A mixed-methods pilot study of the acceptability and effectiveness of a brief meditation and mindfulness intervention for people with diabetes and coronary heart disease.

PublishedClinical TrialJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tMindfulness-based interventions can successfully target negative perseverative cognitions such as worry and thought suppression, but their acceptability and effectiveness in people with long-term conditions is uncertain. We therefore pilot tested a six-week meditation and mindfulness intervention in people (n = 40) with diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. We used a sequential mixed-methods approach that measured change in worry and thought suppression and qualitatively explored acceptability, feasibility, and user experience with a focus group (n = 11) and in-depth interviews (n = 16). The intervention was highly acceptable, with 90% completing ≥5 sessions. Meditation and mindfulness skills led to improved sleep, greater relaxation, and more-accepting approaches to illness and illness experience. At the end of the six-week meditation course, worry, and thought suppression were significantly reduced. Positive impacts of mindfulness-based interventions on psychological health may relate to acquisition and development of meta-cognitive skills but this needs experimental confirmation.NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care forGreater Manchester

In Search of Robert Bruce, Part I: Craniofacial Analysis of the Skull excavated at Dunfermline in 1819

Robert Bruce, king of Scots, is a significant figure in Scottish history, and his facial appearance will have been key to his status, power and resilience as a leader. This paper is the first in a series that discusses the burial and skeletal remains excavated at Dunfermline in 1819. Parts II and III discuss the evidence relating to whether or not the burial vault and skeleton belong to Robert Bruce, and Part I analyses and interprets the historical records and skeletal structure in order to produce a depiction of the facial appearance of Robert Bruce

Liverpool LASER talks: a community ‘studio-laboratory’?

Liverpool LASER talks encourage artists, researchers and the publics to question the work carried out by artists and scientists in transdisciplinary art-science spaces by recognising shared aims, examining processes and constructing a shared language. In this paper, the authors reflect upon their first year as LASER hosts and propose that Liverpool LASER events - supported by an accessible network of leading artists and scientists - act as community ‘studio-laboratories’; spaces where speakers and the publics engage in two-way conversations, present and gain confidence in their ideas, gather feedback on new concepts and outputs, and facilitate knowledge transfer

Skiing on the rocks: The experiential art of fisher-gatherer-hunters in prehistoric northern Russia

The interpretation of images in relation to their particular setting on rock surfaces has been highlighted in recent studies into the location of depictions in the natural landscape and shamanistic beliefs and practices. The significance of the approach in this article, however, lies in studying the morphology of the rock surface as an integral part of the visual imagery of the rock art, notably how the physical dimensions of the rock surface were used in recreating the physical landscape familiar to the prehistoric artists. We use experiential and cognitive approaches to visual perception to combine an appreciation of artistic endeavour of rock art with an enhanced understanding of the human capacity for creating such images. The results of this approach to rock art contribute to a better understanding of the creative and cognitive aspects of prehistoric fisher-gatherer-hunter art. A detailed example is discussed showing how the physical landscape was re-created in the morphology of the rock surface by using the motion of skiing to illustrate one of the visual narratives at the site of Zalavruga in northern Russia.</jats:p

Cystic Fibrosis: A Pocket Guide

In 2010, an iPad app titled ‘A Patient’s Guide to Cystic Fibrosis’ was developed for use by Cystic Fibrosis (CF) clinical nurse specialists during a patient’s annual review. Feedback from pseudo-Cystic Fibrosis patients and NHS staff including CF clinical nurse specialists and respiratory consultants about the appearance, usability and content of the app and iPad interface, and the appropriateness of the app for CF patients was positive. The visual images, animations and interactive elements of the app were sufficient in providing an engaging experience for the user. The app was deemed suitable for patients and set a foundation for the development of comprehensive and interactive CF patient information learning tools. Since 2010, the prevalence and popularity of iPad apps in healthcare has soared and apps now have the capability to include more interactive touch-based experiences with digital content such as 3D models. The original iPad app was re-developed as an Apple iBook and an Android app titled ‘Cystic Fibrosis: A Pocket Guide’. This paper describes the design, development and feedback on the original iPad app and its subsequent variants, and concludes with reflections from the specialist CF nurses, who have continued to use pocket guide over a 10 year perio

Investigating new areas of art-science practice-based research with the MA Art in Science programme at Liverpool School of Art and Design

Collaborations between artists and scientists are increasingly a feature of the cultural landscape. Traditionally this relationship is seen as art in the service of science whereby artists use their skills to visually communicate complex scientific ideas. However, a hybrid form of collaborative, experimentally-driven practice has emerged over the last 30 years where artists and scientists work together to explore the creative possibilities and speculative futures represented by the intersection of these two ‘cultures.’ The MA Art in Science programme at Liverpool School of Art and Design facilitates discussions and interactions between subjects that have traditionally been studied in isolation within Higher Education. This paper details and discusses the theoretical foundations that have informed the curriculum design and its pedagogical ethos, describes the collaborative learning experiences at the heart of the programme, and offers an insight on how the programme’s approach to transdisciplinary collaborative practice could be utilised across disciplines

The affordances of 3D imaging modalities for forensic facial identification

The ear can be used as a biometric for identification when the face is obscured. Ear comparison can be unsuccessful in forensic scenarios if images are not captured in the same pose, angle and lighting. This study involves digitising ears with low-cost 3D photogrammetry app (Metascan), Agisoft Metashape software, and LiDAR scanning app (Scaniverse). These 3D models are then compared to a high-cost structured light model (Artec) to evaluate the accuracy of the low-cost modalities

Monoclonal antibodies recognizing protease-generated neoepitopes from cartilage proteoglycan degradation : application to studies of human link protein cleavage by stromelysin

Monoclonal antibodies were raised that specifically recognize the NH2-terminal neoepitope sequence present in like protein cleavage products derived from stromelysin-degraded proteoglycan aggregate. Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbend assay, using synthetic peptides as inhibitors, showed that one of these antibodies (CH-3) required, for antibody recognition, the free NH2-terminal amino acid isoleucine (residue 17 of the intact protein) in the sequence NH2-IQAENG at the stromelysin cleavage site of link protein 3.Monoclonal antibodies were raised that specifically recognize the NH2-terminal neoepitope sequence present in like protein cleavage products derived from stromelysin-degraded proteoglycan aggregate. Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbend assay, using synthetic peptides as inhibitors, showed that one of these antibodies (CH-3) required, for antibody recognition, the free NH2-terminal amino acid isoleucine (residue 17 of the intact protein) in the sequence NH2-IQAENG at the stromelysin cleavage site of link protein 3