Social functions of relaxed open-mouth display in golden snub-nosed monkeys(Rhinopithecus roxellana)

Relaxed open-mouth display serves important social functions in relation to submission, reconciliation affiliation and reassurance among non-human primate societies; however, quantitative evidence on this behavior remains insufficient among multi-level social groups. From July to November 2016, we examined four potential functions of the relaxed open-mouth display during pairwise, intra-unit social interactions among 18 free-ranging adult and sub-adult golden snub-nosed monkeys(Rhinopithecus roxellana) who belonged to three one-male, multi-female units(OMU) at Dalongtan, Shennongjia National Park China. Results showed that: compared with no relaxed open-mouth display,(1) the occurrence of displacement by a dominant individual approaching a subordinate was lower and the distance of the subordinate to the approaching dominant was shorter when the subordinate showed open-mouth display;(2) relaxed open-mouth display reduced the probability of continued attack for victims of aggression and allowed victims to achieve closer proximity to the aggressor during post-conflict periods;(3) relaxed open-mouth display by dominant individuals allowed them to achieve closer proximity to subordinates; and(4) the exchange of relaxed open-mouth display had a greater impact on the outcome of interactions than one individual alone giving this signal. These findings suggest that relaxed open-mouth display serves important functions regarding submission, reconciliation, affiliation and reassurance in coordinating social interactions within OMUs in golden snub-nosed monkeys.

China and US Strategic Choices and China’s Relations with Its Neighbors

Strategic competition between China and the United States has gradually intensified while the relationship between China and neighboring countries has stabilized.The implementation of an " America First"policy along with a decline in US strategic credibility is prompting China's neighbors to adopt a more cooperative stance toward China.China's positive response to those gestures and its continued strategic reassurance improve China's strategic credibility.Allaying their security concerns lays a foundation for continuous improvement of China's neighboring security environment.It is imperative for China to grasp this opportunity to resolve disputes with its neighbors to ease its rise dilemma.

Psychotherapy: A Way Forward to Improve the Quality of Life in Otalgia Patients

Introduction: Otalgia is not only an indicator of impact of disease but also impairs the daily activities and personal behaviors as is unpleasant and disturbing for the patient. It leads to decrease in functional status up to the complete disability. Nowadays the main focus of physician is to eradicate the disease or the symptoms, leaving behind the humanistic element. In diseased state, the most important point is to assess and improve the quality of life by using multidisciplinary approach. Objective: The objective is to assess the quality of life in patients having otalgia, due to any cause. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted by using modified form of WHOQOL-100 and COQOL. Data was accepted, if CFI was greater than 0.9. Qualitative data were presented as frequency and percentages and quantitative data as mean with standard deviation. ANOVA was used to assess the variations among groups. Change in behavior was assessed by using the Likert scale for each domain of WHOQOL and COQOL by a ten-point scale. Results: Majority of participants about 60.2% were male and were from the age group of 16 - 30 years. Most of the sample population were from lower socioeconomic class. Looking over the WHOQOL-100, higher score represented the higher quality of life. Variation among different socioeconomic status was non-significant for positive attitudes but was highly significant (p = 0.0020) for negative attitudes. Analyzing the COQOL scoring system, higher score reported the worse symptoms. The patient with high COQOL showed strong correlation with poor WHOQOL-100 score that was p value Conclusion: The current study highlights the need of multidisciplinary approach for the better management and improving the quality of life in patients with otalgia.

Awake Craniotomy and Coaching

Background: The importance of monitoring cognition during awake craniotomy has been well described in previous studies. The relevance of being coached during such a procedure has received less attention and questions still remain unanswered about what factors are the most important herein. Objective: The aim of this study was to qualitatively analyze what factors were, according to our patients, important in being coaching during awake craniotomy. Methods: Twenty-six patients who underwent awake craniotomy received a questionnaire about their experiences during the procedure. The questions concerned different aspects of the pre-operative part, the operation itself and coaching aspects. Answers were qualitatively analyzed by two investigators and per question, different answer categories were made. Results: Two thirds of the 20 patients who responded to the questionnaire reported anxiety in the days before or during the operation, varying from general anxiety for being awake during surgery to anxiety for very specific aspects such as opening the skull. The constant presence of the neuropsychologist and a transparent communication during the procedure were most frequently (65% of all the answers) reported as helpful in staying calm. Conclusion: Results of this descriptive study show that patients experience different anxieties before and during an awake craniotomy and give more insight into what factors are important for patients in being coached during such an operation. This study gives directions for clinicians in improving their role as a coach.