Classical parameters of Shadowlands by Richard Attenborough (On C. S. Lewis's Life and Work)

The aim of this article is to show the classical parameters of Shadowlands by R. Attenborough, with a screenplay by W. Nicholson, on C. S. Lewis's life and work. Based upon an accurate reading of Lewis's works, the author of this article proposes to interpret the opposition Lewis / Gresham as the translation into the real life of the opposition between the Platonic or idealistic and the Aristotelian or materialistic temperaments which was already maintained by Coleridge. In any case, there are many classical references which must be taken into account in order to understand to what extent C. S. Lewis's Christianity is also a classic Christianity, that is, a Greek and Latin one.

Science, practice and patient needs: the work of the Plinius Maior Society.

The Plinius Maior Society is a European multinational, multidisciplinary group of clinicians and researchers in the alcoholism field, which strives for a comprehensive care concept in the management of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. The Society, using evidence-based medicine, has developed a set of protocols, in the forms of guidelines, flow-charts, leaflets and booklets, for use as tools in research on and treatment of alcohol dependence, with a view to standardize clinical research procedures and to bridge the gap between the alcoholism researcher, practitioner and patient. These protocols or tools have been subjected to a review process during their preparation, and further comments on their validity will be integrated in their updates. Seven protocols have so far been developed, two of which, 'Guidelines on Evaluation of Treatment of Alcohol Dependence' and 'Detection and Management of Patients with Psychiatric and Alcohol Use Disorders', are aimed at the clinical researcher and specialists, whereas three others [in the form of decision trees (flow-charts)] are aimed at the general practitioner and other primary health care providers. These are entitled 'Alcohol Risk Assessment and Intervention in Primary Care', 'Withdrawal from Alcohol at Home' and 'Brief Intervention in Patients with Alcohol-Related Problems'. The remaining two tools are booklets aimed at the patient, one to support initiatives for detection of drinking problems and primary intervention, namely 'Do you have this Problem? Discuss it with your Doctor!', and the other to assist the patient in relapse prevention after the early stages of treatment, namely 'On the Way to Recovery'. The protocols for the general practitioners and patients have so far been produced in seven European languages, and, as with the Guidelines, feedback from target users will be collected and incorporated in future updates. The Society continually seeks to consider areas of clinical importance for its work and, as it enters the new millennium, it hopes to address and make a significant contribution to the most pressing problem in the management of alcohol dependence, namely relapse.

Recommendations to reduce extremity and eye lens doses in interventional radiology and cardiology

The main aim of the Work Package 1 (WP1) of the ORAMED project, Collaborative Project (2008-2011), supported by the European Commission within its 7th Framework Programme, was to obtain a set of standardized data on extremity and eye lens doses for staff in interventional radiology and cardiology (IR/IC) workplaces and to recommend a series of guidelines on radiation protection in order to both guarantee and optimize staff protection. Within the project, coordinated measurements were performed in 34 hospitals in 6 European countries. Furthermore, simulations of the most representative workplaces in IR and IC were performed to determine the main parameters that influence the extremity and eye lens doses. The work presented in this paper shows the recommendations that were formulated by the results obtained from both measurements and simulations. The presented guidelines are directed to operators, assistant personnel, radiation protection officers and medical physics experts. They concern radiation protection issues, such as the use of room protective equipment, as well as the positioning of the extremity and eye lens dosemeters for routine monitoring.

Can routine offering of influenza vaccination in office-based settings reduce racial and ethnic disparities in adult influenza vaccination?

BACKGROUND: Influenza vaccination remains below the federally targeted levels outlined in Healthy People 2020. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to be vaccinated for influenza, despite being at increased risk for influenza-related complications and death. Also, vaccinated minorities are more likely to receive influenza vaccinations in office-based settings and less likely to use non-medical vaccination locations compared to non-Hispanic white vaccine users. OBJECTIVE: To assess the number of "missed opportunities" for influenza vaccination in office-based settings by race and ethnicity and the magnitude of potential vaccine uptake and reductions in racial and ethnic disparities in influenza vaccination if these "missed opportunities" were eliminated. DESIGN: National cross-sectional Internet survey administered between March 4 and March 14, 2010 in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Non-Hispanic black, Hispanic and non-Hispanic white adults living in the United States (N = 3,418). MAIN MEASURES: We collected data on influenza vaccination, frequency and timing of healthcare visits, and self-reported compliance with a potential provider recommendation for vaccination during the 2009-2010 influenza season. "Missed opportunities" for seasonal influenza vaccination in office-based settings were defined as the number of unvaccinated respondents who reported at least one healthcare visit in the Fall and Winter of 2009-2010 and indicated their willingness to get vaccinated if a healthcare provider strongly recommended it. "Potential vaccine uptake" was defined as the sum of actual vaccine uptake and "missed opportunities." KEY RESULTS: The frequency of "missed opportunities" for influenza vaccination in office-based settings was significantly higher among racial and ethnic minorities than non-Hispanic whites. Eliminating these "missed opportunities" could have cut racial and ethnic disparities in influenza vaccination by roughly one half. CONCLUSIONS: Improved office-based practices regarding influenza vaccination could significantly impact Healthy People 2020 goals by increasing influenza vaccine uptake and reducing corresponding racial and ethnic disparities.

