Week In October Research Articles

Tracking of Pedometer-Determined Physical Activity in Healthy Elderly Japanese People.

Tracking refers to the tendency for an individual to maintain their rank within a group over time. This study longitudinally investigated the 8-year tracking of pedometer-determined physical activity among physically independent elderly Japanese people aged 72 to 80 years. Steps/day were measured when participants were aged 72 and assessed again after 2, 5, and 8 years. The number of participants with a 2-year follow-up (72 to 74 years) was 177 (101 males, 76 females), with a 5-year follow-up (72 to 77 years) was 183 people (110 males, 73 females), and with an 8-year follow-up (72 to 80 years) was 145 people (91 males, 54 females). Step counts were continuously measured for 1 week in January, April, July, and October during each year of assessment. A high rank correlation coefficient for steps/day exceeding 0.60 was obtained at the 2-, 5- and 8-year follow-up examinations for both males and females. This study suggests that the rank within a group of pedometer-determined steps/day remains stable over up to 8 years in healthy Japanese people aged between 72 to 80 years old.

Patterns of between-farm contacts via professionals in Sweden.

BackgroundInfectious diseases of livestock have negative consequences for animal production as well as animal health and welfare and can be transmitted between farms via direct (live animal movements) as well as indirect (via physical vectors such as, people, transport vehicles and fomites) contacts. The objective of the study was to examine the travel patterns of professionals visiting Swedish farms (veterinarians, milk tanker drivers, artificial inseminators, maintenance technicians and livestock hauliers). This was done by obtaining records of the farms visited by a sample of professionals in the above categories in one week in January, one week in April, one week in July and one week in October in the Swedish counties Västerbotten, Södermanland, Västergötland and Skåne.ResultsThere were twelve participating organisations, and data was provided for one to three individuals/vehicles/veterinary practices per professional category and per geographic region (except for dairy service technicians and livestock hauliers who did not provide data from all regions). There was a trend towards larger areas covered and smaller number of farms visited per week in the north, but exceptions occurred and there were regional variations. Generally, the greatest areas were travelled by milk tankers and livestock hauliers, and the profession travelling over the smallest areas tended to be the veterinarians. Milk tankers visited most farms per week, one milk tanker could visit between 23 and 90 farms per week and travel over areas between 717 km2 and 23,512 km2 per week.ConclusionsValuable insight into the travel patterns of Swedish professionals has emerged although the implications of the study largely concern highly infectious diseases. Movement of live animals pose the greatest risk for the spread of infectious animal diseases; however indirect contacts are important for many diseases. The results of this study indicate that in Sweden a highly contagious disease might spread over a large area in the time span of one incubation period, which ought to be kept in mind in case of an outbreak and in outbreak investigations. The difficulties in contacting some professionals visiting farms could be a problem in an outbreak situation.

One week in October: Luis Suárez, John Terry and the turn to racial neoliberalism in English men’s professional football

This article explores two significant incidents of racism – involving Luis Suárez and John Terry – from the 2011–2012 English Premier League football season. In particular, it analyses and contextualises the reactions and responses articulated by key stakeholders within the football industry. Discursive themes were employed by these individuals as a means of trying to mitigate and/or exonerate the actions of Suárez and Terry, to question the veracity of the allegations made against them, and to downplay the extent and effects of racism in English football more generally. The article situates these standpoints within the wider cultural politics of race in the game and extricates the connections between discourse and structure in manifestations of racism. It demonstrates that these dominant responses are indicative of colour-blind ideology, white racial framing and the rules of racial standing. It also argues that these sporting trends are part of a wider societal shift towards racial neoliberalism.

English

Evolutionarily, as man developed and manual dexterity increased, nail became an important appendage of the human anatomy. As civilization progressed and social interactions grew, nails, like hair, have also become objects of attention and adornment. However, nail cosmetology as it is evolving today is a fairly recent development. We observed nails of all outpatient attendees at one clinic in Dermatology department, Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, Jaipur over a period of one week in October 2013.

Unequal staffing: A snapshot of nurse staffing in critical care units in New South Wales, Australia

A growing body of research provides evidence of the link between nurse-to-patient ratios (NTPRs) and skill mix with adverse patient outcomes. This paper reports an investigation into nurse staffing patterns, skill mix and patient movement in critical care units in NSW, Australia. A ‘snapshot’ of staffing patterns and patient movement over 1 week in October 2012 was obtained by use of a cross-sectional design using retrospective survey and administrative data. A wide variation was found in NTPRs, skill mix and the number of nursing staff vacancies in coronary care and high dependency units. These variations suggest that the quality of patient care may vary between facilities in New South Wales.

