making is often complex, requiring the decision-maker to make inferences of others' mental states in addition to engaging traditional decision-making processes like valuation and reward processing. A growing body of research in neuroeconomics has examined decision-making involving social and non-social stimuli to explore activity in brain regions such as the striatum and prefrontal cortex, largely ignoring the power of the social context. Perhaps more complex processes may influence decision-making in social vs. non-social contexts. Years of social psychology and social neuroscience research have documented a multitude of processes (e.g., mental state inferences, impression formation, spontaneous trait inferences) that occur upon viewing another person. These processes rely on a network of brain regions including medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), superior temporal sulcus (STS), temporal parietal junction, and precuneus among others. Undoubtedly, these social cognition processes affect social decision-making since mental state inferences occur spontaneously and automatically. Few studies have looked at how these social inference processes affect decision-making in a social context despite the capability of these inferences to serve as predictions that can guide future decision-making. Here we review and integrate the person perception and decision-making literatures to understand how social cognition can inform the study of social decision-making in a way that is consistent with both literatures. We identify gaps in both literatures—while behavioral economics largely ignores social processes that spontaneously occur upon viewing another person, social psychology has largely failed to talk about the implications of social cognition processes in an economic decision-making context—and examine the benefits of integrating social psychological theory with behavioral economic theory. PMID:24399928
Lloyd, Amy; Joseph-Williams, Natalie; Edwards, Adrian; Rix, Andrew; Elwyn, Glyn
2013-09-05
Implementing shared decision making into routine practice is proving difficult, despite considerable interest from policy-makers, and is far more complex than merely making decision support interventions available to patients. Few have reported successful implementation beyond research studies. MAking Good Decisions In Collaboration (MAGIC) is a multi-faceted implementation program, commissioned by The Health Foundation (UK), to examine how best to put shared decision making into routine practice. In this paper, we investigate healthcare professionals' perspectives on implementing shared decision making during the MAGIC program, to examine the work required to implement shared decision making and to inform future efforts. The MAGIC program approached implementation of shared decision making by initiating a range of interventions including: providing workshops; facilitating development of brief decision support tools (Option Grids); initiating a patient activation campaign ('Ask 3 Questions'); gathering feedback using Decision Quality Measures; providing clinical leads meetings, learning events, and feedback sessions; and obtaining executive board level support. At 9 and 15 months (May and November 2011), two rounds of semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals in three secondary care teams to explore views on the impact of these interventions. Interview data were coded by two reviewers using a framework derived from the Normalization Process Theory. A total of 54 interviews were completed with 31 healthcare professionals. Partial implementation of shared decision making could be explained using the four components of the Normalization Process Theory: 'coherence,' 'cognitive participation,' 'collective action,' and 'reflexive monitoring.' Shared decision making was integrated into routine practice when clinical teams shared coherent views of role and purpose ('coherence'). Shared decision making was facilitated when teams engaged in developing and delivering interventions ('cognitive participation'), and when those interventions fit with existing skill sets and organizational priorities ('collective action') resulting in demonstrable improvements to practice ('reflexive monitoring'). The implementation process uncovered diverse and conflicting attitudes toward shared decision making; 'coherence' was often missing. The study showed that implementation of shared decision making is more complex than the delivery of patient decision support interventions to patients, a portrayal that often goes unquestioned. Normalizing shared decision making requires intensive work to ensure teams have a shared understanding of the purpose of involving patients in decisions, and undergo the attitudinal shifts that many health professionals feel are required when comprehension goes beyond initial interpretations. Divergent views on the value of engaging patients in decisions remain a significant barrier to implementation.
2013-01-01
Background Implementing shared decision making into routine practice is proving difficult, despite considerable interest from policy-makers, and is far more complex than merely making decision support interventions available to patients. Few have reported successful implementation beyond research studies. MAking Good Decisions In Collaboration (MAGIC) is a multi-faceted implementation program, commissioned by The Health Foundation (UK), to examine how best to put shared decision making into routine practice. In this paper, we investigate healthcare professionals’ perspectives on implementing shared decision making during the MAGIC program, to examine the work required to implement shared decision making and to inform future efforts. Methods The MAGIC program approached implementation of shared decision making by initiating a range of interventions including: providing workshops; facilitating development of brief decision support tools (Option Grids); initiating a patient activation campaign (‘Ask 3 Questions’); gathering feedback using Decision Quality Measures; providing clinical leads meetings, learning events, and feedback sessions; and obtaining executive board level support. At 9 and 15 months (May and November 2011), two rounds of semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals in three secondary care teams to explore views on the impact of these interventions. Interview data were coded by two reviewers using a framework derived from the Normalization Process Theory. Results A total of 54 interviews were completed with 31 healthcare professionals. Partial implementation of shared decision making could be explained using the four components of the Normalization Process Theory: ‘coherence,’ ‘cognitive participation,’ ‘collective action,’ and ‘reflexive monitoring.’ Shared decision making was integrated into routine practice when clinical teams shared coherent views of role and purpose (‘coherence’). Shared decision making was facilitated when teams engaged in developing and delivering interventions (‘cognitive participation’), and when those interventions fit with existing skill sets and organizational priorities (‘collective action’) resulting in demonstrable improvements to practice (‘reflexive monitoring’). The implementation process uncovered diverse and conflicting attitudes toward shared decision making; ‘coherence’ was often missing. Conclusions The study showed that implementation of shared decision making is more complex than the delivery of patient decision support interventions to patients, a portrayal that often goes unquestioned. Normalizing shared decision making requires intensive work to ensure teams have a shared understanding of the purpose of involving patients in decisions, and undergo the attitudinal shifts that many health professionals feel are required when comprehension goes beyond initial interpretations. Divergent views on the value of engaging patients in decisions remain a significant barrier to implementation. PMID:24006959
Matthias, Marianne S; Fukui, Sadaaki; Kukla, Marina; Eliacin, Johanne; Bonfils, Kelsey A; Firmin, Ruth L; Oles, Sylwia K; Adams, Erin L; Collins, Linda A; Salyers, Michelle P
2014-12-01
This study explored the association between shared decision making and consumers' illness management skills and consumer-provider relationships. Medication management appointments for 79 consumers were audio recorded. Independent coders rated overall shared decision making, minimum level of shared decision making, and consumer-provider agreement for 63 clients whose visit included a treatment decision. Mental health diagnoses, medication adherence, patient activation, illness management, working alliance, and length of consumer-provider relationships were also assessed. Correlation analyses were used to determine relationships among measures. Overall shared decision making was not associated with any variables. Minimum levels of shared decision making were associated with higher scores on the bond subscale of the Working Alliance Inventory, indicating a higher degree of liking and trust, and with better medication adherence. Agreement was associated with shorter consumer-provider relationships. Consumer-provider relationships and shared decision making might have a more nuanced association than originally thought.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bjornstad, David J.; Wolfe, Amy K.
Framing remediation decision making as negotiation: (1) social choice, not technology choice; (2) prompts decision makers to identify interested and affected parties, anticipate objections, effectively address and ameliorate objections, and avoid unacceptable decisions.
32 CFR 322.7 - Exempt systems of records.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-07-01
... information permits more informed decision-making by the Department when making required suitability... becomes clear. Such information permits more informed decision-making by the Department when making... becomes clear. Such information permits more informed decision-making by the Department when making...
Altered moral decision-making in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.
Rosen, Jan B; Rott, Elisa; Ebersbach, Georg; Kalbe, Elke
2015-10-01
Moral decision-making essentially contributes to social conduct. Although patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) show deficits in (non-moral) decision making and related neuropsychological functions, i.e. executive functions, theory of mind (ToM), and empathy, moral decision-making has rarely been examined in PD patients. We examined possible alterations of moral decision-making and associated functions in PD. Twenty non-demented PD patients and 23 age- and education-matched healthy control participants were examined with tests that assess reasoning, executive functions (set-shifting and planning), ToM and empathy, decision-making under risk, and moral intuitions. Moral decision-making was assessed with a close-to-everyday moral dilemma paradigm that opposes socially oriented "altruistic" choices to self-beneficial "egoistic" choices in 20 moral dilemma short stories (10 high and 10 low emotional). Concurrently, electrodermal activity was recorded. PD patients made more egoistic moral decisions than healthy controls. Remarkably, while reasoning, planning and empathy correlated with moral decision-making in the control group, in the PD group neuropsychological functions and dopaminergic medication did not correlate with moral decisions. No evidence for reduced skin conductance responses in PD patients and no relationships between skin conductance responses and moral decisions were observed. This study provides evidence for moral decision-making dysfunctions in PD patients who made more egoistic moral decisions. As a possible underlying mechanism, reduced exercise of attentional control due to a dysfunctional interplay between the prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia is discussed. Future research will have to determine the impact of PD patients' moral decision-making dysfunctions on everyday life and further determine correlates of the deficits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Kon, Alexander A.; Davidson, Judy E.; Morrison, Wynne; Danis, Marion; White, Douglas B.
2015-01-01
Objectives Shared decision-making (SDM) is endorsed by critical care organizations, however there remains confusion about what SDM is, when it should be used, and approaches to promote partnerships in treatment decisions. The purpose of this statement is to define SDM, recommend when SDM should be used, identify the range of ethically acceptable decision-making models, and present important communication skills. Methods The American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) and American Thoracic Society (ATS) Ethics Committees reviewed empirical research and normative analyses published in peer-reviewed journals to generate recommendations. Recommendations approved by consensus of the full Ethics Committees of ACCM and ATS were included in the statement. Main Results Six recommendations were endorsed: 1) Definition: Shared decision-making is a collaborative process that allows patients, or their surrogates, and clinicians to make health care decisions together, taking into account the best scientific evidence available, as well as the patient’s values, goals, and preferences. 2) Clinicians should engage in a SDM process to define overall goals of care (including decisions regarding limiting or withdrawing life-prolonging interventions) and when making major treatment decisions that may be affected by personal values, goals, and preferences. 3) Clinicians should use as their “default” approach a SDM process that includes three main elements: information exchange, deliberation, and making a treatment decision. 4) A wide range of decision-making approaches are ethically supportable including patient- or surrogate-directed and clinician-directed models. Clinicians should tailor the decision-making process based on the preferences of the patient or surrogate. 5) Clinicians should be trained in communication skills. 6) Research is needed to evaluate decision-making strategies. Conclusions Patient and surrogate preferences for decision-making roles regarding value-laden choices range from preferring to exercise significant authority to ceding such authority to providers. Clinicians should adapt the decision-making model to the needs and preferences of the patient or surrogate. PMID:26509317
Who decides? The decision-making process of juvenile judges concerning minors with mental disorders.
