Effects of Force Level and Hand Dominance on Bilateral Transfer of a Fine Motor Skill

Our research is about bilateral transfer, a concept in motor learning where skills learned by one limb are "transferred", allowing the opposite limb to benefit from what was learned by the first limb. Previous research into bilateral transfer has raised questions about whether specific aspects of motor coordination are or are not transferred. We wanted to see whether learning to control pinch force by the thumb and index finger is transferable, and if it is, whether the learning transfers equally from either hand. We also want to look into the effects of different force levels on the degree of transfer. We designed a task using a program that takes force levels as inputs and has the participant trace shapes on a screen. By having participants perform with one hand, then practice with the other, and finally perform again with the initial hand, we can measure transfer as the difference in performance before and after practice with the other hand.Kinesiology and Health Educatio

How Does International Competitiveness Affect Economic Development? A Two-Phase Hypothesis

This paper analyses the impact of international competitiveness on economic development, based on the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) and GDP/capita of 125 countries during the period 2007-2010. The results reveal two phases of the evolution of competitiveness. When GCI < 4.5 (on 1-7 scale), any improvement of a country’s competitiveness affects current development more than future development. When a country’s GCI rises above 4.5, further improvements of competitiveness will affect future development more than current development. The 4.5 competitiveness threshold is remarkably stable throughout analyzed period.Hanna Adamkiewicz: [email protected]; Stanislaw Kot: [email protected] Adamkiewicz - Faculty of Management and Economics, Gdansk University of Technology; Stanislaw Kot - Faculty of Management and Economics, Gdansk University of Technology5(71)303

ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC AUTORADIOGRAPHY OF GERMINAL CENTER CELLS IN MOUSE SPLEEN

The fine structure of tritiated thymidine-labeled cells in antigen-stimulated mouse spleen germinal centers is described. In studies on the ultrastructural level, two labeled cell types found in germinal centers are observed. Large lymphocytes are characterized by their very numerous free ribosomes, a paucity of endoplasmic reticulum, relatively few mitochondria, and a poorly developed Golgi region. The nuclei are large and vesicular, and large nucleoli are present. A second labeled cell type appears to contain more mitochondria and has a higher development of the Golgi area. The nucleus contains large, numerous blocks of chromatin, indicative of a more differentiated cell type. Reticular cells, both phagocytic and non-phagocytic, were not observed to be labeled in the germinal centers

Feshbach resonances in the 6Li-40K Fermi-Fermi mixture: Elastic versus inelastic interactions

We present a detailed theoretical and experimental study of Feshbach resonances in the 6Li-40K mixture. Particular attention is given to the inelastic scattering properties, which have not been considered before. As an important example, we thoroughly investigate both elastic and inelastic scattering properties of a resonance that occurs near 155 G. Our theoretical predictions based on a coupled channels calculation are found in excellent agreement with the experimental results. We also present theoretical results on the molecular state that underlies the 155G resonance, in particular concerning its lifetime against spontaneous dissociation. We then present a survey of resonances in the system, fully characterizing the corresponding elastic and inelastic scattering properties. This provides the essential information to identify optimum resonances for applications relying on interaction control in this Fermi-Fermi mixture.Comment: Submitted to EPJD, EuroQUAM special issues "Cold Quantum Matter - Achievements and Prospects", v2 with updated calibration of magnetic field (+4mG correction) and updated figures 4 and

Evaluation of the Building a Healthy Future Programme

At Mind, we define resilience as an individual’s ability to deal with and adapt to challenging circumstances, and stay mentally well. We’ve identified three elements we believe lie at the heart of resilience: wellbeing, social connections and having ways to cope with difficult events. It is well established that people with long-term physical health conditions (LTC) are at greater risk of developing mental health problems than the general population. Building on its work to increase the resilience of other at risk groups, Mind has developed a six-week course that aims to improve the wellbeing, resilience, and confidence to self-manage of people with heart conditions, diabetes, and arthritis. Funded by the Department of Health’s Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development fund (IESD), a pilot of the programme was delivered in two locations – Birmingham and Manchester – between September 2014 and March 2016. 248 participants completed all six session of the course and a further 220 attended at least one session but did not complete the whole course. Manchester Mind recruited almost double the number of participants of Birmingham Mind (340 and 128 respectively). However, a lower proportion of participants completed the course in Manchester (46%) than in Birmingham (72%)

