Overcoming the survivor\u27s syndrome: Current theories and practices

Due to the current economical times [e.g. the economic depression and millions of jobs cut from the American workforce], the current literature review had two main goals. First, the current literature aimed to not only define the term the survivor\u27s syndrome and the term\u27s history, but also to provide a comprehensive review of the literature surrounding the survivor\u27s syndrome. The survivor\u27s syndrome as defined within the literature is described as the set of emotional and attitudinal characteristics shared by those who have survived a reduction. After reviewing over 60 articles, about 20 articles are presented revealing three main consequences [feelings of job insecurity; injustice and mistrust; and stress and burnout] employees experience due to the survivor\u27s syndrome. The second goal of the current literature review is aimed at providing suggestions and recommendations based in research and theory towards overcoming the particular outcomes of the survivor\u27s syndrome. For example, to overcome job insecurity, companies should provide necessary skills, technical and employee training to build confidence in employees with many new responsibilities. This may also reduce stress and burnout. Further examples are provided within the literature. Overall, the current literature review not only defines and further explains the survivor\u27s syndrome but also provides suggestions and recommendations to researchers, practitioners, and companies in order to overcome the survivor\u27s syndrome to ultimately retain current employees

Intentional Foreign Body Ingestion: A Complex Case of Pica

Intentional ingestion of foreign objects, a form of self-injurious behavior, is rarely discussed in the medical literature but often requires extensive evaluation, management, and resources. It can be especially problematic for gastroenterologists, who are often consulted for removal of the foreign body. Pica is the psychiatric diagnosis for intentional ingestion of nonnutritive objects and is most commonly seen in prison inmates and those diagnosed with intellectual disability or psychiatric illness. This case report presents a challenging case of pica, highlighting the complexity involved in diagnosis and the need for early psychiatric intervention. It also aims to provide a general review of the literature and practical recommendations to assist with managing this form of self-injurious behavior in the inpatient setting. Collaborative efforts among specialties in addition to primary prevention are vital to successful management of these patients

Structural investigation of GaInP nanowires using X-ray diffraction

AbstractIn this work the structure of ternary GaxIn1−xP nanowires is investigated with respect to the chemical composition and homogeneity. The nanowires were grown by metal–organic vapor-phase epitaxy. For the investigation of ensemble fluctuations on several lateral length scales, X-ray diffraction reciprocal space maps have been analyzed. The data reveal a complicated varying materials composition across the sample and in the nanowires on the order of 20%. The use of modern synchrotron sources, where beam-sizes in the order of several 10μm are available, enables us to investigate compositional gradients along the sample by recording diffraction patterns at different positions. In addition, compositional variations were found also within single nanowires in X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy measurements

Zainicjowanie biodegradacji poliwinylopirolidonu w środowisku wodno-powietrznym

A synthetic polymer, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP - E 1201) primarily finds applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries due to its resistance and zero toxicity to organisms. After ingestion, the substance passes through the organism unchanged. Consequently, it enters the systems of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) without decomposing biologically during the waste treatment process, nor does it attach (through sorption) to particles of activated sludge to any significant extent, therefore, it passes through the system of a WWTP, which may cause the substance to accumulate in the natural environment. For this reason the paper investigates the potential to initiate aerobic biodegradation of PVP in the presence of activated sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The following agents were selected as the initiators of the biodegradation process - co-substrates: acrylamide, N-acethylphenylalanine and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, a substance with a similar structure to PVP monomer. The biodegradability of PVP in the presence of co-substrates was evaluated on the basis of biological oxygen demand (BOD) as determined via a MicroOxymax O2/CO2/CH4 respirometer. The total substrate concentration in the suspension equaled 400 mg·dm–3, with the ratio between PVP and the co-substrate being 1:1, while the concentration of the dry activated sludge was 500 mg·dm–3. Even though there was no occurrence of a significant increase in the biodegradation of PVP alone in the presence of a co-substrate, acrylamide appeared to be the most effective type of co-substrate. Nevertheless, a recorded decrease in the slope of biodegradation curves over time may indicate that a process of primary decomposition was underway, which involves the production of metabolites that inhibit activated sludge microorganisms. The resulting products are not identified at this stage of experimentation

