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Objective: To determine the relationship between emergent intubation (emergency department and field intubation cases combined) and mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) while controlling for injury severity.Methods: Retrospective observational study of 981 (35.2% intubated, 64.8% not intubated) patients with TBI evaluating the association between intubation status and mortality. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Injury severity measures included Head/Neck Abbreviated Injury Scale (H-AIS), systolic blood pressure, type of head injury (blunt vs. penetrating), and a propensity score combining the effects of several other potential confounding variables. Age was also included in the model.Results: The simple association of emergent endotracheal intubation with death had an odds ratio (OR) of 14.3 (95% CI = 9.4 – 21.9). The logistic regression model including relevant covariates and a propensity score that adjusted for injury severity and age yielded an OR of 5.9 (95% CI = 3.2 – 10.9).Conclusions: This study indicates that emergent intubation is associated with increased risk of death after controlling for a number of injury severity indicators. We discuss the need for optimal paramedic training, and an understanding of the factors that guide patient selection and the decision to intubate in the field. [WestJEM.2008;9:184-189]

The installation of roofing materials with increased solar reflectance (i.e., "cool roofs") can mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce energy use. In addition, meteorological changes, along with the possibility of enhanced UV reflection from these surfaces, can have complex impacts on ozone and PM2.5 concentrations. We aim to evaluate the air-quality impacts of widespread cool-roof installations prescribed by California's Title 24 building energy efficiency standards within the heavily populated and polluted South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB). Development of a comprehensive rooftop area database and evaluation of spectral reflectance measurements of roofing materials allows us to project potential future changes in solar and UV reflectance for simulations using the Weather Research Forecast and Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) models. 2012 meteorological simulations indicate a decrease in daily maximum temperatures, daily maximum boundary layer heights, and ventilation coefficients throughout the SoCAB upon widespread installation of cool roofs. CMAQ simulations show significant increases in PM2.5 concentrations and policy-relevant design values. Changes in 8-h ozone concentrations depend on the potential change in UV reflectance, ranging from a decrease in population-weighted concentrations when UV reflectance remains unchanged to an increase when changes in UV reflectance are at an upper bound. However, 8-h policy-relevant ozone design values increase in all cases. Although the other benefits of cool roofs could outweigh small air-quality penalties, UV reflectance standards for cool roofing materials could mitigate these negative consequences. Results of this study motivate the careful consideration of future rooftop and pavement solar reflectance modification policies.

Objective: To determine the relationship between emergent intubation (emergency department and field intubation cases combined) and mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) while controlling for injury severity.Methods: Retrospective observational study of 981 (35.2% intubated, 64.8% not intubated) patients with TBI evaluating the association between intubation status and mortality. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Injury severity measures included Head/Neck Abbreviated Injury Scale (H-AIS), systolic blood pressure, type of head injury (blunt vs. penetrating), and a propensity score combining the effects of several other potential confounding variables. Age was also included in the model.Results: The simple association of emergent endotracheal intubation with death had an odds ratio (OR) of 14.3 (95% CI = 9.4 – 21.9). The logistic regression model including relevant covariates and a propensity score that adjusted for injury severity and age yielded an OR of 5.9 (95% CI = 3.2 – 10.9).Conclusions: This study indicates that emergent intubation is associated with increased risk of death after controlling for a number of injury severity indicators. We discuss the need for optimal paramedic training, and an understanding of the factors that guide patient selection and the decision to intubate in the field. [WestJEM.2008;9:184-189]

Creativity appears to be important to both organisational performance and employee wellbeing but understanding of the individual differences that support the creative process is incomplete. High sensitivity of the nervous system - to both internal bodily states and external context -- has been associated with creative potential in the wider psychological literature, but occupational research into sensitivity is sparse. Research that has explored sensitivity in the workplace tends to focus on the vulnerabilities of the trait, such as stress and burnout. This commentary paper calls for further research into the relationship between sensitivity and creativity in the workplace, which has the potential to inform applied practice in the context of both employee wellbeing and talent management to the benefit of highly sensitive employees and their employers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the role of concurrent musical parts in pitching ability in sight-singing, concentrating on the effects of melodic and harmonic coherence. Twenty-two experienced singers sang their part twice in each of four novel chorales. The chorales contained either original or altered melody and original (tonal) or altered (atonal) harmony. Participants also performed an interval-singing task. Alterations from the original in both melody and harmony increased pitching errors in sight-singing. These results indicate respectively that pattern recognition and harmonic prediction are integral to sight-singing ability. Singers made fewer errors on the second reading, showing the role of familiarity. Error rate correlated with interval-singing performance. Less skilled sight-singers were significantly more affected by a disruption in harmony than were better sight-singers. The results suggest an increasing role for internal auditory representations with increasing expertise. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

Abstract: This study compared the size-resolved trace metal concentrations from a standard ambient sampler to those of three commercial personal samplers. Trace metals data from each personal sampler were also [...]

