Trampoline-related injuries.

PubMed

Larson, B J; Davis, J W

1995-08-01

Two hundred and seventeen patients who had sustained an injury during the recreational use of a trampoline were managed in the emergency room of Logan Regional Hospital in Logan, Utah, from January 1991 through December 1992. We retrospectively reviewed the charts and radiographs of these patients to categorize the injuries. Additional details regarding the injuries of seventy-two patients (33 per cent) were obtained by means of a telephone interview with use of a questionnaire. The injuries occurred from February through November, with the peak incidence in July. The patients were eighteen months to forty-five years old (average, ten years old); ninety-four patients (43 per cent) were five to nine years old. Eighty-four patients (39 per cent) sustained a fracture; fifty-four (25 per cent), a sprain or strain; forty-five (21 per cent), a laceration; and thirty-four (16 per cent), a contusion. Fifty-seven injuries (26 per cent) involved the elbow or forearm; forty-six (21 per cent), the head or neck; forty (18 per cent), the ankle or foot; thirty-three (15 per cent), the knee or leg; nineteen (9 per cent), the trunk or back; thirteen (6 per cent), the shoulder or arm; and nine (4 per cent), the wrist or hand. Thirteen patients (6 per cent) had a back injury, but none of them had a permanent neurological deficit. One patient who had an ocular injury was transferred to a tertiary care center. One hundred and fifty-six patients (72 per cent) were evaluated radiographically, fifteen (7 per cent) were admitted to the hospital, and thirteen (6 per cent) had an operation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cancer-specific Relationship Awareness, Relationship Communication, and Intimacy Among Couples Coping with Early Stage Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Manne, Sharon L.; Siegel, Scott; Kashy, Deborah; Heckman, Carolyn J.

2013-01-01

If couples can maintain normalcy and quality in their relationship during the cancer experience, they may experience greater relational intimacy. Cancer-specific relationship awareness, which is an attitude defined as partners focusing on the relationship and thinking about how they might maintain normalcy and cope with cancer as a couple or “team”, is one factor that may help couples achieve this goal. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between cancer-specific relationship awareness, cancer-specific communication (i.e., talking about cancer’s impact on the relationship, disclosure, and responsiveness to partner disclosure), and relationship intimacy and evaluate whether relationship communication mediated the association between relationship awareness and intimacy. Two hundred fifty four women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and their partners completed measures of cancer-specific relationship awareness, relationship talk, self-and perceived partner disclosure, perceived partner responsiveness, and relationship intimacy. Results indicated that patients and spouses who were higher in cancer-specific relationship awareness engaged in more relationship talk, reported higher levels of self-disclosure, and perceived that their partner disclosed more. Their partners reported that they were more responsive to disclosures. Relationship talk and perceived partner responsiveness mediated the association between cancer–specific relationship awareness and intimacy. Helping couples consider ways they can maintain normalcy and quality during the cancer experience and framing coping with cancer as a “team” effort may facilitate better communication and ultimately enhance relationship intimacy. PMID:25242854

Overview of the Systems Special Investigation Group investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, James B.; Dursch, Harry; Edelman, Joel

1993-01-01

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) carried a remarkable variety of electrical, mechanical, thermal, and optical systems, subsystems, and components. Nineteen of the fifty-seven experiments flown on LDEF contained functional systems that were active on-orbit. Almost all of the other experiments possessed at least a few specific components of interest to the Systems Special Investigation Group (Systems SIG), such as adhesives, seals, fasteners, optical components, and thermal blankets. Almost all top level functional testing of the active LDEF and experiment systems has been completed. Failure analysis of both LDEF hardware and individual experiments that failed to perform as designed has also been completed. Testing of system components and experimenter hardware of interest to the Systems SIG is ongoing. All available testing and analysis results were collected and integrated by the Systems SIG. An overview of our findings is provided. An LDEF Optical Experiment Database containing information for all 29 optical related experiments is also discussed.

Comparison of Four Human Papillomavirus Genotyping Methods: Next-generation Sequencing, INNO-LiPA, Electrochemical DNA Chip, and Nested-PCR.

PubMed

Nilyanimit, Pornjarim; Chansaenroj, Jira; Poomipak, Witthaya; Praianantathavorn, Kesmanee; Payungporn, Sunchai; Poovorawan, Yong

2018-03-01

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection causes cervical cancer, thus necessitating early detection by screening. Rapid and accurate HPV genotyping is crucial both for the assessment of patients with HPV infection and for surveillance studies. Fifty-eight cervicovaginal samples were tested for HPV genotypes using four methods in parallel: nested-PCR followed by conventional sequencing, INNO-LiPA, electrochemical DNA chip, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Seven HPV genotypes (16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 56, and 58) were identified by all four methods. Nineteen HPV genotypes were detected by NGS, but not by nested-PCR, INNO-LiPA, or electrochemical DNA chip. Although NGS is relatively expensive and complex, it may serve as a sensitive HPV genotyping method. Because of its highly sensitive detection of multiple HPV genotypes, NGS may serve as an alternative for diagnostic HPV genotyping in certain situations. © The Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine

[The neurological and embryological studies of Santiago Ramon y Cajal].

PubMed

Baratas Diaz, L A

1997-01-01

The neurological and embryological work of Santiago Ramon y Cajal appeared in three stages: a) Between 1888 and 1893 observations on the development of neuron prolongations led to the observation of the growth cone and formulation of the neurotropic hypothesis. b) Between 1905 and 1908 the study of regenerative phenomena in nerves and nervours centers presented a large body of evidence consistent with the neurotropic hypothesis. c)Between 1910 and 1914 an experimental program was undertaken to test the neurotropic hypothesis; this program led to conclusions on the origin and chemical nature of the growth stimulating factor. These contributions initiated an important line of research that none of Ramon y Cajal's disciples could continue. In the nineteen fifties a group of researchers from three disciplines (biochemistry, embryology and neurohistology) discovered the existence of nerve growth factor (NGF), thus initiating a fertile new field of knowledge in cell biology.

Scaling laws for light-weight optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valente, Tina M.

1990-01-01

Scaling laws for light-weight optical systems are examined. A cubic relationship between mirror diameter and weight has been suggested and used by many designers of optical systems as the best description for all light-weight mirrors. A survey of existing light-weight systems in the open literature has been made to clarify this issue. Fifty existing optical systems were surveyed with all varieties of light-weight mirrors including glass and beryllium structured mirrors, contoured mirrors, and very thin solid mirrors. These mirrors were then categorized and weight to diameter ratio was plotted to find a best fit curve for each case. A best fitting curve program tests nineteen different equations and ranks a 'goodness of fit' for each of these equations. The resulting relationship found for each light-weight mirror category helps to quantify light-weight optical systems and methods of fabrication and provides comparisons between mirror types.

LADEE NASA Social

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-09-05

NASA Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Program Scientist Sarah Noble talks during a NASA Social about the LADEE mission at NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 on Wallops Island, VA. Fifty of NASA's social media followers are attending a two-day event in support of the LADEE launch. Data from LADEE will provide unprecedented information about the environment around the moon and give scientists a better understanding of other planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond. LADEE is scheduled to launch at 11:27 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Readiness of Wait-Listed Black Patients to Pursue Live Donor Kidney Transplantation

PubMed Central

Rodrigue, James R.; Paek, Matthew J.; Egbuna, Ogo; Waterman, Amy D.; Schold, Jesse D.; Pavlakis, Martha; Mandelbrot, Didier A.

2015-01-01

Context For adults with end-stage kidney disease, live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) yields superior outcomes over long-term dialysis and deceased donor kidney transplantation. However, blacks receive LDKT at a much lower rate than adults of any other race or ethnicity. Objective To examine the LDKT readiness stage of blacks on the transplant waiting list and its association with LDKT knowledge, concerns, and willingness. Design Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial to improve knowledge and reduce concerns about LDKT. Patients and Setting One hundred fifty-two black patients on the kidney transplant waiting list at a single transplant center in the northeastern United States. Main Outcomes LDKT readiness stage, knowledge, concerns, and willingness to talk to others about living donation. Results Sixty percent of patients were not considering or not yet ready to pursue LDKT, while only 11% had taken action to talk to family members or friends about the possibility of living kidney donation. Patients in later stages of LDKT readiness (i.e., had talked to others about donation or were preparing to do so) had significantly more knowledge (p<0.001), fewer concerns (p=0.002), and more willingness (p=0.001) to talk to others about living donation than those in earlier readiness stages. Conclusions The large percentage of blacks who are in the earlier stages of LDKT readiness may account for the low rate of LDKT in this patient population at our transplant center. Innovative and tailored LDKT educational strategies for black patients are needed to help reduce racial disparities in LDKT. PMID:25488559

Dialogue as a tool for meaning making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruni, Angela Suzanne Dudley

In order to empower citizens to analyze the effects, risk, and value of science, a knowledge of scientific concepts is necessary (Mejlgaard, 2009). The formal educational system plays a role in this endeavor (Gil-Perez & Vilches, 2005). One proposed constructivist practice is the use of social learning activities using verbalized, shared cognition among learners. In an effort to investigate the effects of verbally shared cognition, this project sought to determine if social learning opportunities affect the mastery of content in gateway biology courses and to identify the types of dialogue students engage in during cognitive collaboration. Fifty-seven students enrolled in a small southern community college were randomly assigned into treatment groups for each of nine units of instruction. The treatment variable was participation in verbalized social learning activities. Treatment differences based on a pretest/posttest design were analyzed using various statistical methods and recorded student discussions were analyzed for characteristics of talk based on a model developed by Mercer. Findings support the use of social learning activities as a way to improve content knowledge. Students in the treatment group had higher posttest and gain scores than those in the control group, with statistical significance reached in some cases. Types of talk were examined to support the constructivist method of learning. Findings support the use of non-confrontational talk as the vector of meaning making within the classroom.

LADEE NASA Social

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-09-05

NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate John Grunsfeld talks during a NASA Social about the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 on Wallops Island, VA. Fifty of NASA's social media followers are attending a two-day event in support of the LADEE launch. Data from LADEE will provide unprecedented information about the environment around the moon and give scientists a better understanding of other planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond. LADEE is scheduled to launch at 11:27 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

The Short-term Effects of a Cyberbullying Prevention Intervention for Parents of Middle School Students.

PubMed

Roberto, Anthony J; Eden, Jen; Deiss, Douglas M; Savage, Matthew W; Ramos-Salazar, Leslie

2017-09-09

This study experimentally evaluated the short-term effects of the Arizona Attorney General's cybersafety promotion presentation, a key component of which is cyberbullying prevention. Fifty-one parents of children attending a middle school in the southwestern United States participated in the study. Results reveal parents who viewed the presentation believed their children to be more susceptible to cyberbullying, and indicated that they were more likely to talk to their children about saving evidence, not retaliating, and telling an adult compared to parents who had not viewed the presentation. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

The Short-term Effects of a Cyberbullying Prevention Intervention for Parents of Middle School Students

PubMed Central

Roberto, Anthony J.; Eden, Jen; Deiss, Douglas M.; Savage, Matthew W.; Ramos-Salazar, Leslie

2017-01-01

This study experimentally evaluated the short-term effects of the Arizona Attorney General’s cybersafety promotion presentation, a key component of which is cyberbullying prevention. Fifty-one parents of children attending a middle school in the southwestern United States participated in the study. Results reveal parents who viewed the presentation believed their children to be more susceptible to cyberbullying, and indicated that they were more likely to talk to their children about saving evidence, not retaliating, and telling an adult compared to parents who had not viewed the presentation. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. PMID:28891936

The Genetic Counseling Video Project (GCVP): models of practice.

PubMed

Roter, D; Ellington, L; Erby, L Hamby; Larson, S; Dudley, W

2006-11-15

Genetic counseling is conceptualized as having both "teaching" and "counseling" functions; however, little is known about how these functions are articulated in routine practice. This study addresses the question by documenting, on videotape, the practices of a national sample of prenatal and cancer genetic counselors (GCs) providing routine pre-test counseling to simulated clients (SCs). One hundred and seventy-seven GCs recruited at two annual conferences of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) were randomly assigned to counsel one of six female SCs of varying ethnicity, with or without a spouse, in their specialty. One hundred and fifty-two videotapes were coded with the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) and both GCs and SCs completed evaluative questionnaires. Two teaching and two counseling patterns of practice emerged from cluster analysis. The teaching patterns included: (1) clinical teaching (31%) characterized by low psychosocial, emotional and facilitative talk, high levels of clinical exchange, and high verbal dominance; and (2) psycho-educational teaching (27%) characterized by high levels of both clinical and psychosocial exchange, low levels of emotional and facilitative talk, and higher verbal dominance. The counseling patterns included: (1) supportive counseling (33%) characterized by low psychosocial and clinical exchange, high levels of emotional and facilitative talk, and low verbal dominance; and (2) psychosocial counseling (9%) with high emotional and facilitative talk, low clinical and high psychosocial exchange, and the lowest verbal dominance. SCs ratings of satisfaction with communication, the counselor's affective demeanor, and the counselor's use of non-verbal skills were highest for the counseling model sessions. Both the teaching and counseling models seem to be represented in routine practice and predict variation in client satisfaction, affective demeanor, and nonverbal effectiveness. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase variants in Japan.

PubMed

Miwa, S

1980-01-01

Fifty-four cases of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency have so far been reported in Japan. Among them, 21 G6PD variants have been characterized. Nineteen out of the 21 variants were characterized in our laboratory and G6PD Heian and "Kyoto" by others. G6PD Tokyo, Tokushima, Ogikubo, Kurume, Fukushima, Yokohama, Yamaguchi, Wakayama, Akita, Heian and "Kyoto" were classified as Class 1, because all these cases showed chronic hemolytic anemia and severe enzyme deficiency. All these variants showed thermal instability. G6PD Mediterranean-like, Ogori, Gifu and Fukuoka were classified as Class 2, whereas G6PD Hofu, B(-) Chinese, Ube, Konan, Kamiube and Kiwa belonged to Class 3. All the 6 Class 3 variants were found as the results of the screening tests. The incidence of the deficiency in Japanese seems to be 0.1-0.5% but that of the cases which may slow drug-induced hemolysis would be much less. G6PD Ube and Konan appear to be relatively common in Japan.

Clinical spectrum of urine cultures positive for ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in hospitalized patients and impact on antibiotic use.

PubMed

Lepeule, R; Leflon-Guibout, V; Vanjak, D; Zahar, J-R; Lafaurie, M; Besson, C; Lefort, A

2014-12-01

We wanted to describe the clinical features associated with urinalysis positive for ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and their impact on antibiotic use. We performed a prospective observational study in 13 French hospitals of the Paris area for 3 consecutive months. We included all patients with urine cultures positive for ESBL-producing E. coli. One hundred and seventeen of the 218 patients (54%) presented with asymptomatic bacteriuria, 31 (14%) with cystitis, and 70 (32%) with a parenchymal infection. Nineteen patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria (16%) received antibiotics. Forty-one with parenchymal infections (59%) received a carbapenem. A carbapenem alternative could have been used in every patient treated with a carbapenem, according to antibiotic susceptibility testing results. Urinary tract infections accounted for 46% of E. coli ESBL positive urinalysis. Fifty percent of parenchymal infections were treated with a carbapenem. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Scaling laws for light weight optics, studies of light weight mirrors mounting and dynamic mirror stress, and light weight mirror and mount designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vukobratovich, Daniel; Richard, Ralph M.; Valente, Tina M.; Cho, Myung K.

1990-01-01

Scaling laws for light-weight optical systems are examined. A cubic relationship between mirror diameter and weight has been suggested and used by many designers of optical systems as the best description for all light-weight mirrors. A survey of existing light-weight systems in the open literature was made to clarify this issue. Fifty existing optical systems were surveyed with all varieties of light-weight mirrors including glass and beryllium structured mirrors, contoured mirrors, and very thin solid mirrors. These mirrors were then categorized and weight to diameter ratio was plotted to find a best curve for each case. A best fitting curve program tests nineteen different equations and ranks a goodness-to-fit for each of these equations. The resulting relationship found for each light-weight mirror category helps to quantify light-weight optical systems and methods of fabrication and provides comparisons between mirror types.

Engineering research, development and technology report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Langland, R T

1999-02-01

Nineteen ninety-eight has been a transition year for Engineering, as we have moved from our traditional focus on thrust areas to a more focused approach with research centers. These five new centers of excellence collectively comprise Engineering's Science and Technology program. This publication summarizes our formative year under this new structure. Let me start by talking about the differences between a thrust area and a research center. The thrust area is more informal, combining an important technology with programmatic priorities. In contrast, a research center is directly linked to an Engineering core technology. It is the purer model, for itmore » is more enduring yet has the scope to be able to adapt quickly to evolving programmatic priorities. To put it another way, the mission of a thrust area was often to grow the programs in conjunction with a technology, whereas the task of a research center is to vigorously grow our core technologies. By cultivating each core technology, we in turn enable long-term growth of new programs.« less

Safety-critical event risk associated with cell phone tasks as measured in naturalistic driving studies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Simmons, Sarah M; Hicks, Anne; Caird, Jeff K

2016-02-01

A systematic review and meta-analysis of naturalistic driving studies involving estimates of safety-critical event risk associated with handheld device use while driving is described. Fifty-seven studies identified from targeted databases, journals and websites were reviewed in depth, and six were ultimately included. These six studies, published between 2006 and 2014, encompass seven sets of naturalistic driver data and describe original research that utilized naturalistic methods to assess the effects of distracting behaviors. Four studies involved non-commercial drivers of light vehicles and two studies involved commercial drivers of trucks and buses. Odds ratios quantifying safety-critical event (SCE) risk associated with talking, dialing, locating or answering, and texting or browsing were extracted. Stratified meta-analysis of pooled odds ratios was used to estimate SCE risk by distraction type; meta-regression was used to test for sources of heterogeneity. The results indicate that tasks that require drivers to take their eyes off the road, such as dialing, locating a phone and texting, increase SCE risk to a greater extent than tasks that do not require eyes off the road such as talking. Although talking on a handheld device did not increase SCE risk, further research is required to determine whether it indirectly influences SCE risk (e.g., by encouraging other cell phone activities). In addition, a number of study biases and quality issues of naturalistic driving studies are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

'What Does Donor Mean to a Four-Year-Old?': Initial Insights into Young Children's Perspectives in Solo Mother Families.

PubMed

Zadeh, Sophie; Freeman, Tabitha; Golombok, Susan

2017-05-01

This study reports on the questions, thoughts and feelings of children aged 4-9 conceived by donor insemination to single mothers. Fifty-one mothers and 47 children from the same families were each administered a semi-structured interview. Mothers generally reported that while children either lack understanding, or have not yet been told, about their donor conception, they may be thinking and talking about the absence of a father. Most children did not mention either donor conception or father absence and reported positive feelings about their families and friendships. Possible explanations for the discrepancy between mothers' and children's reports are discussed.

A comparison of mental strategies during athletic skills performance.

PubMed

Peluso, Eugenio A; Ross, Michael J; Gfeller, Jeffrey D; Lavoie, Donna J

2005-12-01

The current study examined the effects of performance enhancement techniques (PET's) on motor skill performance. Specifically, one hundred fifty college student volunteers (Men = 41; 27.3% and Women = 109; 72.6%) were randomly assigned to one of the nine conditions (Cond): Cond 1 and 2, simultaneous, externally verbalized self-talk or imagery (e.g., participants were instructed to say "aim, back, birdie "or engaged in imagery out loud while putting); Cond 3 and 4, delayed externally verbalized self-talk or imagery (e.g., participants were instructed to say "aim, back, birdie "or engaged in imagery out loud before putting); Cond 5 and 6, simultaneous, internally verbalized self-talk or imagery (e.g., participants were instructed to say "aim, back, birdie "or engaged in imagery silently to oneself while putting); Cond 7 and 8, delayed internally verbalized (e.g., participant were instructed to say "aim, back, birdie "or engaged in imagery silently to oneself before putting); and Cond 9, no instruction control group. All participants were asked to perform a golf-putting task. Results indicated that participants who implemented several (PET's) increased their putting accuracy across overall difference score evaluations F (8, 141) = 4.01, p < 0.05 when compared to a no instruction control condition. Follow-up analyses indicated that participants who reportedly engaged in ten hours or less of athletic activities per week preferred self-talk strategies F (2, 119) = 4.38, p < 0.05 whereas participants who endorsed ten hours or more of athletic activity per week preferred imagery strategies F (2, 25) = 5.27, p < 0.05. Key PointsMental imagery and self-talk strategies are implemented by athletes in order to regulate arousal, reduce maladaptive behaviors, reconstruct negative thoughts, and to increase one's concentration and focus.Results of the current study suggest that participants who engaged in several performance enhancement techniques exhibited enhanced performance on a golf putting task when compared to participants in a control condition.Participants who endorsed limited athletic familiarity and activity (e.g., ten hours or less) preferred self-talk practice whereas participants who endorsed higher ratings scores of athletic familiarity and activity (e.g., ten hours or more) preferred imagery strategies.The results of this study demonstrate the flexibility of Performance Enhancement Techniques (e.g., imagery v. self-talk, internal v. external, simultaneous v. delayed) and how they can be implemented to help an athlete reach his or her full potential.

75 FR 53287 - Combined Notice of Filings No. 2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-31

..., September 14, 2010. Docket Numbers: ER10-2338-000. Applicants: CP Power Sales Nineteen, L.L.C. Description: CP Power Sales Nineteen, L.L.C. submits tariff filing per 35.12: CP Power Sales Nineteen, L.L.C... Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, September 14, 2010. Docket Numbers: ER10-2339-000. Applicants: CP...

SLAC All Access: Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

ScienceCinema

Romani, Roger

2018-04-16

Three hundred and fifty miles overhead, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope silently glides through space. From this serene vantage point, the satellite's instruments watch the fiercest processes in the universe unfold. Pulsars spin up to 700 times a second, sweeping powerful beams of gamma-ray light through the cosmos. The hyperactive cores of distant galaxies spew bright jets of plasma. Far beyond, something mysterious explodes with unfathomable power, sending energy waves crashing through the universe. Stanford professor and KIPAC member Roger W. Romani talks about this orbiting telescope, the most advanced ever to view the sky in gamma rays, a form of light at the highest end of the energy spectrum that's created in the hottest regions of the universe.

Preoperative diagnosis of orbital cavernous hemangioma: a 99mTc-RBC SPECT study.

PubMed

Burroni, Luca; Borsari, Giulia; Pichierri, Patrizia; Polito, Ennio; Toscano, Olga; Grassetto, Gaia; Al-Nahhas, Adil; Rubello, Domenico; Vattimo, Angelo Giuseppe

2012-11-01

This study aimed to describe 99mTc-labeled RBC scintigraphy as a diagnostic method for orbital cavernous hemangiomas and to evaluate this diagnostic tool according to surgical outcomes. Fifty-five patients with clinical and radiological (US, CT, and/or MRI) suspicion of unilateral cavernous hemangioma of the orbit underwent 99mTc-RBC SPECT study.Qualitative and semiquantitative evaluations were performed, and results were statistically analyzed. SPECT images showed focal uptake in the orbital mass in 36 of 55 patients. Nineteen patients had a negative scintigraphic pattern, with concordance of early and late absence of uptake of 99mTc-RBC.Our procedure showed 100% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity for the diagnosis of orbital cavernous hemangioma, with a positive predictive value of 90.9% and a negative predictive value of 100%. 99mTc-RBC imaging is safe, easy to perform, and highly accurate in providing adequate clinical and surgical management. As a noninvasive and highly specific method for diagnosing orbital hemangioma, 99mTc-RBC scintigraphy can avoid more invasive imaging or biopsy.

Results of the 2001 JPL Balloon Flight Solar Cell Calibration Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anspaugh, B. E.; Mueller, R. L.

2002-01-01

The 2001 solar cell calibration balloon flight campaign consisted of two flights, which occurred on June 26, 2001, and July 4, 2001. Fifty-nine modules were carried to an altitude of approximately 120,000 ft (36.6 km). Full I-V curves were measured on nineteen of these modules, and output at a fixed load was measured on thirty-two modules (forty-six cells), with some modules repeated on the second flight. Nine modules were flown for temperature measurement only. The data from the fixed load cells on the first flight was not usable. The temperature dependence of the first-flight data was erratic and we were unable to find a way to extract accurate calibration values. The I-V data from the first flight was good, however, and all data from the second flight was also good. The data was corrected to 28 C and to 1 AU (1.496 x 10(exp 8)km). The calibrated cells have been returned to their owners and can now be used as reference standards in simulator testing of cells and arrays.

Level of Adoption of Quality Management Systems Into the Mexican Pork Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maldonado-Siman, Em; Ruíz-Flores, Agustín; Núñez-Domínguez, Rafael; González-Alcorta, Mariano; Hernández-Rodríguez, Bertha Alicia

This research studies the characteristics of the Mexican pork sector; adoption status of quality management systems, and product destinations. Ninety six percent of fifty enterprises have fully answered a questionnaire. Ninety percent are small and medium-sized, the rest are large-sized firms. Nineteen percent of them have totally adopted HACCP, sixty three percent are implementing or planning to do it, the rest have no plans to adopt it. Thirteen percent of the enterprises had ISO 9000. Thirty four percent of their sales go to supermarkets, 57% to other retail chains and 9% to exportation. Product destinations are mainly Central America, United States of America, Asia and Mexico. To improve efficiency and the quality of process it is necessary to implement HACCP. Besides, customers and legal requirements are the external factors, which result in this adoption. In the process of implementing, there are some problems, such as staff motivation and training. The results suggest that HACCP system operating is important for the Mexican pork industry. It also has relevant implications in domestic trade. It is necessary to encourage adoption of quality management systems in the sector.

Cemented total hip replacement cable debris and acetabular construct durability.

PubMed

Altenburg, Aaron J; Callaghan, John J; Yehyawi, Tameem M; Pedersen, Douglas R; Liu, Steve S; Leinen, Jessica A; Dahl, Kevin A; Goetz, Devon D; Brown, Thomas D; Johnston, Richard C

2009-07-01

Third-body wear can adversely affect the outcome of total hip arthroplasty by causing increased polyethylene wear, osteolysis, and component loosening. We hypothesized that there would be greater generation and migration of metal debris to the bearing surfaces in hips in which cobalt-chromium cables were used to reattach the osteotomized greater trochanter when compared with hips in which stainless steel wires were used. Between June 1981 and December 1983, 196 consecutive total hip arthroplasties were performed with use of an Iowa stem and a titanium-backed cemented acetabular component, with cobalt-chromium cable trochanteric reattachment. After nineteen to twenty years of follow-up, the patients were evaluated with regard to the depth of head penetration into the polyethylene (as a surrogate for wear), osteolysis, loosening, and the need for revision. The results were compared with those for a series of 304 total hip arthroplasties that were performed by the same surgeon from January 1984 to December 1985 with use of the same components and the same surgical technique, but with stainless steel wire trochanteric reattachment. The two groups had a comparable nineteen to twenty-year follow-up. All living patients (fifty-nine hips in the cable group and ninety-two hips in the wire group) had minimum ten-year follow-up radiographs. The polyethylene wear rate was 0.101 mm/yr for the cable group and 0.082 mm/yr for the wire group (p = 0.039). For the living patients, the rate of revision of the acetabular component because of aseptic loosening was 37.3% (twenty-two hips) for the cable group and 20.7% (nineteen hips) for the wire group (p = 0.025). The rate of acetabular osteolysis was 44% (twenty-six hips) for the cable group and 26% (twenty-four hips) for the wire group (p = 0.022). Kaplan-Meier analysis with revision of the acetabular component because of aseptic loosening as the end point demonstrated survival rates of 73.7% +/- 9% and 83% +/- 7% for the cable and wire groups, respectively, at twenty years (p = 0.03). Because cable trochanteric attachment led to significantly greater polyethylene wear, osteolysis, acetabular loosening, and acetabular revision, presumably due to third-body metallic debris generation in this cemented total hip replacement construct, surgeons should be aware of the deleterious effects of third-body debris and avoid the use of potential debris generators in the total hip arthroplasty construct. If cable is used and fretting is recognized, especially with intra-articular migration of metallic material or nonunion of the greater trochanter, consideration should be given to cable removal.

Sagittal MRI often overestimates the degree of cerebellar tonsillar ectopia: a potential for misdiagnosis of the Chiari I malformation.

PubMed

Tubbs, R Shane; Yan, Huang; Demerdash, Amin; Chern, Joshua J; Fries, Fabian N; Oskouian, Rod J; Oakes, W Jerry

2016-07-01

We hypothesized that by using coronal MRI, Chiari I malformation could be more precisely diagnosed, would provide simple anatomic landmarks, would provide information regarding asymmetry of hindbrain herniation, and would be a better method for analyzing the tonsillar herniation postoperatively when the opisthion has been removed. Fifty consecutive pediatric patients diagnosed with Chiari I malformation had comparison between the measurements of their caudally descended cerebellar tonsils on midsagittal and coronal MRI images. On MRI coronal imaging, tonsillar asymmetry was found in 48 patients. Maximal left tonsillar descent was 20.9 mm, and maximal right tonsillar descent was 17.4 mm. On MRI sagittal imaging, tonsillar descent ranged from 5 to 27.4 mm. Fifty-eight % of patients had syringomyelia. Five patients (10 %) on coronal MRI were found to have both cerebellar tonsils that were less than 3 mm below the foramen magnum. However, all of these patients had greater than 3 mm of tonsillar ectopia on sagittal imaging. Nineteen patients (38 %) on coronal MRI were found to have one of the cerebellar tonsils that were less than 3 mm below the foramen magnum. Similarly, each of these had greater than 3 mm of tonsillar ecotpia as measured on midsagittal MRI. Also, based on these findings, Chiari I malformation is almost always an asymmetrical tonsillar ectopia. Sagittal MRI overestimates the degree of tonsillar ectopia in patients with Chiari I malformation. Misdiagnosis may occur if sagittal imaging alone is used. The cerebellar tonsils are paramedian structures, and this should be kept in mind when interpreting midline sagittal MRI.

[The use of deodorants/antiperspirants does not constitute a risk factor for breast cancer].

PubMed

Namer, Moïse; Luporsi, Elisabeth; Gligorov, Joseph; Lokiec, François; Spielmann, Marc

2008-09-01

Based on the observation of a high incidence of breast cancer in the upper outer quadrant adjacent to the usual area of application of deodorants and/or antiperspirants, several scientific teams have advanced the hypothesis of a possible link between antiperspirants and breast cancer. The possibility of the involvement of parabens and aluminium salts, traditional components of a number of cosmetic products, has been advanced by the same teams. In order to ascertain whether this hypothesis could or could not be confirmed, a group of clinical experts in oncology was set up to search and analyse the literature data relating to the problem raised with the aim of answering three predefined questions: 1) does it exist experimental or biological arguments supporting a potential link between the use of deodorants/antiperspirants and breast cancer? 2) Does the use of deodorants/antiperspirants have any effect on the increase in the risk of breast cancer? 3) Could a causal relationship between the use of deodorants/antiperspirants and breast cancer be accepted? The scientific data were searched systematically in the PubMed database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez) using standardised search equations. Fifty-nine studies resulting from the literature search were reviewed and nineteen articles with various methodologies were selected for in-depth analysis. In view of the fact that parabens are generally not present in deodorants/antiperspirants, the reflection group's search related purely to the question of aluminium salts. Among these nineteen articles, many are methodologically unsound, do not answer to the questions posed or deal with the question of parabens and were therefore discarded by the reflection group. The expert group's conclusion coincides with those of the French, European and American health authorities. After analysis of the available literature on the subject, no scientific evidence to support the hypothesis was identified and no validated hypothesis appears likely to open the way to interesting avenues of research.

PREFACE: 4th National Conference on Processing and Characterization of Materials (NCPCM 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2015-02-01

This volume contains selected full length technical papers amongst forty oral presentations made in the 4th National Conference on Processing and Characterization of Materials (NCPCM 2014), NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha, India, December 5 - 6, 2014. The first conference of the NCPCM series was held at the same place in December 2011. Seeing the enthusiasm of the participants, it was decided to organize such conference in Rourkela every year. The basic idea was to establish a periodical national forum for multi-scale approaches in processing and characterization of materials in the eastern part of India. The conference NCPCM 2014 has successfully carried the tradition of previous conferences; more than fifty participants from twenty different organizations across India have registered. The conference was consisted of six technical sessions of about fifty contributory talks along with three keynote lectures. A metallography contest was also organized during the event. Out of these, thirty four best peer-reviewed contributions are published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. We would like to thank all the contributors, members of the organizing committee, session chairs as well as colleagues and students who helped with the preparation of the conference and, particularly, with the preparation of this volume. We convey our heartiest gratitude to the sponsors and advertisers for their contribution.

[Reproductive health in adolescent students: knowledge, attitudes, and behavior in both sexes, in a community of Santiago].

PubMed

Millán, T; Valenzuela, S; Vargas, N A

1995-03-01

Nine hundred forty eight teenagers (600 females) from a public school of one of the poorest communities of Santiago were surveyed about knowledge and practices on sexuality and reproductive health. Twenty four percent of females and 40% of males did not talk about their problems at home, instead they talked preferentially with their friends. Half of the sample attributed a risk a pregnancy to the first sexual intercourse; 67% did not know the infertile phase of the menstrual cycle and 20% did not identify two sexually transmitted diseases. Sixty percent considered rhythm technique as a safe fertility control method, 60% of males and 50% of females considered masturbation as risky, 57% of males and 49% of females estimated that condoms could be reused and between 5 and 16% of the sample correctly identified AIDS modes of transmission. Fifty percent had a couple and 23% of males and 17% of females had a sexual intercourse in the last six months; of these, 45% of women and 27% of men used a contraceptive method. Four percent of women and 6% of men became involved in a pregnancy and 57% of these terminated in abortions. It is concluded that knowledge about sexuality and reproductive biology among low income teenagers is scanty.

Gender Dysphoria and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Glidden, Derek; Bouman, Walter Pierre; Jones, Bethany A; Arcelus, Jon

2016-01-01

There is a growing clinical recognition that a significant proportion of patients with gender dysphoria have concurrent autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this review is to systematically appraise the current literature regarding the co-occurrence of gender dysphoria and ASD. A systematic literature search using Medline and PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase was conducted from 1966 to July 2015. Fifty-eight articles were generated from the search. Nineteen of these publications met the inclusion criteria. The literature investigating ASD in children and adolescents with gender dysphoria showed a higher prevalence rate of ASD compared with the general population. There is a limited amount of research in adults. Only one study showed that adults attending services for gender dysphoria had increased ASD scores. Another study showed a larger proportion of adults with atypical gender identity and ASD. Although the research is limited, especially for adults, there is an increasing amount of evidence that suggests a co-occurrence between gender dysphoria and ASD. Further research is vital for educational and clinical purposes. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Higher Dose Imatinib for Children With De Novo Chronic Phase Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: A Report From the Children’s Oncology Group

PubMed Central

Champagne, Martin A.; Fu, Cecilia H.; Chang, Myron; Chen, Helen; Gerbing, Robert B.; Alonzo, Todd A.; Cooley, Linda D.; Heerema, Nyla A.; Oehler, Vivian; Wood, Charlotte; French, Mary Ellen; Arceci, Robert J.; Smith, Franklin O.; Bernstein, Mark L.

2016-01-01

Purpose To determine the efficacy of imatinib in children with newly diagnosed chronic phase (CP) chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Methods This was an open label, multi-center phase II clinical trial. Courses were defined as consecutive 28-day intervals. Oral imatinib was administered daily at 340 mg/m2 without interruption in the absence of toxicity. Results Fifty-one children received 978 28-day courses of imatinib. The most common toxicities encountered were hematologic. Forty-one patients (80%) achieved a complete hematologic response by the end of course 2. Nineteen children (38%) obtained a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) at the end of course 3. Overall, 72% achieved CCyR at a median time of 5.6 months. The rate of complete molecular response (>3 log reduction) was 27%. Progression-free and overall survival at 3 years were 72% ± 6.4% and 92% ± 3.9%, respectively. Conclusions Daily oral imatinib at a dose of 340 mg/m2 is well tolerated in children. In addition, imatinib therapy is effective in inducing a high percent of hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular responses, comparable to adults with CML. PMID:21465636

Adhesive and abrasive wear mechanisms in ion implanted metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dearnaley, G.

1985-03-01

The distinction between adhesive and abrasive wear processes was introduced originally by Burwell during the nineteen-fifties, though some authors prefer to classify wear according to whether it is mild or severe. It is argued here that, on the basis of the performance of a variety of ion implanted metal surfaces, exposed to different modes of wear, the Burwell distinction is a valid one which, moreover, enables us to predict under which circumstances a given treatment will perform well. It is shown that, because wear rates under abrasive conditions are very sensitive to the ratio of the hardness of the surface to that of the abrasive particles, large increases in working life are attainable as a result of ion implantation. Under adhesive wear conditions, the wear rate appears to fall inversely as the hardness increases, and it is advantageous to implant species which will create and retain a hard surface oxide or other continuous film in order to reduce metal-metal contact. By the appropriate combination of physico-chemical changes in an implanted layer it has been possible to reduce wear rates by up to three orders of magnitude. Such rates compensate for the shallow depths achievable by ion implantation.

Opportunistic pathogens and elements of the resistome that are common in bottled mineral water support the need for continuous surveillance.

PubMed

Falcone-Dias, Maria Fernanda; Centrón, Daniela; Pavan, Fernando; Moura, Adriana Candido da Silva; Naveca, Felipe Gomes; de Souza, Victor Costa; Farache Filho, Adalberto; Leite, Clarice Queico Fujimura

2015-01-01

Several differences concerning bacterial species, opportunistic pathogens, elements of the resistome as well as variations concerning the CFU/mL counts were identified in some of the five most marketed bottled mineral water from Araraquara city, São Paulo, Brazil. Two out of five brands tested were confirmed as potential source of opportunistic pathogens, including Mycobacterium gordonae, Ralstonia picketti and Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). A total of one hundred and six isolates were recovered from four of these bottled mineral water brands. Betaproteobacteria was predominant followed by Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes. Ninety percent of the bacteria isolated demonstrated resistance to seventeen of the nineteen antimicrobials tested. These antimicrobials included eight different classes, including 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins, carbapenems and fluoroquinolones. Multidrug resistant bacteria were detected for fifty-nine percent of isolates in three water brands at counts up to 103 CFU/ml. Of major concern, the two bottled mineral water harboring opportunistic pathogens were also source of elements of the resistome that could be directly transferred to humans. All these differences found among brands highlight the need for continuous bacteriological surveillance of bottled mineral water.

Opportunistic Pathogens and Elements of the Resistome that Are Common in Bottled Mineral Water Support the Need for Continuous Surveillance

PubMed Central

Falcone-Dias, Maria Fernanda; Centrón, Daniela; Pavan, Fernando; Moura, Adriana Candido da Silva; Naveca, Felipe Gomes; de Souza, Victor Costa; Farache Filho, Adalberto; Leite, Clarice Queico Fujimura

2015-01-01

Several differences concerning bacterial species, opportunistic pathogens, elements of the resistome as well as variations concerning the CFU/mL counts were identified in some of the five most marketed bottled mineral water from Araraquara city, São Paulo, Brazil. Two out of five brands tested were confirmed as potential source of opportunistic pathogens, including Mycobacterium gordonae, Ralstonia picketti and Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). A total of one hundred and six isolates were recovered from four of these bottled mineral water brands. Betaproteobacteria was predominant followed by Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes. Ninety percent of the bacteria isolated demonstrated resistance to seventeen of the nineteen antimicrobials tested. These antimicrobials included eight different classes, including 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins, carbapenems and fluoroquinolones. Multidrug resistant bacteria were detected for fifty-nine percent of isolates in three water brands at counts up to 103 CFU/ml. Of major concern, the two bottled mineral water harboring opportunistic pathogens were also source of elements of the resistome that could be directly transferred to humans. All these differences found among brands highlight the need for continuous bacteriological surveillance of bottled mineral water. PMID:25803794

A pilot study: evaluation of a psychosocial program for women with gynecological cancers.

PubMed

Levine, Ellen G; Silver, Barbara

2007-01-01

Ovarian cancer is the fourth highest cause of cancer deaths in the US. Psychosocial issues may be prevalent among these women. This study examined the efficacy of a gynecological cancer resource program. Fifty-three women completed questionnaires over a year's time. The women felt positively about the program, and used several of the services. The most used services were that of the center coordinator/nurse practitioner, the GYN support group, the hair consultant, and the imagery sessions. The social worker, massage therapist, and the nutritionist seemed to be important at the beginning of the cancer experience but not so much at later stages. Having a nurse practitioner who could talk about treatment side effects, menopause, body image, sexuality, etc., was helpful to at least half of the women. Psychological distress decreased over time, as did quality of life.

Latino Teen Theater: A Theater Intervention to Promote Latino Parent-Adolescent Sexual Communication.

PubMed

Noone, Joanne; Castillo, Nancy; Allen, Tiffany L; Esqueda, Teresa

2015-01-01

Latina teen pregnancy rates continue to be a health disparity in the United States. This study evaluated a parenting intervention using interactive theater to facilitate Latino parent-adolescent communication about sexuality and pregnancy prevention. The intervention, conducted in Spanish and with teen actors, consisted of scenes involving the audience. Fifty-nine parents participated in this 3-month prospective study. Spanish measures of comfort with communication, general communication, and parent-child sexual communication were employed comparing paired t tests for each scale. Acceptability of the intervention was assessed and demonstrated. Eighty-six percent of parents used information from the performance to talk to their child. Improvements in general communication (p < .02), sexual communication (p < .001), and comfort (p < .001) occurred. Interactive theater is an innovative approach to facilitate Latino parent communication about sexuality and pregnancy prevention.

A bioinformatics potpourri.

PubMed

Schönbach, Christian; Li, Jinyan; Ma, Lan; Horton, Paul; Sjaugi, Muhammad Farhan; Ranganathan, Shoba

2018-01-19

The 16th International Conference on Bioinformatics (InCoB) was held at Tsinghua University, Shenzhen from September 20 to 22, 2017. The annual conference of the Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network featured six keynotes, two invited talks, a panel discussion on big data driven bioinformatics and precision medicine, and 66 oral presentations of accepted research articles or posters. Fifty-seven articles comprising a topic assortment of algorithms, biomolecular networks, cancer and disease informatics, drug-target interactions and drug efficacy, gene regulation and expression, imaging, immunoinformatics, metagenomics, next generation sequencing for genomics and transcriptomics, ontologies, post-translational modification, and structural bioinformatics are the subject of this editorial for the InCoB2017 supplement issues in BMC Genomics, BMC Bioinformatics, BMC Systems Biology and BMC Medical Genomics. New Delhi will be the location of InCoB2018, scheduled for September 26-28, 2018.

Preface of 16th International conference on Defects, Recognition, Imaging and Physics in Semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Deren; Xu, Ke

2016-11-01

The 16th International conference on Defects-Recognition, Imaging and Physics in Semiconductors (DRIP-XVI) was held at the Worldhotel Grand Dushulake in Suzhou, China from 6th to 10th September 2015, around the 30th anniversary of the first DRIP conference. It was hosted by the Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics (SINANO), Chinese Academy of Sciences. On this occasion, about one hundred participants from nineteen countries attended the event. And a wide range of subjects were addressed during the conference: physics of point and extended defects in semiconductors: origin, electrical, optical and magnetic properties of defects; diagnostics techniques of crystal growth and processing of semiconductor materials (in-situ and process control); device imaging and mapping to evaluate performance and reliability; defect analysis in degraded optoelectronic and electronic devices; imaging techniques and instruments (proximity probe, x-ray, electron beam, non-contact electrical, optical and thermal imaging techniques, etc.); new frontiers of atomic-scale-defect assessment (STM, AFM, SNOM, ballistic electron energy microscopy, TEM, etc.); new approaches for multi-physic-parameter characterization with Nano-scale space resolution. Within these subjects, there were 58 talks, of which 18 invited, and 50 posters.

Measures of static postural control moderate the association of strength and power with functional dynamic balance.

PubMed

Forte, Roberta; Boreham, Colin A G; De Vito, Giuseppe; Ditroilo, Massimiliano; Pesce, Caterina

2014-12-01

Age-related reductions in strength and power are considered to negatively impact balance control, but the existence of a direct association is still an issue of debate. This is possibly due to the fact that balance assessment is complex, reflects different underlying physiologic mechanisms and involves quantitative measurements of postural sway or timing of performance during balance tasks. The present study evaluated the moderator effect of static postural control on the association of power and strength with dynamic balance tasks. Fifty-seven healthy 65-75 year old individuals performed tests of dynamic functional balance (walking speed under different conditions) and of strength, power and static postural control. Dynamic balance performance (walking speed) was associated with lower limb strength and power, as well as postural control under conditions requiring postural adjustments (narrow surface walking r(2) = 0.31, p < 0.001). An interaction effect between strength and static postural control was found with narrow surface walking and talking while walking (change of β 0.980, p < 0.001 in strength for 1 SD improvements in static postural control for narrow walking, and [Formula: see text] -0.730, p < 0.01 in talking while walking). These results indicate that good static postural control facilitates the utilisation of lower limb strength to better perform complex, dynamic functional balance tasks. Practical implications for assessment and training are discussed.

Racial discrimination, response to unfair treatment, and depressive symptoms among pregnant black and African American women in the United States.

PubMed

Ertel, Karen A; James-Todd, Tamarra; Kleinman, Kenneth; Krieger, Nancy; Gillman, Matthew; Wright, Rosalind; Rich-Edwards, Janet

2012-12-01

To assess the association between self-reported racial discrimination and prenatal depressive symptoms among black women. Our study population consisted of two cohorts of pregnant women: the Asthma Coalition on Community, Environment, and Social Stress project (ACCESS) and Project Viva. We measured self-reported racial discrimination among black women using a modified Experiences of Discrimination scale (score 0-8). We assessed elevated depressive symptoms (EDS) with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (≥13 on a 0-30 scale). Fifty-four percent of ACCESS and 78% of Viva participants reported experiencing racial discrimination. After adjusting for age, marital status, income, education, and nativity, a 1-U increment in Experiences of Discrimination score was associated with 48% increased odds of EDS (odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-1.76) for ACCESS participants but was not significantly associated among Viva participants (odds ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.92-1.37). In both cohorts, responding to unfair treatment by talking to others was associated with the lowest odds of EDS. Our findings suggest that higher levels of perceived racial discrimination may increase depressive symptoms during pregnancy among U.S. black women. Interventions involving talking to others may aid in reducing the risk of depressive symptoms among black women experiencing higher levels of racial discrimination. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cemented Total Hip Replacement Cable Debris and Acetabular Construct Durability

PubMed Central

Altenburg, Aaron J.; Callaghan, John J.; Yehyawi, Tameem M.; Pedersen, Douglas R.; Liu, Steve S.; Leinen, Jessica A.; Dahl, Kevin A.; Goetz, Devon D.; Brown, Thomas D.; Johnston, Richard C.

2009-01-01

Background: Third-body wear can adversely affect the outcome of total hip arthroplasty by causing increased polyethylene wear, osteolysis, and component loosening. We hypothesized that there would be greater generation and migration of metal debris to the bearing surfaces in hips in which cobalt-chromium cables were used to reattach the osteotomized greater trochanter when compared with hips in which stainless steel wires were used. Methods: Between June 1981 and December 1983, 196 consecutive total hip arthroplasties were performed with use of an Iowa stem and a titanium-backed cemented acetabular component, with cobalt-chromium cable trochanteric reattachment. After nineteen to twenty years of follow-up, the patients were evaluated with regard to the depth of head penetration into the polyethylene (as a surrogate for wear), osteolysis, loosening, and the need for revision. The results were compared with those for a series of 304 total hip arthroplasties that were performed by the same surgeon from January 1984 to December 1985 with use of the same components and the same surgical technique, but with stainless steel wire trochanteric reattachment. The two groups had a comparable nineteen to twenty-year follow-up. All living patients (fifty-nine hips in the cable group and ninety-two hips in the wire group) had minimum ten-year follow-up radiographs. Results: The polyethylene wear rate was 0.101 mm/yr for the cable group and 0.082 mm/yr for the wire group (p = 0.039). For the living patients, the rate of revision of the acetabular component because of aseptic loosening was 37.3% (twenty-two hips) for the cable group and 20.7% (nineteen hips) for the wire group (p = 0.025). The rate of acetabular osteolysis was 44% (twenty-six hips) for the cable group and 26% (twenty-four hips) for the wire group (p = 0.022). Kaplan-Meier analysis with revision of the acetabular component because of aseptic loosening as the end point demonstrated survival rates of 73.7% ± 9% and 83% ± 7% for the cable and wire groups, respectively, at twenty years (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Because cable trochanteric attachment led to significantly greater polyethylene wear, osteolysis, acetabular loosening, and acetabular revision, presumably due to third-body metallic debris generation in this cemented total hip replacement construct, surgeons should be aware of the deleterious effects of third-body debris and avoid the use of potential debris generators in the total hip arthroplasty construct. If cable is used and fretting is recognized, especially with intra-articular migration of metallic material or nonunion of the greater trochanter, consideration should be given to cable removal. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. PMID:19571089

Minimum ten-year results of primary bipolar hip arthroplasty for degenerative arthritis of the hip.

PubMed

Pellegrini, Vincent D; Heiges, Bradley A; Bixler, Brian; Lehman, Erik B; Davis, Charles M

2006-08-01

Bipolar hip arthroplasty has been advocated by some as an alternative to total hip arthroplasty for the treatment of degenerative arthritis of the hip. We sought to assess the results of this procedure at our institution after a minimum duration of follow-up of ten years. We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of 152 patients (173 hips) who underwent primary bipolar hemiarthroplasty for the treatment of symptomatic degenerative arthritis of the hip with a cementless femoral component between 1983 and 1987. Of the original cohort of 152 patients, ninety-two patients (104 hips) were available for clinical and radiographic review at a mean of 12.2 years postoperatively. At the time of the latest follow-up, self-administered Harris hip questionnaires were used to assess pain, mobility, activity level, and overall satisfaction with the procedure. Biplanar hip radiographs were made to evaluate bipolar shell migration, osteolysis, and femoral stem fixation. At the time of the latest follow-up, nineteen patients (nineteen hips) had undergone revision to total hip arthroplasty because of mechanical failure, and three patients (three hips) were awaiting revision because of symptomatic radiographic mechanical failure. Twelve acetabular revisions were performed or scheduled for the treatment of pelvic osteolysis or protrusio acetabuli secondary to component migration. Acetabular reconstruction required bone-grafting, an oversized shell, and/or a pelvic reconstruction ring. The overall rate of mechanical failure was 21.2% (twenty-two of 104 hips), with 91% (twenty) of the twenty-two failures involving the acetabular component. Reaming of the acetabulum at the time of the index arthroplasty was associated with a 6.4-fold greater risk of revision. The rate of implant survival, with revision because of mechanical failure as the end point, was 94.2% for femoral components and 80.8% for acetabular components at a mean of 12.2 years. Of the remaining sixty-nine patients (eighty-one hips) in whom the original prosthesis was retained, seventeen patients (24.6%) rated the pain as moderate to severe. Nearly 30% of patients with an intact prosthesis required analgesics on a regular basis. Radiographs were available for fifty-eight hips (including all of the hips with moderate to severe pain) after a minimum duration of follow-up of ten years; twenty-eight of these fifty-eight hips had radiographic evidence of acetabular component migration. This bipolar cup, when used for hemiarthroplasty in patients with symptomatic arthritis of the hip, was associated with unacceptably high rates of pain, migration, osteolysis, and the need for revision to total hip arthroplasty, especially when the acetabulum had been reamed. To the extent that these findings can be generalized to similar implant designs with conventional polyethylene, we do not recommend bipolar hemiarthroplasty as the primary operative treatment for degenerative arthritis of the hip.

The Future of U.S. Science - To Follow or To Lead?

ScienceCinema

Lane, Neal

2018-05-24

The message of the talk is simple. Since the end of WWII and Vannevar Bush's legendary report 'Science, The Endless Frontier,' the U.S. has enjoyed an extraordinary period of leadership in science and success in delivering its many benefits to the American people, indeed humanity throughout the world. But things change over a span of fifty years. The critical role of science, in particular, the federal investment in basic research, has gotten lost in a vast array of other societal concerns. Perhaps we are at a 'tipping point' with regard to U.S. science. If so, the stakes are high; and it is our responsibility to help the American people and their elected representatives get the message. I will describe some concerns I have about the future, comment on several recent reports, which I think are relevant, and attempt to offer some reasons to be optimistic.

The Perception and Costs of the Interview Process for Plastic Surgery Residency Programs: Can the Process Be Streamlined?

PubMed

Susarla, Srinivas M; Swanson, Edward W; Slezak, Sheri; Lifchez, Scott D; Redett, Richard J

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess applicant perceptions and costs associated with the interview process for plastic surgery residency positions. This was a cross-sectional survey of applicants to the integrated- and independent-track residencies at the authors' institution. All applicants who were interviewed were invited to complete a Web-based survey on costs and perceptions of various components of the interview process. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed to compare applicants to the two program tracks. Fifty-three applicants were interviewed for residency positions; 48 completed a survey (90.5 percent response rate). Thirty-four applicants were candidates for the integrated program; 16 applicants were candidates for the independent program. The program spent $2763 per applicant interviewed; 63 percent of applicants spent more than $5000 on the interview process. More than 70 percent of applicants missed more than 7 days of work to attend interviews. Independent applicants felt less strongly that interviews were critical to the selection process and placed less value on physically visiting the hospital and direct, in-person interaction. Applicants placed little value on program informational talks. Applicants who had experience with virtual interviews felt more positively about the format of a video interview relative to those who did not. The residency interview process is resource intensive for programs and applicants. Removing informational talks may improve the process. Making physical tours and in-person interviews optional are other alternatives that merit future study.

Constructing a publically available distracted driving database and research tool.

PubMed

Atchley, Paul; Tran, Ashleigh V; Salehinejad, Mohammad Ali

2017-02-01

The goal of the current work was to create a publicly available visualization tool of distracted driving research, the purpose of which is to allow the public and other stakeholders to empirically inform questions of their choice that may bear on policy discussions. Fifty years of distracted driving research was used to design a comprehensive database of studies that evaluated the effects of distraction on driving performance. Distraction sources (e.g., texting, talking, visual distraction) and performance measures were defined, and the sample of studies were evaluated and categorized by their measures. The final product yielded 342 studies using various methodologies. Across all measures, 1297 found distractions degraded driving performance, 54 found distraction improved driving performance, and 257 found distraction had no effect on driving performance. An analysis of the most common phone distractions (texting and talking) showed that texting almost always results in degraded performance. Aggregate data reveal no difference in performance decrements for hand-held or hands-free phones even though single studies of those variables vary in their outcomes. This project illustrates how scientific research can be made publically available for use by a diverse audience of stakeholders. An important result of this project is that data aggregated along a simple set of characteristics such as whether or not performance is decreased, improved or not affected, can reveal trends in the data that are less clear from any individual study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Endocrine pancreatic function changes after acute pancreatitis.

PubMed

Wu, Deqing; Xu, Yaping; Zeng, Yue; Wang, Xingpeng

2011-10-01

This study aimed to investigate the impairment of pancreatic endocrine function and the associated risk factors after acute pancreatitis (AP). Fifty-nine patients were subjected to tests of pancreatic function after an attack of pancreatitis. The mean time after the event was 3.5 years. Pancreatic endocrine function was evaluated by fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood insulin, and C-peptide. Homeostasis model assessment was used to evaluate insulin resistance and islet β-cell function. Pancreatic exocrine function was evaluated by fecal elastase 1. Factors that could influence endocrine function were also investigated. Nineteen patients (32%) were found to have elevated FBG, whereas 5 (8%) had abnormal glycosylated hemoglobin levels. The levels of FBG, fasting blood insulin, and C-peptide were higher in patients than in controls (P < 0.01). The islet β-cell function of patients was lower than that of controls (P < 0.01), whereas insulin resistance index was higher among patients (P < 0.01). Obesity, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes-related symptoms were found to be associated with endocrine insufficiency. Pancreatic exocrine functional impairment was found at the same time. Endocrine functional impairment with insulin resistance was found in patients after AP. Obesity, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes-related symptoms increased the likelihood of developing functional impairment after AP.

Food addiction in overweight and obese adolescents seeking weight-loss treatment.

