How the blood pool properties at onset affect the temporal behavior of simulated bruises

The influence of initial blood pool properties on the temporal behavior of bruises is currently unknown. We addressed this important issue by utilizing three typical classes of bruises in our three-layered finite compartment model. We simulated the effects of their initial shapes, regularity of boundaries and initial blood concentration distributions (gaussian vs. homogeneous) on the hemoglobin and bilirubin areas in the dermal top layer. Age determination of bruises with gaussian hemoglobin concentration was also addressed. We found that the initial blood pool properties strongly affect bruise behavior. We determined the age of a 200-h simulated bruise with gaussian hemoglobin concentration with 3 h uncertainty. In conclusion, bruise behavior depends non-intuitively on the initial blood pool properties; hence, a model that includes shape, area and concentration distribution at onset is indispensable. Future age determination, including inhomogeneous hemoglobin distributions, will likely be based on the presented method for gaussian distributions

3D finite compartment modeling of formation and healing of bruises may identify methods for age determination of bruises

Simulating the spatial and temporal behavior of bruises may identify methods that allow accurate age determination of bruises to assess child abuse. We developed a numerical 3D model to simulate the spatial kinetics of hemoglobin and bilirubin during the formation and healing of bruises. Using this model, we studied how skin thickness, bruise diameter and diffusivities affect the formation and healing of circular symmetric bruises and compared a simulated bruise with a natural inhomogeneous bruise. Healing is faster for smaller bruises in thinner and less dense skin. The simulated and natural bruises showed similar spatial and temporal dynamics. The different spatio-temporal dynamics of hemoglobin and bilirubin allows age determination of model bruises. Combining our model predictions with individual natural bruises may allow optimizing our model parameters. It may particularly identify methods for more accurate age determination than currently possible to aid the assessment of child abuse

The Effect of improvisations and Observations on Standardized Patient Encounters, Subjective Workload and Stress

Standardized patients (SPs) are people trained to present a medical case for teaching and assessing medical students and they simultaneously perform several demanding tasks including portraying the patient, assessing the learner, and providing feedback. This study investigated the effect of improvisations and multiple task performance on the ability to observe another\u27s nonverbal (NV) behaviors and rate their communication skills. Subjective reports of mental workload and stress were also obtained. The first study involved undergraduates interviewing for a job. Type of interview (rote and improvisational) and type of observation (passive and active) were manipulated within groups. Based on theories of attention and working memory, participants were expected to observe the fewest NV behaviors, provide the least accurate ratings, and report the highest levels of mental workload and stress after the active improvisational condition. The results indicated that the ability to observe and assess the interviewer was negatively affected for active observations and during improvisations. Mental workload was high after active improvisational observations and stress was higher after all active observations. The second study was conducted with SPs and followed a similar format with an additional between-subjects variable experience (novice and experienced). The results indicated that both active observations and improvisations negatively influenced only the SPs\u27 ability to observe the learner. The results showed the same pattern found in the first study for the mental workload and stress data. Most importantly, SPs missed over 75% of NV behaviors during active improvisational encounters. In conclusion, theoretical models of attention and working memory were useful for understanding the cognitive challenges faced by SPs. In particular, the SPs had difficulty observing the learner and found it and more mentally demanding when simultaneously assessing the learner and portraying the patient particularly during periods of improvisation

Welfare of domestic birds and rabbits transported in containers

This opinion, produced upon a request from the European Commission, focuses on transport of domestic birds and rabbits in containers (e.g. any crate, box, receptacle or other rigid structure used for the transport of animals, but not the means of transport itself). It describes and assesses current transport practices in the EU, based on data from literature, Member States and expert opinion. The species and categories of domestic birds assessed were mainly chickens for meat (broilers), end-of-lay hens and day-old chicks. They included to a lesser extent pullets, turkeys, ducks, geese, quails and game birds, due to limited scientific evidence. The opinion focuses on road transport to slaughterhouses or to production sites. For day-old chicks, air transport is also addressed. The relevant stages of transport considered are preparation, loading, journey, arrival and uncrating. Welfare consequences associated with current transport practices were identified for each stage. For loading and uncrating, the highly relevant welfare consequences identified are handling stress, injuries, restriction of movement and sensory overstimulation. For the journey and arrival, injuries, restriction of movement, sensory overstimulation, motion stress, heat stress, cold stress, prolonged hunger and prolonged thirst are identified as highly relevant. For each welfare consequence, animal-based measures (ABMs) and hazards were identified and assessed, and both preventive and corrective or mitigative measures proposed. Recommendations on quantitative criteria to prevent or mitigate welfare consequences are provided for microclimatic conditions, space allowances and journey times for all categories of animals, where scientific evidence and expert opinion support such outcomes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Welfare of cattle during transport