ProDoc Health@Work

ProDoc is a joint initiative between three universities in Switzerland to provide education and research opportunities for PhD students across the country. Importantly, the scheme is set to produce a new generation who will help strengthen switzerland's research into occupational health and, better still, contribute on an international platform.

Consumer Advisory Bulletin, Work-at-Home Scams: Money for Nothing, July 2012

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division receives hundreds of calls and consumer complaints every year. Follow these tips to avoid unexpected expense and disappointments. This record is about: Work-at-Home Scams: Money for Nothing

The work of Spanish men. A quantitative analysis based on census data, 1900-1970

This paper presents a historical examination of employment in old age in Spain, in order to characterize this labour segment and identify and analyse its specific problems. One of these problems is the life-cycle deskilling process, already shown for certain national cases. This study explores whether this hypothesis also holds in Spain. The perspective used is essentially quantitative, as our analysis is based on the age-profession tables in Spanish population censuses from 1900 to 1970.

Consumer Advisory Bulletin, Work-at-Home Scams:So You Didn’t Order That? Protecting yourself from unauthorized credit card charges, August 2012

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division receives hundreds of calls and consumer complaints every year. Follow these tips to avoid unexpected expense and disappointments. This record is about: So You Didn’t Order That? Protecting yourself from unauthorized credit card charges

Utilization of Remote Traffic Monitoring Devices for Urban Freeway Work Zone Assessment Final Report, January 2012

The objective of this project was to promote and facilitate analysis and evaluation of the impacts of road construction activities in Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative (SWZDI) states. The two primary objectives of this project were to assess urban freeway work-zone impacts through use of remote monitoring devices, such as radar-based traffic sensors, traffic cameras, and traffic signal loop detectors, and evaluate the effectiveness of using these devices for such a purpose. Two high-volume suburban freeway work zones, located on Interstate 35/80 (I-35/I-80) through the Des Moines, Iowa metropolitan area, were evaluated at the request of the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).

Nursing Facility Accountability Measure Work group Membership List, March 19, 2009

Recognize facilities that provide quality of life and appropriate access to medical assistance program beneficiaries in a cost-effective manner. Each measure is intended to represent nursing facility characteristics in each of the four domains.

Frequent accesses to totally implanted vascular ports in pediatric oncology patients are associated with higher infection rates.

PURPOSE: Totally implanted vascular (TIVA) ports are used in children for repeated blood samples or intravenous treatments. We have recently published a prospective evaluation of surgical incidents and early complications associated with these devices. This work is the final part of the same study, assessing late complications over a follow-up of 2 yrs. METHODS: From January 2006 to January 2008, children older than 1 yr of age with a diagnosis of solid or blood cell malignancy were included. Insertion technique and care of the device were standardized. Every manipulation was prospectively recorded by specialized nurses. Obstruction was documented clinically. When bacteremia was suspected, routine central and peripheral blood cultures were drawn. RESULTS: Forty-five consecutive patients were enrolled in the study. Mean age at the time of the procedure was 8.5 yrs. There was no catheter-related infection within the first 4 weeks post-surgery. No device had to be removed because of infection or obstruction during follow-up. Frequent accesses to the port (=3 per day over a 10-day period) were associated with an 8-fold risk of infection. CONCLUSION: Insertion and use of TIVA devices were frequently associated with complications. No device had to be removed because of infection or obstruction over the follow-up period, although no prophylactic antibiotic agent was used. Restrictive use of antibiotics may prevent opportunistic infection. Frequent access to the device was significantly associated with line infection (odds ratio=8.43). No risk factor was identified for obstruction which occurred at a rate of 5.3 per 10,000 accesses.