The Influence of Social Networking Sites on Buying Behaviors of Millennials

Social media sites have become an important part of many individuals’ lives. According to the Pew Research Center (2010), Millennials, also known as Gen Y, are living their lives on the internet where 75% of them have a profile on a social networking site. When compared with only 50% of Gen Xers and 30% of Boomers, this gives them the distinct identity that they are more technologically advanced

Antarctica\u27s \u27moss forests\u27 are drying and dying

The lush moss beds that grow near East Antarctica\u27s coast are among the only plants that can withstand life on the frozen continent. But our new research shows that these slow-growing plants are changing at a far faster rate than anticipated

Characteristics and Management of Emergency Department Patients Presenting with C2 Cervical Spine Fractures

Background. C2 cervical fractures account for approximately 18% of cervical spine injuries. Few studies have examined patients presenting to an emergency department (ED) with this injury relative to demographics, injury mechanism, and hospital course. Objectives. To compare multiple variables of ED patients presenting with these types of injuries. Methods. In this retrospective cohort study, data were obtained from the Trauma Registry of an academic trauma referral center from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2015. Patients who presented with a C2 fracture were identified. Information regarding the patient’s gender, age, mechanism of injury, associated injuries, if a procedure was required, disposition, and mortality was extracted. Comparative analyses were conducted between cases over or under age 60.Results. Between January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2015, a total of 139 patients with C2 fractures were identified. Most patients were 60 years or older (79%). Of those, 62% were female, and falls were the most common mechanism (78%). Of those under 60, 50% were female and motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) were the most common mechanism (71%). Odontoid fractures comprised 84% of C2 fractures. Only 6% had an associated spinal cord injury. Less than one-third of patients required operative intervention for their spinal injuries, and intervention was more common in older patients. Following admission, 19% of patients required placement into a nursing home or skilled nursing facility. Conclusions. C2 fractures are more common in older adults and usually resulted from falls. Odontoid fractures are most common. Most C2 fractures do not result in neurologic injury, and only a third were treated surgically. However, several patients were unable to return to their homes following their injury

Emergency Department Visits for Sexual Assault by Emerging Adults: Is Alcohol a Factor?

Introduction: Emerging adults (18-25 years of age) are at increased risk for sexual assault. There is little Emergency Department (ED) data on sexual assaults that involve alcohol among this population. The purpose of this study was to analyze ED visits for sexual assault and determine if alcohol consumption by the patient was noted. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of patients aged 18-25 presenting to an ED in a college town over a four-year period. Extracted variables included age, gender, delay in seeking care, sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) evaluation, and alcohol consumption by the patient. For analysis of alcohol use, cases were categorized as ages \u3c 21 and ≥ 21. Results: There were 118 patients who presented to the ED from 2012 to 2015. The mean age of the cohort was 20 years, and almost 70% of visits were among those \u3c 21. Of those aged \u3c 21, 74% reported alcohol consumption, in contrast to 48% of those ≥ 21 (p = 0.055). Of those reporting alcohol use, 36% were evaluated on the day of the assault compared to 61% of those not reporting alcohol (p=0.035). Conclusion: This study found that ED visits for sexual assault in emerging adults were more common in younger patients. Alcohol use occurred more frequently with patients under the legal drinking age, and presentation was also more likely to be delayed. The relationship between sexual assault and alcohol use should underscore primary prevention efforts in emerging adult populations. [West J Emerg Med. 2018;19(5)797-802.

Emergency Department Visits for Sexual Assault by Emerging Adults: Is Alcohol a Factor?

Introduction: Emerging adults (18-25 years of age) are at increased risk for sexual assault. There is little Emergency Department (ED) data on sexual assaults that involve alcohol among this population. The purpose of this study was to analyze ED visits for sexual assault and determine if alcohol consumption by the patient was noted. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of patients aged 18-25 presenting to an ED in a college town over a four-year period. Extracted variables included age, gender, delay in seeking care, sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) evaluation, and alcohol consumption by the patient. For analysis of alcohol use, cases were categorized as ages \u3c 21 and ≥ 21. Results: There were 118 patients who presented to the ED from 2012 to 2015. The mean age of the cohort was 20 years, and almost 70% of visits were among those \u3c 21. Of those aged \u3c 21, 74% reported alcohol consumption, in contrast to 48% of those ≥ 21 (p = 0.055). Of those reporting alcohol use, 36% were evaluated on the day of the assault compared to 61% of those not reporting alcohol (p=0.035). Conclusion: This study found that ED visits for sexual assault in emerging adults were more common in younger patients. Alcohol use occurred more frequently with patients under the legal drinking age, and presentation was also more likely to be delayed. The relationship between sexual assault and alcohol use should underscore primary prevention efforts in emerging adult populations. [West J Emerg Med. 2018;19(5)797-802.

