Exploring Pompeii: discovering hospitality through research synergy

Hospitality research continues to broaden through an ever-increasing dialogue and alignment with a greater number of academic disciplines. This paper demonstrates how an enhanced understanding of hospitality can be achieved through synergy between archaeology, the classics and sociology. It focuses on classical Roman life, in particular Pompeii, to illustrate the potential for research synergy and collaboration, to advance the debate on hospitality research and to encourage divergence in research approaches. It demonstrates evidence of commercial hospitality activities through the excavation hotels, bars and taverns, restaurants and fast food sites. The paper also provides an example of the benefits to be gained from multidisciplinary analysis of hospitality and tourism

The SelfSTarT intervention for low back pain patients presenting to first contact physiotherapists: A mixed methods service evaluationfor low back pain patients presenting to first contact physiotherapists: A mixed methods service evaluation

Introduction: Globally, back pain is the leading cause of years of disability. In the United Kingdom, over 20 million people live with musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, with low back pain being one of the most common causes. National strategies promote self‐management and the use of digital technologies to empower populations. Aims: To evaluate the uptake and impact of providing the SelfSTart approach (STarT Back and SelfBACK App) when delivered by a First Contact Physiotherapist (FCP) to people presenting with low back pain in primary care. Methods: Patients presenting with a new episode of low back pain underwent routine assessment and completion of a STarT Back questionnaire. Patients with low/medium scores were offered the SelfBACK App. A control population was provided by the MIDAS‐GP study. Patient Experience, outcome measures, healthcare utilisation and retention were captured through the app and clinical systems (EMIS). Interviews with five FCPs explored the experiences of using the SelfSTart approach. Results: SelfSTarT was taken up by almost half (48%) of those to whom it was offered. Compared to MIDAS‐GP, users were more likely to be younger, male, in work, and with higher health literacy. SelfSTarT users reported significant improved experiences relating to receiving an agreed care plan and receiving sufficient information. There were no significant differences in treatments offered. FCPs were positive about the app and felt it had value but wanted feedback on patient progress. They recognised that a digital solution would not be suitable for all. Conclusion: This approach offers an opportunity to empower and support self‐management, using robustly evaluated digital technology

25th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting: CNS-2016

Abstracts of the 25th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting: CNS-2016 Seogwipo City, Jeju-do, South Korea. 2–7 July 201

26th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2017): Part 3 - Meeting Abstracts - Antwerp, Belgium. 15–20 July 2017

This work was produced as part of the activities of FAPESP Research,\ud Disseminations and Innovation Center for Neuromathematics (grant\ud 2013/07699-0, S. Paulo Research Foundation). NLK is supported by a\ud FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship (grant 2016/03855-5). ACR is partially\ud supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

25th annual computational neuroscience meeting: CNS-2016

The same neuron may play different functional roles in the neural circuits to which it belongs. For example, neurons in the Tritonia pedal ganglia may participate in variable phases of the swim motor rhythms [1]. While such neuronal functional variability is likely to play a major role the delivery of the functionality of neural systems, it is difficult to study it in most nervous systems. We work on the pyloric rhythm network of the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG) [2]. Typically network models of the STG treat neurons of the same functional type as a single model neuron (e.g. PD neurons), assuming the same conductance parameters for these neurons and implying their synchronous firing [3, 4]. However, simultaneous recording of PD neurons shows differences between the timings of spikes of these neurons. This may indicate functional variability of these neurons. Here we modelled separately the two PD neurons of the STG in a multi-neuron model of the pyloric network. Our neuron models comply with known correlations between conductance parameters of ionic currents. Our results reproduce the experimental finding of increasing spike time distance between spikes originating from the two model PD neurons during their synchronised burst phase. The PD neuron with the larger calcium conductance generates its spikes before the other PD neuron. Larger potassium conductance values in the follower neuron imply longer delays between spikes, see Fig. 17.Neuromodulators change the conductance parameters of neurons and maintain the ratios of these parameters [5]. Our results show that such changes may shift the individual contribution of two PD neurons to the PD-phase of the pyloric rhythm altering their functionality within this rhythm. Our work paves the way towards an accessible experimental and computational framework for the analysis of the mechanisms and impact of functional variability of neurons within the neural circuits to which they belong

Visual Attention to Faces, Eyes and Objects : Studies of Typically and Atypically Developing Children

