Dublin City University

About: Dublin City University is a education organization based out in Dublin, Ireland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Machine translation & Laser. The organization has 5904 authors who have published 17178 publications receiving 389376 citations. The organization is also known as: National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin & DCU.

Quality of life of patients on haemodialysis for end-stage renal disease.

Abstract: Aim. The aims of the study were (a) to measure the overall quality of life of people receiving haemodialysis, (b) to compare the quality of life of the sample with that of the general population and (c) to identify any differences between the quality of life of people who are adequately dialysed and those inadequately dialysed, as determined by Kt/Vurea (dialysis adequacy) measurements. Background. End stage renal disease is a progressive, debilitating, chronic illness requiring nursing and medical interventions. The development of the disease affects quality of life, potentially influencing physical and mental health, functional status, independence, general well-being, personal relationships and social functioning. Method. A descriptive, cross-sectional, survey was carried out of the quality of life of patients undergoing haemodialysis treatment at a hospital in the Republic of Ireland. A non-probability sample of 97 patients was chosen. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire. Findings. Patients receiving haemodialysis identified limitations in a number of areas including vitality, physical functioning and physical role limitations. They also reported significantly lower physical functioning when compared with general population norm-based scores. Differences were also found in mental health scores between patients who were well-dialysed and those less well-dialysed. Conclusion. End-stage renal disease and its ensuing treatments negatively affect quality of life. Nurses aware of this evidence can explore new ways to assess more accurately and identify specific problem areas for individual patients and take action to ameliorate these.

Centrifugo-pneumatic valving utilizing dissolvable films.

Abstract: In this article we introduce a novel technology that utilizes specialized water dissolvable thin films for valving in centrifugal microfluidic systems. In previous work (William Meathrel and Cathy Moritz, IVD Technologies, 2007), dissolvable films (DFs) have been assembled in laminar flow devices to form efficient sacrificial valves where DFs simply open by direct contact with liquid. Here, we build on the original DF valving scheme to leverage sophisticated, merely rotationally actuated vapour barriers and flow control for enabling comprehensive assay integration with low-complexity instrumentation on “lab-on-a-disc” platforms. The advanced sacrificial valving function is achieved by creating an inverted gas-liquid stack upstream of the DF during priming of the system. At low rotational speeds, a pocket of trapped air prevents a surface-tension stabilized liquid plug from wetting the DF membrane. However, high-speed rotation disrupts the metastable gas/liquid interface to wet the DF and thus opens the valve. By judicious choice of the radial position and geometry of the valve, the burst frequency can be tuned over a wide range of rotational speeds nearly 10 times greater than those attained by common capillary burst valves based on hydrophobic constrictions. The broad range of reproducible burst frequencies of the DF valves bears the potential for full integration and automation of comprehensive, multi-step biochemical assay protocols. In this report we demonstrate DF valving, discuss the biocompatibility of using the films, and show a potential sequential valving system including the on-demand release of on-board stored liquid reagents, fast centrifugal sedimentation and vigorous mixing; thus providing a viable basis for use in lab-on-a-disc platforms for point-of-care diagnostics and other life science applications.