Evaluation of the oesophagogastric cancer associated microbiome: a systematic review and quality assessment

Objective. Oesophagogastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, with poor survival outcomes. The role of bacteria in the pathogenesis of oesophagogastric cancer remains poorly understood. Design. A systematic search identified studies assessing the oesophagogastric cancer microbiome. The primary outcome was to identify bacterial enrichment specific to oesophagogastric cancer. Secondary outcomes included appraisal of the methodology, diagnostic performance of cancer bacteria and the relationship between oral and tissue microbiome. Results. A total of 9295 articles were identified, and 87 studies were selected for analysis. Five genera were enriched in gastric cancer: Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Prevotella, Fusobacterium and Veillonella. No clear trends were observed in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Streptococcus, Prevotella and Fusobacterium were abundant in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Functional analysis supports the role of immune cells, localised inflammation and cancer-specific pathways mediating carcinogenesis. STORMS reporting assessment identified experimental deficiencies, considering batch effects and sources of contamination prevalent in low-biomass samples. Conclusions. Functional analysis of cancer pathways can infer tumorigenesis within the cancer–microbe–immune axis. There is evidence that study design, experimental protocols and analytical techniques could be improved to achieve more accurate and representative results. Whole-genome sequencing is recommended to identify key metabolic and functional capabilities of candidate bacteria biomarkers

Use of tumour markers in gastrointestinal cancers: surgeon perceptions and cost-benefit trade-off analysis

Background: Gastrointestinal cancers constitute the third most common cancers worldwide. Tumor markers have long since been used in the postoperative surveillance of these malignancies; however, the true value in clinical practice remains undetermined. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of three tumor markers in colorectal and esophagogastric cancer. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to elicit the sensitivity, specificity, statistical heterogeneity and ability to predict recurrence and metastases for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen (CA) 19-9 and CA125. European surgeons were surveyed to assess their current practice and the characteristics of tumor markers they most valued. Data from the included studies and survey were combined in a cost-benefit trade-off analysis to assess which tumor markers are of most use in clinical practice. Results: Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were ranked the most desirable characteristics of a tumor marker by those surveyed. Overall, 156 studies were included to inform the cost-benefit trade-off. The cost-benefit trade-off showed that CEA outperformed both CA19-9 and CA125, with lower financial cost and a higher sensitivity, and diagnostic accuracy for metastases at presentation (area under the curve [AUC] 0.70 vs. 0.61 vs. 0.46), as well as similar diagnostic accuracy for recurrence (AUC 0.46 vs. 0.48). Conclusions: Cost-benefit trade-off analysis identified CEA to be the best performing tumor marker. Further studies should seek to evaluate new tumor markers, with investigation tailored to factors that meet the requirements of practicing clinicians

Pathway map development for medical device event reporting in operating theatres: a human factors approach to improving the existing system

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop the actual pathway to reporting and information transfer in operating theatres in relation to medical technology malfunction/failure. This with the aim of understanding the differences with the pathway published by NHS Improvement and identification of points for improvement. DESIGN: This is a qualitative study involving stakeholder interviews with doctors, nurses, manufacturers, medical device safety officer and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. SETTING: Data were collected on reporting pathway used in operating theatres. Clinical staff who took part worked in different trusts throughout UK while manufacturers provided devices in UK and EU/USA. PARTICIPANTS: Semistructured interviews were completed with 15 clinicians and 13 manufacturers. Surveys were completed by 38 clinicians and 5 manufacturers. Recognised methods of pathway development were used. The Lean Six Sigma principles adapted to healthcare were used to develop suggestions for improvement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To identify the differences between the set pathway to reporting and information transfer to what is occurring on a day-to-day basis as reported by staff. Identify points in the pathway where improvements could be applied. RESULTS: The developed pathway demonstrated great complexity of the current reporting system for medical devices. It identified numerous areas that give rise to problems and multiple biases in decision making. This highlighted the core issues leading to under-reporting and lack of knowledge on device performance and patient risk. Suggestions for improvement were deduced based on end user requirements and identified problems. CONCLUSIONS: This study has provided a detailed understanding of the key problem areas that exist within the current reporting system for medical devices and technology. The developed pathway sets to address the key problems to improve reporting outcomes. The identification of pathway differences between 'work as done' and 'work as imagined' can lead to development of quality improvements that could be systematically applied