Investigation into surface interaction between the contact lens, the upper eyelid and cornea using optical coherence tomography

Background and Aim: Over 50% of the total 125 million contact lens users complain of discomforts due to contact lenses. The aim of the project is to understand the effect of contact lenses on the morphological parameters of cornea and eyelid surfaces. Methods and results: Five volunteers were recruited for this study (3 soft contact lens users and 2 non-users). The volunteers were imaged using a slit lamp and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) before and after a period of 6-7 hours. There was a significant increase in epidermal thickness of the eyelid for contact lens users compared to non-users. In addition, the upper eyelid roughness for contact lens users and non-users increased significantly. This might be due to deposition of particles from the eyelid during the wiping process. Conclusions: Contact lens usage does affect the morphological parameters of eyelid. OCT is a powerful tool to measure these morphological changes in the eye. However, more volunteers must be recruited to get a better understanding of these changes

The influence of external factors on bacteriophages—review

The ability of bacteriophages to survive under unfavorable conditions is highly diversified. We summarize the influence of different external physical and chemical factors, such as temperature, acidity, and ions, on phage persistence. The relationships between a phage’s morphology and its survival abilities suggested by some authors are also discussed. A better understanding of the complex problem of phage sensitivity to external factors may be useful not only for those interested in pharmaceutical and agricultural applications of bacteriophages, but also for others working with phages

Evaluation of the effect of medical gloves on dexterity and tactile sensibility using simulated clinical practice tests

Understanding the effect of medical gloves on manual performance is critical for improving glove design and mitigating the impediment to surgical performance caused by gloves. Existing test methods do not correspond well with clinical and surgical tasks. Based on interviews with clinicians, two new tests were proposed: locating a pulse in a simulated blood vessel, and placing and tying sutures in simulated tissue. A pilot study was carried out using 19 clinicians employed at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. Subjects performed each test three times, with latex and nitrile examination gloves, and without gloves, the order being randomised. In addition to objective test scores, subjects' perception of their relative performance in each condition was recorded. In the Pulse Location Test, performance was found to be significantly better without gloves, while differences between gloves were not statistically significant. Perceived performance correlated well with measured performance. In the Suturing Test, no statistically significant performance differences were found between the three hand conditions, although subjects perceived ungloved performance to be significantly better than with either the latex or nitrile gloves. The Pulse Location Test showed promise as a clinical performance evaluation tool, and could be used to improve medical glove design for better tactile performance. The discrepancy between subjects' perceived and measured performance in the Suturing Test needs further investigation to determine whether the perceived differences translate into genuine clinical performance differences that were not able to be measured using the current method, or whether the difference is purely psychological. Relevance to industry: The test methods outlined will allow manufacturers to understand the effect of gloves and glove properties on manual performance in medical tasks and improve the design accordingly. Reducing the inhibiting effect of gloves will improve safety and reduce the need to remove gloves for clinical tasks

How do gloves affect cutaneous sensibility in medical practice? Two new applied tests

In order to quantify the effect of medical gloves on tactile performance, two new Simulated Medical Examination Tactile Tests (SMETT) have been developed to replicate the tactile and haptic ability required in medical examinations: the 'Bumps' test and the 'Princess and the Pea' (P&P) test. A pilot study was carried out using 30-40 subjects for each test in order to investigate the suitability of the tests for medical glove evaluation. Tests were performed with latex and nitrile examination gloves and without gloves. Following the tests, small-scale studies were carried out to investigate the effect of various design parameters, such as material stiffness and tactile exploration method. In the 'Bumps' test, subjects performed significantly better in the ungloved condition, and there were 'almost significant' differences between the gloves, with the thinner latex gloves performing better than the thicker nitrile gloves. Both finger orientation and surface lubrication were found to have a significant effect on results, indicating that these need to be clearly defined in the test procedure. In the 'P&P' test, no significant effect of hand condition was found, suggesting that haptic sensing is less affected by medical gloves than cutaneous sensibility. Other factors such as material stiffness, technique and test orientation had a more significant effect. The SMETT 'Bumps' test has potential as a clinical manual performance evaluation tool and may be used to evaluate the relative effects of different gloves. The SMETT 'P&P' test is a valid measure of haptic or tactile performance, but should not be used in glove evaluation. Both tests could have further applications, such as in the assessment of neurological impairment or aptitude testing for potential surgeons

Five misperceptions you need to overcome when starting a makerspace

In the UK, makerspaces are still a relatively new concept, especially in higher education, where pedagogical innovation encounters various obstacles. This paper tackles five common misperceptions encountered by staff and students during the creation of The iForge at The University of Sheffield in the following areas: building community, lack of resources, supervision models, educational value, and adequate preparation. It attempts to fill a gap in the UK evidence base through a survey of the literature, reflections on the experience at Sheffield in overcoming these obstacles, and by drawing out similarities and differences between UK and US examples