PubMed

Meule, Adrian; Hermann, Tina; Kübler, Andrea

2015-05-01

Some forms of overeating closely resemble addictive behaviour. The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) was developed to measure such addiction-like eating in humans and has been employed in numerous studies for examining food addiction in adults. Yet, little is known about food addiction in children and adolescents. Fifty adolescents were recruited at the beginning of treatment in a weight-loss hospital and completed the YFAS among other questionnaires. Nineteen participants (38%) received a YFAS diagnosis, who did not differ in age, body mass and gender distribution from those not receiving a diagnosis. However, those with food addiction reported more binge days, more frequent food cravings, higher eating, weight and shape concerns, more symptoms of depression and higher attentional and motor impulsivity. Eating restraint and nonplanning impulsivity did not differ between groups. Results replicate findings from studies in obese adults such that food addiction is not related to age, gender, body mass or eating restraint, but to higher eating pathology, more symptoms of depression and higher impulsivity. Furthermore, results highlight that particularly attentional impulsivity is related to 'food addiction'. Addiction-like eating appears to be a valid phenotype in a substantial subset of treatment-seeking, obese adolescents. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

The Clusters AgeS Experiment (CASE). Variable Stars in the Field of the Globular Cluster NGC 3201

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaluzny, J.; Rozyczka, M.; Thompson, I. B.; Narloch, W.; Mazur, B.; Pych, W.; Schwarzenberg-Czerny, A.

2016-01-01

The field of the globular cluster NGC 3201 was monitored between 1998 and 2009 in a search for variable stars. BV light curves were obtained for 152 periodic or likely periodic variables, fifty-seven of which are new detections. Thirty-seven newly detected variables are proper motion members of the cluster. Among them we found seven detached or semi-detached eclipsing binaries, four contact binaries, and eight SX Phe pulsators. Four of the eclipsing binaries are located in the turnoff region, one on the lower main sequence and the remaining two slightly above the subgiant branch. Two contact systems are blue stragglers, and another two reside in the turnoff region. In the blue straggler region a total of 266 objects were found, of which 140 are proper motion (PM) members of NGC 3201, and another nineteen are field stars. Seventy-eight of the remaining objects for which we do not have PM data are located within the half-light radius from the center of the cluster, and most of them are likely genuine blue stragglers. Four variable objects in our field of view were found to coincide with X-ray sources: three chromospherically active stars and a quasar at a redshift z≍0.5.

The isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from pigeon droppings and serotyping of naturally and clinically sourced isolates in China.

PubMed

Li, A; Nishimura, K; Taguchi, H; Tanaka, R; Wu, S; Miyaji, M

1993-10-01

This is the first report on the isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from pigeon droppings in China and their serotypes. C. neoformans colonies which produced brown colonies on caffeic acid-cornmeal agar were found in Twenty-five out of thirty-six samples of pigeon droppings. Fifty-one colonies randomly picked from the positive samples were identified as C. neoformans by a commercially available kit for carbon source assimilation test and Christensen's urea agar. Forty (78%) out of the 51 strains were serotyped as A and 11 (22%) as AD. At the same time, seventeen out of nineteen clinical isolates were serotyped as A and 2 as B. There are three findings in our results. One is that only C. neoformans var. neoformans strains could be isolated from pigeon droppings, although the variety gattii strains were found in the clinical isolates obtained in the same geographic site in China. The second is that serotype A strains were most frequently seen in natural and clinical materials in the southeast part of China, and serotype AD strains were isolated in pigeon droppings but not in clinical materials. The third is that the coexistence of serotype A and AD cells of C. neoformans strains in same samples of pigeon droppings were observed.

Combined therapy for small cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung.

PubMed

Mandelbaum, I; Williams, S D; Hornback, N B; Joe, B T; Einhorn, L H

1978-09-01

Fifty-eight patients with small cell lung cancer were treated from September, 1974, to March, 1976, with combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgical resection of the lung lesion was performed in three patients, and a number of surgical diagnostic methods were carried out in the remaining patients with unresectable of disseminated lesions. Nineteen patients were from the Veterans Administration Hospital and 39 from Indiana University Medical Center. The median Karnofsky performance status was 60. Thirty-nine patients had extensive disease, and 19 had disease limited to the chest and supraclavicular area. All patients received chest radiotherapy and prophylactic whole brain radiation. Adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine were given on day 1 and continued every 3 weeks. There were 27 (48 percent) partial remissions of a median duration of 26 weeks. There were 25 patients (43 percent) with complete remission. The median survival for the entire group was 51 weeks. Six of 58 patients (10 percent) are alive and disease free from 24 to 38 months after treatment. Six of 19 patients with limited disease (32 percent) are presently alive and disease free. This includes one patient in whom surgical resection was performed. Combined therapy influences favorably the prognosis of small cell cancer of the ling, expecially in those patients with limited disease and favorable performance status.

Girls who masturbate in early infancy: diagnostics, natural course and a long-term follow-up.

PubMed

Rödöö, Peo; Hellberg, Dan

2013-07-01

To evaluate the natural course, onset, diagnostics and long-term follow-up masturbation in infant girls, which up to now has only been described in case reports. Nineteen consecutive healthy, masturbating girls, diagnosed in early infancy between three and 15 months, were followed up for an average of 8 years. All were diagnosed in the same Swedish hospital between May 1996 and June 2010. Ten girls were videotaped and/or directly observed while masturbating. Mean age at onset of masturbation was 10.4 months. The diagnosis was based on history taking and clinical observation. Parents reported that masturbation ranged from a few times a week to two-to-fifty episodes a day. Twelve girls had stopped masturbating when this study was written, after a mean duration of 66 months. Their symptoms and diagnostics are described in detail. This is the first follow-up study of girls who started masturbating in early infancy, with a mean duration of five-and-a-half years. Diagnosis may be difficult, but with awareness and knowledge of the condition, a normal physical and neurological examination, a detailed history from the parents and, in particular, video documentation, it can be settled without extensive investigations and the parents reassured. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Getting used to academic public speaking: global self-esteem predicts habituation in blood pressure response to repeated thesis presentations.

PubMed

Elfering, Achim; Grebner, Simone

2012-06-01

Global self-esteem was tested to predict quicker cardiovascular adaptation during stressful oral thesis presentation and faster habituation from the first to the second and third thesis presentations. Nineteen graduate students initially rated their global self-esteem and afterwards orally presented their theses proposals in 20-min presentations to their thesis supervisor and peers. A second and third presentation of the revised thesis concepts took place at 4-weeks intervals. Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were assessed repeatedly during the presentations. Post-talk self ratings of stressfulness indicated presentations to be a strong public speaking stressor. One hundred and thirty-eight measurements of systolic (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) showed a significant adaptation (decrease) during presentations. There was an overall mean level decrease from the first to the second, and the second to the third presentations in HR, but not in SBP and DBP. However, habituation in SBP and DBP across three presentations was significantly faster (p < .05) in those participants who initially reported higher levels of global self-esteem. Higher global self-esteem did not foster adaptation within the presentations. Self-esteem is discussed as an important individual resource that allows successful coping with recurring evaluative threats.

The experiences of frequent users of crisis helplines: A qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Middleton, Aves; Gunn, Jane; Bassilios, Bridget; Pirkis, Jane

2016-11-01

To understand why some users call crisis helplines frequently. Nineteen semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with callers to Lifeline Australia who reported calling 20 times or more in the past month and provided informed consent. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis was used to generate common themes. Approval was granted by The University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee. Three overarching themes emerged from the data and included reasons for calling, service response and calling behaviours. Respondents called seeking someone to talk to, help with their mental health issues and assistance with negative life events. When they called, they found short-term benefits in the unrestricted support offered by the helpline. Over time they called about similar issues and described reactive, support-seeking and dependent calling behaviours. Frequent users of crisis helplines call about ongoing issues. They have developed distinctive calling behaviours which appear to occur through an interaction between their reasons for calling and the response they receive from the helpline. The ongoing nature of the issues prompting frequent users to call suggests that a service model that includes a continuity of care component may be more efficient in meeting their needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Even if they are not aware of it, general practitioners improve well-being in their adolescent patients

PubMed Central

Tudrej, Benoit V.; Heintz, Anne-Laure; Rehman, Michaela B.; Marcelli, Daniel; Ingrand, Pierre; Binder, Philippe

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Most adolescents consult their general practitioner (GP) for common reasons, somatic or administrative but many of them have hidden feelings of distress. Objectives: To assess the immediate impact of ‘ordinary’ consultations on feelings of distress among adolescents and to compare adolescents experiencing difficulties (D) to those with no difficulties (N). To analyse how accurately GPs assess the impact of their consultation on adolescents’ feelings. Methods: GPs were randomly selected from two non-contiguous French administrative areas between April and June 2006. Fifty-three GPs gave two questionnaires to the first 10 to 15 adolescents aged 12 to 20 seen in consultation. One questionnaire was issued before the consultation and the other one afterwards. Adolescents had to position themselves about different aspects of well-being and say where they would seek help if they had problems. A GP questionnaire assessed how well they estimated their impact on the adolescent’s feeling of well-being. Results: Six hundred and sixty-five adolescents were assessed. They reported feeling better about their health, being able to talk, having someone to talk to or to confide in and on feeling understood. The D group (n = 147) felt significantly better compared to the N group (n = 518). GPs tended to underestimate this improvement, especially regarding adolescents in the D group feeling better about their health. Conclusions: Consulting a GP generates increased well-being among adolescents, especially for those experiencing difficulties. GPs tend to underestimate the positive impact they may have. Further studies are needed to explore if this benefit is permanent over time. PMID:28714758

Validity of the Talk Test for exercise prescription after myocardial revascularization.

PubMed

Zanettini, Renzo; Centeleghe, Paola; Franzelli, Cristina; Mori, Ileana; Benna, Stefania; Penati, Chiara; Sorlini, Nadia

2013-04-01

For exercise prescription, rating of perceived exertion is the subjective tool most frequently used in addition to methods based on percentage of peak exercise variables. The aim of this study was the validation of a subjective method widely called the Talk Test (TT) for optimization of training intensity in patients with recent myocardial revascularization. Fifty patients with recent myocardial revascularization (17 by coronary artery bypass grafting and 33 by percutaneous coronary intervention) were enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation programme. Each patient underwent three repetitions of the TT during three different exercise sessions to evaluate the within-patient and between-operators reliability in assessing the workload (WL) at TT thresholds. These parameters were then compared with the data of a final cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and the WL range between the individual aerobic threshold (AeT) and anaerobic threshold (AnT) was considered as the optimal training zone. The within-patient and between-operators reliability in assessing TT thresholds were satisfactory. No significant differences were found between patients' and physiotherapists' evaluations of WL at different TT thresholds. WL at Last TT+ was between AeT and AnT in 88% of patients and slightly

Even if they are not aware of it, general practitioners improve well-being in their adolescent patients.

PubMed

Tudrej, Benoit V; Heintz, Anne-Laure; Rehman, Michaela B; Marcelli, Daniel; Ingrand, Pierre; Binder, Philippe

2017-12-01

Most adolescents consult their general practitioner (GP) for common reasons, somatic or administrative but many of them have hidden feelings of distress. To assess the immediate impact of 'ordinary' consultations on feelings of distress among adolescents and to compare adolescents experiencing difficulties (D) to those with no difficulties (N). To analyse how accurately GPs assess the impact of their consultation on adolescents' feelings. GPs were randomly selected from two non-contiguous French administrative areas between April and June 2006. Fifty-three GPs gave two questionnaires to the first 10 to 15 adolescents aged 12 to 20 seen in consultation. One questionnaire was issued before the consultation and the other one afterwards. Adolescents had to position themselves about different aspects of well-being and say where they would seek help if they had problems. A GP questionnaire assessed how well they estimated their impact on the adolescent's feeling of well-being. Six hundred and sixty-five adolescents were assessed. They reported feeling better about their health, being able to talk, having someone to talk to or to confide in and on feeling understood. The D group (n = 147) felt significantly better compared to the N group (n = 518). GPs tended to underestimate this improvement, especially regarding adolescents in the D group feeling better about their health. Consulting a GP generates increased well-being among adolescents, especially for those experiencing difficulties. GPs tend to underestimate the positive impact they may have. Further studies are needed to explore if this benefit is permanent over time.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strayer, M.R.

This talk surveys a thirteen-year collaboration with Chris Bottcher on various aspects of strong field electrodynamics. Most of the work centers on the atomic physics associated with the peripheral collisions of ultrarelativistic heavy atoms. The earliest, beginning in about 1979, dealt with the spontaneous emission of positrons from nuclear quasimolecules and touched briefly on the formation of axions as a possible explanation of the anomalous peaks in the spectrum. This work stimulated the extensive studies of particle production from coherent fields that laid the foundations for investigations of nuclear form factors, structure functions, and production mechanisms for the Higgs andmore » other exotic particles. Chris conjectured that the strong fields that are present in these collisions would give rise to nonperturbative effects. Thus, during this time, Chris also worked to develop basis-spline collocation methods for solving dynamical relativistic fermions in super strong fields. This was perhaps one of the best of times for Chris; on these problems alone, he co-authored fifty articles with more than twenty different collaborators.« less

The Aeroacoustics of Turbulent Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, M. E.

2008-01-01

Aerodynamic noise prediction has been an important and challenging research area since James Lighthill first introduced his Acoustic Analogy Approach over fifty years ago. This talk attempts to provide a unified framework for the subsequent theoretical developments in this field. It assumes that there is no single approach that is optimal in all situations and uses the framework as a basis for discussing the strengths weaknesses of the various approaches to this topic. But the emphasis here will be on the important problem of predicting the noise from high speed air jets. Specific results will presented for round jets in the 0.5 to 1.4 Mach number range and compared with experimental data taken on the Glenn SHAR rig. It is demonstrated that nonparallel mean flow effects play an important role in predicting the noise at the supersonic Mach numbers. The results explain the failure of previous attempts based on the parallel flow Lilley model (which has served as the foundation for most jet noise analyses during past two decades).

The Sounds of Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurnett, Donald

2009-11-01

The popular concept of space is that it is a vacuum, with nothing of interest between the stars, planets, moons and other astronomical objects. In fact most of space is permeated by plasma, sometimes quite dense, as in the solar corona and planetary ionospheres, and sometimes quite tenuous, as is in planetary radiation belts. Even less well known is that these space plasmas support and produce an astonishing large variety of waves, the ``sounds of space.'' In this talk I will give you a tour of these space sounds, starting with the very early discovery of ``whistlers'' nearly a century ago, and proceeding through my nearly fifty years of research on space plasma waves using spacecraft-borne instrumentation. In addition to being of scientific interest, some of these sounds can even be described as ``musical,'' and have served as the basis for various musical compositions, including a production called ``Sun Rings,'' written by the well-known composer Terry Riley, that has been performed by the Kronos Quartet to audiences all around the world.

Pediatric emergencies on a US-based commercial airline.

PubMed

Moore, Brian R; Ping, Jennifer M; Claypool, David W

2005-11-01

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the incidence and character of pediatric emergencies on a US-based commercial airline and to evaluate current in-flight medical kits. In-flight consultations to a major US airline by a member of our staff are recorded in an institutional database. In this observational retrospective review, the database was queried for consultations for all passengers up to 18 years old between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2002. Consultations were reviewed for type of emergency, use of the medical kit, and unscheduled landings. Two hundred twenty-two pediatric consultations were identified, representing 1 pediatric call per 20,775 flights. The mean age of patients was 6.8 years. Fifty-three emergencies were preflight calls, and 169 were in-flight pediatric consultations. The most common in-flight consultations concerned infectious disease (45 calls, 27%), neurological (25 calls, 15%), and respiratory tract (22 calls, 13%) emergencies. The emergency medical kit was used for 60 emergencies. Nineteen consultations (11%) resulted in flight diversions (1/240,000 flights), most commonly because of in-flight neurological (9) and respiratory tract (5) emergencies. International flights had a higher incidence than domestic flights of consultations and diversions for pediatric emergencies. The most common in-flight pediatric emergencies involved infectious diseases and neurological and respiratory tract problems. Emergency medical kits should be expanded to include pediatric medications.

Serum Cystatin C as an Early Diagnostic Biomarker of Diabetic Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

PubMed

Qamar, Ayesha; Hayat, Asma; Ahmad, Tariq Mahmood; Khan, Alamgir; Hasnat, Mohammad Najam Ul; Tahir, Sufyan

2018-04-01

To determine the diagnostic accuracy and cut-off values of serum cystatin C as early diagnostic biomarker of diabetic kidney disease. Cross-sectional analytical study. Department of Pathology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with Endocrinology Department, Military Hospital (MH), Rawalpindi from November 2015 to November 2016. One hundred and nineteen diagnosed patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled in the study from the outpatient Endocrinology Department of the MH Rawalpindi. Fifty disease-free controls were also included. Fasting blood samples of the patients and controls were analysed for creatinine by Jaffé's kinetic method and estimated GFR was calculated using MDRD-based equation for GFR. Serum cystatin C was estimated by quantitative turbidimetric method. Serum cystatin C was higher in the diabetic group (mean = 1.022 ±0.33 mg/dl) as compared to the control group (mean = 0.63 ±0.14 mg/dl). ROC curve analysis, keeping less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 GFR (CKD-MDRD based) as reference value of the stat variable/gold standard; revealed an area under the curve of 0.914 (95% CI 0.85-0.98) and at optimal sensitivity of 88.2% and specificity of 84.8% the established cut-off of serum cystatin C was 1.26 mg/L. Cystatin C is an accurate biomarker of diabetic kidney disease with good sensitivity and specificity.

US hospital payment adjustments for innovative technology lag behind those in Germany, France, and Japan.

PubMed

Hernandez, John; Machacz, Susanne F; Robinson, James C

2015-02-01

Medicare pioneered add-on payments to facilitate the adoption of innovative technologies under its hospital prospective payment system. US policy makers are now experimenting with broader value-based payment initiatives, but these have not been adjusted for innovation. This article examines the structure, processes, and experience with Medicare's hospital new technology add-on payment program since its inception in 2001 and compares it with analogous payment systems in Germany, France, and Japan. Between 2001 and 2015 CMS approved nineteen of fifty-three applications for the new technology add-on payment program. We found that the program resulted in $201.7 million in Medicare payments in fiscal years 2002-13-less than half the level anticipated by Congress and only 34 percent of the amount projected by CMS. The US program approved considerably fewer innovative technologies, compared to analogous technology payment mechanisms in Germany, France and Japan. We conclude that it is important to adjust payments for new medical innovations within prospective and value-based payment systems explicitly as well as implicitly. The most straightforward method to use in adjusting value-based payments is for the insurer to retrospectively adjust spending targets to account for the cost of new technologies. If CMS made such retrospective adjustments, it would not financially penalize hospitals for adopting beneficial innovations. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Nutritional status and health outcomes for older people with dementia living in institutions.

PubMed

Lou, Meei-Fang; Dai, Yu-Tzu; Huang, Guey-Shiun; Yu, Po-Jui

2007-12-01

This paper is a report of a study to determine changes over a 3-month period among older people with dementia living in long-term care settings, related to: (1) changes in body mass index, and (2) health outcomes and associated factors. Nutritional deficiencies are common problems among older people, but frequently unrecognized, both in long-term care settings and in the community. A cross-sectional design with repeated measures of body weights and medical record reviews was adopted. The study was conducted in 2003 in two long-term care facilities for older people with dementia in Taiwan. Fifty-five residents participated in the study. Eighteen percent of the residents were under-nourished (body mass index <18.5). There was a trend toward decreasing body mass index over the 3-month study period. Residents with low body mass index tended to need assistance at mealtimes. Nineteen residents, many receiving naso-gastric tube-feeding, experienced adverse health events during the study period. Dependency in eating was the major factor differentiating residents with normal or low body mass index values, and also in distinguishing those who experienced adverse health outcomes. Assessment of eating ability, mode of feeding and measurement of body weight can be used by nurses in long-term care settings for early identification of the nutritional status of older people with dementia.

Continuation of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment prolongs disease control in non-small-cell lung cancers with acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors

PubMed Central

Chen, Qi; Quan, Qi; Ding, Lingyu; Hong, Xiangchan; Zhou, Ningning; Liang, Ying; Wu, Haiying

2015-01-01

Objectives Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develop acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs) after tumor regression. No approved targeted therapies are currently available after initial EGFR TKI treatment. This study investigated the efficacy of continuing EGFR TKI therapy with local treatments for patients with NSCLC and local progression or minimal/slow progression on TKI therapy. Materials and Methods Fifty-five patients with NSCLC treated with EGFR TKIs and developed acquired resistance to the drug were included. Initial response to target therapy, median progression free survival (PFS1), progression pattern, and first progression site were assessed. Median progression free survival to physician assessment progression (PFS2) and difference between PFS1 and PFS2 (PFS difference) were also recorded. Results and Conclusion PFS1 was 11.2 months, PFS2 was 20.3 months, and PFS difference was 8.3 months. Nineteen patients (34.5%) who manifested progression received local therapy, and 16 (28.6%) underwent rebiopsy after progression with six positive EGFR T790M mutations detected. Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that only the first line of treatment was significantly correlated with PFS difference. NSCLC patients with acquired resistance to EGFR TKIs could benefit from the same TKI therapy through months to years of disease control. PMID:26172562

Telerehabilitation - a new model for community-based stroke rehabilitation.

PubMed

Lai, Jerry C K; Woo, Jean; Hui, Elsie; Chan, W M

2004-01-01

Community resources for stroke clients are underdeveloped in Hong Kong and stroke survivors often face difficulties in community reintegration. We have examined the feasibility of using videoconferencing for community-based stroke rehabilitation. The sample comprised 21 stroke patients living at home. All the subjects participated in an eight-week intervention programme at a community centre for seniors. The intervention, which comprised educational talks, exercise and psychosocial support, was conducted by a physiotherapist via a videoconference link. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36) and a stroke knowledge test were administered at the start and end of the programme. In addition, at the start of the study the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item Short Form, the Elderly Mobility Scale and the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale were used to assess subjects' baseline status, and a focus group was also held at the end of the programme to gather qualitative findings. Nineteen subjects completed the eight-week intervention. The baseline functional status was high, although 52% had symptoms of depression. After the intervention, there were significant improvements in BBS, SSES and knowledge test scores and scores on all subscales of the SF-36. All the subjects accepted the use of videoconferencing for delivery of the intervention. The pilot study demonstrated the feasibility, efficacy and high level of acceptance of telerehabilitation for community-dwelling stroke clients.

The consequences of task delegation for the process of care: Female patients seem to benefit more.

PubMed

Noordman, Janneke; van Dulmen, Sandra

2016-01-01

The shift of tasks from primary care physicians to practice nurses and the continuing incease in the numbers of women involved in medical care may have consequences for the provision of health care and communication. The aim of the present study was to examine potential differences in female practice nurses' application of communication skills, practice guidelines, and motivational interviewing skills during consultations with female and male patients. Nineteen female practice nurses and their patients (n = 181) agreed to have their consultations videotaped (during 2010-2011). The videotaped consultations were rated using two validated instruments: the Maas-Global (to assess generic communication skills and practice guidelines) and the Behaviour Change Counselling Index (to assess motivational interviewing skills). Multilevel linear and logistic regression analyses were performed. Female practice nurses provided significantly more comprehensive information during consultations with female patients (p = .03) and talked more about management with male patients (p = .04). Furthermore, nurses applied motivational interviewing skills more clearly during consultations with female than with male patients (p < .01). The shift in tasks from primary care physicians toward practice nurses may have implications for clinical and patient outcomes as patients will no longer be counseled by male professionals. Conceivably, female patients are motivated more by nurses to change their behavior, while male patients receive more concrete management information or advice.

Centrifugal Modelling of Soil Structures. Part I. Centrifugal Modelling of Slope Failures.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-03-01

comparing successive photographs in which soil movement was noted by the change in position of the original grid of silvered indicator balls . Inherent in...SECIJ RITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE(1Thon Pat& Entered) of uplift forces was also observed. In nineteen coal mine waste embankment dam models...In’nineteen coal mine waste embankment dam models, throughout which the soil particle size distribution was altered for modelling of dif- ferent

The Universe in Your City - Nineteen Capitals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarpa, D.; Más, A.

2010-10-01

The programme, The Universe in Your City - Nineteen Capitals, took us to each of Uruguay's nineteen provincial capitals. In each capital we erected our Kappa Crucis Digital Mobile Planetarium and were able to reach a wide range of children of school age, and especially children in "critical contexts" (i.e. socially and economically deprived children). We transported our equipment, together with the exhibition materials for the IYA2009 Cornerstone project, From Earth To The Universe - and set it up in open public spaces, staying in each location for one week and offering an average of nine daily 40-minute presentations. Each session featured information on Galileo Galilei's discoveries, the Uruguayan night sky and the cultural heritage provided by the sky. A record number of 46 428 people participated in the 884 sessions held between April and September; while many more simply visited the exhibition. This reflects the remarkable success of the project.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy without local anesthesia for chronic lateral epicondylitis.

PubMed

Pettrone, Frank A; McCall, Brian R

2005-06-01

The use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis is controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy without local anesthesia to treat chronic lateral epicondylitis. One hundred and fourteen patients with a minimum six-month history of lateral epicondylitis that was unresponsive to conventional therapy were randomized into double-blind active treatment and placebo groups. The protocol consisted of three weekly treatments of either low-dose shock wave therapy without anesthetic or a sham treatment. Patients had a physical examination, including provocation testing and dynamometry, at one, four, eight, and twelve weeks and at six and twelve months after treatment. Radiographs, laboratory studies, and electrocardiograms were also evaluated prior to participation and at twelve weeks. A visual analog scale was used to evaluate pain, and an upper extremity functional scale was used to assess function. Crossover to active treatment was initiated for nonresponsive patients who had received the placebo and met the inclusion criteria after twelve weeks. A total of 108 of the 114 randomized patients completed all treatments and the twelve weeks of follow-up required by the protocol. Sixty-one patients completed one year of follow-up, whereas thirty-four patients crossed over to receive active treatment. A significant difference (p = 0.001) in pain reduction was observed at twelve weeks in the intent-to-treat cohort, with an improvement in the pain score of at least 50% seen in 61% (thirty-four) of the fifty-six patients in the active treatment group who were treated according to protocol compared with 29% (seventeen) of the fifty-eight subjects in the placebo group. This improvement persisted in those followed to one year. Functional activity scores, activity-specific evaluation, and the overall impression of the disease state all showed significant improvement as well (p < 0.05). Crossover patients also showed significant improvement after twelve weeks of active treatment, with 56% (nineteen of thirty-four) achieving an improvement in the pain score of at least 50% (p < 0.0001). These results demonstrate that low-dose shock wave therapy without anesthetic is a safe and effective treatment for chronic lateral epicondylitis.

Predoctoral and postdoctoral students' perspectives about pediatric dental behavior guidance.

PubMed

Bimstein, Enrique; Azari, Amir F; Riley, Joseph L

2011-05-01

This study compared acceptability scores of pediatric dental behavior guidance between predoctoral senior dental students and postdoctoral pediatric dentistry graduates. The scores were obtained with an anonymous survey that included twenty-five items related to behavior guidance techniques or situations, with the degree of acceptability of each being marked on a visual analog scale. Demographic data collected included year of graduation from the postdoctoral program, type of employment, being board-certified or not, gender, marital and parental status, previously receiving dental or medical treatment, and degree of unpleasantness from these treatments. Thirty-nine predoctoral and fifty-one postdoctoral surveys were compared. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the predoctoral acceptability scores were statistically significantly higher than the postdoctoral scores for not allowing the child to speak during treatment, voice control, hand over mouth, active immobilization, and providing an exact explanation to the child. The predoctoral scores were lower than the postdoctoral scores for not using local anesthetic when the child does not want it, parent's presence in the operatory during treatment, or talking with the dentist during treatment. ANOVA of the predoctoral and postdoctoral scores combined indicated statistically significant differences between scores from male and females respondents for parent talking with the dentist during treatment; between married and not married respondents for hand over mouth, encouraging the child not to be a coward, the child being allowed to stop the treatment, and the parent being in the operatory during treatment; and between parents and not parents respondents for child not allowed to speak during the treatment, voice control, and hand over mouth. This study found that perspectives about pediatric dental behavior guidance are influenced by pre- and postdoctoral education and postgraduate experience.

Maternal Talk in Cognitive Development: Relations between Psychological Lexicon, Semantic Development, Empathy, and Temperament

PubMed Central

Rollo, Dolores; Sulla, Francesco

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated the relationship between mothers' psychological lexicon and children's cognitive and socio-emotive development as assessed through conceptual and semantic understanding tasks, in addition to the traditional tasks of theory of mind. Currently, there is considerable evidence to suggest that the frequency of mothers' mental state words used in mother-child picture-book reading is linked with children's theory of mind skills. Furthermore, mothers' use of cognitive terms is more strongly related to children's theory of mind performances than the mothers' references to other mental states, such as desires or emotions (Rollo and Buttiglieri, 2009). Current literature has established that early maternal input is related to later child mental state understanding; however it has not yet clarified which maternal terms are most useful for the socio-emotional and cognitive development of the child, and which aspect of the cognitive development benefits from the mother-child interaction. The present study addresses this issue and focuses on the relationship between mothers' mental state talk and children's behavior in conceptual and semantic tasks, and in a theory of mind task. In this study fifty pairs consisting of mothers and their 3 to 6-year-old children participated in two sessions: (1) The mothers read a picture book to their children. To assess the maternal psychological lexicon, their narrative was codified according to the categories of mental state references used in literature: perceptual, emotional, volitional, cognitive, moral, and communicative. (2) After a few days, the conceptual and semantic skills of the children (tasks of contextualization and classification, memory, and definition of words) and their psychological lexicon were assessed. The results suggest close links between the frequency and variety of mothers' mental state words and some semantic and conceptual skills of children. PMID:27047421

Maternal Talk in Cognitive Development: Relations between Psychological Lexicon, Semantic Development, Empathy, and Temperament.

PubMed

Rollo, Dolores; Sulla, Francesco

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated the relationship between mothers' psychological lexicon and children's cognitive and socio-emotive development as assessed through conceptual and semantic understanding tasks, in addition to the traditional tasks of theory of mind. Currently, there is considerable evidence to suggest that the frequency of mothers' mental state words used in mother-child picture-book reading is linked with children's theory of mind skills. Furthermore, mothers' use of cognitive terms is more strongly related to children's theory of mind performances than the mothers' references to other mental states, such as desires or emotions (Rollo and Buttiglieri, 2009). Current literature has established that early maternal input is related to later child mental state understanding; however it has not yet clarified which maternal terms are most useful for the socio-emotional and cognitive development of the child, and which aspect of the cognitive development benefits from the mother-child interaction. The present study addresses this issue and focuses on the relationship between mothers' mental state talk and children's behavior in conceptual and semantic tasks, and in a theory of mind task. In this study fifty pairs consisting of mothers and their 3 to 6-year-old children participated in two sessions: (1) The mothers read a picture book to their children. To assess the maternal psychological lexicon, their narrative was codified according to the categories of mental state references used in literature: perceptual, emotional, volitional, cognitive, moral, and communicative. (2) After a few days, the conceptual and semantic skills of the children (tasks of contextualization and classification, memory, and definition of words) and their psychological lexicon were assessed. The results suggest close links between the frequency and variety of mothers' mental state words and some semantic and conceptual skills of children.

EEG Analysis of the Effects of Therapeutic Cooling on the Cognitive Performance of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, Leslie D.; Montgomery, Richard W.; Ku, Yu-Tsuan E.; Luna, Bernadette; Lee, Hank C.; Kliss, Mark; Webbon, Bruce; Mead, Susan C. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

The objective of this project was to determine whether a controlled period of head and torso cooling would enhance the cognitive performance of multiple sclerosis patients. Nineteen MS patients (11 men and 8 women) participated in the study. Control data were taken from nineteen healthy volunteers (12 men and 7 women). All but six of nineteen MS patients tested improved their cognitive performance, as measured by their scores on the Rao test battery. A second objective was to gain insight into the neurological effects of cooling. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) stimulated by a reversing checkerboard pattern were recorded before and after cooling. We found that cooling selectively benefited the cognitive performance of those MS patients whose pre-cooling VEPs were abnormally shaped (which is an indication of visual pathway impairment due to demyelinization). Moreover, for female MS patients, the degree of cognitive performance improvement following cooling was correlated with a change in the shape of their VEPs toward a more normal shape following cooling.

'The few cubic centimetres inside your skull': a neurological reading of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

PubMed

Mullen, Lisa J

2018-06-25

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), George Orwell's political satire on state surveillance and mind control, was written between 1946 and 1948, at a time when new thinking in forensic psychiatry coincided with scientific breakthroughs in neurology to bring questions of criminality, psychotherapy and mental health to the forefront of the popular imagination. This paper examines how Nineteen Eighty-Four inverts psychiatric paradigms in order to diagnose what Orwell sees as the madness of totalitarian regimes. It then goes on to place the novel's dystopian vision of total surveillance and mind control in the context of the neurological research and brain scanning techniques of the mid-20th century. Not only does this context provide new insight into the enduring power of Orwell's novel, it also locates it within a historical moment when technological interventions into the brain seemed to offer a paradigm of mental health and illness as a simple, knowable binary. Nineteen Eighty-Four complicates this binary, and deserves to be acknowledged as an early example of what might be called 'electric shock' literature, within a mid-20th century canon that includes Harold Pinter's The Caretaker (1960), Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962), and Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar (1963). © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Associations of parents' self, child, and other "fat talk" with child eating behaviors and weight.

PubMed

Lydecker, Janet A; Riley, Kristen E; Grilo, Carlos M

2018-03-15

Fat talk, negative communication about weight, is common in the media, peer groups, and families. Little is known about parental fat talk directed at oneself or others. This study examined associations between different forms of parental fat talk and child disordered eating behaviors and weight, and differences by child sex and age. Parents of preadolescents or adolescents (n = 581) reported fat talk about themselves (self-fat talk), others (obesity-fat talk), and their child (child-fat talk). 76.0% of parents reported regular self-fat talk in front of children, 51.5% reported obesity-fat talk, and 43.6% reported child-fat talk. Fat talk did not differ significantly between parents of preadolescents and adolescents but was more common with sons than daughters. Of the three forms of fat talk, only child-fat talk was associated with all child eating and weight variables (binge eating, overeating, secretive eating, and overweight/obesity); associations were strongest for adolescent girls. Child sex was associated with secretive eating and overweight/obesity. Parents reported using different forms of fat talk frequently. Parent self- and obesity-fat talk were reported more frequently, but child-fat talk was the most strongly associated with children's eating and weight. Because of associations with disordered eating behaviors, intervening to reduce fat talk might contribute to improving pediatric disordered eating and weight-related interventions. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

I’m not just fat, I’m old: has the study of body image overlooked “old talk”?

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Research indicates that body dissatisfaction is correlated with and often predictive of both physical and mental health problems. “Fat talk,” a well-studied form of body image talk in adolescents and university-aged women, has been implicated as contributing to body dissatisfaction and mediating the relationship between body dissatisfaction and other mental health problems. Limited research, however, has investigated fat talk across the female lifespan. Further, consistent with most body image research, fat talk research solely focuses on the thin dimension of idealized female attractiveness, even though other dimensions may contribute to body dissatisfaction in women. Method The current study investigated whether or not “old talk,” a hereto un-described form of body image talk, appears to be a parallel, but distinct, form of body image talk that taps into the young dimension of the thin-young-ideal standard of female beauty. An international, internet sample of women (aged 18-87, N = 914) completed questionnaires aimed at assessing fat talk, old talk, body image disturbance, and eating disorder pathology. Results Results indicated that both fat talk and old talk were reported by women across the lifespan, although they evidenced different trajectories of frequency. Like fat talk, old talk was significantly correlated with body image disturbance and eating disorder pathology, albeit at a lower rate than fat talk in the total sample. Old talk was more highly correlated with ageing appearance anxiety than fat talk, and the correlation between old talk and body image disturbance and ED pathology increased with women’s ages. Conclusion Results suggest that old talk is a form of body image talk that is related to but distinct from fat talk. Old talk appears to be similarly problematic to fat talk for women whose age increases their deviation from the thin-young-ideal. Further research into the phenomenon of old talk is warranted as is increased attention to fat talk across the full lifespan of women. PMID:24764529

Sexuality in persons with lower extremity amputations.

PubMed

Bodenheimer, C; Kerrigan, A J; Garber, S L; Monga, T N

2000-06-15

There is a paucity of information regarding sexual functioning in persons with lower extremity amputations. The purpose of this study was to describe sexual and psychological functioning and health status in persons with lower extremity amputation. Self-report surveys assessed sexual functioning (Derogatis Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory, anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and health status (Health Status Questionnaire) in a convenience sample of 30 men with lower extremity amputations. Mean age of the participants was 57 years (range 32-79). Mean duration since amputation was 23 months (range 3-634 months). Twenty one subjects (70%) had trans-tibial and seven subjects (23%) had trans-femoral amputations. A majority of subjects were experiencing problems in several domains of sexual functioning. Fifty three percent (n = 16) of the subjects were engaged in sexual intercourse or oral sex at least once a month. Twenty seven percent (n = 8) were masturbating at least once a month. Nineteen subjects (63%) reported orgasmic problems and 67% were experiencing erectile difficulties. Despite these problems, interest in sex was high in over 90% of the subjects. There was no evidence of increased prevalence of depression or anxiety in these subjects when compared to other outpatient adult populations. Sexual problems were common in the subjects studied. Despite these problems, interest in sex remained high. Few investigations have been directed toward identifying the psychological and social factors that may contribute to these problems and more research with a larger population is needed in this area.

The Role of Progesterone in the Feto-Maternal Immunological Crosstalk.

PubMed

Szekeres-Bartho, Julia

2018-06-27

This review aims to provide a brief historical overview of the feto-maternal immunological relationship, which profoundly influences the outcome of pregnancy. The initial question posed in the nineteen fifties by Medawar, was based on the assumption that the maternal immune system recognizes the fetus as an allograft. Indeed, based on the association between HLA-matching and spontaneous miscarriage, it became obvious that immunological recognition of pregnancy is required for a successful gestation. The restricted expression of polymorphic HLA antigens on the trophoblast, together with the presence of non-polymorphic MHC products excludes recognition by both T and NK cells of trophoblast presented antigens, however, T cells, which constitute the majority of decidual T cells are likely candidates. Indeed, a high number of activated, progesterone receptor-expressing T cells are present in peripheral blood of healthy pregnant women, and in the presence of progesterone, these cells secrete an immunomodulatory protein called Progesterone-induced Blocking Factor or PIBF. As early as in the peri-implantation period, the embryo communicates with the maternal immune system via PIBF containing extracellular vesicles. PIBF contributes to the dominance of Th2-type reactivity characterising normal pregnancy, by inducing increased production of Th2 cytokines. The high expression of this molecule in the decidua might be one of the reasons for the low cytotoxic activity of decidual NK cells. ©2018The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Correlation between MRI results and intraoperative findings in patients with silicone breast implants.

PubMed

Lindenblatt, Nicole; El-Rabadi, Karem; Helbich, Thomas H; Czembirek, Heinrich; Deutinger, Maria; Benditte-Klepetko, Heike

2014-01-01

Silicone gel breast implants may silently rupture without detection. This has been the main reason for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the augmented or reconstructed breast. The aim of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of MRI for implant rupture. Fifty consecutive patients with 85 silicone gel implants were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 51 (range 21-72) years, with a mean duration of implantation of 3.8 (range 1-28) years. All patients underwent clinical examination and breast MRI. Intraoperative implant rupture was diagnosed by the operating surgeon. Nineteen of the 50 patients suffered from clinical symptoms. An implant rupture was diagnosed by MRI in 22 of 85 implants (26%). In seven of 17 removed implants (41%), the intraoperative diagnosis corresponded with the positive MRI result. However, only 57% of these patients were symptomatic. Ultrasound imaging of the harvested implants showed signs of interrupted inner layers of the implant despite integrity of the outer shell. By microsurgical separation of the different layers of the implant shell, we were able to reproduce this phenomenon and to produce signs of implant rupture on MRI. Our results show that rupture of only the inner layers of the implant shell with integrity of the outer shell leads to a misdiagnosis on MRI. Correlation with clinical symptoms and the specific wishes of the patient should guide the indication for implant removal.

Correlation between MRI results and intraoperative findings in patients with silicone breast implants

PubMed Central

Lindenblatt, Nicole; El-Rabadi, Karem; Helbich, Thomas H; Czembirek, Heinrich; Deutinger, Maria; Benditte-Klepetko, Heike

2014-01-01

Background Silicone gel breast implants may silently rupture without detection. This has been the main reason for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the augmented or reconstructed breast. The aim of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of MRI for implant rupture. Methods Fifty consecutive patients with 85 silicone gel implants were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 51 (range 21–72) years, with a mean duration of implantation of 3.8 (range 1–28) years. All patients underwent clinical examination and breast MRI. Intraoperative implant rupture was diagnosed by the operating surgeon. Results Nineteen of the 50 patients suffered from clinical symptoms. An implant rupture was diagnosed by MRI in 22 of 85 implants (26%). In seven of 17 removed implants (41%), the intraoperative diagnosis corresponded with the positive MRI result. However, only 57% of these patients were symptomatic. Ultrasound imaging of the harvested implants showed signs of interrupted inner layers of the implant despite integrity of the outer shell. By microsurgical separation of the different layers of the implant shell, we were able to reproduce this phenomenon and to produce signs of implant rupture on MRI. Conclusion Our results show that rupture of only the inner layers of the implant shell with integrity of the outer shell leads to a misdiagnosis on MRI. Correlation with clinical symptoms and the specific wishes of the patient should guide the indication for implant removal. PMID:25114595

Assessment of the Brettanomyces bruxellensis metabolome during sulphur dioxide exposure.

PubMed

Vigentini, Ileana; Joseph, C M Lucy; Picozzi, Claudia; Foschino, Roberto; Bisson, Linda F

2013-11-01

Brettanomyces bruxellensis displays a high degree of genotypic and phenotypic polymorphism and is the main yeast species involved in wine spoilage. The innate resistance of 108 B. bruxellensis strains to the antimicrobial agent SO2 used in winemaking was investigated. Nineteen strains (17.6%) were sensitive to SO2 , failing to grow at the lowest concentration tested (0.1 mg L(-1) molecular SO2). Twenty-nine strains (26.8%) grew at 0.1 mg L(-1), 42 strains (38.9%) grew at 0.2 mg L(-1) , and 16 strains (14.8%) were able to grow as high as 0.4 mg L(-1) mol. SO2. Two strains able to grow in the presence of 0.6 mg L(-1) mol. SO2 were further studied by GCMS-TOF analysis to define the metabolic response to SO2 treatment. Two hundred and fifty-three intracellular metabolites were detected. The main effect observed was a decrease in cytoplasmic levels of polyols and an increase in levels of some amino acids, alanine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, 5-oxoproline, serine and valine, which were significantly accumulated in the presence of SO2. No alteration in the pentose phosphate pathway was observed, suggesting NADPH usage could be diverted to other pathways. Finally, a change in metabolites involved in the glycerophospholipid pathway (glycerol-3-phosphate and myo-inositol) was also found. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

High frequency of fluoroquinolone- and macrolide-resistant streptococci among clinically isolated group B streptococci with reduced penicillin susceptibility.

PubMed

Kimura, Kouji; Nagano, Noriyuki; Nagano, Yukiko; Suzuki, Satowa; Wachino, Jun-ichi; Shibayama, Keigo; Arakawa, Yoshichika

2013-03-01

Recently several clinical isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae [also known as group B Streptococcus (GBS)] that have acquired reduced penicillin susceptibility (PRGBS) by amino acid substitutions in the penicillin-binding protein 2X have emerged. The frequency of fluoroquinolone (FQ)- and macrolide-resistant streptococci among PRGBS is not yet known. Fifty-seven GBS [19 PRGBS and 38 penicillin-susceptible GBS (PSGBS)], isolated from different medical institutions in Japan, were studied. For GBS, the MICs of penicillin G, levofloxacin and erythromycin were determined using the agar dilution method. Nineteen PRGBS were previously confirmed as genetically diverse streptococci by PFGE. Further, the mechanisms underlying penicillin, FQ and macrolide non-susceptibility/resistance were analysed. The frequency of non-susceptibility to FQs among PSGBS was 18.4% (7/38), whereas that among PRGBS was 100% (19/19). The frequency of resistance to erythromycin among PSGBS was 7.9% (3/38), while that among PRGBS was 47.4% (9/19). Statistical significance was determined using Fisher's exact test between reduced penicillin susceptibility and FQ non-susceptibility (P ≤ 0.0001) and macrolide resistance (P=0.0012). The resistance/non-susceptibility mechanisms among PRGBS were diverse, suggesting that the PRGBS examined were not clonal. PRGBS isolates tend to show resistance to FQs and/or macrolides. Because the drug choice for treating these multidrug-resistant GBS is more limited than that for usual GBS, these strains may present future public health challenges.

Do social functioning and symptoms improve with continuation antidepressant treatment of persistent depressive disorder? An observational study.

PubMed

Hellerstein, David J; Hunnicutt-Ferguson, Kallio; Stewart, Jonathan W; McGrath, Patrick J; Keller, Samantha; Peterson, Bradley S; Chen, Ying

2017-03-01

To determine efficacy of continued treatment with the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor duloxetine on symptom reduction and functional improvement in outpatients with dysthymia. Fifty outpatients with DSM-IV-TR diagnosed dysthymia who had participated in a 10 week double-blind, placebo-controlled study of duloxetine received open treatment for three months. Nineteen duloxetine responders continued duloxetine, 24 patients initially treated with placebo started open duloxetine treatment, and 7 duloxetine non-responders were treated with desvenlafaxine or bupropion, selected by clinician choice. Patients continuing duloxetine maintained symptom improvement, 84% meeting response and 63% remission criteria at week 22. Patients initially treated with placebo showed similarly high levels of response (83%) and remission (62%) at week 22, and most duloxetine non-responders subsequently responded to other antidepressants. Duloxetine-continuation patients improved modestly between weeks 10 and 22 on measures of social and cognitive functioning and temperament. Despite this improvement concurrently across several functional domains, 66.7% of patients continuing duloxetine remained in the impaired range of functioning according to the Social Adjustment Scale (SAS). Continued duloxetine treatment appears to be effective in maintaining symptom response in dysthymic disorder, and has positive effects on social functioning. However, the majority of patients do not show normalization of functioning, even when controlling for remission status. Additional treatments should be considered to target residual impairments in social functioning in mood remitted patients with persistent depressive disorder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Causes, outcome and prevention of abandonment in retinoblastoma in India.

PubMed

Kumar, Archana; Moulik, Nirmalya Roy; Mishra, Ravi Krishna; Kumar, Dipak

2013-05-01

The high-cure rates of 90% in retinoblastoma are not replicated in developing countries due to late presentation and poor compliance to treatment. The present study takes a closer look at causes of abandonment of therapy and effectiveness of counselling in reducing abandonment. A retrospective study of children with retinoblastoma registered at our centre from March 2008 through August 2011. Fifty (49.50%) of 101 children registered for treatment abandoned therapy. Abandonment rates were significantly higher in rural as compared to urban children (P = 0.02). There was no significant difference in rate of abandonment between stages or laterality of disease and other socio-demographic factors. Telephone calls were more effective than letters in tracing patients (31.2% vs. 2.4%). Major reasons cited behind abandonment were financial problems (30%) and unwillingness to enucleate (20%). Of the 12 children who returned and were retreated 6 (50%) died of progressive disease. Nineteen (73%) of those who did not return died at home. Abandonment rates steadily declined from 71.42% in 2008 to 16.66% in 2011 (P = 0.01) due to effective pre-abandonment counselling by a support team under the National Retinoblastoma Registry of India from 2009. Abandonment rates for children with retinoblastoma continue to be unacceptably high. Rural background, financial constraints and hesitancy to enucleate were important causes behind abandonment. Outcome of patients who abandoned treatment was uniformly dismal. Inclusion of support team and intensified initial counselling helped in improving compliance. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Older age at diagnosis of Hirschsprung disease decreases risk of postoperative enterocolitis, but resection of additional ganglionated bowel does not.

PubMed

Haricharan, Ramanath N; Seo, Jeong-Meen; Kelly, David R; Mroczek-Musulman, Elizabeth C; Aprahamian, Charles J; Morgan, Traci L; Georgeson, Keith E; Harmon, Carroll M; Saito, Jacqueline M; Barnhart, Douglas C

2008-06-01

This study was conducted to determine the effect of age at diagnosis and length of ganglionated bowel resected on postoperative Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC). Children who underwent endorectal pull-through (ERPT) between January 1993 and December 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. t Test, analysis of variance, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox's proportional hazards analyses were performed. Fifty-two children with Hirschsprung disease (median age, 25 days; range, 2 days-16 years) were included. Nineteen (37%) had admissions for HAEC. Proportional hazards regression showed that HAEC admissions decreased by 30% with each doubling of age at diagnosis (P = .03) and increased 9-fold when postoperative stricture was present (P < .01), after controlling for type of ERPT, trisomy 21, transition zone level, and preoperative enterocolitis. Thirty-six children, with age at initial operation less than 6 months, were grouped based on length of ganglionated bowel excised (A [5 cm] and B [>5 cm]). No significant difference in the number of HAEC admissions during initial 2 years post-ERPT was seen between groups A (n = 18) and B (n = 18). The study had a power of 0.8 to detect a difference of 1 admission over 2 years. Children diagnosed with Hirschsprung disease at younger ages are at a greater risk for postoperative enterocolitis. Excising a longer margin of ganglionated bowel (>5 cm) does not seem to be beneficial in decreasing HAEC admissions.

Combination of Recreational Soccer and Caloric Restricted Diet Reduces Markers of Protein Catabolism and Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

PubMed

Vieira de Sousa, M; Fukui, R; Krustrup, P; Dagogo-Jack, S; Rossi da Silva, M E

2017-01-01

Moderate calorie-restricted diets and exercise training prevent loss of lean mass and cardiovascular risk. Because adherence to routine exercise recommendation is generally poor, we utilized recreational soccer training as a novel therapeutic exercise intervention in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. We compared the effects of acute and chronic soccer training plus calorie-restricted diet on protein catabolism and cardiovascular risk markers in T2D. Fifty-one T2D patients (61.1±6.4 years, 29 females: 22 males) were randomly allocated to the soccer+diet-group (SDG) or to the diet-group (DG). The 40-min soccer sessions were held 3 times per week for 12 weeks. Nineteen participants attended 100% of scheduled soccer sessions, and none suffered any injuries. The SDG group showed higher levels of growth hormone (GH), free fatty acids and ammonia compared with DG. After 12 weeks, insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFPB)-3 and glucose levels were lower in SDG, whereas insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1/ IGFBP-3 ratio increased in both groups. After the last training session, an increase in IGF-1/IGFBP-3 and attenuation in ammonia levels were suggestive of lower muscle protein catabolism. Recreational soccer training was popular and safe, and was associated with decreased plasma glucose and IGFBP-3 levels, decreased ammoniagenesis, and increased lipolytic activity and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio, all indicative of attenuated catabolism.

Efficacy and safety of a combination of Sabal and Urtica extract in lower urinary tract symptoms--long-term follow-up of a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial.

PubMed

Lopatkin, Nikolai; Sivkov, Andrey; Schläfke, Sandra; Funk, Petra; Medvedev, Alexander; Engelmann, Udo

2007-01-01

In an open-label extension of a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, the long-term efficacy and tolerability of a fixed combination of 160 mg Sabal fruit extract WS 1473 and 120 mg Urtica root extract WS 1031 per capsule (PRO 160/120) were investigated in elderly men with moderate or severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Two hundred and fifty-seven patients were randomly treated with 2 x 1 capsule/day PRO 160/120 or placebo for 24 weeks, followed by a 24-week control period and a 48-week follow-up period in which all patients received PRO 160/120. Efficacy measures included the assessment of LUTS [International Prostate Symptom Score ((I-PSS) self-rating questionnaire] and uroflow and sonographic parameters. Two hundred and nineteen subjects participated in the follow-up. Between baseline and end of observation (week 96) the I-PSS total score was reduced by 53% (P < 0.001), peak and average urinary flow increased by 19% (P < 0.001), and residual urine volume decreased by 44% (P = 0.03). The incidence of adverse events during follow-up was one in 1,181 treatment days; in only one event a causal relationship with intake of PRO 160/120 could not be excluded. Treatment with PRO 160/120 thus provides a clinically relevant benefit over a period of 96 weeks.

Solicitude: balancing compassion and empowerment in a relational ethics of hope-an empirical-ethical study in palliative care.

PubMed

Olsman, Erik; Willems, Dick; Leget, Carlo

2016-03-01

The ethics of hope has often been understood as a conflict between duties: do not lie versus do not destroy hope. However, such a way of framing the ethics of hope may easily place healthcare professionals at the side of realism and patients at the side of (false) hope. That leaves unexamined relational dimensions of hope. The objective of this study was to describe a relational ethics of hope based on the perspectives of palliative care patients, their family members and their healthcare professionals. A qualitative longitudinal method based on narrative theories was used. Semi-structured interviews on hope were conducted with twenty-nine palliative care patients, nineteen friends or family members, and fifty-two healthcare professionals, which were recorded and transcribed. Data on hope were thematically analyzed. The researchers wrote memos and did member checking with participants. When participants spoke about hope, they referred to power and empowerment, like the powerful bonding of hope between patients and physicians. They also associated hope with the loss of hope and suffering. Several participating healthcare professionals tried to balance both sides, which involved acknowledgment of hope and suffering. Hope and power were reflected in the ethical concept of empowerment, whereas suffering and the loss of hope were reflected in the ethical concept of compassion. Empowerment and compassion can be balanced in solicitude. In conclusion, a relational ethics of hope requires solicitude, in which healthcare professionals are able to weigh empowerment and compassion within particular relationships.

A Review of Pregnancy-Related Maternal Mortality in Wisconsin, 2006-2010.

PubMed

Schellpfeffer, Michael A; Gillespie, Kate H; Rohan, Angela M; Blackwell, Sarah P

2015-10-01

Maternal mortality is a key indicator of maternal health and the general state of health care. This report summarizes maternal deaths in Wisconsin from January 2006 through December 2010. Maternal deaths were identified using death certificates and supporting links with infant birth and fetal death certificates. Suspected pregnancy-related maternal deaths were abstracted by a Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Team nurse abstractor. The entire team reviewed and analyzed these cases. If the death was deemed pregnancy related, a cause of death was determined, potential factors of avoidability were assessed, and recommendations for possible quality improvement were made. Fifty cases were reviewed and 21 cases were determined to be pregnancy related. The Wisconsin pregnancy-related maternal mortality ratio was 5.9 deaths per 100,000 live births (3.9-9.0, 95% CI), with markedly higher rates for non-Hispanic black women. The most common cause of death was cardiovascular related, with 5 of the 7 deaths being ascribed to peripartum cardiomyopathy. Chronic medical problems were associated with 55% of pregnancy-related maternal deaths excluding obesity. Nineteen percent of the pregnancy-related deaths reviewed were considered to be avoidable, and almost half (48%) had substantive recommendations made to improve maternal health. Even though the Wisconsin pregnancy-related maternal mortality ratio is well below the national average, there remain stark racial disparities in maternal deaths and a number of avoidable pregnancy-related deaths that should be targeted for prevention.

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for the verification of genomic imbalances detected by microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization.

PubMed

Yu, Shihui; Kielt, Matthew; Stegner, Andrew L; Kibiryeva, Nataliya; Bittel, Douglas C; Cooley, Linda D

2009-12-01

The American College of Medical Genetics guidelines for microarray analysis for constitutional cytogenetic abnormalities require abnormal or ambiguous results from microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis be confirmed by an alternative method. We employed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology using SYBR Green I reagents for confirmation of 93 abnormal aCGH results (50 deletions and 43 duplications) and 54 parental samples. A novel qPCR protocol using DNA sequences coding for X-linked lethal diseases in males for designing reference primers was established. Of the 81 sets of test primers used for confirmation of 93 abnormal copy number variants (CNVs) in 80 patients, 71 sets worked after the initial primer design (88%), 9 sets were redesigned once, and 1 set twice because of poor amplification. Fifty-four parental samples were tested using 33 sets of test primers to follow up 34 CNVs in 30 patients. Nineteen CNVs were confirmed as inherited, 13 were negative in both parents, and 2 were inconclusive due to a negative result in a single parent. The qPCR assessment clarified aCGH results in two cases and corrected a fluorescence in situ hybridization result in one case. Our data illustrate that qPCR methodology using SYBR Green I reagents is accurate, highly sensitive, specific, rapid, and cost-effective for verification of chromosomal imbalances detected by aCGH in the clinical setting.

A digital atlas of hydrocarbon accumulations within and adjacent to the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska (NPRA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kumar, Naresh; Bird, Kenneth J.; Nelson, Philip H.; Grow, John A.; Evans, Kevin R.

