Exploring the perceptions of Māori psychologists of providing psychological assistance to Māori via VC technologies : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Accessibility issues, stigma and lack of culturally appropriate interventions are among barriers that have limited access to help for Māori who have mental health concerns. Videoconference therapy (VC) is well supported in research however its use has not been explored with Māori. Technology is ubiquitous and VC therapy has the potential to mitigate some of the barriers that limit access to effective evidenced-based therapy for those experiencing mental health difficulties. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 Māori clinical psychologists in various professional roles, to explore perceptions towards VC technology as a medium for conducting therapy with Māori clients. Data analysis involved reflexive thematic analysis with an inductive approach to coding. The following five themes emerged out of data analysis: (1) Accessibility; (2) Safety; (3) Therapy Space; (4) Diverse Realities, and; (5) Culturally Competent VC therapy with Māori. The perceived benefits of VC included: visual access, the potential to ameliorate accessibility barriers and client comfort/ engagement. There were concerns about conducting therapy from a distance which included: technology limitations, loss of assessment information, and safety concerns and crisis management. Māori culture places importance on physical presence, however, participants felt it was feasible to conduct some cultural processes via VC. Questions were raised about the suitability of VC therapy for different individuals, therapists, areas and severity of distress and therapy type. All participants felt a meaningful therapeutic relationship could be established online although, preferences were for in-person therapy over VC therapy

Ritual Machines

Poster presentation on the outputs of the collaborative (RCA and Newcastle University) research though design project Family Rituals 2.

The Effects of a Pre-workout Supplement on Collegiate Track Athletes\u27 Sub-max Bench Press

The use of prework out supplements in athletes has been increasing as athletes try to get more of an edge on their competition. Our research looked at the effect of taking Muscle Pharms preworkout supplement Assault in collegiate track athletes. We did this by having them preform a sub-max bench press. We found that there was no significant difference between the placebo and Assault

Family Rituals 2.0

The notion of family is broad (and changing) and encompasses a variety of different social structures beyond the classic conception of the nuclear family yet it is a cornerstone of our social worlds. Even as many in ‘Western’ society follow the trend of isolated living, in single occupant dwellings, for most people, notions of home are intimately tied to notions of family. We form familial bonds (regardless of traditional notions of kinship), with those with whom we live. The rise of network society and the pervasiveness of digital technologies has however, meant that the boundaries between our working and domestic lives are becoming increasingly blurred. The impacts of this on home and family life are being further exacerbated by changes in our patterns of living, which are pushing us towards increased mobility and itinerant domesticity. Increasingly, life is marked by significant periods of absence from home and family, and increasingly we may turn to digital technologies to help us mediate that absence. Arguably, a core element of domestic life is its ritualistic aspects, which are important features of the functional and emotional landscape of the home. Wolin and Bennett (1984) have defined family ritual as “a symbolic form of communication that, owing to the satisfaction that family members experience through its repetition, is acted out in a systematic fashion over time.” Family Rituals 2.0 sought to understand the ritual activities that families engage in during periods of remote working, and to speculate on the potential roles of technology in mediating complex working family lives

Family Rituals @.0 Ritual Machine 'Anticipation'

Bespoke technology has been designed and built for Hywel and Jasper, to create moments of reflection for them: allowing discussion about thier work/life balance and their attitudes to working away from home

Kinetx: a combined flow cytometry assay and analysis software framework to quantitatively measure and categorize platelet activation in real-time

Platelets react rapidly to vascular injury and undergo activation in response to a range of stimuli to limit blood loss. Many platelet function tests measure endpoint responses after a defined time period and not the rate of platelet activation. However, the rate at which platelets convert extracellular stimuli into a functional response is an essential factor in determining how efficiently they can respond to injury, bind to a forming thrombus, and signal to recruit other platelets. This paper describes a flow cytometry-based platelet function assay that enables simultaneous data acquisition and sample stimulation and utilizes newly developed bespoke open-source software (Kinetx) to enable quantitative kinetic measurements of platelet granule release, fibrinogen binding, and intracellular calcium flux. Kinetix was developed in R so that users can alter parameters such as degree of smoothing, identification of outlying data points, or time scales. To aid users unfamiliar with the R environment, Kinetix analysis of data can be performed by a single command. Together, this allows real-time platelet activation metrics, such as rate, acceleration, time to peak-rate, time to peak-calcium, and qualitative shape changes, to be accurately and reproducibly measured and categorized. Kinetic measurements of platelet activation give a unique insight into platelets’ behavior during the first stages of activation and may provide a method of predicting the recruitment of platelets into a forming thrombus

A randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness evaluation of "booster" interventions to sustain increases in physical activity in middle-aged adults in deprived urban neighbourhoods

Background: Systematic reviews have identified a range of brief interventions which increase physical activity in previously sedentary people. There is an absence of evidence about whether follow up beyond three months can maintain long term physical activity. This study assesses whether it is worth providing motivational interviews, three months after giving initial advice, to those who have become more active. Methods/Design: Study candidates (n = 1500) will initially be given an interactive DVD and receive two telephone follow ups at monthly intervals checking on receipt and use of the DVD. Only those that have increased their physical activity after three months (n = 600) will be randomised into the study. These participants will receive either a "mini booster" (n = 200), "full booster" (n = 200) or no booster (n = 200). The "mini booster" consists of two telephone calls one month apart to discuss physical activity and maintenance strategies. The "full booster" consists of a face-to-face meeting with the facilitator at the same intervals. The purpose of these booster sessions is to help the individual maintain their increase in physical activity. Differences in physical activity, quality of life and costs associated with the booster interventions, will be measured three and nine months from randomisation. The research will be conducted in 20 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Sheffield, which have large, ethnically diverse populations, high levels of economic deprivation, low levels of physical activity, poorer health and shorter life expectancy. Participants will be recruited through general practices and community groups, as well as by postal invitation, to ensure the participation of minority ethnic groups and those with lower levels of literacy. Sheffield City Council and Primary Care Trust fund a range of facilities and activities to promote physical activity and variations in access to these between neighbourhoods will make it possible to examine whether the effectiveness of the intervention is modified by access to community facilities. A one-year integrated feasibility study will confirm that recruitment targets are achievable based on a 10% sample.Discussion: The choice of study population, study interventions, brief intervention preceding the study, and outcome measure are discussed

National Institutes of Health Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Late Effects Initiative: The Immune Dysregulation and Pathobiology Working Group Report

Immune reconstitution after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) beyond 1 year is not completely understood. Many transplant recipients who are free of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and not receiving any immunosuppression more than 1 year after transplantation seem to be able to mount appropriate immune responses to common pathogens and respond adequately to immunizations. However, 2 large registry studies over the last 2 decades seem to indicate that infection is a significant cause of late mortality in some patients, even in the absence of concomitant GVHD. Research on this topic is particularly challenging for several reasons. First, there are not enough long-term follow-up clinics able to measure even basic immune parameters late after HCT. Second, the correlation between laboratory measurements of immune function and infections is not well known. Third, accurate documentation of infectious episodes is notoriously difficult. Finally, it is unclear what measures can be implemented to improve the immune response in a clinically relevant way. A combination of long-term multicenter prospective studies that collect detailed infectious data and store samples as well as a national or multinational registry of clinically significant infections (eg, vaccine-preventable severe infections, opportunistic infections) could begin to address our knowledge gaps. Obtaining samples for laboratory evaluation of the immune system should be both calendar and eventdriven. Attention to detail and standardization of practices regarding prophylaxis, diagnosis, and definitions of infections would be of paramount importance to obtain clean reliable data. Laboratory studies should specifically address the neogenesis, maturation, and exhaustion of the adaptive immune system and, in particular, how these are influenced by persistent alloreactivity, inflammation, and viral infection. Ideally, some of these long-term prospective studies would collect information on long-term changes in the gut microbiome and their influence on immunity. Regarding enhancement of immune function, prospective measurement of the response to vaccines late after HCT in a variety of clinical settings should be undertaken to better understand the benefits as well as the limitations of immunizations. The role of intravenous immunoglobulin is still not well defined, and studies to address it should be encouraged