The road not taken: Social vs. private comparisons in Asperger׳s syndrome and high functioning autism

Evaluation of the outcomes of our decisions may instigate comparisons of our actual outcome with those of others (social comparisons) or comparisons with alternative outcomes of choices not made (private comparisons). Previous research has suggested a deficit in attention to social information among individuals with autism spectrum disorders. As social comparison involves the processing of social information, here we investigated the orientation towards and sensitivity to social vs. private comparisons in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. We compared the sensitivity to social vs. private comparisons among individuals diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) or High Functioning Autism, using a task that entailed monetary rewards. Results showed that while individuals with AS generally demonstrate comparable sensitivity to absolute and relative rewards, they show less sensitivity to social comparison as compared to controls. Furthermore, they are characterized by a higher sensitivity to private rather than social comparison. These results suggest that low sensitivity to social comparisons is an important factor to consider in autism spectrum disorders.     

Prognosis and complications of mature teeth after lateral luxation: A systematic review

BackgroundDental trauma injuries are frequent in children and adolescents and can result in a sequela of future complications. Lateral luxation injuries are diagnosed when a tooth becomes displaced in a position other than axial and is often associated with alveolar bone fracture. Although the tooth is not immediately lost, pulp canal obliteration or pulpal necrosis can occur. The objective of this systematic review was to gather existing data on lateral luxation injuries to mature teeth to evaluate their overall prognosis and reported complications.Types of Studies ReviewedThe authors conducted a systematic search of the literature using MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases in February 2019. They hand searched reference lists to identify additional literature. The authors included prospective and retrospective observational studies in the search. They screened a total of 291 articles, downloaded 28 articles, and included 4 articles in the study.ResultsThe most frequent complication reported for mature teeth with lateral luxation was pulpal necrosis (44.2%). Less frequent findings included surface resorption (14.0%), inflammatory resorption (8.5%), pulp canal obliteration (8.1%), and replacement resorption (0.9%). The included studies were cohort studies, which resulted in great heterogeneity, and the authors could not attempt a meta-analysis.Conclusions and Practical ImplicationsA large number of permanent teeth that experience lateral luxation are at risk of developing pulpal necrosis and other complications. Careful follow-up is required for these patients to treat complications as early as possible. Furthermore, the authors of this systematic review emphasize the importance of consistent reporting of dental trauma outcomes.     

Parental Mediation Of Children's Internet Use In Different European Countries

Given that various childrearing cultures exist in Europe, as confirmed by analysis of the 1999/2000 European Values Survey (Halman, 2001), the present study aimed to identify and explain cross-cultural similarities and differences in strategies of parental mediation of children's Internet use. The study also sought to identify which parental mediation strategies may protect children against experiencing content risks online in general and in various childrearing cultures in particular. Parental mediation strategies and content online risk were indexed on the basis of data from 18 European countries from the Eurobarometer 2005. Findings show that all parents favor social mediation of the internet for children over strategies based on technical solutions. Favoring restrictive (by time or content) to non-restrictive mediation depends on a country's value orientation in childrearing. Analyses showed that each parental strategy has the potential to reduce the probability of children's experience of content risk online. However, the extent to which particular parental mediation strategies are protective differs across European childrearing cultures.     

A comparison of quality of sleep between patients with chronic kidney disease not on hemodialysis and end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis in a developing country

Few studies have compared quality of sleep between pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease (pre-dialysis CKD) patients and end-stage renal disease patients on dialysis (ESRD) and have found inconsistent results. Objective of this study is to compare quality of sleep between patients with pre-dialysis CKD and ESRD in a developing country. This study was conducted in an out-patient department and hemodialysis unit of a tertiary care facility. Patients included had either pre-dialysis CKD or ESRD. Assessment of quality of sleep was done using Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). A total of 152 patients were included in the study. Out of these patients, 79 (52%) had ESRD and 73 (48%) had pre-dialysis CKD. Median PSQI score was 6 (IQR 3–8.8). Poor sleep quality (PSQI ≥5) was present in 100 (65.8%) patients. Only hemoglobin (β?=??0.39, p?β?=?0.56, p?β?=?0.22, p?r?=??0.34, p value .80) in pre-dialysis CKD patients. Poor sleep quality is common in patients with CKD including hemodialysis patients in a developing country, which is independent of kidney function in non-dialysis patients. There is no difference in quality of sleep between pre-dialysis CKD and ESRD patients.     

Genetic variability and forensic efficiency of 39 microsatellite loci in the Li ethnic group from Hainan Island in the South China Sea

Abstract

Background: Investigation of allele and genotype frequencies of microsatellite loci in various populations is an essential pre-requisite in forensic application.

Aim: The present study obtained population genetic data and forensic parameters of 39 autosomal Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) loci from a Chinese Li ethnic group and estimated the genetic relationships between Li and other reference populations.