2002-01-01

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has initiated a project to reassess the hydrocarbon potential of the NPRA. Although exploration for hydrocarbons in the NPRA was initiated in 1944, it has taken fifty years for the first commercial discovery to be made. That discovery, the Alpine field (projected recoverable reserves of 430 million barrels), was made in 1994 along the eastern boundary of the NPRA. This field produces from a formation heretofore considered to be mostly a source rock. The Alpine discovery made such a reassessment necessary. As part of this assessment, we have compiled stratigraphic, structural, petrophysical, and seismic data related to nineteen accumulations within and nearby the NPRA. The goal is to provide basic documentation and a set of analog accumulations for the new assessment. The first two displays of this atlas consist of a location map and a stratigraphic column showing the stratigraphic settings for the primary reservoir and source rocks for these accumulations. The third display is a table listing each accumulation and providing the hydrocarbon fluid type, reservoir, operator, status, and discovery well and date for each. Compilation of basic information for each individual accumulation follows these displays. A typical compilation includes a structurecontour map on or near the reservoir horizon, a log display of the discovery well with reservoir characteristics along with figures for recoverable volumes, and one or two seismic lines across or near the accumulation.

Performance evaluation of tile-based Fisher Ratio analysis using a benchmark yeast metabolome dataset.

PubMed

Watson, Nathanial E; Parsons, Brendon A; Synovec, Robert E

2016-08-12

Performance of tile-based Fisher Ratio (F-ratio) data analysis, recently developed for discovery-based studies using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS), is evaluated with a metabolomics dataset that had been previously analyzed in great detail, but while taking a brute force approach. The previously analyzed data (referred to herein as the benchmark dataset) were intracellular extracts from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), either metabolizing glucose (repressed) or ethanol (derepressed), which define the two classes in the discovery-based analysis to find metabolites that are statistically different in concentration between the two classes. Beneficially, this previously analyzed dataset provides a concrete means to validate the tile-based F-ratio software. Herein, we demonstrate and validate the significant benefits of applying tile-based F-ratio analysis. The yeast metabolomics data are analyzed more rapidly in about one week versus one year for the prior studies with this dataset. Furthermore, a null distribution analysis is implemented to statistically determine an adequate F-ratio threshold, whereby the variables with F-ratio values below the threshold can be ignored as not class distinguishing, which provides the analyst with confidence when analyzing the hit table. Forty-six of the fifty-four benchmarked changing metabolites were discovered by the new methodology while consistently excluding all but one of the benchmarked nineteen false positive metabolites previously identified. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Challenging fat talk: An experimental investigation of reactions to body disparaging conversations.

PubMed

Ambwani, Suman; Baumgardner, Megan; Guo, Cai; Simms, Lea; Abromowitz, Emily

2017-12-01

Although "fat talk" is associated with increased eating disorder risk, the predictors of fat talk engagement and viable alternatives to these pervasive conversations remain unclear. The current experiment examined responses to fat talk versus feminist-oriented challenging fat talk scenarios. Undergraduate women (N=283) completed baseline questionnaires assessing body dissatisfaction, fat talk engagement, and positive impression management. One week later, they were randomized to view one of the two scenarios, followed by assessment of mood, fat talk engagement, social acceptability, and social likeability. Results indicated that the challenging fat talk vignette (versus the fat talk vignette) yielded less negative affect and fat talk and was perceived as more socially attractive with a more likeable target character. Baseline body dissatisfaction, baseline fat talk tendencies, and momentary negative affect predicted post-exposure fat talk engagement. Current findings highlight possibilities for implementing feminist language and psychoeducation in fat talk prevention efforts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dealing with emotions: medical undergraduates' preferences in sharing their experiences.

PubMed

de Vries-Erich, Joy M; Dornan, Tim; Boerboom, Tobias B B; Jaarsma, A Debbie C; Helmich, Esther

2016-08-01

Patient care evokes emotional responses such as uncertainty, grief and pride in medical students. There is a need for opportunities to share and express such emotions because they influence students' professional development and well-being. There is a trend towards introducing mentor programmes into medical curricula. It remains unknown whether students are willing and able to share their emotional experiences within this formal setting. We set out to explore how medical students share their emotional experiences and why. We used thematic analysis, including purposeful sampling, parallel processes of data collection and constant comparative analysis, maintaining an audit trail for validation purposes. The study had a constructivist, interactional design and used Goffman's dramaturgical theory as an interpretive framework. Nineteen students participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Participants' narratives revealed a preference for sharing emotional experiences away from people who might expect them to uphold formal behaviour. They deliberately decided with whom to share their emotional experiences. Participants had a preference to talk to fellow students working in the same department, or family and friends outside medical school. Participants found it difficult to uphold behaviours that they thought patients, preceptors or the organisation expected of them as future doctors. In adjusting their behaviour to meet those expectations, they became attuned to how to best present themselves based on the people present. This influenced how they chose which emotional experiences to share with whom. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Crowdsourcing novel childhood predictors of adult obesity.

PubMed

Bevelander, Kirsten E; Kaipainen, Kirsikka; Swain, Robert; Dohle, Simone; Bongard, Josh C; Hines, Paul D H; Wansink, Brian

2014-01-01

Effective and simple screening tools are needed to detect behaviors that are established early in life and have a significant influence on weight gain later in life. Crowdsourcing could be a novel and potentially useful tool to assess childhood predictors of adult obesity. This exploratory study examined whether crowdsourcing could generate well-documented predictors in obesity research and, moreover, whether new directions for future research could be uncovered. Participants were recruited through social media to a question-generation website, on which they answered questions and were able to pose new questions that they thought could predict obesity. During the two weeks of data collection, 532 participants (62% female; age  =  26.5±6.7; BMI  =  29.0±7.0) registered on the website and suggested a total of 56 unique questions. Nineteen of these questions correlated with body mass index (BMI) and covered several themes identified by prior research, such as parenting styles and healthy lifestyle. More importantly, participants were able to identify potential determinants that were related to a lower BMI, but have not been the subject of extensive research, such as parents packing their children's lunch to school or talking to them about nutrition. The findings indicate that crowdsourcing can reproduce already existing hypotheses and also generate ideas that are less well documented. The crowdsourced predictors discovered in this study emphasize the importance of family interventions to fight obesity. The questions generated by participants also suggest new ways to express known predictors.

Scientifically speaking: Identifying, analyzing, and promoting science talk in small groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holthuis, Nicole Inamine

In this dissertation I define, document, and analyze the nature of students' science talk as they work in cooperative learning groups. Three questions form the basis of this research. First, what is science talk? Second, how much and what kind of science talk did students do? And, third, what conditions help promote or inhibit students' science talk? This study was conducted in a total of six classrooms in three high schools. I videotaped and audiotaped students as they worked in small groups during the course of an ecology unit. I analyzed this videotape data and field notes using both quantitative and qualitative methods. I define science talk as talk that serves to move students along in terms of the science (both content and process) required or suggested by the activity. More specifically, I identified five epistemological characteristics that delineate what counts as scientific knowledge and, subsequently, science talk. From this definition, I developed an analytic framework and science talk observation instrument to document the quantity and level of student and teacher talk during groupwork. Analysis of the data from this instrument indicates that the overall level of students' science talk is considerable and students do significantly more science talk than school talk. I also found that while the overall level and type of science talk does not vary by class or by school, it does vary by activity type. Finally, my analysis suggests that science talk does not vary by gender composition of the group. I explored the classroom conditions that promote or inhibit science talk during groupwork. My findings suggest that, among other things, teachers can promote science talk by delegating authority to students, by emphasizing content and the big idea, by implementing open-ended tasks, and by modeling science talk. In conclusion, the findings described in this dissertation point teachers and researchers toward ways in which they may improve practice in order to foster more science talk. In addition, my Science Talk Instrument and analytic framework provides teachers, teacher educators, and researchers a means of understanding and evaluating student talk in small groups.

MODEL2TALK: An Intervention to Promote Productive Classroom Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Veen, Chiel; van der Wilt, Femke; van Kruistum, Claudia; van Oers, Bert; Michaels, Sarah

2017-01-01

This article describes the MODEL2TALK intervention, which aims to promote young children's oral communicative competence through productive classroom talk. Productive classroom talk provides children in early childhood education with many opportunities to talk and think together. Results from a large-scale study show that productive classroom talk…

An experimental investigation of the consequences and social functions of fat talk in friendship groups.

PubMed

Cruwys, Tegan; Leverington, Carly T; Sheldon, Anne M

2016-01-01

Fat talk is a form of self-degrading, thin-ideal endorsing communication that occurs within female friendship groups. Previous studies have suggested negative associations with wellbeing, but have been predominantly correlational and based on self-report. This study aimed to assess the causal relationship between fat talk and the correlates of disordered eating (thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and dieting intentions) by experimentally manipulating fat talk in existing friendship groups and measuring naturalistic expression of fat talk and its effects. Participants were 85 women aged 17-25 who completed the experiment in friendship pairs. They were randomly assigned to a condition in which their friend expressed fat talk, positive body talk, or neutral talk. This study found evidence of a causal link between listening to friends fat talk and increased correlates of disordered eating. The negative effects of listening to fat talk were fully mediated by fat talk expression. This study also revealed a social function of fat talk, whereby participants rated their friends more positively when they were perceived to behave consistently with group norms, either pro- or anti-fat talk. Positive body talk showed none of the negative effects of fat talk, and was considered socially acceptable regardless of existing friendship group norms. These findings indicate that fat talk is a mechanism through which the thin ideal is transmitted between individuals. Interventions at the level of the friendship group to challenge norms and communication styles may break the link between societal risk factors and individual risk of eating disorders. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Emergence of Inclusive Exploratory Talk in Primary Students' Peer Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajala, Antti; Hilppo, Jaakko; Lipponen, Lasse

2012-01-01

In this study, we examine a prominent type of classroom talk, exploratory talk, in primary school peer interactions. Exploratory talk has been shown to be productive in facilitating problem solving and fostering school achievement. However, within the growing body of research concerning exploratory talk, the relation between exploratory talk and…

Testing the norm to fat talk for women of varying size: what's weight got to do with it?

PubMed

Barwick, Amy; Bazzini, Doris; Martz, Denise; Rocheleau, Courtney; Curtin, Lisa

2012-01-01

"Fat talk" is the conversational phenomenon whereby people berate their bodies in social circles. This study assessed whether norms of fat talk differ for overweight versus average-weight women. Sixty-three women read a script depicting a fat talk situation during which an overweight or average-weight target woman engaged in positive or negative body talk. Regardless of the target's weight, participants perceived it to be more typical and less surprising if she engaged in negative body talk (fat talk) rather than positive body talk. Furthermore, fat talk from either weight group did not affect the likeability of the target, but women, overweight or of average weight, who engaged in positive talk were perceived to have more socially desirable personality characteristics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring TED Talks as Linked Data for Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taibi, Davide; Chawla, Saniya; Dietze, Stefan; Marenzi, Ivana; Fetahu, Besnik

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present the TED Talks dataset which exposes all metadata and the actual transcripts of available TED talks as structured Linked Data. The TED talks collection is composed of more than 1800 talks, along with 35?000 transcripts in over 30 languages, related to a wide range of topics. In this regard, TED talks metadata available in…

Talk about Talk with Young Children: Pragmatic Socialization in Two Communities in Norway and the US

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aukrust, Vibeke Grover

2004-01-01

Recent studies have suggested that cultures vary in subtle ways in the talk about talk that children hear and learn to produce. Twenty-two three-year-old children and their families in respectively Oslo, Norway and Cambridge, Massachusetts were observed during mealtime with the aim of identifying talk-focused talk. The analysis distinguished talk…

Assessing the accuracy of self-reported self-talk

PubMed Central

Brinthaupt, Thomas M.; Benson, Scott A.; Kang, Minsoo; Moore, Zaver D.

2015-01-01

As with most kinds of inner experience, it is difficult to assess actual self-talk frequency beyond self-reports, given the often hidden and subjective nature of the phenomenon. The Self-Talk Scale (STS; Brinthaupt et al., 2009) is a self-report measure of self-talk frequency that has been shown to possess acceptable reliability and validity. However, no research using the STS has examined the accuracy of respondents’ self-reports. In the present paper, we report a series of studies directly examining the measurement of self-talk frequency and functions using the STS. The studies examine ways to validate self-reported self-talk by (1) comparing STS responses from 6 weeks earlier to recent experiences that might precipitate self-talk, (2) using experience sampling methods to determine whether STS scores are related to recent reports of self-talk over a period of a week, and (3) comparing self-reported STS scores to those provided by a significant other who rated the target on the STS. Results showed that (1) overall self-talk scores, particularly self-critical and self-reinforcing self-talk, were significantly related to reports of context-specific self-talk; (2) high STS scorers reported talking to themselves significantly more often during recent events compared to low STS scorers, and, contrary to expectations, (3) friends reported less agreement than strangers in their self-other self-talk ratings. Implications of the results for the validity of the STS and for measuring self-talk are presented. PMID:25999887

Quantifying athlete self-talk.

PubMed

Hardy, James; Hall, Craig R; Hardy, Lew

2005-09-01

Two studies were conducted. The aims of Study 1 were (a) to generate quantitative data on the content of athletes' self-talk and (b) to examine differences in the use of self-talk in general as well as the functions of self-talk in practice and competition settings. Differences in self-talk between the sexes, sport types and skill levels were also assessed. Athletes (n = 295, mean age = 21.9 years) from a variety of sports and competitive levels completed the Self-Talk Use Questionnaire (STUQ), which was developed specifically for the study. In Study 1, single-factor between-group multivariate analyses of variance revealed significant differences across sex and sport type for the content of self-talk. Mixed-model multivariate analyses of variance revealed overall greater use of self-talk, as well as increased use of the functions of self-talk, in competition compared with practice. Moreover, individual sport athletes reported greater use of self-talk, as well as the functions of self-talk, than their team sport counterparts. In Study 2, recreational volleyball players (n = 164, mean age = 21.5 years) completed a situationally modified STUQ. The results were very similar to those of Study 1. That the content of athlete self-talk was generally positive, covert and abbreviated lends support to the application of Vygotsky's (1986) verbal self-regulation theory to the study of self-talk in sport. Researchers are encouraged to examine the effectiveness of self-talk in future studies.

How to give a good talk.

PubMed

Alon, Uri

2009-10-23

We depend on talks to communicate our work, and we spend much of our time as audience members in talks. However, few scientists are taught the well-established principles of giving good talks. Here, I describe how to prepare, present, and answer questions in a scientific talk. We will see how a talk prepared with a single premise and delivered with good eye contact is clear and enjoyable.

FDA's Flexibility in Subpart H Approvals: Assessing Quantum of Effectiveness Evidence.

PubMed

Sasinowski, Frank J; Varond, Alexander J

2016-08-01

This article examines the strength of scientific and clinical evidence for FDA's nineteen non-AIDS, non-cancer Subpart H approval determinations over the Accelerated Approval program's twenty-four year existence. The authors researched the bases for FDA's determinations when an unvalidated surrogate or intermediate clinical endpoint is "reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit." The four key factors set forth in FDA's "Guidance for Industry, Expedited Programs for Serious Conditions - Drugs and Biologics" were applied to past Subpart H approvals. For the nineteen precedents, the authors found wide variances between the quantum and quality of evidence on each of the four factors, indicating that a lack of evidence on any single factor was not disqualifying in and of itself. The results of this study, therefore, show that FDA exercises extraordinarily more regulatory flexibility than either FDA's foundational statutes or even FDA' s most recent 2014 Expedited Programs Guidance explicitly express. Given recent legislative exhortations and the increasing promise of personalized medicine and translational sciences, the authors conclude that Subpart H should be further explored and utilized. The authors provide a detailed analysis of the orecedents established in the nineteen approvals.

Why Talk Is Important

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Douglas

2010-01-01

In this brief retrospective essay, the value of a particular kind of classroom talk is extolled--not the kind of talk that simply feeds back information, but rather talk that has the power to shape knowledge through participant engagement with a range of processes: hypothesising, exploration, debate and synthesis. This kind of talk is the…

A Sea of Talk.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dwyer, John, Ed.

Arguing that talk has an important place in the English language arts curriculum and across the whole curriculum, this book presents examples of children and teachers talking together, talking about what they are doing "here and now," and talking about what they know and feel about events shaping the world beyond the classroom. Chapter…

Classroom Talk: Co-Constructing a "Difficult Student"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graff, Nelson

2009-01-01

Background: Research on teacher-student relationships has focused logically on classroom talk. Investigations of classroom talk range from broad consideration of the structures of such talk to a somewhat narrower focus on the interpersonal dimensions of such talk, and their consequences for student achievement and motivation. Purpose: This study…

Talking Black.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrahams, Roger D.

This book contains essays which focus on the systems of communication that operate within and between various social segments of Afro-American communities in the United States. The essays are presented under the following headings: (1) "Getting Into It: Black Talk, Black Life and the Academic," (2) "'Talking My Talk': Black Talk Varieties and…

Achievement Goals, Motivational Self-Talk, and Academic Engagement among Chinese Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Cen; Shim, Sungok Serena; Wolters, Christopher A.

2017-01-01

The present study investigated the mediating role of motivational self-talk strategies (i.e., mastery self-talk, extrinsic self-talk, and efficacy enhancement self-talk) in the relationships between achievement goals and academic engagement (i.e., involvement, withdrawal in the face of difficulties, avoidance of challenges, and disruptive…

"We Hardly Ever Talk about It": Emotional Responsive Attunement in Couples after a Child's Death.

PubMed

Hooghe, An; Rosenblatt, Paul C; Rober, Peter

2018-03-01

Within Western cultural traditions, the idea that parents should talk about the death of their child with each other is deeply rooted. However, across bereaved parent couples there are wide variations in communication about their grief with each other. In this study, we explored the experiences of bereaved couples related to the process of talking and not talking. We used a thematic coding approach to analyze 20 interviews with 26 bereaved parents (11 interviewed as couples, four as individuals). Four main meanings emerged out of our analysis: not talking because of the inadequacy and pointlessness of words in grief, not talking as a way to regulate emotions in daily life, not talking as an expression of a personal, intimate process, and not talking because the partner has the same loss but a different grief process. In addition, we found that the process of talking and not talking can partly be understood as an emotional responsive process on an intrapersonal and interpersonal level. In this process partners search for a bearable distance from their own grief and their partner's, and attune with their relational context. A better understanding of this process is sought in a dialectical approach, emphasizing the value of both talking and not talking in a tense relationship with each other. Implications for clinical work are described. © 2017 Family Process Institute.

Characteristics and outcomes of men who fail to leak on intubated urodynamics prior to artificial urinary sphincter placement.

PubMed

Weissbart, Steven J; Coutinho, Karl; Chughtai, Bilal; Sandhu, Jaspreet S

2014-12-01

To report the characteristics and anti-incontinence outcomes of men who fail to demonstrate incontinence on intubated urodynamics (UDS). From 2005 to 2013, the records of men who underwent UDS prior to artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) were reviewed. The histories, UDS, endoscopies, and anti-incontinence outcomes of men who failed to demonstrate incontinence on intubated UDS were recorded. In our UDS protocol, the urodynamic urethral catheter was removed and the UDS was repeated to elicit incontinence without the urethral catheter. The valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) was obtained via the rectal catheter in these men. All men were status post radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Nineteen percent (32) of the study population (169) had non-demonstrable incontinence on intubated UDS. Mean age at the time of UDS was 62 (range 48-81). All patients demonstrated incontinence on UDS upon removal of the urethral catheter. Their mean VLPP was 79.3 (SD 36.7). Fifty-six percent (18) of these men had an anastomotic stricture (AS) and 37.5% (12) had a history of radiotherapy treatment, of which six also had an AS. Mean pads per day at the time of UDS was 4.6 (SD 2.9). At a mean follow up of 40.7 months (SD 24.7) from AUS placement, mean pads per day was 0.87 (SD 1.2). Men who fail to demonstrate incontinence on intubated UDS have a high rate of AS and history of radiotherapy treatment, which is a known cause for urethra fibrosis and scarring. Regardless, these men can achieve excellent anti-incontinence outcomes.

[IPTH dosage as a prognosis predictor of postoperatory hypocalcemia in patients submitted to total thyroidectomy].

PubMed

Paliogiannis, Panagiotis; Attene, Federico; Torre, Carlo; Denti, Salvatore; Trignano, Emilio; Scognamillo, Fabrizio; Trignano, Mario

2011-01-01

Hypocalcemia is the most frequent complication after total thyroidectomy (TT) and represents the main cause of prolonged hospital stay because of the need to monitor the calcemic status of the patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of serum iPTH as a predictor of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia in order to allow patients' early and safe discharge. Fifty patients who underwent TT without autotransplantation of parathyroid tissue were prospectively included in the study The mean age was 52 years and the male/female ratio was 1/6. The iPTH serum level were determined 1 hour after the operation and the calcium serum values after 24 and 48 hours. The cut-off value assumed for testing the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV was 16 pg/ml. Nineteen patients (38%) presented hypocalcemia within 48 hours after TT and 16 of them (84.2%) had iPTH serum levels lower than 16 pg/ml. The normocalcemic patients were 31 (62%) and only 4 of them had iPTH serum levels inferior to the cut-off value. Postoperative iPTH serum level determined 1 hour after the operation had a sensibility of 84.2%, specificity of 87.1%, PPV and NPV of 90% and 80% respectively. The dosage of iPTH serum levels after total thyroidectomy reliably predicts patients who are likely to develop hypocalcaemia. It may be useful in clinical practice in order to reduce the number of postoperative blood tests and the hospital length of stay for the patients who are not at risk of postoperative hypocalcemia.

The Learning Healthcare System: Where are we now? A systematic review.

PubMed

Budrionis, Andrius; Bellika, Johan Gustav

2016-12-01

The Learning Healthcare System paradigm has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide. The great potential originating from high-scale health data reuse and the inclusion of patient perspectives into care models promises personalized care, lower costs of health services and minimized consumption of resources. The aim of this review is to summarize the attempts to adopt the novel paradigm, putting emphasis on implementations and evaluating the impact on current medical practices. PRISMA methodology was followed for structuring the review process. Three major research databases (PubMed, IEEE Xplore and ACM DL) were queried with the predefined search terms "learning healthcare" and "learning health". Publications containing specific theoretical or empirical results were considered. Three hundred and fifty-eight publications were identified; however, only 32 met the inclusion criteria. Nineteen papers were characterized as theoretical contributions, while the rest presented empirical achievements. Only one paper described the initial estimates of impact and economy. Individualistic communication of studies ignoring popular frameworks for assessing and reporting research achievements prevents the systematic generation of knowledge. Evaluating the impact of the Learning Healthcare System instances where it is implemented could work as a catalyst in reaching higher acceptance and adoption of the proposed ideas by healthcare worldwide; however, it mostly remains described in theory. The review demonstrated the interest of researchers in exploring the Learning Healthcare System ideas. However, it also revealed minimal focus on evaluating the impact of the novel paradigm on both healthcare service delivery and patient outcome. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suicidal ideation and attempts among people with severe mental disorder, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, comparative cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Duko, Bereket; Ayano, Getinet

2018-01-01

People with severe mental disorders are associated with increased risk of suicide and suicide attempts compared to the general population. In low and middle-income countries, research concerning suicide attempts and completed suicide among people living with severe mental disorder is limited. The objective of this study was to assess suicide and attempts in people with severe mental disorder at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in August-September 2016. Patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were selected using systematic random-sampling technique. The composite international diagnostic interview was used to assess suicide that was administered by psychiatry professionals. Substance use disorder was assessed through face-to-face interviews using structured clinical interview of DSM-IV. A total of 542 (272 schizophrenia + 270 bipolar disorder) patients were included in the study. One hundred nineteen (43.75%) of schizophrenic participants and 128 (47.1%) of bipolar participants have suicidal ideation. Fifty-six (20.7%) of schizophrenic participants and 58 (21.3%) of bipolar participants have suicidal attempt. Among the schizophrenic and bipolar patients who had suicidal ideation, 31.8 and 32.60% had co-morbid substance use disorder, respectively. In this study, which was performed in Ethiopia, suicidal ideation and attempt were shown to be common problems in people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Co-morbid substance use disorder was a more frequent phenomenon among patients with suicidal ideation and attempt. Attention should be given to screen and assess suicidal ideation and attempt in persons with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Allen M.; Daly, Megan E.; Bucci, M. Kara

Purpose: To compare clinical outcomes of patients with carcinomas of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity according to decade of radiation treatment. Methods and Materials: Between 1960 and 2005, 127 patients with sinonasal carcinoma underwent radiotherapy with planning and delivery techniques available at the time of treatment. Fifty-nine patients were treated by conventional radiotherapy; 45 patients by three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy; and 23 patients by intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Eighty-two patients (65%) were treated with radiotherapy after gross total tumor resection. Nineteen patients (15%) received chemotherapy. The most common histology was squamous cell carcinoma (83 patients). Results: The 5-year estimates of overall survival,more » local control, and disease-free survival for the entire patient population were 52%, 62%, and 54%, respectively. There were no significant differences in any of these endpoints with respect to decade of treatment or radiotherapy technique (p > 0.05, for all). The 5-year overall survival rate for patients treated in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s was 46%, 56%, 51%, 53%, and 49%, respectively (p = 0.23). The observed incidence of severe (Grade 3 or 4) late toxicity was 53%, 45%, 39%, 28%, and 16% among patients treated in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, respectively (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Although we did not detect improvements in disease control or overall survival for patients treated over time, the incidence of complications has significantly declined, thereby resulting in an improved therapeutic ratio for patients with carcinomas of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity.« less

Systematic review of medial versus lateral survivorship in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

van der List, J P; McDonald, L S; Pearle, A D

2015-12-01

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has gained popularity in patients with isolated unicompartmental osteoarthritis. To our knowledge no systematic review has assessed and compared survivorship of medial and lateral UKA. We performed a systematic review assessing medial and lateral UKA survivorship and comparing survivorship in cohort studies and registry-based studies. A search was performed using PubMed, Embase and Cochrane systems. Ninety-six eligible studies reported survivorship, of which fifty-eight reported medial and sixteen reported lateral UKA survivorship. Nineteen cohort studies and seven registry-based studies reported combined medial and lateral survivorship. The five-year, ten-year and fifteen-year medial UKA survivorship was 93.9%, 91.7% and 88.9%, respectively. Lateral UKA survivorship was 93.2%, 91.4% and 89.4% at five-year, ten-year and fifteen-year, respectively. No statistical difference between both compartments was found. At twenty years and twenty-five years survivorship of medial UKA was 84.7% and 80%, respectively, but no studies reported lateral UKA survivorship at these follow-up intervals. Survivorship of cohort studies was not significantly higher compared to registry-based studies at five years (94.3 vs. 91.7, respectively, p=0.133) but was significantly higher at ten years (90.5 vs. 84.1, p=0.015). This is the first systematic review that shows no difference in the five-, ten- and fifteen-year survivorship of medial and lateral UKA. We found a lower survivorship in the registry-based studies compared to cohort studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Night emergency cover for ENT in England: a national survey.

PubMed

Biswas, D; Rafferty, A; Jassar, P

2009-08-01

To evaluate the quality of out-of-hours ENT on-call cover by junior doctors, in view of the European Working Time Directive and the recent changes in the National Health Service workforce due to the 'Modernising Medical Careers' initiative, in England. We performed a national survey of first-on-call doctors for ENT, using a telephone questionnaire. Hospital contact details were sourced from the National Health Service website. The inclusion criterion was hospitals providing acute ENT facilities overnight in England. One hundred and nineteen hospitals were contacted; 91 were eligible, and 83 interviews were conducted. The grade of the first-on-call ENT doctor ranged from foundation year two (19 per cent) to registrar level or above (13 per cent). Forty-nine respondents (68 per cent) reported having no previous ENT experience. Fifty-three respondents (74 per cent) covered more than one speciality at night, with seven (10 per cent) covering four or more specialities. The second-on-call doctor was non-resident in 63 cases (88 per cent). Thirty respondents (42 per cent) stated that they did not feel comfortable managing common ENT emergencies as the first doctor on call. Otorhinolaryngology induction courses were offered in 37 of the respondents' hospitals (51 per cent), these courses were of varying duration. Night-time ENT care is often provided by junior doctors with little experience of the speciality, who are often also responsible for covering multiple specialities. Many reported not feeling comfortable managing common ENT emergencies. Structured induction programmes would help to provide basic knowledge and should be mandatory for all doctors covering ENT.

Does hemopericardium after chest trauma mandate sternotomy?

PubMed

Thorson, Chad M; Namias, Nicholas; Van Haren, Robert M; Guarch, Gerardo A; Ginzburg, Enrique; Salerno, Tomas A; Schulman, Carl I; Livingstone, Alan S; Proctor, Kenneth G

2012-06-01

Recently, three patients with hemopericardium after severe chest trauma were successfully managed nonoperatively at our institution. This prompted the question whether these were rare or common events. Therefore, we reviewed our experience with similar injuries to test the hypothesis that trauma-induced hemopericardium mandates sternotomy. Records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients at a Level I trauma center (December 1996 to November 2011) who sustained chest trauma with pericardial window (PCW, n = 377) and/or median sternotomy (n = 110). Fifty-five (15%) patients with positive PCW proceeded to sternotomy. Penetrating injury was the dominant mechanism (n = 49, 89%). Nineteen (35%) were hypotensive on arrival or during initial resuscitation. Most received surgeon-performed focused cardiac ultrasound examinations (n = 43, 78%) with positive results (n = 25, 58%). Ventricular injuries were most common, with equivalent numbers occurring on the right (n = 16, 29%) and left (n = 15, 27%). Six (11%) with positive PCW had isolated pericardial lacerations, but 21 (38%) had no repairable cardiac or great vessel injury. Those with therapeutic versus nontherapeutic sternotomies were similar with respect to age, mechanisms of injury, injury severity scores, presenting laboratory values, resuscitation fluids, and vital signs. Multiple logistic regression revealed that penetrating trauma (odds ratio: 13.3) and hemodynamic instability (odds ratio: 7.8) were independent predictors of therapeutic sternotomy. Hemopericardium per se may be overly sensitive for diagnosing cardiac or great vessel injuries after chest trauma. Some stable blunt or penetrating trauma patients without continuing intrapericardial bleeding had nontherapeutic sternotomies, suggesting that this intervention could be avoided in selected cases. Therapeutic study, level III. Copyright © 2012 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Efficacy of desensitizing products containing 8% arginine and calcium carbonate for hypersensitivity relief in MIH-affected molars: an 8-week clinical study.

PubMed

Bekes, Katrin; Heinzelmann, Karolin; Lettner, Stefan; Schaller, Hans-Günter

2017-09-01

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy in reducing hypersensitivity in molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH)-affected molars immediately and over 8 weeks combining a single in-office application and a homed-based program with desensitizing products containing 8% arginine and calcium carbonate. Nineteen children with at least one MIH-affected molar with hypersensitivity were included. Hypersensitivity was assessed with an evaporative (air) stimulus and a tactile stimulus. Each child received a single in-office treatment with a desensitizing paste containing 8% arginine and calcium carbonate (elmex Sensitive Professional desensitizing paste), followed by 8 weeks of brushing twice daily with a desensitizing toothpaste containing 8% arginine, calcium carbonate with 1450 ppm fluoride (elmex Sensitive Professional toothpaste), using the elmex Sensitive Professional toothbrush. Additionally, the corresponding mouthwash (elmex Sensitive Professional mouthwash) was used. Clinical assessments were made at baseline, immediately after the in-office treatment and after 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks of brushing twice daily. Fifty-six molars with an air blast hypersensitivity score of 2 or 3 (Schiff Cold Air Sensitivity Scale) were included. Application of the desensitizing paste decreased hypersensitivity significantly immediately and throughout the 8 weeks recalls (p < 0.001). In conclusion, 8% arginine and calcium carbonate were able to reduce hypersensitivity successfully during this 8-week trial. Hypersensitivity is a major complaint in patients with MIH. This is the first study evaluating the desensitizing effect of a desensitizing paste containing 8% arginine and calcium carbonate in patients with MIH.

Gastrointestinal surgery in cystic fibrosis: a 20-year review.

PubMed

Farrelly, Paul J; Charlesworth, Caroline; Lee, Sophie; Southern, Kevin W; Baillie, Colin T

2014-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes of the surgical management for meconium ileus (MI) and Distal Intestinal Obstruction Syndrome (DIOS) in Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Children born between 1990 and 2010 were identified using a regional CF database. Retrospective case note analysis was performed. Outcome measures for MI were mortality, relaparotomy rate, length of stay (LOS), time on parental nutrition (TP), and time to full feeds (TFF). Outcome measures for DIOS were: age of onset, number of episodes, and need for laparotomy. Seventy-five of 376 neonates presented with MI. Fifty-four (92%) required laparotomy. Contrast enema decompression was attempted in nineteen. There were no post-operative deaths. Thirty-nine (72%) neonates with MI were managed with stomas. LOS was longer in those managed with stomas (p=0.001) and in complex MI (p=0.002). Thirty-five patients were treated for DIOS. Twenty-five patients were managed with gastrograffin. Ten patients underwent surgical management of DIOS. Overall, MI did not predispose to later development of DIOS. There was a significantly greater incidence of laparotomy for DIOS in children who had MI. The proportion of neonates with complex meconium ileus was high (49%) and may explain the infrequent utilisation of radiological decompression. Complex MI or management with stomas both significantly increase LOS. Re-laparotomy rate is high (22%) in MI irrespective of the type of management. DIOS is not a benign condition, particularly when the child has had previous abdominal surgery. Early referral to a surgical team is essential in these children. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Internet survey of marijuana and hot shower use in adults with cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS).

PubMed

Venkatesan, Thangam; Sengupta, Jyotirmoy; Lodhi, Atena; Schroeder, Abigail; Adams, Kathleen; Hogan, Walter J; Wang, Yanzhi; Andrews, Christopher; Storr, Martin

2014-08-01

Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a chronic disorder characterized by episodic nausea and vomiting. A large proportion of patients use marijuana to control their symptoms. Several case reports implicate marijuana as a cause of intractable vomiting with compulsive hot water bathing considered pathognomonic of "cannabinoid hyperemesis." We sought to examine the relationship between marijuana use and CVS. Patients >18 years of age diagnosed by a health care provider were invited to participate in an anonymous internet-based survey. A total of 514 patients participated and 437 completed questions about marijuana use. Mean age was 34 ± 12 years with patients being predominantly female (63%), Caucasian (92%) and from the USA (82%). Nineteen percent never used marijuana and 81% did. Fifty-four percent used marijuana for health issues and 43% for recreational purposes. Users stated that it improved nausea, appetite, general well-being, stress levels and vomiting. Users were more likely to be male and have an associated anxiety disorder. Sixty-seven percent of patients reported taking hot showers/baths for symptom relief, and this was associated with marijuana use. (OR 2.54, CI 1.50-4.31, P = 0.0006). Eighty-one percent of patients with CVS who completed an internet survey reported frequent use of marijuana. With marijuana use, patients noted the greatest improvement with stress levels, appetite and nausea. Marijuana users were more likely to be male and have associated anxiety. Hot showers were not pathognomonic of marijuana use though they were more likely to be associated with its use.

Barriers and facilitators influencing ethical evaluation in health technology assessment.

PubMed

Assasi, Nazila; Schwartz, Lisa; Tarride, Jean-Eric; O'Reilly, Daria; Goeree, Ron

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators influencing the integration of ethical considerations in health technology assessment (HTA). The study consisted of two complementary approaches: (a) a systematic review of the literature; and (b) an eighteen-item online survey that was distributed to fifty-six HTA agencies affiliated with the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment. The review identified twenty-six relevant articles. The most often cited barriers in the literature were: scarcity, heterogeneity and complexity of ethical analysis methods; challenges in translating ethical analysis results into knowledge that is useful for decision makers; and lack of organizational support in terms of required expertise, time and financial resources. The most frequently cited facilitators included: usage of value-based appraisal methods, stakeholder and public engagement, enhancement of practice guidelines, ethical expertise, and educational interventions. Representatives of twenty-six (46.5 percent) agencies from nineteen countries completed the survey. A median of 10 percent (interquartile range, 5 percent to 50 percent) of the HTA products produced by the agencies was reported to include an assessment of ethical aspects. The most commonly perceived barriers were: limited ethical knowledge and expertise, insufficient time and resources, and difficulties in finding ethical evidence or using ethical guidelines. Educational interventions, demand by policy makers, and involvement of ethicists in HTA were the most commonly perceived facilitators. Our results emphasize the importance of simplification of ethics methodology and development of good practice guidelines in HTA, as well as capacity building for engaging HTA practitioners in ethical analyses.

Clinical Computing in General Dentistry

PubMed Central

Schleyer, Titus K.L.; Thyvalikakath, Thankam P.; Spallek, Heiko; Torres-Urquidy, Miguel H.; Hernandez, Pedro; Yuhaniak, Jeannie

2006-01-01

Objective: Measure the adoption and utilization of, opinions about, and attitudes toward clinical computing among general dentists in the United States. Design: Telephone survey of a random sample of 256 general dentists in active practice in the United States. Measurements: A 39-item telephone interview measuring practice characteristics and information technology infrastructure; clinical information storage; data entry and access; attitudes toward and opinions about clinical computing (features of practice management systems, barriers, advantages, disadvantages, and potential improvements); clinical Internet use; and attitudes toward the National Health Information Infrastructure. Results: The authors successfully screened 1,039 of 1,159 randomly sampled U.S. general dentists in active practice (89.6% response rate). Two hundred fifty-six (24.6%) respondents had computers at chairside and thus were eligible for this study. The authors successfully interviewed 102 respondents (39.8%). Clinical information associated with administration and billing, such as appointments and treatment plans, was stored predominantly on the computer; other information, such as the medical history and progress notes, primarily resided on paper. Nineteen respondents, or 1.8% of all general dentists, were completely paperless. Auxiliary personnel, such as dental assistants and hygienists, entered most data. Respondents adopted clinical computing to improve office efficiency and operations, support diagnosis and treatment, and enhance patient communication and perception. Barriers included insufficient operational reliability, program limitations, a steep learning curve, cost, and infection control issues. Conclusion: Clinical computing is being increasingly adopted in general dentistry. However, future research must address usefulness and ease of use, workflow support, infection control, integration, and implementation issues. PMID:16501177

CHARACTERIZATION OF SPONTANEOUS AND INDUCED PUBERTY IN GIRLS WITH TURNER SYNDROME.

PubMed

Folsom, Lisal J; Slaven, James E; Nabhan, Zeina M; Eugster, Erica A

2017-07-01

To characterize puberty in girls with Turner syndrome (TS) and determine whether specific patient characteristics are associated with the timing of menarche. We also sought to compare spontaneous versus induced puberty in these patients. Medical records of girls followed in our Pediatric Endocrine clinic for TS from 2007 to 2015 were reviewed. Fifty-three girls were included, of whom 10 (19%) achieved menarche spontaneously and 43 (81%) received hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Of girls receiving HRT, a younger age at estrogen initiation correlated with a longer time to menarche (P = .02), and a mosaic karyotype was associated with a shorter time to menarche (P = .02), whereas no relationship was seen for body mass index, estrogen regimen, or maternal age at menarche. Nineteen girls (44%) receiving HRT had bleeding on estrogen alone at a wide dose range and were more likely to be on transdermal than oral preparations (P = .01). Girls with spontaneous puberty achieved menarche at a younger age (P<.01) and were more likely to have mosaic TS (P = .02). Significant variability in the timing of menarche exists among girls with TS. However, age at pubertal induction and karyotype were significantly correlated with age at menarche in our patients. A wide range of estrogen doses is seen in girls who bleed prior to progesterone, suggesting extreme variability in estrogen sensitivity among patients with TS. Girls achieving spontaneous menarche are younger and more likely to have a mosaic karyotype than those with induced menarche. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm these results. BMI = body mass index; HRT = hormone replacement therapy; TS = Turner syndrome.

Dissociation between history and challenge in patients with physical urticaria.

PubMed

Komarow, Hirsh D; Arceo, Sarah; Young, Michael; Nelson, Celeste; Metcalfe, Dean D

2014-01-01

Physical urticaria is a subtype of chronic urticaria induced by a physical stimulus. To evaluate the consistency between a history of physical urticaria and results of challenge testing. Seventy-six subjects, ages 3 to 77 years old, were referred with the diagnosis of a physical urticaria and were evaluated by using challenge testing directed toward the presenting diagnosis, yet included other stimuli based on history. The majority of subjects were tested to 3 or more stimuli, thus 294 provocation tests were performed. Fifty-seven subjects were surveyed for the status of their physical urticaria at least 1 year after initial evaluation. Of the 76 subjects with a positive history of a physical urticaria, 38% (n = 29) were challenge negative to the presenting diagnosis. Eight subjects within the challenge negative group reacted positively to additional testing, thus 28% (n = 21) remained negative to all challenge testing, which allowed discontinuation of medications and avoidance behavior. A negative challenge result was less likely with subjects who presented with cold-induced urticaria (25%), delayed pressure urticaria (25%), and dermatographism (29%), yet more common with cholinergic (65%) and solar urticaria (67%). A 1-year follow-up survey of 57 subjects was consistent with initial results. Nineteen of this subgroup were rechallenged for the presenting diagnosis, and the outcome was unchanged in 17 subjects and, in 2 subjects the urticaria had resolved. The diagnosis by history of a physical urticaria should be verified by testing whenever possible and particularly if the condition is judged as severe and thus requires both significant life-style changes and pharmacologic intervention. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Genetic Variation and Combining Ability Analysis of Bruising Sensitivity in Agaricus bisporus

PubMed Central

Gao, Wei; Baars, Johan J. P.; Dolstra, Oene; Visser, Richard G. F.; Sonnenberg, Anton S. M.

2013-01-01

Advanced button mushroom cultivars that are less sensitive to mechanical bruising are required by the mushroom industry, where automated harvesting still cannot be used for the fresh mushroom market. The genetic variation in bruising sensitivity (BS) of Agaricus bisporus was studied through an incomplete set of diallel crosses to get insight in the heritability of BS and the combining ability of the parental lines used and, in this way, to estimate their breeding value. To this end nineteen homokaryotic lines recovered from wild strains and cultivars were inter-crossed in a diallel scheme. Fifty-one successful hybrids were grown under controlled conditions, and the BS of these hybrids was assessed. BS was shown to be a trait with a very high heritability. The results also showed that brown hybrids were generally less sensitive to bruising than white hybrids. The diallel scheme allowed to estimate the general combining ability (GCA) for each homokaryotic parental line and to estimate the specific combining ability (SCA) of each hybrid. The line with the lowest GCA is seen as the most attractive donor for improving resistance to bruising. The line gave rise to hybrids sensitive to bruising having the highest GCA value. The highest negative SCA possibly indicates heterosis effects for resistance to bruising. This study provides a foundation for estimating breeding value of parental lines to further study the genetic factors underlying bruising sensitivity and other quality-related traits, and to select potential parental lines for further heterosis breeding. The approach of studying combining ability in a diallel scheme was used for the first time in button mushroom breeding. PMID:24116171

Global Emergency Medicine: A Review of the Literature From 2016.

PubMed

Becker, Torben K; Hansoti, Bhakti; Bartels, Susan; Hayward, Alison Schroth; Hexom, Braden J; Lunney, Kevin M; Marsh, Regan H; Osei-Ampofo, Maxwell; Trehan, Indi; Chang, Julia; Levine, Adam C

2017-09-01

The Global Emergency Medicine Literature Review (GEMLR) conducts an annual search of peer-reviewed and gray literature relevant to global emergency medicine (EM) to identify, review, and disseminate the most important new research in this field to a global audience of academics and clinical practitioners. This year 13,890 articles written in four languages were identified by our search. These articles were distributed among 20 reviewers for initial screening based on their relevance to the field of global EM. An additional two reviewers searched the gray literature. All articles that were deemed appropriate by at least one reviewer and approved by their editor underwent formal scoring of overall quality and importance. Two independent reviewers scored all articles. A total of 716 articles met our inclusion criteria and underwent full review. Fifty-nine percent were categorized as emergency care in resource-limited settings, 17% as EM development, and 24% as disaster and humanitarian response. Nineteen articles received scores of 18.5 or higher out of a maximum score of 20 and were selected for formal summary and critique. Inter-rater reliability testing between reviewers revealed Cohen's kappa of 0.441. In 2016, the total number of articles identified by our search continued to increase. The proportion of articles in each of the three categories remained stable. Studies and reviews with a focus on infectious diseases, pediatrics, and the use of ultrasound in resource-limited settings represented the majority of articles selected for final review. © 2017 The Authors. Academic Emergency Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM).

Determination of serum IgG antibodies to Bacillus anthracis protective antigen in environmental sampling workers using a fluorescent covalent microsphere immunoassay.

PubMed

Biagini, R E; Sammons, D L; Smith, J P; Page, E H; Snawder, J E; Striley, C A F; MacKenzie, B A

2004-08-01

To evaluate potential exposure to Bacillis anthracis (Ba) spores in sampling/decontamination workers in the aftermath of an anthrax terror attack. Fifty six serum samples were obtained from workers involved in environmental sampling for Ba spores at the American Media, Inc. (AMI) building in Boca Raton, FL after the anthrax attack there in October 2001. Nineteen sera were drawn from individuals both pre-entry and several weeks after entrance into the building. Nine sera each were drawn from unique individuals at the pre-entry and follow up blood draws. Thirteen donor control sera were also evaluated. Individuals were surveyed for Ba exposure by measurement of serum Ba anti-protective antigen (PA) specific IgG antibodies using a newly developed fluorescent covalent microsphere immunoassay (FCMIA). Four sera gave positive anti-PA IgG results (defined as anti-PA IgG concentrations > or = the mean microg/ml anti-PA IgG from donor control sera (n = 13 plus 2 SD which were also inhibited > or = 85% when the serum was pre-adsorbed with PA). The positive sera were the pre-entry and follow up samples of two workers who had received their last dose of anthrax vaccine in 2000. It appears that the sampling/decontamination workers of the present study either had insufficient exposure to Ba spores to cause the production of anti-PA IgG antibodies or they were exposed to anthrax spores without producing antibody. The FCMIA appears to be a fast, sensitive, accurate, and precise method for the measurement of anti-PA IgG antibodies.

Genetic basis for loss of immuno-reactive O-chain in Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis veterinary isolates.

PubMed

Szabo, Istvan; Grafe, Marianne; Kemper, Nicole; Junker, Ernst; Malorny, Burkhard

2017-05-01

Fifty-two rough Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) isolates from broilers and the environment were characterized for their serological and genotypic properties. Under routine diagnostic serotyping methods such isolates lack the immuno-reactivity of the O-chain of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and are referred to as non-typeable. Using a modified slide agglutination method, the isolates could be differentiated into three different serological variants. Twenty-six isolates (50%) were defined as semi-rough, nineteen isolates (37%) as deep-rough, four isolates (8%) as rough and three isolates could not be assigned. Genetically, all semi-rough isolates lacked the wzyB gene encoding the O-antigen polymerase. Two isolates carried a frameshift mutation in wzyB. In 15 of 23 cases deep-rough or rough isolates had a single point mutation, a single - or double-nucleotide insert or deletion in the wbaP gene. The mutational changes lead to expression of truncated (premature) protein, resulting in the loss of the immuno-reactive O-chain. Both rough and smooth S. Enteritidis isolates showed identical or highly similar XbaI-PFGE profiles. Our results indicate that the loss of a functional LPS in S. Enteritidis isolates is caused by a variety of different mutation events within the wzyB (semi-rough) or the wbaP (deep-rough) gene and is not a result of a vertical spread of a specific S. Enteritidis subtype. The defect of the LPS may be a common evolutionary mechanism through which host defence can be escaped. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A systematic review of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of peer education and peer support in prisons.

PubMed

Bagnall, Anne-Marie; South, Jane; Hulme, Claire; Woodall, James; Vinall-Collier, Karen; Raine, Gary; Kinsella, Karina; Dixey, Rachael; Harris, Linda; Wright, Nat M J

2015-03-25

Prisoners experience significantly worse health than the general population. This review examines the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of peer interventions in prison settings. A mixed methods systematic review of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness studies, including qualitative and quantitative synthesis was conducted. In addition to grey literature identified and searches of websites, nineteen electronic databases were searched from 1985 to 2012. Study selection criteria were: Prisoners resident in adult prisons and children resident in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs). Peer-based interventions. Review questions 3 and 4 compared peer and professionally led approaches. Prisoner health or determinants of health; organisational/process outcomes; views of prison populations. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed method evaluations. Fifty-seven studies were included in the effectiveness review and one study in the cost-effectiveness review; most were of poor methodological quality. Evidence suggested that peer education interventions are effective at reducing risky behaviours, and that peer support services are acceptable within the prison environment and have a positive effect on recipients, practically or emotionally. Consistent evidence from many, predominantly qualitative, studies, suggested that being a peer deliverer was associated with positive effects. There was little evidence on cost-effectiveness of peer-based interventions. There is consistent evidence from a large number of studies that being a peer worker is associated with positive health; peer support services are also an acceptable source of help within the prison environment and can have a positive effect on recipients. Research into cost-effectiveness is sparse. PROSPERO ref: CRD42012002349.

Diagnostic work-up of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism: a survey of strategies used by emergency physicians.

PubMed

Erdur, Bülent; Karabulut, Nevzat; Türkçüer, Ibrahim; Ergin, Ahmet

2009-09-01

In this study, we aimed to document imaging practices and diagnostic strategies used by emergency physicians in patients with suspected high-probability pulmonary embolism (PE). A questionnaire investigating the diagnostic strategies used by the emergency physicians in the evaluation of venous thromboembolism was mailed electronically to all emergency department residents and specialists practicing in 62 medical institutions in Turkey. The questionnaire gathered information about the availability and frequency of use of diagnostic imaging modalities in different scenarios in patients with suspected high-probability PE. Echocardiography, helical computed tomography (CT), and D-dimer test were the most available tools around the clock with a frequency of use of 78%, 73%, and 67%, respectively. One hundred and nineteen of 176 respondents (68%) reported that they request D-dimer "invariably" before performing an imaging examination in patients with suspected highprobability PE (SHPPE). Before ordering advanced imaging, 136 EPs (77%) would always obtain chest radiographs. Fifty-four residents (55%) and 39 specialists (51%) indicated that CTPA would likely be the first examination for patients with SHPPE and with signs of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (P = 0.8). The most frequently selected examination for patients with SHPPE and without signs of DVT was CTPA, reported by 69 of the residents (70%) and 53 of the specialists (69%) (P = 0.9). This survey did not show significant variations either in the practices and policies used by emergency physicians, or in the methodological approaches between specialists and residents. Among the imaging modalities, CTPA was the tool most preferred by physicians for patients with suspected acute PE.

The Level and Quality of Accountability Talk in the Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motlhabane, Abraham

2016-01-01

Teachers are actively encouraged to plan their lessons such that there is maximum classroom talk, namely accountability talk. However, many lessons do not display sufficient accountability talk. This study attempted to better understand the level and quality of accountability talk in six science lessons. The study aimed to provide teachers with…

TED Talks and Leadership Education: Ideas Worth Sharing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raffo, Deana M.

2016-01-01

TED Talks are short videos of experts talking about a variety of topics. This paper outlines six TED Talks that connect with the leadership literature and topics commonly taught with an explanation of how they enhance teaching about a corresponding leadership topic. The researcher shares how introducing TED talks related to leadership can…

Let's Talk about Talking: Accountable Talk and Participatory Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huss, John A.

2007-01-01

Middle-grade students like to talk. This natural "gift of gab" may at times be suppressed by teachers who prefer to impart knowledge rather than allow students to participate in its development. Intelligence is a social practice. Students become adept at socializing their intelligence if they are encouraged to talk in meaningful and constructive…

Comparison of Elastography, Serum Marker Scores, and Histology for the Assessment of Liver Fibrosis in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-Infected Patients in Burkina Faso

PubMed Central

Bonnard, Philippe; Sombié, Roger; Lescure, Francois-Xavier; Bougouma, Alain; Guiard-Schmid, Jean Baptiste; Poynard, Thierry; Calès, Paul; Housset, Chantal; Callard, Patrice; Pendeven, Catherine Le; Drabo, Joseph; Carrat, Fabrice; Pialoux, Gilles

2010-01-01

Liver fibrosis (LF) must be assessed before talking treatment decisions in hepatitis B. In Burkina Faso, liver biopsy (LB) remains the “gold standard” method for this purpose. Access to treatment might be simpler if reliable alternative techniques for LF evaluation were available. The hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients who underwent LB was invited to have liver stiffness measurement (Fibroscan) and serum marker assays. Fifty-nine patients were enrolled. The performance of each technique for distinguishing F0F1 from F2F3F4 was compared. The area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves was 0.61, 0.71, 0.79, 0.82, and 0.87 for the aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI), Fib-4, Fibrotest, Fibrometre, and Fibroscan. Elastometric thresholds were identified for significant fibrosis and cirrhosis. Combined use of Fibroscan and a serum marker could avoid 80% of biopsies. This study shows that the results of alternative methods concord with those of histology in HBV-infected patients in Burkina Faso. These alternative techniques could help physicians to identify patients requiring treatment. PMID:20207872

Fifty years of progress in speech coding standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, Richard

2004-10-01

Over the past 50 years, speech coding has taken root worldwide. Early applications were for the military and transmission for telephone networks. The military gave equal priority to intelligibility and low bit rate. The telephone network gave priority to high quality and low delay. These illustrate three of the four areas in which requirements must be set for any speech coder application: bit rate, quality, delay, and complexity. While the military could afford relatively expensive terminal equipment for secure communications, the telephone network needed low cost for massive deployment in switches and transmission equipment worldwide. Today speech coders are at the heart of the wireless phones and telephone answering systems we use every day. In addition to the technology and technical invention that has occurred, standards make it possible for all these different systems to interoperate. The primary areas of standardization are the public switched telephone network, wireless telephony, and secure telephony for government and military applications. With the advent of IP telephony there are additional standardization efforts and challenges. In this talk the progress in all areas is reviewed as well as a reflection on Jim Flanagan's impact on this field during the past half century.

Fifty years of Cosmic Era: Real and Virtual Studies of the Sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.; Malkov, O. Yu.; Samus, N. N.

2012-05-01

The book presents the Proceedings of the Conference of Young Scientists of CIS countries held on 21-25 November 2011 at the Armenian National Academy of Sciences in Yerevan and dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight into Space. The main goal of the Conference was to gather young scientists from CIS countries to familiarize them with the latest developments of Astrophysics and Space Physics, including the use of the latest technology and techniques. Among the participants of the conference there were 47 young scientists and researchers from Armenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine, as well as 5 invited lecturers from Armenia, France and Russia, who gave 5 lectures and 2 different practical exercises (tutorials). The young scientists presented 38 talks on various topics of astrophysics related to their research work or PhD/MSc studies. The book is divided into 5 parts, Invited Lectures and 4 sections by subjects: Solar System and Exoplanets, Stars and Nebulae, Galaxies and Cosmology, Real and Virtual Observatories. It also includes a preface by the editors, the list of participants of the conference, and author index at the end.

Family food talk, child eating behavior, and maternal feeding practices.

PubMed

Roach, Elizabeth; Viechnicki, Gail B; Retzloff, Lauren B; Davis-Kean, Pamela; Lumeng, Julie C; Miller, Alison L

2017-10-01

Families discuss food and eating in many ways that may shape child eating habits. Researchers studying how families talk about food have examined this process during meals. Little work has examined parent-child food-related interactions outside of mealtime. We assessed family food talk at home outside of mealtime and tested whether food talk was associated with obesogenic child eating behaviors, maternal feeding practices, or child weight. Preschool and school-aged mother-child dyads (n = 61) participated in naturalistic voice recording using a LENA (Language ENvironment Analysis) recorder. A coding scheme was developed to reliably characterize different types of food talk from LENA transcripts. Mothers completed the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) and Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) to assess child eating behaviors and maternal feeding practices. Child weight and height were measured and body mass index z-score (BMIz) calculated. Bivariate associations among food talk types, as a proportion of total speech, were examined and multivariate regression models used to test associations between food talk and child eating behaviors, maternal feeding practices, and child BMIz. Proportion of child Overall Food Talk and Food Explanations were positively associated with CEBQ Food Responsiveness and Enjoyment of Food (p's < 0.05). Child food Desire/Need and child Prep/Planning talk were positively associated with CEBQ Enjoyment of Food (p < 0.05). Child Food Enjoyment talk and mother Overt Restriction talk were positively associated with CEBQ Emotional Over-Eating (p < 0.05). Mother Monitoring talk was positively associated with CFQ Restriction (p < 0.05). Mother Prep/Planning talk was negatively associated with child BMIz. Food talk outside of mealtimes related to child obesogenic eating behaviors and feeding practices in expected ways; examining food talk outside of meals is a novel way to consider feeding practices and child eating behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the use of social network analysis to measure communication between disease programme and district managers at sub-national level in South Africa.