Cyberbullying Resources for Youth and Their Families

Cyberbullying is a global public health challenge with the potential to disrupt or destroy the lives of children, adolescents, and their families. It may have negative consequences, especially for the victim, ranging from school absences to depression to suicide (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010a). The American Academy of Pediatrics (2013) recommends that health professionals provide education and counseling for parents and youth regarding bullying, including strategies for how to deal with it. This article will focus on informational and educational resources about cyberbullying available on the Web for parents, youth, educators, and health professionals. Mobile applications (apps) to combat cyberbullying will also be addressed.

Unequal staffing: A snapshot of nurse staffing in critical care units in New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract A growing body of research provides evidence of the link between nurse-to-patient ratios and skill mix with adverse patient outcomes. This paper reports an investigation into nurse staffing patterns, skill mix and patient movement in critical care units in New South Wales, Australia. A 'snapshot' of staffing patterns and patient movement over one week in October 2012 was obtained by use of a cross-sectional design using retrospective survey and administrative data. A wide variation was found in nurse-to-patient ratios, skill mix and the number of nursing staff vacancies in coronary care and high dependency units. These variations suggest that the quality of patient care may vary between facilities in New South Wales.

Workers Pointed In ‘Right Direction’ for Depression Care

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Community NewsFull AccessWorkers Pointed In ‘Right Direction’ for Depression CareAaron LevinAaron LevinSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:8 Aug 2013https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2013.8b11AbstractAn innovative intervention enters the workplace wilderness to seek out hidden depression and bring into treatment those who live with the illness.Depression can feel like you're lost in the woods, but help is available. That’s the concept behind a new campaign from the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health and the Employers Health Coalition.rightdirectionforme.comDepression has suggested many metaphors over the years. Now comes the turn of a large brown bear with a rep tie.A coalition of 300 major U.S. employers along with the American Psychiatric Foundation’s (APF) Partnership for Workplace Mental Health has launched a new initiative—“Right Direction”—to increase employees’ understanding of depression’s debilitating effects and encourage those who need care to seek it. The concept behind the initiative is that having depression can make one feel lost and alone in the wilderness, hence the bear who finds himself in all types of workplace scenes.Depression matters to employers because of the prevalence of the condition and its impact on productivity, with annual productivity losses estimated at about $44 billion.“Our goals are to increase awareness of depression, reduce stigma, and encourage employees who might be depressed to seek help,” said Marcas Miles, M.A., director of programs, communications, and community initiatives at Employers Health Coalitionin Canton, Ohio. The national coalition oversees corporate group purchases of pharmacy benefits and other services.The campaign includes an evaluation component, which will be led by Debra Lerner, Ph.D., M.S., a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.“Our goal will be to figure out if the program is being used, who uses it, how they use it, and if it has an impact,” said Lerner, who is also director of the Program on Health, Work, and Productivity at the Tufts Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies. Lerner has conducted research on other workplace intervention programs targeting depression.“Right Direction is an organizational-level effort to raise awareness and educate employees,” noted Lerner. “We will look at variables like the numbers screened and treated, but also try to get harder-to-find data on work performance.”Right Direction deploys the tools of modern business, mainly delivered over the Web, to inform human resources personnel and then all employees about depression. These include a Web site, posters, e-mails, and PowerPoint slides. The PHQ-9 serves as a self-administered screening instrument.The material informs employees about the symptoms of depression and how they are manifested in the workplace, said Clare Miller, director of APF’s Partnership for Workplace Mental Health. One message that employees will receive, for example, explains how “reduced interest, low motivation, slowed thoughts, and difficulty making decisions can result in poorer-quality work.” Employees are urged to seek help for themselves or their families through medical professionals and their employee-assistance program. The human resources managers at the corporations that make up Employers Health Coalition and the partnership are now reviewing Right Direction material and planning ways to communicate the information to workers and to integrate the campaign with existing employee-assistance programs and programs of insurers, Miller told Psychiatric News. Several companies will spend the next few months laying this groundwork, then roll out the full campaign during Mental Health Awareness Week in October, said Miles.If they do, they might make clear to their employees that the burden of depression needn’t be, well, unbearable.Right Direction, a program of APF’s Partnership for Workplace Mental Health and the Employers Health Coalition, is supported by Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. Inc. and Lundbeck U.S. ■Information about the Right Direction campaign is posted at http://www.rightdirectionforme.com. ISSUES NewArchived

<b>Spatial variation of periphyton structural attributes on <i>Eichhornia crassipes</i> (Mart.) Solms. in a tropical lotic ecosystem</b> - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i3.17879

This study evaluated the influence of physical, chemical and physico-chemical variables of water on the biomass of periphyton community and verified the differences between six sampling sites over the course of São Mateus river: two upstream of the city of São Mateus, Espírito Santo State (E1, E2), two along (E3, E4), and two downstream of the city (E5, E6). The periphyton was collected from roots of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms. Samplings were undertaken every week in September and October 2010. The periphyton biomass was estimated through chlorophyll ‘a’, biovolume, dry mass, ash-free dry mass, and ash. Higher values of chlorophyll ‘a’ were found at E1, while the total biovolume featured greater values in E4 and E3. Regarding the values of periphyton dry mass, the inorganic fraction was higher at sites along and downstream of the city of São Mateus. The variation of periphyton biomass was influenced by the availability of nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) and turbidity, as evidenced by the CCA. The results suggest that the input of allochthonous material, especially from human activities (fish farming and discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater), has changed the water quality (as pointed out by the PCA), as well as the communities present.