Do Clothes Really Make the Man or Woman?

This research seeks to determine the importance of interview apparel and shoes to pre-professionals and professionals involved in the interviewing and hiring of individuals for retail management positions. Surveys containing pictures of five men and women in various types of dress ranging from casual to professional were posted in Survey Monkey. Results indicate that clothing and footwear do influence hiring decisions for management positions in retail. Human resource professionals and upper management expect pre-professionals to recognize and wear professional dress when interviewing. The undergraduate students surveyed did not always agree with what garments and shoes would be considered professional dress, and these results give educators information to include when preparing pre-professionals for interviews

Implementation of a Collaborative HIV and Hepatitis C Screening Program in Appalachian Urgent Care Settings

Introduction: With the current hepatitis C (HCV) epidemic in the Appalachian region and the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection, there is a need for increased secondary prevention efforts. The purpose of this study was to implement routine HIV and HCV screenings in the urgent care setting through the use of an electronic medical record (EMR) to increase a provider’s likelihood of testing eligible patients. Methods: From June 2017 through May 2018, EMR-based HIV and HCV screenings were implemented in three emergency department-affiliated urgent care settings: a local urgent care walk-in clinic; a university-based student health services center; and an urgent care setting located within a multi-specialty clinic. EMR best practice alerts (BPA) were developed based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and populated on registered patients who qualified to receive HIV and/or HCV testing. Patients were excluded from the study if they chose to opt out from testing or the provider deemed it clinically inappropriate. Upon notification of a positive HIV and/or HCV test result through the EMR, patient navigators (PNs) were responsible for linking patients to their first medical appointment. Results: From June 2017 through May 2018, 48,531 patients presented to the three urgent care clinics. Out of 27,230 eligible patients, 1,972 patients (7.2%) agreed to be screened for HIV; for HCV, out of 6,509 eligible patients, 1,895 (29.1%) agreed to be screened. Thirty-one patients (1.6%) screened antibody-positive for HCV, with three being ribonucleic acid confirmed positives. No patients in either setting were confirmed positive for HIV; however, two initially screened HIV- positive. PNs were able to link 17 HCV antibody-positive patients (55%) to their first appointment, with the remainder having a scheduled future appointment. Conclusion: Introducing an EMR-based screening program is an effective method to identify and screen eligible patients for HIV and HCV in Appalachian urgent care settings where universal screenings are not routinely implemented. [West J Emerg Med. 2018;19(6)1057–1064.

Integrins Promote Cytokinesis through the RSK Signaling Axis

Cytokinesis is the final stage in cell division. Although integrins can regulate cytokinesis, the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. In this study, we demonstrate that integrin-regulated ERK (extracellular signal-related kinase) and RSK (p90 ribosomal S6 kinase) signaling promotes successful cytokinesis. Inhibiting the activation of ERK and RSK in CHO cells by a mutation in the integrin b1 cytoplasmic tail or with pharmacological inhibitors results in the accumulation of cells with midbodies and the formation of binucleated cells. Activation of ERK and RSK signaling by the expression of constitutively active RAF1 suppresses the mutant phenotype in a RSK-dependent manner. Constitutively active RSK2 also restores cytokinesis inhibited by the mutant integrin. Importantly, the regulatory role of the RSK pathway is not specific to CHO cells. MCF-10A human mammary epithelial cells and HPNE human pancreatic ductal epithelial cells exhibit a similar dependence on RSK for successful cytokinesis. In addition, depriving mitotic MCF10A cells of integrin-mediated adhesion by incubating them in suspension suppressed ERK and RSK activation and resulted in a failure of cytokinesis. Furthermore, inhibition of RSK or integrins within the 3D context of a developing salivary gland organ explant also leads to an accumulation of epithelial cells with midbodies, suggesting a similar defect in cytokinesis. Interestingly, neither ERK nor RSK regulates cytokinesis in human fibroblasts, suggesting cell-type specificity. Taken together, our results identify the integrin–RSK signaling axis as an important regulator of cytokinesis in epithelial cells. We propose that the proper interaction of cells with their microenvironment through integrins contributes to the maintenance of genomic stability by promoting the successful completion of cytokinesis