PubMed

Kawonga, Mary; Blaauw, Duane; Fonn, Sharon

2015-06-01

With increasing interest in maximising synergies between disease control programmes (DCP) and general health services (GHS), methods are needed to measure interactions between DCP and GHS actors. In South Africa, administrative integration reforms make GHS managers at decentralised level (district managers) responsible for the oversight of DCP operations within districts, with DCP managers (programme managers) providing specialist support. The reforms necessitate interdependence, but these actors work together ineffectively. Communication is crucial for joint working, but no research to assess communication between these actors has been done. This study explores the use of social network analysis (SNA) to measure the extent to which programme and district managers in South Africa communicate, using HIV monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as an exemplar. Data were collected from fifty one managers in two provinces during 2010-2011, to measure: a) one-on-one task-related communication - talking about the collation (verification, reporting) and use of HIV data for monitoring HIV interventions; and b) group communication through co-participating in management committees where HIV data are used for monitoring HIV interventions in districts. SNA measures were computed to describe actor centrality, network density (cohesion), and communication within and between respective manager groups. Block modelling was applied to identify management committees that connect respective manager groups. Results show HIV programme managers located at higher level communicated largely amongst themselves as a group (homophily), seldom talked to the district managers to whom they are supposed to provide specialist HIV M&E support, and rarely participated with them in management committees. This research demonstrates the utility of SNA as a tool for measuring the extent of communication between DCP and GHS actors at sub-national level. Actions are needed to bridge observed communication gaps in order to promote collaborative monitoring of HIV programme interventions within districts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A three-talk model for shared decision making: multistage consultation process

PubMed Central

Durand, Marie Anne; Song, Julia; Aarts, Johanna; Barr, Paul J; Berger, Zackary; Cochran, Nan; Frosch, Dominick; Galasiński, Dariusz; Gulbrandsen, Pål; Han, Paul K J; Härter, Martin; Kinnersley, Paul; Lloyd, Amy; Mishra, Manish; Perestelo-Perez, Lilisbeth; Scholl, Isabelle; Tomori, Kounosuke; Trevena, Lyndal; Witteman, Holly O; Van der Weijden, Trudy

2017-01-01

Objectives To revise an existing three-talk model for learning how to achieve shared decision making, and to consult with relevant stakeholders to update and obtain wider engagement. Design Multistage consultation process. Setting Key informant group, communities of interest, and survey of clinical specialties. Participants 19 key informants, 153 member responses from multiple communities of interest, and 316 responses to an online survey from medically qualified clinicians from six specialties. Results After extended consultation over three iterations, we revised the three-talk model by making changes to one talk category, adding the need to elicit patient goals, providing a clear set of tasks for each talk category, and adding suggested scripts to illustrate each step. A new three-talk model of shared decision making is proposed, based on “team talk,” “option talk,” and “decision talk,” to depict a process of collaboration and deliberation. Team talk places emphasis on the need to provide support to patients when they are made aware of choices, and to elicit their goals as a means of guiding decision making processes. Option talk refers to the task of comparing alternatives, using risk communication principles. Decision talk refers to the task of arriving at decisions that reflect the informed preferences of patients, guided by the experience and expertise of health professionals. Conclusions The revised three-talk model of shared decision making depicts conversational steps, initiated by providing support when introducing options, followed by strategies to compare and discuss trade-offs, before deliberation based on informed preferences. PMID:29109079

Coming Out to Dad: Young Gay and Bisexual Men's Experiences Disclosing Same-Sex Attraction to Their Fathers.

PubMed

Jadwin-Cakmak, Laura A; Pingel, Emily S; Harper, Gary W; Bauermeister, José A

2015-07-01

Few studies have examined the relationship between young gay and bisexual men (YGBM) and their fathers. Based on a phenomenological framework, this study investigated the role of fathers in YGBM's coming-out experience, focusing on how fathers responded to disclosure of same-sex attraction, how fathers' responses compared with sons' expectations, and what sons perceived as having influenced their fathers' responses. Semistructured in-depth interviews with 30 gay and bisexual men aged 18 to 24 years were conducted as part of a larger study; topics explored in the interview included experiences coming out to family and others. Nineteen participants' narratives included discussion about their fathers and were included in the current analyses. The YGBM who were interviewed perceived a complex range of responses upon coming out to their fathers, ranging from enthusiastic acceptance to physical violence. Participants spoke of fathers who were accepting in different manners and who often held contradictory attitudes about same-sex attraction. Fathers' responses commonly differed from sons' expectations, which were informed by homophobic talk and gendered expectations. Sons spoke about what informed their expectations as well as what they perceived as influencing their fathers' responses, including gender norms, beliefs regarding the cause of same-sex attraction, religious and sociopolitical views, and concerns about HIV/AIDS. Particularly striking was the pervasive influence of hegemonic masculinity throughout the YGBM's stories. The implications of these findings for future research and intervention development are discussed, as well as study strengths and limitations. © The Author(s) 2014.

Coming out to dad: Young gay and bisexual men’s experiences disclosing same-sex attraction to their fathers

PubMed Central

Jadwin-Cakmak, Laura A.; Pingel, Emily S.; Harper, Gary; Bauermeister, José A.

2014-01-01

Few studies have examined the relationship between young gay and bisexual men and their fathers. Using a phenomenological framework, this study investigated the role of fathers in young gay and bisexual men’s coming out experience, focusing on how fathers responded to disclosure of same-sex attraction, how fathers’ responses compared with sons’ expectations, and what sons perceived as having influenced their fathers’ responses. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 30 gay and bisexual men ages 18–24 were conducted as part of a larger study; topics explored in the interview included experiences coming out to family and others. Nineteen participants’ narratives included discussion about their fathers and were included in the current analyses. The young gay and bisexual men who were interviewed perceived a complex range of responses upon coming out to their fathers, ranging from enthusiastic acceptance to physical violence. Participants spoke of fathers who were accepting in different manners and who often held contradictory attitudes about same-sex attraction. Fathers’ responses commonly differed from sons’ expectations, which were informed by homophobic talk and gendered expectations. Sons spoke about what informed their expectations as well as what they perceived as influencing their fathers’ response, including gender norms, beliefs regarding the cause of SSA, religious views, sociopolitical views, and concerns about HIV/AIDS. The pervasive influence of hegemonic masculinity throughout the young gay and bisexual men’s stories was particularly striking. The implications of these findings for future research and intervention development are discussed, as well as study strengths and limitations. PMID:24989422

Motivating Young Writers through Write-Talks: Real Writers, Real Audiences, Real Purposes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Amy Alexandra

2008-01-01

Modeled after the popular teaching technique of book talks, write talks are brief motivational talks designed to engage students in writing. Teachers can invite adults from their communities into their classrooms to give write talks, thereby conveying to students that real people go through different writing processes to write real texts for real…

A Study of Sociolinguistic Characteristics of Taiwan Children's Peer-Talk in a Mandarin-English-Speaking Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Li-Chen; Hyun, Eunsook

2009-01-01

This qualitative study presents sociolinguistic characteristics of peer-talk of 44 children in a Mandarin-English-speaking preschool in Taiwan where English was taught as a foreign language (EFL). Key findings: teacher-dominated talk influences children's peer-talk; EFL and code-switching emerge in spontaneous peer-talk; children actively engage…

The Chicken and the Egg: Inviting Response and Talk through Socratic Circles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Styslinger, Mary E.; Pollock, Timothy

2010-01-01

This collaborative inquiry answers the following questions: 1) What is the nature of talk during Socratic Circles? 2) What is student response to talk? 3) How might knowing more about student response to talk and the nature of talk improve teaching during Socratic Circles? The article first describes the process of implementing Socratic Circles,…

Which Individual Therapist Behaviors Elicit Client Change Talk and Sustain Talk in Motivational Interviewing?

PubMed

Apodaca, Timothy R; Jackson, Kristina M; Borsari, Brian; Magill, Molly; Longabaugh, Richard; Mastroleo, Nadine R; Barnett, Nancy P

2016-02-01

To identify individual therapist behaviors which elicit client change talk or sustain talk in motivational interviewing sessions. Motivational interviewing sessions from a single-session alcohol intervention delivered to college students were audio-taped, transcribed, and coded using the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code (MISC), a therapy process coding system. Participants included 92 college students and eight therapists who provided their treatment. The MISC was used to code 17 therapist behaviors related to the use of motivational interviewing, and client language reflecting movement toward behavior change (change talk), away from behavior change (sustain talk), or unrelated to the target behavior (follow/neutral). Client change talk was significantly more likely to immediately follow individual therapist behaviors [affirm (p=.013), open question (p<.001), simple reflection (p<.001), and complex reflection (p<.001)], but significantly less likely to immediately follow others (giving information (p<.001) and closed question (p<.001)]. Sustain talk was significantly more likely to follow therapist use of open questions (p<.001), simple reflections (p<.001), and complex reflections (p<.001), and significantly less likely to occur following therapist use of therapist affirm (p=.012), giving information (p<.001), and closed questions (p<.001). Certain individual therapist behaviors within motivational interviewing can either elicit both client change talk and sustain talk or suppress both types of client language. Affirm was the only therapist behavior that both increased change talk and also reduced sustain talk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emerging Thoughts on an Approach to Engaging Pupils in Effective Group Talk in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewitt, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Group talk opportunities in science can be a rich site for conceptual change. The role of the teacher is vital in scaffolding the exploratory talk which can lead children to talk their way to new understandings and clarify their ideas with peers. This study aims to uncover teacher strategies which lead to effective talk for developing scientific…

Self-talk influences vertical jump performance and kinematics in male rugby union players.

PubMed

Edwards, Christian; Tod, David; McGuigan, Michael

2008-11-01

We examined the effects of instructional and motivational self-talk on centre of mass displacement and hip kinematics during the vertical jump. Twenty-four male rugby union players (age 21.1 years, s = 3.5; body mass 81.0 kg, s = 8.9; height 1.80 m, s = 0.06) performed three vertical jump tests, with a 2 min rest between jumps. Before each jump, participants engaged in one of three counterbalanced interventions (motivational self-talk, instructional self-talk or no-intervention). Motivational self-talk led to greater centre of mass displacement (0.602 m, s = 0.076; P = 0.012) than the no-intervention control (0.583 m, s = 0.085). Centre of mass displacement did not differ between instructional self-talk and the control condition or between motivational and instructional self-talk. Motivational (100.75 degrees , s = 16.05; P = 0.001) and instructional self-talk (106.14 degrees , s = 17.04; P = 0.001) led to greater hip displacement than the no-intervention control (94.11 degrees , s = 17.14). There was also a significant difference in hip displacement between motivational and instructional self-talk (P = 0.014), although there was no difference between instructional self-talk and the control condition. Motivational (451.69 degrees /s, s = 74.34; P = 0.008) and instructional self-talk (462.01 degrees /s, s = 74.37; P = 0.001) led to greater hip rotation velocity than the no-intervention control (434.37 degrees /s, s = 75.37), although there was no difference between the two self-talk interventions. These results indicate that self-talk may influence performance and technique during the vertical jump in male rugby players.

A three-talk model for shared decision making: multistage consultation process.

PubMed

Elwyn, Glyn; Durand, Marie Anne; Song, Julia; Aarts, Johanna; Barr, Paul J; Berger, Zackary; Cochran, Nan; Frosch, Dominick; Galasiński, Dariusz; Gulbrandsen, Pål; Han, Paul K J; Härter, Martin; Kinnersley, Paul; Lloyd, Amy; Mishra, Manish; Perestelo-Perez, Lilisbeth; Scholl, Isabelle; Tomori, Kounosuke; Trevena, Lyndal; Witteman, Holly O; Van der Weijden, Trudy

2017-11-06

Objectives  To revise an existing three-talk model for learning how to achieve shared decision making, and to consult with relevant stakeholders to update and obtain wider engagement. Design  Multistage consultation process. Setting  Key informant group, communities of interest, and survey of clinical specialties. Participants  19 key informants, 153 member responses from multiple communities of interest, and 316 responses to an online survey from medically qualified clinicians from six specialties. Results  After extended consultation over three iterations, we revised the three-talk model by making changes to one talk category, adding the need to elicit patient goals, providing a clear set of tasks for each talk category, and adding suggested scripts to illustrate each step. A new three-talk model of shared decision making is proposed, based on "team talk," "option talk," and "decision talk," to depict a process of collaboration and deliberation. Team talk places emphasis on the need to provide support to patients when they are made aware of choices, and to elicit their goals as a means of guiding decision making processes. Option talk refers to the task of comparing alternatives, using risk communication principles. Decision talk refers to the task of arriving at decisions that reflect the informed preferences of patients, guided by the experience and expertise of health professionals. Conclusions  The revised three-talk model of shared decision making depicts conversational steps, initiated by providing support when introducing options, followed by strategies to compare and discuss trade-offs, before deliberation based on informed preferences. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Talking to the Pharmacist (For Parents)

MedlinePlus

... for Educators Search English Español Talking to the Pharmacist KidsHealth / For Parents / Talking to the Pharmacist What's ... and families privately. Reasons to Talk to the Pharmacist Pharmacists cannot diagnose medical conditions. But they can ...

Talk to Your Kids about Sex

MedlinePlus

... Topic En español Talk to Your Kids about Sex Browse Sections The Basics Overview Bodies and Puberty ... healthy expectations for their relationships. Talk about opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. When you talk about ...

Talking About Antismoking Campaigns: What Do Smokers Talk About, and How Does Talk Influence Campaign Effectiveness?

PubMed

Brennan, Emily; Durkin, Sarah J; Wakefield, Melanie A; Kashima, Yoshihisa

2016-01-01

Campaign-stimulated conversations have been shown to increase the effectiveness of antismoking campaigns. In order to explore why such effects occur, in the current study we coded the content of naturally occurring conversations. We also examined whether the short-term effects of talking, and of different types of talk, on quitting intentions were mediated through intrapersonal message responses. Using the Natural Exposure(SM) methodology, we exposed 411 smokers to 1 of 6 antismoking advertisements while they were watching television at home. Responses to the advertisement-conversation participation and content, emotional responses, personalized perceived effectiveness, and changes in intentions to quit-were measured within 3 days of exposure. Conversations were coded for appraisal of the advertisement (favorable, neutral, or unfavorable) and the presence of quitting talk and emotion talk. Mediation analyses indicated that the positive effects of talking on intention change were mediated through personalized perceived effectiveness and that the positive effects were driven by conversations that contained a favorable appraisal and/or quitting talk. Conversely, conversations that contained an unfavorable appraisal of the advertisement were negatively associated with campaign effectiveness. These findings highlight the importance of measuring interpersonal communication when evaluating campaigns and the need for further research to identify the message characteristics that predict when smokers talk and when they talk only in desirable ways.

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Dynamics of Mental State Talk in Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Jennifer M.; Turrell, Sheri L.; Kogushi, Yuiko; Lollis, Susan; Ross, Hildy S.

2003-01-01

Observed home interaction between parents and 2- and 4-year-olds at Time 1 and 2 years later. Found that parent mental state talk to children varied by child's age, context of talk, and parent gender. Four-year-olds with older siblings produced and heard more cognitive talk and less desire talk than children without older siblings. Time 1 family…

The second-language vocabulary trajectories of Turkish immigrant children in Norway from ages five to ten: the role of preschool talk exposure, maternal education, and co-ethnic concentration in the neighborhood.

PubMed

Rydland, Veslemøy; Grøver, Vibeke; Lawrence, Joshua

2014-03-01

Little research has explored how preschools can support children's second-language (L2) vocabulary development. This study keenly followed the progress of twemty-six Turkish immigrant children growing up in Norway from preschool (age five) to fifth grade (age ten). Four different measures of preschool talk exposure (amount and diversity of teacher-led group talk and amount and diversity of peer talk), as well as the demographic variables of maternal education and co-ethnic concentration in the neighborhood, were employed to predict the children's L2 vocabulary trajectories. The results of growth analyses revealed that maternal education was the only variable predicting children's vocabulary growth during the elementary years. However, teacher-led talk, peer talk, and neighborhood predicted children's L2 vocabulary skills at age five, and these differences were maintained up to age ten. This study underscores the importance of both preschool talk exposure (teacher-led talk and peer talk) and demographic factors on L2 learners' vocabulary development.

Using topic coding to understand the nature of change language in a motivational intervention to reduce alcohol and sex risk behaviors in emergency department patients.

PubMed

Kahler, Christopher W; Caswell, Amy J; Laws, M Barton; Walthers, Justin; Magill, Molly; Mastroleo, Nadine R; Howe, Chanelle J; Souza, Timothy; Wilson, Ira; Bryant, Kendall; Monti, Peter M

2016-10-01

To elucidate patient language that supports changing a health behavior (change talk) or sustaining the behavior (sustain talk). We developed a novel coding system to characterize topics of patient speech in a motivational intervention targeting alcohol and HIV/sexual risk in 90 Emergency Department patients. We further coded patient language as change or sustain talk. For both alcohol and sex, discussions focusing on benefits of behavior change or change planning were most likely to involve change talk, and these topics comprised a large portion of all change talk. Greater discussion of barriers and facilitators of change also was associated with more change talk. For alcohol use, benefits of drinking behavior was the most common topic of sustain talk. For sex risk, benefits of sexual behavior were rarely discussed, and sustain talk centered more on patterns and contexts, negations of drawbacks, and drawbacks of sexual risk behavior change. Topic coding provided unique insights into the content of patient change and sustain talk. Patients are most likely to voice change talk when conversation focuses on behavior change rather than ongoing behavior. Interventions addressing multiple health behaviors should address the unique motivations for maintaining specific risky behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Something to talk about: Topics of conversation between romantic partners during military deployments.

PubMed

Carter, Sarah P; Osborne, Laura J; Renshaw, Keith D; Allen, Elizabeth S; Loew, Benjamin A; Markman, Howard J; Stanley, Scott M

2018-02-01

Long-distance communication has been frequently identified as essential to military couples trying to maintain their relationship during a deployment. Little quantitative research, however, has assessed the types of topics discussed during such communication and how those topics relate to overall relationship satisfaction. The current study draws on a sample of 56 Army couples who provided data through online surveys while the service member was actively deployed. These couples provided information on current marital satisfaction, topics discussed during deployment (problem talk, friendship talk, love talk), and how they communicated via synchronous media (e.g., phone calls, video calls) and letters during deployment. Nonparametric Friedman tests followed by paired t tests revealed that synchronous communication was primarily utilized for friendship talk, whereas letters included friendship talk and love talk in similar amounts. Both synchronous communication and letters included less problem talk than other topics. In mixed-level modeling, only topics of communication for synchronous media (not for letters) were related to relationship satisfaction. Love talk via synchronous media was related to higher relationship satisfaction, whereas problem talk via synchronous media was related to less relationship satisfaction. The current study offers the first quantitative assessment of topics within deployment communication media and associations with relationship satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Asymmetric Partner Pronoun Use and Demand-Withdraw Interaction in Couples Coping with Health Problems

PubMed Central

Rentscher, Kelly E.; Rohrbaugh, Michael J.; Shoham, Varda; Mehl, Matthias R.

2014-01-01

Recent research links first-person plural pronoun use (we-talk) by individual romantic partners to adaptive relationship functioning and individual health outcomes. To examine a possible boundary condition of adaptive we-talk in couples coping with health problems, we correlated asymmetric couple-level we/I-ratios (more we-talk relative to I-talk by the spouse than the patient) with a concurrent pattern of directional demand-withdraw (D-W) interaction in which the spouse demands change while the patient withdraws. Couples in which a partner who abused alcohol (n = 65), smoked cigarettes despite having heart or lung disease (n = 24), or had congestive heart failure (n = 58) discussed a health-related disagreement during a video-recorded interaction task. Transcripts of these conversations provided measures of pronoun use for each partner, and trained observers coded D-W patterns from the recordings. As expected, partner asymmetry in we/I-ratio scores predicted directional demand-withdraw, such that spouses who used more we-talk (relative to I-talk) than patients tended to assume the demand role in concurrent D-W interaction. Asymmetric I-talk rather than we-talk accounted for this association, and asymmetric you-talk contributed independently as well. In contrast to previous studies of we-talk by individual partners, the present results identify dyad-level pronoun patterns that clearly do not mark beneficent processes: asymmetric partner we/I-ratios and you-talk reflect problematic demand-withdraw interaction. PMID:24098961

An investigation of maternal food intake and maternal food talk as predictors of child food intake.

PubMed

DeJesus, Jasmine M; Gelman, Susan A; Viechnicki, Gail B; Appugliese, Danielle P; Miller, Alison L; Rosenblum, Katherine L; Lumeng, Julie C

2018-08-01

Though parental modeling is thought to play a critical role in promoting children's healthy eating, little research has examined maternal food intake and maternal food talk as independent predictors of children's food intake. The present study examines maternal food talk during a structured eating protocol, in which mothers and their children had the opportunity to eat a series of familiar and unfamiliar vegetables and desserts. Several aspects of maternal talk during the protocol were coded, including overall food talk, directives, pronoun use, and questions. This study analyzed the predictors of maternal food talk and whether maternal food talk and maternal food intake predicted children's food intake during the protocol. Higher maternal body mass index (BMI) predicted lower amounts of food talk, pronoun use, and questions. Higher child BMI z-scores predicted more first person pronouns and more wh-questions within maternal food talk. Mothers of older children used fewer directives, fewer second person pronouns, and fewer yes/no questions. However, maternal food talk (overall and specific types of food talk) did not predict children's food intake. Instead, the most robust predictor of children's food intake during this protocol was the amount of food that mothers ate while sitting with their children. These findings emphasize the importance of modeling healthy eating through action and have implications for designing interventions to provide parents with more effective tools to promote their children's healthy eating. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Frequency and Efficacy of Talk-Related Tasks in Primary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braund, Martin; Leigh, Joanne

2013-04-01

Pupil talk and discussion are seen as having important social and cognitive outcomes. In science classes, pupils' collaborative talk supports the construction of meaning and helps examine the status of evidence, theory and knowledge. However, pupil interactive talk in groups is rare in science lessons. The research reported is part of a project to increase the amount of pupil-pupil talk in primary schools through a programme of teaching and professional development. Pupils' self-reports of the frequency and learning efficacies of talk related activities in science lessons were collected before and after a programme of teaching in 24 schools in one of the most socially and educationally deprived areas of England. Findings showed pupils valued talking about their ideas over listening to those of other pupils. Science talk frequency (STF) was closely correlated with science talk efficacy (STE) and both were positively correlated with pupils' attitudes to school science. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of the correlation of STF with STE showed values were independent of gender and ability but that school experience was a significant factor. After the teaching programme and, contrary to expectations, the frequency of talk activities in science lessons appeared to have decreased but varied according to class grades. The degree of correlation between STF and STE was stronger after the teaching in over half of the schools. Schools where STF/STE strengthened most as a result of teaching were those involved in an additional initiative to use modelled talk related to industrial contexts.

Participant Experiences of Talking Circles on Type 2 Diabetes in Two Northern Plains American Indian Tribes

PubMed Central

Struthers, Roxanne; Hodge, Felicia Schanche; Geishirt-Cantrell, Betty; De Cora, Lorelei

2011-01-01

The Talking Circle, a culturally appropriate, 12-week educational intervention, was employed on two Northern Plains American Indian reservations to provide information on type 2 diabetes. In a phenomenological study, funded as a minority supplement to the Talking Circle intervention, the authors asked 8 American Indian participants of the Talking Circle to describe their experience of being an American Indian Talking Circle participant. Seven common themes describe the phenomenon of participating in a Talking Circle diabetic intervention. The Talking Circle technique was effective in providing information on type 2 diabetes through culturally appropriate community sharing. Type 2 diabetes is viewed by both outsiders and those involved as a chronic disease of the utmost concern in American Indian communities. PMID:14556421

The usefulness of monitoring sleep talking for the diagnosis of Dementia with Lewy bodies.

PubMed

Honda, Kazuki; Hashimoto, Mamoru; Yatabe, Yusuke; Kaneda, Keiichiro; Yuki, Seiji; Ogawa, Yusuke; Matsuzaki, Shiho; Tsuyuguchi, Atsuko; Tanaka, Hibiki; Kashiwagi, Hiroko; Hasegawa, Noriko; Ishikawa, Tomohisa; Ikeda, Manabu

2013-05-01

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common type of neurodegenerative dementia. It is frequently difficult to differentiate DLB from Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other types of dementia. This study examined the usefulness of monitoring sleep talking for the diagnosis of DLB. A total of 317 patients with dementia were selected from a consecutive series at the Dementia Clinic of Kumamoto University Hospital. Diagnostic categories consisted of probable DLB (n = 55), probable AD (n = 191), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) (n = 16), vascular dementia (VaD) (n = 18), and other/unspecified dementia (n = 37). We evaluated sleep talking in all dementia patients and normal elderly subjects (n = 32) using an originally designed sleep talking questionnaire. Sleep talking occurred most frequently in the DLB group (61.8%), followed by the VaD group (33.3%), other/unspecified dementia group (27.0%), AD group (18.8%), FTLD group (12.5%), and normal elderly subjects group (6.3%). The prevalence of sleep talking in the DLB group was significantly higher than in other groups, except in the VaD group. The sleep talking yielded high specificity (81.2%) and some sensitivity (61.8%) for the differential diagnosis of DLB from AD. Furthermore, loud sleep talking may improve the specificity (96.9%). For the differentiation of DLB from all other dementia types, the specificity of sleep talking and loud sleep talking was also high (79.4% and 95.8% respectively). Assessing sleep talking, especially the volume of sleep talking, may be useful in the clinical discrimination of DLB from not only AD but also from all other types of dementia.

A naturalistic study of fat talk and its behavioral and affective consequences.

PubMed

Jones, Michelle D; Crowther, Janis H; Ciesla, Jeffrey A

2014-09-01

Fat talk is a style of verbal expression among young women involving negative self-statements, complaints about physical appearance, and weight management. This research used ecological momentary assessment to examine the impact of naturalistic fat talk experiences on body dissatisfaction, body checking, negative affect, and disordered eating behaviors. We examined trait self-objectification as a moderator. Sixty-five female college students completed a baseline questionnaire and responded to questions when randomly prompted by palm pilot devices for five days. Results indicated fat talk is common and associated with greater body dissatisfaction, body checking, negative affect, and disordered eating behaviors. Fat talk participation was associated with greater body checking than overhearing fat talk. Greater trait self-objectification was associated with greater body dissatisfaction and body checking following fat talk. These results suggest that fat talk negatively impacts the cognitions, affect, and behavior of young women and has increased negative effects for women higher in self-objectification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why do women engage in fat talk? Examining fat talk using Self-Determination Theory as an explanatory framework.

PubMed

Guertin, Camille; Barbeau, Kheana; Pelletier, Luc; Martinelli, Gabrielle

2017-03-01

This study used Self-Determination Theory to examine the motivational processes involved in individuals' engagement in fat talk and its association with unhealthy eating behaviors. Female undergraduate students (N=453) completed an online questionnaire, which assessed general and contextual motivation, importance placed on goals, fat talk, and unhealthy eating behaviors. Structural equation modeling revealed that being generally non-self-determined and placing more importance on extrinsic goals, such as thinness, was associated with fat talk. Fat talk was further associated with non-self-determined motivation for eating regulation, which in turn was associated with unhealthy eating. General self-determination and placing more importance on intrinsic goals, such as health, were not associated with fat talk, but instead, were associated with more adaptive forms of eating regulation and diet quality. Findings further current knowledge on the respective roles of motivation and goals on the engagement in fat talk, and its consequences on eating regulation and behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Magnitude and behavior of cross-talk effects in multichannel electrophysiology experiments.

PubMed

Nelson, Matthew J; Valtcheva, Silvana; Venance, Laurent

2017-07-01

Modern neurophysiological experiments frequently involve multiple channels separated by very small distances. A unique methodological concern for multiple-electrode experiments is that of capacitive coupling (cross-talk) between channels. Yet the nature of the cross-talk recording circuit is not well known in the field, and the extent to which it practically affects neurophysiology experiments has never been fully investigated. Here we describe a simple electrical circuit model of simultaneous recording and stimulation with two or more channels and experimentally verify the model using ex vivo brain slice and in vivo whole-brain preparations. In agreement with the model, we find that cross-talk amplitudes increase nearly linearly with the impedance of a recording electrode and are larger for higher frequencies. We demonstrate cross-talk contamination of action potential waveforms from intracellular to extracellular channels, which is observable in part because of the different orders of magnitude between the channels. This contamination is electrode impedance-dependent and matches predictions from the model. We use recently published parameters to simulate cross-talk in high-density multichannel extracellular recordings. Cross-talk effectively spatially smooths current source density (CSD) estimates in these recordings and induces artefactual phase shifts where underlying voltage gradients occur; however, these effects are modest. We show that the effects of cross-talk are unlikely to affect most conclusions inferred from neurophysiology experiments when both originating and receiving electrode record signals of similar magnitudes. We discuss other types of experiments and analyses that may be susceptible to cross-talk, techniques for detecting and experimentally reducing cross-talk, and implications for high-density probe design. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We develop and experimentally verify an electrical circuit model describing cross-talk that necessarily occurs between two channels. Recorded cross-talk increased with electrode impedance and signal frequency. We recorded cross-talk contamination of spike waveforms from intracellular to extracellular channels. We simulated high-density multichannel extracellular recordings and demonstrate spatial smoothing and phase shifts that cross-talk enacts on CSD measurements. However, when channels record similar-magnitude signals, effects are modest and unlikely to affect most conclusions. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Mother-child memory conversations and self-construal in Eastern Turkey, Western Turkey and the USA.

PubMed

Sahin-Acar, Basak; Leichtman, Michelle D

2015-01-01

Eighty-seven mothers and their four-year-old children from Eastern Turkey (N = 32 pairs), Western Turkey (N = 30 pairs) and the USA (N = 25 pairs) participated in a study of mother-child memory talk as a reflection of mothers' self construal, in view of differences in the function of memory talk across cultures. Mother-child pairs were audio-recorded while talking about shared past and anticipated future events. Mothers completed the Balanced Integration-Differentiation questionnaire measure of self-construal and were scored as high or low on individuation and relatedness orientations. Mothers' memory and future talk showed similar patterns of cultural differences: American mothers provided the most voluminous, descriptive and elaborative talk, while Eastern Turkish mothers showed the highest level of repetitiveness, and Western Turkish mothers' talk fell in between. Children's memory talk was similar across cultures. In all cultures, mothers who scored high on both individuation and relatedness (balanced self-construal subtype) engaged in more voluminous and contexted memory talk, and individuation was associated with more elaborative talk about future events. Results are discussed in light of literature on cultural differences in self-construal and memory function.

Therapy Talk: Analyzing Therapeutic Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leahy, Margaret M.

2004-01-01

Therapeutic discourse is the talk-in-interaction that represents the social practice between clinician and client. This article invites speech-language pathologists to apply their knowledge of language to analyzing therapy talk and to learn how talking practices shape clinical roles and identities. A range of qualitative research approaches,…

Role of Self-Talk in the Classroom: Investigating the Relationship of Eight-to-Nine-Year-Olds' Self-Regulatory Self-Talk Strategies with Their Classroom Self-Regulatory Behaviour and Mathematical Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Scott; McDonough, Andrea

2015-01-01

Much research has been conducted on children's self-talk and its use to regulate thinking and behaviour, but research has typically been conducted on audible self-talk when undertaking specific tasks designed by researchers and in laboratory situations. Addressing the need to study self-talk in the classroom and by students of an age when…

Monte Carlo study of x-ray cross talk in a variable resolution x-ray detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnyk, Roman; DiBianca, Frank A.

2003-06-01

A variable resolution x-ray (VRX) detector provides a great increase in the spatial resolution of a CT scanner. An important factor that limits the spatial resolution of the detector is x-ray cross-talk. A theoretical study of the x-ray cross-talk is presented in this paper. In the study, two types of the x-ray cross-talk were considered: inter-cell and inter-arm cross-talk. Both types of the x-ray cross-talk were simulated, using the Monte Carlo method, as functions of the detector field of view (FOV). The simulation was repeated for lead and tungsten separators between detector cells. The inter-cell x-ray cross-talk was maximum at the 34-36 cm FOV, but it was low at small and the maximum FOVs. The inter-arm x-ray cross-talk was high at small and medium FOVs, but it was greatly reduced when variable width collimators were placed on the front surfaces of the detector. The inter-cell, but not inter-arm, x-ray cross-talk was lower for tungsten than for lead separators. From the results, x-ray cross-talk in a VRX detector can be minimized by imaging all objects between 24 cm and 40 cm in diameter with the 40 cm FOV, using tungsten separators, and placing variable width collimators in front of the detector.

Sustain talk predicts poorer outcomes among mandated college student drinkers receiving a brief motivational intervention.

PubMed

Apodaca, Timothy R; Borsari, Brian; Jackson, Kristina M; Magill, Molly; Longabaugh, Richard; Mastroleo, Nadine R; Barnett, Nancy P

2014-09-01

Within-session client language that represents a movement toward behavior change (change talk) has been linked to better treatment outcomes in the literature on motivational interviewing (MI). There has been somewhat less study of the impact of client language against change (sustain talk) on outcomes following an MI session. This study examined the role of both client change talk and sustain talk, as well as therapist language, occurring during a brief motivational intervention (BMI) session with college students who had violated college alcohol policy (N = 92). Audiotapes of these sessions were coded using a therapy process coding system. A series of hierarchical regressions were used to examine the relationships among therapist MI-consistent and MI-inconsistent language, client change talk and sustain talk, as well as global measures of relational variables, and drinking outcomes. Contrary to prior research, sustain talk, but not change talk, predicted poorer alcohol use outcomes following the BMI at 3- and 12-month follow-up assessments. Higher levels of client self-exploration during the session also predicted improved drinking outcomes. Therapist measures of MI-consistent and MI-inconsistent language, and global measures of therapist acceptance and MI spirit were unrelated to client drinking outcomes. Results suggest that client sustain talk and self-exploration during the session play an important role in determining drinking outcomes among mandated college students receiving a BMI addressing alcohol use.

Mother-Child Conversation and Children's Social Understanding During Middle Childhood.

PubMed

Pearson, RaeAnne M; Pillow, Bradford H

2016-01-01

The authors investigated the relationship between mother-child conversation and children's social understanding during middle childhood. Thirty-eight mother-child pairs participated, including a younger group (5-7 years old) and an older group (8-10 years old). Children completed 2 measures of social understanding and mothers and children discussed 4 stories involving social dilemmas. Results indicated that compared to the younger group, the older group (a) performed better on both measures of social understanding and (b) produced more basic mental talk (i.e., talk about beliefs, emotions, personality traits, and desires), and more advanced mental talk (i.e., talk about contrasting perspectives, recursion and relationship between mental states, and advanced emotions). Mothers of older children also produced more basic and advanced mental talk. Mothers' advanced mental talk predicted both children's social understanding and children's advanced mental talk.

Making the Most of Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilles, Carol

2010-01-01

Research supports what many teachers have long known: talk is a valuable tool for learning. But how can we incorporate talk and still keep students on task, thinking collectively and deeply? Gillis offers a solid theoretical foundation for incorporating talk throughout the curriculum, and then provides practical help for implementing it, with…

Classroom Talk in Bilingual Class Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puasa, Kuran; Asrifan, Andi; Chen, Yan

2017-01-01

This study reveals how the classroom talk was in the bilingual classroom interaction. The classroom talk comprises teacher and pupil talk--in which they cover teacher's explanation, teacher's question, teacher's feedback, and modification to teacher's speech; as well as pupil's responses and pupil's questions. The research findings show that the…

Let's Talk... Analytics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oblinger, Diana G.

2012-01-01

Talk about analytics seems to be everywhere. Everyone is talking about analytics. Yet even with all the talk, many in higher education have questions about--and objections to--using analytics in colleges and universities. In this article, the author explores the use of analytics in, and all around, higher education. (Contains 1 note.)

Talking, Listening, Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myhill, Debra; Jones, Susan; Hopper, Rosemary

2005-01-01

This book looks at an issue which is at the heart of every classroom, the role that talk plays in children's learning. Drawing on a substantial research base, the book provides useful suggestions to facilitate successful talk between teachers and children to improve learning and raise standards. Through analysing the talk that goes on in primary…

Effective Teacher Talk: A Threshold Concept in TESOL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skinner, Barbara

2017-01-01

English language teachers are expected to use their talk, "teacher talk," effectively; however, teacher education courses do not always clarify how student teachers can achieve this. This article advocates that understanding and using effective teacher talk is crucial for successful ELT and as such is a "threshold concept" in…

Reflection K-matrices for a nineteen vertex model with Uq [ osp (2 | 2) (2) ] symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, R. S.; Lima Santos, A.

2017-09-01

We derive the solutions of the boundary Yang-Baxter equation associated with a supersymmetric nineteen vertex model constructed from the three-dimensional representation of the twisted quantum affine Lie superalgebra Uq [ osp (2 | 2) (2) ]. We found three classes of solutions. The type I solution is characterized by three boundary free-parameters and all elements of the corresponding reflection K-matrix are different from zero. In the type II solution, the reflection K-matrix is even (every element of the K-matrix with an odd parity is null) and it has only one boundary free-parameter. Finally, the type III solution corresponds to a diagonal reflection K-matrix with two boundary free-parameters.

Investigation of drift gas selectivity in high resolution ion mobility spectrometry with mass spectrometry detection.

PubMed

Matz, Laura M; Hill, Herbert H; Beegle, Luther W; Kanik, Isik

2002-04-01

Recent studies in electrospray ionization (ESI)/ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) have focussed on employing different drift gases to alter separation efficiency for some molecules. This study investigates four structurally similar classes of molecules (cocaine and metabolites, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, and small peptides) to determine the effect of structure on relative mobility changes in four drift gases (helium, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide). Collision cross sections were plotted against drift gas polarizability and a linear relationship was found for the nineteen compounds evaluated in the study. Based on the reduced mobility database, all nineteen compounds could be separated in one of the four drift gases, however, the drift gas that provided optimal separation was specific for the two compounds.

Birth talk in second stage labor.

PubMed

Bergstrom, Linda; Richards, Lori; Proctor, Adele; Avila, Leticia Bohrer; Morse, Janice M; Roberts, Joyce E

2009-07-01

In this secondary analysis of videotape data, we describe birth talk demonstrated by caregivers to women during the second stage of labor. Birth talk is a distinctive verbal register or a set of linguistic features that are used with particular behaviors during specific situations, has a particular communication purpose, and is characterized by distinctive language features. Birth talk is found cross-culturally among speakers of diverse languages. Our findings show that birth talk occurred mainly during contractions and co-occurred with two general styles of caregiving: "directed toward forced bearing down" and "supportive of physiologic bearing down." We also describe talk that occurred during rest periods, which was similar across the two styles. Caregivers' use of language tended to be either procedural (giving directions, instructions) or comfort related (encouraging and supporting). Linguistic features of the talk consisted of utterances of short duration, level pitch patterns with no sudden pitch shifts, and a restricted pitch range.

The Negotiation of Interactive Frames and Discourse Identities in China's Rural Insurance Sales Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Weichao; Peng, Huan

2017-01-01

This paper analyzes dialogues between insurance sales agents and their clients in transformational rural China from the perspective of interactive frames, footings and discourse identities. Through the analysis of three types of talk, namely, friendship talk, institutional talk and task-oriented talk, the ambiguous and conflicting identities that…

Creating an Articulate Classroom: Examining Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences of Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Annie Therese

2011-01-01

This paper examines the continuing "issue" of developing classrooms where talk is used as means of building concepts and understanding. As curriculum guidance increasingly refers to "exploratory talk" and "dialogic talk", it questions why practice seems resistant to change, despite the promotion of social constructivist approaches to learning in…

Authority as an Interactional Accomplishment through Whole-Class Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gatto, Lynn Astarita

2012-01-01

Talk is at the heart of classroom instruction and, according to the vast research on classroom talk, the teacher that does most of the talking. Thus, an asymmetry of power is created between teachers and students. These asymmetrical relationships are most obvious in urban elementary classrooms where test prep literacy curriculum has become the…

Small Talk: A Big Communicative Function in the Organization?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Deborah Clark

Defining small talk as "superficial talk about matters of little concern," a study examined the role of small talk in the work place. Subjects, 51 white collar workers and clerical employees at three corporations, an Eastern state university, and two small businesses completed a questionnaire concerning the following questions: (1) What…

Talking with Kids: A Parent's Guide to Sex Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National PTA, Chicago, IL.

This guide is designed to help parents determine what is being taught to their children about sex education in school, offering tips on how to talk to children about these issues. The first section presents pointers from the "Talking with Kids" campaign: start early; initiate conversations; talk about sex and relationships; create an open…

A Conversation (Re)Analysis of Fraternal Bonding in the Locker Room.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimerson, Jason B.

2001-01-01

Reexamines the 15 talk fragments in "Fraternal Bonding in the Locker Room: A Profeminist Analysis of Talk about Competition and Women" (Curry, 1991), which epitomizes how sociologists utilize talk. The author examines the utterances and finds that 9 fragments reveal some dissent in how listeners react to crass talk, arguing that sport…

Math Talk and Student Strategy Trajectories: The Case of Two First Grade Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murata, Aki; Siker, Jody; Kang, Bona; Baldinger, Evra M.; Kim, Hee-Jeong; Scott, Mallika; Lanouette, Kathryn

2017-01-01

This study investigated different math-talk facilitations, and conceptualized the teachers' talk moves for productive student mathematics discussions. Our findings suggest that students' strategy development is supported by talk moves coordinating a wide range of student strategies, representations and discussions that are at a process-level and…

Dialogic Talk in Diverse Physical Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Dale L.; Lelliott, Anthony D.

2015-01-01

Dialogic talk, in which different ideas are considered, promotes conceptual understanding in science, and is in line with South Africa's school curriculum. The problem is that dialogic talk is difficult to facilitate and may run counter to cultural norms. As a result, classroom talk is often not dialogic. This paper reports on the nature of…

Exploratory Talk in the Early Years: Analysing Exploratory Talk in Collaborative Group Activities Involving Younger Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Eira Wyn

2018-01-01

Collaborative group work has the potential for providing rich opportunities for children to learn through talk with peers; however, in practice, little effective engagement in learning is observed within authentic learning contexts. Exploratory talk is associated with high levels of cognitive challenge within collaborative group work. Detailed…

Child and setting characteristics affecting the adult talk directed at preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder in the inclusive classroom.

PubMed

Irvin, Dwight W; Boyd, Brian A; Odom, Samuel L

2015-02-01

Difficulty with social competence is a core deficit of autism spectrum disorder. Research on typically developing children and children with disabilities, in general, suggests the adult talk received in the classroom is related to their social development. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the types and amounts of adult talk children with autism spectrum disorder are exposed to in the preschool classroom and (2) the associations between child characteristics (e.g. language), activity area, and adult talk. Kontos' Teacher Talk classification was used to code videos approximately 30 min in length of 73 children with autism spectrum disorder (ages 3-5) in inclusive classrooms (n = 33) during center time. The results indicated practical/personal assistance was the most common type of adult talk coded, and behavior management talk least often coded. Child characteristics (i.e. age and autism severity) and activity area were found to be related to specific types of adult talk. Given the findings, implications for future research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Self-talk and affective problems in college students: valence of thinking and cognitive content specificity.

PubMed

Calvete, Esther; Estévez, Ana; Landín, Covadonga; Martínez, Yolanda; Cardeñoso, Olga; Villardón, Lourdes; Villa, Aurelio

2005-05-01

The aim of this study was to develop a Self-Talk Inventory for young adults. This inventory consisted of two scales. The Negative Self-Talk Scale included three categories of self-talk (depressive, anxious, and angry thoughts) and the Positive Self-Talk Scale, three categories (minimization, positive orientation, and coping self-instructions). Participants were 982 undergraduate students (Mean age = 20.35 years, SD = 2.16). They completed the self-talk scales together with the following scales to measure symptoms of affective disorders: the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-T). Factor analyses confirmed the hypothesized structure for the Self-Talk Inventory. The relations between self-talk and symptoms of affective disorders (depression, anxiety, and anger) were also evaluated. In general, states-of-mind -SOM- ratios and negative cognitions showed a greater association with psychological symptoms than did positive cognitions. Results concerning the cognitive characteristics of depression, anxiety, and anger were mixed and partially supported the cognitive content specificity theory.

Impact of family planning health talks by lay health workers on contraceptive knowledge and attitudes among HIV-infected patients in rural Kenya

PubMed Central

Onono, Maricianah; Blat, Cinthia; Miles, Sondra; Steinfeld, Rachel; Wekesa, Pauline; Bukusi, Elizabeth A.; Owuor, Kevin; Grossman, Daniel; Cohen, Craig R.; Newmann, Sara J.

2015-01-01

Objective To determine if a health talk on family planning (FP) by community clinic health assistants (CCHAs) will improve knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions about contraception in HIV-infected individuals. Methods A 15-min FP health talk was given by CCHAs in six rural HIV clinics to a sample of 49 HIV-infected men and women. Effects of the health talk were assessed through a questionnaire administered before the health talk and after completion of the participant's clinic visit. Results Following the health talk, there was a significant increase in knowledge about contraceptives (p < .0001), side-effects (p < .0001), and method-specific knowledge about IUCDs (p < .001), implants (p < .0001), and injectables (p < .05). Out of 31 women and 18 men enrolled, 14 (45%) women and 6 (33%) men intended to try a new contraceptive. Participant attitudes toward FP were high before and after the health talk (median 4 of 4). Conclusion A health talk delivered by CCHAs can increase knowledge of contraception and promote the intention to try new more effective contraception among HIV-infected individuals. Practice implications FP health talks administered by lay-health providers to HIV-infected individuals as they wait for HIV services can influence FP knowledge and intention to use FP. PMID:24316053

Impact of family planning health talks by lay health workers on contraceptive knowledge and attitudes among HIV-infected patients in rural Kenya.

PubMed

Onono, Maricianah; Blat, Cinthia; Miles, Sondra; Steinfeld, Rachel; Wekesa, Pauline; Bukusi, Elizabeth A; Owuor, Kevin; Grossman, Daniel; Cohen, Craig R; Newmann, Sara J

2014-03-01

To determine if a health talk on family planning (FP) by community clinic health assistants (CCHAs) will improve knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions about contraception in HIV-infected individuals. A 15-min FP health talk was given by CCHAs in six rural HIV clinics to a sample of 49 HIV-infected men and women. Effects of the health talk were assessed through a questionnaire administered before the health talk and after completion of the participant's clinic visit. Following the health talk, there was a significant increase in knowledge about contraceptives (p<.0001), side-effects (p<.0001), and method-specific knowledge about IUCDs (p<.001), implants (p<.0001), and injectables (p<.05). Out of 31 women and 18 men enrolled, 14 (45%) women and 6 (33%) men intended to try a new contraceptive. Participant attitudes toward FP were high before and after the health talk (median 4 of 4). A health talk delivered by CCHAs can increase knowledge of contraception and promote the intention to try new more effective contraception among HIV-infected individuals. FP health talks administered by lay-health providers to HIV-infected individuals as they wait for HIV services can influence FP knowledge and intention to use FP. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pancreatic two P domain K+ channels TALK-1 and TALK-2 are activated by nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species

PubMed Central

Duprat, F; Girard, C; Jarretou, G; Lazdunski, M

2005-01-01

This study firstly shows with in situ hybridization on human pancreas that TALK-1 and TALK-2, two members of the 2P domain potassium channel (K2P) family, are highly and specifically expressed in the exocrine pancreas and absent in Langherans islets. On the contrary, expression of TASK-2 in mouse pancreas is found both in the exocrine pancreas and in the Langherans islets. This study also shows that TALK-1 and TALK-2 channels, expressed in Xenopus oocytes, are strongly and specifically activated by nitric oxide (obtained with a mixture of sodium nitroprussate (SNP) and dithiothreitol (DTT)), superoxide anion (obtained with xanthine and xanthine oxidase) and singlet oxygen (obtained upon photoactivation of rose bengal, and with chloramine T). Other nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species (NOS and ROS) donors, as well as reducing conditions were found to be ineffective on TALK-1, TALK-2 and TASK-2 (sin-1, angeli's salt, SNP alone, tBHP, H2O2, and DTT). These results suggest that, in the exocrine pancreas, specific members of the NOS and ROS families could act as endogenous modulators of TALK channels with a role in normal secretion as well as in disease states such as acute pancreatitis and apoptosis. PMID:15513946

ShopTalk: a pilot study of the feasibility and utility of a therapeutic board game for youth living with cancer

PubMed Central

Wiener, Lori; Battles, Haven; Mamalian, Cynthia; Zadeh, Sima

2016-01-01

Purpose ShopTalk is a therapeutic game, created to help youth living with cancer talk about their illness in a non-threatening way. The aim of this study is to learn how the game is being used in clinical settings and to gather information regarding the usefulness of ShopTalk in establishing a therapeutic relationship and in assessing key psychosocial issues in the child’s life. Methods ShopTalk was distributed at a social work pediatric oncology conference and to 70 sites. Game holders were asked to complete a survey regarding their clinical experience using ShopTalk. Results Responses came from 110 professionals. ShopTalk has been found to be as an effective tool in identifying coping skills and psychological adjustment, as well as issues related to family relationships, depression/sadness, stress, prognosis, peer relationships, and self-esteem. Respondents found ShopTalk useful from diagnosis to end of life. Qualitative feedback suggested therapeutic value along with discomfort with specific questions. Conclusion ShopTalk appears to be a beneficial therapeutic tool in building rapport and identifying and discussing difficult issues with medically ill children. Areas for future versions of the game and research exploring patient/therapist outcomes are discussed PMID:21451945

Team talk and team activity in simulated medical emergencies: a discourse analytical approach.

PubMed

Gundrosen, Stine; Andenæs, Ellen; Aadahl, Petter; Thomassen, Gøril

2016-11-14

Communication errors can reduce patient safety, especially in emergency situations that require rapid responses by experts in a number of medical specialties. Talking to each other is crucial for utilizing the collective expertise of the team. Here we explored the functions of "team talk" (talking between team members) with an emphasis on the talk-work relationship in interdisciplinary emergency teams. Five interdisciplinary medical emergency teams were observed and videotaped during in situ simulations at an emergency department at a university hospital in Norway. Team talk and simultaneous actions were transcribed and analysed. We used qualitative discourse analysis to perform structural mapping of the team talk and to analyse the function of online commentaries (real-time observations and assessments of observations based on relevant cues in the clinical situation). Structural mapping revealed recurring and diverse patterns. Team expansion stood out as a critical phase in the teamwork. Online commentaries that occurred during the critical phase served several functions and demonstrated the inextricable interconnections between team talk and actions. Discourse analysis allowed us to capture the dynamics and complexity of team talk during a simulated emergency situation. Even though the team talk did not follow a predefined structure, the team members managed to manoeuvre safely within the complex situation. Our results support that online commentaries contributes to shared team situation awareness. Discourse analysis reveals naturally occurring communication strategies that trigger actions relevant for safe practice and thus provides supplemental insights into what comprises "good" team communication in medical emergencies.

Bidirectional relationships between client and counselor speech: the importance of reframing.

PubMed

Barnett, Elizabeth; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Moyers, Theresa B; Smith, Caitlin; Rohrbach, Louise A; Sun, Ping; Sussman, Steve

2014-12-01

In the study of motivational interviewing (MI), counselor skill has been posited to influence client language about change or "change talk." This study investigates the relationship between a specific counselor behavior, valenced reflective listening, and client change talk in a MI intervention with substance-using adolescents. A combination of recorded in-person and telephone (n = 223) sessions were sequentially coded using the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code 2.5. Reflections were categorized by valence, meaning they included content that was either moving toward (i.e., positive reflection) or away from change (i.e., negative reflection). Client language was coded as either moving toward change, away from change, or neutral about change. Probability analyses showed positive reflections were 11 times more likely to be followed by change talk and 71% less likely to be followed by counter change talk. Negative reflections were 19 times more likely to be followed by counter change talk and 65% less likely to be followed by change talk. Client language was also predictive of counselor reflections, such that positive reflections were 10 times more likely to occur after client change talk and negative reflections were 19 times more likely to follow counter change talk. Because the percentage of change talk expressed in a session has been shown to be positively related to improved behavioral outcomes, counselors should avoid unintentional reflections of counter change talk and use reframing techniques to change the valence of client change language. Implications for MI practice and training are discussed.

Racial Attitudes, Physician-Patient Talk Time Ratio, and Adherence in Racially Discordant Medical Interactions

PubMed Central

Hagiwara, Nao; Penner, Louis A.; Gonzalez, Richard; Eggly, Susan; Dovidio, John F.; Gaertner, Samuel L.; West, Tessa; Albrecht, Terrance L.

2013-01-01

Physician racial bias and patient perceived discrimination have each been found to influence perceptions of and feelings about racially discordant medical interactions. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined how they may simultaneously influence the dynamics of these interactions. This study examined how (a) non-Black primary care physicians’ explicit and implicit racial bias and (b) Black patients’ perceived past discrimination affected physician-patient talk time ratio (i.e., the ratio of physician to patient talk time) during medical interactions and the relationship between this ratio and patients’ subsequent adherence. We conducted a secondary analysis of self-report and video-recorded data from a prior study of clinical interactions between 112 low-income, Black patients and their 14 non-Black physicians at a primary care clinic in the Midwestern United States between June, 2006 and February, 2008. Overall, physicians talked more than patients; however, both physician bias and patient perceived past discrimination affected physician-patient talk time ratio. Non-Black physicians with higher levels of implicit, but not explicit, racial bias had larger physician-patient talk time ratios than did physicians with lower levels of implicit bias, indicating that physicians with more negative implicit racial attitudes talked more than physicians with less negative racial attitudes. Additionally, Black patients with higher levels of perceived discrimination had smaller physician-patient talk time ratios, indicating that patients with more negative racial attitudes talked more than patients with less negative racial attitudes. Finally, smaller physician-patient talk time ratios were associated with less patient subsequent adherence, indicating that patients who talked more during the racially discordant medical interactions were less likely to adhere subsequently. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in the context of factors that affect the dynamics of racially discordant medical interactions. PMID:23631787

Characterizing the Nature of Scan Results Discussions: Insights Into Why Patients Misunderstand Their Prognosis

PubMed Central

Singh, Sarguni; Cortez, Dagoberto; Maynard, Douglas; Cleary, James F.; DuBenske, Lori

2017-01-01

Introduction: Patients with incurable cancer have poor prognostic awareness. We present a detailed analysis of the dialogue between oncologists and patients in conversations with prognostic implications. Methods: A total of 128 audio-recorded encounters from a large multisite trial were obtained, and 64 involved scan results. We used conversation analysis, a qualitative method for studying human interaction, to analyze typical patterns and conversational devices. Results: Four components consistently occurred in sequential order: symptom-talk, scan-talk, treatment-talk, and logistic-talk. Six of the encounters (19%) were identified as good news, 15 (45%) as stable news, and 12 (36%) as bad news. The visit duration varied by the type of news: good, 15 minutes (07:00-29:00); stable, 17 minutes (07:00-41:00); and bad, 20 minutes (07:00-28:00). Conversational devices were common, appearing in half of recordings. Treatment-talk occupied 50% of bad-news encounters, 31% of good-news encounters, and 19% of stable-news encounters. Scan-talk occupied less than 10% of all conversations. There were only four instances of frank prognosis discussion. Conclusion: Oncologists and patients are complicit in constructing the typical encounter. Oncologists spend little time discussing scan results and the prognostic implications in favor of treatment-related talk. Conversational devices routinely help transition from scan-talk to detailed discussions about treatment options. We observed an opportunity to create prognosis-talk after scan-talk with a new conversational device, the question “Would you like to talk about what this means?” as the oncologist seeks permission to disclose prognostic information while ceding control to the patient. PMID:28095172

Thinking or feeling? An exploratory study of maternal scaffolding, child mental state talk, and emotion understanding in language-impaired and typically developing school-aged children.

PubMed

Yuill, Nicola; Little, Sarah

2018-06-01

Mother-child mental state talk (MST) supports children's developing social-emotional understanding. In typically developing (TD) children, family conversations about emotion, cognition, and causes have been linked to children's emotion understanding. Specific language impairment (SLI) may compromise developing emotion understanding and adjustment. We investigated emotion understanding in children with SLI and TD, in relation to mother-child conversation. Specifically, is cognitive, emotion, or causal MST more important for child emotion understanding and how might maternal scaffolding support this? Nine 5- to 9-year-old children with SLI and nine age-matched typically developing (TD) children, and their mothers. We assessed children's language, emotion understanding and reported behavioural adjustment. Mother-child conversations were coded for MST, including emotion, cognition, and causal talk, and for scaffolding of causal talk. Children with SLI scored lower than TD children on emotion understanding and adjustment. Mothers in each group provided similar amounts of cognitive, emotion, and causal talk, but SLI children used proportionally less cognitive and causal talk than TD children did, and more such child talk predicted better child emotion understanding. Child emotion talk did not differ between groups and did not predict emotion understanding. Both groups participated in maternal-scaffolded causal talk, but causal talk about emotion was more frequent in TD children, and such talk predicted higher emotion understanding. Cognitive and causal language scaffolded by mothers provides tools for articulating increasingly complex ideas about emotion, predicting children's emotion understanding. Our study provides a robust method for studying scaffolding processes for understanding causes of emotion. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Motivation, justification, normalization: talk strategies used by Canadian medical tourists regarding their choices to go abroad for hip and knee surgeries.