Cappon, Leen
2016-01-01
Previous research on juvenile judges' decision-making process has neglected the role of the different actors involved in judicial procedures. The decision can be considered as a result of information exchange between the different actors involved. The process of making a decision is equally important as the decision itself, especially when the decision considers minors with mental disorders. The presence and the type of interaction determine the information available to the juvenile judges to make their final decision. The overall aim of this study is to gain insight into the role of all actors, including the juvenile judge, in the juvenile judge's decision-making process in cases relating to minors with mental disorders. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with professional actors (n=32), minors (n=31) and parents (n=17). The findings indicated that the judge's decision is overall the result of an interaction between the juvenile judge, the social services investigator and the youth psychiatrist. The other professional actors, the minors and the parents had only a limited role in the decision-making process. The research concludes that the judge's decision-making process should be based on dialogue, and requires enhanced collaboration between the juvenile court and youth psychiatrists from mental health services. Future decision-making research should pay more attention to the interactions of the actors that guide a juvenile judge's decision. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Applying a family systems lens to proxy decision making in clinical practice and research.
Rolland, John S; Emanuel, Linda L; Torke, Alexia M
2017-03-01
When patients are incapacitated and face serious illness, family members must make medical decisions for the patient. Medical decision sciences give only modest attention to the relationships among patients and their family members, including impact that these relationships have on the decision-making process. A review of the literature reveals little effort to systematically apply a theoretical framework to the role of family interactions in proxy decision making. A family systems perspective can provide a useful lens through which to understand the dynamics of proxy decision making. This article considers the mutual impact of family systems on the processes and outcomes of proxy decision making. The article first reviews medical decision science's evolution and focus on proxy decision making and then reviews a family systems approach, giving particular attention to Rolland's Family Systems Illness Model. A case illustrates how clinical practice and how research would benefit from bringing family systems thinking to proxy decisions. We recommend including a family systems approach in medical decision science research and clinical practices around proxy decisions making. We propose that clinical decisions could be less conflicted and less emotionally troubling for families and clinicians if family systems approaches were included. This perspective opens new directions for research and novel approaches to clinical care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Romania: A Six-Month Survey
Straut, Monica; Usein, Codruta Romanita; Cristea, Dana; Ciontea, Simona; Codita, Irina; Rafila, Alexandru; Nica, Maria; Buzea, Mariana; Baicus, Anda; Ghita, Mihaela Camelia; Nistor, Irina; Tuchiluş, Cristina; Indreas, Marina; Antohe, Felicia; Glasner, Corinna; Grundmann, Hajo; Jasir, Aftab; Damian, Maria
2015-01-01
This study presents the first characterization of carbapenem-non-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates by means of a structured six-month survey performed in Romania as part of an Europe-wide investigation. Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates from different anatomical sites were tested for antibiotic susceptibility by phenotypic methods and confirmed by PCR for the presence of four carbapenemase genes. Genome macrorestriction fingerprinting with XbaI was used to analyze the relatedness of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates collected from eight hospitals. Among 75 non-susceptible isolates, 65 were carbapenemase producers. The most frequently identified genotype was OXA-48 (n = 51 isolates), eight isolates were positive for bla NDM-1 gene, four had the bla KPC-2 gene, whereas two were positive for bla VIM-1. The analysis of PFGE profiles of OXA-48 and NDM-1 producing K. pneumoniae suggests inter-hospitals and regional transmission of epidemic clones. This study presents the first description of K. pneumoniae strains harbouring bla KPC-2 and bla VIM-1 genes in Romania. The results of this study highlight the urgent need for the strengthening of hospital infection control measures in Romania in order to curb the further spread of the antibiotic resistance. PMID:26599338
Dissemination of carbapenemases producing Gram negative bacteria in the Middle East
Zahedi bialvaei, Abed; Samadi kafil, Hossein; Ebrahimzadeh Leylabadlo, Hamed; Asgharzadeh, Mohammad; Aghazadeh, Mohammad
2015-01-01
The emergence and spread of carbapenemase-producing bacteria, that hydolyze most β-lactams, including carbapenems, are a major concern of public health system worldwide, particularly in the Middle East area. Since the plasmids harboring resistance genes could be spread across other bacterial populations, detection of carbapenemase-producing organisms has become more problematic. These organisms produce different types of enzymes including the most prevalent types including KPC, VIM, IMP, NDM, and OXA-48. Carbapenemase producers are mostly identified among Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. This study reviewed almost all papers, which conducted in the Middle East. In order to decrease the spread of resistance, the regional cooperation has been emphasized by the Middle East countries. The highest resistance, which is mediated by KPC has been observed in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan followed by NDM in Pakistan and OXA in Turkey and Pakistan. It is important to mention that the spread of these types have been reported sporadically in the other countries of this area. This review described the widespread carbapenemases in the Middle East area, which have been identified in an alarming rate. PMID:26719779
Osei Sekyere, John
2016-01-01
A review of the literature was undertaken to delineate the current level and mechanisms of resistance to carbapenems, colistin, and tigecycline in South Africa. Thirty-two English publications and 32 National Institute of Communicable Diseases communiqués identified between early January 2000 and 20 May, 2016 showed substantial reports of NDM (n = 860), OXA-48 (n = 584), VIM (n = 131), and IMP (n = 45) carbapenemases within this period, mainly in Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 1138), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 332), Enterobacter cloacae (n = 201), and Serratia marcescens (n = 108). Colistin and tigecycline resistance was prevalent among K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, S. marcescens, and E. cloacae. The first mcr-1 colistin resistance gene to be detected in South Africa was reported in Escherichia coli from livestock as well as from hospitalized and outpatients. There are increasing reports of NDM and OXA-48 carbapenemases among Enterobacteriaceae and A. baumannii in South Africa. Mcr-1 is now present in South African patients and livestock. Resistance to carbapenems, colistin, and tigecycline restricts infection management options for clinicians. PMID:27747206
Lee, Sullim; Morita, Hiroyuki; Tezuka, Yasuhiro
2015-07-01
In the course of our search for anticancer agents based on a novel anti-austerity strategy, we found that the 70% EtOH extract of the crude drug Andrographis Herba (aerial parts of Andrographis paniculata), used in Japanese Kampo medicines, killed PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells preferentially in nutrient-deprived medium (NDM). Phytochemical investigation of the 70% EtOH extract led to the isolation of 21 known compounds consisting of six labdane-type diterpenes (11, 15, 17-19, 21), six flavones (5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 20), three flavanones (2, 6, 16), two sterols (3, 8), a fatty acid (1), a phthalate (4), a triterpene (9), and a monoterpene (13). Among them, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (17) displayed the most potent preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 and PSN-1 cells with PC50 values of 10.0 μM and 9.27 μM, respectively. Microscopical observation, double staining with ethidium bromide (EB) and acridine orange (AO), and flow cytometry with propidium iodide/annexin V double staining indicated that 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (17) triggered apoptosis-like cell death in NDM with an amino acids and/or serum-sensitive mode.
Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Romania: A Six-Month Survey.
Lixandru, Brandusa Elena; Cotar, Ani Ioana; Straut, Monica; Usein, Codruta Romanita; Cristea, Dana; Ciontea, Simona; Tatu-Chitoiu, Dorina; Codita, Irina; Rafila, Alexandru; Nica, Maria; Buzea, Mariana; Baicus, Anda; Ghita, Mihaela Camelia; Nistor, Irina; Tuchiluş, Cristina; Indreas, Marina; Antohe, Felicia; Glasner, Corinna; Grundmann, Hajo; Jasir, Aftab; Damian, Maria
2015-01-01
This study presents the first characterization of carbapenem-non-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates by means of a structured six-month survey performed in Romania as part of an Europe-wide investigation. Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates from different anatomical sites were tested for antibiotic susceptibility by phenotypic methods and confirmed by PCR for the presence of four carbapenemase genes. Genome macrorestriction fingerprinting with XbaI was used to analyze the relatedness of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates collected from eight hospitals. Among 75 non-susceptible isolates, 65 were carbapenemase producers. The most frequently identified genotype was OXA-48 (n = 51 isolates), eight isolates were positive for blaNDM-1 gene, four had the blaKPC-2 gene, whereas two were positive for blaVIM-1. The analysis of PFGE profiles of OXA-48 and NDM-1 producing K. pneumoniae suggests inter-hospitals and regional transmission of epidemic clones. This study presents the first description of K. pneumoniae strains harbouring blaKPC-2 and blaVIM-1 genes in Romania. The results of this study highlight the urgent need for the strengthening of hospital infection control measures in Romania in order to curb the further spread of the antibiotic resistance.
Fedewa, Stacey A; Gansler, Ted; Smith, Robert; Sauer, Ann Goding; Wender, Richard; Brawley, Otis W; Jemal, Ahmedin
2018-03-01
Previous studies report infrequent use of shared decision making for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. It is unknown whether this pattern has changed recently considering increased emphasis on shared decision making in prostate cancer screening recommendations. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine recent changes in shared decision making. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study among men aged 50 years and older in the United States using 2010 and 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data (n = 9,598). Changes in receipt of shared decision making were expressed as adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Analyses were stratified on PSA testing (recent [in the past year] or no testing). Elements of shared decision making assessed included the patient being informed about the advantages only, advantages and disadvantages, and full shared decision making (advantages, disadvantages, and uncertainties). Among men with recent PSA testing, 58.5% and 62.6% reported having received ≥1 element of shared decision making in 2010 and 2015, respectively ( P = .054, aPR = 1.04; 95% CI, 0.98-1.11). Between 2010 and 2015, being told only about the advantages of PSA testing significantly declined (aPR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71-0.96) and full shared decision making prevalence significantly increased (aPR = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.28-1.79) in recently tested men. Among men without prior PSA testing, 10% reported ≥1 element of shared decision making, which did not change with time. Between 2010 and 2015, there was no increase in shared decision making among men with recent PSA testing though there was a shift away from only being told about the advantages of PSA testing towards full shared decision making. Many men receiving PSA testing did not receive shared decision making. © 2018 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.
Women's autonomy in decision making for health care in South Asia.
