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The neurobiology of typical moral cognition involves the interaction of frontal, limbic, and temporoparietal networks. There is still much to be understood mechanistically about how moral processing is disrupted; such understanding is key to combating antisociality. Neuroscientific models suggest a key role for attention mechanisms in atypical moral processing. We hypothesized that attention-bias toward alcohol cues in alcohol use disorder (AUD) leads to a failure to properly engage with morally relevant stimuli, reducing moral processing. We recruited patients with AUD (n = 30) and controls (n = 30). During functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants viewed pairs of images consisting of a moral or neutral cue and an alcohol or neutral distractor. When viewing moral cues paired with alcohol distractors, individuals with AUD had lower medial prefrontal cortex engagement; this pattern was also seen for left amygdala in younger iAUDs. Across groups, individuals had less engagement of middle/superior temporal gyri. These findings provide initial support for AUD-related attention bias interference in sociomoral processing. If supported in future longitudinal and causal study designs, this finding carries potential societal and clinical benefits by suggesting a novel, leverageable mechanism and in providing a cognitive explanation that may help combat persistent stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemiparesis and physical deconditioning following stroke lead to an increase in falls, which many individuals cannot get up from. Teaching stroke survivors to independently get off the floor (IGO) might mitigate long-lie complications. IGO was taught as part of a community-based, functional rehabilitation training programme (ReTrain). We explore the feasibility of teaching IGO and assess participant's level of mastery, adherence, and injury risk. Videos of participants (n = 17) performing IGO at early, middle, and late stages of the ReTrain programme were compared to a manualised standard. A visual, qualitative analysis was used to assess technique mastery, adherence, and injury risk. Most participants (64%) achieved independent, safe practice of IGO. A good (73%) level of adherence to IGO and low incidence of risk of injury (6.8%) were observed. Deviations were made to accommodate for non-stroke related comorbidities. IGO was successfully and safely practised by stroke survivors including those with hemiparesis. Trainers should be aware of comorbidities that may impede completion of IGO and modify teaching to accommodate individual need. Further research should assess if IGO can be utilised by individuals who have other disabilities with unilateral impairments and whether IGO has physical, functional and economic benefit. Falls are common in stroke survivors, and many are unable to get up despite being uninjured, leading to long-lie complications or ambulance call-outs but non-conveyance to hospital. Teaching the independently getting up off the floor (IGO) technique to stroke survivors was possible for those with or without hemiparesis, and remained safe despite modifications to accommodate an individual's needs. Individual assessment is needed to check if a stroke survivor is suitable for learning IGO including, but not limited to, their ability to safely get to the floor and to temporarily stand (without support) at the end of the technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"From cataloguing to metadata creation: a cultural and methodological introduction" by Mauro Guerrini is a comprehensive perspective on the evolution of cataloguing and metadata creation. Guerrini, a Professor of Library Science, outlines the international developments in cataloguing from the mid to late twentieth century to the present day and introduces key individuals and organizations involved in these changes. The book distinguishes between cataloguing and metadata creation, highlighting how metadata creation now deals with bibliographic data at a granular level. It also explains updates to metadata creation standards, principles, processes, and models, and discusses future developments in the field. The book is recommended for professionals and students in library and information science, although the technical writing style may be challenging for some readers. [Extracted from the article]

As psychosocial factors have been recognised as significant predictors of the recovery trajectory from chronic back pain, the 34-item Back Pain Attitudes Questionnaire (Back-PAQ) was developed based on themes obtained from patient interviews, but previous psychometric analyses with a general population sample revealed uncertainty around the factor structure of the instrument. To provide more detailed information about the psychometric properties of the Back-PAQ when used with participants from the general population and also to test the internal validity of the tool for use with General Practitioners (GPs). After applying partial-credit Rasch analysis with a sample of participants from the general population (n = 600), a replication analysis was conducted with a sample of GPs (n = 184). This approach permitted examination of sample-specific personal factors for differential item functioning. Subtests were used to differentiate between local dependency due to underlying dimensionality from local dependency due to method effects. A unidimensional fit to the Rasch model was achieved after 14 misfitting items had been deleted. The final 20-item solution also fit with a sample of 184 GPs. In both cases, the Back-PAQ-20 demonstrated good reliability (PSI ≥ 0.80), with no evidence of differential item functioning by personal factors. The ordinal-to-interval conversion algorithms presented here further enhance the precision of the scale and permit analysis of Back-PAQ-20 scores using parametric statistics. The present study provided evidence for valid and reliable assessment of the back pain recovery beliefs of both users as well as providers of health services. Psychosocial factors have been recognised as significant predictors of the recovery trajectory from chronic back pain. The 34-item Back Pain Attitudes Questionnaire (Back-PAQ) was developed based on themes obtained from patient interviews, but previous psychometric analyses with a general population sample revealed uncertainty around the factor structure of the instrument. The 20-item version of the Back Pain Attitudes Questionnaire (Back-PAQ) is shown here to have strong psychometric properties for administration with users and providers of health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fatigue is a common non-specific symptom in the general population. The association between fatigue and pain is high and people with chronic conditions and/or pain report high prevalence of fatigue. Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) often experience fatigue symptoms and those who experience fatigue are more likely to have restricted physical functioning. It is important to clarify the association between CLBP and fatigue in order to devise management strategies which alleviate and/or manage fatigue symptoms while improving physical functioning in individuals with CLBP. Objectives: The main aim of this systematic review is to determine the level of evidence supporting the association between self-reports of LBP and fatigue in individuals with CLBP. Methods: Major electronic databases were searched since inception till April 2016. Studies comparing the association between CLBP and general fatigue were included. Results: Considerable heterogeneity in the included studies precluded a meta-analysis. Five studies were included for final descriptive synthesis. There is very limited evidence to support the association between presence of CLBP and fatigue. There is moderate evidence to support the association between CLBP intensity and/or CLBP functional disability and fatigue. Conclusion: The association between fatigue and CLBP is under researched although there is moderate association between CLBP intensity and CLBP disability with fatigue. Fatigue is an important symptom that should be considered in the assessment and management of patients with CLBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Upper limb disability following stroke may have multiple effects on the individual. Existing assessment instruments tend to focus on impairment and function and may miss other changes that are personally important. This study aimed to identify personally significant impacts of upper limb disability following stroke.Methods: Accounts by stroke survivors, in the form of web-based diaries (blogs) and stories, were sought using a blog search engine and in stroke-related web-sites. Thematic analysis using the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) was used to identify personal impacts of upper limb disability following stroke.Results: Ninety-nine sources from at least four countries were analysed. Many impacts were classifiable using the ICF, but a number of additional themes emerged, including emotional, cognitive and behavioural changes. Blogs and other web-based accounts were easily accessible and rich sources of data, although using them raised several methodological issues, including potential sample bias.Conclusions: A range of impacts was identified, some of which (such as use of information technology and alienation from the upper limb) are not addressed in current assessment instruments. They should be considered in post-stroke assessments. Blogs may help in the development of more comprehensive assessments.Implications for RehabilitationA comprehensive assessment of the upper limb following stroke should include the impact of upper limb problems on social participation, as well as associated emotional, cognitive and behavioural changes.Using personalised assessment instruments alongside standardised measures may help ensure that these broader domains are considered in discussions between clinicians and patients.Rehabilitation researchers should investigate whether and how these domains could be addressed and operationalised in standard upper limb assessment instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent droughts in southwestern USA have led to large-scale mortality of piñon (Pinus edulis) in piñon-juniper woodlands. Piñon mortality alters soil moisture, nutrient and carbon availability, which could affect the root-associated fungal (RAF) communities and therefore the fitness of the remaining plants. We collected fine root samples at a piñon-juniper woodland and a juniper savannah site in central New Mexico. Roots were collected from piñon and juniper (Juniperus monosperma) trees whose nearest neighbors were live piñon, live juniper or dead piñon. RAF communities were analyzed by 454 pyrosequencing of the universal fungal ITS region. The most common taxa were Hypocreales and Chaetothyriales. More than 10% of ITS sequences could not be assigned taxonomy at the phylum level. Two of the unclassified OTUs significantly differed between savanna and woodland, had few like sequences in GenBank and formed new fungal clades with other unclassified RAF from arid plants, highlighting how little study has been done on the RAF of arid ecosystems. Plant host or neighbor did not affect RAF community composition. However, there was a significant difference between RAF communities from woodland vs. savanna, indicating that abiotic factors such as temperature and aridity might be more important in structuring these RAF communities than biotic factors such as plant host or neighbor identity. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EM) were present in juniper as well as piñon in the woodland site, in contrast with previous research, but did not occur in juniper savanna, suggesting a potential shared EM network with juniper. RAF richness was lower in hosts that were neighbors of the opposite host. This may indicate competitive exclusion between fungi from different hosts. Characterizing these communities and their responses to environment and plant neighborhood is a step toward understanding the effects of drought on a biome that spans 19 000 000 ha of southwestern USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Exercise-after-stroke programmes are increasingly being provided to encourage more physical exercise among stroke survivors, but little is known about what motivates people with stroke to participate in them. This research aimed to identify factors that motivate long-term stroke survivors to exercise, and the implications for programme design. Methods: In two separate studies, focus groups and individual interviews were used to investigate the views of long-term stroke survivors on exercise and participating in exercise programmes. Their data were analysed thematically, and the findings of the studies were synthesised. Results: Eleven stroke survivors and two partners took part in two focus groups; six other stroke survivors (one with a partner) were interviewed individually. Factors reported to influence motivation were the psychological benefits