Abstract. The overall aim of this doctoral work is to understand attentional functions in typically developing infants, and in children with two psychiatric conditions: autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Previous research has shown that attention can be subdivided into a number of interacting functions. Studies I and II examined interactions between two of these, called orienting and phasic alerting. Orienting can be defined as selection of some parts of the surroundings for further processing, and phasic alerting as a short term increase in alertness and arousal that is typically caused by external sensory input. Phasic alerting affects multiple aspects of visual orienting, but these effects are complex and dependent on multiple factors such as age and the nature of the visual environment. In study I, we examined how phasic alerting affects six month old infants’ tendency to orient their gaze to important visual stimuli such as faces and eyes. Phasic alerting was manipulated with brief sounds, and physiological arousal was measured with pupil dilation. Moderate levels of arousal, induced by non-social sounds, facilitated orienting. Study II examined how phasic alerting affects a special form of orienting called visual disengagement. We studied this question in a group of school age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; mean age, 6.5 years). Previous studies have suggested that ASD is associated with atypical visual disengagement, but the literature is inconclusive. Our results suggest that that phasic alerting facilitates disengagement in children with ASD as well as in typically developing children. However, ASD was associated with a general delay in visual disengagement. Study III assessed the overlap between symptoms of ASD and social anxiety disorder (SAD) in terms of visual social attention. Both conditions are associated with atypical attention to other peoples’ eyes. Participants were adolescents with a diagnosis of SAD. We measured the latency to orient to isolated eyes, and the latency to orient away from the eyes once they were fixated. The first measure was related to the level of ASD symptoms, whereas the second measure was related to SAD symptoms. This suggests a double dissociation between symptom dimensions of ASD and ASD in terms of social attention. Together, these studies contribute to our understanding of quick attention processes in typically and atypically developing populations

Visual Attention to Faces, Eyes and Objects : Studies of Typically and Atypically Developing Children

Abstract. The overall aim of this doctoral work is to understand attentional functions in typically developing infants, and in children with two psychiatric conditions: autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Previous research has shown that attention can be subdivided into a number of interacting functions. Studies I and II examined interactions between two of these, called orienting and phasic alerting. Orienting can be defined as selection of some parts of the surroundings for further processing, and phasic alerting as a short term increase in alertness and arousal that is typically caused by external sensory input. Phasic alerting affects multiple aspects of visual orienting, but these effects are complex and dependent on multiple factors such as age and the nature of the visual environment. In study I, we examined how phasic alerting affects six month old infants’ tendency to orient their gaze to important visual stimuli such as faces and eyes. Phasic alerting was manipulated with brief sounds, and physiological arousal was measured with pupil dilation. Moderate levels of arousal, induced by non-social sounds, facilitated orienting. Study II examined how phasic alerting affects a special form of orienting called visual disengagement. We studied this question in a group of school age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; mean age, 6.5 years). Previous studies have suggested that ASD is associated with atypical visual disengagement, but the literature is inconclusive. Our results suggest that that phasic alerting facilitates disengagement in children with ASD as well as in typically developing children. However, ASD was associated with a general delay in visual disengagement. Study III assessed the overlap between symptoms of ASD and social anxiety disorder (SAD) in terms of visual social attention. Both conditions are associated with atypical attention to other peoples’ eyes. Participants were adolescents with a diagnosis of SAD. We measured the latency to orient to isolated eyes, and the latency to orient away from the eyes once they were fixated. The first measure was related to the level of ASD symptoms, whereas the second measure was related to SAD symptoms. This suggests a double dissociation between symptom dimensions of ASD and ASD in terms of social attention. Together, these studies contribute to our understanding of quick attention processes in typically and atypically developing populations

Visual Attention to Faces, Eyes and Objects : Studies of Typically and Atypically Developing Children

Abstract. The overall aim of this doctoral work is to understand attentional functions in typically developing infants, and in children with two psychiatric conditions: autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Previous research has shown that attention can be subdivided into a number of interacting functions. Studies I and II examined interactions between two of these, called orienting and phasic alerting. Orienting can be defined as selection of some parts of the surroundings for further processing, and phasic alerting as a short term increase in alertness and arousal that is typically caused by external sensory input. Phasic alerting affects multiple aspects of visual orienting, but these effects are complex and dependent on multiple factors such as age and the nature of the visual environment. In study I, we examined how phasic alerting affects six month old infants’ tendency to orient their gaze to important visual stimuli such as faces and eyes. Phasic alerting was manipulated with brief sounds, and physiological arousal was measured with pupil dilation. Moderate levels of arousal, induced by non-social sounds, facilitated orienting. Study II examined how phasic alerting affects a special form of orienting called visual disengagement. We studied this question in a group of school age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; mean age, 6.5 years). Previous studies have suggested that ASD is associated with atypical visual disengagement, but the literature is inconclusive. Our results suggest that that phasic alerting facilitates disengagement in children with ASD as well as in typically developing children. However, ASD was associated with a general delay in visual disengagement. Study III assessed the overlap between symptoms of ASD and social anxiety disorder (SAD) in terms of visual social attention. Both conditions are associated with atypical attention to other peoples’ eyes. Participants were adolescents with a diagnosis of SAD. We measured the latency to orient to isolated eyes, and the latency to orient away from the eyes once they were fixated. The first measure was related to the level of ASD symptoms, whereas the second measure was related to SAD symptoms. This suggests a double dissociation between symptom dimensions of ASD and ASD in terms of social attention. Together, these studies contribute to our understanding of quick attention processes in typically and atypically developing populations