Senarath, Upul; Gunawardena, Nalika Sepali
2009-04-01
This article aims to discuss women's autonomy in decision making on health care, and its determinants in 3 South Asian countries, using nationally representative surveys. Women's participation either alone or jointly in household decisions on their own health care was considered as an indicator of women's autonomy in decision making. The results revealed that decisions of women's health care were made without their participation in the majority of Nepal (72.7%) and approximately half of Bangladesh (54.3%) and Indian (48.5%) households. In Sri Lanka, decision making for contraceptive use was a collective responsibility in the majority (79.7%). Women's participation in decision making significantly increased with age, education, and number of children. Women who were employed and earned cash had a stronger say in household decision making than women who did not work or worked not for cash. Rural and poor women were less likely to be involved in decision making than urban or rich women.
Music and Video Gaming during Breaks: Influence on Habitual versus Goal-Directed Decision Making.
Liu, Shuyan; Schad, Daniel J; Kuschpel, Maxim S; Rapp, Michael A; Heinz, Andreas
2016-01-01
Different systems for habitual versus goal-directed control are thought to underlie human decision-making. Working memory is known to shape these decision-making systems and their interplay, and is known to support goal-directed decision making even under stress. Here, we investigated if and how decision systems are differentially influenced by breaks filled with diverse everyday life activities known to modulate working memory performance. We used a within-subject design where young adults listened to music and played a video game during breaks interleaved with trials of a sequential two-step Markov decision task, designed to assess habitual as well as goal-directed decision making. Based on a neurocomputational model of task performance, we observed that for individuals with a rather limited working memory capacity video gaming as compared to music reduced reliance on the goal-directed decision-making system, while a rather large working memory capacity prevented such a decline. Our findings suggest differential effects of everyday activities on key decision-making processes.
Garvelink, Mirjam M; Ngangue, Patrice A G; Adekpedjou, Rheda; Diouf, Ndeye T; Goh, Larissa; Blair, Louisa; Légaré, France
2016-04-01
We conducted a mixed-methods knowledge synthesis to assess the effectiveness of interventions to improve caregivers' involvement in decision making with seniors, and to describe caregivers' experiences of decision making in the absence of interventions. We analyzed forty-nine qualitative, fourteen quantitative, and three mixed-methods studies. The qualitative studies indicated that caregivers had unmet needs for information, discussions of values and needs, and decision support, which led to negative sentiments after decision making. Our results indicate that there have been insufficient quantitative evaluations of interventions to involve caregivers in decision making with seniors and that the evaluations that do exist found few clinically significant effects. Elements of usual care that received positive evaluations were the availability of a decision coach and a supportive decision-making environment. Additional rigorously evaluated interventions are needed to help caregivers be more involved in decision making with seniors. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.
Music and Video Gaming during Breaks: Influence on Habitual versus Goal-Directed Decision Making
Kuschpel, Maxim S.; Rapp, Michael A.; Heinz, Andreas
2016-01-01
Different systems for habitual versus goal-directed control are thought to underlie human decision-making. Working memory is known to shape these decision-making systems and their interplay, and is known to support goal-directed decision making even under stress. Here, we investigated if and how decision systems are differentially influenced by breaks filled with diverse everyday life activities known to modulate working memory performance. We used a within-subject design where young adults listened to music and played a video game during breaks interleaved with trials of a sequential two-step Markov decision task, designed to assess habitual as well as goal-directed decision making. Based on a neurocomputational model of task performance, we observed that for individuals with a rather limited working memory capacity video gaming as compared to music reduced reliance on the goal-directed decision-making system, while a rather large working memory capacity prevented such a decline. Our findings suggest differential effects of everyday activities on key decision-making processes. PMID:26982326
36 CFR 907.14 - Corporation decision making procedures.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-07-01
... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Corporation decision making... CORPORATION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 907.14 Corporation decision making procedures. To ensure that at major... Corporation's decision making process to ensure adequate consideration of environmental factors. (b) The...
36 CFR 907.14 - Corporation decision making procedures.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-07-01
... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Corporation decision making... CORPORATION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 907.14 Corporation decision making procedures. To ensure that at major... Corporation's decision making process to ensure adequate consideration of environmental factors. (b) The...
36 CFR 907.14 - Corporation decision making procedures.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-07-01
... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Corporation decision making... CORPORATION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 907.14 Corporation decision making procedures. To ensure that at major... Corporation's decision making process to ensure adequate consideration of environmental factors. (b) The...
Take the first heuristic, self-efficacy, and decision-making in sport.
Hepler, Teri J; Feltz, Deborah L
2012-06-01
Can taking the first (TTF) option in decision-making lead to the best decisions in sports contexts? And, is one's decision-making self-efficacy in that context linked to TTF decisions? The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the TTF heuristic and self-efficacy in decision-making on a simulated sports task. Undergraduate and graduate students (N = 72) participated in the study and performed 13 trials in each of two video-based basketball decision tasks. One task required participants to verbally generate options before making a final decision on what to do next, while the other task simply asked participants to make a decision regarding the next move as quickly as possible. Decision-making self-efficacy was assessed using a 10-item questionnaire comprising various aspects of decision-making in basketball. Participants also rated their confidence in the final decision. Results supported many of the tenets of the TTF heuristic, such that people used the heuristic on a majority of the trials (70%), earlier generated options were better than later ones, first options were meaningfully generated, and final options were meaningfully selected. Results did not support differences in dynamic inconsistency or decision confidence based on the number of options. Findings also supported the link between self-efficacy and the TTF heuristic. Participants with higher self-efficacy beliefs used TTF more frequently and generated fewer options than those with low self-efficacy. Thus, not only is TTF an important heuristic when making decisions in dynamic, time-pressure situations, but self-efficacy plays an influential role in TTF.
Exposure to acute stress enhances decision-making competence: Evidence for the role of DHEA.
Shields, Grant S; Lam, Jovian C W; Trainor, Brian C; Yonelinas, Andrew P
2016-05-01
Exposure to acute stress can impact performance on numerous cognitive abilities, but little is known about how acute stress affects real-world decision-making ability. In the present study, we induced acute stress with a standard laboratory task involving uncontrollable socio-evaluative stress and subsequently assessed decision-making ability using the Adult Decision Making Competence index. In addition, we took baseline and post-test saliva samples from participants to examine associations between decision-making competence and adrenal hormones. Participants in the stress induction group showed enhanced decision-making competence, relative to controls. Further, although both cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) reactivity predicted decision-making competence when considered in isolation, DHEA was a significantly better predictor than cortisol when both hormones were considered simultaneously. Thus, our results show that exposure to acute stress can have beneficial effects on the cognitive ability underpinning real-world decision-making and that this effect relates to DHEA reactivity more than cortisol. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A framework for designing and analyzing binary decision-making strategies in cellular systems†
Porter, Joshua R.; Andrews, Burton W.; Iglesias, Pablo A.
2015-01-01
Cells make many binary (all-or-nothing) decisions based on noisy signals gathered from their environment and processed through noisy decision-making pathways. Reducing the effect of noise to improve the fidelity of decision-making comes at the expense of increased complexity, creating a tradeoff between performance and metabolic cost. We present a framework based on rate distortion theory, a branch of information theory, to quantify this tradeoff and design binary decision-making strategies that balance low cost and accuracy in optimal ways. With this framework, we show that several observed behaviors of binary decision-making systems, including random strategies, hysteresis, and irreversibility, are optimal in an information-theoretic sense for various situations. This framework can also be used to quantify the goals around which a decision-making system is optimized and to evaluate the optimality of cellular decision-making systems by a fundamental information-theoretic criterion. As proof of concept, we use the framework to quantify the goals of the externally triggered apoptosis pathway. PMID:22370552
Parental influences on adolescent decision making and contraceptive use.
Commendador, Kathleen A
2010-01-01
This article reviews the literature in the area of parental and maternal influences on contraceptive decision making, thus determining future directions of research and potential interventions. A review of published literature using PubMed, CINAHL, Infotrak, Science and Technology, and Medline spanning 1980-2007 was used to gather information. Results from 35 research studies and 15 scholarly articles were included. The search terms adolescent decision making, maternal influences on adolescent contraceptive decision making, adolescent contraceptive decision making, paternal influences on adolescent decision making, and contraception were used to gather data. The literature reveals there is an association between parental communication, parenting style, and adolescent sexual activity and contraception use. Maternal communication has been shown to delay sexual intercourse and increase contraceptive use. Maternal communication has rich potential as an intervention to impact positive adolescent sexual decision making and contraception use. Gaps in the research identified were the lack of studies on the influences on parenting style and the father/adolescent influences on sexual initiation and contraceptive decision making.
The relationship between work complexity and nurses' participation in decision making in hospitals.
Bacon, Cynthia Thornton; Lee, Shoou-Yih Daniel; Mark, Barbara
2015-04-01
The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between work complexity and nurses' participation in decision making in hospital nursing units. Increasing nurses' participation in decision making has been used as a way to manage work complexity; however, the work of nurses in acute care hospitals has become highly complex, and strategies used to manage this complexity have not been fully explored. The relationship between work complexity and nurse participation in decision making was examined using data from the Outcomes Research in Nursing Administration project. The sample included 3,718 RNs in 278 medical-surgical units in 143 hospitals. When work complexity increased, nurses' participation in decision making decreased. When nurses have limited input into decision making, the information available to the care team may be incomplete. Barriers to nurses' participation in decision making should be explored and interventions developed so that nurses may be full participants in decision making affecting both patients and the work environment.
Exposure to Acute Stress Enhances Decision-Making Competence: Evidence for the Role of DHEA
Shields, Grant S.; Lam, Jovian C. W.; Trainor, Brian C.; Yonelinas, Andrew P.
2016-01-01
Exposure to acute stress can impact performance on numerous cognitive abilities, but little is known about how acute stress affects real-world decision-making ability. In the present study, we induced acute stress with a standard laboratory task involving uncontrollable socio-evaluative stress and subsequently assessed decision-making ability using the Adult Decision Making Competence index. In addition, we took baseline and post-test saliva samples from participants to examine associations between decision-making competence and adrenal hormones. Participants in the stress induction group showed enhanced decision-making competence, relative to controls. Further, although both cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) reactivity predicted decision-making competence when considered in isolation, DHEA was a significantly better predictor than cortisol when both hormones were considered simultaneously. Thus, our results show that exposure to acute stress can have beneficial effects on the cognitive ability underpinning real-world decision-making and that this effect relates to DHEA reactivity more than cortisol. PMID:26874561
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wolfe, A.K.; Schweitzer, M.