ABSTRACT Secondary aerosols comprise a major fraction of fine particulate matter ([PM.sub.2.5]) in all parts of the country, during all seasons, and times of day. The most abundant secondary species [...]

ABSTRACT A periodic review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will assess the standards with respect to levels, particle [...]

ABSTRACT Continuous measurements of particle number (PN), particle mass (P[M.sub.10]), and gaseous pollutants [carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), oxides of nitrogen (N[O.sub.x]), and ozone ([O.sub.3])] were performed at five [...]

Six species of trees grown in the northeastern United States, including northern red oak, eastern white pine, paper birch, eastern hemlock, red maple, and balsalm fir are burned to study the particle-phase organic compounds emitted from different types of wood. Detailed speciation of the compounds emitted from the trees is charted.

Particulate matter was studied when paraffin and beeswax candles are burned in a closed chamber. Fine particle samples were collected on both Teflon and quartz fiber filters. An optical particle counter and differential mobility analyser were used to determine particle size. The majority of emissions consist of organic compounds including alkanes alkenes, alkanoic acids, wax esters, cyclohexylalkanes and alkanals.

Social distancing policies have been implemented around the world to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These measures have included temporary restrictions on mass gatherings and the closure of public facilities, limiting the pursuit of leisure activities such as travel while allowing more time for at-home pursuits, including creative activities such as gardening and painting. Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of physical activity for psychological well-being during COVID-19, but less attention has been given to the potential benefits of creative pursuits, such as arts and music. The present study investigated changes in the pursuit of creative, non-creative, and physical leisure activities and the relationship between engaging in leisure, the motivations for and barriers to pursuing these activities, and psychological well-being during COVID-19. A total of 3,827 participants from 74 countries completed an online leisure activities questionnaire and the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index. Logistic regression indicated that gender, age, social distancing adherence, and employment status significantly predicted leisure engagement during COVID-19. Compared to sports and outdoor pursuits, participation in creative activities was generally more likely to increase during this period, while participation in non-creative activities was less likely to increase. Multiple linear regression indicated that maintaining or increasing time on leisure activities significantly predicted well-being during COVID-19, with increased time spent on home crafts and artisanship, fine arts, musical and performing arts engagement, sports and outdoor pursuits, niche and IT interests, and language activities each predicting higher well-being outcomes. Motivations such as seeking creative expression and mental stimulation, keeping fit, and maintaining social connections also predicted higher well-being. These findings suggest that participation in both physical and creative leisure activities may offer protective benefits for well-being during COVID-19, and that strategies to promote engagement in creative activities should also be considered in future guidance for mental health during periods of lockdown or isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) lead to quadriplegia (paralysis of arms and legs) or paraplegia (paralysis from the waist down). Most people with SCI are injured while young, but five percent are over 60 years of age. Differences in prognosis and rates of illness, return to employment, and death between younger and older SCI patients have not been studied on a large scale. Hospital admission records from SCI patients who had been admitted within one year of their injuries in the period between 1973 and 1985 were analyzed and subjected to multivariate analysis. Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of SCI for people under 60 years old, while falls were the chief cause of SCI in people greater than 60 years. The percentages of males and of white patients in each age group significantly declined with increasing age, and this was probably related to the differing causes of SCI. More cervical injuries were found among patients over 60 years, but patients of these ages more often had incomplete lesions. Incidence of medical complications, including embolism of the pulmonary artery, digestive tract hemorrhage, and pneumonia, significantly increased with age, and were significant when other factors were taken into account. The need for mechanical ventilation increased with age. Older patients were more likely to have a kidney stone, but younger patients were more likely to develop bladder stones. Patients over 60 years old spent more time, on average, in nursing homes, and were very likely to be resident there, and were most likely to require paid attendants. Younger patients who were married at the time of injury were more likely to be divorced. Survival rates were least favorable for patients over 60, especially for those with neurologically complete quadriplegia. The data provide a consistent picture of poor prognosis for people who are over 60 years old when injuring the spinal cord, particularly if the injury is a complete cord severance. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

A new protocol for eliciting insight (“Aha!”/Eureka) moments is proposed, involving the solving of British-style cryptic crosswords. The mechanics of cryptic crossword clues are briefly explained, and the process is set into the insight literature, with parallels being drawn between several different types of cryptic crossword clues and other insight-triggering problems such as magic, jokes, anagrams, rebus, and remote association puzzles (RAT), as well as “classic” thematic or spatial challenges. We have evidence from a previous survey of cryptic crossword solvers that the “Aha!” moment is the most important driver of continued participation in this hobby, suggesting that the positive emotional “payback” has an energizing effect on a participant's motivation to continue solving. Given the success with which a good quality cryptic crossword elicits “Aha!” moments, cryptics should prove highly valuable in exploring insight under lab conditions. We argue that the crossword paradigm overcomes many of the issues which beset other insight problems: for example, solution rates of cryptic crossword clues are high; new material can easily be commissioned, leading to a limitless pool of test items; and each puzzle contains clues resembling a wide variety of insight problem types, permitting a comparison of heterogeneous solving mechanisms within the same medium. Uniquely among insight problems, considerations of expertise also come into play, allowing us to explore how crossword solving experts handle the deliberate misdirection of the cryptic clue more effectively than non-expert, but equally experienced, peers. Many have debated whether there is such a thing as an “insight problem” per se: typically, problems can be solved with or without insight, depending on the context. We argue that the same is true for cryptic crosswords, and that the key to the successful triggering of insight may lie in both the difficulty of the challenge and the degree to which misdirection has been used. Future research is outlined which explores the specific mechanisms of clue difficulty. This opens the way to an exploration of potential links between solving constraints and the experiencing of the “Aha!” moment, which may shed light on the cognitive processes involved in insight solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview of the services of the First Nations University of Canada, the only aboriginal-run university in Canada, and the development of education tailored to and on the subject of Canada's aboriginal population. While the number of aboriginal students in Canada is booming, problems such as lack of funding and prejudice persist.

An analysis of the strategies developed by McGill University in Montreal and the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver in order to meet the challenges of the increasingly competitive global market for students and staff. McGill has managed to recruit 589 professors since 2000, while UBC has increased the proportion of international students in its student body to 9% this year, vs 2.5% in 1996.

Issues relating to stem cell research and the ways in which a number of countries are dealing with the matter are examined. The approaches of the United States, Spain, East Asia, Hungary, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel and Italy are examined in detail.

Negotiations in a dispute over the withdrawal of a job offer at a Canadian university have stalled after David Noble, the academic in question, leaked the contents of an independent report into the case commissioned by the Canadian Association of University Teachers. Noble, professor of history at York University in Toronto, claimed that he had no option but to leak the report into the withdrawal of the job offer at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. Noble had been recommended for a prestigious endowed chair at Simon Fraser by the university's humanities department, but this appointment was subsequently rescinded.

Objectives: Metaphorical expressions of persistent pain play an influential role in the modulation of pain. This may be particularly distressing for those with physical disabilities such as spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuropathic pain (NP) after SCI is often described using metaphorical expressions such as burning and electricity. This study explored the use of metaphors by those with NP after SCI.Design: A qualitative, semi-structured interview design was employed.Methods: Data were analysed using content analysis (CA) and interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore prevalence of metaphor use and its meaning. Sixteen individuals aged between 23 and 82 years, with chronic NP (persisting for 3 months or longer), arising from SCI were interviewed in their homes or on hospital wards (M = 10, F = 6). Interviews lasted between 40 and 120 min.Results: The results capture a range of metaphorical expressions embedded in participants' accounts. Three themes emerged: (1) pain as a personal attack, (2) the desire to be understood, and (3) conveying distress without adequate terminology. CA revealed that younger age, female gender, and outpatient status were associated with increased metaphor use.Conclusions: This study highlights the power of metaphor in eliciting understanding of NP after SCI from others, whilst demonstrating the challenge of communicating NP. Cognitive treatment that incorporates image-based techniques with acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies may encourage adaptive responses to, and interpretation of, pain. This may subsequently reduce pain-related distress and catastrophizing. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Neuropathic pain is often described with metaphorical language such as burning and crushing. For those with physical limitations, metaphor use may induce or exacerbate psychological distress. However, for those with spinal cord injuries, metaphor use has received little attention. What does this study add? Metaphor use is common in those with spinal cord injury, with differences across gender and age. Core metaphors used conceptualized pain as an attacker or likened pain to heat and burning. Such language may have benefits in terms of improved understanding and increased empathy, but may be reflective of catastrophic thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dalhousie University students, from Nova Scotia, have written an environmental physiology textbook with the aid of Professor Stephen Cheung.