PubMed

Cameron, Keri; Crooks, Valorie A; Chouinard, Vera; Snyder, Jeremy; Johnston, Rory; Casey, Victoria

2014-04-01

Contributing to health geography scholarship on the topic, the objective of this paper is to reveal Canadian medical tourists' perspectives regarding their choices to seek knee replacement or hip replacement or resurfacing (KRHRR) at medical tourism facilities abroad rather than domestically. We address this objective by examining the 'talk strategies' used by these patients in discussing their choices and the ways in which such talk is co-constructed by others. Fourteen interviews were conducted with Canadians aged 42-77 who had gone abroad for KRHRR. Three types of talk strategies emerged through thematic analysis of their narratives: motivation, justification, and normalization talk. Motivation talk referenced participants' desires to maintain or resume physical activity, employment, and participation in daily life. Justification talk emerged when participants described how limitations in the domestic system drove them abroad. Finally, being a medical tourist was talked about as being normal on several bases. Among other findings, the use of these three talk strategies in patients' narratives surrounding medical tourism for KRHRR offers new insight into the language-health-place interconnection. Specifically, they reveal the complex ways in which medical tourists use talk strategies to assert the soundness of their choice to shift the site of their own medical care on a global scale while also anticipating, if not even guarding against, criticism of what ultimately is their own patient mobility. These talk strategies provide valuable insight into why international patients are opting to engage in the spatially explicit practice of medical tourism and who and what are informing their choices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Small pixel cross-talk MTF and its impact on MWIR sensor performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goss, Tristan M.; Willers, Cornelius J.

2017-05-01

As pixel sizes reduce in the development of modern High Definition (HD) Mid Wave Infrared (MWIR) detectors the interpixel cross-talk becomes increasingly difficult to regulate. The diffusion lengths required to achieve the quantum efficiency and sensitivity of MWIR detectors are typically longer than the pixel pitch dimension, and the probability of inter-pixel cross-talk increases as the pixel pitch/diffusion length fraction decreases. Inter-pixel cross-talk is most conveniently quantified by the focal plane array sampling Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). Cross-talk MTF will reduce the ideal sinc square pixel MTF that is commonly used when modelling sensor performance. However, cross-talk MTF data is not always readily available from detector suppliers, and since the origins of inter-pixel cross-talk are uniquely device and manufacturing process specific, no generic MTF models appear to satisfy the needs of the sensor designers and analysts. In this paper cross-talk MTF data has been collected from recent publications and the development for a generic cross-talk MTF model to fit this data is investigated. The resulting cross-talk MTF model is then included in a MWIR sensor model and the impact on sensor performance is evaluated in terms of the National Imagery Interoperability Rating Scale's (NIIRS) General Image Quality Equation (GIQE) metric for a range of fnumber/ detector pitch Fλ/d configurations and operating environments. By applying non-linear boost transfer functions in the signal processing chain, the contrast losses due to cross-talk may be compensated for. Boost transfer functions, however, also reduce the signal to noise ratio of the sensor. In this paper boost function limits are investigated and included in the sensor performance assessments.

Taste-nutrient relationships in commonly consumed foods.

PubMed

van Dongen, Mirre Viskaal; van den Berg, Marjolijn C; Vink, Nicole; Kok, Frans J; de Graaf, Cees

2012-07-14

Taste is expected to represent a food's nutrient content. The objective was to investigate whether taste acts as nutrient-sensor, within the context of the current diet, which is high in processed foods. Intensities of the five basic tastes of fifty commonly consumed foods were rated by nineteen subjects (aged 21·0 (SD 1·7) years, BMI 21·5 (SD 2·0) kg/m(2)). Linear regression was used to test associations between taste and nutrient contents. Food groups based on taste were identified using cluster analysis; nutrient content was compared between food groups, using ANOVA. Sweetness was associated with mono- and disaccharides (R(2) 0·45, P < 0·01). Saltiness and savouriness were correlated, with r 0·92 (P < 0·01) and both were associated with Na (both: R(2) 0·33, P < 0·01) and protein (R(2) 0·27, P < 0·01 and R(2) 0·33, P < 0·01, respectively). Cluster analysis indicated four food groups: neutral, salty and savoury, sweet-sour and sweet foods. Mono- and disaccharide content was highest in sweet foods (P < 0·01). In salty and savoury foods, protein content (P = 0·01 with sweet-sour foods, not significant with neutral or sweet foods) and Na content (P < 0·05) were the highest. Associations were more pronounced in raw and moderately processed foods, than in highly processed foods. The findings suggest that sweetness, saltiness and savouriness signal nutrient content, particularly for simple sugars, protein and Na. In highly processed foods, however, the ability to sense nutrient content based on taste seems limited.

Cognitive Remediation in Middle-Aged or Older Inpatients with Chronic Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Korea.

PubMed

Choi, Kee-Hong; Kang, Jinsook; Kim, Sun-Min; Lee, Seung-Hwan; Park, Seon-Cheol; Lee, Won-Hye; Choi, Sun; Park, Kiho; Hwang, Tae-Yeon

2017-01-01

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that cognitive remediation (CR) is effective for improving various cognitive deficits in adult patients with schizophrenia. Although reports of brain plasticity in older adults and the service needs for chronic patients with schizophrenia are increasing, very few randomized controlled trials of CR have been conducted in middle-aged or older inpatients with chronic schizophrenia. We investigated the efficacy of individualized CR on the cognitive impairments of middle-aged or older inpatients with chronic schizophrenia within the context of comprehensive psychiatric rehabilitation (PR) by comparing the results obtained with PR only and treatment as usual (TAU). Method: Fifty-seven middle-aged and older individuals with chronic schizophrenia and mild to moderate cognitive deficits were enrolled. Thirty-eight who were undergoing PR were randomly assigned to CR + PR ( N = 19) or PR-only ( N = 19) groups. Nineteen participants who were undergoing TAU without CR or PR were evaluated pre- and post-treatment. Results: CR was easily provided and well received (drop-out rates = 5.3%) by middle-aged or older psychiatric inpatients. Compared to the PR-Only or TAU patients, patients in the CR + PR group showed greater improvement in executive functioning. Compared to TAU patients, CR + PR and PR-only patients showed greater improvement in logical memory. More patients in the CR + PR group improved clinically significantly in executive functioning and logical memory, compared with the PR-only and TAU patients. Conclusions: These results suggested that CR improved some cognitive deficits in middle-aged or older inpatients with chronic schizophrenia and that it was effective as an adjunctive treatment to the usual PR services provided in inpatient settings. Clinical Registration: KCT0002609.

Calculation of the ALMA Risk of Right Ventricular Failure After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

PubMed

Loforte, Antonio; Montalto, Andrea; Musumeci, Francesco; Amarelli, Cristiano; Mariani, Carlo; Polizzi, Vincenzo; Lilla Della Monica, Paola; Grigioni, Francesco; Di Bartolomeo, Roberto; Marinelli, Giuseppe

2018-05-08

Right ventricular failure after continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is still an unsolved issue and remains a life-threatening event for patients. We undertook this study to determine predictors of the patients who are candidates for isolated LVAD therapy as opposed to biventricular support (BVAD). We reviewed demographic, echocardiographic, hemodynamic, and laboratory variables for 258 patients who underwent both isolated LVAD implantation and unplanned BVAD because of early right ventricular failure after LVAD insertion, between 2006 and 2017 (LVAD = 170 and BVAD = 88). The final study patients were randomly divided into derivation (79.8%, n = 206) and validation (20.1%, n = 52) cohorts. Fifty-seven preoperative risk factors were compared between patients who were successfully managed with an LVAD and those who required a BVAD. Nineteen variables demonstrated statistical significance on univariable analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified destination therapy (odds ratio [OR] 2.0 [1.7-3.9], p = 0.003), a pulmonary artery pulsatility index <2 (OR 3.3 [1.7-6.1], p = 0.001), a right ventricle/left ventricle end-diastolic diameter ratio >0.75 (OR 2.7 [1.5-5.5], p = 0.001), an right ventricle stroke work index <300 mm Hg/ml/m (OR 4.3 [2.5-7.3], p < 0.001), and a United Network for Organ Sharing modified Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Excluding INR score >17 (OR 3.5 [1.9-6.9], p < 0.001) as the major predictors of the need for BVAD. Using these data, we propose a simple risk calculator to determine the suitability of patients for isolated LVAD support in the era of continuous-flow mechanical circulatory support devices.

Can change in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels reduce cardiovascular risk?

PubMed

Dean, Bonnie B; Borenstein, Jeff E; Henning, James M; Knight, Kevin; Merz, C Noel Bairey

2004-06-01

The cardiovascular risk reduction observed in many trials of lipid-lowering agents is greater than expected on the basis of observed low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level reductions. Our objective was to explore the degree to which high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level changes explain cardiovascular risk reduction. A systematic review identified trials of lipid-lowering agents reporting changes in HDL-C and LDL-C levels and the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). The observed relative risk reduction (RRR) in CHD morbidity and mortality rates was calculated. The expected RRR, given the treatment effect on total cholesterol level, was calculated for each trial with logistic regression coefficients from observational studies. The difference between observed and expected RRR was plotted against the change in HDL-C level, and a least-squares regression line was calculated. Fifty-one trials were identified. Nineteen statin trials addressed the association of HDL-C with CHD. Limited numbers of trials of other therapies precluded additional analyses. Among statin trials, therapy reduced total cholesterol levels as much as 32% and LDL-C levels as much as 45%. HDL-C level increases were <10%. Treatment effect on HDL-C levels was not a significant linear predictor of the difference in observed and expected CHD mortality rates, although we observed a trend in this direction (P =.08). Similarly, HDL-C effect was not a significant linear predictor of the difference between observed and expected RRRs for CHD morbidity (P =.20). Although a linear trend toward greater risk reduction was observed with greater effects on HDL-C, differences were not statistically significant. The narrow range of HDL-C level increases in the statin trials likely reduced our ability to detect a beneficial HDL-C effect, if present.

Occupational Therapy Treatment to Improve Upper Extremity Function in Individuals with Early Systemic Sclerosis: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Murphy, Susan L; Barber, Mary; Homer, Kristen; Dodge, Carole; Cutter, Gary; Khanna, Dinesh

2018-01-30

To determine feasibility and preliminary effects of an occupational therapy treatment to improve upper extremity (UE) function in patients with early systemic sclerosis (SSc) who have UE contractures. A one-arm pilot clinical rehabilitation trial was conducted at a university health system. Participants with SSc and ≥ 1 UE contracture (n = 21) participated in a total of 8 weekly in-person occupational therapy sessions. The therapy consisted of thermal modalities, tissue mobilization, and UE mobility. Between sessions, participants were instructed to complete UE home exercises. Feasibility was measured by percent enrollment and session attendance and duration. The primary outcome measure was the QuickDASH, secondary and exploratory outcomes included PROMIS physical function, objective UE measures, and skin thickening. Linear mixed models were performed to determine treatment effects on primary and secondary outcomes. Fifty percent (24/48) of potentially eligible participants were interested. Of those, 88% (21/24) enrolled; and nineteen out of 21 (91%) completed all sessions. The mean (SD) age was 47.9 years (± 16.1); 100% had diffuse SSc, and mean disease duration was 3.1 years. At 8 weeks, participants reported statistically significant improvement on QuickDASH and PROMIS physical function measures (p =.0012 and p = .004). Forty-seven and 53% percent of the sample achieved improvements that exceeded minimally important differences. In-person treatment sessions were feasible for individuals with SSc and demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements on UE and physical function. Future studies need to examine effects against a control condition and examine durability of treatment effects. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Microbial cultures in open globe injuries in southern India.

PubMed

Gupta, Arvind; Srinivasan, Renuka; Kaliaperumal, Subashini; Setia, Sajita

2007-07-01

To determine the risk factors leading to positive intraocular culture in patients with open globe injury. A prospective interventional study involving 110 eyes of 110 patients of more than 15 years of age, presenting with open globe injury, was undertaken. Emergency repair of the injured globe was done. Prolapsed intraocular tissue or aqueous humour was sent for microbial work up before repair. In endophthalmitis cases intravitreal antibiotics were given according to the antimicrobial sensitivity. Chi-square and logistic regression analysis were used to determine the risk factors. Fifty-six patients showed microbial contamination. Bacteria were cultured in 42 patients and fungi in 14 patients. Nineteen patients developed endophthalmitis, of which 18 patients showed microbial growth initially. In univariate analysis, initial visual acuity (<6/360, P = 0.002), presence of uveal tissue prolapse (P < 0.001), vitreous prolapse (P < 0.001) and length of laceration (>8 mm, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with positive microbial culture, however, in the multivariate stepwise logistic regression delay in surgical intervention (>72 h, P < 0.001), uveal tissue prolapse (P = 0.004) and corneosclearal laceration (>8 mm, P = 0.013) were associated with increased risk of positive microbial culture. Six patients had intraocular foreign body but were culture negative. Age, gender, site of injury and presence of cataract did not significantly affect the culture positivity. Microbial contamination is a risk factor for the development for endophthalmitis. Despite the high frequency of microbial contamination, it develops only in few cases. Systemic antibiotics, virulence of the organism and host factors play a role in the manifestation of endophthalmitis. Prophylaxis with intraocular antibiotics should be strongly considered in cases with poor vision at presentation, larger corneoscleral laceration, delayed surgical intervention and uveal tissue or vitreous prolapse.

Survival of the Scandinavian total ankle replacement (STAR): results of ten to nineteen years follow-up.

PubMed

Frigg, Arno; Germann, Ursula; Huber, Martin; Horisberger, Monika

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate survival and clinical outcome of the Scandinavian total ankle replacement (STAR) prosthesis after a minimum of ten years up to a maximum of 19 years. Fifty STAR prostheses in 46 patients with end stage ankle osteoarthritis operated between 1996 and 2006 by the same surgeon (MH) were included. Minimal follow-up was ten years (median 14.6 years, 95% confidence interval [CI] 12.9-16.4). Clinical (Kofoed score) and radiological assessments were taken before the operation and at one, ten (+2), and 16 (±3) years after implantation. The primary endpoint was defined as exchange of the whole prosthesis or conversion to arthrodesis (def. 1), exchange of at least one metallic component (def. 2), or exchange of any component including the inlay (due to breakage or wear) (def. 3). Survival was estimated according to Kaplan-Meier. Further reoperations related to STAR were also recorded. The ten year survival rate was (def. 1) 94% (CI 82-98%), (def. 2) 90% (CI, 77-96%), and (def. 3) 78% (CI 64-87%). The 19-year survival rate was (def. 1) 91% (CI 78-97%), (def. 2) 75% (CI 53-88%), and (def. 3) 55% (CI 34-71%). Considering any re-operations related to STAR, 52% (26/50) of prostheses were affected by re-operations. Mean pre-operative Kofoed score was 49, which improved to 84 after one year (n = 50), to 90 after ten years (n = 46), and to 89 after 16 years (n = 28). The survival rate for def. 1 and 2 was high. However, re-operations occurred in 52% of all STAR prosthesis. Retrospective cohort study, evidence Level 4.

Pediatric Educational Needs Assessment for Urban and Rural Emergency Medical Technicians

PubMed Central

Fleischman, Ross J.; Yarris, Lalena M.; Curry, Merlin T.; Yuen, Stephanie C.; Breon, Alia R.; Meckler, Garth D.

2011-01-01

Objective To identify past experiences, present needs, barriers, and desired methods of training for urban and rural EMTs. Methods This 62-question pilot-tested written survey was administered at the 2008 Oregon EMS and 2009 EMS for Children conferences. Respondents were compared to registration lists and the state EMS database to assess for non-responder bias. Agencies more than 10 miles from a population of 40,000 were defined as rural. Results Two-hundred nineteen of 313 EMS personnel (70%) returned surveys. Respondents were 3% first responders, 27% EMT-basics, 20% intermediates, and 47% paramedics. Sixty-eight percent were rural and 32% urban. Sixty-eight percent reported fewer than 10% pediatric transports. Overall, respondents rated their comfort caring for pediatric patients as 3.1 on a 5 point likert scale (95%CI 3.1–3.2). Seventy-two percent reported a mean rating of less than “comfortable” (four on the scale) across 17 topics in pediatric care, which did not differ by certification level. Seven percent reported no pediatric training in the last two years and 76% desired more. The “quality of available trainings” was ranked as the most important barrier to training. 26% of rural versus 7% of urban EMS personnel ranked distance as the most significant barrier (p<0.01). Fifty-one percent identified highly realistic simulations as the method that helped them learn best. In the past two years, 19% percent had trained on a highly realistic pediatric simulator. One to three hours was the preferred duration for trainings. Conclusions Except for distance as a barrier, there were no significant differences between urban and rural responses. Both urban and rural providers desire resources, in particular highly realistic simulation, to address the infrequency of pediatric transports and limited training. PMID:22134229

Association of ß-hCG Surveillance with Emotional, Reproductive, and Sexual Health in Women Treated for Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia.

PubMed

Jewell, Elizabeth L; Aghajanian, Carol; Montovano, Margaret; Lewin, Sharyn N; Baser, Raymond E; Carter, Jeanne

2018-03-01

To assess the emotional, reproductive, sexual health, and relationship concerns of women treated for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) and examine associations with ß-hCG surveillance. This institutional review board approved study surveyed GTN survivors (n = 51) who received treatment from 1996 to 2008. Fifty-one women, including those actively followed or formerly treated, were surveyed. The survey consisted of background/medical information, the Reproductive Concerns Scale, the Female Sexual Function Index, an item from the Abbreviated Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale, the Menopausal Symptom Checklist, the Impact of Life Events Scale, and exploratory items. Mean age at diagnosis was 37.1 years; 41.6 years at study enrollment. Twenty-seven patients (56%) expressed worry about treatment harm and 30 (60%) about recurrence. Twenty percent reported significant depressive symptomatology. Mild cancer-related distress, reproductive concerns, sexual dysfunction, and bothersome menopausal symptoms were noted. Nineteen patients (40%) rated their ß-hCG surveillance worry as "high." Among patients who attempted conception after treatment, 3 of 12 (25%) succeeded in the ß-hCG high-worry group versus 13 of 19 (68%) in the ß-hCG low-worry group. Survivors with high ß-hCG worry had greater reproductive concerns than those with low worry (p = 0.002) and reported less sexual desire (p = 0.025). There was no difference in the number of low-worry versus high-worry participants in active surveillance (p = 0.09). Our study suggests that cancer-specific distress, sexual health, and reproductive concerns continue to impact women years after treatment. High worry about ß-hCG surveillance is negatively associated with the emotional well-being of GTN survivors and possibly influences reproductive attempts and success.

Laboratory animals and respiratory allergies: The prevalence of allergies among laboratory animal workers and the need for prophylaxis

PubMed Central

Ferraz, Erica; Arruda, Luisa Karla de Paula; Bagatin, Ericson; Martinez, Edson Z; Cetlin, Andrea A; Simoneti, Christian S; Freitas, Amanda S; Martinez, José A B; Borges, Marcos C; Vianna, Elcio O

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Subjects exposed to laboratory animals are at a heightened risk of developing respiratory and allergic diseases. These diseases can be prevented by simple measures such as the use of personal protective equipment. We report here the primary findings of the Laboratory Animals and Respiratory Allergies Study regarding the prevalence of allergic diseases among laboratory animal workers, the routine use of preventive measures in laboratories and animal facilities, and the need for prevention programs. METHODS: Animal handlers and non-animal handlers from 2 Brazilian universities (University of São Paulo and State University of Campinas) answered specific questionnaires to assess work conditions and symptoms. These subjects also underwent spirometry, a bronchial challenge test with mannitol, and skin prick tests for 11 common allergens and 5 occupational allergens (rat, mouse, guinea pig, hamster, and rabbit). RESULTS: Four hundred fifty-five animal handlers (32±10 years old [mean±SD], 209 men) and 387 non-animal handlers (33±11 years old, 121 men) were evaluated. Sensitization to occupational allergens was higher among animal handlers (16%) than non-animal handlers (3%, p<0.01). Accessibility to personal protective equipment was measured at 85% (median, considering 73 workplaces of the animal handler group). Nineteen percent of the animal handlers indicated that they wear a respirator at all times while handling animals or working in the animal room, and only 25% of the animal handlers had received an orientation about animal-induced allergies, asthma, or rhinitis. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our data indicate that preventive programs are necessary. We suggest providing individual advice to workers associated with institutional programs to promote a safer work environment. PMID:23778494

Thyroid status and 6-year mortality in elderly people living in a mildly iodine-deficient area: the aging in the Chianti Area Study.

PubMed

Ceresini, Graziano; Ceda, Gian Paolo; Lauretani, Fulvio; Maggio, Marcello; Usberti, Elisa; Marina, Michela; Bandinelli, Stefania; Guralnik, Jack M; Valenti, Giorgio; Ferrucci, Luigi

2013-06-01

To test the hypothesis that, in older adults, living in a mildly iodine-deficient area, thyroid dysfunction may be associated with mortality independent of potential confounders. Longitudinal. Community-based. Nine hundred fifty-one individuals aged 65 and older. Plasma thyrotropin, free thyroxine, and free triiodothyronine concentrations and demographic features were evaluated in participants of the Invecchiare in Chianti Study aged 65 and older. Participants were classified according to thyroid function test. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for confounders were used in the analysis. Eight hundred nineteen participants were euthyroid, 83 had subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHyper), and 29 had subclinical hypothyroidism (SHypo). Overt hypo- and hyperthyroidism were found in five and 15 subjects, respectively. During a median of 6 years of follow-up, 210 deaths occurred (22.1%), 98 (46.6%) of which were from cardiovascular causes. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed higher overall mortality for SHyper (P = .04) than euthyroid subjects. After adjusting for multiple confounders, participants with SHyper (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-2.69) had significantly higher all-cause mortality than those with normal thyroid function. No significant association was found between SHyper and cardiovascular mortality. In euthyroid subjects, thyrotropin was found to be predictive of lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.57-0.99). SHyper is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in older adults. Low to normal circulating thyrotropin should be carefully monitored in elderly euthyroid individuals. © 2013, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2013, The American Geriatrics Society.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heitholt, J.J.

Soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) were grown in the field in 1982 and 1983 (cv. Kent) and greenhouse (cv. McCall) to characterize the effects of timing and source-sink alterations on flower and immature pod abortion and to study the causes of abortion. Flowers and immature pods were marked during early flowering (R1 to R2) and late flowering (R3 to R4). Nineteen percent of the early flowers aborted in the greenhouse and 31 to 48% aborted in the field. Seventy-six to 92% and 77 to 90% of the late flowers aborted in the greenhouse and field, respectively. Defoliation increased early flowermore » abortion and depodding decreased late flower abortion. Fifteen and 19% of the early immature pods and the late immature pods from depodded plants aborted, respectively. Fifty-seven percent of the late immature pods aborted. Across both years there was not a consistent relationship between the concentrations of ethanol soluble carbohydrates, starch, ethanol soluble nitrogen, ethanol insoluble nitrogen, nitrate, and cations in the flowers or immature pods and abortion. During both early and late flowering, a single leaf located in the middle of the main stem that subtended flowers at anthesis, or immature pods was labeled with 3.7 x 10/sup 5/ Bq /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ for 1 h. After 24 h the entire plant was harvested, divided into flowers, pods, labeled leaf, and the remainder of the plant and the radioactivity was determined. The low aborting flowers and immature pods contained a greater percentage of the total /sup 14/C recovered than the high aborting flowers and immature pods. The results indirectly support the hypothesis that a signal compound produced by another plant part, perhaps the established pods, inhibits the development of aborting flowers and immature pods.« less

Cannabis use and progressive cortical thickness loss in areas rich in CB1 receptors during the first five years of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Rais, Monica; van Haren, Neeltje E M; Cahn, Wiepke; Schnack, Hugo G; Lepage, Claude; Collins, Louis; Evans, Alan C; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E; Kahn, René S

2010-12-01

Cerebral grey matter volume reductions are progressive in schizophrenia, with larger grey matter volume decreases associated with cannabis use. It is unknown whether this grey matter loss is globally distributed over the entire brain or more pronounced in specific cortical brain regions. Fifty-one patients with recent-onset schizophrenia and 31 matched healthy subjects were included. For all subjects, magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained at inclusion and at 5-year follow-up. Nineteen patients (ab-)used cannabis but no other illicit drugs; 32 patients and the healthy comparison subjects did not use any drugs during the 5-year follow-up. At follow-up, clinical outcome was measured. To evaluate the local differences in cortical thickness change over five years between the two groups regression analysis was carried out over the cortical surface. At inclusion cortical thickness did not differ between patients and controls and between cannabis-using and non-using patients. Over the follow-up period we found excessive thinning of the right supplementary motor cortex, inferior frontal cortex, superior temporal gyrus, angular gyrus, occipital and parietal lobe in patients relative to controls after controlling for cannabis use. Patients who used cannabis showed additional thinning in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left occipital lobe as compared to those patients that did not use cannabis during the scan interval. First-episode schizophrenia patients who use cannabis show a more pronounced cortical thinning than non-using patients in areas known for their high density of CB1 receptors, such as the ACC and the DLPFC. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The contribution of three components of nutrition knowledge to socio-economic differences in food purchasing choices.

PubMed

McKinnon, Loretta; Giskes, Katrina; Turrell, Gavin

2014-08-01

To assess socio-economic differences in three components of nutrition knowledge, i.e. knowledge of (i) the relationship between diet and disease, (ii) the nutrient content of foods and (iii) dietary guideline recommendations; furthermore, to determine if socio-economic differences in nutrition knowledge contribute to inequalities in food purchasing choices. The cross-sectional study considered household food purchasing, nutrition knowledge, socio-economic and demographic information. Household food purchasing choices were summarised by three indices, based on self-reported purchasing of sixteen groceries, nineteen fruits and twenty-one vegetables. Socio-economic position (SEP) was measured by household income and education. Associations between SEP, nutrition knowledge and food purchasing were examined using general linear models adjusted for age, gender, household type and household size. Brisbane, Australia in 2000. Main household food shoppers (n 1003, response rate 66·4 %), located in fifty small areas (Census Collectors Districts). Shoppers in households of low SEP made food purchasing choices that were less consistent with dietary guideline recommendations: they were more likely to purchase grocery foods comparatively higher in salt, sugar and fat, and lower in fibre, and they purchased a narrower range of fruits and vegetables. Those of higher SEP had greater nutrition knowledge and this factor attenuated most associations between SEP and food purchasing choices. Among nutrition knowledge factors, knowledge of the relationship between diet and disease made the greatest and most consistent contribution to explaining socio-economic differences in food purchasing. Addressing inequalities in nutrition knowledge is likely to reduce socio-economic differences in compliance with dietary guidelines. Improving knowledge of the relationship between diet and disease appears to be a particularly relevant focus for health promotion aimed to reduce socio-economic differences in diet and related health inequalities.

The Pattern of Failure After Reirradiation of Recurrent Squamous Cell Head and Neck Cancer: Implications for Defining the Targets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Popovtzer, Aron; Gluck, Iris; Chepeha, Douglas B.

2009-08-01

Purpose: Reirradiation (re-RT) of recurrent head and neck cancer (HNC) may achieve long-term disease control in some patients, at the expense of high rates of late sequelae. Limiting the re-RT targets to the recurrent gross tumor volume (rGTV) would reduce the volumes of reirradiated tissues; however, its effect on tumor recurrence pattern is unknown. Methods and Materials: This is a retrospective review of 66 patients who underwent curative-intent re-RT for nonresectable recurrent or second primary mucosal squamous cell HNC. Treatment was delivered with three-dimensional conformal (3D) RT or intensity-modulated RT (IMRT). The targets in all patients consisted of the rGTVsmore » with tight (0.5-cm) margins, with no intent to treat prophylactically lymph nodes or subclinical disease in the vicinity of the rGTVs. The sites of locoregional failures (LRFs) were determined using imaging at the time of failure and were compared with the rGTVs. Results: Median re-RT dose was 68 Gy. Forty-seven patients (71%) received concomitant chemotherapy, and 31 (47%) received hyperfractionated, accelerated RT. At a median follow-up of 42 months, 16 (23%) were alive and disease-free. Fifty patients (77%) had a third recurrence or persistent disease, including 47 LRFs. All LRFs occurred within the rGTVs except for two (4%) (95% confidence interval, 0-11%). Nineteen patients (29%) had Grade {>=} 3 late complications, mostly dysphagia (12 patients). Conclusions: Almost all LRFs occurred within the reirradiated rGTVs despite avoiding prophylactic RT of tissue at risk of subclinical disease. These results support confining the re-RT targets to the rGTVs to reduce reirradiated tissue volumes.« less

Seeing the world through non rose-colored glasses: anxiety and the amygdala response to blended expressions

PubMed Central

Bishop, Sonia J.; Aguirre, Geoffrey K.; Nunez-Elizalde, Anwar O.; Toker, Daniel

2015-01-01

Anxious individuals have a greater tendency to categorize faces with ambiguous emotional expressions as fearful (Richards et al., 2002). These behavioral findings might reflect anxiety-related biases in stimulus representation within the human amygdala. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) together with a continuous adaptation design to investigate the representation of faces from three expression continua (surprise-fear, sadness-fear, and surprise-sadness) within the amygdala and other brain regions implicated in face processing. Fifty-four healthy adult participants completed a face expression categorization task. Nineteen of these participants also viewed the same expressions presented using type 1 index 1 sequences while fMRI data were acquired. Behavioral analyses revealed an anxiety-related categorization bias in the surprise-fear continuum alone. Here, elevated anxiety was associated with a more rapid transition from surprise to fear responses as a function of percentage fear in the face presented, leading to increased fear categorizations for faces with a mid-way blend of surprise and fear. fMRI analyses revealed that high trait anxious participants also showed greater representational similarity, as indexed by greater adaptation of the Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signal, between 50/50 surprise/fear expression blends and faces from the fear end of the surprise-fear continuum in both the right amygdala and right fusiform face area (FFA). No equivalent biases were observed for the other expression continua. These findings suggest that anxiety-related biases in the processing of expressions intermediate between surprise and fear may be linked to differential representation of these stimuli in the amygdala and FFA. The absence of anxiety-related biases for the sad-fear continuum might reflect intermediate expressions from the surprise-fear continuum being most ambiguous in threat-relevance. PMID:25870551

Pure ultrasonography-guided radiation-free percutaneous nephrolithotomy: report of 357 cases.

PubMed

Hosseini, Mohammad Mehdi; Yousefi, Alireza; Rastegari, Mohsen

2015-01-01

To assess the safety and effectiveness of pure ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Three hundred fifty-seven patients were treated; 139 women and 218 men, with a mean age of 33.7 years (range 21-69 years) and a mean stone size of 33.5 mm in maximum diameter (range 20-52 mm). Stone locations were renal pelvis (174), lower calyx (68) or both (115) with mild to moderate hydronephrosis seen on excretory urography. A ureteral stent was inserted by cystoscope, and saline was injected for better localization of the pelvicaliceal system (PCS), if needed. Puncture of the PCS was done by an 18-gauge nephrostomy needle through the lower pole calyx, and all the steps, including dilatation, were done under the guidance of ultrasonography. The day after the operation, 318 (89.07%) patients were stone-free in the kidneys, ureters, and bladder x-rays. Nineteen patients (5.3%) had multiple fragments that measured equal or less than 5 mm and passed them spontaneously in 2-4 weeks (total stone-free rate 94.4%). Access failure occurred in ten obese patients (2.8%) and fluoroscopy was required. Residual fragments with sizes of 10-12 mm were seen in seven patients, all of who underwent shock wave lithotripsy. In one patient, a fragment measuring 7-8 mm migrated into the distal part of the ureter. It was fragmented with ureteroscopy and pneumatic lithoclast 2 days after the operation. In two patients who had large (>15 mm) residual stone redo percutaneous nephrolithotomy was performed 48 h after the first procedure. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy guided by ultrasonography seems to be as effective as fluoroscopy in selected cases and poses no risk of surgeon and patient exposure to radiation; however, more experience is required.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy With Dose Painting to Treat Rhabdomyosarcoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Joanna C.; Dharmarajan, Kavita V.; Wexler, Leonard H.

Purpose: To examine local control and patterns of failure in rhabdomyosarcoma patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (RT) with dose painting (DP-IMRT). Patients and Methods: A total of 41 patients underwent DP-IMRT with chemotherapy for definitive treatment. Nineteen also underwent surgery with or without intraoperative RT. Fifty-six percent had alveolar histologic features. The median interval from beginning chemotherapy to RT was 17 weeks (range, 4-25). Very young children who underwent second-look procedures with or without intraoperative RT received reduced doses of 24-36 Gy in 1.4-1.8-Gy fractions. Young adults received 50.4 Gy to the primary tumor and lower doses ofmore » 36 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions to at-risk lymph node chains. Results: With 22 months of median follow-up, the actuarial local control rate was 90%. Patients aged {<=}7 years who received reduced overall and fractional doses had 100% local control, and young adults had 79% (P=.07) local control. Three local failures were identified in young adults whose primary target volumes had received 50.4 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions. Conclusions: DP-IMRT with lower fractional and cumulative doses is feasible for very young children after second-look procedures with or without intraoperative RT. DP-IMRT is also feasible in adolescents and young adults with aggressive disease who would benefit from prophylactic RT to high-risk lymph node chains, although dose escalation might be warranted for improved local control. With limited follow-up, it appears that DP-IMRT produces local control rates comparable to those of sequential IMRT in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma.« less

Evidenced-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation for Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: An Updated Review of the Literature From 2007 to 2016.

PubMed

Goverover, Yael; Chiaravalloti, Nancy D; O'Brien, Amanda R; DeLuca, John

2018-02-01

To update the clinical recommendations for cognitive rehabilitation of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), based on a systematic review of the literature from 2007 through 2016. Searches of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were conducted with a combination of the following terms: attention, awareness, cognition, cognitive, communication, executive, executive function, language, learning, memory, perception, problem solving, reasoning, rehabilitation, remediation, training, processing speed, and working memory. One hundred twenty-nine articles were identified and underwent initial screening. Fifty-nine articles were selected for inclusion after initial screening. Nineteen studies were excluded after further detailed review. Forty studies were fully reviewed and evaluated. Articles were assigned to 1 of 6 categories: attention, learning and memory, processing speed and working memory, executive functioning, metacognition, or nonspecified/combined cognitive domains. Articles were abstracted and levels of evidence were decided using specific criteria. The current review yielded 6 class I studies, 10 class II studies, and 24 class III studies. One intervention in the area of verbal learning and memory received support for a practice standard, 2 computer programs received support as practice guidelines (in the area of attention and multicognitive domains), and several studies provided support for 5 practice options in the domains of attention and learning and memory. Substantial progress has been made since our previous review regarding the identification of effective treatments for cognitive impairments in persons with MS. However, much work remains to be done to optimize rehabilitation potential by applying the most methodologically rigorous research designs to provide class I evidence in support of a given treatment strategy. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Education of gastroenterology trainees: first annual fellows' nutrition course.

PubMed

Scolapio, James S; Buchman, Alan L; Floch, Martin

2008-02-01

The degree of nutrition training in gastrointestinal (GI) fellowship programs has not been reported previously, but it is thought to be inadequate. The aim of this study was to determine GI fellows' exposure to nutrition and to assess nutrition knowledge and practice behaviors before and after completing a live nutrition course. This course was geared specifically for GI fellows. Nineteen faculty members from the United States and Canada participated. Electronic surveys were sent to each fellow before and after the course. The curriculum consisted of 20 hours of live education. Curriculum was revised when the precourse survey identified a gap in medical knowledge or practice behavior. Knowledge change was assessed by a 20-question survey before and after the course. Fifty-three fellows participated. Seventy percent reported no inpatient nutrition rotation. Seventy percent had never written a total parenteral nutrition or total enteral nutrition orders, and 12% had treated a home enteral or parenteral patient. Ninety percent had no outpatient nutrition or obesity rotation experience, and 59% had no core nutrition lecture series at their program. Eighty-seven percent had never been assessed for competency in nutrition, and 9% had completed a nutrition research project. Too few mentors, poor exposure, and a predominant focus on endoscopy were reasons cited for not pursing nutrition training. Knowledge change after the course was assessed; the mean correct response rates were 58% before and 88% postcourse. There is a considerable deficiency in nutrition training in GI programs. The established American Gastroenterological Association nutrition curriculum guidelines and core competencies are not being fulfilled in most programs. The curriculum of this course resulted in increased knowledge and improved nutrition practice behavior. There is a need for more nutrition training for our GI fellows.

Determinants of vitamin D status in adult Crohn's disease patients, with particular emphasis on supplemental vitamin D use.

PubMed

Gilman, J; Shanahan, F; Cashman, K D

2006-07-01

To investigate determinants (pathophysiologic and physiologic, behavioural and lifestyle) of vitamin D status in Irish Crohn's disease (CD) patients. A cross-sectional observational study. Cork City, Ireland (52 degrees N). Crohn's Disease patients (n=58; mean age 38.1 years) were recruited from Cork University Hospital. Fifty and nineteen percent of Irish CD patients were vitamin D deficient (defined by serum 25 hydroxyvitamin (OH) D levels <50 nmol/l) during winter and summer, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that summer-time serum 25 (OH) D levels were positively associated with use of vitamin D supplements (P=0.033) and negatively associated with smoking (P=0.006) and being male (P=0.063). During winter-time, use of vitamin D supplements (P=0.041) and sun habits (P=0.066) were positively associated, whereas small intestinal involvement (P=0.005) and body mass index (BMI) (P=0.083) were negatively associated with serum 25 (OH) D levels. There was no significant association between other non-pathophysiologic (age, dietary calcium or vitamin D) or pathophysiologic factors (steroid use, resection), and serum 25 (OH) D levels, at either season. Approximately 41 and 60% of the total variation in summer- and winter-time serum 25 (OH) D, respectively, was explained by this model. A high proportion of Irish CD patents had some level of vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/l) during late-wintertime. Use of regular low-dose supplemental vitamin D, particularly by patients with small intestinal involvement, cessation of smoking and adequate, but responsible, exposure to summer sunlight as well as maintaining BMI in the normal range could help maintain adequate vitamin D levels during wintertime.

Mutation analysis of the carbohydrate sulfotransferase gene in Vietnamese with macular corneal dystrophy.

PubMed

Ha, Nguyen Thanh; Chau, Hoang Minh; Cung, Le Xuan; Thanh, Ton Kim; Fujiki, Keiko; Murakami, Akira; Hiratsuka, Yoshimune; Kanai, Atsushi

2003-08-01

Mutations in a new carbohydrate sulfotransferase gene (CHST6) encoding corneal N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulfotransferase (C-GlcNac-6-ST) have been identified as the cause of macular corneal dystrophy (MCD) in various ethnicities. This study was conducted to examine the CHST6 gene in Vietnamese with MCD. Nineteen unrelated families, including 35 patients and 38 unaffected relatives were examined clinically. Blood samples were collected. Fifty normal Vietnamese individuals served as control subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted from leukocytes. Analysis of the CHST6 gene was performed with polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. Corneal buttons were studied histopathologically. A slit lamp examination revealed clinical features of MCD with gray-white opacities and stromal haze between. On histopathology, corneal sections showed positive staining with colloidal iron. Sequencing of the CHST6 gene revealed six homozygous and three compound heterozygous mutations. The homozygous mutations, including L59P, V66L, R211Q, W232X, Y268C, and 1067-1068ins(GGCCGTG) were detected, respectively, in two, one, eight, one, one, and two families. Compound heterozygous mutations R211Q/Q82X, S51L/Y268C, and Y268C/1067-1068ins(GGCCGTG) were identified, each in one family. A single heterozygous change at codon 76 (GTG-->ATG) was detected in family L, resulting in a valine-to-methionine substitution (V76M). None of these mutations was detected in the control group. Mutations identified in the CHST6 gene cosegregated with the disease phenotype in all but one family studied and thus caused MCD. Among these, the R211Q detected in 9 of 19 families may be the most common mutation in Vietnamese. These data also indicate that significant allelic heterogeneity exists for MCD.

Total knee arthroplasty for posttraumatic osteoarthritis in military personnel under age 50.

PubMed

Murtha, Andrew S; Johnson, Anthony E; Buckwalter, Joseph A; Rivera, Jessica C

2017-03-01

United States military personnel frequently suffer knee injuries. The resulting progressive posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) causes significant disability in these young high-demand patients for which total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the only effective treatment of their pain and impairment. Yet the use of this option for treatment of PTOA has not been studied. This retrospective review identified 74 knees in 64 U.S. military personnel who underwent TKA at ≤50 years of age during an 8-year period at a tertiary-care, academic, military medical center. Fifty-five knees (74.3%) experienced one or more prior ligamentous, meniscal, or chondral injuries prior to arthroplasty. Only one subject had a history of osteochondral intra-articular fracture. The average at injury was 29.2 years (95%CI of ±2.50) with an average age at arthroplasty of 44.3 years (±1.11). The most common injury was anterior cruciate ligament rupture (n = 19) with a mean time to TKA of 23.1 (±10.54) and 18.8 years (±7.01) when concomitant meniscal pathology was noted. Nineteen patients were noted to have radiographic and symptomatic end-stage osteoarthritis without a specified etiology at 41.4 years (±1.47) and underwent subsequent TKA. This is the first study to evaluate treatment of end-stage PT OA in young people treated with TKA, finding that the incidence of PTOA as an indication for arthroplasty is significantly higher than among civilians. In this otherwise healthy, high-demand patient population, the rate of OA progression following knee injury is accelerated and the long term implications can be career and life altering. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:677-681, 2017. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Microbiology and Biofilm Trends of Silicone Lacrimal Implants: Comparing Infected Versus Routinely Removed Stents.

PubMed

Samimi, David B; Ediriwickrema, Lilangi S; Bielory, Brett P; Miller, Darlene; Lee, Wendy; Johnson, Thomas E

To investigate the pathogens and biofilms responsible for clinically significant infection of silicone stents implanted within the lacrimal system. Retrospective review of culture results and patient demographics for all silicone lacrimal stents removed early for clinically significant infection and sent to the Bascom Palmer Microbiology Laboratory through the end of year 2010. As a control, routinely removed, clinically noninfected stents from the same institution were prospectively sent for culture over a 6-month period. Four clinically infected and 6 clinically noninfected stents showing mucus within the lumen at removal were sent for scanning electron microscopy. Images were randomized and graded by a microbiologist for the presence of organisms, matrix deposits, organisms within matrix, and overall impression of significant biofilm formation. Nineteen stents were included in the study; 100% of clinically infected (n = 10) and noninfected (n = 9) stents were culture positive. Culture positivity for nontuberculous mycobacterium was found in 90% of infected stents and none of the noninfected stents (p < 0.001). Of infected stents, 50% grew Gram-positive organisms compared with 89% of noninfected stents (p = 0.07). Fifty percent of infected versus 67% of noninfected stents were culture positive for Gram-negative organisms (p = 0.46). Electron microscopy of stents revealed organisms consistent with culture results (size, shape) in planktonic and biofilm form. Masked observer image grading revealed a statistically significant higher amount of organism and biofilm on infected versus noninfected specimen. Nontuberculous mycobacteria comprise the primary pathogens responsible for clinically significant infection of silicone stents in the lacrimal system in South Florida. Robust biofilm production by this organism likely plays a role in pathogenesis. Further research into biofilm-related lacrimal implant infection may aid in the development of useful prevention and treatment strategies.

Long-Term Follow-Up of a Community Assignment, One-Time Endoscopic Screening Study of Esophageal Cancer in China

PubMed Central

Wei, Wen-Qiang; Chen, Zhi-Feng; He, Yu-Tong; Feng, Hao; Hou, Jun; Lin, Dong-Mei; Li, Xin-Qing; Guo, Cui-Lan; Li, Shao-Sen; Wang, Guo-Qing; Dong, Zhi-Wei; Abnet, Christian C.; Qiao, You-Lin

2015-01-01

Purpose There are no global screening recommendations for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Endoscopic screening has been investigated in areas of high incidence in China since the 1970s. This study aimed to evaluate whether an endoscopic screening and intervention program could reduce mortality caused by ESCC. Methods Residents age 40 to 69 years were recruited from communities with high rates of ESCC. Fourteen villages were selected as the intervention communities. Ten villages not geographically adjacent to intervention villages were selected for comparison. Participants in the intervention group were screened once by endoscopy with Lugol's iodine staining, and those with dysplasia or occult cancer were treated. All intervention participants and a sample consisting of one tenth of the control group completed questionnaires. We compared cumulative ESCC incidence and mortality between the two groups. Results Three thousand three hundred nineteen volunteers (48.62%) from an eligible population of 6,827 were screened in the intervention group. Seven hundred ninety-seven volunteers from an eligible population of 6,200 in the control group were interviewed. Six hundred fifty-two incident and 542 fatal ESCCs were identified during the 10-year follow-up. A reduction in cumulative mortality in the intervention group versus the control group was apparent (3.35% v 5.05%, respectively; P < .001). Furthermore, the intervention group had a significantly lower cumulative incidence of ESCC versus the control group (4.17% v 5.92%, respectively; P < .001). Conclusion We showed that endoscopic screening and intervention significantly reduced mortality caused by esophageal cancer. Detection and treatment of preneoplastic lesions also led to a reduction in the incidence of this highly fatal cancer. PMID:25940715

The relationship between microalbuminuria, cardiovascular risk factors and disease management in type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Udenze, I C; Azinge, E C; Ebuehi, O A T; Awolola, N A; Adekola, O O; Menkiti, I; Irurhe, N K

2012-01-01

In patients with type 2 diabetes, microalbuminuria is an early clinical sign suggestive of vascular damage to the glomerulus. Microalbuminuria has also been currently reported as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and becomes relevant in the management of type 2 diabetes. This study is to determine the prevalence of microalbuminuria, identify the risk factors associated with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes, and to asses the achievement of treatment goals for cardiovascular risk reduction in type 2 diabetics. Seventy- two subjects with microalbuminuria were recruited from three hundred consecutively screened type 2 diabetics attending the Diabetic Clinic at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Clinical data were obtained by interviewing the participants. Anthropometric measurements were made and blood specimens were collected for analysis. The prevalence of microalbuminuria was twenty-four percent (24%) in type 2 diabetes. Multiple logistic regression identified duration of diabetes (odds ratio 1.3 (95% CI; 0.03-1.58), hypertension(odds ratio 5.2 (95% Cl; 1.24-18.62), Body mass index (BMI) (odds ratio 1.27 (95% CI; 1.0-1.6), waist/hip ratio (WHR) (odds ratio 1.9 (95% Cl; 1.3-3.5), andHbA,c (odds ratio 6.6 (95% Cl; 1.02-27) as independent risk factors associated with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetics. Optimum blood pressure, glycemic and weight control were achieved in eighty five percent (85%), fifty eight percent (58%) and nineteen percent (19%) of the type 2 diabetes respectively. This study showed that microalbuminuria is common among patients with type 2 diabetes. It also showed improvement in glycemic control and modifiable cardiovascular risk factor control when compared with previous studies.

Frequency and Efficacy of Talk-Related Tasks in Primary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braund, Martin; Leigh, Joanne

2013-01-01

Pupil talk and discussion are seen as having important social and cognitive outcomes. In science classes, pupils' collaborative talk supports the construction of meaning and helps examine the status of evidence, theory and knowledge. However, pupil interactive talk in groups is rare in science lessons. The research reported is part of a project to…

Exploring Seven- to Eight-Year-Olds' Use of Self-Talk Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Scott Weng Fai

2011-01-01

Self-talk has been recognised as a tool used by children to regulate their thinking and behaviour. To support children's use of self-regulatory verbal strategies, educators need to understand the context, content and dynamics of children's self-talk. While a significant amount of empirical research had been carried out on self-talk, most was…

How Talk Becomes Text: Investigating the Concept of Oral Rehearsal in Early Years' Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myhill, Debra; Jones, Susan

2009-01-01

The principle that emergent writing is supported by talk, and that an appropriate pedagogy for writing should include planned opportunities for talk is well researched and well understood. However, the process by which talk becomes text is less clear. The term "oral rehearsal" is now commonplace in English classrooms and curriculum policy…

Predicting re-victimization of battered women 3 years after exiting a shelter program.

PubMed

Bybee, Deborah; Sullivan, Cris M

2005-09-01

This study examined interpersonal and ecological predictors of re-victimization of a sample of women with abusive partners. All women (N = 124) had sought refuge from a battered women's shelter 3 years earlier, and half the sample had been randomly assigned to receive free, short-term advocacy services immediately upon exit from the shelter. Results 2 years post-intervention revealed positive change in the lives of participants (C. M. Sullivan & D. Bybee, 1999), including a decrease in abuse for women who had worked with advocates. The current study examined intervention effects 3 years after the program ended, as well as other predictors of re-abuse. Nineteen percent of the original sample had experienced domestic violence between 2 and 3 years after shelter exit (65% by current partners, 35% by ex-partners). The advocacy program's effect on risk of re-victimization did not continue 3 years post-intervention. However, having worked with an advocate 3 years prior continued to have a positive impact on women's quality of life and level of social support. The risk of being abused 3 years post-shelter stay was exacerbated by a number of factors present 1 year prior, including women's (1) having experienced abuse in the 6 months before that point; (2) having difficulties accessing resources; (3) having problems with the state welfare system; and (4) having people in their social networks who made their lives difficult. Women were at less risk of abuse if, 1 year earlier, they (1) were employed; (2) reported higher quality of life; and (3) had people in their networks who provided practical help and/or were available to talk about personal matters. These findings support the hypothesis that access to resources and social support serve as protective factors against continued abuse.

Patient-oncologist cost communication, financial distress, and medication adherence.

PubMed

Bestvina, Christine M; Zullig, Leah L; Rushing, Christel; Chino, Fumiko; Samsa, Gregory P; Altomare, Ivy; Tulsky, James; Ubel, Peter; Schrag, Deborah; Nicolla, Jon; Abernethy, Amy P; Peppercorn, Jeffrey; Zafar, S Yousuf

2014-05-01

Little is known about the association between patient-oncologist discussion of cancer treatment out-of-pocket (OOP) cost and medication adherence, a critical component of quality cancer care. We surveyed insured adults receiving anticancer therapy. Patients were asked if they had discussed OOP cost with their oncologist. Medication nonadherence was defined as skipping doses or taking less medication than prescribed to make prescriptions last longer, or not filling prescriptions because of cost. Multivariable analysis assessed the association between nonadherence and cost discussions. Among 300 respondents (86% response), 16% (n = 49) reported high or overwhelming financial distress. Nineteen percent (n = 56) reported talking to their oncologist about cost. Twenty-seven percent (n = 77) reported medication nonadherence. To make a prescription last longer, 14% (n = 42) skipped medication doses, and 11% (n = 33) took less medication than prescribed; 22% (n = 66) did not fill a prescription because of cost. Five percent (n = 14) reported chemotherapy nonadherence. To make a prescription last longer, 1% (n = 3) skipped chemotherapy doses, and 2% (n = 5) took less chemotherapy; 3% (n = 10) did not fill a chemotherapy prescription because of cost. In adjusted analyses, cost discussion (odds ratio [OR] = 2.58; 95% CI, 1.14 to 5.85; P = .02), financial distress (OR = 1.64, 95% CI, 1.38 to 1.96; P < .001) and higher financial burden than expected (OR = 2.89; 95% CI, 1.41 to 5.89; P < .01) were associated with increased odds of nonadherence. Patient-oncologist cost communication and financial distress were associated with medication nonadherence, suggesting that cost discussions are important for patients forced to make cost-related behavior alterations. Future research should examine the timing, content, and quality of cost-discussions. Copyright © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Comparative qualitative phosphoproteomics analysis identifies shared phosphorylation motifs and associated biological processes in evolutionary divergent plants.

PubMed

Al-Momani, Shireen; Qi, Da; Ren, Zhe; Jones, Andrew R

2018-06-15

Phosphorylation is one of the most prevalent post-translational modifications and plays a key role in regulating cellular processes. We carried out a bioinformatics analysis of pre-existing phosphoproteomics data, to profile two model species representing the largest subclasses in flowering plants the dicot Arabidopsis thaliana and the monocot Oryza sativa, to understand the extent to which phosphorylation signaling and function is conserved across evolutionary divergent plants. We identified 6537 phosphopeptides from 3189 phosphoproteins in Arabidopsis and 2307 phosphopeptides from 1613 phosphoproteins in rice. We identified phosphorylation motifs, finding nineteen pS motifs and two pT motifs shared in rice and Arabidopsis. The majority of shared motif-containing proteins were mapped to the same biological processes with similar patterns of fold enrichment, indicating high functional conservation. We also identified shared patterns of crosstalk between phosphoserines with enrichment for motifs pSXpS, pSXXpS and pSXXXpS, where X is any amino acid. Lastly, our results identified several pairs of motifs that are significantly enriched to co-occur in Arabidopsis proteins, indicating cross-talk between different sites, but this was not observed in rice. Our results demonstrate that there are evolutionary conserved mechanisms of phosphorylation-mediated signaling in plants, via analysis of high-throughput phosphorylation proteomics data from key monocot and dicot species: rice and Arabidposis thaliana. The results also suggest that there is increased crosstalk between phosphorylation sites in A. thaliana compared with rice. The results are important for our general understanding of cell signaling in plants, and the ability to use A. thaliana as a general model for plant biology. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of a training programme to induct medical students in delivering public health talks

PubMed Central

Tan, Ngiap Chuan; Mitesh, Shah; Koh, Yi Ling Eileen; Ang, Seng Bin; Chan, Hian Hui Vincent; How, Choon How; Tay, Ee Guan; Hwang, Siew Wai

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION It is uncommon for medical students to deliver public health talks as part of their medical education curriculum. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a novel training programme that required medical students to deliver public health talks during their family medicine (FM) clerkship in a Singapore primary care institution. METHODS The FM faculty staff guided teams of third-year medical students to select appropriate topics for health talks that were to be conducted at designated polyclinics. The talks were video-recorded and appraised for clarity, content and delivery. The appraisal was done by the student’s peers and assigned faculty staff. The audience was surveyed to determine their satisfaction level and understanding of the talks. The students also self-rated the effectiveness of this new teaching activity. RESULTS A total of 120 medical students completed a questionnaire to rate the effectiveness of the new teaching activity. 85.8% of the students felt confident about the delivery of their talks, 95.8% reported having learnt how to deliver talks and 92.5% perceived this new training modality as useful in their medical education. Based on the results of the audience survey, the speakers were perceived as knowledgeable (53.1%), confident (51.3%) and professional (39.0%). Assessment of 15 video-recorded talks showed satisfactory delivery of the talks by the students. CONCLUSION The majority of the students reported a favourable overall learning experience under this new training programme. This finding is supported by the positive feedback garnered from the audience, peers of the medical students and the faculty staff. PMID:26891745

Nurse and Patient Characteristics Associated with Duration of Nurse Talk During Patient Encounters in ICU

PubMed Central

Nilsen, Marci Lee; Sereika, Susan; Happ, Mary Beth

2012-01-01

Background Communication interactions between nurses and mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are typically brief. Factors associated with length of nurses’ communication have not been explored. Objective To examine the association between nurse and patient characteristics and duration of nurse talk. Methods In this secondary analysis, we calculated duration of nurse talk in the first 3-minutes of video-recorded communication observation sessions for each nurse-patient dyad (n=89) in the SPEACS study (4 observation sessions/dyad, n=356). In addition, we explored the association between nurses’ characteristics (age, gender, credentials, nursing experience, and critical care experience) and patients’ characteristics (age, gender, race, education, delirium, agitation-sedation, severity of illness, level of consciousness, prior intubation history, days intubated prior to study enrollment, and type of intubation) on duration of nurse talk during the 3-minute interaction observation. Results Duration of nurse talk ranged from 0–123 seconds and varied significantly over the 4 observation sessions (p=.007). Averaging the duration of nurse talk over the observation sessions, differences in talk time between the units varied significantly by study group (p<.001). Talk duration was negatively associated with a Glasgow Coma Scale ≤ 14 (p=.008). Length of intubation prior to study enrollment had a curvilinear relationship with talking duration (linear p=.002, quadratic p=.013); the point of inflection was at 23 days. Nurse characteristics were not significantly related to duration of nurse talk. Conclusion Length of time the patient is intubated, and the patient’s level of consciousness may influence duration of nurse communication in ICU. PMID:23305914

Self-administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE): a brief cognitive assessment Instrument for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early dementia.

PubMed

Scharre, Douglas W; Chang, Shu-Ing; Murden, Robert A; Lamb, James; Beversdorf, David Q; Kataki, Maria; Nagaraja, Haikady N; Bornstein, Robert A

2010-01-01

To develop a self-administered cognitive assessment instrument to facilitate the screening of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early dementia and determine its association with gold standard clinical assessments including neuropsychologic evaluation. Adults aged above 59 years with sufficient vision and English literacy were recruited from geriatric and memory disorder clinics, educational talks, independent living facilities, senior centers, and memory screens. After Self-administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE) screening, subjects were randomly selected to complete a clinical evaluation, neurologic examination, neuropsychologic battery, functional assessment, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Subjects were identified as dementia, MCI, or normal based on standard clinical criteria and neuropsychologic testing. Two hundred fifty-four participants took the SAGE screen and 63 subjects completed the extensive evaluation (21 normal, 21 MCI, and 21 dementia subjects). Spearman rank correlation between SAGE and neuropsychologic battery was 0.84 (0.76 for MMSE). SAGE receiver operating characteristics on the basis of clinical diagnosis showed 95% specificity (90% for MMSE) and 79% sensitivity (71% for MMSE) in detecting those with cognitive impairment from normal subjects. This study suggests that SAGE is a reliable instrument for detecting cognitive impairment and compares favorably with the MMSE. The self-administered feature may promote cognitive testing by busy clinicians prompting earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Beyond Moore's law: towards competitive quantum devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troyer, Matthias

2015-05-01

A century after the invention of quantum theory and fifty years after Bell's inequality we see the first quantum devices emerge as products that aim to be competitive with the best classical computing devices. While a universal quantum computer of non-trivial size is still out of reach there exist a number commercial and experimental devices: quantum random number generators, quantum simulators and quantum annealers. In this colloquium I will present some of these devices and validation tests we performed on them. Quantum random number generators use the inherent randomness in quantum measurements to produce true random numbers, unlike classical pseudorandom number generators which are inherently deterministic. Optical lattice emulators use ultracold atomic gases in optical lattices to mimic typical models of condensed matter physics. In my talk I will focus especially on the devices built by Canadian company D-Wave systems, which are special purpose quantum simulators for solving hard classical optimization problems. I will review the controversy around the quantum nature of these devices and will compare them to state of the art classical algorithms. I will end with an outlook towards universal quantum computing and end with the question: which important problems that are intractable even for post-exa-scale classical computers could we expect to solve once we have a universal quantum computer?

Formative assessment of oncology trainees' communication with cancer patients about internet information.

PubMed

Bylund, Carma L; Sperka, Miryam; D'Agostino, Thomas A

2015-04-01

Cancer patients and their caregivers often turn to the internet for information and support following a cancer diagnosis. Research shows a need for improvement in doctors' communication with patients about internet information. The purpose of this formative assessment was to evaluate oncology trainees' skills in talking about internet information with cancer patients. Thirty-nine oncology trainees were evaluated in a baseline standardized patient assessment as part of their participation in the Comskil Training Program. As part of the assessment, standardized patients were instructed to raise the topic of internet information they had read. Transcriptions of the video-recorded assessments were coded for patient statements and trainee responses. Fifty-six percent of trainees used a probe to get more information before addressing the content of the internet search, while 18% addressed it immediately. Eighteen percent of trainees warned the patient about using the internet, and 8% warned about and also encouraged internet use. Thirteen percent of trainees praised the patient for seeking out information on the internet. This formative assessment indicated that the majority of trainees addressed the content of the internet search, while a minority addressed the internet as a tool and praised patients' efforts. Research in this area should examine the effectiveness of educational interventions for trainees to improve discussions about internet information.

The President Clinton crisis and the Starr report: children's perceptions and parents' awareness.

PubMed

Kelley, B R; Beauchesne, M A; Babington, L M; Christensen, M H; Patsdaughter, C A

1999-01-01

The media have suggested that the President Clinton crisis, as publicized by the Starr Report, has had detrimental effects on school-age children. Parents, too, have been concerned that their children are confused about the presidential controversies involving dishonesty, mistrust, betrayal, infidelity, and misuse of authority. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and reactions of school-age children to information surrounding the President Clinton situation, as well as parents' perceptions of their children's knowledge and reactions. A descriptive, qualitative design was used in this study. Data collection took place during the 2-week period following publication of the 1998 Starr Report. Fifty-one parents and 67 school-age children were interviewed using semi-structured interview guides with 5 open-ended questions addressing the President Clinton situation. Major themes that emerged from children's interviews were lying, getting caught, infidelity, and role modeling. Parents' awareness of their children's knowledge regarding the President Clinton situation varied; few were aware of the depth of knowledge their children had, nor had they discussed this situation with their children. Findings have relevance for nurse practitioners as they support parents in listening to and talking with their children about tough issues such as morality and sexuality in the context of real life events.

African American patients' attitudes toward proactive health behaviors after exposure to direct-to-consumer advertising.

PubMed

Yang, Yi; Gourley, Dick R; Gourley, Greta A; Faris, Richard J; Womeodu, Robin J; Yang, Jun; Likens, Carol C

2010-05-01

Previous research on direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) has not focused exclusively on the African American population. The purpose of this study was to explore African Americans' attitudes toward proactive health behaviors following exposure to DTCA of atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor, Pfizer Inc). One-hundred fifty African American patients participated in the study. Participants' functional health literacy and health locus of control were assessed. The participants were asked to view a DTCA of Lipitor, followed by face-to-face interviews. After watching the DTCA of Lipitor, 89.4% of participants agreed that they would talk to their physician about their cholesterol, 88.6% agreed that they would ask their physician to test their cholesterol level, and 47.3% agreed that they would ask their physician to write them a prescription for Lipitor. Those who had a history of high cholesterol were more likely to agree to ask their physician to test their cholesterol levels. Low household income, having public health insurance, and prior experience with taking Lipitor were significant positive predictors of patients agreeing to ask their physician to write a prescription of the advertised drug. African American patients showed favorable attitudes toward proactive health behaviors after exposure to DTCA of Lipitor.

Effects of a weight-gain restriction programme for obese pregnant women on sickness absence and pregnancy benefits.

PubMed

Sydsjö, Gunilla; Monfils, Wiktor Gustafsson; de Keyser, Nicholas; Claesson, Ing-Marie; Sydsjö, Adam; Josefsson, Ann

2013-06-01

To evaluate the effect of a weight-gain restriction programme for obese pregnant women on sickness absence days and pregnancy benefit days during pregnancy and postpartum. A prospective, controlled intervention study. The Swedish Social Security Agency's records were utilized to compile sickness absence and pregnancy benefit information. Antenatal care clinics in the south-east of Sweden. One hundred fifty-five obese pregnant women who participated in a weight restriction program with weekly structured motivational and behavioural talks combined with aqua-aerobics during pregnancy. A total of 193 obese pregnant women with no intervention served as controls. Sickness absence benefits and pregnancy benefits expressed as a percentage. On average women in the intervention group had 76.68 total full days of sickness absence benefit compared with 53.09 days in the control group. Total full days of pregnancy benefits were 39.66% days and 41.41% for the intervention and control groups respectively. For the women who were on sick leave there were no differences between the groups in the amount of days taken. Given the complexity of factors that have an influence on sickness absence leave, it is possible that programmes that do not address the influence of social aspects and attitudes towards sickness absence have limited effect.

Unikkaartuit: meanings of well-being, unhappiness, health, and community change among Inuit in Nunavut, Canada.

PubMed

Kral, Michael J; Idlout, Lori; Minore, J Bruce; Dyck, Ronald J; Kirmayer, Laurence J

2011-12-01

Suicide among young Inuit in the Canadian Arctic is at an epidemic level. In order to understand the distress and well-being experienced in Inuit communities, a first step in understanding collective suicide, this qualitative study was designed. Fifty Inuit were interviewed in two Inuit communities in Nunavut, Canada, and questionnaires asking the same questions were given to 66 high school and college students. The areas of life investigated here were happiness and wellbeing, unhappiness, healing, and community and personal change. Three themes emerged as central to well-being: the family, talking/communication, and traditional Inuit cultural values and practices. The absence of these factors were most closely associated with unhappiness. Narratives about community and personal change were primarily about family, intergenerational segregation, an increasing population, more trouble in romantic relationships among youth, drug use, and poverty. Change over time was viewed primarily as negative. Discontinuity of kinship structure and function appears to be the most harmful effect of the internal colonialism imposed by the Canadian government in the 1950s and 1960s. Directions toward community control and action are encouraging, and are highlighted. Inuit community action toward suicide prevention and community wellness is part of a larger movement of Indigenous self-determination.

Investigating Eight- to Nine-Year-Olds' Self-Regulatory Self-Talk in the Context of Their Classroom Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Scott; McDonough, Andrea; Bird, Jo

2014-01-01

Self-talk has been recognised as an important tool used by children to regulate their thinking and behaviour. Existing studies typically characterise children's self-talk according to broad categories that do not allow for investigation of self-regulatory aspects of children's internalised self-talk. The findings reported in this paper are based…

Case Studies of Teachers' Understandings of the Pedagogy of Classroom Talk: Some Critical Moments Explored

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coultas, Valerie

2016-01-01

This case study research is informed by Vygotsky's view that talk is essential to organise our thoughts and extend our thinking and that, as Barnes suggested, the teacher needs to use the social situation effectively in the classroom to promote talk for learning. This article focuses on pedagogy and teachers' understandings of how talk works in…

Elementary School Students' Science Talk Ability in Inquiry-Oriented Settings in Taiwan: Test Development, Verification, and Performance Benchmarks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Sheau-Wen; Liu, Yu; Chen, Shin-Feng; Wang, Jing-Ru; Kao, Huey-Lien

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a computer-based measure of elementary students' science talk and to report students' benchmarks. The development procedure had three steps: defining the framework of the test, collecting and identifying key reference sets of science talk, and developing and verifying the science talk instrument. The…

The Use of Instructional and Motivational Self-Talk in Setting up a Physical Education Lesson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zourbanos, Nikos

2013-01-01

The main purpose of this article is to provide guidelines to physical educators for setting up a self-talk program during their lesson. The article briefly presents definitions of self-talk and research findings in sport and physical education to highlight the important benefits of positive self-talk in enhancing task performance. It also provides…

Trash Talking and Good Times on the Softball Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aicinena, Steven

2008-01-01

Trash talking can be found in virtually all American sport environments. It is viewed by many as a tool to achieve athletic success. Trash talking can be a harmless form of verbal jousting. However, there comes a point at which trash talking serves as motivation for violence inside of the sport setting and outside of it as well. In this paper, the…

Supporting Disciplinary Talk from the Start of School: Teaching Students to Think and Talk Like Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Tanya S.; Gotwals, Amelia Wenk

2017-01-01

In this article, the authors first review the research literature to show why supporting talk from the start of school is important for students' long-term literacy development. The authors then define and describe disciplinary talk and argue that it is an important entry point into science and disciplinary literacy learning for young students.…

Get Them Talking! Using Student-Led Book Talks in the Primary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Alida K.

2016-01-01

This teaching tip details one teacher's implementation of student-led book talks in her primary-grade classroom. The author describes a simple gradual-release method that she has successfully used with her students in order to get them talking about the books that they are reading independently. She found that when used in the readers' workshop…

The importance of campaign saliency as a predictor of attitude and behavior change: A pilot evaluation of social marketing campaign Fat Talk Free Week.

PubMed

Garnett, Bernice Raveche; Buelow, Robert; Franko, Debra L; Becker, Carolyn; Rodgers, Rachel F; Austin, S Bryn

2014-01-01

Fat Talk Free Week (FTFW), a social marketing campaign designed to decrease self-disparaging talk about body and weight, has not yet been evaluated. We conducted a theory-informed pilot evaluation of FTFW with two college samples using a pre- and posttest design. Aligned with the central tenets of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), we investigated the importance of FTFW saliency as a predictor of fat talk behavior change. Our analytic sample consisted of 118 female participants (83% of original sample). Approximately 76% of the sample was non-Hispanic White, 14% Asian, and 8% Hispanic. At baseline, more than 50% of respondents reported engaging in frequent self fat talk; at posttest, this number dropped to 34% of respondents. Multivariable regression models supported campaign saliency as the single strongest predictor of a decrease in self fat talk. Our results support the social diffusion of campaign messages among shared communities, as we found significant decreases in fat talk among campaign attenders and nonattenders. FTFW may be a promising short-term health communication campaign to reduce fat talk, as campaign messages are salient among university women and may encourage interpersonal communication.

Action Unit Models of Facial Expression of Emotion in the Presence of Speech

PubMed Central

Shah, Miraj; Cooper, David G.; Cao, Houwei; Gur, Ruben C.; Nenkova, Ani; Verma, Ragini

2014-01-01

Automatic recognition of emotion using facial expressions in the presence of speech poses a unique challenge because talking reveals clues for the affective state of the speaker but distorts the canonical expression of emotion on the face. We introduce a corpus of acted emotion expression where speech is either present (talking) or absent (silent). The corpus is uniquely suited for analysis of the interplay between the two conditions. We use a multimodal decision level fusion classifier to combine models of emotion from talking and silent faces as well as from audio to recognize five basic emotions: anger, disgust, fear, happy and sad. Our results strongly indicate that emotion prediction in the presence of speech from action unit facial features is less accurate when the person is talking. Modeling talking and silent expressions separately and fusing the two models greatly improves accuracy of prediction in the talking setting. The advantages are most pronounced when silent and talking face models are fused with predictions from audio features. In this multi-modal prediction both the combination of modalities and the separate models of talking and silent facial expression of emotion contribute to the improvement. PMID:25525561

Some "Thing" to Talk About? Differential Story Utility From Experiential and Material Purchases.

PubMed

Kumar, Amit; Gilovich, Thomas

2015-10-01

Psychological research has shown that experiential purchases (a hike in the woods, a trip to Rome) bring more happiness than material purchases (a designer shirt, a flat-screen television). The research presented in this article investigates one cause and consequence of this difference: People talk more about their experiences than their possessions and derive more value from doing so. A series of eight studies demonstrate that taking away the ability to talk about experiences (but not material goods) would diminish the enjoyment they bring; that people believe they derive more happiness from talking about experiential purchases; that when given a choice about which of their purchases to talk about, people are more likely to talk about experiential rather than material consumption; and that people report being more inclined to talk about their experiences than their material purchases and derive more hedonic benefits as a result--both in prospect and in retrospect. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Negative body talk measures for Asian, Latina(o), and White women and men: Measurement equivalence and associations with ethnic-racial identity.

PubMed

Sladek, Michael R; Salk, Rachel H; Engeln, Renee

2018-06-01

Negative body talk measures have been developed with predominantly White, female samples. We tested measurement invariance (equivalence) of two available negative body talk scales for Asian, Latina(o), and White college women and men in the U.S. In Study 1 (n = 1501 women; n = 1436 men), multiple group confirmatory factor analyses indicated scalar (strong) invariance across groups for the Negative Body Talk (Engeln-Maddox, Salk, & Miller, 2012) and Male Body Talk (Sladek, Engeln, & Miller, 2014) scales, suggesting these measures can be used to test mean group differences. Ethnic group comparisons adjusting for body mass index (BMI) showed similarities overall; few differences that emerged had small effect sizes. In Study 2 (n = 227 women; n = 141 men), greater ethnic-racial identity resolution was associated with less frequent negative body talk for Latina and Asian women but more frequent muscularity-focused negative body talk for Asian men, adjusting for BMI. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Examination of the Nature of Erotic Talk.

PubMed

Jonason, Peter K; Betteridge, Gabrielle L; Kneebone, Ian I

2016-01-01

Using a mixed-methods study, we provided the first systematic documentation and exploration of erotic talk. In Study 1 (N = 95), participants provided 569 erotic talk statements in an anonymous online survey, which we classified, using a modified thematic analysis, as being representative of eight themes. In Study 2 (N = 238), we quantified individual differences in these themes, subjected them to factor analysis, and examined the nomological network surrounding them with measures of relationship and sexual satisfaction, sociosexuality, and personality. The eight initial categories represented two higher order factors, which we call individualist talk and mutualistic talk. These factors were orthogonal in factor analysis and distinct in their nomological network. While the majority of people reported using erotic talk, we found few sex differences in its use.

Emotions and Behavior

MedlinePlus

... Competitive Sports: Helping Kids Play it Cool Cutting Cyberbullying Depression Developing Your Child's Self-Esteem Eating Disorders ... Therapist Teaching Your Child Tolerance Teens Talk About Bullying (Video) Teens Talk About Love (Video) Teens Talk ...

Talking about Poetry--Using the Model of Language in Systemic Functional Linguistics to Talk about Poetic Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huisman, Rosemary

2016-01-01

Poetry is the art shaped through language; to talk about a poem we need at least to talk about its language--but what can be said will depend on the particular linguistic theory, with its particular modelling of language, which we bring to the description. This paper outlines the approach of SFL (Systemic Functional Linguistics), describing in…

"Talk What Others Think You Can't Talk": HIV/AIDS Clubs as Peer Education in Ugandan Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Bonny; Mutonyi, Harriet

2007-01-01

In this article, we make the case that HIV/AIDS clubs in Ugandan schools provide valuable information to students who may not have easy access to health services. As one club motto suggests, the clubs "talk what others think you can't talk". The innovative peer education methods, which include drama, popular culture and community…

Pathway cross-talk network analysis identifies critical pathways in neonatal sepsis.

PubMed

Meng, Yu-Xiu; Liu, Quan-Hong; Chen, Deng-Hong; Meng, Ying

2017-06-01

Despite advances in neonatal care, sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates worldwide. Pathway cross-talk analysis might contribute to the inference of the driving forces in bacterial sepsis and facilitate a better understanding of underlying pathogenesis of neonatal sepsis. This study aimed to explore the critical pathways associated with the progression of neonatal sepsis by the pathway cross-talk analysis. By integrating neonatal transcriptome data with known pathway data and protein-protein interaction data, we systematically uncovered the disease pathway cross-talks and constructed a disease pathway cross-talk network for neonatal sepsis. Then, attract method was employed to explore the dysregulated pathways associated with neonatal sepsis. To determine the critical pathways in neonatal sepsis, rank product (RP) algorithm, centrality analysis and impact factor (IF) were introduced sequentially, which synthetically considered the differential expression of genes and pathways, pathways cross-talks and pathway parameters in the network. The dysregulated pathways with the highest IF values as well as RP<0.01 were defined as critical pathways in neonatal sepsis. By integrating three kinds of data, only 6919 common genes were included to perform the pathway cross-talk analysis. By statistic analysis, a total of 1249 significant pathway cross-talks were selected to construct the pathway cross-talk network. Moreover, 47 dys-regulated pathways were identified via attract method, 20 pathways were identified under RP<0.01, and the top 10 pathways with the highest IF were also screened from the pathway cross-talk network. Among them, we selected 8 common pathways, i.e. critical pathways. In this study, we systematically tracked 8 critical pathways involved in neonatal sepsis by integrating attract method and pathway cross-talk network. These pathways might be responsible for the host response in infection, and of great value for advancing diagnosis and therapy of neonatal sepsis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vocabulary, syntax, and narrative development in typically developing children and children with early unilateral brain injury: Early parental talk about the there-and-then matters

PubMed Central

Demir, Özlem Ece; Rowe, Meredith L.; Heller, Gabriella; Goldin-Meadow, Susan; Levine, Susan C.

2014-01-01

This study examines the role of a particular kind of linguistic input––talk about the past and future, pretend, and explanations, that is, talk that is decontextualized––in the development of vocabulary, syntax, and narrative skill in typically developing (TD) children and children with pre- or perinatal brain injury (BI). Decontextualized talk has been shown to be particularly effective in predicting children’s language skills, but it is not clear why. We first explored the nature of parent decontextualized talk and found it to be linguistically richer than contextualized talk in parents of both TD and BI children. We then found, again for both groups, that parent decontextualized talk at child age 30 months was a significant predictor of child vocabulary, syntax, and narrative performance at kindergarten, above and beyond the child’s own early language skills, parent contextualized talk and demographic factors. Decontextualized talk played a larger role in predicting kindergarten syntax and narrative outcomes for children with lower syntax and narrative skill at 30 months, and also a larger role in predicting kindergarten narrative outcomes for children with BI than for TD children. The difference between the two groups stemmed primarily from the fact that children with BI had lower narrative (but not vocabulary or syntax) scores than TD children. When the two groups were matched in terms of narrative skill at kindergarten, the impact that decontextualized talk had on narrative skill did not differ for children with BI and for TD children. Decontextualized talk is thus a strong predictor of later language skill for all children, but may be particularly potent for children at the lower-end of the distribution for language skill. The findings also suggest that variability in the language development of children with BI is influenced not only by the biological characteristics of their lesions, but also by the language input they receive. PMID:25621756

Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms

MedlinePlus

... Y Z Test Your Knowledge Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms Designed to help learners at any level ... in a reference paper. The Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms The Human Genome Defined by Professionals at ...

On talking-as-dreaming.

PubMed

Ogden, Thomas H

2007-06-01

Many patients are unable to engage in waking-dreaming in the analytic setting in the form of free association or in any other form. The author has found that "talking-as-dreaming" has served as a form of waking-dreaming in which such patients have been able to begin to dream formerly undreamable experience. Such talking is a loosely structured form of conversation between patient and analyst that is often marked by primary process thinking and apparent non sequiturs. Talking-as-dreaming superficially appears to be "unanalytic" in that it may seem to consist "merely" of talking about such topics as books, films, etymology, baseball, the taste of chocolate, the structure of light, and so on. When an analysis is "a going concern," talking-as-dreaming moves unobtrusively into and out of talking about dreaming. The author provides two detailed clinical examples of analytic work with patients who had very little capacity to dream in the analytic setting. In the first clinical example, talking-as-dreaming served as a form of thinking and relating in which the patient was able for the first time to dream her own (and, in a sense, her father's) formerly unthinkable, undreamable experience. The second clinical example involves the use of talking-as-dreaming as an emotional experience in which the formerly "invisible" patient was able to begin to dream himself into existence. The analyst, while engaging with a patient in talking-as-dreaming, must remain keenly aware that it is critical that the difference in roles of patient and analyst be a continuously felt presence; that the therapeutic goals of analysis be firmly held in mind; and that the patient be given the opportunity to dream himself into existence (as opposed to being dreamt up by the analyst).

Brief, embedded, spontaneous metacognitive talk indicates thinking like a physicist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sayre, Eleanor C.; Irving, Paul W.

2015-12-01

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Upper Division Physics Courses.] Instructors and researchers think "thinking like a physicist" is important for students' professional development. However, precise definitions and observational markers remain elusive. We reinterpret popular beliefs inventories in physics to indicate what physicists think thinking like a physicist entails. Through discourse analysis of upper-division students' speech in natural settings, we show that students may appropriate or resist these elements. We identify a new element in the physicist speech genre: brief, embedded, spontaneous metacognitive talk (BESM talk). BESM talk communicates students' in-the-moment enacted expectations about physics as a technical field and a cultural endeavor. Students use BESM talk to position themselves as physicists or nonphysicists. Students also use BESM talk to communicate their expectations in four ways: understanding, confusion, spotting inconsistencies, and generalized expectations.

Cross-Talk Limits of Highly Segmented Semiconductor Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pullia, Alberto; Weisshaar, Dirk; Zocca, Francesca; Bazzacco, Dino

2011-06-01

Cross-talk limits of monolithic highly-segmented semiconductor detectors for high-resolution X-gamma spectrometry are investigated. Cross-talk causes false signal components yielding amplitude losses and fold-dependent shifts of the spectral lines, which partially spoil the spectroscopic performance of the detector. Two complementary electrical models are developed, which describe quantitatively the inter-channel cross-talk of monolithic segmented detectors whose electrodes are read out by charge-sensitive preamplifiers. The first is here designated as Cross-Capacitance (CC) model, the second as Split-Charge (SC) model. The CC model builds around the parasitic capacitances Cij linking the preamplifier outputs and the neighbor channel inputs. The SC model builds around the finite-value of the decoupling capacitance CC used to read out the high-voltage detector electrode. The key parameters of the models are individuated and ideas are shown to minimize their impact. Using a quasi-coaxial germanium segmented detector it is found that the SC cross-talk becomes negligible for decoupling capacitances larger than 1 nF, where instead the CC cross-talk tends to dominate. The residual cross-talk may be reduced by minimization of stray capacitances Cij, through a careful design of the layout of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) where the input transistors are mounted. Cij can be made as low as 5 fF, but it is shown that even in such case the impact of the CC cross-talk on the detector performance is not negligible. Finally, an algorithm for cross-talk correction is presented and elaborated.

CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. Volume 19, Number 5

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-01

Coming Events Web Sites Call for Articles Visit CrossTalk at the SSTC BackTalk Transforming: Business , Security ,Warfighting CrossTalk 76 SMXG CO-SPONSOR...theme “Transforming: Business , Security , Warfighting.” Transformation is not just the current buzzword: Many industries and the military have...systems. Transforming: Business , Security ,Warfighting Characteristic edocfosenilnoillim001-01eziS Number of external interfaces 30-300 Number of

Small Talk at Work: A Corpus Based Discourse Analysis of AAC and Non-AAC Device Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Ferrante, Laura

2013-01-01

This work is an analysis of small talk in the workplace. The study is intended to fill two main research gaps in the relatively young field of small talk in the workplace studies: On one hand, the lack of quantitative data that would account for the dimensions and the proportions of the elements of small talk interactions; on the other hand, the…

The effects of a walking/talking program on communication, ambulation, and functional status in residents with Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Cott, Cheryl A; Dawson, Pamela; Sidani, Souraya; Wells, Donna

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a walking/talking program on residents' communication, ambulation, and level of function when there were two residents to one care provider (2:1). A randomized control trial design was used. Subjects were residents with Alzheimer disease in three geriatric long-term care facilities in Metropolitan Toronto. Residents who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to one of three groups: walk-and-talk group (30 min, 5 times per week for 16 weeks, walking/talking in pairs), talk-only group (30 min, 5 times per week for 16 weeks, talk only in pairs), or no intervention. The outcome measures were the Functional Assessment of Communication Skills for Adults, the 2-min walk test, and London Psychogeriatric Rating Scale. Residents who received the walk-and-talk intervention did not demonstrate statistically significant differences in the outcome variables measured posttest when compared with residents who received the talk-only intervention or no intervention, even after controlling for individual differences. Variability in the outcomes measured posttest is explained by differences in the residents' level of cognitive impairment before the study rather than by study group membership. These findings are contradictory to those of previous studies.

Talking with a child about a parent's terminal illness

MedlinePlus

... gov/ency/patientinstructions/000848.htm Talking with a child about a parent's terminal illness To use the ... your child's anxiety. How to Talk to Your Child You may wonder when it is the right ...

PREFACE: XXXVII Brazilian Meeting on Nuclear Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2015-07-01

The XXXVII Brazilian Meeting on Nuclear Physics (or XXXVII RTFNB 2014) gave continuity to a long sequence of workshops held in Brazil, devoted to the study of the different aspects of nuclear physics. The meeting took place in the Maresias Beach Hotel, in the town of Maresias (state of São Paulo) from 8th to 12th September 2014. Offering gentle weather, a charming piece of green land of splendid natural beauty with beach and all amenities, the place had all the conditions for very pleasant and fruitful discussions. The meeting involved 162 participants and attracted undergraduate and graduate students, Brazilian and South American physicists and invited speakers from overseas (USA, Italy, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Germany and South Corea). In the program we had plenary morning sessions with review talks on recent developments in theory, computational techniques, experimentation and applications of the many aspects of nuclear physics. In the parallel sessions we had a total of 58 seminars. This volume contains 60 written contributions based on these talks and on the poster sessions. Evening talks and poster sessions gave still more insight and enlarged the scope of the scientific program. The contributed papers, representing mainly the scientific activity of young physicists, were exhibited as posters and are included in the present volume. Additional information about the meeting can be found at our website: http://www.sbfisica.org.br/~rtfnb/xxxvii-en Support and sponsorship came from brazilian national agencies: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnoógico (CNPq); Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES); Fundação de Amparo á Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP); Fundação de Amparo á Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ); Sociedade Brasileira de Física (SBF) and Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo (IFUSP). We honored Professor Alejandro Szanto de Toledo, who completed fifty years of scientific activities at the University of Sao Paulo (USP). He dedicated most of his life to the development of experimental nuclear physics in the country. We had a special session where his life and achievements were remembered. The organization of the XXXVII RTFNB 2014 was one more step in a big effort to build in our part of the world a community of physicists engaged in the difficult problems of fundamental and applied nuclear physics. The international contacts bring new knowledge, provide reference framework and stimulate collaborations that are essential for a true participation in the scientific frontier. The Editors, the Organizing Committee and the whole Brazilian community of nuclear physicists were pleased and very grateful to the visitors that were together with us during the five days in Maresias. The Editors

Organizational Change and the Individual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fojt, Martin, Ed.

1995-01-01

Nineteen precis highlight concepts of managing change and people. Specific examples are provided from such companies as Texas Instruments, EMC, British Telecom, Cooper & Lybrands, MCB University Press, and the Royal Bank of Scotland. (SK)

78 FR 20089 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-03

... recommendations to the Board Members based on the CSB's investigation into a hydrocarbon release and fire that... determined that nineteen Chevron employees were engulfed in a vapor cloud formed by the hydrocarbon release...

The Interpersonal Communication Motives Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Elizabeth E.; And Others

1993-01-01

Tests a model of interpersonal communication motives and the construct of validity of the Interpersonal Communication Motives Instrument (ICM). Finds that the ICM is differentially related to who people talk to, how people talk, and what people talk about. (SR)

Talking to Your Kids about Sex

MedlinePlus

... Safety Injury Rehabilitation Emotional Well-Being Mental Health Sex and Birth Control Sex and Sexuality Birth Control Family Health Infants and ... Kids and Teens Talking to Your Kids About Sex Talking to Your Kids About Sex Share Print ...

Straight Talk For Good Health | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

MedlinePlus

... Communication Straight Talk For Good Health Past Issues / Summer 2015 Table of Contents Straight talk with your ... with your Doctor nihseniorhealth.gov/talkingwithyourdoctor/toc.html Summer 2015 Issue: Volume 10 Number 2 Page 14- ...

"Eugenics talk" and the language of bioethics.

PubMed

Wilkinson, S

2008-06-01

In bioethical discussions of preimplantation genetic diagnosis and prenatal screening, accusations of eugenics are commonplace, as are counter-claims that talk of eugenics is misleading and unhelpful. This paper asks whether "eugenics talk", in this context, is legitimate and useful or something to be avoided. It also looks at the extent to which this linguistic question can be answered without first answering relevant substantive moral questions. Its main conclusion is that the best and most non-partisan argument for avoiding eugenics talk is the Autonomy Argument. According to this, eugenics talk per se is not wrong, but there is something wrong with using its emotive power as a means of circumventing people's critical-rational faculties. The Autonomy Argument does not, however, tell against eugenics talk when such language is used to shock people into critical-rational thought. These conclusions do not depend on unique features of eugenics: similar considerations apply to emotive language throughout bioethics.

Nature and consequences of positively-intended fat talk in daily life.

PubMed

Mills, Jacqueline; Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Matthew

2018-06-05

The current study used ecological momentary assessment to explore the frequency, trait predictors, and momentary consequences of positively-intended fat talk, a specific sub-type of fat talk that involves making negative comments about one's own appearance with the view to making someone else feel better. A total of 135 women aged 18-40 completed trait measures of appearance-based comparisons, thin-ideal internalisation, body shame, and body surveillance, before completing a state-based component, involving six short surveys delivered via a smartphone app at random points during the day for seven days. Findings indicate that both self- and other-fat talk are common in daily social interactions, and that individuals with higher levels of trait negative body image were more likely to engage in fat talk. Self-fat talk negatively impacted state body satisfaction levels. Possible theoretical and practical implications are outlined. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Some types of parent number talk count more than others: relations between parents' input and children's cardinal-number knowledge.

PubMed

Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Levine, Susan C

2011-09-01

Before they enter preschool, children vary greatly in their numerical and mathematical knowledge, and this knowledge predicts their achievement throughout elementary school (e.g. Duncan et al., 2007; Ginsburg & Russell, 1981). Therefore, it is critical that we look to the home environment for parental inputs that may lead to these early variations. Recent work has shown that the amount of number talk that parents engage in with their children is robustly related to a critical aspect of mathematical development - cardinal-number knowledge (e.g. knowing that the word 'three' refers to sets of three entities; Levine, Suriyakham, Rowe, Huttenlocher & Gunderson, 2010). The present study characterizes the different types of number talk that parents produce and investigates which types are most predictive of children's later cardinal-number knowledge. We find that parents' number talk involving counting or labeling sets of present, visible objects is related to children's later cardinal-number knowledge, whereas other types of parent number talk are not. In addition, number talk that refers to large sets of present objects (i.e. sets of size 4 to 10 that fall outside children's ability to track individual objects) is more robustly predictive of children's later cardinal-number knowledge than talk about smaller sets. The relation between parents' number talk about large sets of present objects and children's cardinal-number knowledge remains significant even when controlling for factors such as parents' socioeconomic status and other measures of parents' number and non-number talk. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Mental Health Nurses as therapists in a rehabilitation setting: A phenomenological study.

PubMed

Browne, Graeme; Hurley, John

2018-06-01

Mental Health Nurses have a long tradition of delivering talk-based interventions across a range of clinical settings. Despite this, Mental Health Nurses receive limited recognition of this contribution. This paper presents findings from a study that explored Mental Health Nurses' experience of delivering talk-based therapies in an inpatient rehabilitation setting. This study uses semistructured interviews and a phenomenological approach to explore eight Mental Health Nurses' experience. Themes emerging included that: mental health nursing is a talk-based therapy in its own right, talk-based therapy was part of everyday nursing care on the floor and integrated talk-based therapy enhanced recovery opportunities for consumers. However, a further theme was that there were tensions around providing talk-based therapy conflicted with other roles including unit management and the role of nurses in controlling challenging behaviours. This study found that Mental Health Nurses, in this setting, are offering talk-based therapy to the people they care for. The findings of this study have implications for research: there needs to be a larger study investigating nurses' use of talk-based therapy in inpatient settings. If, as the authors expect that, it is found that mental health nurses are offering these therapies generally in inpatient settings, this has serious implications for postgraduate education in Mental Health Nursing policy in terms of recognition that this is happening and finding ways to support nurses to do this well. There also needs to be further research in the best ways to offer talk-based therapy in these settings. © 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Development and evaluation of the Dignity Talk question framework for palliative patients and their families: A mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Guo, Qiaohong; Chochinov, Harvey Max; McClement, Susan; Thompson, Genevieve; Hack, Tom

2018-01-01

Effective patient-family communication can reduce patients' psychosocial distress and relieve family members' current suffering and their subsequent grief. However, terminally ill patients and their family members often experience great difficulty in communicating their true feelings, concerns, and needs to each other. To develop a novel means of facilitating meaningful conversations for palliative patients and family members, coined Dignity Talk, explore anticipated benefits and challenges of using Dignity Talk, and solicit suggestions for protocol improvement. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Dignity Talk, a self-administered question list, was designed to prompt end-of-life conversations, adapted from the Dignity Therapy question framework. Participants were surveyed to evaluate the Dignity Talk question framework. Data were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. A total of 20 palliative patients, 20 family members, and 34 healthcare providers were recruited from two inpatient palliative care units in Winnipeg, Canada. Most Dignity Talk questions were endorsed by the majority of patients and families (>70%). Dignity Talk was revised to be convenient and flexible to use, broadly accessible, clearly stated, and sensitively worded. Participants felt Dignity Talk would be valuable in promoting conversations, enhancing family connections and relationships, enhancing patient sense of value and dignity, promoting effective interaction, and attending to unfinished business. Participants suggested that patients and family members be given latitude to respond only to questions that are meaningful to them and within their emotional capacity to broach. Dignity Talk may provide a gentle means of facilitating important end-of-life conversations.

Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study of "Talk and Die" After Traumatic Brain Injury.

PubMed

Shibahashi, Keita; Sugiyama, Kazuhiro; Okura, Yoshihiro; Hoda, Hidenori; Hamabe, Yuichi

2017-11-01

Patients who "talk and die" after traumatic brain injury (TBI) are potentially salvageable. The reported incidences and risk factors for the "talk and die" phenomenon are conflicting and do not take into account recent improvements in trauma care. The aim of this study was to determine the incidences of "talk and die" after TBI in a modern trauma care system, as well as associated risk factors. We identified patients who experienced TBI (abbreviated injury scale 3-5) between 2004 and 2015 who talked on admission (i.e., their verbal component on the Glasgow Coma Scale was ≥3 on admission) using a nationwide trauma registry (the Japan Trauma Data Bank). The end point was in-hospital mortality. We compared patients who talked and died with those who talked and survived. During the study period, 236,698 patients were registered in the database. Of the 24,833 patients who were eligible for analysis, 956 (4.0%) patients subsequently died in the hospital. The in-hospital mortality rate significantly decreased over the past 12 years. Older age; male sex; a higher injury severity score; a lower Glasgow Coma Scale score; comorbidities (congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, and hematologic disorders); hypotension on arrival; subdural hemorrhage; contusion; and vault fracture were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Even in modern trauma care systems, some patients still talk and die after TBI. We identified certain risk factors in patients with TBI that elicit the requirement for close observation, even if these patients talk after TBI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and evaluation of the Dignity Talk question framework for palliative patients and their families: A mixed-methods study

PubMed Central

Guo, Qiaohong; Chochinov, Harvey Max; McClement, Susan; Thompson, Genevieve; Hack, Tom

2017-01-01

Background: Effective patient–family communication can reduce patients’ psychosocial distress and relieve family members’ current suffering and their subsequent grief. However, terminally ill patients and their family members often experience great difficulty in communicating their true feelings, concerns, and needs to each other. Aim: To develop a novel means of facilitating meaningful conversations for palliative patients and family members, coined Dignity Talk, explore anticipated benefits and challenges of using Dignity Talk, and solicit suggestions for protocol improvement. Design: A convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Dignity Talk, a self-administered question list, was designed to prompt end-of-life conversations, adapted from the Dignity Therapy question framework. Participants were surveyed to evaluate the Dignity Talk question framework. Data were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Setting/participants: A total of 20 palliative patients, 20 family members, and 34 healthcare providers were recruited from two inpatient palliative care units in Winnipeg, Canada. Results: Most Dignity Talk questions were endorsed by the majority of patients and families (>70%). Dignity Talk was revised to be convenient and flexible to use, broadly accessible, clearly stated, and sensitively worded. Participants felt Dignity Talk would be valuable in promoting conversations, enhancing family connections and relationships, enhancing patient sense of value and dignity, promoting effective interaction, and attending to unfinished business. Participants suggested that patients and family members be given latitude to respond only to questions that are meaningful to them and within their emotional capacity to broach. Conclusion: Dignity Talk may provide a gentle means of facilitating important end-of-life conversations. PMID:29130367

Eliciting Student-Talk.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rudder, Michael E.

1999-01-01

The communicative approach to language instruction emphasizes ways to increase student-talk and decrease teacher-talk. It necessitates including the production or performance stage in lesson plans to give students the opportunity to use the new language in simulated real-life situations. (Author/VWL)

DYAD: A Computer Program for the Analysis of Interpersonal Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogel, Daniel S.

1978-01-01

A computer program which generates descriptions of conversational patterns of dyads based on sound-silence data is described. Input consists of talk/no-talk designations; output consists of descriptive matrices, histograms, and individual talk parameters. (Author/JKS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quinn, H

Before preparing this talk I asked our host Angel Lopez what he wanted from an opening talk---his response was that I should set the context for what follows, to get the audience to think about the future of this subfield of physics, and give some of my own opinions on this area of physics. So that is what this talk does. It highlights a biased selection of topics; there is much more in the week of lectures than I can cover in this introductory talk.

Carbonate system biogeochemistry in a subterranean estuary - Waquoit Bay, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qian; Charette, Matthew A.; Breier, Crystaline F.; Henderson, Paul B.; McCorkle, Daniel C.; Martin, William; Dai, Minhan

2017-04-01

Quantifying carbon fluxes associated with submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) remains challenging due to the complex biogeochemistry of the carbonate system in the subterranean estuary (STE). Here we conducted time series measurements of total alkalinity (TAlk) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in a well-studied coastal aquifer (Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, USA). Groundwater samples were collected monthly from May 2009 to June 2010 across the freshwater-saltwater mixing zone of the Waquoit Bay (WB) STE. The concentrations of both TAlk and DIC in zero-salinity groundwater were variable, but were lower than those in the bay water (S ∼ 28). DIC underwent slightly non-conservative mixing between low and intermediate salinities while there was an apparent additional DIC source at high salinity (>20) in all seasons. TAlk concentrations exhibited even stronger variations, with evidence of both production and consumption in high salinity zones, and consistent TAlk consumption at intermediate salinity in summer and fall (June-December, 2009). The increases in DIC and TAlk at high salinity were attributed to aerobic respiration and denitrification in WB sediments during bay water recharge of the STE. We infer that the loss of TAlk at intermediate salinity reflects H+ production as reduced compounds (e.g. Fe2+) are oxidized within the STE. In terms of impacts on surface water inorganic carbon budgets, the SGD-derived DIC flux was mainly controlled by seasonal changes in SGD while a combination of TAlk concentration variability and SGD drove the TAlk flux. SGD-derived DIC, aqueous CO2, and H+ fluxes to the bay were ∼40-50% higher in summer vs. in winter, a result of enhanced marine groundwater flux and significant TAlk removal (proton addition) during periods of high seawater intrusion. Furthermore, the SGD-derived DIC flux was consistently greater than TAlk flux regardless of season, indicating that SGD serves to reduce the CO2 buffering capacity of surface water. Our results highlight the importance of seasonality and subsurface biogeochemical processes on the subterranean estuary carbonate system and the resulting impact on SGD-derived TAlk, DIC, aqueous CO2, and H+ fluxes to the coastal ocean.

Novel detector design for reducing intercell x-ray cross-talk in the variable resolution x-ray CT scanner: a Monte Carlo study.

PubMed

Arabi, Hosein; Asl, Ali Reza Kamali; Ay, Mohammad Reza; Zaidi, Habib

2011-03-01

The variable resolution x-ray (VRX) CT scanner provides substantial improvement in the spatial resolution by matching the scanner's field of view (FOV) to the size of the object being imaged. Intercell x-ray cross-talk is one of the most important factors limiting the spatial resolution of the VRX detector. In this work, a new cell arrangement in the VRX detector is suggested to decrease the intercell x-ray cross-talk. The idea is to orient the detector cells toward the opening end of the detector. Monte Carlo simulations were used for performance assessment of the oriented cell detector design. Previously published design parameters and simulation results of x-ray cross-talk for the VRX detector were used for model validation using the GATE Monte Carlo package. In the first step, the intercell x-ray cross-talk of the actual VRX detector model was calculated as a function of the FOV. The obtained results indicated an optimum cell orientation angle of 28 degrees to minimize the x-ray cross-talk in the VRX detector. Thereafter, the intercell x-ray cross-talk in the oriented cell detector was modeled and quantified. The intercell x-ray cross-talk in the actual detector model was considerably high, reaching up to 12% at FOVs from 24 to 38 cm. The x-ray cross-talk in the oriented cell detector was less than 5% for all possible FOVs, except 40 cm (maximum FOV). The oriented cell detector could provide considerable decrease in the intercell x-ray cross-talk for the VRX detector, thus leading to significant improvement in the spatial resolution and reduction in the spatial resolution nonuniformity across the detector length. The proposed oriented cell detector is the first dedicated detector design for the VRX CT scanners. Application of this concept to multislice and flat-panel VRX detectors would also result in higher spatial resolution.

Is it About Me, You, or Us? Stress Reactivity Correlates of Discrepancies in We-Talk Among Parents and Preadolescent Children.

PubMed

Borelli, Jessica L; Smiley, Patricia A; Rasmussen, Hannah F; Gómez, Anthony

2016-10-01

An emerging literature suggests that not only do parent and child perceptions of parent-child relationship quality independently predict children's adjustment, but also that the discrepancy between parent and child perceptions of the relationship also carries predictive power. In the current study, we examine discrepancies in mother and children's we-talk, which is thought to reveal the degree to which members of a dyad conceive of problems affecting just one of the members as shared. We anticipate that discrepancies in which the mother expresses a greater sense of we-ness than the child would be particularly toxic during this developmental phase, when youth's strivings for independence ought to near their apex. Using an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of school-aged children and their mothers (N = 106, 49.1 % female; 43 % Non-Hispanic White, 21 % African American, 21 % Hispanic, 10 % Asian, and 5 % of another ethnic category or mixed race; 48 % reported an annual income of <$60,000), we expose children to a standardized failure task that their mothers observe and then interview both members of the dyad regarding the task-we-talk is derived from these interviews. We examine the discrepancy between child and mother we-talk as a predictor of children's cortisol reactivity and mothers' behavioral overcontrol during the failure task. We also examine whether the discrepancy in mother-child we-talk predicts children's trait rumination. The interaction between child and mother we-talk was significantly associated with all three outcomes. Children's cortisol reactivity and rumination were highest when mothers used high and children used low levels of we-talk. A three-way interaction of children's we-talk, mothers' we-talk and child age emerged, suggesting that the association of discrepancies in we-talk with maternal overcontrol depended on child age, with significant effects emerging among older children. We discuss our results in terms of their implications for preadolescent development and emotion regulation.

Toy talk: simple strategies to create richer grammatical input.

PubMed

Hadley, Pamela A; Walsh, Kathleen M

2014-07-01

The purpose of this initial feasibility study was to determine whether brief instruction in toy talk would change grammatical properties of adult language, specifically 3rd person lexical noun phrase (NP) subjects. Eighteen college students participated in the study. The use of 3rd person subjects was examined before and after instruction on toy talk strategies (i.e., talk about the toys, give the item its name). Change in the input informativeness for tense (i.e., the proportion of verb forms marked for tense out of all verb forms) was also examined, although adults were not instructed on use of tense/agreement morphemes. Following instruction, statistically significant increases with large effect sizes were observed for use of 3rd person subjects, lexical NP subjects, and input informativeness for tense (Cohen's d = 1.20, 2.08, and 0.89, respectively). These findings demonstrate that young adults can learn these simple strategies with relatively brief instruction, and the use of toy talk also changes the richness of tense/agreement marking in adult language input. Considerations for incorporating toy talk into existing language modeling practices and future plans for evaluating the efficacy of toy talk are discussed.

IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW LETTERS, 2002

EPA Science Inventory

The following letters provide a summary of the Environmental Protection Agencys comments regarding 2002 Implementation Review of nineteen estuary programs in the National Estuary Program. Various strengths within the programs included use of implementation progress and tracking s...

Talking to Your Kids about Virginity

MedlinePlus

... MusclesHuman Papillomavirus (HPV)Talking to Your Kids About Sex Home Family Health Kids and Teens Talking to Your Kids About Virginity ... by: familydoctor.org editorial staff Categories: Family Health, Kids and Teens, Sex and SexualityTags: child, teenager January 10, 2017 Copyright © ...

Hack the Planet: What we Talk About When we Talk About Geoengineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kintisch, E.

2010-12-01

Hack the Planet (Wiley, 2010) explores how an idea once basically anathema to meetings like AGU has, in the space of a few years, become part of the geoscience mainstream. Through chapters involving researchers like David Battisti, Stephen Salter, Edward Teller and Brent Constanz the book documents the roots of this shift and how scientists are breaking new ground in the controversial field. And it shows how trying to engineer the planet's climate or manage its carbon poses novel scientific, geopolitical and moral risks and rewards. This session will cover how the topic of climate engineering has moved from something geoscientists don't talk about to something geoscientists can talk about, to something, in my view, that geoscientists must talk about.

Lessons learned from starting Rochester Precision Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurley, William P.

2014-12-01

Thank you very much for coming to attend this talk. I see a few familiar faces in the crowd that have had their own journeys, and if you're thinking of starting your own optics business, this is not the authoritative talk on how to do. It's just a talk on what I've learned from my journey and some of my own stories on Lessons Learned. It does tie into some of the previous talks, and I do give credit to some mentors. The developments I've been involved with do make use of the ability to adapt and change, and there have been Bumps in the Road here and there, and I'll tell you a little bit more about that during this Talk.

Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Steven

2010-01-01

In this diverse collection, editors Killoran and Pendleton Jimenez bring together an important collection of chapters that tackle homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexism. From the hallways and classrooms of elementary and secondary schools to the lecture halls of postsecondary institutions, "Unleashing the Unpopular: Talking About Sexual…

Methods and Strategies: Talk Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shea, Lauren M.; Shanahan, Therese B.

2011-01-01

This article discusses how to promote oral language development through science. The authors describe how they incorporate academic "talk strategies" into science lessons in a nonintrusive and meaningful manner. These talk strategies are adapted from the "Avenues" (2007) curriculum for English learners (ELs), which gives examples of cooperative…

Attending to Audience: Comparing Optometry Student Talk "with" and "about" Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildebrand, Jenna M.; Spafford, Marlee M.; Schryer, Catherine F.

2009-01-01

We explored mediating concepts that affect clinical novices shifting between their talk "with" patients in eye examinations and their talk "about" patients in case presentations (nCPs). In a Canadian optometry teaching clinic, patient "chief concern or request", "illness experience", and…

Girls' and boys' problem talk: Implications for emotional closeness in friendships.

PubMed

Rose, Amanda J; Smith, Rhiannon L; Glick, Gary C; Schwartz-Mette, Rebecca A

2016-04-01

This research highlights the critical role of gender in the context of problem talk and social support in adolescents' friendships. Early- and middle-adolescents' (N = 314 friend dyads; Ms = 13.01 and 16.03 years) conversations about problems were studied using observation and a short-term longitudinal design. Mean-level gender differences emerged in that girls participated in problem talk more than boys and responded in a more positive and engaged manner to friends' statements about problems (e.g., by saying something supportive, asking a question) than did boys. Interestingly, boys used humor during problem talk more than girls. Despite mean-level differences, there were not gender differences in the functional significance of participating in problem talk and positive engaged responses in that these behaviors predicted increased friendship closeness for both boys and girls. In contrast, humor during problem talk predicted increased closeness only for boys, highlighting an understudied pathway to closeness in boys' friendships. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Girls’ and Boys’ Problem Talk: Implications for Emotional Closeness in Friendships

PubMed Central

Rose, Amanda J.; Smith, Rhiannon L.; Glick, Gary C.; Schwartz-Mette, Rebecca A.

2016-01-01

This research highlights the critical role of gender in the context of problem talk and social support in adolescents’ friendships. Early- and middle-adolescents’ (N = 314 friend dyads; Ms = 13.01 and 16.03 years) conversations about problems were studied using observation and a short-term longitudinal design. Mean-level gender differences emerged in that girls participated in problem talk more than boys and responded in a more positive and engaged manner to friends’ statements about problems (e.g., by saying something supportive, asking a question) than did boys. Interestingly, boys used humor during problem talk more than girls. Despite mean-level differences, there were not gender differences in the functional significance of participating in problem talk and positive engaged responses in that these behaviors predicted increased friendship closeness for both boys and girls. In contrast, humor during problem talk predicted increased closeness only for boys, highlighting an understudied pathway to closeness in boys’ friendships. PMID:26866726

Talking about sex in the gender identity clinic: implications for training and practice.

PubMed

Speer, Susan A

2013-11-01

This article provides the first systematic examination of the ways 'talk about sex' is occasioned and managed by doctors and patients in real-life interactions in a National Health Service Gender Identity Clinic. Drawing on a corpus of 194 recordings of psychiatric assessment sessions, the article examines how parties initiate and develop talk about sex, and which strategies appear to work best for doctor-patient alignment. The analyses revealed that the most aligning methods were for clinicians to make transitions from asking questions about relationships in general to talk about sex, or to build opportunistically on patients' relationship talk. However, talk about sex that lacked specificity or which made inaccurate presumptions about patients' sex lives, generated misalignment between clinician and patient. I suggest that such misalignment is not intrinsically bad. Rather, it provides evidence for the virtues of a more nuanced understanding of patient-centred communication. The article concludes with a discussion of the importance of grounding communication skills training and clinical practice in recordings of actual consultations.

Girl Talk: A Smartphone Application to Teach Sexual Health Education to Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Brayboy, Lynae M.; Schultz, Lucy; Landgren Mills, Benedict S.; Spencer, Noelle; Sepolen, Alexandra; Mezoian, Taylor; Wheeler, Carol; Clark, Melissa A.

2017-01-01

Study Objective Produce Girl Talk, a free smartphone application containing comprehensive sexual health information, and determine the application’s desirability and appeal among teenage girls. Design, Setting and Participants 39 girls ages 12–17 from Rhode Island participated in a two-phase prospective study. In Phase I, 22 girls assessed a sexual health questionnaire in focus groups. In Phase 2, 17 girls with iPhones® used Girl Talk for two weeks and answered the revised sexual health questionnaire and interview questions before and after use. Main Outcome Measures Participants’ responses to the sexual health questionnaire, interviews and time viewing the application were used to determine feasibility and desirability of Girl Talk. Results Girl Talk was used on average for 48 minutes during participants’ free time on weekends for 10–15 minute intervals. Reported usefulness of Girl Talk as a sexual health application increased significantly from baseline to follow-up (35.3% vs. 94.1%; p < .001). Knowledge improved most in topics related to Anatomy and Physiology (4.2%), Sexuality and Relationships (3.5%) and STI Prevention (3.4%). Most participants (76.5%) were exposed to sexual health education prior to using Girl Talk, but 94.1% of participants stated that the application provided new and/or more detailed information than health classes. Conclusion Girl Talk can potentially connect teenage girls to more information about sexual health versus traditional methods, and participants recommended the application as a valuable resource to learn about comprehensive sexual health. PMID:27393638

The smart-talk trap.

PubMed

Pfeffer, J; Sutton, R I

1999-01-01

In today's business world, there's no shortage of know-how. When companies get into trouble, their executives have vast resources at their disposal: their own experiences, colleagues' ideas, reams of computer-generated data, thousands of publications, and consultants armed with the latest managerial concepts and tools. But all too often, even with all that knowledge floating around, companies are plagued with an inertia that comes from knowing too much and doing too little--a phenomenon the authors call the knowing-doing gap. The gap often can be traced to a basic human propensity: the willingness to let talk substitute for action. When confronted with a problem, people act as though discussing it, formulating decisions, and hashing out plans for action are the same as actually fixing it. And after researching organizations of all shapes and sizes, the authors concluded that a particular kind of talk is an especially insidious inhibitor of action: "smart talk." People who can engage in such talk generally sound confident and articulate; they can spout facts and may even have interesting ideas. But such people often exhibit the less benign aspects of smart talk as well: They focus on the negative, and they favor unnecessarily complex or abstract language. The former lapses into criticism for criticism's sake; the latter confuses people. Both tendencies can stop action in its tracks. How can you shut the smart-talk trap and close the knowing-doing gap? The authors lay out five methods that successful companies employ in order to translate the right kind of talk into intelligent action.

The Nature of Elementary Student Science Discourse in the Context of the Science Writing Heuristic Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavagnetto, Andy; Hand, Brian M.; Norton-Meier, Lori

2010-03-01

This case study aimed to determine the nature of student interactions in small groups in an elementary classroom utilizing the Science Writing Heuristic approach. Fifth grade students were audio-recorded over four units of study while working in small groups to generate knowledge claims after conducting student-directed investigations. Analysis consisted of (1) identifying amount of on/off task talk, (2) categorizing on-task talk as generative (talk associated with generating an argument) or representational (talk associated with representing an argument in a final written form), (3) characterizing the generative components of argument, and (4) determining the functions of language used. Results indicate that students were on task 98% of the time. Students engaged in generative talk an average of 25% of the time and representational talk an average of 71% of the time. Students engaged in components of Toulmin's model of argument, but challenging of each other's ideas was not commonplace. Talk was dominated by the informative function (representing one's ideas) of language as it was found 78.3% of the time and to a lesser extent (11.7%) the heuristic function (inquiring through questions). These functions appear to be intimately tied to the task of generating knowledge claims in small groups. The results suggest that both talking and writing are critical to using science discourse as an embedded strategy to learning science. Further, nature and structure of the task are important pedagogical considerations when moving students toward participation in science discourse.