Men Calling Healthline

To compare data for men who call Healthline for themselves with data from women callers and to use those pilot data to inform strategies to encourage men to use Healthline. This was a study examining retrospective data for people calling Healthline in a week in October 2010. Calls from 487 men were compared with those from 487 women. Geocoded data provided deprivation levels. There were fewer men calling than women in all age groups, although younger men were overrepresented. Young men were more acutely unwell than young women or older men. Men called at all times of the day, and call duration was similar to that of women callers. Most men callers were European; men of other ethnic groups were underrepresented compared with women and compared with their representation in the New Zealand population. Men from higher deprivation areas were more likely to call than those from lower deprivation areas. Compared with women, men underuse Healthline as they do other primary care services. Overall, men are more symptomatic than women; of interest is our observation that among men, the users are likely to be younger, of lower socioeconomic status, and European. Healthline may be an acceptable source of health advice for these men, and it should be considered central in any future initiative addressing men's health.

Commentary: A Week in Creativity

The author recounts a week in October, describing her teaching, writing, thinking, mail, and other activities that relate to her professional and personal work on creativ- ity. This personal creative non ction piece also contains poetry and references to her books and lectures. The author chose this form in order to emphasize the autobio- graphical nature of work in the area of creativity.

AAN Holds First-Ever Career Week in October

AAN Holds First-Ever Career Week in October

Overcoming the Trauma of the Holocaust

Overcoming the Trauma of the Holocaust

Wound dressing where there is limitation of choice

Background Many sophisticated dressings are available to the wound care practitioner in the developed countries. These materials are made from a wide range of products like polyurethane, salts of alginic acid and other gelable polysaccharides. The situation is different in the developing countries where what is commonly available to wound care provider are traditional agents such as sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen-peroxide, cetrimide solution, chlorhexidine and others. The aim of this study is to reappraise the problem of limitation of wound dressing selection in the developing countries and to sensitize the wound care practitioner on the use of the commonly available products based on the needs of a different wound or even the same wound throughout its healing course. Patients and methods Patients attending the General Outpatient Department (GOPD) of our hospital for wound dressing were used for the study. Five surgeons who are familiar with wound care management visited the dressing unit of the GOPD daily for one week in October 2005. A proforma was designed where information on each of the patient was recorded. Results Fifty-three patients attended the dressing unit of our GOPD during the study period. Twenty-six patients (49.1%) had their wounds dressed with hypochlorite solution (Eusol), seventeen patients (32.1%) had their wounds dressed with honey and two patients, wound were being dressed with hydrogen peroxide. Conclusion While we are still awaiting the availability of the newer products in the developing countries, we should make use of the traditional products that are readily available to us according to the need of a particular wound, by this, our choice of wound dressing will not be arbitrary, ineffective and wasteful both in terms of time and physical resources.

Eventos adversos en los servicios de Urgencias. Revisión de reconsultas como fuente de datos

Objective To identify potential adverse events that occur in an emergency department by reviewing cases of patients who make repeat visits. Method A retrospective study of clinical data of patients returning to the emergency department within a period of less than one week in October 2006 with the aim of identifying problems that occurred in the first visit. The review was conducted by senior doctors of the same service who measured the reliability of the first intervention, by checking between observer agreement. The Chi square test was used to calculate the comparison ratios. Results We studied 311 cases. Of these, 203 cases (79.6%) returned to the department without been given a previous appointment and for a reason connected with the first visit. The progress was poor in 83.7% of cases. We reviewed the causes of the poor outcomes, with the most frequent being “natural progress of the process” in 75 cases (44.1%), followed by problems in treatment in 73 cases (42.9%). The effects on the patient were evaluated, and it was shown that there were consequences for the patient in 36 cases (21.2%). Of these 36 cases, 11 were considered as avoidable (30.5%) by the evaluators and 1% of clear failures in performance in patients returning to emergency rooms. In the part of if, in opinion of the evaluadores, there had been a clear failure in the first performance zoned like such 3 cases, two with consequences for the patient and 1 without consequences. Conclusions In the conditions of the study, the internal evaluation of the reconsultas allows to identify the adverse events occurred and know his causes. This could facilitate the learning and the improvement of the culture of security

