Sense of Community in contexts of multi culture

The theme “Belongingness” has a central role in the current debate on Community Psychology and in daily life. To try to understand the consequences of these changes, the research focuses on the concept of Sense of Community. In fact, Sense of Community has always been a central tool (Sarason, 1974; MacMillan & Chavis, 1986) to study communities (McMillan, 2011; Nowell & Boyd, 2011) and for a long time has represented positive values and something to aspire to. However, current debates indicate that Sense of Community is an outmoded concept and underline the problematic issue of “promotion of Sense of Community” in contexts of multi culture. The aim of the present research is to analyze Sense of Community in context of multi culture, as we consider that it can still be a fundamental tool to study and understand communities. In particular we are interested in understanding the role of Multiple Sense of Community (Brodsky, 2009) on Identity and Wellbeing (and its dimensions). We focused on a specific context, the Station Zone in Reggio Emilia, that is characterized by high levels of cultural diversity and different social problems (Giovannini & Vezzali, 2011). The research is developed and divided into two parts. The first part consists of an exploratory qualitative study that analyzes meanings of community among leaders of different ethnic groups living in the Station Zone. The second part consists of a “General Model” study and four parallel studies to analyze Multiple Sense of Community in different ethnic groups (Albanians, Moroccans, Chinese and Italians. The results indicate the different role of Multiple SOC in the relation between Identity and Wellbeing, in particular the relevance of Relational SOC and its different implications. Moreover, the factor “culture” represents an significant element in order to consider differences among ethnic groups.

Delayed diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke in children - a registry-based study in Switzerland

QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY/PRINCIPLES: After arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) an early diagnosis helps preserve treatment options that are no longer available later. Paediatric AIS is difficult to diagnose and often the time to diagnosis exceeds the time window of 6 hours defined for thrombolysis in adults. We investigated the delay from the onset of symptoms to AIS diagnosis in children and potential contributing factors.

Atypical findings in delayed presentation of unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy

Unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy is a rare disease affecting young healthy patients resulting in moderate to severe unilateral visual loss preceded by prodromal flu-like illness. We present a case of delayed presentation of unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy associated with hand, foot and mouth disease.

The sense of the body in individuals with spinal cord injury

Increasing evidence suggests that the basic foundations of the self lie in the brain systems that represent the body. Specific sensorimotor stimulation has been shown to alter the bodily self. However, little is known about how disconnection of the brain from the body affects the phenomenological sense of the body and the self. Spinal cord injury (SCI) patients who exhibit massively reduced somatomotor processes below the lesion in the absence of brain damage are suitable for testing the influence of body signals on two important components of the self-the sense of disembodiment and body ownership. We recruited 30 SCI patients and 16 healthy participants, and evaluated the following parameters: (i) depersonalization symptoms, using the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS), and (ii) measures of body ownership, as quantified by the rubber hand illusion (RHI) paradigm. We found higher CDS scores in SCI patients, which show increased detachment from their body and internal bodily sensations and decreasing global body ownership with higher lesion level. The RHI paradigm reveals no alterations in the illusory ownership of the hand between SCI patients and controls. Yet, there was no typical proprioceptive drift in SCI patients with intact tactile sensation on the hand, which might be related to cortical reorganization in these patients. These results suggest that disconnection of somatomotor inputs to the brain due to spinal cord lesions resulted in a disturbed sense of an embodied self. Furthermore, plasticity-related cortical changes might influence the dynamics of the bodily self.

Psychological Sense of Community: A New Construct for the Field of Management

This article introduces a new construct to the field of management called Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC). This is important because management scholars are calling for the creation of communities in organizations in an environment that lacks appropriate construct development. The aims of this article are threefold: (a) develop a working definition of PSOC via a review of the extant literature on PSOC from other disciplines with the goal of translating it into the domain of management, (b) synthesize findings from parallel literatures on the outcomes of PSOC with an eye toward exploring the relevance of such outcomes in management contexts, and (c) assess the value of PSOC as it relates to its uniqueness in relation to other prominent management constructs and its scope of applicability in a variety of management inquiry areas.

Immediate and delayed transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells improve muscle force after skeletal muscle injury in rats