Subjects and methods: Thirty-nine STR loci, which include D19S433, D5S818, D21S11, D18S51, D6S1043, D3S1358, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, CSF1PO, Penta D, D2S441, vWA, D8S1179, TPOX, Penta E, TH01, D12S391, D2S1338, FGA, D6S477, D18S535, D19S253, D15S659, D11S2368, D20S470, D1S1656, D22-GATA198B05, D8S1132, D4S2366, D21S1270, D13S325, D9S925, D3S3045, D14S608, D10S1435, D7S3048, D17S1290 and D5S2500, were amplified in two multiplex DNA-STR fluorescence detection systems for 189 unrelated healthy individuals of the Chinese Li ethnic group. The allele frequency distribution and several parameters commonly used in forensic science were statistically analysed.

Results: A total of 378 alleles were observed with corresponding allelic frequencies ranging from 0.0026–0.5899. The power of discrimination and power of exclusion ranged from 0.7569–0.9672 and 0.2513–0.7355, respectively. The power of exclusion (PE) ranged from 0.2580–0.7943 for trio paternity cases and 0.1693–0.5940 for duo paternity cases. The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.5001–0.8611. The cumulative match probability across these 39 loci was 2.4242?×?10^?38.

Conclusion: The results indicate that 39 STR loci are polymorphic among the Li ethnic group in Hainan Island in the South China Sea. This set of polymorphic STR loci provide highly polymorphic information and forensic efficiency for forensic individual identification and paternity testing, as well as basic population data for population genetics and anthropological research.     

Analyses of welfare-state reform policies towards long-term senior care in a cross-European perspective

The aim of this article is to introduce a systematic, structured conceptual framework for the comparative analysis of welfare-state reform policies towards long-term senior care and the care structures in a cross-European perspective. A welfare state’s policies on the long-term care of senior citizens frame the different aspects of their care: the care options of the older people, the employment situation of the different types of caregivers and the care quality. The actual structure of senior care is mainly based on the specific care-provision mix in a welfare state and on the main types of care employment. It is should not, however, be treated as a direct outcome of care policies in analyses of welfare-state policies, since the care recipients and care givers all act within the broader framework of the complex and often contradictory cultural, institutional, social and economic context—the specific ‘care arrangement’ of a country.     

商河县生活垃圾无害化处理场库区杂填土地基处理

针对山东省商河县生活垃圾无害化处理场工程地质条件及垃圾堆载特点，介绍了地基处理方法的选用原则，根据地勘建议做水泥深层搅拌桩处理，与建筑常用的强夯法、换填法等处理方法进行综合分析比选，确定采用强夯法处理最为适合，并提出了具体的施工方法，对强夯后地基进行载荷试验检测，结果符合设计要求。     

不同手术方案在鼻前庭囊肿患者中的应用效果对比

目的：探讨不同手术方案在鼻前庭囊肿患者中的应用效果,为选择最佳治疗手段提供确切依据。方法将该院2008年3月—2013年12月收治的120例鼻前庭囊肿患者随机分为三组,每组各40例,分别采用唇龈沟路径鼻前庭囊肿切除术（唇龈沟组）、鼻内镜下鼻前庭囊肿切除术（内镜切除组）和鼻内镜下鼻前庭囊肿揭盖术（内镜揭盖组）三种手段进行治疗。比较三种治疗方法手术时间、出血量、术后面部麻木肿胀情况、引流管放置时间、住院时间、术后感染及术后6个月内复发情况。结果内镜切除组手术时间最短,内镜揭盖组其次,唇龈沟组最长,三组差异具有统计学意义（P ＜0．05）;手术出血量内镜切除组和揭盖组明显少于唇龈沟组（P ＜0．05）;引流管放置时间和住院时间均为内镜揭盖组最短,内镜切除组其次,唇龈沟组最长,三组差异具有统计学意义（P ＜0．05）;内镜揭盖组术后并发面部麻木、感染且半年内复发比例明显低于其他两组,差异具有统计学意义（P ＜0．05）。结论鼻内镜下鼻前庭囊肿切除术与鼻内镜下鼻前庭囊肿揭盖术相比唇龈沟路径鼻前庭囊肿切除术操作更加方便且损伤较小,其中鼻内镜下鼻前庭囊肿揭盖术不良反应及复发比率最低,值得临床推广。     

Health workforce planning in Europe: Creating learning country clusters

In this article, the different dimensions and determinants of health workforce planning (HWF) are investigated to improve context-sensitivity and mutual learning among groups of countries with similar HWF characteristics. A novel approach to scoring countries according to their HFW characteristics and type of planning is introduced using data collected in 2012 by a large European Union project involving 35 European countries (the ‘Matrix Study’ [8]). HWF planning is measured in terms of three major dimensions: (1) data infrastructure to monitor the capacities and dynamics of health workforces, (2) the institutions involved in defining and implementing labour market regulations, and (3) the availability of models to estimate supply–demand gaps and to forecast imbalances. The result shows that the three dimensions of HWF planning are weakly interrelated, indicating that countries invest in HWF in different ways. Determinant analysis shows that countries with larger health labour markets, National Healthcare Service (NHS), mobility, and strong primary health care score higher on HWF planning dimensions than others. Consequently, the results suggest that clustering countries with similar conditions in terms of HWF planning is a way forward towards mutual and contextual learning.