We examined the prospective impact of injury severity, functional impairment, and pain on participation in the community and subsequently on life satisfaction and self-rated health of 260 burn survivors 5 years post-discharge. Predictor variables include injury severity and total body surface area burned (assessed during acute care), functional independence (assessed at 12 months post-discharge), pain (assessed at the 24th month), and participation (assessed at the 48th month). Participation predicted life satisfaction and self-rated health. Functional independence and injury severity had significant indirect influences on adjustment via their influence on participation. Pain predicted both outcome variables. Clinical and research implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing distracters detrimental to commercial truck driving is a critical component of improving the safety performance of commercial drivers, and makes the highways safer for all drivers. This study used a driving simulator to examine effects of cell phone, texting, and email distractions as well as self-reported driver optimism bias on the driving performance of commercial truck drivers. Results revealed that more visually demanding tasks were related to poorer driving performance. However, the cell phone task resulted in less off-the-road eye glances. Drivers reporting being “very skilled” displayed poorer driving performance than those reporting being “skilled.” Onboard communication devices provide a practical, yet visually and manually demanding, solution for connecting drivers and dispatchers. Trucking company policies should minimize interaction between dispatchers and drivers when the truck is in motion. Training facilities should integrate driving simulators into the instruction of commercial drivers, targeting over-confident drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a relatively unexplored area of expertise research which focuses on the solving of British-style cryptic crossword puzzles. Unlike its American "straight-definition" counterparts, which are primarily semantically-cued retrieval tasks, the British cryptic crossword is an exercise in code-cracking detection work. Solvers learn to ignore the superficial "surface reading" of the clue, which is phrased to be deliberately misleading, and look instead for a grammatical set of coded instructions which, if executed precisely, will lead to the correct (and only) answer. Sample clues are set out to illustrate the task requirements and demands. Hypothesized aptitudes for the field might include high fluid intelligence, skill at quasi-algebraic puzzles, pattern matching, visuospatial manipulation, divergent thinking and breaking frame abilities. These skills are additional to the crystallized knowledge and word-retrieval demands which are also a feature of American crossword puzzles. The authors present results from an exploratory survey intended to identify the characteristics of the cryptic crossword solving population, and outline the impact of these results on the direction of their subsequent research. Survey results were strongly supportive of a number of hypothesized skill-sets and guided the selection of appropriate test content and research paradigms which formed the basis of an extensive research program to be reported elsewhere. The paper concludes by arguing the case for a more grounded approach to expertise studies, termed the Grounded Expertise Components Approach. In this, the design and scope of the empirical program flows from a detailed and objectively-based characterization of the research population at the very onset of the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article presents an in-depth, idiographic study examining the lived experience of chronic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuropathic pain (NP) occurs in a large majority of the SCI population and is particularly intractable to treatment. It can be both psychologically and physically debilitating. This study examines how the experience of NP is mediated by its meaning to the sufferer.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight people with SCI and chronic NP, attending outpatient clinics at a specialist SCI Centre in the UK. Verbatim transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis to further understand the experience.Results: Analysis suggested that NP has powerful consequences upon the sufferer’s physical, psychological and social well-being, in line with a biopsychosocial understanding of pain. Three super-ordinate themes were identified: a perceived gap between treatments received and participants’ views of what they wanted and needed; a fight for life control and acceptance; and feeling understood by others with SCI, but isolated from the non-understanding able-bodied.Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of the possible application of acceptance-based therapy to NP and the potential for the alleviation of the debilitating consequences of NP.Implications for RehabilitationChronic NP after SCI is often described as worse than the injury itself, often impacting upon the sufferers physical and psychological health.The experiences of persons with SCI-specific NP highlight the impact of pain on their physical, psychological and social health. This indicates that healthcare professionals should incorporate a biopsychosocial approach for managing pain post-SCI.Routine clinical follow-up of SCI patients with chronic NP, as well as comprehensive pain management treatment programmes, could address the three themes evidenced in the current study, by moving routine intervention with NP away from pain relief, towards pain management.Continued education for patients, friends, family members and healthcare professionals may be beneficial in promoting understanding and awareness of NP and its consequences following SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Canadian universities using a US service for storing academic research files have decided to relocate their data to a domestic server to escape the US Patriot Act. The move comes amid fears that US surveillance could target academics researching areas considered sensitive by the US government.