Does the Oxygen Content of Tolkien’s Middle Earth Allow for Greater Endurance?

The Lord of The Rings is a quintessential fantasy trilogy in which human men perform many seemingly unachievable feats of heroism and athleticism. One such example would be Aragorn’s tireless defence of Helms Deep for an entire night. This paper investigates whether it is a feasible hypothesis to suggest that Middle Earth must have a higher oxygen content in order for the men of Rohan and Gondor to perform such physical tasks. Through using the gas exchange equation, estimating a 10% increase in atmospheric O2 concentration in Middle Earth when compared to Earth and using Aragorn as a test subject, this hypothesis could be true

Could Frodo Have Survived Moria?

In the film ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’, Frodo the hobbit manages to survive a cave-troll spear attack in the mines of Moria, however in the books this stab is delivered by a goblin-chieftain. Frodo is relatively unharmed due to wearing an impenetrable Mithril shirt of chain mail. This paper discusses whether it would be possible for Frodo to survive such an impact force from either the cave-troll or the goblin-chieftain without fracturing his sternum, irrespective of the finely wrought chain mail and therefore still be able to flee further from a Balrog shortly after. The conclusion of the model used is that Frodo may have been unharmed by the goblin-chieftain attack but the cave-troll attack would impart a force of 64,300 N to Frodo’s chest and irrespective of dissipation of the force across his chest; this impact force is great enough to result in sternal fracture, a debilitating injury which would have made escape impossible.

Is a ‘Cast Iron Stomach’ Really That Strong?

The term ‘cast iron stomach’ is reserved for people who never seem to succumb to the ill effects of bad food or drink. This paper assesses the credibility of having a cast iron stomach with respect to corrosion caused by gastric juices leading to potentially fatal symptoms. This point was taken to be when the cast iron stomach retained only 63% of its original mass whereby it is reasoned the stomach would rupture and likely lead to gastric juices leaking into the peritoneum. Through modelling the stomach to be a hollow sphere of stainless steel the time taken for corrosion to lead to gastric juices was found to be 34 days on average

Umbrella systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on comorbid physical conditions in people with autism spectrum disorder

Background: Comorbid physical conditions may be more common in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than other people. Aims: To identify what is and what is not known about comorbid physical conditions in people with ASD. Method: We undertook an umbrella systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on comorbid physical conditions in people with ASD. Five databases were searched. There were strict inclusion/exclusion criteria. We undertook double reviewing for eligibility, systematic data extraction and quality assessment. Prospective PROSPERO registration: CRD42015020896. Results: In total, 24 of 5552 retrieved articles were included, 15 on children, 1 on adults, and 8 both on children and adults. Although the quality of included reviews was good, most reported several limitations in the studies they included and considerable heterogeneity. Comorbid physical conditions are common, and some are more prevalent than in the general population: sleep problems, epilepsy, sensory impairments, atopy, autoimmune disorders and obesity. Asthma is not. However, there are substantial gaps in the evidence base. Fewer studies have been undertaken on other conditions and some findings are inconsistent. Conclusions: Comorbid physical conditions occur more commonly in people with ASD, but the evidence base is slim and more research is needed. Some comorbidities compound care if clinicians are unaware, for example sensory impairments, given the communication needs of people with ASD. Others, such as obesity, can lead to an array of other conditions, disadvantages and early mortality. It is essential that potentially modifiable physical conditions are identified to ensure people with ASD achieve their best outcomes. Heightening clinicians’ awareness is important to aid in assessments and differential diagnoses, and to improve healthcare

Prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people: a cross-sectional total population study in Scotland

Objectives: To investigate prevalence of mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disability in children, adults and older adults with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, given its frequent co-occurrence, compared with the general population. Design: Whole country cohort study. Setting: General community. Participants: 5709 people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, compared with 5 289 694 other people. Outcome measures: Rates and ORs with 95% CIs for mental health conditions, visual impairment, hearing impairment and physical disability in people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people, adjusted for age, sex and interaction between age and co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism. Results: All four long-term conditions were markedly more common in children, adults and older adults with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism compared with other people. For mental health, OR=130.8 (95% CI 117.1 to 146.1); visual impairment OR=65.9 (95% CI 58.7 to 73.9); hearing impairment OR=22.0 (95% CI 19.2 to 25.2); and physical disability OR=157.5 (95% CI 144.6 to 171.7). These ratios are also greater than previously reported for people with either intellectual disabilities or autism rather than co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism. Conclusions: We have quantified the more than double disadvantage for people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and autism, in terms of additional long-term health conditions. This may well impact on quality of life. It raises challenges for staff working with these people in view of additional complexity in assessments, diagnoses and interventions of additional health conditions, as sensory impairments and mental health conditions in particular, compound with the persons pre-existing communication and cognitive problems in this context. Planning is important, with staff being trained, equipped, resourced and prepared to address the challenge of working for people with these conditions

