The Use of a Visual Testing Apparatus for Space Application Final Report

Support services for calibration and development of optimum utilization plans for visual parameter tester applicable to manned space fligh

Increasing smoking intensity is associated with increased disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis.

A history of ever-smoking appears to be associated with a more severe disease phenotype in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). However, evidence is sparse for the effect of increased smoking exposure on disease outcomes or whether smoking reduction or cessation improves outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore whether a dose-response relationship exists between pack-years and disease activity and functional impairment in axSpA. Consecutive patients meeting ASAS criteria for axial SpA were recruited from a spondyloarthritis service. The associations between pack-years of smoking and: (1) disease activity (BASDAI/ASDAS), (2) spinal pain, (3) functional impairment (BASFI) and (4) inflammatory markers were explored using multivariable linear models, adjusted for age, gender and use of TNF inhibition (TNFi) therapy. Pack-years were categorised into four groups (40) and analysed with light smoking (40, β = 2.6 (0.54, 3.56)), higher BASFI (21-40, β = 2.1 (0.42, 4.80); >40, β = 3.2 (0.76, 5.71)), and higher ASDAS (21-40, β = 0.82 (0.14, 1.51)). This cross-sectional study demonstrated that smoking is associated with increased axSpA severity markers in a dose-response manner. Particular effort should be made to restrict smoking exposure early before accruing a significant number of pack-years

Fibromyalgia in Behçet's disease: a narrative review.

IntroductionFibromyalgia is characterised by chronic widespread pain and tenderness. It has often been reported to occur concomitantly with chronic rheumatological conditions. Behçet's disease is a chronic relapsing, multisystem, autoinflammatory disease. There is only limited understanding of a potential relationship between fibromyalgia and Behçet's disease.AimGiven the potential detrimental influence of pain on the outcome of chronic disease, the aim of this narrative review is to gain an understanding of the incidence and presentation of fibromyalgia in Behçet's disease.MethodsElectronic databases Scopus, Medline, PubMed and UpToDate were searched.ResultsA total of 269 studies were identified, and limitations and exclusion/inclusion criteria were applied to ensure accurate and comparable selection of studies; four studies were selected. All cases were assessed for the presence of fibromyalgia according to the 1990 or 2010 diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology, with Behçet's disease diagnosed according to the International Study Group (ISG) for Behçet's disease criteria. A higher prevalence of fibromyalgia (5.7-37.1%) was reported in Behçet's disease compared to that of the general population (2.9-4.7%).DiscussionWhile an increased prevalence of fibromyalgia was found in patients with Behçet's disease, this needs to be considered within the context of limited available evidence. The potential impact of these conditions on the disease activity of each other is not clear and may require a prospective study.ConclusionFibromyalgia appears to be more prevalent in those with Behçet's disease than would be expected in the overall population. Significance: This review provides some evidence that fibromyalgia is more prevalent in those with Behçet's disease. To ensure appropriate patient treatment choices, it is important that both conditions are diagnosed where they co-exist

Perceptions of Syncope in Medieval French Literature of the High Middle Ages: the Function and Cultural History of Fainting