Analysis of photonic crystal defect modes by maximal symmetrization and reduction

We analyze in depth the eigenmodes symmetry of the vectorial electromagnetic wave equation with discrete symmetry, using a recently developed maximal symmetrization and reduction scheme leading to an automatic technique which decomposes every mode into its most fundamental internal geometrical components carrying independent symmetries, the ultimately reduced component functions (URCFs). Using URCFs, geometrical properties of photonic crystal defect modes can be analyzed in great details. In particular we analytically identify the kind of modes that display non-vanishing transverse electric or transverse magnetic amplitude at the cavity center in C-2v, C-3v, C-4v, and C-6v symmetries, and their degeneracies. We also build a postprocessing tool able to extract and identify URCFs out of the modes whether from experimental or numerical origin. In the latter case it is independent of the eigenmode computation method. In another variant the whole eigenmode computation can be systematically reduced to a minimal domain, without any need for applying specific non-trivial boundary conditions. The approach leads to strong analytical predictions which are illustrated for specific H1 and L3 cavities using the postprocessing tool on full three-dimensional computed modes. It not only constitutes an unprecedented check of the symmetry of the computational results, but it is shown to also deliver a deep geometrical and physical insight into the structure of the modes of photonic bandgap microcavities, which is of direct use for most modern applications in quantum photonics. (C) 2010 Optical Society of Americ

Newer Oral Anticoagulants in the Treatment of Acute Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients with and without Cirrhosis

Background. Newer oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are being utilized increasingly for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). NOAC use is the standard of care for stroke prophylaxis in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and treatment of acute VTE involving extremities and pulmonary embolism. In contrast, most guidelines in the literature support the treatment of acute portal vein thrombosis (PVT) with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and vitamin K antagonists (VKA). Literature evaluating NOAC use in the treatment of acute portal vein thrombosis is sparse. This review focuses on the safety and efficacy of the use of NOACs in the treatment of acute PVT in patients, with or without concomitant cirrhosis, based on the most recent data available in the current literature. Methods. A systematic review was conducted through a series of advanced searches in the following medical databases: PubMed, BioMed Central, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. Keywords utilized were as follows: NOAC, DOAC (direct oral anticoagulants), portal vein thrombosis, rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran, and edoxaban. Articles related to newer anticoagulant use in patients with portal vein thrombosis were included. Results. The adverse events, including bleeding events (major and minor) and the failure of anticoagulation (propagation of thrombus or recurrence of PVT), are similar between the NOACs and traditional anticoagulants for the treatment of acute PVT, irrespective of the presence of cirrhosis. Conclusions. Newer oral anticoagulants are safe and efficacious alternatives to traditional anticoagulation with low molecular weight heparin and vitamin K antagonists in the treatment of acute portal vein thrombosis with or without cirrhosis

Intentional Foreign Body Ingestion: A Complex Case of Pica

Intentional ingestion of foreign objects, a form of self-injurious behavior, is rarely discussed in the medical literature but often requires extensive evaluation, management, and resources. It can be especially problematic for gastroenterologists, who are often consulted for removal of the foreign body. Pica is the psychiatric diagnosis for intentional ingestion of nonnutritive objects and is most commonly seen in prison inmates and those diagnosed with intellectual disability or psychiatric illness. This case report presents a challenging case of pica, highlighting the complexity involved in diagnosis and the need for early psychiatric intervention. It also aims to provide a general review of the literature and practical recommendations to assist with managing this form of self-injurious behavior in the inpatient setting. Collaborative efforts among specialties in addition to primary prevention are vital to successful management of these patients