What nonpharmacological interventions are effective for treating fatigue in adolescents? A systematic review of randomised controlled trials

Poster presentation for the PsyPAG 2021 Conferenc

Mental ill‐health in mothers of people with intellectual disabilities compared with mothers of typically developing people:A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Background: Mothers of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) face exceptional challenges and may be more prone to experiencing mental ill‐health compared with mothers of typically developing people. These mental ill‐health problems may differ at different stages of the caregiving trajectory. However, there is no evidence synthesis on this topic. We aimed to systematically review evidence in this area and identify gaps in the existing literature. Method: Prospero registration: CRD42018088197. Medline, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases were searched. No time limits were applied. Studies were limited to English language. Inclusion criteria were studies of mothers of people with IDs that also included a comparison group of mothers of typically developing/developed children. Data were extracted from selected studies using a structured database. Study selection and quality appraisal were double rated. Where possible, meta‐analyses were performed. Results: Of the retrieved articles, 32/3089 were included, of which 10 reported on anxiety, 21 on depression and 23 on other indicators of mental ill‐health. Overall, previous studies reported that mothers of people with IDs experienced poorer mental health as compared with mothers of typically developing people. Meta‐analyses revealed significant findings for anxiety, depression, parenting stress, emotional burden and common mental disorders, but not for somatic symptoms. However, there was a considerable heterogeneity; hence, interpretation of results should be cautious. Identified gaps included scarce research on mental ill‐health of mothers of adults with IDs at different stages of the caregiving trajectory. Conclusions: There is evidence of poorer mental ill‐health in mothers of people with IDs compared with mothers of typically developing people, but lack of focus on different stages of the caregiving trajectory, methodological inconsistencies between studies and lack of robust studies pose limitations. This highlights the need both for improved support for mothers of people with IDs and for further methodologically robust research

Troubles with Bayesianism: An introduction to the psychological immune system

A Bayesian mind is, at its core, a rational mind. Bayesianism is thus well-suited to predict and explain mental processes that best exemplify our ability to be rational. However, evidence from belief acquisition and change appears to show that we do not acquire and update information in a Bayesian way. Instead, the principles of belief acquisition and updating seem grounded in maintaining a psychological immune system rather than in approximating a Bayesian processor

3D Printing In Zero-G ISS Technology Demonstration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a long term strategy to fabricate components and equipment ondemand for manned missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. To support this strategy, NASA and Made in Space, Inc. are developing the 3D Printing In ZeroG payload as a Technology Demonstration for the International Space Station (ISS). The 3D Printing In ZeroG experiment ('3D Print') will be the first machine to perform 3D printing in space. The greater the distance from Earth and the longer the mission duration, the more difficult resupply becomes; this requires a change from the current spares, maintenance, repair, and hardware design model that has been used on the International Space Station (ISS) up until now. Given the extension of the ISS Program, which will inevitably result in replacement parts being required, the ISS is an ideal platform to begin changing the current model for resupply and repair to one that is more suitable for all exploration missions. 3D Printing, more formally known as Additive Manufacturing, is the method of building parts/objects/tools layerbylayer. The 3D Print experiment will use extrusionbased additive manufacturing, which involves building an object out of plastic deposited by a wirefeed via an extruder head. Parts can be printed from data files loaded on the device at launch, as well as additional files uplinked to the device while onorbit. The plastic extrusion additive manufacturing process is a lowenergy, lowmass solution to many common needs on board the ISS. The 3D Print payload will serve as the ideal first step to proving that process in space. It is unreasonable to expect NASA to launch large blocks of material from which parts or tools can be traditionally machined, and even more unreasonable to fly up multiple drill bits that would be required to machine parts from aerospacegrade materials such as titanium 64 alloy and Inconel. The technology to produce parts on demand, in space, offers unique design options that are not possible through traditional manufacturing methods while offering cost-effective, highprecision, lowunit ondemand manufacturing. Thus, Additive Manufacturing capabilities are the foundation of an advanced manufacturing in space roadmap. The 3D Printing In ZeroG experiment will demonstrate the capability of utilizing Additive Manufacturing technology in space. This will serve as the enabling first step to realizing an additive manufacturing, printondemand "machine shop" for longduration missions and sustaining human exploration of other planets, where there is extremely limited ability and availability of Earthbased logistics support. Simply put, Additive Manufacturing in space is a critical enabling technology for NASA. It will provide the capability to produce hardware ondemand, directly lowering cost and decreasing risk by having the exact part or tool needed in the time it takes to print. This capability will also provide the muchneeded solution to the cost, volume, and upmass constraints that prohibit launching everything needed for longduration or longdistance missions from Earth, including spare parts and replacement systems. A successful mission for the 3D Printing In ZeroG payload is the first step to demonstrate the capability of printing on orbit. The data gathered and lessons learned from this demonstration will be applied to the next generation of additive manufacturing technology on orbit. It is expected that Additive Manufacturing technology will quickly become a critical part of any mission's infrastructure