Promoting independence in dementia: protocol for a feasibility trial of the PRIDE intervention for living well with dementia

Background: Dementia can lead to social exclusion, loss of identity and independence, due to deterioration in cognition and activities of daily living. The aim of the study is to investigate the feasibility of the Promoting Independence in Dementia (PRIDE) intervention, designed to facilitate independence in people with mild dementia. Methods and Results: This is a mixed-methods feasibility trial of the PRIDE, in preparation for a future randomised controlled trial. Up to 50 people with dementia will be recruited. Dementia advisors will deliver the three session intervention. Quantitative outcomes will be taken at baseline and up to three months post baseline. Fidelity checklists will assess fidelity to the intervention. Qualitative implementation data will be gathered in a series of post-intervention semi-structured interviews with staff and participants. This will include data to examine participant experiences of and engagement with the intervention, and other aspects of delivery such as recruitment of DAWs, fidelity and experiences of receiving and delivering the intervention. This study aims to: 1) establish and field test the PRIDE intervention; 2) determine the recruitment rate of sites, providers and participants; 3) assess fidelity in delivery of the intervention and engagement with people with dementia; 4) assess the feasibility and acceptability of outcome measure data and 5) assess the acceptability of the intervention by stakeholders. Discussion: There has been increased need for non-pharmacological interventions for mild dementia. The results of this feasibility study will allow us to plan for a definitive RCT of a three session dementia advisor led intervention for mild dementia

An experimental test of deviant modeling

Objectives: Test the effect of deviant peer modeling on theft as conditioned by verbal support for theft and number of deviant models. Methods: Two related randomized experiments in which participants were given a chance to steal a gift card (ostensibly worth $15) from the table in front of them. Each experiment had a control group, a verbal prompting group in which confederate(s) endorsed stealing, a behavioral modeling group in which confederate(s) committed theft, and a verbal prompting plus behavioral modeling group in which confederate(s) did both. The first experiment used one confederate; the second experiment used two. The pooled sample consisted of 335 undergraduate students. Results: Participants in the verbal prompting plus behavioral modeling group were most likely to steal followed by the behavioral modeling group. Interestingly, behavioral modeling was only influential when two confederates were present. There were no thefts in either the control or verbal prompting groups regardless of the number of confederates. Conclusions: Behavioral modeling appears to be the key mechanism, though verbal support can strengthen the effect of behavioral modeling.UW/SSHRC Seed Gran

Reflections on the Cost of Low-Cost Whole Genome Sequencing: Framing the Health Policy Debate

The cost of whole genome sequencing is dropping rapidly. There has been a great deal of enthusiasm about the potential for this technological advance to transform clinical care. Given the interest and significant investment in genomics, this seems an ideal time to consider what the evidence tells us about potential benefits and harms, particularly in the context of health care policy. The scale and pace of adoption of this powerful new technology should be driven by clinical need, clinical evidence, and a commitment to put patients at the centre of health care policy

Aircraft Cost Index and the Future of Carbon Emissions from Air Travel

Air travel accounts for 2% of global CO2 emissions and this proportion is set to grow in the future. There are currently no large scale solutions to drastically reduce the industry’s dependence on oil. Therefore, airlines are looking to use a basket of measures to reduce fuel consumption. Optimisation of the use of cost index (CI) could be a valuable addition to this. By balancing time-dependent costs with the cost of fuel, it controls the speed of the aircraft to achieve the most economic flight time. This has a direct impact on the CO2 emissions from the aircraft, with higher speeds resulting in higher fuel consumption. The aim of this study is to assess the impact that CI has on CO2 emissions for six different aircraft models on a flight-by-flight basis and to evaluate how the CI could be affected by future impacts on the industry for a representative aircraft. Results show that a range of representative CI values for different aircraft models exist and suggest that the maximum benefit for optimising CI values occurs for long range flights. The average saving in CO2 emissions is 1%. Results show that time-related costs have the greatest effect on the optimum CI values, particularly delay costs. On the fuel side of the equation it is notable that a carbon price resulting from the implementation of a market based mechanism has little impact on the optimum CI and only reduces CO2 emissions by 0.01% in this case. The largest savings in CO2 emissions result from the use of biofuels, with reductions of between 9% and 44% for 10% and 50% blends respectively. This study also highlights the need for further research into crew and maintenance costs, cumulative costs and delay induced by congestion and climate change events, as well as policy considerations to ensure that there is a reduction in CO2 emissions. The study concludes that CI should be seen as a valuable tool in both helping to reduce CO2 emissions, as well to assess the impact of future events on the industry