In the framework of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the animal welfare legislation. The present Opinion deals with protection of cattle (including calves) during transport. Welfare of cattle during transport by road is the main focus, but other means of transport are also covered. Current practices related to transport of cattle during the different stages (preparation, loading/unloading, transit and journey breaks) are described. Overall, 11 welfare consequences were identified as being highly relevant for the welfare of cattle during transport based on severity, duration and frequency of occurrence: group stress, handling stress, heat stress, injuries, motion stress, prolonged hunger, prolonged thirst, respiratory disorders, restriction of movement, resting problems and sensory overstimulation. These welfare consequences and their animal-based measures are described. A variety of hazards, mainly relating to inexperienced/untrained handlers, inappropriate handling, structural deficiencies of vehicles and facilities, poor driving conditions, unfavourable microclimatic and environmental conditions, and poor husbandry practices leading to these welfare consequences were identified. The Opinion contains general and specific conclusions relating to the different stages of transport for cattle. Recommendations to prevent hazards and to correct or mitigate welfare consequences have been developed. Recommendations were also developed to define quantitative thresholds for microclimatic conditions within the means of transport and spatial thresholds (minimum space allowance). The development of welfare consequences over time was assessed in relation to maximum journey duration. The Opinion covers specific animal transport scenarios identified by the European Commission relating to transport of unweaned calves, cull cows, the export of cattle by livestock vessels, the export of cattle by road, roll-on-roll-off ferries and ‘special health status animals’, and lists welfare concerns associated with these.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

2009 Annual Research Symposium Abstract Book

2009 annual volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College

Enhanced recording paradigms and advanced analyses of peripheral nerve fibers SPiike software

[eng] The aim of this work is to investigate the human nociceptive system at the peripheral level. Researchers are still debating how the pain perception arises from this very intricate network. The human perception is the most elusive part of our knowledge since different subsystems are involved. The external information such as noxious stimuli must be processed at the peripheral level and through signal cascades and transduction this signal must reach the brain. At the brain level the information is processed and some decisions are taken, such as the well-known fight-or-flight response. In the introduction, the author describes how the human nociceptive system works and in which way the noxious stimulus is converted into a signal understandable by the brain. Several cortical and subcortical areas are involved in this signal processing and going deeper in this assembly line the information becomes more abstracted. The whole pathway is fundamental for pain perception, however some diseases start at the peripheral level. This in turn makes wrong signals reaching the brain. The brain is then processing information that are not real and the responses do not suit with the needs. Therefore, the peripheral system must be investigated and understood firstly, since some central diseases may have a peripheral component as well. With this purpose in mind the microneurography technique has been used. This technique has got some complexity and a computer-aided system must be implemented. The hardware aims to filter out the noisy signal and perform recording and stimulation of the neural fibers. The software is instead used to make the stimulation and recording as automatic as possible in a way that researchers do not have to deal with a lot of parameters and steps to carry out this powerful but also time consuming technique. Some software are already available in the market however even if they work fine with slow conduction fibers such as C-fibers they cannot cope with faster neurons (e.g. Aδ fibers). The aim of this work is to create a software (i.e. SPiike) able to stimulate and record every type of fibers implementing advanced analysis technique as well. Furthermore, considering that some in vivo experiments have been pursued within the project to check the functionality of the software, more specifically in rats and mice, the comparison between human nociceptors and mouse nociceptors is depicted in this section. In the method section, the experimental approach is described step by step. This is composed by several systems that work together for the stimulation, recording and analysis of the neural fibers. The control and acquisition module is composed by the software and a data acquisition board that trigger the stimulator and record the filtered signal. The stimulation module is composed by a stimulator that can be tuned as wish through dedicated knobs. Then the stimulus is delivered to the animal model (or the human patient) and the signal is recorded though a microelectrode inserted into the sciatic nerve. The amplification module is filtering out the noisy signal and is feeding a audio monitor for helping the researcher during the insertion of the electrode inside the nerve and it provides support during the whole experiment giving insights on fiber discharges. In this section the whole setup is described in details as well as the devices needed for the recording. Furthermore, the software development that is the core of this project is described as well, with all the considerations that must be considered during coding. Indeed, the flow chart must be followed methodically in order to minimize bugs and errors that may arise in the final product. Thus a description of the compiler and the Matlab IDE is given along with system and software requirements for the making of the SPiike software. Eventually the explanation of embedded functionalities and capabilities of SPiike is depicted in the final part of this section. This software is indeed able to stimulate slow conducting fibers as well as faster ones, and enhanced analysis techniques such as supervised machine learning are implemented. In the results section, the graphical user interface of the Spiike software is reveled. It resembles the one of another software already available in the market, with a filtered signal and a raster plot embedded on it. However, this software is more user-friendly and it accounts with icons and drop-down menus that enhance the experience of the users during the use of the tool, making their interactions smooth and intuitive. The SPiike software is subdivide into two different tools, a recording module and a analysis module. The former allows the stimulation and recording of neural fibers with a stimulation frequency up to 1000Hz and some online analysis can be conducted to have insights on fibers type and behavior. The analysis module is instead a more powerful analysis environment that can retrieve the dataset recorded with the other module or with the LabChart software. Advanced analysis techniques are implemented in this module, this is meant to speed up fiber classification and analysis. Conclusion and discussion provide a overview on some results. These will be compared to those obtainable through other software available in the market. In this section, pros and cons of the new implemented software, SPiike, will be described as well

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 370)

This bibliography lists 219 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Dec. 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance