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This study aimed to determine the success of university student volunteers in obtaining consent from parents to allow review of their child’s personal health information (PHI) for emergency research screening. This study also aimed to examine the variables associated with successful consent. This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted at a pediatric emergency department (ED). University students, who functioned as delegates of the health information custodian, approached parents for consent. Of 2,506 parents, 1,852 (73.9%) provided consent to allow review of their child’s PHI for research screening. Variables associated with successful consent were high (≥12 months) versus low (<12 months) volunteer experience (OR = 2.0), research related (vs. unrelated) to the child’s chief complaint (OR = 2.0), child treated regularly by specialists at the study institution (OR = 1.7), and ED presentation mid-week vs. weekend (OR = 1.7) and morning vs. evening presentation (OR = 1.4). When approached by a university student volunteer, about 25% of parents declined to have their child’s PHI reviewed for research screening. This model of obtaining consent may put some emergency research at risk for selection bias. Variables that increase the odds of successful consent can be considered in program design to improve the effectiveness of this model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The balance between cellular lineages can be controlled by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cellular differentiation into adipocytes is highly dependent on the production of ROS to initiate the process through activation of multiple interlinked factors that stimulate mitotic clonal expansion and cellular maturation. The signal transducer and activator of transcription family of signaling proteins have accepted roles in adipogenesis and associated lipogenesis. Non-canonical mitochondrial localization of STAT3 and other members of the STAT family however opens up new avenues for investigation of its role in the aforementioned processes. Following recent observations of differences in mitochondrially localized serine 727 phosphorylated STAT3 (mtSTAT3-pS727) in preadipocytes and adipocytes, here, we hypothesize and speculate further on the role of mitochondrial STAT3 in adipogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outbreak of suspected norovirus gastroenteritis among three consecutive groups of houseboaters on a large recreational lake in Arizona was investigated to assess the role of fomite contamination, and to provide recommendations for prevention of future outbreaks. Interior boat surfaces were sampled for norovirus using transport swabs. Onboard toilet reservoirs were swabbed as a surrogate for stool samples from ill participants, since none were available, and onboard potable water supplies were sampled for norovirus. All samples were analyzed using RT-PCR with primers specific for human norovirus. Widespread fomite contamination was documented in the houseboats; 83% (5/6) of bathroom surface samples, 40% (2/5) of kitchen surface samples, and 100% (3/3) of doorknob samples were positive for the presence of norovirus. Samples of onboard potable water supplies were all negative. One of the participants on the first boating trip arrived already displaying symptoms of gastrointestinal illness prior to boarding the boat. This investigation demonstrates the potential role of widespread fomite contamination in outbreaks in confined spaces. To prevent or minimize future outbreaks in confined spaces, the adoption of practices such as surface disinfection and the utilization of methods to identify and exclude those with gastroenteritis from trips or activities in confined spaces, where others may become infected, are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that close relationships with animals encourage psychological explanations of their behavior. To determine the causal effect of ownership on psychological explanations, we conducted experiments in which we manipulated participants' ownership of a target imagined dog (experiment 1), animated object (experiment 2), and real pettish (experiment 3). Adapting scales used in previous research, we obtained ratings of how intentional the target's behavior was, the target's reasons (rather than causes), and references to complex human-like emotions, motives or characteristics. In experiment 1, 26 volunteers and staff at an animal shelter imagined scenarios involving their dog, a neighbor's dog, their friend, or a visitor. Participants' intentionality ratings and the target's reasons were similar for a friend, a visitor, and their dog. In experiment 2, 36participants watched a film of three moving objects. Half of the participants were told the small triangle was theirs. In the ownership condition, participants vilified the ‘aggressive’ big triangle more, gave more causal history for reasons, and gave more social, humanlike narratives. In experiment 3, 82 university students and staff were given a Betta fish either to own or to care for temporarily, and they were to report daily or weekly on the fish's behavior. Ownership and reporting frequency did not directly influence outcomes. Rather, ownership predicted commitment to, and affection for, the fish. Affection, in turn, significantly predicted participants' psychological explanations including how smart the fish was, how much the fish liked the participant, how similar the fish was to the participant, and psychological explanations of social behavior such as turning toward a visitor. Automated analyses of participants' language showed that affection also predicted their use of social psychological and emotion words to describe the fish. We discuss alternative processes whereby social relationships give rise to psychological explanations of behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers tools to support remote gesture in video systems being used to complete collaborative physical tasks-tasks in which two or more individuals work together manipulating three-dimensional objects in the real world. We first discuss the process of conversational grounding during collaborative physical tasks, particularly the role of two types of gestures in the grounding process: pointing gestures, which are used to refer to task objects and locations, and representational gestures, which are used to represent the form of task objects and nature of actions to be used with those objects. We then consider ways in which both pointing and representational gestures can be instantiated in systems for remote collaboration on physical tasks. We present the results of two studies that use a "surrogate" approach to remote gesture, in which images are intended to express the meaning of gestures through visible embodiments, rather than direct views of the hands. In Study 1, we compare performance with a cursor based pointing device that allows remote partners to point to objects in a video feed of the work area to performance side-by-side or with the video system alone. In Study 2, we compare performance with two variations of a pen-based drawing tool that allows for both pointing and representational gestures to performance with video alone. The results suggest that simple surrogate gesture tools can be used to convey gestures from remote sites, but that the tools need to be able to convey representational as well as pointing gestures to be effective. The results further suggest that an automatic erasure function, in which drawings disappear few seconds after they were created, is more beneficial for collaboration than tools requiring manual erasure. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the results, as well as several areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]