An evolutionary approach to understanding social facilitation:Energy expenditure and exercise motivation

The current research draws on evolutionary and life history theory to understand social facilitation of human energy expenditure, and test predictions focused on when and for whom increases in energetic effort are more likely to occur. Two studies tested the premise that cues of mates and/or competitors for mates can modify perceptions of the socio-ecological context of energy expenditure, and thereby change short-term energetic effort and exercise motivation and self-efficacy. Tests of psychological and physiological mediators and moderators were performed. Results provide preliminary support for the utilization of evolutionary theory to understand social facilitation by demonstrating significant effects of primes on immediate performance in tests of muscular strength, and exercise motivation and self-efficacy, particularly among men. These findings may have implications for efforts to increase energy expenditure and exercise behavior

Strategic Alliances Among International Airlines And Their Implications For Organisational Change

Globalisation is an inevitable path for many types of organisations as they strive to attain and defend competitive advantage and strategic alliances are a necessary part of this process. Cooperative behaviour and simultaneous competition in several continental markets is not a new phenomenon in aviation, but the current popularity of alliances among the major carriers has been interpreted as a form of globalisation. A common assumption is that these alliances present ways for the airlines to circumvent the restrictions present in the regulatory framework. This paper argues that globalisation, as it is more widely understood in modern management, involves much more than the development of an all-encompassing network. Exploitation of the benefits of globalisation requires a change in thinking about the relationships within and between organisations. Strategic alliances have many advantages over mergers and acquisitions in this context. The paper argues that most of the current airline alliances are “hollow organisation”, but that genuine strategic alliances are likely to be formed in more competitive conditions. These genuine strategic alliances can deliver benefits to the industry and its customers, but policy makers must recognise the growing complexity of new forms of organisation in the airline industry

Which patients benefit from lowering LDL to <100 mg/dL?

Patients who have coronary heart disease (CHD) or are at high risk for CHD should aim for a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) target of <100 mg/dL. An LDL target of <70 mg/dL is an option for very-high-risk patients (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C, expert opinion). The evidence also indicates that high-risk patients benefit from a statin--preferably in high doses--regardless of their baseline LDL or degree of LDL reduction with treatment (SOR: A, a large randomized controlled trial [RCT] and meta-analyses)

Development of a Web-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention to Support Lifestyle Behavior Change and Well-Being in Health Care Staff: Participatory Design Study

Background: Positive emotional well-being is associated with healthier lifestyle choices and overall health function, whereas poor mental health is associated with significant economic and psychological costs. Thus, the development of effective interventions that improve emotional well-being is crucial to address the worldwide burden of disease. Objective: This study aims to develop a web-based emotional well-being intervention for use by health care staff using participatory design to consider adherence and engagement from a user perspective. Methods: A 3-staged iterative participatory design process was followed, including multiple stakeholders: researchers, computer scientists, mental health experts, and health care staff. Stage 1 used document analyses, direct observation, and welcome interviews; stage 2 used focus group discussions, rapid prototyping, and usability tasks; and stage 3 evaluated a high-fidelity prototype. Results: Different health care staff (N=38) participated during a sustained period. A structured, sequential, automated, 12-week, web-based emotional well-being intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy was developed. Freely navigated psychoeducational resources were also included. Conclusions: The iterative and collaborative participatory design process successfully met its objectives. It generated an in-depth understanding of well-being within the workplace and identified barriers to access. The 3-staged process ensured that participants had the opportunity to explore and articulate criteria relevant to their roles over time and reflect on decisions made at each stage

A study of mothers' responses to child sexual abuse by another family member.

This study is an exploratory one, examining the processes involved in mothers' responses to the sexual abuse of a child, and in social workers' responses to mothers. It is based on two sources of data: depth interviews with 15 mothers whose children had been sexually abused by a male relative, and records for 13 social work cases involving child sexual abuse supplemented by interviews with the social workers involved. Four key processes in the mothers' responses, which overlapped in a variety of ways in different cases, are discussed: i) coping and coming to terms with the losses the abuse involves for the mother herself, ii) an interactive process of discovery, involving others within and outside the family, and influenced by the availability, interpretation and evaluation of evidence, iii) a decision-making process involving risk-taking and the negotiation of conflicting relationships, iv) a help-seeking career in which a range of aims and inhibiting factors are reflected in the timing of help-seeking, the source from which help is sought and the mother's experience of others' responses, both from informal networks and professional intervention. The factors that influenced the mothers' location within each process are identified. The mothers' accounts of their experience of help from informal and formal sources are examined. A common theme in these was a sense of invalidation of their own perspective and needs. The sample of social work cases is analysed to consider possible sources of this experience within the process of social work with mothers of sexually abused children, identifying points of conflict or misinterpretation which lead or threatened to lead to mothers' withdrawing from cooperation with agencies. The implications of both parts of the study for theory, policy and social work practice are outlined