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is a promising approach for regaining muscle function after trauma. Prior to clinical application, the ideal time of transplantation has to be determined. We investigated the effects of immediate and delayed transplantation. Sprague-Dawley rats received a crush trauma to the left soleus muscle. Treatment groups were transplanted locally with 2 × 10(6) autologous MSCs, either immediately or 7 days after trauma. Saline was used as sham therapy. Contraction force tests and histological analyses were performed 4 weeks after injury. GFP-labelled MSCs were followed after transplantation. The traumatized soleus muscles of the sham group displayed a reduction of twitch forces to 36 ± 17% and of tetanic forces to 29 ± 11% of the non-injured right control side, respectively. Delayed MSC transplantation resulted in a significant improvement of contraction maxima in both stimulation modes (twitch, p = 0.011; tetany, p = 0.014). Immediate transplantation showed a significant increase in twitch forces to 59 ± 17% (p = 0.043). There was no significant difference in contraction forces between muscles treated by immediate and delayed cell transplantation. We were able to identify MSCs in the interstitium of the injured muscles up to 4 weeks after transplantation. Despite the fundamental differences of the local environment, which MSCs encounter after transplantation, similar results could be obtained with respect to functional muscle regeneration. We believe that transplanted MSCs residing in the interstitial compartment evolve their regenerative capabilities through paracrine pathways. Our data suggest a large time window of the therapeutical measures.

[Efficacy of specific physiotherapy for temporomandibular joint dysfunction of muscular origin]

INTRODUCTION: Little explanation is given to patients with temporomandibular disorders and muscles dysfunction on the mechanism and the expected results of conservative treatment. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of specific physical therapy prescribed after this explanation was given and also after using a flat occlusal splint adapted only if muscle pain remained after physical therapy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Twenty-seven patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction of muscular origin were evaluated after a mean of six sessions of specialized physical therapy with professionals. Patients were treated by oral and facial massages and were trained for self-reeducation. They were also trained for a specific exercise named the "propulsive/opening maneuver". Every patient was questioned on the subjective evolution of pain and the current maximal pain was evaluated with the Visual Analogical Scale (VAS). Clinical evaluation focused on tenderness of masticator muscles and also assessed the changes in the amplitude of mouth opening. RESULTS: Ninety-three percent of the patients treated by specific physical therapy had a significant reduction of their maximal pain feeling (p<0.05). The recovery of an optimal mouth opening without deviation was also improved as was the protrusion. For 33% of the patients a flat nighttime occlusal splint was necessary as a complementary treatment. Twenty-two percent of the patients decided to change their treatment for alternative therapies (osteopathy, acupuncture, etc.). Fifty percent of the patients were convinced of the efficacy of the prescribed treatment. DISCUSSION: Patients who undertake the specific physical therapy and who regularly practice self-physical therapy succeed in relaxing their masticator muscles and in decreasing the level of pain. Explanations given by the doctor concerning the etiology of pain, during temporomandibular joint dysfunction of muscular origin, and the purpose of specific physical therapy increase the capacity of self-relaxation. A flat occlusal splint is indicated for patients who grind their teeth and for those whose pain resists to physical therapy.

Delayed diagnosis of HIV infection and late initiation of antiretroviral therapy in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES: To investigate delayed HIV diagnosis and late initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. METHODS: Two sub-populations were included: 1915 patients with HIV diagnosis from 1998 to 2007 and within 3 months of cohort registration (group A), and 1730 treatment-naïve patients with CD4>or=200 cells/microL before their second cohort visit (group B). In group A, predictors for low initial CD4 cell counts were examined with a median regression. In group B, we studied predictors for CD4<200 cells/microL without ART despite cohort follow-up. RESULTS: Median initial CD4 cell count in group A was 331 cells/microL; 31% and 10% were <200 and <50 cells/microL, respectively. Risk factors for low CD4 count were age and non-White race. Homosexual transmission, intravenous drug use and living alone were protective. In group B, 30% initiated ART with CD4>or=200 cells/microL; 18% and 2% dropped to CD4 <200 and <50 cells/microL without ART, respectively. Sub-Saharan origin was associated with lower probability of CD4 <200 cells/microL without ART during follow-up. Median CD4 count at ART initiation was 207 and 253 cells/microL in groups A and B, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CD4<200 cells/microL and, particularly, CD4<50 cells/microL before starting ART are predominantly caused by late presentation. Earlier HIV diagnosis is paramount.

A Case Study of Muscular Strength, Endurance, and Power Responses to a 6-Week High Intensity Training Program

We evaluated the muscular strength, endurance, and power responses of 12 college students, ranging in age from 19-40 years, who participated in a 6-wk high-intensity training program commonly used to improve muscular endurance. Muscular strength was measured by a one repetition maximum (1RM) bench press test and a 1RM Hammer bench press test; muscular endurance was measured by administering a 70-percent 1RM test to failure on the Hammer bench press; and upper body power was measured by adminstering a medicine ball throw test. We observed a 4.8-percent improvement of 2.7 kg on the bench press, a 14.6-percent improvement of 10.5 kg on the Hammer bench press, a 45.5-percent improvement with an average increase of five repetitions on the submaximal test to failure and an average improvement of ~ 20 percent, 60 cm, for the medicine ball throw. Foe our subjects, a commonly used high-intensity training muscular endurance program resulted in improved performance on tests measuring muscular strength, endurance, and power, and resulted in zero reported injuries during training or assessment procedures.