of exercise, a desire to move away from a medicalised approach to exercise, beliefs about stroke recovery, and on-going support to sustain commitment. A number of potential implications of these themes for exercise programme design were identified. Conclusions: A range of personal beliefs and attitudes and external factors may affect the motivation to exercise, and these vary between individuals. Addressing these factors in the design of exercise programmes for long-term stroke survivors may enhance their appeal and so encourage greater engagement in exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Goal setting and patient-centredness are considered fundamental concepts in rehabilitation. However, the best way to involve patients in setting goals remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore patient experiences of goal setting in post-acute stroke rehabilitation to further understanding of its application to practice. Method: Thematic analysis was used to analyse interview transcripts from 10 stroke survivors, recruited from 4 rehabilitation units as part of a pilot study investigating the effects of a structured means of eliciting patient-centred goals in post-acute stroke rehabilitation. Results: Three key themes emerged: (1) 'A Day by Day Momentum', comprising subordinate themes of 'Unpredictability' and 'Natural Progression' in which daily progress forwards was seen as an integral part of rehabilitation; (2) 'Battle versus Alliance' in which issues of struggle versus support influenced participants' advancement; and (3) 'The Special Things', consisting of subordinate themes of 'What Makes Me 'Me'' and 'Symbolic Achievements' concerning issues defining individuals and their rehabilitation experiences. Conclusions: Patients' discourse around goal setting can differ from the discourse conventionally used by clinicians when describing 'best practice' in rehabilitation goal setting. Understanding patients' non-conventional views of goals may assist in supporting and motivating them, thus providing drive for their rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective: Although family involvement is frequently identified as a key element of successful rehabilitation, questions remain about 'how' clinicians can best involve them. This study explored how clinicians talk about the involvement of families in goal-planning during rehabilitation of adults with acquired brain injury. Research design: Qualitative study drawing on grounded theory to elicit practitioner perspectives. Methods and procedures: Nine clinicians from a range of professional backgrounds were interviewed. Interview data were transcribed and analysed using the constant comparative method of grounded theory. NVivo software was used to assist with data management. Main outcomes and results: While family were often considered valuable contributors to the goal-planning process, they were also seen as potential barriers to the negotiation of goals between clinicians and patients and to patient-clinician relationships. Clinicians described restricting involvement of family members in situations where such involvement was thought not to be in the best interests of the patient. Conclusions: Goal-planning appeared patient-centred rather than family-centred. Further, clinicians identified concerns about extending family involvement in goal-planning. If clinicians intend to address the needs of family members as well as patients, current approaches to goal-planning (and rehabilitation funding) may need to be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective: To explore the way clinicians talk about the value and purpose of goal planning in rehabilitation for people with brain injury Research design: Grounded theory Methods and procedures: Nine clinicians from a range of professional backgrounds were interviewed. The interview data were analysed using the constant comparative method of grounded theory. Main outcomes and results: While the clinicians considered goal planning important, the expressed reasons for valuing goal planning were at times unclear. The term ‘goal’ referred to not one but many concepts within the rehabilitation environment; goal planning was used to serve a range of different purposes. Different reasons for undertaking goal planning were interrelated but at times conflicted, potentially creating tensions within the rehabilitation environment. Conclusions: Discussions around goal planning terminology should progress from service-level agreements towards more evidenced-based international consensus. Individual services might benefit from discussing and agreeing on the purpose for goal planning in their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly universities are being asked to demonstrate accountability through implementation of quality improvement procedures that include student evaluation questionnaires and peer observation. However, a review of research suggests that these procedures, in themselves, do not necessarily lead to improvement. Excellence in modern universities may be more effectively promoted by focusing on facilitating academics' growth in teaching expertise, perhaps first by encouraging staff to demonstrate accountability as part of a systematic programme of teacher education. Academic or staff developers can play an important role in implementing a teacher education programme, and encouraging and supporting a culture of academic leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anonclinical sample of 41 participants were subjected to heightened levels of physiological arousal and measured on a number of neuropsychological measures of attention. The participants completed the measures under both 75dB and 95dB white noise. Examination of the performance on the Corsi Block Tapping Task, the Trail Making Test Part B, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test showed significant decrements in performance on these tasks as a result of the high levels of physiological arousal. Tests that failed to show performance deficits included the Trail Making Test Part A, the Symbol Search, and measures of reaction time. These results indicate that the effect of heightened arousal on test performance is on the more complex indices of attention. It is suggested that heightened levels of arousal can influence performance in the clinical assessment situation, and collateral measurement of anxiety state may be helpful in determining the effect of this factor in conducting assessment in both clinical and nonclinical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]