This paper discusses two related case studies of decision making about the remediation of mixed (hazardous and radioactive) wastes on the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee. The three goals of the paper are to (1) place current decision-making efforts in the varied and evolving social, political, regulatory, economic, and technological contexts in which they occur; (2) present definitions and attributes of {open_quotes}successful{close_quotes} environmental decision making from the perspectives of key constituency groups that participate in decision making; and (3) discuss the role of anthropology in addressing environmental decision making. Environmental decision making about remediation is extraordinarily complex, involving human healthmore » and ecological risks; uncertainties about risks, technological ability to clean up, the financial costs of clean up; multiple and sometimes conflicting regulations; social equity and justice considerations; and decreasing budgets. Anthropological theories and methods can contribute to better understanding and, potentially, to better decision making.« less
Reyna, Valerie F; Nelson, Wendy L; Han, Paul K; Pignone, Michael P
2015-01-01
We review decision making along the cancer continuum in the contemporary context of informed and shared decision making in which patients are encouraged to take a more active role in their health care. We discuss challenges to achieving informed and shared decision making, including cognitive limitations and emotional factors, but argue that understanding the mechanisms of decision making offers hope for improving decision support. Theoretical approaches to decision making that explain cognition, emotion, and their interaction are described, including classical psychophysical approaches, dual-process approaches that focus on conflicts between emotion versus cognition (or reason), and modern integrative approaches such as fuzzy-trace theory. In contrast to the earlier emphasis on rote use of numerical detail, modern approaches emphasize understanding the bottom-line gist of options (which encompasses emotion and other influences on meaning) and retrieving relevant social and moral values to apply to those gist representations. Finally, research on interventions to support better decision making in clinical settings is reviewed, drawing out implications for future research on decision making and cancer. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.
Diaby, Vakaramoko; Goeree, Ron
2014-02-01
In recent years, the quest for more comprehensiveness, structure and transparency in reimbursement decision-making in healthcare has prompted the research into alternative decision-making frameworks. In this environment, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is arising as a valuable tool to support healthcare decision-making. In this paper, we present the main MCDA decision support methods (elementary methods, value-based measurement models, goal programming models and outranking models) using a case study approach. For each family of methods, an example of how an MCDA model would operate in a real decision-making context is presented from a critical perspective, highlighting the parameters setting, the selection of the appropriate evaluation model as well as the role of sensitivity and robustness analyses. This study aims to provide a step-by-step guide on how to use MCDA methods for reimbursement decision-making in healthcare.
Game theory and neural basis of social decision making
Lee, Daeyeol
2008-01-01
Decision making in a social group displays two unique features. First, humans and other animals routinely alter their behaviors in response to changes in their physical and social environment. As a result, the outcomes of decisions that depend on the behaviors of multiple decision makers are difficult to predict, and this requires highly adaptive decision-making strategies. Second, decision makers may have other-regarding preferences and therefore choose their actions to improve or reduce the well-beings of others. Recently, many neurobiological studies have exploited game theory to probe the neural basis of decision making, and found that these unique features of social decision making might be reflected in the functions of brain areas involved in reward evaluation and reinforcement learning. Molecular genetic studies have also begun to identify genetic mechanisms for personal traits related to reinforcement learning and complex social decision making, further illuminating the biological basis of social behavior. PMID:18368047
Decision making in midwifery: rationality and intuition.
Steinhauer, Suyai
2015-04-01
Decision making in midwifery is a complex process that shapes and underpins clinical practice and determines, to a large extent, the quality of care. Effective decision making and professional accountability are central to clinical governance, and being able.to justify all decisions is a professional and legal requirement. At the same time, there is an emphasis in midwifery on shared decision making, and keeping women at the centre of their care, and research reveals that feelings of choice, control and autonomy are central to a positive birth experience. However the extent to which decisions are really shared and care truly woman-centred is debatable and affected by environment and culture. Using a case study of a decision made in clinical practice around amniotomy, this article explores the role of the intuitive thinking system in midwifery decision making, and highlights the importance of involving women in the decision making process.
Harvey, S Marie; Beckman, Linda J; Browner, Carole H; Sherman, Christy A
2002-11-01
This study explored how couples of Mexican origin define power in intimate relationships, what makes men and women feel powerful in relationships, and the role of each partner in decision making about sexual and reproductive matters. Interviews were conducted with each partner of 39 sexually active couples and data were analyzed using content analysis. Results indicate that power is perceived as control over one s partner and the ability to make decisions. Women say they feel more powerful in relationships when they make unilateral decisions and have economic independence. Men feel powerful when they have control over their partner and bring home money. Respondents agreed that women make decisions about household matters and children, while men make decisions related to money. Findings indicate that whereas couples share decision making about sexual activities and contraceptive use, men are seen as initiators of sexual activity and women are more likely to suggest condom use.
Blake, Shane S; Kester, Lucy; Stoller, James K
2004-08-01
Studies of non-health-care work environments indicate that non-managerial employee job satisfaction is higher in companies that use participative (as opposed to autocratic) decision making. It has not been determined whether managerial decision-making style influences job satisfaction among respiratory therapists (RTs) and which managerial decision-making style RTs prefer. We surveyed Nebraska RTs' attitudes regarding their job satisfaction, their perceptions of their managers' decision-making styles (autocratic, consultative, and/or delegative), and which decision-making style they would prefer their managers to use. We sought to determine whether there is a significant correlation between RTs' perceptions of their managers' decision-making styles and the RTs' job satisfaction. The study population was 792 licensed and practicing non-managerial RTs in Nebraska, from which we randomly selected 565 RTs to survey. The self-administered, descriptive survey used 2 Likert scales (one for decision-making style and one for job satisfaction) and inquired about 57 items. The survey was mailed on October 1, 1999. On October 28, 1999, we sent a second mailing to RTs who had not responded. We received 271 responses (response rate 47.9%). The respondents were generally satisfied with their jobs (mean +/- SD Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire score 73.46 +/- 11.63). The sub-scale scores ranged from 20 ("very dissatisfied") to 100 ("very satisfied"). The respondents did not want autocratic managerial decision making (mean +/- SD autocratic sub-scale score 4.29 +/- 0.60). Autocratic decision making was associated with lower job satisfaction (r = 0.49), whereas consultative and delegative decision making were associated with higher job satisfaction (r = -0.31 and -0.48, respectively). RTs who worked in departments that had < 25 RT employees reported higher job satisfaction than did RTs in larger departments (p = 0.029). Our survey data indicate that (1) RTs prefer delegative and consultative managerial decision making, (2) job satisfaction was highest in departments that had < 25 RTs in the department and in which the manager practiced participative decision making. These findings offer guidance for organizing optimal work environments for RTs.
Bujar, Magdalena; McAuslane, Neil; Walker, Stuart R; Salek, Sam
2017-01-01
Introduction: Although pharmaceutical companies, regulatory authorities, and health technology assessment (HTA) agencies have been increasingly using decision-making frameworks, it is not certain whether these enable better quality decision making. This could be addressed by formally evaluating the quality of decision-making process within those organizations. The aim of this literature review was to identify current techniques (tools, questionnaires, surveys, and studies) for measuring the quality of the decision-making process across the three stakeholders. Methods: Using MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, and other Internet-based search engines, a literature review was performed to systematically identify techniques for assessing quality of decision making in medicines development, regulatory review, and HTA. A structured search was applied using key words and a secondary review was carried out. In addition, the measurement properties of each technique were assessed and compared. Ten Quality Decision-Making Practices (QDMPs) developed previously were then used as a framework for the evaluation of techniques identified in the review. Due to the variation in studies identified, meta-analysis was inappropriate. Results: This review identified 13 techniques, where 7 were developed specifically to assess decision making in medicines' development, regulatory review, or HTA; 2 examined corporate decision making, and 4 general decision making. Regarding how closely each technique conformed to the 10 QDMPs, the 13 techniques assessed a median of 6 QDMPs, with a mode of 3 QDMPs. Only 2 techniques evaluated all 10 QDMPs, namely the Organizational IQ and the Quality of Decision Making Orientation Scheme (QoDoS), of which only one technique, QoDoS could be applied to assess decision making of both individuals and organizations, and it possessed generalizability to capture issues relevant to companies as well as regulatory authorities. Conclusion: This review confirmed a general paucity of research in this area, particularly regarding the development and systematic application of techniques for evaluating quality decision making, with no consensus around a gold standard. This review has identified QoDoS as the most promising available technique for assessing decision making in the lifecycle of medicines and the next steps would be to further test its validity, sensitivity, and reliability.
Hong, Paul; Gorodzinsky, Ayala Y; Taylor, Benjamin A; Chorney, Jill MacLaren
2016-07-01
To date, there has been little research on shared decision making and decisional outcomes in pediatric surgery. The objectives of this study were to describe the level of decisional conflict and decisional regret experienced by parents considering otoplasty for their children, and to determine if they are related to perceptions of shared decision making. Prospective cohort clinical study. Sixty-five consecutive parents of children who underwent surgical consultation for otoplasty were prospectively enrolled. Participants completed the Demographic Form, the Decisional Conflict Scale, and the Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire after the consultation visit. The consulting surgeons completed the physician version of the Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire. Six months after surgery, parents completed the Decisional Regret Scale. The median decisional conflict was 15.63; 21 (32.8%) parents scored 25 or above, a previously defined cutoff indicating clinically significant decisional conflict. Parent ratings of shared decision making and decisional conflict were significantly negatively correlated (P < 0.001); however, there was no significant correlation between physician ratings of shared decision making and parental decisional conflict. Significant decisional regret was reported in two (3.2%) participants. Decisional regret and parent and physician ratings of shared decision making were both significantly negatively correlated (P = 0.044 and P = 0.001, respectively). Decisional regret and decisional conflict scores were significantly positively correlated (P = 0.001). Parent and physician ratings of shared decision making were correlated (intraclass correlation = 0.625, P < 0.001). Many parents experienced significant decisional conflict when making decisions about their child's elective surgical treatment. Fewer parents experienced significant decisional regret after the procedure. Parents who perceived themselves as being more involved in the decision making process reported less decisional conflict and decisional regret. Parents and physicians had varied perceptions of the degree of shared decision making. Future research should develop interventions to increase parents' involvement in decision making and explore the influence of significant decisional conflict and decisional regret on health outcomes. 2b. Laryngoscope, 126:S5-S13, 2016. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.