PIMS (Positioning In Macular hole Surgery) trial – a multicentre interventional comparative randomised controlled clinical trial comparing face-down positioning, with an inactive face-forward position on the outcome of surgery for large macular holes: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic macular holes are an important cause of blindness. They have an annual incidence of 8 per 100,000 individuals, and prevalence of 0.2 to 3.3 per 1000 individuals with visual impairment. The condition occurs more frequently in adults aged 75 years or older. Macular holes can be repaired by surgery in which the causative tractional forces in the eye are released and a temporary bubble of gas is injected. To promote successful hole closure individuals may be advised to maintain a face-down position for up to 10 days following surgery. The aim of this study is to determine whether advice to position face-down improves the surgical success rate of closure of large (>400 μm) macular holes, and thereby reduces the need for further surgery. METHODS/DESIGN: This will be a multicentre interventional, comparative randomised controlled clinical trial comparing face-down positioning with face-forward positioning. At the conclusion of standardised surgery across all sites, participants still eligible for inclusion will be allocated randomly 1:1 to 1 of the 2 treatment arms stratified by site, using random permuted blocks of size 4 or 6 in equal proportions. We will recruit 192 participants having surgery for large macular holes (>400 μm); 96 in each of the 2 arms of the study. The primary objective is to determine the impact of face-down positioning on the likelihood of closure of large (≥400 μm) full-thickness macular holes following surgery. DISCUSSION: This will be the first multicentre randomised control trial to investigate the value of face-down positioning following macular hole standardised surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UK CRN: 17966 (date of registration 26 November 2014)

Examination of the effectiveness of different syringe shields for beta emitting radionuclides and the implications for staff finger and whole body doses

There are conflicting statements in the literature on the optimum shielding for beta emitting radionuclides. Perspex is commonly cited as reducing bremsstrahlung compared to lead. Other reports indicate lead can be used. Newer therapies require dispensing of large activities (>1GBq) and it is vital to minimize high finger doses. The shielding aspects for 90Y and 32P, two commonly used therapy radionuclides, have been investigated. Whole body doses and finger doses are examined, together with ergonomic aspects. The research highlights the difficulty in carrying out dose assessments and the disparity of the data in the literature. Three different assessment techniques were used: a) different types of TLDs; b) a variety of dose rate meters and c) spectral analysis with a germanium detector. The measurement and source geometries used were designed to replicate as far as possible those routinely encountered in the clinical environment. Investigations were carried out using three types of syringe shields for 10ml and 1ml syringes; Perspex, tungsten and a hybrid shield of plastic and lead. In all cases the hybrid shield is the optimum choice to reduce both finger dose and whole body exposure. However, ergonomically it is bulky which can result in longer handling times. This work identifies an improved shield design. The tungsten shield provides almost as much dose reduction and is preferred by operators. Tungsten shields are also normally routinely available in Nuclear Medicine departments. They are therefore considered a justifiable alternative. Although Perspex is still commonly recommended, both the tungsten and hybrid shields are superior to Perspex shields, with the exception of the 1ml shield for 90Y where Perspex was marginally better than tungsten. The other critical training issue highlighted is that finger doses can exceed statutory annual limits within seconds if staff handle unshielded syringes or vials of 90Y or 32P

The Impact of a Community–Wide Woodstove Changeout Intervention on Air Quality Within Two Schools

Due to temperature inversions and widespread residential woodstove use, Libby, Montana historically experienced elevated levels of ambient woodsmoke PM2.5 throughout the winter months. In an effort to reduce wintertime PM2.5, a large community–wide woodstove changeout was conducted between 2005 and 2007, removing nearly 1 200 old polluting stoves from service. To determine the impact of this intervention on indoor air quality, PM2.5 sampling was conducted in the gymnasiums of an elementary and middle school before, during, and after the woodstove changeout over a four–year period. Throughout the program, results showed that indoor PM2.5 concentrations at the elementary school were moderately high regardless of year or season (mean±sd, 31.9±14.1 μg/m3), ranging from 11.0 μg/m3 to 79.3 μg/m3. At the middle school, the mean was 12.2±11.2 μg/m3, with no differences by season. Although there was an overall improvement in ambient air quality (and reduction of woodsmoke–PM2.5) when comparing pre– and post– changeout PM2.5 concentrations, results suggest that the community–wide woodstove changeout did not have a significant impact on indoor air quality within the gymnasiums over this same time period. These findings are supported by the results of selected chemical markers of woodsmoke measured from indoor PM (including levoglucosan) at both schools, which also demonstrated no significant reductions throughout the four–year sampling program

Social work as a career choice: perception of role and values as determinant in choice of social work as a career

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Normal changes in the speech of older adults. You’ve still got what it takes, it just takes a little longer!

The authors reviewed the changes in speech production as a result of aging, including changes in structure and function as well as changes in motor control for speech. The following speech production processes in normal or typical aging were reviewed: breathing for speech, phonation, resonation, articulation, and fluency. Different theories of the role of motor control were reviewed, including more recent conclusions that cognition influences speech motor behavior throughout the lifespan. There are many speech changes in the communication of an older adult, but most are adaptive and do not affect good conversational speech