EEG-based Signatures of Isometric Arm Forces by Females at Different Levels of Physical Exertion and Comfort

In recent years, electroencephalography (EEG) has become a valuable technique for ergonomics studies of physical activities and other real-life tasks. Since the perception of force exertion is influenced by various psychophysical, cognitive, and social factors, different subjective measures have been traditionally used to measure the perception of physical exertion and related body discomfort. Along with the subjective measures, research showed that neural signals are also necessary objective measures to understanding human perception of physical tasks. However, EEG signatures of different physical exertion levels and perceived physical comfort have not been explored. The main objective of this study was to investigate EEG activity measured by power spectral density (PSD) for isometric arm forces at different levels of physical exertion and physical comfort. The first part of the study investigated PSD changes at five predefined force exertion levels, i.e., extremely light, light, somewhat hard, hard, and extremely hard. The healthy female participants performed physical exertions and rated their level of experienced physical comfort. Significant differences in force exertion and PSD for theta, beta, and gamma waves were observed. Significant correlations were also found between PSD, force, and rating of physical comfort (RPPC). In the second part of the study, PSD changes at predefined physical comfort levels were investigated, namely at very low, moderate, fair, high, and very high comfort levels. The participants also rated the level of perceived physical exertion. Significant differences in force exertion and comfort levels for theta, beta, and gamma power were found. In addition, significant correlations were found between PSD, force, and rate of physical exertion (RPE). Overall, this is a novel study where EEG signatures of isometric efforts by females have been investigated at different force and physical comfort levels. The reported results should improve our understanding of the neural correlates of physical tasks performed by females

Neuroergonomics applications of electroencephalography in physical activities : a systematic review

Recent years have seen increased interest in neuroergonomics, which investigates the brain activities of people engaged in diverse physical and cognitive activities at work and in everyday life. The present work extends upon prior assessments of the state of this art. However, here we narrow our focus specifically to studies that use electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain activity, correlates, and effects during physical activity. The review uses systematically selected, openly published works derived from a guided search through peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. Identified studies were then categorized by the type of physical activity and evaluated considering methodological and chronological aspects via statistical and content-based analyses. From the identified works (n = 110), a specific number (n = 38) focused on less mobile muscular activities, while an additional group (n = 22) featured both physical and cognitive tasks. The remainder (n = 50) investigated various physical exercises and sporting activities and thus were here identified as a miscellaneous grouping. Most of the physical activities were isometric exertions, moving parts of upper and lower limbs, or walking and cycling. These primary categories were sub-categorized based on movement patterns, the use of the event-related potentials (ERP) technique, the use of recording methods along with EEG and considering mental effects. Further information on subjects' gender, EEG recording devices, data processing, and artifact correction methods and citations was extracted. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the findings from various studies, statistical analyses were not performed. These were thus included in a descriptive fashion. Finally, contemporary research gaps were pointed out, and future research prospects to address those gaps were discussed

Evaluating the impact of a common elements-based intervention to improve maternal psychological well-being and mother-infant interaction in rural Pakistan: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

IntroductionMillions of children in low resource settings are at high risk of poor development due to factors such as under nutrition, inadequate stimulation and maternal depression. Evidence-based interventions to address these risk factors exist, but often as a separate and overlapping package. The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a common elements-based intervention to improve mother-infant interaction at 12 months post-partum.Method and analysisA two-arm, single-blinded, individual randomised controlled trial is being carried out in the community settings of the rural subdistrict of Gujar Khan in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. 250 pregnant women in third trimester with distress (Self-Reporting Questionnaire, cut-off score >9) have been randomised on 1:1 allocation ratio into intervention (n=125) and treatment-as-usual arms (n=125). The participants in the intervention arm will receive 15 individual sessions of intervention on a monthly basis by non-specialist facilitators. The intervention involves components of early stimulation, learning through play, responsive feeding, guided discovery using pictures, behavioural activation and problem solving. The primary outcome is caregiver-infant interaction at 12 months postpartum. The secondary outcomes include maternal psychological well-being, quality of life, social support and empowerment. Infant secondary outcomes include growth, nutrition and development. The data will be collected at baseline, 6 and 12 months postpartum. A qualitative process evaluation will be conducted to inform the feasibility of intervention delivery.EthicsEthics approval for the present study was obtained from the Human Development Research Foundation Institutional Review Board, Islamabad Pakistan.DisseminationIf proven effective, the study will contribute to scale-up care for maternal and child mental health in low resource settings, globally. The findings of the present study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences and community forums.Trial registration numberNCT04252807