2011-01-01
Background Despite the recent publication of results from two randomized clinical trials, prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer remains a controversial issue. There is lack of agreement across studies that PSA screening significantly reduces prostate cancer mortality. In spite of these facts, the widespread use of PSA testing in the United States leads to overdetection and overtreatment of clinically indolent prostate cancer, and its associated harms of incontinence and impotence. Discussion Given the inconclusive results from clinical trials and incongruent PSA screening guidelines, the decision to screen for prostate cancer with PSA testing is an uncertain one for patients and health care providers. Screening guidelines from some health organizations recommend an informed decision making (IDM) or shared decision making (SDM) approach for deciding on PSA screening. These approaches aim to empower patients to choose among the available options by making them active participants in the decision making process. By increasing involvement of patients in the clinical decision-making process, IDM/SDM places more of the responsibility for a complex decision on the patient. Research suggests, however, that patients are not well-informed of the harms and benefits associated with prostate cancer screening and are also subject to an assortment of biases, emotion, fears, and irrational thought that interferes with making an informed decision. In response, the IDM/SDM approaches can be augmented with strategies from the philosophy of libertarian paternalism (LP) to improve decision making. LP uses the insights of behavioural economics to help people better make better choices. Some of the main strategies of LP applicable to PSA decision making are a default decision rule, framing of decision aids, and timing of the decision. In this paper, we propose that applying strategies from libertarian paternalism can help with PSA screening decision-making. Summary Our proposal to augment IDM and SDM approaches with libertarian paternalism strategies is intended to guide patients toward a better decision about testing while maintaining personal freedom of choice. While PSA screening remains controversial and evidence conflicting, a libertarian-paternalism influenced approach to decision making can help prevent the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of prostate cancer. PMID:21510865
Wheeler, David C; Szymanski, Konrad M; Black, Amanda; Nelson, David E
2011-04-21
Despite the recent publication of results from two randomized clinical trials, prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer remains a controversial issue. There is lack of agreement across studies that PSA screening significantly reduces prostate cancer mortality. In spite of these facts, the widespread use of PSA testing in the United States leads to overdetection and overtreatment of clinically indolent prostate cancer, and its associated harms of incontinence and impotence. Given the inconclusive results from clinical trials and incongruent PSA screening guidelines, the decision to screen for prostate cancer with PSA testing is an uncertain one for patients and health care providers. Screening guidelines from some health organizations recommend an informed decision making (IDM) or shared decision making (SDM) approach for deciding on PSA screening. These approaches aim to empower patients to choose among the available options by making them active participants in the decision making process. By increasing involvement of patients in the clinical decision-making process, IDM/SDM places more of the responsibility for a complex decision on the patient. Research suggests, however, that patients are not well-informed of the harms and benefits associated with prostate cancer screening and are also subject to an assortment of biases, emotion, fears, and irrational thought that interferes with making an informed decision. In response, the IDM/SDM approaches can be augmented with strategies from the philosophy of libertarian paternalism (LP) to improve decision making. LP uses the insights of behavioural economics to help people better make better choices. Some of the main strategies of LP applicable to PSA decision making are a default decision rule, framing of decision aids, and timing of the decision. In this paper, we propose that applying strategies from libertarian paternalism can help with PSA screening decision-making. Our proposal to augment IDM and SDM approaches with libertarian paternalism strategies is intended to guide patients toward a better decision about testing while maintaining personal freedom of choice. While PSA screening remains controversial and evidence conflicting, a libertarian-paternalism influenced approach to decision making can help prevent the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of prostate cancer.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jazby, Dan
2014-01-01
Research into human decision making (DM) processes from outside of education paint a different picture of DM than current DM models in education. This pilot study assesses the use of critical decision method (CDM)--developed from observations of firefighters' DM -- in the context of primary mathematics teachers' in-class DM. Preliminary results…
Nordic couples' decision-making processes during assisted reproduction treatments.
Sol Olafsdottir, Helga; Wikland, Matts; Möller, Anders
2013-06-01
To study couples' perceptions of their decision-making process during the first three years of infertility treatments. This study is a part of a larger project studying the decision-making processes of 22 infertile heterosexual couples, recruited from fertility clinics in all five Nordic countries, over a three year period. A descriptive qualitative method was used. Process of decision-making during assisted reproduction treatments. Seventeen couples had succeeded in becoming parents after approximately three years. Our study suggests that the decision-making process during fertility treatments has three phases: (i) recognizing the decisions to be made, with subcategories; the driving force, mutual project, (ii) gathering knowledge and experience about the options, with subcategories; trust, patient competence, personalized support, and (iii) adapting decisions to possible options, with subcategories; strategic planning, adaption. The core category was "maintaining control in a situation of uncertainty." Two parallel processes affect couples' decision-making process, one within themselves and their relationship, and the other in their contact with the fertility clinic. Couples struggle to make decisions, trusting clinic personnel for guidance, knowledge, and understanding. Nevertheless, couples expressed disappointment with the clinics' reactions to their requests for shared decision-making. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Dunn, Michael C; Clare, Isabel C H; Holland, Anthony J
2008-03-01
In the UK, current policies and services for people with mental disorders, including those with intellectual disabilities (ID), presume that these men and women can, do, and should, make decisions for themselves. The new Mental Capacity Act (England and Wales) 2005 (MCA) sets this presumption into statute, and codifies how decisions relating to health and welfare should be made for those adults judged unable to make one or more such decisions autonomously. The MCA uses a procedural checklist to guide this process of substitute decision-making. The personal experiences of providing direct support to seven men and women with ID living in residential care, however, showed that substitute decision-making took two forms, depending on the type of decision to be made. The first process, 'strategic substitute decision-making', paralleled the MCA's legal and ethical framework, whilst the second process, 'relational substitute decision-making', was markedly different from these statutory procedures. In this setting, 'relational substitute decision-making' underpinned everyday personal and social interventions connected with residents' daily living, and was situated within a framework of interpersonal and interdependent care relationships. The implications of these findings for residential services and the implementation of the MCA are discussed.
Hesitant Fuzzy Thermodynamic Method for Emergency Decision Making Based on Prospect Theory.
Ren, Peijia; Xu, Zeshui; Hao, Zhinan
2017-09-01
Due to the timeliness of emergency response and much unknown information in emergency situations, this paper proposes a method to deal with the emergency decision making, which can comprehensively reflect the emergency decision making process. By utilizing the hesitant fuzzy elements to represent the fuzziness of the objects and the hesitant thought of the experts, this paper introduces the negative exponential function into the prospect theory so as to portray the psychological behaviors of the experts, which transforms the hesitant fuzzy decision matrix into the hesitant fuzzy prospect decision matrix (HFPDM) according to the expectation-levels. Then, this paper applies the energy and the entropy in thermodynamics to take the quantity and the quality of the decision values into account, and defines the thermodynamic decision making parameters based on the HFPDM. Accordingly, a whole procedure for emergency decision making is conducted. What is more, some experiments are designed to demonstrate and improve the validation of the emergency decision making procedure. Last but not the least, this paper makes a case study about the emergency decision making in the firing and exploding at Port Group in Tianjin Binhai New Area, which manifests the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method.
Cells, circuits, and choices: social influences on perceptual decision making.
Mojzisch, Andreas; Krug, Kristine
2008-12-01
Making decisions is an integral part of everyday life. Social psychologists have demonstrated in many studies that humans' decisions are frequently and strongly influenced by the opinions of others--even in simple perceptual decisions, where, for example, participants have to judge what an image looks like. However, because the effect of other people's opinions on decision making has remained largely unaddressed by the neuroimaging and neurophysiology literature, we are only beginning to understand how social influence is integrated into the decision-making process. We put forward the thesis that by probing the neurophysiology of social influence with perceptual decision-making tasks similar to those used in the seminal work of Asch (1952, 1956), this gap could be remedied. Perceptual paradigms are already widely used to probe neuronal mechanisms of decision making in nonhuman primates. There is also increasing evidence about how nonhuman primates' behavior is influenced by observing conspecifics. The high spatial and temporal resolution of neurophysiological recordings in awake monkeys could provide insight into where and how social influence modulates decision making, and thus should enable us to develop detailed functional models of the neural mechanisms that support the integration of social influence into the decision-making process.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Landmesser, John Andrew
2014-01-01
Information technology (IT) investment decision makers are required to process large volumes of complex data. An existing body of knowledge relevant to IT portfolio management (PfM), decision analysis, visual comprehension of large volumes of information, and IT investment decision making suggest Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and…
A canonical theory of dynamic decision-making.
Fox, John; Cooper, Richard P; Glasspool, David W
2013-01-01
Decision-making behavior is studied in many very different fields, from medicine and economics to psychology and neuroscience, with major contributions from mathematics and statistics, computer science, AI, and other technical disciplines. However the conceptualization of what decision-making is and methods for studying it vary greatly and this has resulted in fragmentation of the field. A theory that can accommodate various perspectives may facilitate interdisciplinary working. We present such a theory in which decision-making is articulated as a set of canonical functions that are sufficiently general to accommodate diverse viewpoints, yet sufficiently precise that they can be instantiated in different ways for specific theoretical or practical purposes. The canons cover the whole decision cycle, from the framing of a decision based on the goals, beliefs, and background knowledge of the decision-maker to the formulation of decision options, establishing preferences over them, and making commitments. Commitments can lead to the initiation of new decisions and any step in the cycle can incorporate reasoning about previous decisions and the rationales for them, and lead to revising or abandoning existing commitments. The theory situates decision-making with respect to other high-level cognitive capabilities like problem solving, planning, and collaborative decision-making. The canonical approach is assessed in three domains: cognitive and neuropsychology, artificial intelligence, and decision engineering.
A Canonical Theory of Dynamic Decision-Making
Fox, John; Cooper, Richard P.; Glasspool, David W.
2012-01-01
Decision-making behavior is studied in many very different fields, from medicine and economics to psychology and neuroscience, with major contributions from mathematics and statistics, computer science, AI, and other technical disciplines. However the conceptualization of what decision-making is and methods for studying it vary greatly and this has resulted in fragmentation of the field. A theory that can accommodate various perspectives may facilitate interdisciplinary working. We present such a theory in which decision-making is articulated as a set of canonical functions that are sufficiently general to accommodate diverse viewpoints, yet sufficiently precise that they can be instantiated in different ways for specific theoretical or practical purposes. The canons cover the whole decision cycle, from the framing of a decision based on the goals, beliefs, and background knowledge of the decision-maker to the formulation of decision options, establishing preferences over them, and making commitments. Commitments can lead to the initiation of new decisions and any step in the cycle can incorporate reasoning about previous decisions and the rationales for them, and lead to revising or abandoning existing commitments. The theory situates decision-making with respect to other high-level cognitive capabilities like problem solving, planning, and collaborative decision-making. The canonical approach is assessed in three domains: cognitive and neuropsychology, artificial intelligence, and decision engineering. PMID:23565100
Deciding for Future Selves Reduces Loss Aversion
Cheng, Qiqi; He, Guibing
2017-01-01
In this paper, we present an incentivized experiment to investigate the degree of loss aversion when people make decisions for their current selves and future selves under risk. We find that when participants make decisions for their future selves, they are less loss averse compared to when they make decisions for their current selves. This finding is consistent with the interpretation of loss aversion as a bias in decision-making driven by emotions, which are reduced when making decisions for future selves. Our findings endorsed the external validity of previous studies on the impact of emotion on loss aversion in a real world decision-making environment. PMID:28979234
Deciding for Future Selves Reduces Loss Aversion.
Cheng, Qiqi; He, Guibing
2017-01-01
In this paper, we present an incentivized experiment to investigate the degree of loss aversion when people make decisions for their current selves and future selves under risk. We find that when participants make decisions for their future selves, they are less loss averse compared to when they make decisions for their current selves. This finding is consistent with the interpretation of loss aversion as a bias in decision-making driven by emotions, which are reduced when making decisions for future selves. Our findings endorsed the external validity of previous studies on the impact of emotion on loss aversion in a real world decision-making environment.
Women's autonomy in household decision-making: a demographic study in Nepal.
Acharya, Dev R; Bell, Jacqueline S; Simkhada, Padam; van Teijlingen, Edwin R; Regmi, Pramod R
2010-07-15
How socio-demographic factors influence women's autonomy in decision making on health care including purchasing goods and visiting family and relatives are very poorly studied in Nepal. This study aims to explore the links between women's household position and their autonomy in decision making. We used Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2006, which provided data on ever married women aged 15-49 years (n = 8257). The data consists of women's four types of household decision making; own health care, making major household purchases, making purchase for daily household needs and visits to her family or relatives. A number of socio-demographic variables were used in multivariable logistic regression to examine the relationship of these variables to all four types of decision making. Women's autonomy in decision making is positively associated with their age, employment and number of living children. Women from rural area and Terai region have less autonomy in decision making in all four types of outcome measure. There is a mixed variation in women's autonomy in the development region across all outcome measures. Western women are more likely to make decision in own health care (1.2-1.6), while they are less likely to purchase daily household needs (0.6-0.9). Women's increased education is positively associated with autonomy in own health care decision making (p < 0.01), however their more schooling (SLC and above) shows non-significance with other outcome measures. Interestingly, rich women are less likely to have autonomy to make decision in own healthcare. Women from rural area and Terai region needs specific empowerment programme to enable them to be more autonomous in the household decision making. Women's autonomy by education, wealth quintile and development region needs a further social science investigation to observe the variations within each stratum. A more comprehensive strategy can enable women to access community resources, to challenge traditional norms and to access economic resources. This will lead the women to be more autonomous in decision making in the due course.
Decision-making without a brain: how an amoeboid organism solves the two-armed bandit.
Reid, Chris R; MacDonald, Hannelore; Mann, Richard P; Marshall, James A R; Latty, Tanya; Garnier, Simon
2016-06-01
Several recent studies hint at shared patterns in decision-making between taxonomically distant organisms, yet few studies demonstrate and dissect mechanisms of decision-making in simpler organisms. We examine decision-making in the unicellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum using a classical decision problem adapted from human and animal decision-making studies: the two-armed bandit problem. This problem has previously only been used to study organisms with brains, yet here we demonstrate that a brainless unicellular organism compares the relative qualities of multiple options, integrates over repeated samplings to perform well in random environments, and combines information on reward frequency and magnitude in order to make correct and adaptive decisions. We extend our inquiry by using Bayesian model selection to determine the most likely algorithm used by the cell when making decisions. We deduce that this algorithm centres around a tendency to exploit environments in proportion to their reward experienced through past sampling. The algorithm is intermediate in computational complexity between simple, reactionary heuristics and calculation-intensive optimal performance algorithms, yet it has very good relative performance. Our study provides insight into ancestral mechanisms of decision-making and suggests that fundamental principles of decision-making, information processing and even cognition are shared among diverse biological systems. © 2016 The Authors.
End-of-life decision making is more than rational.
Eliott, Jaklin A; Olver, Ian N
2005-01-01
Most medical models of end-of-life decision making by patients assume a rational autonomous adult obtaining and deliberating over information to arrive at some conclusion. If the patient is deemed incapable of this, family members are often nominated as substitutes, with assumptions that the family are united and rational. These are problematic assumptions. We interviewed 23 outpatients with cancer about the decision not to resuscitate a patient following cardiopulmonary arrest and examined their accounts of decision making using discourse analytical techniques. Our analysis suggests that participants access two different interpretative repertoires regarding the construct of persons, invoking a 'modernist' repertoire to assert the appropriateness of someone, a patient or family, making a decision, and a 'romanticist' repertoire when identifying either a patient or family as ineligible to make the decision. In determining the appropriateness of an individual to make decisions, participants informally apply 'Sanity' and 'Stability' tests, assessing both an inherent ability to reason (modernist repertoire) and the presence of emotion (romanticist repertoire) which might impact on the decision making process. Failure to pass the tests respectively excludes or excuses individuals from decision making. The absence of the romanticist repertoire in dominant models of patient decision making has ethical implications for policy makers and medical practitioners dealing with dying patients and their families.
The role of moral utility in decision making: an interdisciplinary framework.
Tobler, Philippe N; Kalis, Annemarie; Kalenscher, Tobias
2008-12-01
What decisions should we make? Moral values, rules, and virtues provide standards for morally acceptable decisions, without prescribing how we should reach them. However, moral theories do assume that we are, at least in principle, capable of making the right decisions. Consequently, an empirical investigation of the methods and resources we use for making moral decisions becomes relevant. We consider theoretical parallels of economic decision theory and moral utilitarianism and suggest that moral decision making may tap into mechanisms and processes that have originally evolved for nonmoral decision making. For example, the computation of reward value occurs through the combination of probability and magnitude; similar computation might also be used for determining utilitarian moral value. Both nonmoral and moral decisions may resort to intuitions and heuristics. Learning mechanisms implicated in the assignment of reward value to stimuli, actions, and outcomes may also enable us to determine moral value and assign it to stimuli, actions, and outcomes. In conclusion, we suggest that moral capabilities can employ and benefit from a variety of nonmoral decision-making and learning mechanisms.
Fontaine, Reid Griffith; Dodge, Kenneth A.
2009-01-01
Considerable scientific and intervention attention has been paid to judgment and decision-making systems associated with aggressive behavior in youth. However, most empirical studies have investigated social-cognitive correlates of stable child and adolescent aggressiveness, and less is known about real-time decision making to engage in aggressive behavior. A model of real-time decision making must incorporate both impulsive actions and rational thought. The present paper advances a process model (response evaluation and decision; RED) of real-time behavioral judgments and decision making in aggressive youths with mathematic representations that may be used to quantify response strength. These components are a heuristic to describe decision making, though it is doubtful that individuals always mentally complete these steps. RED represents an organization of social–cognitive operations believed to be active during the response decision step of social information processing. The model posits that RED processes can be circumvented through impulsive responding. This article provides a description and integration of thoughtful, rational decision making and nonrational impulsivity in aggressive behavioral interactions. PMID:20802851
Fontaine, Reid Griffith; Dodge, Kenneth A
2006-11-01
Considerable scientific and intervention attention has been paid to judgment and decision-making systems associated with aggressive behavior in youth. However, most empirical studies have investigated social-cognitive correlates of stable child and adolescent aggressiveness, and less is known about real-time decision making to engage in aggressive behavior. A model of real-time decision making must incorporate both impulsive actions and rational thought. The present paper advances a process model (response evaluation and decision; RED) of real-time behavioral judgments and decision making in aggressive youths with mathematic representations that may be used to quantify response strength. These components are a heuristic to describe decision making, though it is doubtful that individuals always mentally complete these steps. RED represents an organization of social-cognitive operations believed to be active during the response decision step of social information processing. The model posits that RED processes can be circumvented through impulsive responding. This article provides a description and integration of thoughtful, rational decision making and nonrational impulsivity in aggressive behavioral interactions.
Competence and Quality in Real-Life Decision Making
2015-01-01
What distinguishes a competent decision maker and how should the issue of decision quality be approached in a real-life context? These questions were explored in three studies. In Study 1, using a web-based questionnaire and targeting a community sample, we investigated the relationships between objective and subjective indicators of real-life decision-making success. In Study 2 and 3, targeting two different samples of professionals, we explored if the prevalent cognitively oriented definition of decision-making competence could be beneficially expanded by adding aspects of competence in terms of social skills and time-approach. The predictive power for each of these three aspects of decision-making competence was explored for different indicators of real-life decision-making success. Overall, our results suggest that research on decision-making competence would benefit by expanding the definition of competence, by including decision-related abilities in terms of social skills and time-approach. Finally, the results also indicate that individual differences in real-life decision-making success profitably can be approached and measured by different criteria. PMID:26545239
Patient Decision Control and the Use of Cardiac Catheterization
Paasche-Orlow, Michael K.; Orner, Michelle B.; Stewart, Sabrina K.; Kressin, Nancy R.
2015-01-01
Background: Shared decision-making is a key determinant of patient-centered care. A lack of patient involvement in treatment decisions may explain persistent racial disparities in rates of cardiac catheterization (CCATH). To date, limited evidence exists to demonstrate whether patients who engage in shared decision-makingare more or less likely to undergo non-emergency CCATH. Objective: To assess the relationship between participation in the decision to undergo a CCATH and the use of CCATH. We also examined whether preference for or actual engagement in decision-making varied by patient race. Methods: We analyzed data from 826 male Veterans Administration patients for whom CCATH was indicated and who participated in the Cardiac Decision Making Study. Results: After controlling for confounders, patients reporting any degree of decision control were more likely to receive CCATH compared with those reporting no control (doctor made decision without patient input) (54% vs 39%, P<.0001). Across racial groups, patients were equally likely to report a preference for control over decision-making (P=.53) as well as to experience discordance between their preference for control and their perception of the actual decision-making process (P=.59). Therefore, these factors did not mediate racial disparities in rates of CCATH use. Conclusion: Shared decision-making is an essential feature of whole-person care. While participation in decision-making may not explain disparities in CCATH rates, further work is required to identify strategies to improve congruence between patients' desire for and actual control over decision-making to actualize patient-centered care. PMID:26331101
Weiss, Marjorie C; Peters, Tim J
2008-01-01
To investigate the applied and conceptual relationship between two measures of shared decision making using the OPTION instrument developed in Wales and the Informed Decision Making instrument developed in Seattle, USA using audio-taped consultation data from a UK general practice population. Twelve general practitioners were recruited from 6 general practices in the southwest of England. One hundred twenty-three GP-patient consultations were audio-recorded. Audiotapes were sent off to, and rated by, respective experts in the use of the OPTION and the Informed Decision Making instruments. Compared to earlier work using the Informed Decision Making tool, consultations in this sample were shorter, had fewer decisions and tended to have a greater number of elements present. Similar to previous research using the OPTION, values using the OPTION instrument were low with two items, giving the patient opportunities to ask questions and checking patient understanding, exhibiting the most variability. Using a 'key' decision in each consultation as the basis for comparison, the Informed Decision Making score was not related to the overall OPTION score (Spearman's rho=0.14, p=0.13). Both instruments also predicted different 'best' and 'worst' doctors. Using a Bland-Altman plot for assessing agreement, the mean difference between the two measures was 1.11 (CI 0.66-1.56) and the limits of agreement were -3.94 to 6.16. There were several elements between the two instruments that appeared conceptually similar and correlations for these were generally higher. These were: discussing alternatives or options (Spearman's rho=0.35, p=0.0001), discussion of the patient's role in decision making (Spearman's rho=0.23, p=0.012), discussion of the pros/cons of the alternatives (Spearman's rho=0.20, p=0.024) and assessment of the patient's understanding (Spearman's rho=0.19, p=0.03). Measures of shared decision making are helpful in identifying those shared decision making skills which may be problematic or difficult to integrate into practice and provide a tool by which the development of skills can be assessed over time. Research may implicitly place undue value on those aspects of shared decision making which are most easily measured. Shared decision making tools are a useful way of capturing the presence or absence of specific shared decision making skills and changes in skills acquisition over time. However there may be limits in the extent to which the concept of shared decision making can be measured and that more easily measured skills will be emphasised to the detriment of other important shared decision making skills.
The Computational Complexity of Valuation and Motivational Forces in Decision-Making Processes.
Redish, A David; Schultheiss, Nathan W; Carter, Evan C
2016-01-01
The concept of value is fundamental to most theories of motivation and decision making. However, value has to be measured experimentally. Different methods of measuring value produce incompatible valuation hierarchies. Taking the agent's perspective (rather than the experimenter's), we interpret the different valuation measurement methods as accessing different decision-making systems and show how these different systems depend on different information processing algorithms. This identifies the translation from these multiple decision-making systems into a single action taken by a given agent as one of the most important open questions in decision making today. We conclude by looking at how these different valuation measures accessing different decision-making systems can be used to understand and treat decision dysfunction such as in addiction.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Dezfuli, Homayoon
2010-01-01
This slide presentation reviews the evolution of risk management (RM) at NASA. The aim of the RM approach at NASA is to promote an approach that is heuristic, proactive, and coherent across all of NASA. Risk Informed Decision Making (RIDM) is a decision making process that uses a diverse set of performance measures along with other considerations within a deliberative process to inform decision making. RIDM is invoked for key decisions such as architecture and design decisions, make-buy decisions, and budget reallocation. The RIDM process and how it relates to the continuous Risk Management (CRM) process is reviewed.
36 CFR § 907.14 - Corporation decision making procedures.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-07-01
... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Corporation decision making... CORPORATION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 907.14 Corporation decision making procedures. To ensure that at major... Corporation's decision making process to ensure adequate consideration of environmental factors. (b) The...
Facets of Career Decision-Making Difficulties
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Amir, Tami; Gati, Itamar
2006-01-01
The present research investigated the relations among the measured and the expressed career decision-making difficulties in a sample of 299 young adults who intended to apply to college or university. As hypothesised, the correlations between career decision-making difficulties, as measured by the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire…
Chang, Pamara F
2017-08-01
To understand the dynamic experiences of parents undergoing the decision-making process regarding cochlear implants for their child(ren). Thirty-three parents of d/Deaf children participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and coded using iterative and thematic coding. The results from this study reveal four salient topics related to parents' decision-making process regarding cochlear implantation: 1) factors parents considered when making the decision to get the cochlear implant for their child (e.g., desire to acculturate child into one community), 2) the extent to which parents' communities influence their decision-making (e.g., norms), 3) information sources parents seek and value when decision-making (e.g., parents value other parent's experiences the most compared to medical or online sources), and 4) personal experiences with stigma affecting their decision to not get the cochlear implant for their child. This study provides insights into values and perspectives that can be utilized to improve informed decision-making, when making risky medical decisions with long-term implications. With thorough information provisions, delineation of addressing parents' concerns and encompassing all aspects of the decision (i.e., medical, social and cultural), health professional teams could reduce the uncertainty and anxiety for parents in this decision-making process for cochlear implantation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Quinn, Gwendolyn P.; Murphy, Devin; Knapp, Caprice; Stearsman, Daniel K.; Bradley-Klug, Kathy L.; Sawczyn, Kelly; Clayman, Marla L.
2011-01-01
Purpose The knowledge that cancer treatment may impair fertility in pediatric populations is an emerging aspect of quality of life in this population. However, decision making and use of fertility preservation among adolescent cancer patients and their families has not been well studied. This review summarizes the available literature on aspects of decision making and fertility preservation in adolescent cancer patients. Methods An electronic search was performed to identify peer reviewed studies published between 1999-2009 using key MESH terms and inclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria limited eligible studies to those that focused on adolescent decision-making in cancer treatment or fertility preservation, fertility concerns in pediatric oncology, capacity for decision-making, and health decision making in pediatrics. Studies were excluded that did not meet at least one of these criterion. Results A total of 29 articles were reviewed and summarized. Three categories of results were seen: a focus on adolescent decision making in oncology, decision making in chronic illness, and decision making in cancer related infertility and preservation. Conclusion The majority of studies showed adolescents have a strong desire to participate in decisions about their cancer treatment and many have concerns regarding their future fertility although barriers often prevented these discussions. More research is needed to explore the role of teens and parents in decisions about fertility in relation to cancer treatment. PMID:21939862
Wrede-Sach, Jennifer; Voigt, Isabel; Diederichs-Egidi, Heike; Hummers-Pradier, Eva; Dierks, Marie-Luise; Junius-Walker, Ulrike
2013-01-01
Background. This qualitative study aims to gain insight into the perceptions and experiences of older patients with regard to sharing health care decisions with their general practitioners. Patients and Methods. Thirty-four general practice patients (≥70 years) were asked about their preferences and experiences concerning shared decision making with their doctors using qualitative semistructured interviews. All interviews were analysed according to principles of content analysis. The resulting categories were then arranged into a classification grid to develop a typology of preferences for participating in decision-making processes. Results. Older patients generally preferred to make decisions concerning everyday life rather than medical decisions, which they preferred to leave to their doctors. We characterised eight different patient types based on four interdependent positions (self-determination, adherence, information seeking, and trust). Experiences of a good doctor-patient relationship were associated with trust, reliance on the doctor for information and decision making, and adherence. Conclusion. Owing to the varied patient decision-making types, it is not easy for doctors to anticipate the desired level of patient involvement. However, the decision matter and the self-determination of patients provide good starting points in preparing the ground for shared decision making. A good relationship with the doctor facilitates satisfying decision-making experiences.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Orasanu, Judith; Statler, Irving C. (Technical Monitor)
1994-01-01
The importance of decision-making to safety in complex, dynamic environments like mission control centers and offshore installations has been well established. NASA-ARC has a program of research dedicated to fostering safe and effective decision-making in the manned spaceflight environment. Because access to spaceflight is limited, environments with similar characteristics, including aviation and nuclear power plants, serve as analogs from which space-relevant data can be gathered and theories developed. Analyses of aviation accidents cite crew judgement and decision making as causes or contributing factors in over half of all accidents. A similar observation has been made in nuclear power plants. Yet laboratory research on decision making has not proven especially helpful in improving the quality of decisions in these kinds of environments. One reason is that the traditional, analytic decision models are inappropriate to multidimensional, high-risk environments, and do not accurately describe what expert human decision makers do when they make decisions that have consequences. A new model of dynamic, naturalistic decision making is offered that may prove useful for improving decision making in complex, isolated, confined and high-risk environments. Based on analyses of crew performance in full-mission simulators and accident reports, features that define effective decision strategies in abnormal or emergency situations have been identified. These include accurate situation assessment (including time and risk assessment), appreciation of the complexity of the problem, sensitivity to constraints on the decision, timeliness of the response, and use of adequate information. More effective crews also manage their workload to provide themselves with time and resources to make good decisions. In brief, good decisions are appropriate to the demands of the situation. Effective crew decision making and overall performance are mediated by crew communication. Communication contributes to performance because it assures that all crew members have essential information, but it also regulates and coordinates crew actions and is the medium of collective thinking in response to a problem. This presentation will examine the relations between leadership, communication, decision making and overall crew performance. Implications of these findings for spaceflight and training for offshore installations will be discussed.
Decision Making in Action: Applying Research to Practice
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Orasanu, Judith; Statler, Irving C. (Technical Monitor)
1994-01-01
The importance of decision-making to safety in complex, dynamic environments like mission control centers and offshore installations has been well established. NASA-ARC has a program of research dedicated to fostering safe and effective decision-making in the manned spaceflight environment. Because access to spaceflight is limited, environments with similar characteristics, including aviation and nuclear power plants, serve as analogs from which space-relevant data can be gathered and theories developed. Analyses of aviation accidents cite crew judgement and decision making as causes or contributing factors in over half of all accidents. A similar observation has been made in nuclear power plants. Yet laboratory research on decision making has not proven especially helpful in improving the quality of decisions in these kinds of environments. One reason is that the traditional, analytic decision models are inappropriate to multidimensional, high-risk environments, and do not accurately describe what expert human decision makers do when they make decisions that have consequences. A new model of dynamic, naturalistic decision making is offered that may prove useful for improving decision making in complex, isolated, confined and high-risk environments. Based on analyses of crew performance in full-mission simulators and accident reports, features that define effective decision strategies in abnormal or emergency situations have been identified. These include accurate situation assessment (including time and risk assessment), appreciation of the complexity of the problem, sensitivity to constraints on the decision, timeliness of the response, and use of adequate information. More effective crews also manage their workload to provide themselves with time and resources to make good decisions. In brief, good decisions are appropriate to the demands of the situation. Effective crew decision making and overall performance are mediated by crew communication. Communication contributes to performance because it assures that all crew members have essential information, but it also regulates and coordinates crew actions and is the medium of collective thinking in response to a problem. This presentation will examine the relations between leadership, communication, decision making and overall crew performance. Implications of these findings for spaceflight and training for offshore installations will be discussed.
[Interoception and decision-making].
Ohira, Hideki
2015-02-01
We sometimes make decisions relying not necessarily on deliberative thoughts but on intuitive and emotional processes in uncertain situations. The somatic marker hypothesis proposed by Damasio argued that interoception, which means bodily responses such as sympathetic activity, can be represented in the insula and anterior cingulate cortex and can play critical roles in decision-making. Though this hypothesis has been criticized in its theoretical and empirical aspects, recent studies are expanding the hypothesis to elucidate multiple bodily responses including autonomic, endocrine, and immune activities that affect decision-making. In addition, cumulative findings suggest that the anterior insula where the inner model of interoception is represented can act as an interface between the brain and body in decision-making. This article aims to survey recent findings on the brain-body interplays underlying decision-making, and to propose hypotheses on the significance of the body in decision-making.
Workshop on Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM). Volume 1. Executive Summary
1992-08-01
expert and novice pilots when a real decision was required. Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM), Crew Resource Management (CRM), Advanced Qualification Program (AQP), Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), Expert Decision Making (EDM)
2010-01-01
Background Current healthcare systems have extended the evidence-based medicine (EBM) approach to health policy and delivery decisions, such as access-to-care, healthcare funding and health program continuance, through attempts to integrate valid and reliable evidence into the decision making process. These policy decisions have major impacts on society and have high personal and financial costs associated with those decisions. Decision models such as these function under a shared assumption of rational choice and utility maximization in the decision-making process. Discussion We contend that health policy decision makers are generally unable to attain the basic goals of evidence-based decision making (EBDM) and evidence-based policy making (EBPM) because humans make decisions with their naturally limited, faulty, and biased decision-making processes. A cognitive information processing framework is presented to support this argument, and subtle cognitive processing mechanisms are introduced to support the focal thesis: health policy makers' decisions are influenced by the subjective manner in which they individually process decision-relevant information rather than on the objective merits of the evidence alone. As such, subsequent health policy decisions do not necessarily achieve the goals of evidence-based policy making, such as maximizing health outcomes for society based on valid and reliable research evidence. Summary In this era of increasing adoption of evidence-based healthcare models, the rational choice, utility maximizing assumptions in EBDM and EBPM, must be critically evaluated to ensure effective and high-quality health policy decisions. The cognitive information processing framework presented here will aid health policy decision makers by identifying how their decisions might be subtly influenced by non-rational factors. In this paper, we identify some of the biases and potential intervention points and provide some initial suggestions about how the EBDM/EBPM process can be improved. PMID:20504357
McCaughey, Deirdre; Bruning, Nealia S
2010-05-26
Current healthcare systems have extended the evidence-based medicine (EBM) approach to health policy and delivery decisions, such as access-to-care, healthcare funding and health program continuance, through attempts to integrate valid and reliable evidence into the decision making process. These policy decisions have major impacts on society and have high personal and financial costs associated with those decisions. Decision models such as these function under a shared assumption of rational choice and utility maximization in the decision-making process. We contend that health policy decision makers are generally unable to attain the basic goals of evidence-based decision making (EBDM) and evidence-based policy making (EBPM) because humans make decisions with their naturally limited, faulty, and biased decision-making processes. A cognitive information processing framework is presented to support this argument, and subtle cognitive processing mechanisms are introduced to support the focal thesis: health policy makers' decisions are influenced by the subjective manner in which they individually process decision-relevant information rather than on the objective merits of the evidence alone. As such, subsequent health policy decisions do not necessarily achieve the goals of evidence-based policy making, such as maximizing health outcomes for society based on valid and reliable research evidence. In this era of increasing adoption of evidence-based healthcare models, the rational choice, utility maximizing assumptions in EBDM and EBPM, must be critically evaluated to ensure effective and high-quality health policy decisions. The cognitive information processing framework presented here will aid health policy decision makers by identifying how their decisions might be subtly influenced by non-rational factors. In this paper, we identify some of the biases and potential intervention points and provide some initial suggestions about how the EBDM/EBPM process can be improved.
Dolan, James G
2010-01-01
Current models of healthcare quality recommend that patient management decisions be evidence-based and patient-centered. Evidence-based decisions require a thorough understanding of current information regarding the natural history of disease and the anticipated outcomes of different management options. Patient-centered decisions incorporate patient preferences, values, and unique personal circumstances into the decision making process and actively involve both patients along with health care providers as much as possible. Fundamentally, therefore, evidence-based, patient-centered decisions are multi-dimensional and typically involve multiple decision makers.Advances in the decision sciences have led to the development of a number of multiple criteria decision making methods. These multi-criteria methods are designed to help people make better choices when faced with complex decisions involving several dimensions. They are especially helpful when there is a need to combine "hard data" with subjective preferences, to make trade-offs between desired outcomes, and to involve multiple decision makers. Evidence-based, patient-centered clinical decision making has all of these characteristics. This close match suggests that clinical decision support systems based on multi-criteria decision making techniques have the potential to enable patients and providers to carry out the tasks required to implement evidence-based, patient-centered care effectively and efficiently in clinical settings.The goal of this paper is to give readers a general introduction to the range of multi-criteria methods available and show how they could be used to support clinical decision-making. Methods discussed include the balance sheet, the even swap method, ordinal ranking methods, direct weighting methods, multi-attribute decision analysis, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP).
Dolan, James G.
2010-01-01
Current models of healthcare quality recommend that patient management decisions be evidence-based and patient-centered. Evidence-based decisions require a thorough understanding of current information regarding the natural history of disease and the anticipated outcomes of different management options. Patient-centered decisions incorporate patient preferences, values, and unique personal circumstances into the decision making process and actively involve both patients along with health care providers as much as possible. Fundamentally, therefore, evidence-based, patient-centered decisions are multi-dimensional and typically involve multiple decision makers. Advances in the decision sciences have led to the development of a number of multiple criteria decision making methods. These multi-criteria methods are designed to help people make better choices when faced with complex decisions involving several dimensions. They are especially helpful when there is a need to combine “hard data” with subjective preferences, to make trade-offs between desired outcomes, and to involve multiple decision makers. Evidence-based, patient-centered clinical decision making has all of these characteristics. This close match suggests that clinical decision support systems based on multi-criteria decision making techniques have the potential to enable patients and providers to carry out the tasks required to implement evidence-based, patient-centered care effectively and efficiently in clinical settings. The goal of this paper is to give readers a general introduction to the range of multi-criteria methods available and show how they could be used to support clinical decision-making. Methods discussed include the balance sheet, the even swap method, ordinal ranking methods, direct weighting methods, multi-attribute decision analysis, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) PMID:21394218
The Concept of Strategic Decisionmaking.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Collier, Douglas J.
Strategic decision-making literature is reviewed, and applications to colleges and universities are made. The key requirement for strategic decision-making is that decisions affect the entire organization. While strategic decision-making can occur at different levels within the organization, the specific strategic decisions available to the…
Forensic issues in medical evaluation: competency and end-of-life issues.
Soliman, Sherif; Hall, Ryan C W
2015-01-01
Decision-making capacity is a common reason for psychiatric consultation that is likely to become more common as the population ages. Capacity assessments are frequently compromised by misconceptions, such as the belief that incapacity is permanent or that patients with dementia categorically lack capacity. This chapter will review the conceptual framework of decision-making capacity and discuss its application to medical decision-making. We will review selected developments in capacity assessment and recommend an approach to assessing decision-making capacity. We will discuss the unique challenges posed by end-of-life care, including determining capacity, identifying surrogate decision-makers, and working with surrogate decision-makers. We will discuss clinical and legal approaches to incapacity, including advance directives, surrogate decision-makers, and guardians. We will discuss the legal standards based on which surrogates make medical decisions and outline options for resolving disagreements between clinical staff and surrogate decision-makers. We will offer recommendations for approaching decision-making capacity assessments. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Multicriteria decision analysis: Overview and implications for environmental decision making
Hermans, Caroline M.; Erickson, Jon D.; Erickson, Jon D.; Messner, Frank; Ring, Irene
2007-01-01
Environmental decision making involving multiple stakeholders can benefit from the use of a formal process to structure stakeholder interactions, leading to more successful outcomes than traditional discursive decision processes. There are many tools available to handle complex decision making. Here we illustrate the use of a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) outranking tool (PROMETHEE) to facilitate decision making at the watershed scale, involving multiple stakeholders, multiple criteria, and multiple objectives. We compare various MCDA methods and their theoretical underpinnings, examining methods that most realistically model complex decision problems in ways that are understandable and transparent to stakeholders.
Error-associated behaviors and error rates for robotic geology
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Anderson, Robert C.; Thomas, Geb; Wagner, Jacob; Glasgow, Justin
2004-01-01
This study explores human error as a function of the decision-making process. One of many models for human decision-making is Rasmussen's decision ladder [9]. The decision ladder identifies the multiple tasks and states of knowledge involved in decision-making. The tasks and states of knowledge can be classified by the level of cognitive effort required to make the decision, leading to the skill, rule, and knowledge taxonomy (Rasmussen, 1987). Skill based decisions require the least cognitive effort and knowledge based decisions require the greatest cognitive effort. Errors can occur at any of the cognitive levels.