The Social Construction of a Concept- Orthorexia Nervosa: Morality Narratives and Psycho-politics

Our article explores orthorexia nervosa (ON) – an extreme fixation with healthy eating- from a social construction perspective. Interviews with people self-identified as “obsessed” with healthy eating or having ON (“Identifiers”) and non-medical professionals working with ON (“Professionals”) were comparatively analyzed, along with orthorexia threads from an eating disorder website (“Posters”). Participants made sense of and rationalized their attitudes and feelings concerning healthy eating and aligned themselves according to their interests. Identifiers and Posters applauded “healthy eating” and regarded consumption of “impure” foods as leading to ill-health. Some framed their dietary discipline within an ethically motivated lifestyle, others were preoccupied with appearance or weight management. Professionals expressed concern for, and disapproval of, extreme views and behaviors in clients and parental and social influences supporting them. Debates surrounding orthorexic practices are tangled; some individuals need help, yet dangers lie in over medicalising or “troubling” what may be a preferred lifestyle

What is good architecture worth?

Posted by Gabriel Ahlfeldt & Paul Cheshire, SERC and LSE Economists, unlike cynics, do not know the price of everything – not by a long way. Certainly we do not know the price of good architecture. Apart from anything else identifying ‘good architecture’ is highly subjective. So to measure its price you have to make some brave assumptions about what it is and where to find it. And from an economic perspective the price is not the interesting issue. The interesting issue is: left to their own devices, would markets under or over provide ‘good architecture’? In the jargon, is there a problem of market failure

Hydrogen atom in phase space: The Wigner representation

We have found an effective method of calculating the Wigner function, being a quantum analogue of joint probability distribution of position and momentum, for bound states of nonrelativistic hydrogen atom. The formal similarity between the eigenfunctions of nonrelativistic hydrogen atom in the momentum representation and Klein-Gordon propagators has allowed the calculation of the Wigner function for an arbitrary bound state of the hydrogen atom. These Wigner functions for some low lying states are depicted and discussed.Comment: 8 pages (including figures

The Neurological Morbidity of Carotid Revascularisation: Using Markers of Cellular Brain Injury to Compare CEA and CAS

AimThis comparative study attempts to evaluate the profile of S-100β and Neuron-Specific Enolase (NSE), biomarkers of brain injury, in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) and to correlate this with haemodynamic and embolic events detected using trans-cranial Doppler (TCD).Methods52 patients with internal carotid artery stenosis requiring intervention were recruited. 24 patients underwent CAS, and 28 underwent CEA. TCD was performed peri-operatively to record mean Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) velocity and number of High Intensity Transient Signals (HITS) in the MCA of the operated side. Serum was drawn pre-operatively and at six time points in a 48 hour post-operative period, and then assayed using automated commercial equipment. Within and between group variability in markers were assessed by Generalized Estimation Equations modelling.ResultsCAS caused more HITS (p=0.028) but less haemodynamic disturbance (p=0.0001) than CEA. Treatment modality (CAS versus CEA) had no direct effect on S-100 changes (p=0.467). NSE levels declined after revascularisation in the CAS group but not after CEA (p=0.002). S-100β levels rose in patients who had higher numbers of HITS (p=0.002). S-100β and NSE were not associated with changes in MCA velocity (p>0.5). S-100β alone increased significantly at 24 hours in those patients with a post-operative neurological deficit (p=0.015).ConclusionsTrans-cranial Doppler findings suggest that the mechanisms of rise in S-100β and NSE levels may differ and may be due to increased peri-operative micro-embolisation and cerebral hypoperfusion respectively. Further studies are required to assess the clinical significance of these observed changes

Correspondence

AbstractEur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 25, 596 (2003

Endovascular repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: A strategy in need of definitive evidence

IntroductionEndovascular strategies have been increasingly used to manage patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in an attempt to improve patient survival. We analyzed the evidence to support such an approach.MethodsWe performed a systematic literature review of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of ruptured AAA from 1994 to 2009. The literature analyzed included systematic reviews and population-based studies of ruptured AAA.ResultsSeven systematic reviews were identified, all demonstrating from published data that patients with EVAR of ruptured AAA had significantly reduced mortality compared with controls. Six recently published population-based studies from the United States demonstrated low mortality rates associated with EVAR; however, only a small proportion of ruptured AAAs were treated by EVAR. Systematic reviews and population-based studies both raised concerns about patient selection and publication bias. Two randomized trials are in progress, and one is due to commence 2009.ConclusionsThe outcome of EVAR in a nonselected patient population remains unknown. One or more definitive randomized trials could provide the level I evidence to resolve these issues

11-Year Experience with Anatomical and Extra-anatomical Repair of Mycotic Aortic Aneurysms

AbstractBackground. We have reviewed our management, of both ruptured and non-ruptured, abdominal and thoraco-abdominal mycotic aneurysms in order to determine the safety and efficacy of in situ and extra-anatomical prosthetic repairs.Methods. Data regarding presenting symptoms, investigations, operative techniques and outcome, were collected on patients treated at a singe centre over 11 years.Results. There were 11 men and four women, with a median age of 70 years (range, 24–79). All but one patient were symptomatic and six had a contained leak on admission. In six patients no organisms were identified in either blood or tissue cultures. Pre-operative CT identified; four infra-renal, four juxta-renal, three (Crawford thoraco-abdominal) type IV, three type III and one type II, aortic aneurysms. Thirteen were repaired with in situ prostheses and two required axillo-femoral prosthetic grafts. There were four early deaths. All surviving patients have been followed-up for a median duration of 38 months (range 1/2–112 months). There were two late deaths at 3 months (juxta-renal) and at 2 years (type III), the latter relating to graft infection.Conclusions. In the absence of uncontrolled sepsis, repair of mycotic aortic aneurysms using prosthetic grafts can achieve durable results