This dissertation analyzes the diverse instances of syncope in Old French Literature from the first appearance of the verb to faint, “pasmer,” in the eleventh-century hagiographical text La Vie de saint Alexis, to the epics, the romances based on classical antiquity, the works of Chrétien de Troyes, and the thirteenth-century romances of the Arthurian Lancelot en prose. In literature, syncope ranges from a simple collapse or swooning to an extended period of unconsciousness or trance-like paralysis, and results from factors such as distress, injury, illness, love, joy, fear, or indecision. In addition to being physical, psychological, or emotional, fainting can be gendered in unexpected ways, as the male characters lose consciousness most frequently. In this study, I show that syncope highlights certain events and characteristics, externalizes emotions, dramatizes illnesses, unveils hidden love, shows the effects of broken relationships, and depicts the consequences of actions. Moreover, it can have a deeper signification, symbolizing an outer manifestation of sin or a loss of power. Interestingly, the increasing role of syncope in literature coincides with the increasing popularity of medical learning, treatments, and herbals during the High Middle Ages. The first chapter shows that hagiography uses fainting to emphasize overwhelming emotions after the loss of a loved one, while the masculine world of epic poetry illustrates that a loss of consciousness can be ideological, showing the knights’ unwavering devotion despite suffering. Transitioning to the romans d’antiquité of chapter two, the paradigm of syncope extends, and the poets emphasize love’s emotional toll with fainting as a symptom of lovesickness in both men and women. In the third chapter, fainting and trances are visible in the protagonists of Chrétien de Troyes’s romances, as characters struggle to restore relationships, escape to be with a lover, hide emotions, obey a courtly lady, and understand God’s love. In the concluding chapter, syncope aids in characterization in the Lancelot en prose, and the greater psychological focus on the characters is evident in instances of trance-like unconsciousness. Syncope is much more than a dramatic spectacle, and authors use the motif to redirect attention to important characters, themes, or events

Breaking Dramatic Illusion and Extending the Dramatic World: French Civil-War Tragedy (1550-1643)

This research project combines history, cultural studies, and performance theories to explore the threats posed by tragedy during the civil and religious crisis in France. French plays challenge civil and religious authority and justify revolt by the literal and figurative reenactment of sedition. In the sub-genre of civil-war tragedy, David rebels against the anointed king Saul, Caesar contends against Pompey, Roman senators slay the victorious Caesar, and Antigone disobeys her uncle and king, Creon. Adopting these famous examples of revolt enables playwrights to break the dramatic illusion of the play, creating crucial parallels with contemporary France. Historical examples give concrete support for the propaganda clothed by the tragedy, while staging revolt elicits violence from spectators because it dangerously encourages them to think independently, to investigate through reading and interpretation, and to lose control in riots and other acts of violence. The first chapter will identify threats in theater by exploring elements of tragedy, in the sub-genre of civil-war tragedies, where the author is most visible (in liminary material, prologues, and opening monologues) all of which break the play's stage illusion, forming a dangerous complicity between audience and author. In the next chapter, an analysis of the chorus suggests its role produces an effect similar to the paratext; the chorus interrupts the on-stage action and establishes historical precedence for the propaganda in the tragedy. These playwrights expanded and emphasized the role of the chorus, a stronger reliance on this role not reflected in most Ancient Greek or Roman tragedies, sources the French playwrights imitated. The third chapter explores the compelling roles of leading women to gain crucial insights into family, gender roles, and the threat perceived to social order by these female tragic heroes. The final chapter will examine the dialogue between loyalty and revolt in the sub-genre of civil-war tragedy, a dialogue that is connected intimately to contemporary events and to the author's political or religious confession. I hope this inquiry will provide new perspective for the French civil and religious wars, including the Saint Bartholomew Day massacres, and deepen our understanding of the often-overlooked genre of sixteenth-century tragedy

The Relationships Between School Burnout and Perceived Teacher Support in High School Male Students

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study is to determine if perceived teacher support predicts school burnout in male high school students. High school males from four private high schools in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia participated in the study. The predictor variables were overall perceived teacher support, as well as four subcategories (i.e., invested, positive regard, expectations, and accessible) of perceived teacher support. Data was collected by utilizing student surveys to measure each of the variables. The Teacher Support Scale measured perceived teacher support, and the School Burnout Inventory measured school burnout among the high school males. A multiple regression was conducted, and the analysis determined that a statistically significant predictive relationship exists between the predictor variable (perceived teacher support) and the criterion variable (school burnout). The results also indicate that school burnout can be predicted by male students’ perception of the level of closeness between them and their teachers

Appealing to Heaven: The Significance of Religion in John Locke\u27s Advocacy of Revolution