Mainstreaming domestic and gender-based violence into sociology and the criminology of violence

Sociological and criminological views of domestic and gender-based violencegenerally either dismiss it as not worthy of consideration, or focus on specificgroups of offenders and victims (male youth gangs, partner violence victims). Inthis paper, we take a holistic approach to violence, extending the definition fromthat commonly in use to encompass domestic violence and sexual violence. Weoperationalize that definition by using data from the latest sweep of the CrimeSurvey for England and Wales. By so doing, we identify that violence is currentlyunder-measured and ubiquitous; that it is gendered, and that other forms of violence (family violence, acquaintance violence against women) are equally ofconcern. We argue that violence studies are an important form of activity forsociologists

Association of Accelerometry-Measured Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Events in Mobility-Limited Older Adults: The LIFE (Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders) Study.

BACKGROUND:Data are sparse regarding the value of physical activity (PA) surveillance among older adults-particularly among those with mobility limitations. The objective of this study was to examine longitudinal associations between objectively measured daily PA and the incidence of cardiovascular events among older adults in the LIFE (Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders) study. METHODS AND RESULTS:Cardiovascular events were adjudicated based on medical records review, and cardiovascular risk factors were controlled for in the analysis. Home-based activity data were collected by hip-worn accelerometers at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months postrandomization to either a physical activity or health education intervention. LIFE study participants (n=1590; age 78.9±5.2 [SD] years; 67.2% women) at baseline had an 11% lower incidence of experiencing a subsequent cardiovascular event per 500 steps taken per day based on activity data (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-0.96; P=0.001). At baseline, every 30 minutes spent performing activities ≥500 counts per minute (hazard ratio, 0.75; confidence interval, 0.65-0.89 [P=0.001]) were also associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular events. Throughout follow-up (6, 12, and 24 months), both the number of steps per day (per 500 steps; hazard ratio, 0.90, confidence interval, 0.85-0.96 [P=0.001]) and duration of activity ≥500 counts per minute (per 30 minutes; hazard ratio, 0.76; confidence interval, 0.63-0.90 [P=0.002]) were significantly associated with lower cardiovascular event rates. CONCLUSIONS:Objective measurements of physical activity via accelerometry were associated with cardiovascular events among older adults with limited mobility (summary score >10 on the Short Physical Performance Battery) both using baseline and longitudinal data. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01072500

Utilizing Guided Simulation in Conjunction with Digital Learning Tools in Air Traffic Control Training to Enhance Learning at the Collegiate Level

Students in an air traffic control program are required to learn and apply advance knowledge and skills in a limited time frame. All students learn at different rates as well as through different learning styles. Swivl is a video capture tool designed to enhance student learning by allowing students to refer back to their individual classroom lab training session videos via an online portal. Swivl is being utilized in two ATC lab courses. During this research, two technological shortcomings were discovered: (1) Swivl lacks the ability to capture audio from the COA’s existing communication software and (2) Swivl cannot focus on the radar display. As a result, the videos have lacked visual clarity when reviewing the session. Consequently Swivl has been shown to be an ineffective digital learning tool for this situation. Swivl, used in conjunction with a simulated ATC tower, has proven to be effective in enhancing overall learning due to the visual nature of the tower learning environment. The nature of the tower simulator allows for better visual acuity and effective communication exchange within the Swivl videos. Once these two issues are resolved, Swivl will have the potential to be an effective tool in ATC training, and may enhance learning by allowing students to sharpen those skills necessary for advancement in the field of air traffic control

Developing a critical care outreach team to improve patient outcomes and promote healthy work environments

Critical Care Outreach Teams (CCOTs) play a vital role in promoting healthy work environments and achieving positive patient outcomes. This presentation reviews strategies used in development and implementation of a CCOT. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and shared vision, clinical nurses can be empowered as change agents in actualizing this disruptive innovation

Perceptual Enhancement for Arabic Reading: An Intervention to Support Fluency and Automaticity in Grade One

This study, conducted in the United Arab Emirates, piloted a curriculum to increase early grade reading fluency. A curriculum with enhanced perceptual features, such as font size and spacing was used with grade one students in four schools to detect any significant difference in students’ reading speed and reading accuracy after one year. Three hundred forty-five grade one students participated in the pilot—174 in the intervention group and 171 in the control group (ds= 0.33 0.47). At the end of the year, students in the intervention group read more letters and words correctly on average in one minute (p < .01) and in an entire text (p < .01 for letters; p < .001 for words) than those in the control group. These results suggest that curriculum with perceptual enhancement may be useful in facilitating early Arabic reading fluency

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy