Union representation, collective voice and job quality: an analysis of a survey of union members in the UK finance sector

This article seeks to identify whether employee perceptions of job quality are better in instances where an onsite union representative is present. It also seeks to identify whether the relationship between onsite representative presence and job quality is explained by employee perceptions of union collective voice. The analysis, based on a survey of union members in the UK finance sector, demonstrates that employee perceptions of several dimensions of job quality are better where an onsite representative is present, and that this can be explained by the higher perceptions of union collective voice that onsite representatives engender

F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America, 2005

Examines national and state obesity rates and government policies. Challenges the research community to focus on major research questions to inform policy decisions, and policymakers to pursue actions to combat the obesity crisis

Analytical performance of an immunoprofiling assay based on RNA models

As immuno-oncology drugs grow more popular in the treatment of cancer, better methods are needed to quantify the tumor immune cell component to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from treatment. Methods such as flow cytometry can accurately assess the composition of infiltrating immune cells; however, they show limited use in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens. This article describes a novel hybrid-capture RNA sequencing assay, ImmunoPrism, that estimates the relative percentage abundance of eight immune cell types in FFPE solid tumors. Immune health expression models were generated using machine learning methods and used to uniquely identify each immune cell type using the most discriminatively expressed genes. The analytical performance of the assay was assessed using 101 libraries from 40 FFPE and 32 fresh-frozen samples. With defined samples, ImmunoPrism had a precision of ±2.72%, a total error of 2.75%, and a strong correlation (

Stories tell us? Political narrative, demes, and the transmission of knowledge through culture

This paper compares two institutions of storytelling, mainstream national narratives and self-represented digital storytelling. It considers the centenary of World War 1, especially the Gallipoli campaign (1915) and its role in forming Australian ‘national character’. Using the new approach of cultural science, it investigates storytelling as a means by which cultures make and bind groups or ‘demes’. It finds that that demic (group-made) knowledge trumps individual experience, and that self-representation (digital storytelling) tends to copy the national narrative, even when the latter is known not to be true. The paper discusses the importance of culture in the creation of knowledge, arguing that if the radical potential of digital storytelling is to be understood – and realised – then a systems (as opposed to behavioural) approach to communication is necessary. Without a new model of knowledge, it seems we are stuck with repetition of the same old story

Promising insights into the health related quality of life for children with severe obesity

Background Childhood obesity is a growing health concern known to adversely affect quality of life in children and adolescents. The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pediatric measures were developed to capture child self-reports across a variety of health conditions experienced by children and adolescents. The purpose of this study is to begin the process of validation of the PROMIS pediatric measures in children and adolescents affected by obesity. Methods The pediatric PROMIS instruments were administered to 138 children and adolescents in a cross-sectional study of patient reported outcomes in children aged 8–17 years with age-adjusted body mass index (BMI) greater than the 85th percentile in a design to establish known-group validity. The children completed the depressive symptoms, anxiety, anger, peer relationships, pain interference, fatigue, upper extremity, and mobility PROMIS domains utilizing a computer interface. PROMIS domains and individual items were administered in random order and included a total of 95 items. Patient responses were compared between patients with BMI 85 to < 99th percentile versus ≥ 99th percentile. Results 136 participants were recruited and had all necessary clinical data for analysis. Of the 136 participants, 5% ended the survey early resulting in missing domain scores at the end of survey administration. In multivariate analysis, patients with BMI ≥ 99th percentile had worse scores for depressive symptoms, anger, fatigue, and mobility (p < 0.05). Parent-reported exercise was associated with better scores for depressive symptoms, anxiety, and fatigue (p < 0.05). Conclusions Children and adolescents ranging from overweight to severely obese can complete multiple PROMIS pediatric measures using a computer interface in the outpatient setting. In the 5% with missing domain scores, the missing scores were consistently found in the domains administered last, suggesting the length of the assessment is important. The differences in domain scores found in this study are consistent with previous reports investigating the quality of life in children and adolescents with obesity. We show that the PROMIS instrument represents a feasible and potentially valuable instrument for the future study of the effect of pediatric obesity on quality of life

Maximizing dose reductions with cardiac CT

Multidetector computed tomography has come a long way in a short time, quickly becoming a standard tool in the cardiac imaging armamentarium. The promise of plaque imaging, combined with both anatomical visualization and stenosis detection, has made this a preferred first line test of many cardiologists and radiologists. This test is well suited to rule out coronary artery disease (obstruction) and still diagnosing subclinical plaque, with may be a good target for anti-atherosclerotic therapies. There has been recent criticism against CT imaging, and cardiac CT specifically, due to the high radiation doses that being employed. New advances have allowed for dramatic dose reductions. These include more routinely performed methods such as dose modulation, and newer methods such as prospective gating or minimizing the field of view. This paper will review the different applications to reduce cardiac CT radiation doses to nominal levels, potentially expanding the applications of cardiac CT by removing one of the biggest barriers

Optimal phase for coronary interpretations and correlation of ejection fraction using late-diastole and end-diastole imaging in cardiac computed tomography angiography: implications for prospective triggering

A typical acquisition protocol for multi-row detector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography is to obtain all phases of the cardiac cycle, allowing calculation of ejection fraction (EF) simultaneously with plaque burden. New MDCT protocols scanner, designed to reduce radiation, use prospectively acquired ECG gated image acquisition to obtain images at certain specific phases of the cardiac cycle with least coronary artery motion. These protocols do not we allow acquisition of functional data which involves measurement of ejection fraction requiring end-systolic and end-diastolic phases. We aimed to quantitatively identify the cardiac cycle phase that produced the optimal images as well as aimed to evaluate, if obtaining only 35% (end-systole) and 75% (as a surrogate for end-diastole) would be similar to obtaining the full cardiac cycle and calculating end diastolic volumes (EDV) and EF from the 35th and 95th percentile images. 1,085 patients with no history of coronary artery disease were included; 10 images separated by 10% of R–R interval were retrospectively constructed. Images with motion in the mid portion of RCA were graded from 1 to 3; with ‘1’ being no motion, ‘2’ if 0 to <1 mm motion, and ‘3’ if there is >1 mm motion and/or non-interpretable study. In a subgroup of 216 patients with EF > 50%, we measured left ventricular (LV) volumes in the 10 phases, and used those obtained during 25, 35, 75 and 95% phase to calculate the EF for each patient. The average heart rate (HR) for our patient group was 56.5 ± 8.4 (range 33–140). The distribution of image quality at all heart rates was 958 (88.3%) in Grade 1, 113 (10.42%) in Grade 2 and 14 (1.29%) in Grade 3 images. The area under the curve for optimum image quality (Grade 1 or 2) in patients with HR > 60 bpm for phase 75% was 0.77 ± 0.04 [95% CI: 0.61–0.87], while for similar heart rates the area under the curve for phases 75 + 65 + 55 + 45% combined was 0.92 ± 0.02. LV volume at 75% phase was strongly correlated with EDV (LV volume at 95% phase) (r = 0.970, P < 0.001). There was also a strong correlation between LVEF (75_35) and LVEF (95_35) (r = 0.93, P < 0.001). Subsequently, we developed a formula to correct for the decrement in LVEF using 35–75% phase: LVEF (95_35) = 0.783 × LVEF (75_35) + 20.68; adjusted R2 = 0.874, P < 0.001. Using 64 MDCT scanners, in order to acquire >90% interpretable studies, if HR < 60 bpm 75% phase of RR interval provides optimal images; while for HR > 60 analysis of images in 4 phases (75, 35, 45 and 55%) is needed. Our data demonstrates that LVEF can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by using data acquired in phases 35 and 75% of the R–R interval. Future prospective acquisition that obtains two phases (35 and 75%) will allow for motion free images of the coronary arteries and EF estimates in over 90% of patients

Post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents one year after a super-cyclone in Orissa, India: exploring cross-cultural validity and vulnerability factors

BACKGROUND: It has been asserted that psychological responses to disasters in children and adolescents vary widely across cultures, but this has rarely been investigated. The objectives of the study were to clinically evaluate the construct of traumatic stress symptoms and disorder in children and adolescents after a super-cyclone in Orissa, India; to find out the prevalence at one year; compare the effect in high and low exposure areas and study the factors associated with it. METHODS: Clinical examination of children and adolescents (n = 447) was done, supplemented by a symptoms checklist based on International Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, Diagnostic Criteria for Research and a semi-structured questionnaire for disaster related experiences. RESULTS: A majority of children had post-traumatic symptoms. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was present in 30.6% (95% confidence interval: 26.4 to 34.9), and an additional 13.6% had sub-syndromal PTSD. Parents or teachers reported mental health concerns in 7.2% subjects, who were a minor proportion (12.8%) of subjects with any syndromal diagnosis (n = 196). Significantly more (43.7%) children in high exposure areas had PTSD than that (11.2%) in low exposure areas (p < 0.001). Depression was significantly associated with PTSD. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that high exposure, lower educational level and middle socioeconomic status significantly predicted the outcome of PTSD. Extreme fear and perceived threat to life during the disaster, death in family, damage to home, or staying in shelters were not significantly associated with PTSD. CONCLUSION: Following natural disaster PTSD is a valid clinical construct in children and adolescents in Indian set up; and though highly prevalent it may be missed without clinical screening. Its manifestation and associated factors resembled those in other cultures

Kawasaki disease: a review with emphasis on cardiovascular complications

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis that is currently the leading cause of acquired heart disease in childhood in the United States. Cardiovascular complications are the major cause of morbidity, are responsible for virtually all deaths from KD and should be evaluated as soon as possible after the acute phase to establish the baseline status, in order to predict disease progression and determine adequate treatment. In selected patients, electrocardiography (ECG)-gated cardiac computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are valuable non-invasive techniques that can be used to help diagnose the cardiovascular complications associated with KD. In this article, we review the epidemiology, aetiology and pathogenesis, histopathology, clinical features, cardiovascular complications and imaging, focusing on the role of cardiac CT and MR on the initial assessment and follow-up of the cardiovascular complications of KD