Reflexology

Reflexology is the practice of applying pressure to particular points on the ears, hands and feet to impact the health of specific parts of the body. It is a form of complementary therapy that is used for diseases and conditions that have long lasting symptoms and need pain management. In reflexology, each pressure point acts as a sensor on the feet and hands and is linked with organs, glands and muscles in specific parts of the body. It involves the idea that a force or energy is flowing along paths, called meridians, in the body to all organs and any kind of blockage in this flow will lead to an impairment of function. The purpose of reflexology is to normalize the body’s function, break down tension, alleviate stress, and improve nerve function and blood supply throughout the body. The specific physiological mechanisms of reflexology are unknown, however, this practice has shown benefits in a wide variety of medical conditions

Optimizing Atraumatic Emergency Care in Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse has been identified as a common problem. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, in 2010 it was estimated that child victims of sexual abuse accounted for 9.2% (69,368) of the 573,794 children under the age of 12 years who were the victims of maltreatment. The emergency department (ED) is often the point of entry into the healthcare system for child sexual abuse victims, which adds to the resource burden of this department nationwide. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to develop a best-practice screening tool for medical providers to guide the care of the sexually abused female child and also to assess their educational preparation to care for this population. Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior and Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Model guided this project at a large multi-center hospital system in Indiana. A critical appraisal of the literature was conducted to establish best-practice. To determine if implementation of a screening tool into the electronic health record changed medical provider practice, a matched case-control study design was applied. Education on best-practice recommendations was presented for nurses and medical providers. Pre- and post-intervention data were collected from medical records of female pediatric patients examined in the ED for sexual abuse and reviewed to determine the necessity of an anogenital exam. The odds of receiving an anogenital exam were greater prior to the implementation of the screening tool (OR 16; AR 75%). These findings support that a screening tool intervention decreased unnecessary anogenital exams in these female children. A survey of the medical providers was completed demonstrating 64.9% reporting no training to care for this vulnerable population of children. A Pearson Chi-Square was calculated to compare MD and PA providers educational preparation in the area of child sexual abuse (X2 =12.067, df =1, p \u3c .001) demonstrating more preparation in the MD group. Enhanced educational preparation in best-practice care would benefit all medical providers caring for these children in various settings

Side Payments of Exceptions: The Implications for Equitable and Efficient Climate Control

The Kyoto Protocol prioritizes equity in international climate control by exempting developing countries from compulsory emissions reductions, though at a loss to efficiency. Using game theoretic models, this paper demonstrates that an efficient climate treaty must provide side payments to countries with lower marginal abatement costs and (or) benefits to induce their cooperation. Therefore, if an efficient treaty directs side payments to developing countries to induce their participation, the treaty may also achieve equity in climate control. Policy makers should remember the equity and efficiency implications of side payments as extensions and/or alternatives to the Kyoto Protocol are considered.

Educational mismatch and self-employment

Peer reviewedPreprin

Self-employment and the Paradox of the Contented Female Worker

Acknowledgements: Thanks to seminar participants at the University of Aberdeen and John Heywood for helpful comments.Publisher PD

A somewhat gentle introduction to differential graded commutative algebra

Differential graded (DG) commutative algebra provides powerful techniques for proving theorems about modules over commutative rings. These notes are a somewhat colloquial introduction to these techniques. In order to provide some motivation for commutative algebraists who are wondering about the benefits of learning and using these techniques, we present them in the context of a recent result of Nasseh and Sather-Wagstaff. These notes were used for the course "Differential Graded Commutative Algebra" that was part of the Workshop on Connections Between Algebra and Geometry held at the University of Regina, May 29--June 1, 2012.Comment: 78 page