Antenatal Training with Music and Maternal Talk Concurrently May Reduce Autistic-Like Behaviors at around 3 Years of Age

PubMed Central

Ruan, Zeng-Liang; Liu, Li; Strodl, Esben; Fan, Li-Jun; Yin, Xiao-Na; Wen, Guo-Min; Sun, Deng-Li; Xian, Dan-Xia; Jiang, Hui; Jing, Jin; Jin, Yu; Wu, Chuan-An; Chen, Wei-Qing

2018-01-01

Antenatal training through music and maternal talk to the unborn fetus is a topic of general interest for parents-to-be in China, but we still lack a comprehensive assessment of their effects on the development of autistic-like behaviors during early childhood. During 2014–2016, 34,749 parents of children around the age of 3 years who were enrolled at kindergarten in the Longhua district of Shenzhen participated in this study. Self-administered questionnaires regarding demographics, antenatal music training, and maternal talk to the fetus during pregnancy were completed by the children’s primary caregivers. Autistic-like behaviors were assessed using the Autism Behavioral Checklist. Tobit regression analyses revealed that antenatal music training and maternal talk to the fetus was associated with a reduction in autistic-like behaviors in children, with a dose-dependent relationship. Furthermore, factorial analysis of covariance indicated a significant interaction effect between antenatal music training and maternal talk to the fetus on the autistic-like behaviors and found that children who often experienced antenatal music training and maternal talk concurrently had the lowest risk of autistic-like behaviors, while children who were never exposed to maternal talk and only sometimes experienced antenatal music training had the highest risk. Our results suggest that antenatal training through both music and maternal talk to the unborn fetus might reduce the risk of children’s autistic-like behaviors at around 3 years of age. PMID:29375407

Antenatal Training with Music and Maternal Talk Concurrently May Reduce Autistic-Like Behaviors at around 3 Years of Age.

PubMed

Ruan, Zeng-Liang; Liu, Li; Strodl, Esben; Fan, Li-Jun; Yin, Xiao-Na; Wen, Guo-Min; Sun, Deng-Li; Xian, Dan-Xia; Jiang, Hui; Jing, Jin; Jin, Yu; Wu, Chuan-An; Chen, Wei-Qing

2017-01-01

Antenatal training through music and maternal talk to the unborn fetus is a topic of general interest for parents-to-be in China, but we still lack a comprehensive assessment of their effects on the development of autistic-like behaviors during early childhood. During 2014-2016, 34,749 parents of children around the age of 3 years who were enrolled at kindergarten in the Longhua district of Shenzhen participated in this study. Self-administered questionnaires regarding demographics, antenatal music training, and maternal talk to the fetus during pregnancy were completed by the children's primary caregivers. Autistic-like behaviors were assessed using the Autism Behavioral Checklist. Tobit regression analyses revealed that antenatal music training and maternal talk to the fetus was associated with a reduction in autistic-like behaviors in children, with a dose-dependent relationship. Furthermore, factorial analysis of covariance indicated a significant interaction effect between antenatal music training and maternal talk to the fetus on the autistic-like behaviors and found that children who often experienced antenatal music training and maternal talk concurrently had the lowest risk of autistic-like behaviors, while children who were never exposed to maternal talk and only sometimes experienced antenatal music training had the highest risk. Our results suggest that antenatal training through both music and maternal talk to the unborn fetus might reduce the risk of children's autistic-like behaviors at around 3 years of age.

Talking Circles Promote Equitable Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Marcus

2015-01-01

Teachers facilitate math talk in the classroom, but introducing a structured discussion format called the "talking circle" can influence opportunities for equitable student participation. Drawing on his reflections over the 2013-14 academic year and reviewing his detailed teaching notes and lesson plans, Marcus Hung takes a close look at…

Talking Back: What Teens Want Adults to Know about Teen Pregnancy

MedlinePlus

... as well as with other high-risk populations. Video Created with Sketch. #TalkingIsPower: Serena Serena, a mom of three and a midwife, shares why it's never too early to start talking about sex, love, and realtionships with the young person in ...

Using Talking Mats to Support Communication in Persons with Huntington's Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferm, Ulrika; Sahlin, Anna; Sundin, Linda; Hartelius, Lena

2010-01-01

Background: Many individuals with Huntington's disease experience reduced functioning in cognition, language and communication. Talking Mats is a visually based low technological augmentative communication framework that supports communication in people with different cognitive and communicative disabilities. Aims: To evaluate Talking Mats as a…

Let's Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodard, Carol; Haskins, Guy; Schaefer, Grace; Smolen, Linda

2004-01-01

This article presents the Let's Talk project as a different approach to oral language development. This approach was based on observations of classrooms in the Netherlands where children talked at large tables while playing with miniature figures representing people and objects they were familiar with in their daily lives. It was also influenced…

Talking Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shwartz, Yael; Weizman, Ayelet; Fortus, David; Sutherland, LeeAnn; Merrit, Joi; Krajcik, Joe

2009-01-01

Science is a social process--one that involves particular ways of talking, reasoning, observing, analyzing, and writing, which often have meaning only when shared within the scientific community. Discussions are one of the best ways to help students learn to "talk science" and construct understanding in a social context. Since inquiry is an…

Talking the Talk: Translating Research to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grifenhagen, Jill F.; Barnes, Erica M.; Collins, Molly F.; Dickinson, David K.

2017-01-01

Decades of research have identified features of classrooms and teachers' talk that are associated with children's language growth. Unfortunately, much of this work has not yet translated to widespread practice in early childhood classrooms. Given the important contributions that early language development makes to later academic achievement,…

Number Talks Build Numerical Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrish, Sherry D.

2011-01-01

"Classroom number talks," five- to fifteen-minute conversations around purposefully crafted computation problems, are a productive tool that can be incorporated into classroom instruction to combine the essential processes and habits of mind of doing math. During number talks, students are asked to communicate their thinking when presenting and…

A project in Zambia: talking to children about AIDS.

PubMed

Baker, K

1988-09-01

Early in 1987, it became clear to this individual that children were a high priority group for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) education. Preparation for providing AIDS education in Zambia included reading as much as possible about AIDS and AIDS education in schools, contacting the Health Education Unit at the Ministry of Health for their permission and advice, and making posters and preparing a list of 10 basic questions about AIDS. The 1st talks were at a boys' technical school and a large girls' day school. Following an introduction of the subject, the format included: a 10-minute quiz with students writing down their answers; a 35-40 minute talk, using posters as visual aids; a 20-30 minute open question time; and a repeat of the same quiz as a form of "posttest." The students responded positively, and there was a substantial increase in the percentage of correct answers after each talk. Subsequently, talks were given in other Lusaka secondary schools. After the 1st few talks, the pretest and posttest was discontinued as it was considered preferable to spend more time answering the students' questions. The talks varied depending on the audience, but posters were always included as visual aids. Initially, this AIDS education effort was voluntary and unfunded. Subsequently, and as the work grew, NORAD funded the project, paying for duplicating and printing as well as a salary on an hourly basis. A booklet on AIDS for secondary schools has been written and duplicated and accepted by the Intersectorial Committee on AIDS Health Education with minor changes. Late in 1987, the booklet was rewritten totally and expanded, with numerous illustrations. Throughout the booklet, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is carefully differentiated from AIDS disease. Talks also have been initiated at the Upper Primary School level. The format has been altered somewhat for these younger children as they tend to be noisy and excited. The primary project planned for 1988 is to talk to teachers and health educators, individually and in groups, informally and formally. Thus far, 58 talks have been given in 22 secondary schools and 11 primary schools along with 29 talks to nonschool groups. Culturally, it is much easier as a medically trained non-Zambian to talk about AIDS and AIDS-related concerns, but the message needs to be given more than once. It must be discussed both in the classroom and at home until it becomes a part of life.

How Student Teachers (Don't) Talk about Race: An Intersectional Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Kathryn S.

2016-01-01

This study explores how student teacher talk about their students illuminates the identities ascribed to these same students. It uses a hybrid intersectional framework based on Disability Studies, Critical Race Theory, and Latino Critical Theory and methodologies (like examining majoritarian stories, counter-storytelling, coded talk, and…

Ames Women's Influence Network (WIN) Hidden Figures talk with "Computers" Carolyn Hofstetter and Carol Mead co-sponsored by the AAAG

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-01

Ames Women's Influence Network (WIN) Hidden Figures talk with "Computers" Carolyn Hofstetter and Carol Mead co-sponsored by the AAAG. Jack Boyd talk of working in the same 6ft w.t. group as Carol Mead.

Gender Roles: Listening to Classroom Talk about Literary Characters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pace, Barbara G.; Townsend, Jane S.

1999-01-01

Examines patterns of talk and the nature of talk in two different classrooms discussing Shakespeare's "Hamlet." Finds that the images of Hamlet and Gertrude were strikingly different: in the college class, the characters were confined to stereotypical gender roles; while in the high-school class, such stereotypes were refuted. (SR)

Play Chronotopes: Laughter-Talk in Peer Group Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liang, Mei-Ya

2015-01-01

Although research has investigated laughter in professional communication settings, fewer studies have explored laughter-talk in second language (L2) classrooms. This study examines L2 university students' use of laughter-talk in peer group conversation to understand the linguistics of affect and its interactional effects. The author draws upon…

The Relationship Talk: Assessing Partner Commitment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelms, Bobbie Jo; Knox, David; Easterling, Beth

2012-01-01

"The talk" is culturally understood to mean a discussion whereby both partners in a relationship reveal their feelings about each other and their commitment to a future together. Typically, one partner feels a greater need to clarity the future and instigates "the talk." This study reports the analysis of a 15 item…

Real Talk, Real Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Maria

2014-01-01

What happens in classrooms when we create the time and space for authentic talk about texts? Extended, collaborative conversations that allow understanding to unfold over time can be messy and dynamic. As students wrestle with complex texts and ideas, talk can become lively--and predictable problems can arise. In this article, Marie Nichols uses…

Language in the Drama Classroom: Observations and Opinions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Jude

1981-01-01

The importance of talk in the drama classroom is described. Students view talk as either development of vocal skills or preexperience for various kinds of social situations. Teacher talk was dominant, however, and emerged in the form of verbal control through closed questions and instructions to students. (JN)

National CrossTalk. Volume 18, Number 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2010

2010-01-01

"National CrossTalk" is a publication of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. The National Center promotes public policies that enhance opportunities for quality education and training beyond high school. The primary purpose of "National CrossTalk" is to stimulate informed discussion and debate of higher…

National CrossTalk. Volume 17, Number 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trombley, William, Ed.

2009-01-01

"National CrossTalk" is a publication of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. The National Center promotes public policies that enhance opportunities for quality education and training beyond high school. The primary purpose of "National CrossTalk" is to stimulate informed discussion and debate of higher…

National CrossTalk. Volume 12, Number 1, Winter 2004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trombley, William, Ed.

2004-01-01

"National CrossTalk" is a publication of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. The National Center promotes public policies that enhance opportunities for quality education and training beyond high school. The primary purpose of "National CrossTalk" is to stimulate informed discussion and debate of higher…

National CrossTalk. Volume 19, Number 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2011

2011-01-01

"National CrossTalk" is a publication of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. The National Center promotes public policies that enhance opportunities for quality education and training beyond high school. The primary purpose of "National CrossTalk" is to stimulate informed discussion and debate of higher…

National CrossTalk. Volume 18, Number 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2010

2010-01-01

"National CrossTalk" is a publication of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. The National Center promotes public policies that enhance opportunities for quality education and training beyond high school. The primary purpose of "National CrossTalk" is to stimulate informed discussion and debate of higher…

Improving Teacher Talk through a Task-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moser, Jason; Harris, Justin; Carle, John

2012-01-01

This article reports on a teacher-talk training course for Japanese primary school teachers, who are preparing to teach "communicative English" for the first time. The article argues that teacher-talk training is important for communicative classes with young students because most of the input and interaction is by default teacher…

Talk That Teaches: How to Promote Professional Dialogue and Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbons, Lynsey; Knapp, Melinda

2015-01-01

What types of talk promote teachers' professional growth? In the following vignettes, 4th-grade teachers and instructional leaders examine student work and observe classroom instruction. These learning designs encourage teachers to talk in ways that develop a shared understanding of teaching, which is instrumental to their professional growth…

Language and Interactional Discourse: Deconstrusting the Talk-Generating Machinery in Natural Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enyi, Amaechi Uneke

2015-01-01

The study entitled "Language and Interactional Discourse: Deconstructing the Talk-Generating Machinery in Natural Conversation" is an analysis of spontaneous and informal conversation. The study, carried out in the theoretical and methodological tradition of Ethnomethodology, was aimed at explicating how ordinary talk is organized and…

Nineteenth International Cosmic Ray Conference. Conference Papers: Invited Rapporteur, Highlight, Miscellaneous, Volume 9

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, F. C. (Compiler)

1986-01-01

Invited talks, rapporteur talks, and highlight talks are included. Topics of the invited and highlight talks include astrophysical jets, gamma-ray line astronomy, cosmic rays and gamma rays in astrophysics, the early universe, elementary particle physics, solar flares and acceleration of energetic particles, cosmogenic nuclei, extragalactic astronomy, composition of solar flare particles, very high energy gamma ray sources, gamma-ray bursts, shock acceleration in the solar wind, cosmic rays in deep underground detectors, spectrum of cosmic rays at 10 to the 19th power eV, and nucleus-nucleus interactions.

What Do U.S. Army Field Grade Officers Perceive as Their Role in Building Resilience in Soldiers?

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-14

on was job satisfaction. The study also found that there was little change in the training group scores from their posttest data collection to the...reviewed the topics that were concerned, talked about the numbers in the Army. This is a one-star general talking to us, so it was very broad-based. The...how to do anything. It reviewed the topics that were concerned, talked about the numbers in the Army. This is a one-star general talking to us, so

Mother-Infant Face-to-Face Interaction: The Communicative Value of Infant-Directed Talking and Singing.

PubMed

Arias, Diana; Peña, Marcela

Across culture, healthy infants show a high interest in infant-directed (ID) talking and singing. Despite ID talking and ID singing being very similar in physical properties, infants differentially respond to each of them. The mechanisms underpinning these different responses are still under discussion. This study explored the behavioral (n = 26) and brain (n = 14) responses from 6- to 8-month-old infants to ID talking and ID singing during a face-to-face mother-infant interaction with their own mother. Behavioral response was analyzed from offline video coding, and brain response was estimated from the analysis of electrophysiological recordings. We found that during ID talking, infants displayed a significantly higher number of visual contacts, vocalizations, and body movements than during ID singing. Moreover, only during ID talking were the number of visual contacts and vocalizations positively correlated with the number of questions and pauses in the mother's speech. Our results suggest that ID talking provides infants with specific cues that allow them not only to react to mother stimulation, but also to act toward them, displaying a rudimentary version of turn-taking behavior. Brain activity partially supported that interpretation. The relevance of our results for bonding is discussed. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

CT guided transthoracic catheter drainage of intrapulmonary abscess.

PubMed

Yunus, Mahira

2009-10-01

To determine the efficacy of CT- guided transthoracic catheter drainage of intrapulmonary abscess considering success rate versus complications. This prospective study was carried out at radiology department of Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, from 1.1.2003 to 31.12.2005. Nineteen patients were selected for CT guided percutaneous drainage. Under CT guidance catheter placement was carried out using Seldinger technique. Nineteen patients with lung abscess were selected for the percutaneous CT guided drainage. Eight (42.105%) patients encountered no complications and lung abscess completely resolved with no residual cavity. Five (26.31%) patients developed pneumothorax, which was the most common complication of this study. These patients were kept under observation and followed-up by chest X-rays. Three (15.78%) had mild pneumothorax, which resolved and needed no further management, while two (10.52%) patients developed moderate pneumothorax and chest tube was inserted. Two (10.52%) patients developed mild haemoptysis which resolved within two hours, hence, no further management was required. Two (10.52%) patients had residual cavity and surgery was performed. Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) was found in both cases. Two patients out of nineteen patients (10.52%) developed bronchopleural fistula and were operated. No mortality occurred during or after the procedure. CT allows optimal placement of catheter and hence enables safe and effective percutaneous evacuation of lung abscess. The morbidity and mortality of patients with percutaneous catheter drainage is lower than with surgical resection. Hence, CT guided drainage should be considered the first therapeutic choice in most patients of lung abscess who do not respond to medical therapy.

Effectiveness of educational and social worker interventions to activate patients' discussion and pursuit of preemptive living donor kidney transplantation: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Boulware, L Ebony; Hill-Briggs, Felicia; Kraus, Edward S; Melancon, J Keith; Falcone, Brenda; Ephraim, Patti L; Jaar, Bernard G; Gimenez, Luis; Choi, Michael; Senga, Mikiko; Kolotos, Maria; Lewis-Boyer, LaPricia; Cook, Courtney; Light, Laney; DePasquale, Nicole; Noletto, Todd; Powe, Neil R

2013-03-01

Many patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have difficulty becoming actively engaged in the pursuit of preemptive living donor kidney transplantation. The Talking About Live Kidney Donation (TALK) Study was a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of educational and social worker interventions designed to encourage early discussions and active pursuit of preemptive living donor kidney transplantation in patients with progressive CKD. We recruited participants with progressive CKD from academically affiliated nephrology practices in Baltimore, MD. Participants randomly received: (1) usual care (routine care with their nephrologists), the (2) TALK education intervention (video and booklet), or the (3) TALK social worker intervention (video and booklet plus patient and family social worker visits). We followed participants for 6 months to assess their self-reported achievement of behaviors reflecting their discussions about and/or pursuit of living donor kidney transplantation (discussions with family, discussions with physicians, initiating recipient evaluation, completing recipient evaluation, and identifying a potential living donor). We assessed outcomes through a questionnaire at 1-, 3-, and 6-months follow-up. Participants receiving usual care with their nephrologists (n = 44), TALK education (n = 43), and the TALK social worker (n = 43) were similar at baseline. TALK Study interventions improved participants' living donor kidney transplantation discussion and pursuit behaviors, with the social worker leading to greater patient activation (participants' predicted probability of achieving living donor kidney transplantation discussions, evaluations, or donor identification over 6 months): probabilities were 30% (95% CI, 20%-46%), 42% (95% CI, 33%-54%), and 58% (95% CI, 41%-83%), respectively, in the usual care, TALK education, and TALK social worker groups (P = 0.03). Our population was well educated and mostly insured, potentially limiting generalizability of our findings. TALK interventions improved discussion and active pursuit of living donor kidney transplantation in patients with progressive CKD and may improve their use of preemptive living donor kidney transplantation. Copyright © 2013 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Witchcraft medicine and folklore in Wushierbingfang ('Prescriptions for fifty-two diseases')].

PubMed

Jia, Hai-yan

2010-03-01

One important characteristic of early stage of TCM is the intermixture of witches medicine and folklore. A few witch prescriptions in Wushierbingfang ('Prescriptions for fifty-two diseases') indicated the residual traces of the mixture of witch and medicine in the medical literatures. The witch prescriptions recorded in Wushierbingfang ('Prescriptions for fifty-two diseases') could be divided into supplication, Yu-step, exorcism, Nuo ritual and peach wood charms etc. Witchcraft developed into folklore and the application of witchcraft sometimes manifested as the form of folklore, which were also reflected in the records of ('Prescriptions for fifty-two diseases').

A Method for Turbocharging Four-Stroke Single Cylinder Engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchman, Michael; Winter, Amos

2014-11-01

Turbocharging is not conventionally used with single cylinder engines due to the timing mismatch between when the turbo is powered and when it can deliver air to the cylinder. The proposed solution involves a fixed, pressurized volume - which we call an air capacitor - on the intake side of the engine between the turbocharger and intake valves. The capacitor acts as a buffer and would be implemented as a new style of intake manifold with a larger volume than traditional systems. This talk will present the flow analysis used to determine the optimal size for the capacitor, which was found to be four to five times the engine capacity, as well as its anticipated contributions to engine performance. For a capacitor sized for a one-liter engine, the time to reach operating pressure was found to be approximately two seconds, which would be acceptable for slowly accelerating applications and steady state applications. The air density increase that could be achieved, compared to ambient air, was found to vary between fifty percent for adiabatic compression and no heat transfer from the capacitor, to eighty percent for perfect heat transfer. These increases in density are proportional to, to first order, the anticipated power increases that could be realized. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. 1122374.

Adolescent Girls’ Communication with “Mothers” About Topical Microbicides

PubMed Central

Sunder, Punita K.; Ramos, Stephanie; Short, Mary B.; Rosenthal, Susan L.

2007-01-01

Study Objective Topical microbicides, a female-initiated method to protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy, will only be effective if found acceptable. Mothers may have an influence on acceptability and use among adolescent girls. The current study examined the communication between girls and mothers to understand the potential predictors and nature of conversations regarding surrogate microbicide products. Design Sexually experienced girls, 14 to 21 years, were recruited for a 6-month study examining microbicide acceptability. During face-to-face interviews, qualitative data were collected regarding communication between girls and mothers. Two independent raters coded the responses, which were organized into themes. Themes were interpreted according to the conceptual understanding of mother-daughter communication. Results Fifty percent of the 171 girls with codable responses had a conversation with their mother. Higher levels of indirect parental monitoring were related to being more likely to have a conversation. Concrete events related to the study (i.e. receiving phone call from the researcher, having an appointment, or seeing the product) or inquiries by mothers appeared to promote conversation. Barriers to conversation included the private nature of the information and relationship issues between the mother and daughter. Conversations often addressed issues related to girls’ participation in the study, although some conversations included global issues related to sexuality. Conclusions Girls may talk to their mothers about new products for STI prevention, and such conversations may provide opportunities to promote use. PMID:17174825

Adolescent girls' communication with "mothers" about topical microbicides.

PubMed

Sunder, Punita K; Ramos, Stephanie; Short, Mary B; Rosenthal, Susan L

2006-12-01

Topical microbicides, a female-initiated method to protect against sexually transmitted infections (STI) and pregnancy, will only be effective if found acceptable. Mothers may have an influence on acceptability and use among adolescent girls. The current study examined the communication between girls and mothers to understand the potential predictors and nature of conversations regarding surrogate microbicide products. Sexually experienced girls, 14 to 21 years, were recruited for a 6-month study examining microbicide acceptability. During face-to-face interviews, qualitative data were collected regarding communication between girls and mothers. Two independent raters coded the responses, which were organized into themes. Themes were interpreted according to the conceptual understanding of mother-daughter communication. Fifty percent of the 171 girls with codable responses had a conversation with their mother. Higher levels of indirect parental monitoring were related to being more likely to have a conversation. Concrete events related to the study (i.e. receiving phone call from the researcher, having an appointment, or seeing the product) or inquiries by mothers appeared to promote conversation. Barriers to conversation included the private nature of the information and relationship issues between the mother and daughter. Conversations often addressed issues related to girls' participation in the study, although some conversations included global issues related to sexuality. Girls may talk to their mothers about new products for STI prevention, and such conversations may provide opportunities to promote use.

Herbal medicine in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Al-Rowais, Norah A

2002-11-01

The use of herbs is common among diabetics. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of the use of herbs among diabetics and which herbs are used. Additionally, to investigate the effect of some demographic characteristics on the use of such herbs. A cross sectional study was conducted on diabetic patients attending the outpatient clinics in 4 major hospitals in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These were: King Khalid University Hospital, King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Prince Salman Hospital and Riyadh Medical Complex over a 3-month period which started in September 1999. Patients were interviewed by trained medical students through a predesigned questionnaire that contains items that are related to diabetes and the use of herbs by diabetics. Two hundred and ninety six diabetic patients out of 300 were interviewed giving a response rate of 98.6%. Fifty-one subjects (17.4%) reported using some form of herbs. The commonest herbs used were myrrh, black seed, helteet, fenugreek and aloes. Approximately 73% of herbs users did not inform their doctor regarding their use of herbs. No statistically significant relationship existed between demographic characteristics and the use of herbs. The use of herbs is not rare among diabetic patients. Doctors caring for diabetic patients should encourage them to talk regarding the use of herbs as it may effect the outcome and the management of their disease.

The Potentialities of the Atomic Bomb

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meade, Roger Allen; Bradbury, Norris E.

In January 1949, Norris Bradbury gave a lecture at the National War College which summarized the progress Los Alamos had made since the end of the war. The transcript of the talk was filed and forgotten until it surfaced fifty years later. It is, perhaps, one of the best summaries of the state of the United States nuclear weapons program in 1949. It is also evidence of how Bradbury saw the future of atomic weapons. It is presented in full, with minor editing, and begins as follows: Since the first use of an atomic bomb on August 5 [sic], 1945,more » over the city of Hiroshima, Japan, there has been a continual flood of speculation and discussion concerning the effect of this new weapon on military technology. Much of this speculation and discussion has been intelligent and fruitful; much, I regret to say, has had neither of these characteristics. The enormity of the device, in terms of potential destruction and loss of life, and the practical necessity to surround the technical facts with full security restrictions have only combined to make the problem more difficult. At the same time, it is imperative that policymaking personnel in charge of long range national planning know the basic facts concerning atomic weapons and have these facts in a reasonable perspective. This document describes these potentialities in detail.« less

Effects of a weight-gain restriction programme for obese pregnant women on sickness absence and pregnancy benefits

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of a weight-gain restriction programme for obese pregnant women on sickness absence days and pregnancy benefit days during pregnancy and postpartum. Design A prospective, controlled intervention study. The Swedish Social Security Agency's records were utilized to compile sickness absence and pregnancy benefit information. Setting Antenatal care clinics in the south-east of Sweden. Subjects One hundred fifty-five obese pregnant women who participated in a weight restriction program with weekly structured motivational and behavioural talks combined with aqua-aerobics during pregnancy. A total of 193 obese pregnant women with no intervention served as controls. Main outcome measures Sickness absence benefits and pregnancy benefits expressed as a percentage. Results On average women in the intervention group had 76.68 total full days of sickness absence benefit compared with 53.09days in the control group. Total full days of pregnancy benefits were 39.66% days and 41.41% for the intervention and control groups respectively. For the women who were on sick leave there were no differences between the groups in the amount of days taken. Conclusions Given the complexity of factors that have an influence on sickness absence leave, it is possible that programmes that do not address the influence of social aspects and attitudes towards sickness absence have limited effect. PMID:23301596

Physicians Use of Inclusive Sexual Orientation Language During Teenage Annual Visits.

PubMed

Alexander, Stewart C; Fortenberry, J Dennis; Pollak, Kathryn I; Bravender, Terrill; Østbye, Truls; Shields, Cleveland G

2014-12-01

Physicians are encouraged to use inclusive language regarding sexuality in order to help all adolescent patients feel accepted. Non-inclusive language by physicians may influence relationships with adolescent patients, especially those with still-developing sexual identities. The aim of this study was to identify patterns of physicians' use of inclusive and non-inclusive language when discussing sexuality. A total of 393 conversations between 393 adolescents and 49 physicians from 11 clinics located throughout the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, area were audio recorded. Conversations were coded for the use of inclusive talk (language use that avoids the use of specific gender, sex, or sexual orientation language), direct non-inclusive talk (language use that assumes the teenager is heterosexual or exclusively engages in heterosexual sexual activity), and indirect non-inclusive talk (language use that frames talk heterosexually but does not pre-identify the adolescent as heterosexual). Nearly two-thirds (63%, 245) of the visits contained some sexuality talk. Inclusive talk rarely occurred (3.3%) while non-inclusive language was predominant (48.1% direct and 48.6% indirect). There were no significant differences in language use by gender, age, adolescent race, or visit length. These non-significant findings suggest that all adolescents regardless of race, gender, or age are receiving non-inclusive sexuality talk from their providers. Physicians are missing opportunities to create safe environments for teenagers to discuss sexuality. The examples of inclusive talk from this study may provide potentially useful ways to teach providers how to begin sexuality discussions, focusing on sexual attraction or asking about friends' sexual behavior, and maintain these discussions.

Toddlers with Early Behavioral Problems at Higher Family Demographic Risk Benefit the Most from Maternal Emotion Talk.

PubMed

Brophy-Herb, Holly E; Bocknek, Erika London; Vallotton, Claire D; Stansbury, Kathy E; Senehi, Neda; Dalimonte-Merckling, Danielle; Lee, Young-Eun

2015-09-01

To test the hypothesis that toddlers at highest risk for behavioral problems from the most economically vulnerable families will benefit most from maternal talk about emotions. This study included 89 toddlers and mothers from low-income families. Behavioral problems were rated at 2 time points by masters-level trained Early Head Start home visiting specialists. Maternal emotion talk was coded from a wordless book-sharing task. Coding focused on mothers' emotion bridging, which included labeling emotions, explaining the context of emotions, noting the behavioral cues of emotions, and linking emotions to toddlers' own experiences. Maternal demographic risk reflected a composite score of 5 risk factors. A significant 3-way interaction between Time 1 toddler behavior problems, maternal emotion talk, and maternal demographic risk (p = .001) and examination of slope difference tests revealed that when maternal demographic risk was greater, more maternal emotion talk buffered associations between earlier and later behavior problems. Greater demographic risk and lower maternal emotion talk intensified Time 1 behavior problems as a predictor of Time 2 behavior problems. The model explained 54% of the variance in toddlers' Time 2 behavior problems. Analyses controlled for maternal warmth to better examine the unique contributions of emotion bridging to toddlers' behaviors. Toddlers at highest risk, those with more early behavioral problems from higher demographic-risk families, benefit the most from mothers' emotion talk. Informing parents about the use of emotion talk may be a cost-effective, simple strategy to support at-risk toddlers' social-emotional development and reduce behavioral problems.

Evaluation of experimental rumble strip areas in Louisiana : interim report No. 1.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-03-01

This interim report was prepared to provide a review of nineteen rumble strip areas installed experimentally in Louisiana between August 1982 and September 1983. Situated randomly throughout central and southern Louisiana, construction of these coars...

National Medal of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nineteen scientists and engineers were awarded the nation's highest scientific honor, the National Medal of Science, by President Ronald Reagan in late February in a ceremony held in the East Room of the White House. Among the recipients were two AGU members.

Methodology in the measurement of complex human performance : two-dimensional compensatory tracking.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1972-05-01

Nineteen subjects were tested on two successive days on a complex performance device designed to measure functions of relevance to aircrew performance; included were measures of monitoring, information processing, pattern discrimination, and group pr...

Simultaneous Talk--From the Perspective of Floor Management of English and Japanese Speakers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayashi, Reiko

1988-01-01

Investigates simultaneous talk in face-to-face conversation using the analytic framework of "floor" proposed by Edelsky (1981). Analysis of taped conversation among speakers of Japanese and among speakers of English shows that, while both groups use simultaneous talk, it is used more frequently by Japanese speakers. A reference list…

Formulation as Evidence of Understanding in Teacher-Student Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakamura, Ian

2010-01-01

As we regularly find in exchanges outside the classroom, formulating (the rephrasing of what has been said) makes use of such conversational skills as active listening, elaboration, and affiliation as well as the precise timing of taking turns to keep the talk going. This paper examines how formulations occur in talk outside the classroom…

Sex Education: New Resources Help Parents Talk with Kids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witt, Virginia

2002-01-01

To help parents talk with children about sexual health, the Kaiser Family Foundation and National PTA developed a series of free resources for parents (e.g., the booklet "Talking with Kids: A Parent's Guide to Sex Education") to increase parent involvement and communication around sex education. This paper notes the importance of parents…

The Impact of Teacher Feedback on Student Self-Talk and Self-Concept in Reading and Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnett, Paul C.

2003-01-01

Investigated the relationships between teacher feedback and students' self-talk and self-concepts in mathematics and reading. Data collected from students in six rural Australian elementary schools indicated that self-talk (positive and negative) mediated between subject-specific teacher feedback (ability, effort, and negative) and academic…

Toward Explaining the Transformative Power of Talk about, around, and for Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godbee, Beth

2012-01-01

This article provides an initial approach for capturing moments of talk about, around, and for writing to explain why writing groups and writing conferences are so often considered "transformative" for the people involved. After describing the widespread and yet disparate transformations so often attributed to collaborative writing talk, I…

Feasibility and Acceptability of the TALK Social Worker Intervention to Improve Live Kidney Transplantation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DePasquale, Nicole; Hill-Briggs, Felicia; Darrell, Linda; Boyer, LaPricia Lewis; Ephraim, Patti; Boulware, L. Ebony

2012-01-01

Live kidney transplantation (LKT) is underused by patients with end-stage renal disease. Easily implementable and effective interventions to improve patients' early consideration of LKT are needed. The Talking About Live Kidney Donation (TALK) social worker intervention (SWI) improved consideration and pursuit of LKT among patients with…

Low- and High-Text Books Facilitate the Same Amount and Quality of Extratextual Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muhinyi, Amber; Hesketh, Anne

2017-01-01

Recent research suggests that caregiver-child extratextual talk during shared book reading facilitates the development of preschool children's oral language skills. This study investigated the effects of the amount of picturebook text on mother-child extratextual talk during shared book reading. Twenty-four mother-child dyads (children aged…

Why Do Bees Sting? Reflecting on Talk in Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boctor, Sonia; Rowell, Patricia M.

2004-01-01

Learning science in a meaningful way involves more than doing a series of activities directed towards anticipated outcomes. Learning science entails teacher and children talking together as "co-constructors" of knowledge (Barnes, 1976). Karen Gallas (1995) has described her long-term observations of the kinds of talk which contribute to…

Let's Talk Math: Encouraging Children To Explore Ideas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lilburn, Pat; Rawson, Pam

This book presents mathematics activities to help children talk and write mathematically. Children are encouraged to talk about and share their ideas, to use everyday language to describe mathematical situations, and to restate problems in their own words. There are two sections in this book. Part 1 discusses the following issues and implications…

Talk at Mealtimes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Christina

2013-01-01

This short report explores how many young people sit down with their family at mealtimes, how often they talk with their family when they do and the relationship between mealtime talk and young people's confidence in and attitudes towards communication skills. Using data from the latest annual survey of 34,910 children and young people, it shows…

Formulaic Language in Computer-Supported Communication: Theory Meets Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wray, Alison

2002-01-01

Attempts to validate a psycholinguistic model of language processing. One experiment designed to provide insight into the model is TALK, is a system developed to promote conversational fluency in non-speaking individuals. TALK, designed primarily for people with cerebral palsy and motor neuron disease. Talk is demonstrated to be a viable tool for…

Ames Women's Influence Network (WIN) Hidden Figures talk with "Computers" Carolyn Hofstetter and Carol Mead co-sponsored by the AAAG

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-01

Ames Women's Influence Network (WIN) Hidden Figures talk with "Computers" Carolyn Hofstetter and Carol Mead co-sponsored by the AAAG. Left to right Barbara Miller, Ames EEO, Computers Carolyn Hoffstetter and Carol Mead, talking to Carolyn Hofstetter is Arlene Spencer

Student Talk and Opportunities for Mathematical Learning in Small Group Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Marcy B.; Kalinec, Crystal A.

2012-01-01

Small group interactions are an important tool for mathematical learning and yet researchers have neither examined small group talk across entire lessons nor have they focused on moments of mathematical learning in small groups. We examined such talk and identified kinds of interactions and connections between interactions and mathematical…

Talk and Learing in Classroom Science. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawes, Lyn

2004-01-01

This paper examines what is important about talk between learners during school science and, having identified this, suggests how we can ensure that what we consider important happens. By looking at the interaction between teachers and learners talking about science, it is possible to indicate ways in which learners can be helped to continue this…

Adjusting Language Level in Teacher-Talk in ELT Microteachings with Specific Reference to Distance Education Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarigoz, Iskender Hakki

2013-01-01

Foreign language teacher education requires microteaching practices carried out by teacher trainees for learning and assessment purposes. During microteachings, teacher trainees operate many teaching skills concurrently. Interlanguage compatible teacher-talk in the target language is essential for the production of student talk at elementary and…

Engaging Talk: One Teacher's Scaffolding of Collaborative Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Ruth M. C.

2017-01-01

This paper reports on an ESRC and British Telecom funded study which explored the teaching of collaborative talk in the secondary English classroom. While research signals the crucial role of the teacher in promoting dialogic pedagogies, less specific attention has been given to how teacher discourse can shape the development of students'…

Working Talk: Developing a Framework for the Teaching of Collaborative Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Ruth

2016-01-01

This study draws on the findings of an ESRC and British Telecom funded study which explored the teaching of collaborative talk. A teaching intervention was designed which adopted the principles of dialogic teaching, but which, drawing on educational linguistics, particularly emphasised the role of metatalk in developing students' awareness of the…

Talking in Class: Remembering What Is Important about Classroom Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Peter H.; Ivey, Gay; Faulkner, Amy

2012-01-01

The writers describe how apparently ordinary decisions about what to say when talking with children can have substantial effects on their learning and development. The language we use with children influences, among other things, who they think they are, what they think they're doing, the relationships they have with others, the strategic…

Understanding the Impact of Exposure Patterns on Risks from Combined Exposures to Multiple Chemicals

EPA Science Inventory

The talk was invited so there is no formal abstract. However, the focus of the talk is on the use of exposure information in the evaluation of risks from combined exposures to chemicals. The talk presents a bit of history and several case studies. All empirical data presented hav...

The Quality of Talk in Children's Joint Activity at the Computer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Neil

1994-01-01

Describes findings of the Spoken Language and New Technology (SLANT) research project which studied the talk of primary school children in the United Kingdom who were working in small groups at computers with various kinds of software. Improvements in the quality of talk and collaboration during computer-based activities are suggested. (Contains…

Talk Alone Won't Close the 30-Million Word Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasik, Barbara A.; Hindman, Annemarie H.

2015-01-01

Interventions that affect children's vocabulary development focus on the quality of language as well as quantity. Children need opportunities to talk, use vocabulary words, and respond to adults' questions. Adults need to create opportunities to talk, provide quality feedback on children's language, and use a lot of new vocabulary repeatedly in…

Fathers' Early Emotion Talk: Associations with Income, Ethnicity, and Family Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrett-Peters, Patricia; Mills-Koonce, Roger; Zerwas, Stephanie; Cox, Martha; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne

2011-01-01

Contextual, mother-, child-, and father-level variables were examined in association with fathers' emotion talk to infants during a shared picture book activity, in an ethnically diverse, low-income sample (N = 549). Significant main effects included the rate of emotion talk from fathers' romantic partners (i.e., the infant's mother), infant…

Playful Talk: Negotiating Opportunities to Learn in Collaborative Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Florence R.; Wilson, Nicholas C.

2015-01-01

This case study examines the role of playful talk in negotiating the "how" of collaborative group work in a 6th-grade science classroom. Here we develop and test a Vygotsky-derived hypothesis that postulates playful talk as a mechanism for identity exploration and group status negotiation. Our findings indicate that students utilized the…

Lexical Coverage of TED Talks: Implications for Vocabulary Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nurmukhamedov, Ulugbek

2017-01-01

Teachers of English are often in search of authentic audio and video materials that promote learners' listening comprehension and vocabulary development. TED Talks, a set of freely available web presentations, could be a useful resource to promote vocabulary instruction. The present replication study examines the lexical coverage of TED Talks by…

Gender Differences in Topical Coherence: Creating Involvement in Best Friends' Talk.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tannen, Deborah

1990-01-01

Examines gender differences in topical coherence of same-sex best friends' conversations using John Gumperz's framework for cross-cultural communication. Finds that girls exhibit minimal or no difficulty in finding something to talk about. Finds that boys exhibit more discomfort, with tenth grade boys talking about their own highly personal…

Exploring Teacher Talk during Mathematics Instruction in an Inclusion Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiebe Berry, Ruth A.; Kim, Namsook

2008-01-01

The authors examined aspects of teacher talk during mathematics lessons in a 1st-grade inclusion classroom. Using content analytical coding methods, they analyzed 4 lessons--each taught by a different teacher in the classroom. Results showed that the patterns of teacher talk across all 4 teachers were chiefly recitational and lacking…

Development of a Computer-Based Measure of Listening Comprehension of Science Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Sheau-Wen; Liu, Yu; Chen, Shin-Feng; Wang, Jing-Ru; Kao, Huey-Lien

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a computer-based assessment for elementary school students' listening comprehension of science talk within an inquiry-oriented environment. The development procedure had 3 steps: a literature review to define the framework of the test, collecting and identifying key constructs of science talk, and…

Information content and cross-talk in biological signal transduction: An information theory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Ashok; Lyons, Samanthe

2014-03-01

Biological cells respond to chemical cues provided by extra-cellular chemical signals, but many of these chemical signals and the pathways they activate interfere and overlap with one another. How well cells can distinguish between interfering extra-cellular signals is thus an important question in cellular signal transduction. Here we use information theory with stochastic simulations of networks to address the question of what happens to total information content when signals interfere. We find that both total information transmitted by the biological pathway, as well as its theoretical capacity to discriminate between overlapping signals, are relatively insensitive to cross-talk between the extracellular signals, until significantly high levels of cross-talk have been reached. This robustness of information content against cross-talk requires that the average amplitude of the signals are large. We predict that smaller systems, as exemplified by simple phosphorylation relays (two-component systems) in bacteria, should be significantly much less robust against cross-talk. Our results suggest that mammalian signal transduction can tolerate a high amount of cross-talk without degrading information content, while smaller bacterial systems cannot.

[Ictal Speech Manifesting as Sleep Talking: A Case Report].

PubMed

Suzuki, Takehiro; Kakisaka, Yosuke; Kitazawa, Yu; Jin, Kazutaka; Sato, Shiho; Iwasaki, Masaki; Fujikawa, Mayu; Nishio, Yoshiyuki; Kanno, Akitake; Nakasato, Nobukazu

2017-02-01

We present a 28-year-old female patient whose epilepsy started at the age of 19. MRI showed right perisylvian polymicrogyria. She exhibited various seizure symptoms, such as somatosensory aura involving the left leg, dyscognitive seizures, and amnesic seizures. Her mother indicated that the patient sometimes had "sleep talking", which was associated with presence of epileptic seizures of the next day. Long-term video electroencephalography (EEG) revealed that her episodes of "sleep talking" were epileptic events, specifically ictal speech, originating in the right hemisphere. The present case demonstrates the importance of considering "sleep talk" as an epileptic symptom. Careful history taking is fundamental to carry patients with possibly pathological "sleep talk" to the long-term video EEG, which will contribute correct diagnosis and treatment. (Received August 16, 2016; Accepted September 9, 2016; Published February 1, 2017).

On Cross-talk Correction of Images from Multiple-port CCDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freyhammer, L. M.; Andersen, M. I.; Arentoft, T.; Sterken, C.; Nørregaard, P.

Multi-channel CCD read-out, which is an option offered at most optical observatories, can significantly reduce the time spent on reading the detector. The penalty of using this option is the so-called amplifier cross-talk, which causes contamination across the output amplifiers, typically at the level of 1:10 000. This can be a serious problem for applications where high precision and/or high contrast is of importance. We represent an analysis of amplifier cross-talk for two instruments - FORS1 at the ESO VLT telescope Antu (Paranal) and DFOSC at the Danish 1.54 m telescope (La Silla) - and present a post-processing method for removing the imprint of cross-talk. It is found that cross-talk may significantly contaminate high-precision photometry in crowded fields, but it can be effectively eliminated during data reduction.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arabi, Hosein; Asl, Ali Reza Kamali; Ay, Mohammad Reza

Purpose: The variable resolution x-ray (VRX) CT scanner provides substantial improvement in the spatial resolution by matching the scanner's field of view (FOV) to the size of the object being imaged. Intercell x-ray cross-talk is one of the most important factors limiting the spatial resolution of the VRX detector. In this work, a new cell arrangement in the VRX detector is suggested to decrease the intercell x-ray cross-talk. The idea is to orient the detector cells toward the opening end of the detector. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations were used for performance assessment of the oriented cell detector design. Previously publishedmore » design parameters and simulation results of x-ray cross-talk for the VRX detector were used for model validation using the GATE Monte Carlo package. In the first step, the intercell x-ray cross-talk of the actual VRX detector model was calculated as a function of the FOV. The obtained results indicated an optimum cell orientation angle of 28 deg. to minimize the x-ray cross-talk in the VRX detector. Thereafter, the intercell x-ray cross-talk in the oriented cell detector was modeled and quantified. Results: The intercell x-ray cross-talk in the actual detector model was considerably high, reaching up to 12% at FOVs from 24 to 38 cm. The x-ray cross-talk in the oriented cell detector was less than 5% for all possible FOVs, except 40 cm (maximum FOV). The oriented cell detector could provide considerable decrease in the intercell x-ray cross-talk for the VRX detector, thus leading to significant improvement in the spatial resolution and reduction in the spatial resolution nonuniformity across the detector length. Conclusions: The proposed oriented cell detector is the first dedicated detector design for the VRX CT scanners. Application of this concept to multislice and flat-panel VRX detectors would also result in higher spatial resolution.« less

Engaging Terminally Ill Patients in End of Life Talk: How Experienced Palliative Medicine Doctors Navigate the Dilemma of Promoting Discussions about Dying.

PubMed

Pino, Marco; Parry, Ruth; Land, Victoria; Faull, Christina; Feathers, Luke; Seymour, Jane

2016-01-01

To examine how palliative medicine doctors engage patients in end-of-life (hereon, EoL) talk. To examine whether the practice of "eliciting and responding to cues", which has been widely advocated in the EoL care literature, promotes EoL talk. Conversation analysis of video- and audio-recorded consultations. Unselected terminally ill patients and their companions in consultation with experienced palliative medicine doctors. Outpatient clinic, day therapy clinic, and inpatient unit of a single English hospice. Doctors most commonly promoted EoL talk through open elaboration solicitations; these created opportunities for patients to introduce-then later further articulate-EoL considerations in such a way that doctors did not overtly ask about EoL matters. Importantly, the wording of elaboration solicitations avoided assuming that patients had EoL concerns. If a patient responded to open elaboration solicitations without introducing EoL considerations, doctors sometimes pursued EoL talk by switching to a less participatory and more presumptive type of solicitation, which suggested the patient might have EoL concerns. These more overt solicitations were used only later in consultations, which indicates that doctors give precedence to patients volunteering EoL considerations, and offer them opportunities to take the lead in initiating EoL talk. There is evidence that doctors treat elaboration of patients' talk as a resource for engaging them in EoL conversations. However, there are limitations associated with labelling that talk as "cues" as is common in EoL communication contexts. We examine these limitations and propose "possible EoL considerations" as a descriptively more accurate term. Through communicating-via open elaboration solicitations-in ways that create opportunities for patients to volunteer EoL considerations, doctors navigate a core dilemma in promoting EoL talk: giving patients opportunities to choose whether to engage in conversations about EoL whilst being sensitive to their communication needs, preferences and state of readiness for such dialogue.

A randomised controlled trial to test the effect of promoting caregiver contingent talk on language development in infants from diverse socioeconomic status backgrounds.

PubMed

McGillion, Michelle; Pine, Julian M; Herbert, Jane S; Matthews, Danielle

2017-10-01

Early language skills are critical for later academic success. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) children tend to start school with limited language skills compared to advantaged peers. We test the hypothesis that this is due in part to differences in caregiver contingent talk during infancy (how often the caregiver talks about what is in the focus of the infant's attention). In a randomised controlled trial with high and low SES families, 142 11-month olds and their caregivers were randomly allocated to either a contingent talk intervention or a dental health control. Families in the language intervention watched a video about contingent talk and were asked to practise it for 15 min a day for a month. Caregiver communication was assessed at baseline and after 1 month. Infant communication was assessed at baseline, 12, 15, 18 and 24 months. At baseline, social gradients were observed in caregiver contingent talk to their 11-month olds (but not in infant communication). At posttest, when infants were 12 months old, caregivers across the SES spectrum who had been allocated to the language intervention group engaged in significantly more contingent talk. Lower SES caregivers in this intervention group also reported that their children produced significantly more words at 15 and 18 months. Effects of the intervention did not persist at 24 months. Instead expressive vocabulary at this age was best predicted by baseline infant communication, baseline contingent talk and SES. A social gradient in children's communication emerges during the second year of life. A low-intensity intervention demonstrated that it is possible to increase caregiver contingent talk and that this is effective in promoting vocabulary growth for lower SES infants in the short term. However, these effects are not long-lasting, suggesting that follow-up interventions may be necessary to yield benefits lasting to school entry. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Cross-talk reduction by correcting the subpixel position in a multiview autostereoscopic three-dimensional display based on a lenticular sheet.

PubMed

Wang, Qiong-Hua; Li, Xiao-Fang; Zhou, Lei; Wang, Ai-Hong; Li, Da-Hai

2011-03-01

A method is proposed to alleviate the cross talk in multiview autostereoscopic three-dimensional displays based on a lenticular sheet. We analyze the positional relationship between subpixels on the image panel and the lenticular sheet. According to this relationship, optimal synthetic images are synthesized to minimize cross talk by correcting the positions of subpixels on the image panel. Experimental results show that the proposed method significantly reduces the cross talk of view images and improves the quality of stereoscopic images. © 2010 Optical Society of America

[Sleep talking].

PubMed

Challamel, M J

2001-11-01

Sleep talking is very common in the general population. Its prevalence remains stable from childhood through adulthood. Sleep talking is often associated with other parasomnias: sleep walking, sleep terrors or REM sleep behavior disorders. It may arise from either REM or non REM sleep, when associated with REM sleep it is more comprehensible and often associated with clear sentences and recall of sleep mentation. Sleep talking is a benign entity and does not require any treatment; however an exceptional organic cause or psychopathology should be suspected if the onset is late (after 25 years); if the mental content is too violent or too emotional.

Support for the 2007 Meeting of the Society for Mathematical Psychology

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-10

Ballroom: Salons A,B,&C 1 1:45am-l:15pm Lunch (provided) Lakeside Area 1:15pm-4:00pm Symposia & Talk Sessions Ballroom: Salons A,B,&C 4:30pm-5:30pm Plenary...Symposia & Talk Sessions Ballroom: Salons A,B,&C 11:45am-1:15pm Lunch (provided) Lakeside Area 1:1 5pm-4:00pm Symposia & Talk Sessions Ballroom: Salons A,B...Sat 7:45am-8:45am Breakfast (provided) Lakeside Area 9:00am-1 1:45am Symposia & Talk Sessions Ballroom: Salons A,B,&C Program Overview Plenary

Self-talk functions: portrayal of an elite power lifter.

PubMed

Cutton, David M; Hearon, Christopher M

2014-10-01

The study presents the results of a case study with a repeated data collection design: a recent and former world champion power lifter provided weekly e-mails, during approximately 6 mo. of training and competition, with a description of his 'self-determined self-talk.' The instruction used for self-talk (ST) mentioned its associations with emotions, staying focused, maintaining motivation, and improving exercise skills. The obtained e-mails were coded using categories indicating functions of 'self-determined self-talk' mainly based on previous literature. The frequency of the functions during training and competition were compared and discussed following the qualitative research tradition.

How mothers talk about placement of their child with autism outside the home.

PubMed

Corman, Michael K

2013-10-01

In this article I use insights offered by the poststructural shift and linguistic turn in social scientific inquiry, specifically discourse analysis, to explore mothers' talk about the placement of their child with autism outside of the home. By viewing mothers' talk as data, I bring to light the discourses and interpretive practices that mothers drew on to organize their talk of placement. In doing so, I provide insights into how mothers gave meaning to processes of placement while also expanding on commonsensical discursive notions of "good" mothering, caregiving, and family. Implications of the findings are discussed.

An evaluation of a mass media campaign to encourage parents of adolescents to talk to their children about sex.

PubMed

DuRant, Robert H; Wolfson, Mark; LaFrance, Betty; Balkrishnan, Rajesh; Altman, David

2006-03-01

We evaluated a mass media campaign in North Carolina that used television (TV) public service announcements (PSAs), radio PSAs, and billboards to encourage parents of adolescents to talk to their children about sex. The primary message of the campaign was "Talk to your kids about sex. Everyone else is." Thirty-two of the 100 counties in North Carolina were chosen to evaluate the mass media campaign. Paid TV PSAs were aired in 22 of these counties, radio PSAs were aired in 21 counties, and billboards were displayed in 6 counties over a period of 9 months. The counties in our sample varied from no exposure to exposure to all 3 types of media. To assess the impact of the campaign, a sample of 1,132 parents of adolescents living in the 32 counties was administered a postexposure survey via a telephone interview. Questions about exposure to the media campaign were embedded among questions concerning media exposure to other health-related messages. The parent survey assessed the frequency the parents reported exposure to each type of media message, correct knowledge of the message, and multiple item scales that assessed how often they had talked to their child about various issues related to sex during the previous 6 months, intentions to talk to their child about these issues during the next month, and attitudes about discussing sexual issues with their child. In bivariate analyses the levels of parental exposure to the 3 types of media messages were associated with both having talked to their children and intentions to talk to their children about sex (p < .0001). When analyzed with multiple regression, female gender, minority ethnicity, frequency of seeing a billboard on teenage pregnancy, frequency of seeing a TV PSA about sex, and frequency of hearing a radio PSA about sex and teenage pregnancy accounted for 12.8% (p < .0001) of the variance in having talked to their child about sex. Female gender, minority ethnicity, and previously talking to their child about sex accounted for 9.9% of the variation in positive communication attitudes about sex. Positive communication attitudes, female parent, minority ethnicity, frequency of seeing a billboard about sex, frequency of seeing a TV PSA about sex, and frequency of hearing radio PSAs about sex accounted for 12.3% of the variation in parental intentions to talk to their child about sex during the next month. Exposure to each component of this mass media campaign was associated with parents recently having talked to their adolescent children about sex and intentions to talk to their children during the next month.

Parents' perspectives on talking to preteenage children about sex.

PubMed

Wilson, Ellen K; Dalberth, Barbara T; Koo, Helen P; Gard, Jennifer C

2010-03-01

Although parent-child communication about sex can significantly affect children's sexual behavior, many parents do not talk to their children about sex. Qualitative research can elucidate parents' attitudes toward and experiences with communicating with their children about sex. In 2007, 16 focus groups were conducted with 131 mothers and fathers of children aged 10-12 in three cities in different regions of the United States. Separate groups were conducted for mothers and fathers, and for black, white and Hispanic parents. Content analysis was used to identify core themes and patterns. Parents believed it is important to talk to their children about sex and believed that doing so can be effective, but many had not done so. Primary barriers were parents' perception that their children are too young and not knowing how to talk to their children about the subject. Parents found it easiest to talk to their children about sex if they had a good parent-child relationship, took advantage of opportunities to talk and began having the discussions when their children were very young. Some differences were noted by parents' race, ethnicity, gender and location. Interventions aimed at encouraging parents to talk to their children about sex should enhance parents' understanding of the stages of children's sexual development and focus on the parents of young children. In addition, interventions should support parents in a range of strategies that complement discussions about sex.

Effect of Two Isolated Vocal-facilitating Techniques Chant Talk and Pitch Inflections on the Phonation of Female Speech-language Pathology Students: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Meerschman, Iris; Bettens, Kim; Dejagere, Stefanie; Tetaert, Lieselot; D'haeseleer, Evelien; Claeys, Sofie; Van Lierde, Kristiane

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the isolated vocal-facilitating techniques Chant Talk and Pitch Inflections on the phonation of healthy female speech-language pathology (SLP) students. A multigroup pretest-posttest design was used. A homogenous group of 40 healthy female SLP students with a mean age of 18.7 years were randomly assigned into 3 groups: a Chant Talk group (practicing Chant Talk across 18 weeks), a Pitch Inflections group (practicing Pitch Inflections across 18 weeks), and a control group (practicing no facilitating techniques). To compare vocal measures before and after this time span, an identical objective voice assessment protocol (aerodynamic measurement, acoustic analysis, voice range profile, and Dysphonia Severity Index) was performed in the 3 groups. Both Chant Talk and Pitch Inflections groups resulted in a significant decrease of the acoustic measure noise-to-harmonics ratio compared with the control group. The Chant Talk group resulted in a significant increase in the acoustic measure fundamental frequency compared with the control group. The results of this pilot study suggest that the facilitating techniques Chant Talk and Pitch Inflections may improve the objective measure of breathiness (noise-to-harmonics ratio) in healthy female SLP students. Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Teachers' Literal and Inferential Talk in Early Childhood and Special Education Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sembiante, Sabrina F.; Dynia, Jaclyn M.; Kaderavek, Joan N.; Justice, Laura M.

2018-01-01

Research Findings: This study examined preschool teachers' literal talk (LT) and inferential talk (IT) during shared book readings in early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms. We aimed to characterize and compare teachers' LT and IT in these 2 classroom contexts and determine whether differences in LT…

Talking about Talk: Reviewing Oracy in English Primary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Deborah

2017-01-01

This paper provides a review of oracy in primary education (5-11) in England. It discusses the nature of talk, acknowledging it as integral to the learning and teaching process and traces the history and development of the place of oracy within the curriculum. The article provides a critique of related policy initiatives including various…

What Counts as Effective Input for Word Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shneidman, Laura A.; Arroyo, Michelle E.; Levine, Susan C.; Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2013-01-01

The talk children hear from their primary caregivers predicts the size of their vocabularies. But children who spend time with multiple individuals also hear talk that others direct to them, as well as talk not directed to them at all. We investigated the effect of linguistic input on vocabulary acquisition in children who routinely spent time…

Personalization in Mother-Child Emotion Talk across Three Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kucirkova, Natalia; Tompkins, Virginia

2014-01-01

An unexplored aspect of contextual variation in emotion talk is the extent to which the emotions mothers and children discuss relate to the child, mother, or another self. To establish the extent to which mothers and children personalize the emotions they discuss, we examined the emotion talk of 40 American mother-child dyads in three…

Revisiting Debates on Oracy: Classroom Talk--Moving towards a Democratic Pedagogy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coultas, Valerie

2015-01-01

This article uses documentary evidence to review debates on spoken language and learning in the UK over recent decades. It argues that two different models of talk have been at stake: one that wishes to "correct" children's spoken language and another than encourages children to use talk to learn and represent their worlds. The article…

"Don't Even Trip, U Did Your Part": Analysing Community in Online Student Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Catherine Francis

2013-01-01

This paper analyses the online talk of students working in groups collaboratively in a hybrid university course. In particular, this study investigates how students situate themselves relationally through their use of language and how particular moments of talk contribute to the construction of community in an online classroom environment. The…

Mixed Messages and Missed Opportunities: Moments of Transformation in Writing Conferences and Teacher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denyer, Jenny; Florio-Ruane, Susan

1995-01-01

Describes challenges for teacher educators who want to help students move beyond talk about text that recalls facts to talk that supports interpretation and crafting of text. A case study describes how one teacher candidate struggled to reconcile what she thought teaching was with new ways of talking about text. (SM)

The Effects of Talking-Head with Various Realism Levels on Students' Emotions in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohamad Ali, Ahmad Zamzuri; Hamdan, Mohd Najib

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various realistic levels of talking-head on students' emotions in pronunciation learning. Four talking-head characters with varying levels of realism were developed and tested: a nonrealistic three-dimensional character, a realistic three-dimensional character, a two-dimensional character, and…

Talking up Learning at Work: Cautionary Tales in Co-Opting Everyday Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boud, David; Rooney, Donna; Solomon, Nicky

2009-01-01

Learning in workplaces is always mediated through talk. It is tempting for management to seek to utilise everyday talk as part of learning and therefore enhance productivity. This paper examines the responses of workers to interventions that aim to formalise informal conversations at work as part of an explicit workplace learning strategy. It…

The Effect of Self-Talk on the Penalty Execution in Goalball

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stamou, Eirini; Theodorakis, Yiannis; Kokaridas, Dimitrios; Perkos, Stefanos; Kessanopoulou, Melpomeni

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness and preference of the two different types of self-talk (instructional and motivational) on penalty execution skill in goalball and gain insight on the athletes' perceptions concerning self-talk use and its influence on their performance. The sample consisted of six female athletes, aged…

"They're Different from Who I Am": Making Relevant Identities in the Middle through Talk-in-Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mossman, Tim

2012-01-01

This qualitative study builds on earlier research on language and identity by focusing on how Canadian Generation 1.5 university students enact their identities through talk-in-interaction. Drawing on (applied) Conversational Analysis (CA) to analyze critically the production and management of social institutions in talk-in-interaction in tandem…

Social Conversation and Effective Discussion in Online Group Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Fei-Ching; Wang, Thomas C.

2009-01-01

This paper studies the social talk of high school students in online discussion forums. On-task talk has generally been assessed as valuable discussion because it contributes directly to productive learning. Off-task conversation, on the other hand, is often regarded as useless and a waste of time. Should this social talk indeed be regarded as an…

Self-Talk Repertoire of Physical Education Teachers: Awareness, Reflection and Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutton, David M.; Killion, Lorraine; Burt, Daniel

2015-01-01

Self-talk (ST) is a strategy that has been found to change behavior by decreasing interference or distractions to better face challenges related to an impending task. Self-talk is typically a dynamic use of words, phrases or cues that may be positive, negative, instructional or motivational in nature. Physical education teachers and coaches have…

The Use of Non-Specific Comments in a Conversation Aid for Non-Speaking People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todman, John; Morrison, Zara

1995-01-01

TALK (Talk Aid using pre-Loaded Knowledge) is a computer system linked to a speech synthesizer which enables nonspeaking people to engage in real-time social conversation. TALK provides categories of general comments that can be used whenever a suitable specific response is unavailable. Results are reported of a study evaluating effectiveness of…

Tracing Ideologies of Learning in Group Talk and Their Impediments to Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Kate T.; Weninger, Csilla

2012-01-01

In this paper we examine the complex relationship between dynamics of group talk and students' ideologies of learning. Through an interactional analysis and thematic coding of group talk, this study details barriers to collaboration in a digital storytelling workshop with primary-aged youth in Singapore. Drawing on 25 h of video-recorded data, we…

Getting It Out, Getting It Down: Adapting Zoellner's Talk-Write.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wixon, Vincent; Stone, Patty

The Talk-Write method of teaching college composition, developed by Robert Zoellner, can be adapted for use in secondary and upper elementary classrooms. The method, which focuses on the process of writing, involves teaming students in pairs. One student then talks out a composition, sentence by sentence, while the partner asks questions to draw…

Reflection on "Designerly Talk in Non-Pedagogical Social Spaces"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Colin M.; Howard, Craig D.

2015-01-01

"Designerly Talk in Non-Pedagogical Social Spaces" (Gray and Howard, 2014) is a paper on a study that was conducted as an early attempt to understand the kinds of talk students engaged in outside of the formal curriculum in student-run communities that enhanced their design learning. While the paper has only been available for a…

We Are All Talking: A Whole-School Approach to Professional Development for Teachers of English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shea, Lauren M.; Sandholtz, Judith Haymore; Shanahan, Therese B.

2018-01-01

This study investigates the impact of a professional development program that included two distinct components: strategies for infusing student-talk into grade-level lessons in science and mathematics; and school-level learning communities focused on readings and discussions of student-talk research. This article reports the program's impact on…

Coaching Conversations: The Nature of Talk between a Literacy Coach and Three Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belcastro, Elizabeth G.

2009-01-01

This descriptive case study examined the nature of talk a literacy coach used during coaching conversations to guide collaborative inquiry to support teachers' needs. The study provided a rich description of the type of talk used in the coach's conversations with three kindergarten classroom teachers by analyzing the content of conversation,…

Emotion Talk in Preschool Same-Sex Friendship Groups: Fluidity over Time and Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyratzis, Amy

2001-01-01

Examined "emotion talk" among 3- and 4-year-old peers in a children's center in different contexts over the academic year. Found that the boys' group evolved norms against expression of being scared with norms downgrading girl characteristics. Boys' and girls' groups showed contextual fluidity in expressing emotion and emotion talk that…

Reasoning Words as Linguistic Features of Exploratory Talk: Classroom Use and What It Can Tell Us

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Maureen; Kong, Yiren

2017-01-01

Reasoning words are linguistic features associated with classroom exploratory talk as students talk-to-learn, explore ideas, and probe each other's thinking. This study extends established research on use of reasoning words to a fourth- to fifth-grade literature-based English language learning context. We examined frequency and patterning of…

Thinking out of the Exams Box: Assessment through Talk?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coultas, Valerie

2017-01-01

This article examines the abandonment of talk-based assessment in favour of written exams, even when writing results in less valid assessment. It points to substantial experience of assessment through talk in English and media studies and points to its potential use in other subjects. It is followed by an example, originally designed by the…

Accuracy of Voice-Announcement Pedometers for Youth with Visual Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beets, Michael W.; Foley, John T.; Tindall, Daniel W. S.; Lieberman, Lauren J.

2007-01-01

Thirty-five youth with visual impairments (13.5 plus or minus 2.1 yrs, 13 girls and 22 boys) walked four 100-meter distances while wearing two units (right and left placement) of three brands of voice-announcement (VA) pedometers (Centrios[TM] Talking Pedometer, TALKiNG Pedometer, and Sportline Talking Calorie Pedometer 343) and a reference…

ToonTalk(TM)--An Animated Programming Environment for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Ken

This paper describes ToonTalk, a general-purpose concurrent programming system in which the source code is animated and the programming environment is a video game. The design objectives of ToonTalk were to create a self-teaching programming system for children that was also a very powerful and flexible programming tool. A keyboard can be used for…

Text Talk, Body Talk, Table Talk: A Design of Ratio and Proportion as Classroom Parallel Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrahamson, Dor

2003-01-01

The paper describes the rationale and 10-day implementation in a 5th-grade classroom (n=19) of an experimental ratio-and-proportion instructional design. In this constructivist-phenomenological design, coming from our theoretical perspective, design research, and domain analysis, students: (1) link "real-world" and "mathematical" objects…

Silent Pedagogy and Rethinking Classroom Practice: Structuring Teaching through Silence Rather than Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ollin, Ros

2008-01-01

Classroom observations are an important source of information about teaching and about the practice of particular teachers. The paper considers the value placed on talk as opposed to silence in this context and suggests that a cultural bias towards talk means that silence is commonly perceived negatively. The paper is based on a qualitative…

Talking Science: Language and Learning in Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Wolff-Michael

2005-01-01

This book is about the fundamental nature of talk in school science. Language as a formal system provides resources for conducting everyday affairs, including the doing of science. While writing science is one aspect, talking science may in fact constitute a much more important means by which people navigate and know the world--the very medium…

Using the Hand to Choreograph Instruction: On the Functional Role of Gesture in Definition Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belhiah, Hassan

2013-01-01

This article examines the coordination of speech and gesture in teachers' definition talk, that is, vocabulary explanations addressed to language learners. By analyzing one ESL teacher's spoken definitions, the study demonstrates in the details of the unfolding talk how a teacher crafts and choreographs his definitions moment by moment, while…

Elicitation Techniques: Getting People to Talk about Ideas They Don't Usually Talk About

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barton, Keith C.

2015-01-01

Elicitation techniques are a category of research tasks that use visual, verbal, or written stimuli to encourage participants to talk about their ideas. These tasks are particularly useful for exploring topics that may be difficult to discuss in formal interviews, such as those that involve sensitive issues or rely on tacit knowledge. Elicitation…

Honing EAP Learners' Public Speaking Skills by Analyzing TED Talks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leopold, Lisa

2016-01-01

Despite the importance of public speaking skills for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students' academic and professional success, few EAP textbooks incorporate authentic, professional speech models. Thus, many EAP instructors have turned to TED talks for dynamic speech models. Yet a single TED talk may be too long for viewing in class and may…

Talking Shop: Authentic Conversation and Teacher Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Christopher M., Ed.

This book presents a set of stories that focus on what teachers learn from talking to one another about their practice, presenting a case for how the ordinary talk among teachers is a potent medium for teacher learning and professional development. Drawing from the work of eight groups of teachers in the United States and Israel who met in…

Exploratory Talk, Argumentation and Reasoning in Mexican Primary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rojas-Drummond, Sylvia; Zapata, Margarita Peon

2004-01-01

The study analyses the effects of training primary school children in the use of a linguistic tool called "Exploratory Talk" (ET) on their capacity for argumentation. ET allows for reasoned confrontation and negotiation of points of view, making the reasoning visible in the talk. Eighty-eight Mexican children from the 5th and 6th grades…

Valuing the Talk of Young People: Are We Nearly There Yet?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Boyle, Aisling

2013-01-01

This paper examines the reasons why young people's talk about themselves and their educational experiences do not seem to be valued in public discourse about education. Drawing on a national dataset of student focus groups, it illustrates how students talk about themselves in educational contexts in a way that is entirely different and more…

NASA Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory research briefs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Sanford (Editor)

1994-01-01

The Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory research program is presented in a series of research briefs. Nineteen projects covering aeronautical fluid mechanics and related areas are discussed and augmented with the publication and presentation output of the Branch for the period 1990-1993.

Geographic patterns of genetic variation in native pecans

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A structured collection of eighty seedling pecan trees [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] representing nineteen putatively native pecan populations across the species range were evaluated at three plastid and 14 nuclear microsatellite (simple sequence repeat, SSR) loci. Data were analyzed usi...

Rational Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macmillan, C. J. B.

1985-01-01

The recognition of teaching as a special relationship among individuals is currently being overlooked in much contemporary educational research and policymaking. The author examines the philosophy of rationality in teaching and relates it to the educational vision presented in George Orwell's novel, "Nineteen Eighty-Four." (CB)

The fifty-year-old woman and midlife stress.

PubMed

Campbell, S

It has been assumed that the fifties are a relatively stable decade; however, women in their fifties are susceptible to many stresses, internal and external. The possibilities of widowhood, divorce, or poverty, combined with intra- and interpersonal strains, make this a time of insecurity about aging for many women. Some suggestions as to why women nonetheless cope successfully with aging are considered.

Girl Talk: A Smartphone Application to Teach Sexual Health Education to Adolescent Girls.

PubMed

Brayboy, Lynae M; Sepolen, Alexandra; Mezoian, Taylor; Schultz, Lucy; Landgren-Mills, Benedict S; Spencer, Noelle; Wheeler, Carol; Clark, Melissa A

2017-02-01

Produce Girl Talk, a free smartphone application containing comprehensive sexual health information, and determine the application's desirability and appeal among teenage girls. Thirty-nine girls ages 12 to 17 years from Rhode Island participated in a 2-phase prospective study. In phase I, 22 girls assessed a sexual health questionnaire in focus groups. In phase II, 17 girls with iPhones used Girl Talk for 2 weeks and answered the revised sexual health questionnaire and interview questions before and after use. Participants' responses to the sexual health questionnaire, interviews, and time viewing the application were used to determine feasibility and desirability of Girl Talk. Girl Talk was used on average for 48 minutes during participants' free time on weekends for 10- to 15-minute intervals. Reported usefulness of Girl Talk as a sexual health application from baseline (6 participants) to follow-up (16 participants) increased significantly (35.3% vs 94.1%; P < .001). Knowledge improved most in topics related to anatomy and physiology (70.5% to 74.7% out of 7 questions), sexuality and relationships (76.5% to 80.0% out of 10 questions), and STI prevention (75.6% to 79.0% out of 7 questions). Most phase II participants (13 out of 17, or 76.5%) were exposed to sexual health education before using Girl Talk, but 16 out of 17 participants (94.1%) stated that the application provided new and/or more detailed information than health classes. Girl Talk can potentially connect teenage girls to more information about sexual health vs traditional methods, and participants recommended the application as a valuable resource to learn about comprehensive sexual health. Copyright © 2016 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Injury talk: spontaneous parent–child conversations in the aftermath of a potentially traumatic event

PubMed Central

Alisic, Eva; Gunaratnam, Shaminka; Barrett, Anna; Conroy, Rowena; Jowett, Helen; Bressan, Silvia; Babl, Franz E; McClure, Roderick; Anderson, Vicki; Mehl, Matthias R

2017-01-01

Background While talking about traumatic experiences is considered central to psychological recovery, little is known about how these conversations occur in daily life. Objective We investigated spontaneous injury talk among parents and children in the aftermath of a child’s hospitalisation due to physical trauma, and its relationship with children’s socioemotional functioning. Methods In a prospective naturalistic observation study, we audio-sampled the daily life of 71 families with the Electronically Activated Recorder after their child (3–16 years old) was discharged from hospital. We collected close to 20 000 snippets of audio information, which were double-coded for conversation characteristics, and measured children’s socioemotional functioning with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 6 weeks and 3 months postinjury. Findings The children were involved in injury talk for, on average, 46 min/day, 9 min of which referred to emotions. Children had significantly more injury conversations with their mothers than with their fathers. The tone of injury conversations was significantly more positive than that of non-injury conversations. More direct injury talk was associated with fewer problems on the emotion subscale of the SDQ at 3 months. Other associations between aspects of injury talk and children’s socioemotional functioning were mostly non-significant, although they appeared to be stronger at 3 months than at 6 weeks. Conclusions Families spontaneously talked about the injury and associated issues for about the same amount of time per day as a therapist might within a session (a ‘therapy hour’). Clinical implications Making full use of naturally occurring injury talk may be a valuable direction for parent and family-focused postinjury interventions. However, the study design prevents causal inference, and further exploration is warranted. PMID:29030502

A Meta-Analysis of Motivational Interviewing Process: Technical, Relational, and Conditional Process Models of Change

PubMed Central

Magill, Molly; Apodaca, Timothy R.; Borsari, Brian; Gaume, Jacques; Hoadley, Ariel; Gordon, Rebecca E.F.; Tonigan, J. Scott; Moyers, Theresa

2018-01-01

Objective In the present meta-analysis, we test the technical and relational hypotheses of Motivational Interviewing (MI) efficacy. We also propose an a priori conditional process model where heterogeneity of technical path effect sizes should be explained by interpersonal/relational (i.e., empathy, MI Spirit) and intrapersonal (i.e., client treatment seeking status) moderators. Method A systematic review identified k = 58 reports, describing 36 primary studies and 40 effect sizes (N = 3025 participants). Statistical methods calculated the inverse variance-weighted pooled correlation coefficient for the therapist to client and the client to outcome paths across multiple target behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, other drug use, other behavior change). Results Therapist MI-consistent skills were correlated with more client change talk (r = .55, p < .001) as well as more sustain talk (r = .40, p < .001). MI-inconsistent skills were correlated with more sustain talk (r = .16, p < .001), but not change talk. When these indicators were combined into proportions, as recommended in the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code, the overall technical hypothesis was supported. Specifically, proportion MI consistency was related to higher proportion change talk (r = .11, p = .004) and higher proportion change talk was related to reductions in risk behavior at follow up (r = −.16, p < .001). When tested as two independent effects, client change talk was not significant, but sustain talk was positively associated with worse outcome (r = .19, p < .001). Finally, the relational hypothesis was not supported, but heterogeneity in technical hypothesis path effect sizes was partially explained by inter- and intra-personal moderators. Conclusions This meta-analysis provides additional support for the technical hypothesis of MI efficacy; future research on the relational hypothesis should occur in the field rather than in the context of clinical trials. PMID:29265832

A meta-analysis of motivational interviewing process: Technical, relational, and conditional process models of change.

PubMed

Magill, Molly; Apodaca, Timothy R; Borsari, Brian; Gaume, Jacques; Hoadley, Ariel; Gordon, Rebecca E F; Tonigan, J Scott; Moyers, Theresa

2018-02-01

In the present meta-analysis, we test the technical and relational hypotheses of Motivational Interviewing (MI) efficacy. We also propose an a priori conditional process model where heterogeneity of technical path effect sizes should be explained by interpersonal/relational (i.e., empathy, MI Spirit) and intrapersonal (i.e., client treatment seeking status) moderators. A systematic review identified k = 58 reports, describing 36 primary studies and 40 effect sizes (N = 3,025 participants). Statistical methods calculated the inverse variance-weighted pooled correlation coefficient for the therapist to client and the client to outcome paths across multiple target behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, other drug use, other behavior change). Therapist MI-consistent skills were correlated with more client change talk (r = .55, p < .001) as well as more sustain talk (r = .40, p < .001). MI-inconsistent skills were correlated with more sustain talk (r = .16, p < .001), but not change talk. When these indicators were combined into proportions, as recommended in the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code, the overall technical hypothesis was supported. Specifically, proportion MI consistency was related to higher proportion change talk (r = .11, p = .004) and higher proportion change talk was related to reductions in risk behavior at follow up (r = -.16, p < .001). When tested as two independent effects, client change talk was not significant, but sustain talk was positively associated with worse outcome (r = .19, p < .001). Finally, the relational hypothesis was not supported, but heterogeneity in technical hypothesis path effect sizes was partially explained by inter- and intrapersonal moderators. This meta-analysis provides additional support for the technical hypothesis of MI efficacy; future research on the relational hypothesis should occur in the field rather than in the context of clinical trials. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

How Healthcare Provider Talk with Parents of Children Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury is Perceived in Early Acute Care

PubMed Central

Savage, Teresa A.; Grant, Gerald; Philipsen, Gerry

2013-01-01

Healthcare provider talk with parents in early acute care following children’s severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects parents’ orientations to these locales, but this connection has been minimally studied. This lack of attention to this topic in previous research may reflect providers’ and researchers’ views that these locales are generally neutral or supportive to parents’ subsequent needs. This secondary analysis used data from a larger descriptive phenomenological study (2005 – 2007) with parents of children following moderate to severe TBI recruited from across the United States. Parents of children with severe TBI consistently had strong negative responses to the early acute care talk processes they experienced with providers, while parents of children with moderate TBI did not. Transcript data were independently coded using discourse analysis in the framework of ethnography of speaking. The purpose was to understand the linguistic and paralinguistic talk factors parents used in their meta-communications that could give a preliminary understanding of their cultural expectations for early acute care talk in these settings. Final participants included 27 parents of children with severe TBI from 23 families. We found the human constructed talk factors that parents reacted to were: a) access to the child, which is where information was; b) regular discussions with key personnel; c) updated information that is explained; d) differing expectations for talk in this context; and, e) perceived parental involvement in decisions. We found that the organization and nature of providers’ talk with parents was perceived by parents to positively or negatively shape their early acute care identities in these locales, which influenced how they viewed these locales as places that either supported them and decreased their workload or discounted them and increased their workload for getting what they needed. PMID:23746606

Normal birth, magical birth: the role of the 36-week birth talk in caseload midwifery practice.

PubMed

Kemp, Joy; Sandall, Jane

2010-04-01

to obtain a detailed description of the 36-week birth talk, and how it is delivered to and perceived by women and their birth partners. two qualitative methods: ethnography and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Non-participant observation of five birth talks and in-depth semi-structured interviews with midwives, women and their birth partners. two caseload midwifery practices in an inner city area of England, and women's homes. five birth talks, five case-loading midwives, five childbearing women and five birth partners. a rich description of the content and conduct of the birth talk emerged from the data. In addition, three master themes were identified: a new philosophy for birth ('don't forget the magic'); the construction of authoritative midwifery knowledge ('they make you believe that you can have what you want'); and achieving a sense of coherence ('making sense of the birth'). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE, POLICY, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH: the majority of data from this study suggest that the effectiveness of a birth talk cannot be separated from the philosophy and continuity associated with caseload midwifery practice. The birth talk is therefore probably not transferable per se into different models of care in order to achieve higher rates of normal birth. Further evaluation of the effectiveness of the birth talk in clinical practice, and further research into alternative birth philosophies in different settings is now required. Caseload midwifery practice has been shown to benefit women and midwives. This study would seem to concur with these previous findings. The sense of coherence concept could prove to be a useful tool to measure outcomes in future midwifery research. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Depression, negative emotionality, and self-referential language: A multi-lab, multi-measure, and multi-language-task research synthesis.

PubMed

Tackman, Allison M; Sbarra, David A; Carey, Angela L; Donnellan, M Brent; Horn, Andrea B; Holtzman, Nicholas S; Edwards, To'Meisha S; Pennebaker, James W; Mehl, Matthias R

2018-03-05

Depressive symptomatology is manifested in greater first-person singular pronoun use (i.e., I-talk), but when and for whom this effect is most apparent, and the extent to which it is specific to depression or part of a broader association between negative emotionality and I-talk, remains unclear. Using pooled data from N = 4,754 participants from 6 labs across 2 countries, we examined, in a preregistered analysis, how the depression-I-talk effect varied by (a) first-person singular pronoun type (i.e., subjective, objective, and possessive), (b) the communication context in which language was generated (i.e., personal, momentary thought, identity-related, and impersonal), and (c) gender. Overall, there was a small but reliable positive correlation between depression and I-talk (r = .10, 95% CI [.07, .13]). The effect was present for all first-person singular pronouns except the possessive type, in all communication contexts except the impersonal one, and for both females and males with little evidence of gender differences. Importantly, a similar pattern of results emerged for negative emotionality. Further, the depression-I-talk effect was substantially reduced when controlled for negative emotionality but this was not the case when the negative emotionality-I-talk effect was controlled for depression. These results suggest that the robust empirical link between depression and I-talk largely reflects a broader association between negative emotionality and I-talk. Self-referential language using first-person singular pronouns may therefore be better construed as a linguistic marker of general distress proneness or negative emotionality rather than as a specific marker of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Strategic Talk in Film.

PubMed

Payr, Sabine; Skowron, Marcin; Dobrosovestnova, Anna; Trapp, Martin; Trappl, Robert

2017-01-01

Conversational robots and agents are being designed for educational and/or persuasive tasks, e.g., health or fitness coaching. To pursue such tasks over a long time, they will need a complex model of the strategic goal, a variety of strategies to implement it in interaction, and the capability of strategic talk. Strategic talk is incipient ongoing conversation in which at least one participant has the objective of changing the other participant's attitudes or goals. The paper is based on the observation that strategic talk can stretch over considerable periods of time and a number of conversational segments. Film dialogues are taken as a source to develop a model of the strategic talk of mentor characters. A corpus of film mentor utterances is annotated on the basis of the model, and the data are interpreted to arrive at insights into mentor behavior, especially into the realization and sequencing of strategies.

Summary of talks and papers at ISCB-Asia/SCCG 2012

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The second ISCB-Asia conference of the International Society for Computational Biology took place December 17-19, 2012, in Shenzhen, China. The conference was co-hosted by BGI as the first Shenzhen Conference on Computational Genomics (SCCG). 45 talks were presented at ISCB-Asia/SCCG 2012. The topics covered included software tools, reproducible computing, next-generation sequencing data analysis, transcription and mRNA regulation, protein structure and function, cancer genomics and personalized medicine. Nine of the proceedings track talks are included as full papers in this supplement. In this report we first give a short overview of the conference by listing some statistics and visualizing the talk abstracts as word clouds. Then we group the talks by topic and briefly summarize each one, providing references to related publications whenever possible. Finally, we close with a few comments on the success of this conference.

Reliability on ISS Talk Outline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Misiora, Mike

2015-01-01

1. Overview of ISS 2. Space Environment and it effects a. Radiation b. Microgravity 3. How we ensure reliability a. Requirements b. Component Selection i. Note: I plan to stay away from talk about Rad Hardened components and talk about why we use older processors because they are less susceptible to SEUs. c. Testing d. Redundancy / Failure Tolerance e. Sparing strategies 4. Operational Examples a. Multiple MDM Failures on 6A due to hard drive failure In general, my plan is to only talk about data that is currently available via normal internet sources to ensure that I stay away from any topics that would be Export Controlled, ITAR, or NDA-controlled. The operational example has been well-reported on in the media and those are the details that I plan to cover. Additionally I am not planning on using any slides or showing any photos during the talk.

Development and psychometric evaluation of a quantitative measure of "fat talk".

PubMed

MacDonald Clarke, Paige; Murnen, Sarah K; Smolak, Linda

2010-01-01

Based on her anthropological research, Nichter (2000) concluded that it is normative for many American girls to engage in body self-disparagement in the form of "fat talk." The purpose of the present two studies was to develop a quantitative measure of fat talk. A series of 17 scenarios were created in which "Naomi" is talking with a female friend(s) and there is an expression of fat talk. College women respondents rated the frequency with which they would behave in a similar way as the women in each scenario. A nine-item one-factor scale was determined through principal components analysis and its scores yielded evidence of internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability over a five-week time period, construct validity, discriminant validity, and incremental validity in that it predicted unique variance in body shame and eating disorder symptoms above and beyond other measures of self-objectification. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategic Talk in Film

PubMed Central

Payr, Sabine; Skowron, Marcin; Dobrosovestnova, Anna; Trapp, Martin; Trappl, Robert

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Conversational robots and agents are being designed for educational and/or persuasive tasks, e.g., health or fitness coaching. To pursue such tasks over a long time, they will need a complex model of the strategic goal, a variety of strategies to implement it in interaction, and the capability of strategic talk. Strategic talk is incipient ongoing conversation in which at least one participant has the objective of changing the other participant’s attitudes or goals. The paper is based on the observation that strategic talk can stretch over considerable periods of time and a number of conversational segments. Film dialogues are taken as a source to develop a model of the strategic talk of mentor characters. A corpus of film mentor utterances is annotated on the basis of the model, and the data are interpreted to arrive at insights into mentor behavior, especially into the realization and sequencing of strategies. PMID:29375243

A Pharmacy Elective Course on Creative Thinking, Innovation, and TED Talks.

PubMed

Cain, Jeff

2016-12-25

Objective. To implement and assess an elective course designed to enhance student creative thinking and presentation skills. Design. A two-credit elective course was developed that incorporated creative-thinking exercises, article discussions pertaining to creativity, TED Talk (TED Conferences, New York, NY) analyses, and presentation design and delivery exercises. Assessment. Assessment instruments included pre- and post-course Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). A scoring rubric was developed and used to evaluate a final mock TED Talk presented to faculty and students. Course evaluations were also used to assess student experiences in the course. Students' TTCT verbal creativity scores increased significantly ( p <0.05) during the course and their mock TED Talk mean scores (135±6.4) out of 150 were rated highly. Conclusion. The outcomes from this elective course confirmed that pharmacy students could develop and present an original "idea worth sharing" using the TED Talk format.

A Pharmacy Elective Course on Creative Thinking, Innovation, and TED Talks

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Objective. To implement and assess an elective course designed to enhance student creative thinking and presentation skills. Design. A two-credit elective course was developed that incorporated creative-thinking exercises, article discussions pertaining to creativity, TED Talk (TED Conferences, New York, NY) analyses, and presentation design and delivery exercises. Assessment. Assessment instruments included pre- and post-course Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). A scoring rubric was developed and used to evaluate a final mock TED Talk presented to faculty and students. Course evaluations were also used to assess student experiences in the course. Students’ TTCT verbal creativity scores increased significantly (p<0.05) during the course and their mock TED Talk mean scores (135±6.4) out of 150 were rated highly. Conclusion. The outcomes from this elective course confirmed that pharmacy students could develop and present an original “idea worth sharing” using the TED Talk format. PMID:28179719

A report on the current status of grand rounds in radiology residency programs in the United States.

PubMed

Yablon, Corrie M; Wu, Jim S; Slanetz, Priscilla J; Eisenberg, Ronald L

2011-12-01

A national needs assessment of radiology program directors was performed to characterize grand rounds (GR) programs, assess the perceived educational value of GR programs, and determine the impact of the recent economic downturn on GR. A 28-question survey was developed querying the organizational logistics of GR programs, types of speakers, content of talks, honoraria, types of speakers invited, response to the economic downturn, types of speaker interaction with residents, and perceived educational value of GR. Questions were in multiple-choice, yes-or-no, and five-point Likert-type formats. The survey was distributed to the program directors of all radiology residencies within the United States. Fifty-seven of 163 programs responded, resulting in a response rate of 36%. Thirty-eight programs (67%) were university residencies and 10 (18%) were university affiliated. Eighty-two percent of university and 60% of university-affiliated residencies had their own GR programs, while only 14% of community and no military residencies held GR. GR were held weekly in 18% of programs, biweekly in 8%, monthly in 42%, bimonthly in 16%, and less frequently than every 2 months in 16%. All 38 programs hosting GR reported a broad spectrum of presentations, including talks on medical education (66%), clinical and evidence-based medicine (55%), professionalism (45%), ethics (45%), quality assurance (34%), global health (26%), and resident presentations (26%). All programs invited speakers from outside the institution, but there was variability with regard to the frequency of visits and whether invited speakers were from out of town. As a result of recent economic events, one radiology residency (3%) completely canceled its GR program. Others decreased the number of speakers from outside their cities (40%) or decreased the number of speakers from within their own cities (16%). Honoraria were paid to speakers by 95% of responding programs. Most program directors (79%) who had their own GR programs either strongly agreed or agreed that GR are an essential component of any academic radiology department, and this opinion was shared by a majority of all respondents (68%). Almost all respondents (97%) either strongly agreed or agreed that general radiologic education of imaging subspecialists is valuable in an academic radiology department. A majority (65%) either strongly agreed or agreed that attendance at GR should be expected of all attending radiologists. GR programs among radiology residencies tend to have similar formats involving invited speakers, although the frequency, types of talks, and honoraria may vary slightly. Most programs value GR, and all programs integrate GR within resident education to some degree. The recent economic downturn has led to a decrease in the number of invited visiting speakers but not to a decrease in the amounts of honoraria. Copyright © 2011 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality Talk and Dialogic Teaching--An Examination of a Professional Development Programme on Secondary Teachers' Facilitation of Student Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Maree; Kiemer, Katharina; Meissel, Kane

2017-01-01

This study used the Quality Talk and dialogic teaching approach with a group of secondary school teachers (N = 7) to train their facilitation of dialogical discussions by small groups of students. The study used video and audio analysis to assess the teachers' observable behaviours during these discussions, before and after professional…

A Deeper Look at How Teachers Say What They Say: A Quantitative Modality Analysis of Teacher-to-Teacher Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosko, Karl W.; Herbst, Patricio

2012-01-01

Analysis of teacher-to-teacher talk provides researchers with useful information regarding the teaching profession and teachers' perspectives. This article provides a description of a method, with accompanying example, examining teacher-to-teacher talk by incorporating semantic modality and examining trends of its usage in a quantitative manner.…

Relations between Teacher Questioning and Student Talk in One Elementary ELL Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Maureen P.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of how the varied form and responsive and response-able use of teacher questions can invite and direct not only more student talk in classrooms but elicit specific and varied features of student talk that enhance comprehension building and provide evidence of student engagement and high-level…

Testing the effectiveness of certainty scales, cheap talk, and dissonance-minimization in reducing hypothetical bias in contingent valuation studies

Treesearch

Mark Morrison; Thomas C. Brown

2009-01-01

Stated preference methods such as contingent valuation and choice modeling are subject to various biases that may lead to differences between actual and hypothetical willingness to pay. Cheap talk, follow-up certainty scales, and dissonance minimization are three techniques for reducing this hypothetical bias. Cheap talk and certainty scales have received considerable...

A comparison of cheap talk and alternative certainty calibration techniques in contingent valuation

Treesearch

Mihail Samnaliev; Thomas Stevens; Thomas More

2003-01-01

A field test of cheap talk and two types of certainty calibration in contingent valuation of public lands indicated that cheap talk does not reduce WTP estimates. Use of a ten point certainty calibration scale reduces WTP estimates by about half. However, adjusting for uncertainty using a 'Not Sure' option does not reduce WTP estimates but increases the...

Geometry Teaching--Geometrieunterricht. Conference on the Teaching of Geometry (Helsinki, Finland, August 1-4, 1989). Research Report 74.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pehkonen, Erkki, Ed.

This report contains conference papers on geometry teaching. There were five plenary talks given and a review of Hungarian geometry teaching. The plenary talks addressed background theories of the psychology of learning such as constructivism, perceptional psychology, and motivational psychology. The themes of the 21 short talks were on a varied…

PlainTalk Starter Kit: A Practical Guide to Community-Based Programming To Reduce Teen Pregnancy, STDs and HIV/AIDS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglas, Elaine

Plain Talk is a community-based initiative designed to assist neighborhood groups and residents in creating and implementing locally acceptable and effective strategies to protect sexually active youth from pregnancy. Plain Talk aims to affect individual, neighborhood, and community behavior through a process that focuses on helping adults develop…

Effects of Verbal Components in 3D Talking-Head on Pronunciation Learning among Non-Native Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ali, Ahmad Zamzuri Mohamad; Segaran, Kogilathah; Hoe, Tan Wee

2015-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the benefit of inclusion of various verbal elements in 3D talking-head on pronunciation learning among non-native speakers. In particular, the study examines the effects of three different multimedia presentation strategies in 3D talking-head Mobile-Assisted-Language-Learning (MALL) on the learning…

"If You're Fat, Then I'm Humongous!": Frequency, Content, and Impact of Fat Talk among College Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salk, Rachel H.; Engeln-Maddox, Renee

2011-01-01

Fat talk (women speaking negatively about the size and shape of their bodies) is a phenomenon that both reflects and creates body dissatisfaction. Our study investigated the content, frequency, and impact of fat talk among college women. Participants (168 female students at a Midwestern U.S. university) completed online surveys containing fat…

"Talk, Talk and More Talk": Parental Perceptions of Young Children's Information Practices Related to Their Hobbies and Interests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barriage, Sarah

2016-01-01

Introduction: This article explores parental perceptions of young children's everyday life information practices related to their hobbies and interests. Method: Thirty-one parents of children between the ages of four and eight years old completed a survey about their children's hobbies and interests. Questions were related to the nature of the…

Changing the Way to Teach Maths: Preservice Primary Teachers' Reflections on Using Exploratory Talk in Teaching Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Carol

2016-01-01

This paper reports on the reflections of twenty-one primary preservice teachers following a microteaching experience that focused on the use of talk and collaborative group work, as part of a primary mathematics specialist education programme. Based on the didactic strategies of exploratory talk, the experience intended to develop knowledge for…

Trainer Talk in Post-Observation Feedback Sessions: An Exploration of Scaffolding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engin, Marion

2015-01-01

Learning takes place in a particular social context and in interaction with others. One of the tools of mediation between the learner and the subject to be learned is talk. In a teacher training context, it is through the use of particular talk that trainers can guide and scaffold their trainees towards learning, and the basic premise is that…

Thought and talk. The intrapersonal component of human communication.

PubMed

Farley, M J

1992-09-01

The intrapersonal component of human communication, self-talk, influences what we say and how we respond to another in interpersonal dialogues. A model of communication that incorporates the notion of self-talk, both that of the speaker and that of the listener, is useful in assisting nurses in making more realistic appraisals of communication interactions and addressing problems in communication failures.

A Talk Focus for Promoting Enjoyment and Developing Understanding in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawes, Lyn; Dore, Babs; Loxley, Peter; Nicholls, Linda

2010-01-01

In this paper we suggest a practical, talk-based model for the successful pursuit of teaching science in primary classrooms (Loxley et al., 2010). This model is not only based on our own experience of teaching in primary schools, and of training teachers to do so, but is also based substantially on research on classroom talk, which has built upon…

Establishing Scientific Discourse in Classroom Interaction Teacher Students' Orientation to Mundane versus Technical Talk in the School Subject Norwegian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skovholt, Karianne

2018-01-01

This article reports a case study on classroom interaction in teacher education in Norway. It addresses how teacher students in the school subject Norwegian constitute scientific talk in a student-led discussion. First, the analysis reveals tension in the classroom conversation between "mundane talk"--that is, where students make claims…

The Inquiry Acts of Bilingual Children in Literature Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez-Roldan, Carmen M.

2005-01-01

In this article, the author examines the inquiry talk of a small group of bilingual children discussing the text "Oliver Button Is a Sissy". The children raised many questions about the story and about issues of gender. The major focus of this article is on the participants' inquiry talk and the context that mediated their talk. The author uses…

"Why Do We Know Hebrew and They Do Not Know Arabic?" Children's Meta-Linguistic Talk in Bilingual Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartz, Mila; Gorbatt, Naomi

2016-01-01

Language-focused listening to young children's talk provides insight into their internal thinking mechanisms regarding language as they engage in language learning. The aim of this exploratory longitudinal study was to examine and analyze children's meta-linguistic talk and its main characteristics in a bilingual Arabic-Hebrew-speaking preschool.…

More than Meets the Ear: A Factor Analysis of Student Impressions of Television Talk Show Hosts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, James R.

To identify the descriptors most frequently associated with four popular television talk show hosts and to isolate the fundamental dimensions of the images of those talk show hosts, a study surveyed 209 students from Memphis State University and the University of Arkansas (Little Rock) about their impressions of Johnny Carson, David Letterman,…

It's Rather like Learning a Language: Development of Talk and Conceptual Understanding in Mechanics Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rincke, Karsten

2011-01-01

Although a broad literature exists concerning the development of conceptual understanding of force and other topics within mechanics, little is known about the role and development of students' talk about the subject. The paper presents an in-depth investigation of students' talk whilst being introduced to the concept of force. The main research…

We're Playing "Jeremy Kyle"! Television Talk Shows in the Playground

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsh, Jackie; Bishop, Julia

2014-01-01

This paper focuses on an episode of play in a primary school playground in England, which featured a group of children re-enacting elements of the television talk show "The Jeremy Kyle Show". The episode is analysed in the light of work that has identified the key elements of the talk show genre and the children's play is examined in…

Talking to, Talking about, Talking with: Language Arts Students in Conversation with Poetic Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emert, Toby

2010-01-01

English teachers share the blame for the lack of imaginative responses from students to the texts they bring to students, given their penchant for focusing on the most technical elements of literature rather than on its emotional resonance. In classrooms, teachers often concentrate too heavily on what Janet Allen calls the "products" of their…

Brush Talk at the Conversation Table: Interaction between L1 and L2 Speakers of Chinese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Menq-Ju

2009-01-01

Chinese characters are used in both Chinese and Japanese writing systems. When literate speakers of either language experience problems in finding or understanding words, they often resort to using Chinese characters or "kanji" (i.e., Chinese characters used in Japanese writing) in their talk, a practice known as "brush talk" ("bitan" in Chinese,…

Sex and Sensibility: A Parent's Guide to Talking Sense about Sex.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roffman, Deborah M.

Children who grow up in an atmosphere of openness about sexuality grow up more slowly and more responsibly. This book offers parents a new framework for talking honestly about sex and sexuality with their children. The first part of the book examines new ways of thinking and talking, while the second part addresses concrete ways of raising…

Talk with Your Mother or Your Sibling? Developmental Changes in Early Family Conversations about Feelings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jane R.; Dunn, Judy

1992-01-01

Developmental changes in the pattern of 50 families' conversations about feelings were examined when the families' second-born children were 33 and 47 months old. The total amount of talk and the frequency of talk about feelings between sibling pairs increased, whereas the amount of mother-child conversation and references to feelings decreased.…

Elaborative Talk during and after an Event: Conversational Style Influences Children's Memory Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedrick, Amy M.; Haden, Catherine A.; Ornstein, Peter A.

2009-01-01

An experimental design was utilized to examine the effects of elaborative talk during and/or after an event on children's event memory reports. Sixty preschoolers were assigned randomly to one of four conditions that varied according to a researcher's use of high- or low- elaborative during- and/or post-event talk about a camping event. In a…

Revoicing: A Tool to Engage All Learners in Academic Conversations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferris, Sarah J.

2014-01-01

Talk provides a foundation for how we learn language and advance as literate individuals. Talking helps us form thoughts, engages us in deeper learning with others, and plays a key part in how we learn to read and write. In this article, Accountable Talk®, which comes from researchers through the Institute for Learning (University of Pittsburgh),…

Information Literacy and the Public Library: We've Talked the Talk, but Are We Walking the Walk?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harding, Jane

2008-01-01

There has been much talk about libraries, including public libraries, being uniquely positioned to act as key agents for developing the critical skill of information literacy in their communities. Yet there is a notable lack of literature addressing information literacy and the public library, especially when compared to the volume of material on…

"Nobody Told Me It Was Rape": A Parent's Guide for Talking with Teenagers about Acquaintance Rape and Sexual Exploitation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Caren; Fay, Jennifer

This book was written to help parents talk to their adolescent children about acquaintance rape and sexual exploitation. It may also be useful to family life educators presenting units on rape and sexual exploitation. Acquaintance rape and sexual exploitation are explained in the first section. The second section discusses talking with teenagers…

Examining the Integration of Talk and Writing for Student Knowledge Construction through Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ying-Chih

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine students' understanding of argumentation when talk and writing were provided as learning tools, as well as to explore how talk and writing can best support students' construction of scientific knowledge. Most current studies have examined discourse patterns over a short interval of only a few class periods…

Examining Scientific and Technical Writing Strategies in the 11th Century Chinese Science Book "Brush Talks from Dream Brook"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Yuejiao

2013-01-01

This article examines the influential Chinese science book "Brush Talks from Dream Brook," written by Shen Kuo in the 11th century. I suggest that "Brush Talks" reveals a tension between institutionalized science and science in the public, and a gap between the making of scientific knowledge and the communication of such…

Influence of fibre design and curvature on crosstalk in multi-core fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egorova, O. N.; Astapovich, M. S.; Melnikov, L. A.; Salganskii, M. Yu; Mishkin, V. P.; Nishchev, K. N.; Semjonov, S. L.; Dianov, E. M.

2016-03-01

We have studied the influence of cross-sectional structure and bends on optical cross-talk in a multicore fibre. A reduced refractive index layer produced between the cores of such fibre with a small centre-to-centre spacing between neighbouring cores (27 μm) reduces optical cross-talk by 20 dB. The cross-talk level achieved, 30 dB per kilometre of the length of the multicore fibre, is acceptable for a number of applications where relatively small lengths of fibre are needed. Moreover, a significant decrease in optical cross-talk has been ensured by reducing the winding diameter of multicore fibres with identical cores.

Meeting report for mobile DNA 2010.

PubMed

Chaconas, George; Craig, Nancy; Curcio, M Joan; Deininger, Prescott; Feschotte, Cedric; Levin, Henry; Rice, Phoebe A; Voytas, Daniel F

2010-08-24

An international conference on mobile DNA was held 24-28 April 2010 in Montreal, Canada. Sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology, the conference's goal was to bring together researchers from around the world who study transposition in diverse organisms using multiple experimental approaches. The meeting drew over 190 attendees and most contributed through poster presentations, invited talks and short talks selected from poster abstracts. The talks were organized into eight scientific sessions, which ranged in topic from the evolutionary dynamics of mobile genetic elements to transposition reaction mechanisms. Here we present highlights from the platform sessions with a focus on talks presented by the invited speakers.

Technology Needs for the Next Generation of NASA Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David J.

2013-01-01

In-Space propulsion technologies relevant to Mars presentation is for the 14.03 Emerging Technologies for Mars Exploration panel. The talk will address propulsion technology needs for future Mars science missions, and will address electric propulsion, Earth entry vehicles, light weight propellant tanks, and the Mars ascent vehicle. The second panel presentation is Technology Needs for the Next Generation of NASA Science Missions. This talk is for 14.02 Technology Needs for the Next Generation of NASA Science Missions panel. The talk will summarize the technology needs identified in the NAC's Planetary Science Decadal Survey, and will set the stage for the talks for the 4 other panelist.

Learning how to learn using simulation: Unpacking disguised feedback using a qualitative analysis of doctors' telephone talk.

PubMed

Eppich, Walter J; Rethans, Jan-Joost; Dornan, Timothy; Teunissen, Pim W

2018-05-04

Telephone talk between clinicians represents a substantial workplace activity in postgraduate clinical education, yet junior doctors receive little training in goal-directed, professional telephone communication. To assess educational needs for telephone talk and develop a simulation-based educational intervention. Thematic analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews with doctors-in-training from various training levels and specialties. We identified essential elements to incorporate into simulation-based telephone talk, including common challenging situations for junior doctors as well as explicit and informal aspects that promote learning. These elements have implications for both junior doctors and clinical supervisors, including: (a) explicit teaching and feedback practices and (b) informal conversational interruptions and questions. The latter serve as "disguised" feedback, which aligns with recent conceptualizations of feedback as "performance relevant information". In addition to preparing clinical supervisors to support learning through telephone talk, we propose several potential educational strategies: (a) embedding telephone communication skills throughout simulation activities and (b) developing stand-alone curricular elements to sensitize junior doctors to "disguised" feedback during telephone talk as a mechanism to augment future workplace learning, i.e. 'learning how to learn' through simulation.

Gender and age differences in parent-child emotion talk.

PubMed

Aznar, Ana; Tenenbaum, Harriet R

2015-03-01

This study examined gender differences in emotion word use during mother-child and father-child conversations. Sixty-five Spanish mothers and fathers and their 4- (M = 53.50, SD = 3.54) and 6-year-old (M = 77.07, SD = 3.94) children participated in this study. Emotion talk was examined during a play-related storytelling task and a reminiscence task (conversation about past experiences). Mothers mentioned a higher proportion of emotion words than did fathers. During the play-related storytelling task, mothers of 4-year-old daughters mentioned a higher proportion of emotion words than did mothers of 4-year-old sons, whereas fathers of 4-year-old daughters directed a higher proportion of emotion words than did fathers of 4-year-old sons during the reminiscence task. No gender differences were found with parents of 6-year-old children. During the reminiscence task daughters mentioned more emotion words with their fathers than with their mothers. Finally, mothers' use of emotion talk was related to whether children used emotion talk in both tasks. Fathers' use of emotion talk was only related to children's emotion talk during the reminiscence task. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

From Shell Shock to Shellac: The Great War, Blindness, and Britain's Talking Book Library.

PubMed

Rubery, Matthew

2015-01-01

Britain's Talking Book Service began as a way of providing reading material to soldiers blinded during the First World War. This account traces the talking book's development from the initial experiments after the War to its debut and reception among blind soldiers and civilians in the 1930s. It has been put together using archives held by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (before its Royal Charter, the NIB) and Blind Veterans UK (formerly St. Dunstan's), the two organizations responsible for Britain's Talking Book Service. The essay's first section reconstructs the search for an alternative way of reading that would benefit people with vision impairments. The next part demonstrates the talking book's impact on the lives of people with disabilities, recovering the voices of blind readers left out of most histories of books, literacy, and reading practices in the twentieth century. The final section reconstructs a debate over the value of recorded books, showing that disputes over their legitimacy are as old as recorded books themselves. In sum, this essay confronts the central issue raised by the convergence of books, media, and disability in the War's aftermath: can a book talk?

Nanoscale thermal cross-talk effect on phase-change probe memory.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Wen, Jing; Xiong, Bangshu

2018-05-14

Phase-change probe memory is considered as one of the most promising means for next-generation mass storage devices. However, the achievable storage density of phase-change probe memory is drastically affected by the resulting thermal cross-talk effect while previously lacking of detailed study. Therefore, a three dimensional model that couples electrical, thermal, and phase-change processes of the Ge2Sb2Te5 media is developed, and subsequently deployed to assess the thermal cross-talk effect based on Si/TiN/ Ge2Sb2Te5/diamond-like carbon structure by appropriately tailoring the electro-thermal and geometrical properties of the storage media stack for a variety of external excitations. The modeling results show that the diamond-like carbon capping with a thin thickness, a high electrical conductivity, and a low thermal conductivity is desired to minimize the thermal cross-talk, while the TiN underlayer has a slight impact on the thermal cross-talk. Combining the modeling findings with the previous film deposition experience, an optimized phase-change probe memory architecture is presented, and its capability of providing ultra-high recording density simultaneously with a sufficiently low thermal cross-talk is demonstrated. . © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

The role of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisements and individual differences in getting people to talk to physicians.

PubMed

Krezmien, Elyse; Wanzer, Melissa Bekelja; Servoss, Timothy; LaBelle, Sara

2011-09-01

In this study, 384 respondents provided quantitative and descriptive information about direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertisements and factors related to message reception and drug adoption. The authors applied M. Booth-Butterfield's ( 2008 ) Standard Model to explain how DTC advertising is used in getting individuals to talk to their doctors about pharmaceutical drugs. The researchers predicted that individuals who talked with their physicians about a pharmaceutical drug (referred to as talkers) would differ from those who did not talk with their physicians (referred to as nontalkers) in a number of meaningful ways. Findings from this data set indicate that individuals who talked with their physician about a specific medication were more likely to be female, older, higher in need for cognition, and reported higher physician satisfaction. Total number of channels (TV, radio, newspaper, magazines, and the Internet) was negatively associated with talking to a physician about a specific medication, as was exposure to DTC advertisement on television. The authors offer explanations for these findings along with descriptive accounts of how talkers and nontalkers differed in their recall of DTC advertisement information. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Women's Fat Talk Can "Kill the Mood" for Men.

PubMed

Mikell, Christine M; Martz, Denise M

2016-04-01

This study examined men's perceptions of women engaging in "Fat Talk," a style of conversation that expresses discontent towards one's physical appearance, especially focusing on and criticizing body fat, shape, and weight. Male undergraduates were shown a vignette illustrating a courting scenario wherein the target female's body size was manipulated to be "sexy" and: (a) "lean," (b) "average," or (c) "larger." And to another woman, the men overheard the target female either: (a) self-degrade herself (fat talk) or (b) self-accept herself. As a third independent variable, participants' self esteem was divided into high and low with a median split. Dependent variables included self-created Likert items on his attraction towards the target and perceptions of her health and popularity. Men found the target female to have poorer mental health when he overheard her fat talking versus self-accepting. Further, his desire for a more exclusive committed relationship was stronger when she was described as leaner, especially for the lower self-esteemed men. As a pilot study, this has implications for interventions to decrease women's fat talk and begins research on the dynamic interplay between women's fat talk and heterosexual courtships. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MolTalk – a programming library for protein structures and structure analysis

PubMed Central

Diemand, Alexander V; Scheib, Holger

2004-01-01

Background Two of the mostly unsolved but increasingly urgent problems for modern biologists are a) to quickly and easily analyse protein structures and b) to comprehensively mine the wealth of information, which is distributed along with the 3D co-ordinates by the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Tools which address this issue need to be highly flexible and powerful but at the same time must be freely available and easy to learn. Results We present MolTalk, an elaborate programming language, which consists of the programming library libmoltalk implemented in Objective-C and the Smalltalk-based interpreter MolTalk. MolTalk combines the advantages of an easy to learn and programmable procedural scripting with the flexibility and power of a full programming language. An overview of currently available applications of MolTalk is given and with PDBChainSaw one such application is described in more detail. PDBChainSaw is a MolTalk-based parser and information extraction utility of PDB files. Weekly updates of the PDB are synchronised with PDBChainSaw and are available for free download from the MolTalk project page following the link to PDBChainSaw. For each chain in a protein structure, PDBChainSaw extracts the sequence from its co-ordinates and provides additional information from the PDB-file header section, such as scientific organism, compound name, and EC code. Conclusion MolTalk provides a rich set of methods to analyse and even modify experimentally determined or modelled protein structures. These methods vary in complexity and are thus suitable for beginners and advanced programmers alike. We envision MolTalk to be most valuable in the following applications: 1) To analyse protein structures repetitively in large-scale, i.e. to benchmark protein structure prediction methods or to evaluate structural models. The quality of the resulting 3D-models can be assessed by e.g. calculating a Ramachandran-Sasisekharan plot. 2) To quickly retrieve information for (a limited number of) macro-molecular structures, i.e. H-bonds, salt bridges, contacts between amino acids and ligands or at the interface between two chains. 3) To programme more complex structural bioinformatics software and to implement demanding algorithms through its portability to Objective-C, e.g. iMolTalk. 4) To be used as a front end to databases, e.g. PDBChainSaw. PMID:15096277

MolTalk--a programming library for protein structures and structure analysis.

PubMed

Diemand, Alexander V; Scheib, Holger

2004-04-19

Two of the mostly unsolved but increasingly urgent problems for modern biologists are a) to quickly and easily analyse protein structures and b) to comprehensively mine the wealth of information, which is distributed along with the 3D co-ordinates by the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Tools which address this issue need to be highly flexible and powerful but at the same time must be freely available and easy to learn. We present MolTalk, an elaborate programming language, which consists of the programming library libmoltalk implemented in Objective-C and the Smalltalk-based interpreter MolTalk. MolTalk combines the advantages of an easy to learn and programmable procedural scripting with the flexibility and power of a full programming language. An overview of currently available applications of MolTalk is given and with PDBChainSaw one such application is described in more detail. PDBChainSaw is a MolTalk-based parser and information extraction utility of PDB files. Weekly updates of the PDB are synchronised with PDBChainSaw and are available for free download from the MolTalk project page http://www.moltalk.org following the link to PDBChainSaw. For each chain in a protein structure, PDBChainSaw extracts the sequence from its co-ordinates and provides additional information from the PDB-file header section, such as scientific organism, compound name, and EC code. MolTalk provides a rich set of methods to analyse and even modify experimentally determined or modelled protein structures. These methods vary in complexity and are thus suitable for beginners and advanced programmers alike. We envision MolTalk to be most valuable in the following applications:1) To analyse protein structures repetitively in large-scale, i.e. to benchmark protein structure prediction methods or to evaluate structural models. The quality of the resulting 3D-models can be assessed by e.g. calculating a Ramachandran-Sasisekharan plot.2) To quickly retrieve information for (a limited number of) macro-molecular structures, i.e. H-bonds, salt bridges, contacts between amino acids and ligands or at the interface between two chains.3) To programme more complex structural bioinformatics software and to implement demanding algorithms through its portability to Objective-C, e.g. iMolTalk.4) To be used as a front end to databases, e.g. PDBChainSaw.

The Marketing of Public Library Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dragon, Andrea C.

1983-01-01

Defines the concept of marketing and relates models involving the exchanges and transactions of markets and charities to services offered by libraries. Market segmentation, understanding the behavior of markets, competition, and movement toward a market-oriented library are highlighted. Nineteen references are cited. (EJS)

Facilitated Communication: An Experimental Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regal, Robert A.; And Others

1994-01-01

Nineteen adults with developmental disabilities, judged competent in facilitated communication, participated in a validation study using an information passing design requiring short-term recall of stimulus cards with shapes, colors, and numbers. Results failed to validate facilitated communication for the group as a whole, any individual…