This research addresses the intersection of philosophy and theology in Locke’s philosophy, particularly his political philosophy. The justification for this inquiry is Locke’s use of the phrase “Appeal to Heaven” in the Second Treatise together with his advocacy of resistance in the Letter Concerning Toleration. The thesis begins with a brief survey of the relevant secondary literature and frames the intersection of theology and political philosophy. The thesis then seeks to justify the claim that Locke’s political ideas were motivated by religious concerns. This includes a close examination of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, The Reasonableness of Christianity and his works on religious toleration. The thesis then examines the Two Treatises and Letter Concerning Toleration in light of what Locke said elsewhere about the significance of God and religion. The intended goal is to demonstrate that Locke’s argument for resistance and revolution is ultimately motivated by his own theistic religious arguments

Reforming Politics: The Covenant Device in Anglo-American Political Theory

This dissertation provides an historical and theoretical inquiry into “covenants” as a device within Anglo-American political theory. It includes an overview of Biblical covenants which are the source of the covenant device, together with an analysis of subsequent application by early modern and contemporary political theorists. I demonstrate that this revealed political theology, moderated by the political traditions of salus populi and natural law, provides support for contemporary political imperatives of liberty while avoiding both the terrors of gnostic political religion and the inevitable moral and political failure of natural political theology. The argument begins with an examination of contemporary covenantal theory in the scholarship of Daniel Elazar and David Novak. I then turn to the revival of the covenant device during the British Reformation and American colonial experience. As background, the dissertation surveys Calvin, Bullinger, Buchanan, Knox, Goodman, Mornay, and Rutherford (among others) and their prescriptions for the form of government and for resistance theory. I also examine important events during the British Civil Wars and the implications of the covenant device therein. Reformed theologians demonstrate both unity and diversity in their approach to political questions. In formulating political theory around the covenant device, they collectively create a provocative and valuable political theology par excellence with important implications for liberalism, republicanism, and constitutionalism. The dissertation pays close attention to the ways in which theological differences had explicit and implicit consequence for political theory. Those differences include the varying approaches of Reformed theologians to the covenants of works and grace respectively, the visible and invisible Church, and the accommodation of natural law, common law, and natural right

Pain reduction with oral methotrexate in knee osteoarthritis, a pragmatic phase iii trial of treatment effectiveness (PROMOTE): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the fastest growing cause of disability worldwide. Current treatments for OA are severely limited and a large proportion of people with OA live in constant, debilitating pain. There is therefore an urgent need for novel treatments to reduce pain. Synovitis is highly prevalent in OA and is associated with pain. In inflammatory arthritides such as rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate (MTX) is the gold standard treatment for synovitis and has a well-known, acceptable toxicity profile. We propose that using MTX to treat patients with symptomatic knee OA will be a practical and safe treatment to reduce synovitis and, consequently, pain. Methods/Design: Pain Reduction with Oral Methotrexate in knee Osteoarthritis, a pragmatic phase III trial of Treatment Effectiveness (PROMOTE) is an investigator-initiated, multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, pragmatic placebo-controlled trial. A total of 160 participants with symptomatic knee OA will be recruited across primary and secondary care sites in the United Kingdom and randomized on a 1:1 basis to active treatment or placebo, in addition to usual care, for 12 months. As is usual practice for MTX, dosing will be escalated over six weeks to 25 mg (or maximum tolerated dose) weekly for the remainder of the study. The primary endpoint is change in average knee pain during the past week (measured on an 11-point numerical rating scale) between baseline and six months. Secondary endpoints include other self-reported pain, function and quality-of-life measures. A health economics analysis will also be performed. A magnetic resonance imaging substudy will be conducted to provide an explanatory mechanism for associated symptom change by examining whether MTX reduces synovitis and whether this is related to symptom change. Linear and logistic regression will be used to compare changes between groups using univariable and multivariable modelling analyses. All analyses will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. Discussion: The PROMOTE trial is designed to examine whether MTX is an effective analgesic treatment for OA. The MRI substudy will address the relationship between synovitis and symptom change. This will potentially provide a much needed new treatment for knee OA