Louis Ignarro

Circulation Research is pleased to inaugurate “Profiles in Cardiovascular Science” with this interview with Lou Ignarro, the son of poor Italian immigrants, who won the 1998 Nobel Prize. Lou is one of my favorite people, a wonderful combination of scientific prowess, human richness, genuineness, and unassumingness, that is both refreshing and rare among medical researchers. Perhaps the most poignant part of the interview is the end, when Lou states that neither of his parents ever attended school; that their son rose to become a Nobel laureate is not only extraordinary but also deeply inspiring. This should be a powerful lesson in motivation for all of us. — —Roberto Bolli In the 1970s and 1980s, a series of discoveries made independently by Louis Ignarro, Ferid Murad, and Robert Furchgott established that the highly reactive molecule nitric oxide (NO) was a somewhat unexpected yet important physiological mediator of blood vessel relaxation. First, in 1977, Murad showed that nitric oxide could increase intracellular levels of cyclic GMP,1 a signaling molecule previously shown to increase when blood pressure dropped.2 Then, in 1979, Ignarro showed that nitric oxide could relax vascular smooth muscles.3 Lastly, in 1980, Furchgott discovered a substance released from endothelial cells that relaxes blood vessels4 that was later discovered by Ignarro to be nitric oxide.5 This body of work led to the three researchers being jointly awarded the Nobel Prize. The work of Ignarro and colleagues has established nitric oxide as a key biological messenger. It is now recognized that nitric oxide is a paracrine and autocrine signaling molecule that regulates almost every biological process, including vascular homeostasis, cardiac metabolism, neurotransmission, carcinogenesis, immunity, and stem cell function. Changes in nitric oxide production have been found to be associated with the development of atherosclerosis, diabetes, and hypertension. Several …

Patients' Preferences for Doctors' Attire in Japan

Physicians' attire is one important factor to enhance the physician-patient relationship. However, there are few studies that examine patients' preferences for physicians' attire in Japan. We sought to assess patients' preference regarding doctors' attire and to assess the influence of doctors' attire on patients' confidence in their physician. Furthermore, we examined whether patients' preferences would change among various clinical situations. Employing a cross-sectional design, Japanese outpatients chosen over one week in October 2008 from waiting rooms in various outpatient departments at St. Luke's International Hospital, Tokyo, were given a 10-item questionnaire. A 5-point Likert scale was used to estimate patient preference for four types of attire in both male and female physicians, including semi-formal attire, white coat, surgical scrubs, and casual wear. In addition, a 4-point Likert Scale was used to measure the influence of doctors' attire on patient confidence. Japanese outpatients consecutively chosen from waiting rooms at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo for one week in October 2008. Of 2,272 outpatients enrolled, 1483 (67.1%) of respondents were women. Mean age of subjects was 53.8 years (SD 16.2 years). Respondents most preferred the white coat (mean rank: 4.18, SD: 0.75) and preferred casual attire the least (mean rank: 2.32, SD: 0.81). For female physicians, 1.4% of respondents ranked the white coat little/least preferred while 64.7% of respondents ranked casual wear little/least preferred. Among respondents who most preferred the white coat for physician attire, perceived hygiene (62.7%) and inspiring confidence (59.3%) were important factors for doctor's attire. Around 70% of all respondents reported that physicians' attire has an influence on their confidence in their physician. This study confirms that Japanese outpatients prefer a white coat. Furthermore, this study strongly suggests that wearing a white coat could favorably influence patients' confidence in the relationship with their physician in all types of practice.

A Year of Thinking Off the Map

A Year of Thinking Off the Map

Offer Your Service— The Benefits Are Endless!

A SCHOLAR is defined as someone who distinguishes himself or herself in three areas: research, education, and service. Educators understand the first two criteria; however, the third one is not typically listed as a priority. This is unfortunate, because when educators choose to provide service to their community, it not only increases their professional worth, it also sends a clear message to their students about the importance of community service. There are many benefits for educators who integrate service learning into their classrooms. As many of you know, service learning incorporates classroom curricula and service (often youth service) within one’s community. Service learning also incorporates responsibility and reflection, encourages life-long civic engagement, and strengthens communities for the common good. The American Chemical Society’s community outreach programs, such as the upcoming National Chemistry Week (NCW) in October and last April’s Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED), provide numer...

ACS Community Activities Contest: NCW 2008 Winners

The winners of the annual National Chemistry Week (NCW) poster contest were announced on November 14, 2008. The contest, held during the fourth week in October, invites K–12 students to display artistically the impact of chemistry in their lives. The 2008 theme focused on the chemistry of sports. Students were encouraged to emphasize the chemical principles connected with different sports, sports materials, safety equipment, and how the body performs during physical activity.