Sound Glove: A Development in Collaboration

Through design and technical work, the collaboration between the areas of Sound and Costume Design have been minimal. When these areas interact, it is usually for the small notes, like the shoes are too loud, or the jewelry is too much. However, in the following chapters I will propose a way to deepen the collaborative relationship between Sound and Costume through a prototype named the Sound Glove.The Sound Glove has been developed through researching previous products, researching for materials, constructing a budget, developing applications of the Sound glove and then creating a prototype. With these steps, the following chapters will show the areas of collaboration that Sound and Costume Design can begin to develop or be created

The effect of three years of TNF alpha blocking therapy on markers of bone turnover and their predictive value for treatment discontinuation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a prospective longitudinal observational cohort study

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of three years of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) blocking therapy on bone turnover as well as to analyze the predictive value of early changes in bone turnover markers (BTM) for treatment discontinuation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study of 111 consecutive AS outpatients who started TNF-alpha blocking therapy. Clinical assessments and BTM were assessed at baseline, three and six months, as well as at one, two, and three years. Z-scores of BTM were calculated to correct for age and gender. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed yearly. RESULTS: After three years, 72 patients (65%) were still using their first TNF-alpha blocking agent. In these patients, TNF-alpha blocking therapy resulted in significantly increased bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, a marker of bone formation; decreased serum collagen-telopeptide (sCTX), a marker of bone resorption; and increased lumbar spine and hip BMD compared to baseline. Baseline to three months decrease in sCTX Z-score (HR: 0.394, 95% CI: 0.263 to 0.591), AS disease activity score (ASDAS; HR: 0.488, 95% CI: 0.317 to 0.752), and physician's global disease activity (HR: 0.739, 95% CI: 0.600 to 0.909) were independent inversely related predictors of time to treatment discontinuation because of inefficacy or intolerance. Early decrease in sCTX Z-score correlated significantly with good long-term response regarding disease activity, physical function and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Three years of TNF-alpha blocking therapy results in a bone turnover balance that favors bone formation, especially mineralization, in combination with continuous improvement of lumbar spine BMD. Early change in sCTX can serve as an objective measure in the evaluation of TNF-alpha blocking therapy in AS, in addition to the currently used more subjective measures

Bridging University Institutional and Accreditation Standards: An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Program Exemplar

The complexity of the health care environment requires the nursing profession to effectively anticipate current and future health care needs. Similarly, nursing education must ensure preparedness of future nursing professionals as well as meet the rigor of program accreditation standards. South Dakota State University (SDSU) College of Nursing Master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), one of the two national specialized accrediting bodies for nursing. Both graduate programs must align with an American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials document that corresponds to the respective degree and specialty, e.g. family nurse practitioner (FNP). Required curricular framework, components, and competencies are mapped within The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing and The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. Both documents inform curricular content needed to meet core competencies specific to all Advanced Practice Registered Nursing (APRN) roles, such as the family nurse practitioner (AACN, 2006)

Obstructive sleep apnea in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder:a controlled polysomnography study

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be highly prevalent in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may exacerbate PTSD complaints. Objective: Our objective was to determine whether the prevalence of OSA was high in a sample of Dutch veterans with PTSD as compared to age- and trauma-matched controls, and whether OSA was associated with more severe PTSD complaints. Methods: We determined the apnea hypopnea indices (AHI) with polysomnographic registrations in 20 veterans with PTSD, 24 veterans without PTSD, and 17 healthy controls. PTSD severity and nightmare complaints were assessed with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Results: The prevalence of an AHI>10 was 29% in PTSD, 21% in trauma controls, and 29% in healthy controls (x2= 0.60, df=2, p=n.s.). The mean CAPS score in patients with OSA (n=6) was significantly higher than in patients without OSA (pB0.05), while nightmare severity was similar in PTSD patients with OSA as compared to PTSD patients without OSA (p=n.s.). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between AHI and CAPS score in PTSD patients (r=0.46,

Intrahousehold bargaining and the demand for consumer durables in Brazil

In Brazil, wives do most of the household work. About sixty percent of them also work outside the household, working a total of about 10 hours more per week than men. Because of this unequal distribution of household work, husbands and wives might have different priorities regarding the purchase of durable goods. Although both husbands and wives enjoy entertainment durable goods, wives might have a relative preference for household-production durable goods such as washing machines over entertainment durable goods such as televisions. Using a Brazilian household consumption survey, we examine whether decisions about ownership of entertainment and production durable goods are the outcomes of a bargaining process between husbands and wives. We use several variables to measure bargaining power, including the ratio of women to men in a state. The results indicate that decisions about durable goods ownership are the outcomes of bargaining processes between husbands and wives with wives having a relative preference for household-production durable goods over entertainment durable goods compared to their husbands. Bargaining might explain why ownership of household production durable goods is relatively low in Brazil, despite their potential to save women's time

Portland Roasting Company: Farm Friendly Direct

This case describes the issues and dilemmas facing a company in their efforts to differentiate their product through a social sustainability programme. Over the years, the company has built a strong reputation with their sustainability efforts, particularly amongst their peers in the specialty coffee industry. There is some question as to whether this reputation has been visible to consumers and if consumers see the value-proposition. The case covers the history of coffee, the specialty coffee industry, the supply chain and roles of different participants, and the competitive landscape. Furthermore, most of the competitive eco-labels and certification schemes are discussed. The reader is asked to decide the appropriate method for conveying the company’s social sustainability efforts to the marketplace and beyond that, to consider how one might measure and monitor social programs in the developing world. The case is designed to highlight decisions related to marketing and operations strategy, pros and cons of certification, and particularly social sustainability versus the other aspects of sustainability

Mouse models of colorectal cancer as preclinical models.

In this review, we discuss the application of mouse models to the identification and pre-clinical validation of novel therapeutic targets in colorectal cancer, and to the search for early disease biomarkers. Large-scale genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of colorectal carcinomas has led to the identification of many candidate genes whose direct contribution to tumourigenesis is yet to be defined; we discuss the utility of cross-species comparative 'omics-based approaches to this problem. We highlight recent progress in modelling late-stage disease using mice, and discuss ways in which mouse models could better recapitulate the complexity of human cancers to tackle the problem of therapeutic resistance and recurrence after surgical resection.REM, SJAB, MJA and DJA are funded by Cancer Research UK.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bies.20150003