DrawingOut:An innovative drawing workshop method to support the generation and dissemination of research findings

A growing body of literature has explored the potential for arts-based methods to generate and disseminate research, particularly on sensitive or complex topics. This article presents DrawingOut, a metaphor-centred drawing workshop designed to collect visual and textual data about individuals’ experiences of sensitive or taboo health experiences. The visual data, consisting of the artwork produced by participants, and the textual data, all conversations and discussions occurring during the workshop, can also be used to create engaging outputs for dissemination. We piloted DrawingOut in a study of nine women with a minority ethnic or religious background in Cardiff, UK. The women were invited to participate in a series of structured drawing activities. The conversations occurring during the workshop were recorded and then subjected to thematic analysis. Results showed that women’s views and experiences could be grouped in eight major themes covering their wellbeing, relationship with others, and healthcare views and experiences. We produced an A5 16-page booklet that presents the pilot study results, illustrated with participants’ own drawings and quotes, which was disseminated among participants, their community and other relevant stakeholders. This pilot study supports the view that healthcare actors can use the DrawingOut method to engage people to talk about sensitive health topics, while simultaneously providing them with an enjoyable and empowering research experience. In our pilot study the DrawingOut was successful in eliciting rich visual and textual data that captures a diversity of views and experiences, with the added benefit that these can be used to produce engaging outputs for dissemination

Static T2w MRU in Noncalcular Urinary Obstruction: Comparison of Its Two Techniques

The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of T2-weighted (T2w) MR urography (MRU) techniques — the standard MRU using fast spin echo (FSE) and postprocessing maximum intensity projection (MIP) and the single-shot MRU — in the diagnosis of ureteric obstruction in patients with noncalcular urinary obstruction. The study included 150 patients admitted to our center between January 2005 and December 2006. There were 203 renal units with noncalcular obstruction; 53 patients had bilateral obstruction. Patients with calcular obstruction were excluded. There were 85 males and 65 females with a mean age of 50 (range: 5–83) years. All patients were examined with static MRU using both single-shot (thick slab) and multisection MRU. Using single-shot MRU, we obtained images at the direct coronal and oblique coronal, as well as sagittal, planes for each renal unit. Postprocessing MIP for the standard coronal heavy T2 source images to obtain coronal and oblique images was done. Among the obstructed 203 units, the intrinsic causes were present in 157 units (151 were stricture and six were ureteric tumors), while the extrinsic causes were present in 46 units (35 bladder tumor, four ureterocele, five retroperitoneal fibrosis, one prostatic tumor, and one local pelvic recurrence after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer). The overall accuracy of single-shot MRU was 89% and was 93% for the multisection MRU in cases of intrinsic ureteric obstruction, while in cases of extrinsic obstruction, it was 20% for single-shot MRU and 96% for multisection MRU. T2w static MRU is a very useful technique in diagnosing noncalcular ureteric obstruction. Multisection MRU has a high diagnostic accuracy and reliability over that of the single-shot technique. The single-section technique is very rapid and useful in diagnosing ureteric stricture so it could be used as a localizer, while multisection images with postprocessing MIP is mandatory, especially in cases of suspected ureteric tumors or extraureteric causes

A parametric study on the effectiveness of the NSM technique for the flexural strengthening of continuous RC slabs

Recent experimental research has shown that Near Surface Mounted (NSM) technique has high potential to increase the load carrying capacity of continuous reinforced concrete (RC) slabs. This flexural strengthening technique is based on the installation of rectangular cross sectional carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates into thin slits opened onto the top concrete cover at the intermediate supports and in the bottom concrete cover in the tensile zones. However, the linear-elastic behaviour of the CFRP laminates, and the possibility of occurring premature detachment of the concrete cover that includes these laminates can compromise, not only the flexural strengthening effectiveness of the NSM technique, but also the moment redistribution and the ductility performance of this type of structures. To evaluate the influence of the concrete strength class, the percentage of existing longitudinal tensile reinforcement and the percentage of CFRP on the strengthening effectiveness, moment redistribution capacity and ductility performance, a parametric study was carried out by executing material nonlinear analysis with a FEM-based computer program, which predictive performance was calibrated using the results of a previous experimental program.The study reported in this paper forms part of the research program "PrePAM -Pre-Fabricated Thin Panels Using Advanced Materials For Structural Rehabilitation" supported by FCT, PTDC/ECM/114511/2009. The authors also wish to acknowledge the support provided by the S&P and Casais. The first author further wishes to acknowledge the Erasmus Mobility Program between the University of Minho (Portugal) and the University of Ferrara (Italy), which rendered this international cooperation possible. The third author would like to acknowledge the PhD grant SFRH/BD/69818/2010 supported by FCT

Some apoptotic signals in patients with chronic HCV infection

No Abstract. The Egyptian Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Vol. 23(1) 2005: 69-8