An Analysis of Visibility Aids for Biomotion Through 3D Eye-tracking Systems

Biological motion, or biomotion, is the perceptual phenomenon in which highlighting the major joints of the body renders recognition of the human form almost immediately. By taking advantage of biomotion, clothing materials and garments can increase visibility of bicyclists. The purpose of this research is to compare the effectiveness of biomotion visibility aids for nighttime bicyclists via 3D eye-tracking technology. Four visibility aid conditions were tested via a between-subjects experiment: biomotion (retro-reflective knee and ankle bands), non-biomotion (retro-reflective vest), pseudo-biomotion (vertical retro-reflective stripes on the back of the legs), and control (all-black clothing). A one-way ANOVA and post-hoc analysis were conducted. Both biomotion and pseudo-biomotion conditions were found to be significantly more visible than non-biomotion and control conditions. These results have the potential to benefit clothing designers, drivers, and bicyclists alike

Addressing ALS Caregiver Needs: An Occupation-Based Caregiver Education Program

This program adds a new component to the Les Turner ALS Foundation’s already established online educational programs. The foundation had a program for people living with ALS but did not have a program for caregivers prior to this project. A needs assessment was completed to determine caregiver needs and materials for caregivers were developed based on the needs found. The materials developed were implemented with ten caregivers to determine effectiveness and outcomes before launching the program to the general public.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstones-spring2022/1004/thumbnail.jp

‘Tough love’: the experiences of midwives giving women sterile water injections for the relief of back pain in labour

To explore midwives' experiences of administering sterile water injections (SWI) to labouring women as analgesia for back pain in labour.A qualitative study, which generated data through semi-structured focus group interviews with midwives. Data were analysed thematically.Two metropolitan maternity units in Queensland, Australia.Eleven midwives who had administered SWI for back pain in labour in a randomised controlled trial.Three major themes were identified including: i. SWI, is it an intervention?; ii. Tough love, causing pain to relieve pain; iii. The analgesic effect of SWI and impact on midwifery practice.Whilst acknowledging the potential benefits of SWI as an analgesic the midwives in this study described a dilemma between inflicting pain to relieve pain and the challenges encountered in their discussions with women when offering SWI. Midwives also faced conflict when women requested SWI in the face of institutional resistance to its use.The procedural pain associated with SWI may discourage some midwives from offering women the procedure, providing women with accurate information regarding the intensity and the brevity of the injection pain and the expected degree of analgesic would assist in discussion about SWI with women

'Facing the wrong way': Exploring the Occipito Posterior position/back pain discourse from women's and midwives perspectives

Objective: to explore back pain in labour from the perspectives of women and midwives. Design: a qualitative study, which generated data through individual semi-structured interviews with postnatal women and focus groups with midwives. Data were analysed thematically. Setting: two metropolitan maternity units in Queensland, Australia. Participants: nine postnatal women and 11 midwives, all of whom had participated in a randomized controlled trial investigating the use of sterile water injections for back pain in labour. Findings: two major themes were identified, including back pain in labour: accounts, rationalisations and coping strategies, and fetal position: destabilising the Occipito Posterior-back pain discourse. Key conclusions: back pain may be severe in labour, may impact negatively upon women's labour and birth experiences, and interfere with their ability to cope as planned. The assumed relationship between fetal position and back pain in labour is a dominant discourse, albeit one which is lacking in empirical credibility. Nonetheless, the information provided to women by maternity professionals tended to reiterate customary practices and beliefs rather than factual knowledge. Increasingly, women refer to other sources, which may challenge the information provided by health professionals. Implications for practice: Back pain in labour is an under-researched area and the lack of solid evidence underpinning the advice provided to women has implications for labour management, and possibly for maternal and fetal outcomes. Care providers might usefully consider back pain as multifactorial, not always associated with OP position, and continue to seek evidence-based management strategies which address women's needs

Assessing fitness to drive after stroke: A survey investigating current practice among occupational therapists in Ireland

Purpose - The assessment of fitness to drive after stroke is an emerging area of occupational therapy practice in Ireland. Despite this, little is known about occupational therapists’ evaluation practices, and there are no internationally agreed clinical guidelines to inform best practice. The purpose of this paper is to investigate occupational therapy evaluation practices for fitness to drive after stroke in Ireland. Design/methodology/approach - This is a cross-sectional study design targeting occupational therapists working with people after stroke using an online survey. Summary and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the returned surveys. Findings - In total, 47 occupational therapists participated. Off-road driving assessment was completed by 68 per cent of respondents. Functional assessment and non-driving-specific assessments were most widely used and perceived to be the most useful in informing the off-road assessment. A total of 89 per cent referred clients for on-road assessments; however, some referred without first completing an off-road assessment. The therapists who completed formal post graduate education/training in driving assessment reported greater confidence and competence in their skills and ability to assess fitness to drive. A vast majority of participants agreed that clinical guidelines regarding best practice in this area would be beneficial. Research limitations/implications - A majority of occupational therapists are assessing fitness to drive after stroke in Ireland with non-driving-specific assessments and functional observations; however, there are many gaps and wide variations between services. Education/training in evaluating fitness to drive after stroke is recommended. The development of clinical guidelines to inform practice would facilitate a consistent approach nationally. Originality/value - This is the first study completed in Ireland to investigate occupational therapy evaluation practices for fitness to drive after stroke