Effectiveness of a technology-assisted, family volunteers delivered, brief, multicomponent parents' skills training intervention for children with developmental disorders in rural Pakistan: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Globally, there is a large documented gap between needs of families and children with developmental disorders and available services. We adapted the World Health Organization's mental health Gap-Intervention Guidelines (mhGAP-IG) developmental disorders module into a tablet-based android application to train caregivers of children with developmental disorders. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this technology-assisted, family volunteers delivered, parents' skills training intervention to improve functioning in children with developmental disorders in a rural community of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. METHODS In a single-blinded, cluster randomized controlled trial, 30 clusters were randomised (1:1 ratio) to intervention (n = 15) or enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU) arm (n = 15). After screening, 540 children (18 participants per cluster) aged 2-12 years, with developmental disorders and their primary caregivers were recruited into the trial. Primary outcome was child's functioning, measured by Childhood Disability Assessment Schedule for Developmental Disorders (DD-CDAS) at 6-months post-intervention. Secondary outcomes were parents' health related quality of life, caregiver-child joint engagement, socio-emotional well-being of children, family empowerment and stigmatizing experiences. Intention-to-treat analyses were done using mixed-models adjusted for covariates and clusters. RESULTS At 6-months post-intervention, no statistically significant mean difference was observed on DD-CDAS between intervention and ETAU (mean [SD], 47.65 [26.94] vs. 48.72 [28.37], Adjusted Mean Difference (AMD), - 2.63; 95% CI - 6.50 to 1.24). However, parents in the intervention arm, compared to ETAU reported improved health related quality of life (mean [SD] 65.56 [23.25] vs. 62.17 [22.63], AMD 5.28; 95% CI 0.44 to 10.11). The results were non-significant for other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS In the relatively short intervention period of 6 months, no improvement in child functioning was observed; but, there were significant improvements in caregivers' health related quality of life. Further trials with a longer follow-up are recommended to evaluate the impact of intervention. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02792894. Registered April 4, 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02792894

Determinants of Income of the Shasthya Shebikas: Evidences from a Pilot MNCH Initiative in the Nilphamari District of Bangladesh

A large number of new Shasthya Shebikas were recruited under the maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) program besides the existing ones. This study attempts to explore whether and how the income earning capability of the Shasthya Shebikas, both old and new, was affected due to this new initiative, with respect to Nilphamari district of Bangladesh. The study also brings out the determinants of income Shasthya Shebikas and also the motivation for their work in general. Findings revealed that the motivation to become a Shasthya Shebika was mainly financial though for some the opportunity to provide socially beneficial services was also important. With respect to a number of factors affecting the Shebika’s income, it can be found that the new Shebikas were in disadvantage as compared to the existing Shebikas who were working already in that area. [RED WP no.06]BRAC; Shasthya Shebika; Bangladesh; Nilphamari; maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) program; income; Shebika’s work; Shebika income.

Four persons envy-free division: a case study

In this paper we present an algorithm for 4 person envy free division. The theme of this division is that each and every person will not envious to other i.e. no one will receive larger piece. They will be satisfied with their own portion and will think that he or she received the largest piece. Here we present two possible procedures and we used as minimal cuts as possible

Impact of Climate Change on Cotton Production in Bangladesh

Bangladesh produces only 5% of the cotton she needs to sustain her readymade garments industries. The country has very limited agricultural land and cotton competes with other crops for this scarce land resource. On top of that, Bangladesh is regarded as a country where agriculture is highly vulnerable to the variabilities of weather patterns that result from climate change. Against this backdrop, to better understand the potential for the sustainable expansion of cotton production in Bangladesh, we examine cotton’s agricultural value chain and projected climate risks associated with different phases of the chain. We identified associated stakeholders at different phases of cotton production, engaged with them to understand climatic and non-climatic threats and developed an integrated set of recommendations for climate-risk management through improving the connection of producers to markets, increasing economic returns to small farmers, and improving efficiency along the value chain. We discussed our estimated climate projections with stakeholders to understand the challenges at different stages of production and marketing, and together explored and identified probable solutions. This research offers a new and evolving approach to assess climate change impact on agriculture utilizing a holistic approach, which could be adopted for other crops

Impact of Climate Change on Cotton Production in Bangladesh

Bangladesh produces only 5% of the cotton she needs to sustain her readymade garments industries. The country has very limited agricultural land and cotton competes with other crops for this scarce land resource. On top of that, Bangladesh is regarded as a country where agriculture is highly vulnerable to the variabilities of weather patterns that result from climate change. Against this backdrop, to better understand the potential for the sustainable expansion of cotton production in Bangladesh, we examine cotton’s agricultural value chain and projected climate risks associated with different phases of the chain. We identified associated stakeholders at different phases of cotton production, engaged with them to understand climatic and non-climatic threats and developed an integrated set of recommendations for climate-risk management through improving the connection of producers to markets, increasing economic returns to small farmers, and improving efficiency along the value chain. We discussed our estimated climate projections with stakeholders to understand the challenges at different stages of production and marketing, and together explored and identified probable solutions. This research offers a new and evolving approach to assess climate change impact on agriculture utilizing a holistic approach, which could be adopted for other crops