'Selling it as a holistic health provision and not just about condoms ?' Sexual health services in school settings: current models and their relationship with sex and relationships education policy and provision

In this article we discuss the findings from a recent study of UK policy and practice in relation to sexual health services for young people, based in - or closely linked with - schools. This study formed part of a larger project, completed in 2009, which also included a systematic review of international research. The findings discussed in this paper are based on analyses of interviews with 51 service managers and questionnaire returns from 205 school nurses. Four themes are discussed. First, we found three main service permutations, in a context of very diverse and uneven implementation. Second, we identified factors within the school context that shaped and often constrained service provision; some of these also have implications for sex and relationships education (SRE). Third, we found contrasting approaches to the relationship between SRE input and sexual health provision. Fourth, we identified some specific barriers that need to be addressed in order to develop 'young people friendly' services in the school context. The relative autonomy available to school head teachers and governors can represent an obstacle to service provision - and inter-professional collaboration - in a climate where, in many schools, there is still considerable ambivalence about discussing 'sex' openly. In conclusion, we identify areas worthy of further research and development, in order to address some obstacles to sexual health service and SRE provision in schools

Does model of maternity care make a difference to birth outcomes for young women? A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Adolescent pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes including preterm birth, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, low birth weight infants, and artificial feeding

The effects of prenatal stress on early temperament: the 2011 Queensland flood study

This study examined the effects of disaster-related prenatal maternal stress on infant temperament and whether the sex of the infant or the timing of the stressor in pregnancy would moderate the effects.Mothers' objective experiences of a sudden-onset flood in Queensland, Australia, their subjective emotional reactions, and cognitive appraisal of the event were assessed. At 6 months postpartum, 121 mothers reported their infant's temperament on the 5 dimensions of the Short Temperament Scale for Infants.When controlling for postnatal maternal factors, subjective prenatal maternal stress and cognitive appraisal of the disaster were associated with easier aspects of infant temperament. However, several interesting interactions emerged showing negative effects of the flood. With higher levels of objective hardship in pregnancy, boys (but not girls) received more irritable temperament ratings. When the flood occurred early in pregnancy, higher levels of objective hardship predicted more arrhythmic infant temperament. Finally, mothers whose emotional response to the flood exceeded the hardship they endured reported significantly more active-reactive infants.Prenatal maternal stress from a natural disaster predicted more difficult temperament ratings that were moderated by infant sex, timing of the flood in gestation, and mother's emotional response to the disaster

Staphylococcal phenotypes induced by naturally occurring and synthetic membrane-interactive polyphenolic β-lactam resistance modifiers.

Galloyl catechins, in particular (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECg), have the capacity to abrogate β-lactam resistance in methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); they also prevent biofilm formation, reduce the secretion of a large proportion of the exoproteome and induce profound changes to cell morphology. Current evidence suggests that these reversible phenotypic traits result from their intercalation into the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. We have endeavoured to potentiate the capacity of ECg to modify the MRSA phenotype by stepwise removal of hydroxyl groups from the B-ring pharmacophore and the A:C fused ring system of the naturally occurring molecule. ECg binds rapidly to the membrane, inducing up-regulation of genes responsible for protection against cell wall stress and maintenance of membrane integrity and function. Studies with artificial membranes modelled on the lipid composition of the staphylococcal bilayer indicated that ECg adopts a position deep within the lipid palisade, eliciting major alterations in the thermotropic behaviour of the bilayer. The non-galloylated homolog (-)-epicatechin enhanced ECg-mediated effects by facilitating entry of ECg molecules into the membrane. ECg analogs with unnatural B-ring hydroxylation patterns induced higher levels of gene expression and more profound changes to MRSA membrane fluidity than ECg but adopted a more superficial location within the bilayer. ECg possessed a high affinity for the positively charged staphylococcal membrane and induced changes to the biophysical properties of the bilayer that are likely to account for its capacity to disperse the cell wall biosynthetic machinery responsible for β-lactam resistance. The ability to enhance these properties by chemical modification of ECg raises the possibility that more potent analogs could be developed for clinical evaluation

Genetic mapping of microbial and host traits reveals production of immunomodulatory lipids by Akkermansia muciniphila in the murine gut.

The molecular bases of how host genetic variation impacts the gut microbiome remain largely unknown. Here we used a genetically diverse mouse population and applied systems genetics strategies to identify interactions between host and microbe phenotypes including microbial functions, using faecal metagenomics, small intestinal transcripts and caecal lipids that influence microbe-host dynamics. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping identified murine genomic regions associated with variations in bacterial taxa; bacterial functions including motility, sporulation and lipopolysaccharide production and levels of bacterial- and host-derived lipids. We found overlapping QTL for the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila and caecal levels of ornithine lipids. Follow-up in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that A. muciniphila is a major source of these lipids in the gut, provided evidence that ornithine lipids have immunomodulatory effects and identified intestinal transcripts co-regulated with these traits including Atf3, which encodes for a transcription factor that plays vital roles in modulating metabolism and immunity. Collectively, these results suggest that ornithine lipids are potentially important for A. muciniphila-host interactions and support the role of host genetics as a determinant of responses to gut microbes