Preventing unintentional injuries to children under 15 years in the outdoors: a systematic review of the effectiveness of educational programs.

This is a freely-available open access publication. Please cite the published version which is available via the DOI link in this record.Unintentional injuries to children in the outdoors have a significant impact on child mortality, development and healthcare costs. This paper presents the findings of a systematic review about the effectiveness of programs that provided information, advice or education about the prevention of unintentional injuries to children under 15 years during outdoor play and leisure.Centre for Public Health Excellence, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (UK

Effect of exercise referral schemes in primary care on physical activity and improving health outcomes: Systematic review and meta-analysis

This is an open access article - Copyright @ 2011 BMJObjective: To assess the impact of exercise referral schemes on physical activity and health outcomes. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and ongoing trial registries up to October 2009. We also checked study references. Study selection Design: randomised controlled trials or non-randomised controlled (cluster or individual) studies published in peer review journals. Population: sedentary individuals with or without medical diagnosis. Exercise referral schemes defined as: clear referrals by primary care professionals to third party service providers to increase physical activity or exercise, physical activity or exercise programmes tailored to individuals, and initial assessment and monitoring throughout programmes. Comparators: usual care, no intervention, or alternative exercise referral schemes. Results Eight randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria, comparing exercise referral schemes with usual care (six trials), alternative physical activity intervention (two), and an exercise referral scheme plus a self determination theory intervention (one). Compared with usual care, follow-up data for exercise referral schemes showed an increased number of participants who achieved 90-150 minutes of physical activity of at least moderate intensity per week (pooled relative risk 1.16, 95% confidence intervals 1.03 to 1.30) and a reduced level of depression (pooled standardised mean difference −0.82, −1.28 to −0.35). Evidence of a between group difference in physical activity of moderate or vigorous intensity or in other health outcomes was inconsistent at follow-up. We did not find any difference in outcomes between exercise referral schemes and the other two comparator groups. None of the included trials separately reported outcomes in individuals with specific medical diagnoses. Substantial heterogeneity in the quality and nature of the exercise referral schemes across studies might have contributed to the inconsistency in outcome findings. Conclusions Considerable uncertainty remains as to the effectiveness of exercise referral schemes for increasing physical activity, fitness, or health indicators, or whether they are an efficient use of resources for sedentary people with or without a medical diagnosis.This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme (project number 08/72/01) (www.hta.ac.uk/)

Synchrotron x-ray scattering analysis of nylon-12 crystallisation variation depending on 3D printing conditions

7Nylon-12 is an important structural polymer in wide use in the form of fibres and bulk structures. Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is an extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) method for rapid prototyping and final product manufacturing of thermoplastic polymer objects. The resultant microstructure of FFF-produced samples is strongly affected by the cooling rates and thermal gradients experienced across the part. The crystallisation behaviour during cooling and solidification influences the micro- and nano-structure, and deserves detailed investigation. A commercial Nylon-12 filament and FFF-produced Nylon-12 parts were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) to examine the effect of cooling rates under non-isothermal crystallisation conditions on the microstructure and properties. Slower cooling rates caused more perfect crystallite formation, as well as alteration to the thermal properties.openopende Jager B.; Moxham T.; Besnard C.; Salvati E.; Chen J.; Dolbnya I.P.; Korsunsky A.M.de Jager, B.; Moxham, T.; Besnard, C.; Salvati, E.; Chen, J.; Dolbnya, I. P.; Korsunsky, A. M

Finite Element Modelling and Experimental Validation of the Enamel Demineralisation Process at the Rod Level

In the past years, a significant amount of effort has been directed at the observation and characterisation of caries using experimental techniques. Nevertheless, relatively little progress has been made in numerical modelling of the underlying demineralisation process. The present study is the first attempt to provide a simplified calculation framework for the numerical simulation of the demineralisation process at the length scale of enamel rods and its validation by comparing the data with statistical analysis of experimental results. FEM model was employed to simulate a time-dependent reaction-diffusion equation process in which H ions diffuse and cause demineralisation of the enamel. The local orientation of the hydroxyapatite crystals was taken into account. Experimental analysis of the demineralising front was performed using advanced high-resolution synchrotron X-ray micro-Computed Tomography. Further experimental investigations were conducted by means of SEM and STEM imaging techniques. Besides establishing and validating the new modelling framework, insights into the role of the etchant solution pH level were obtained. Additionally, some light was shed on the origin of different types of etching patterns by simulating the demineralisation process at different etching angles of attack. The implications of this study pave the way for simulations of enamel demineralisation within different complex scenarios and across the range of length scales. Indeed, the framework proposed can incorporate the presence of chemical species other than H ions and their diffusion and reaction leading to dissolution and re-precipitation of hydroxyapatite. It is the authors\u2019 hope and aspiration that ultimately this work will help identify new ways of controlling and preventing caries

Reply: SUN vs BEVþIFN in first-line mRCC therapy: no evidence for a statistically significant difference in progression-free survival

Copyright © 2015 Cancer Research UKThis is an BJC Open articleLetter to the Edito

Synchrotron X-ray quantitative evaluation of transient deformation and damage phenomena in a single nickel-rich cathode particle

The performance and durability of Ni-rich cathode materials are controlled in no small part by their mechanical durability, as chemomechanical breakdown at the nano-scale leads to increased internal resistance and decreased storage capacity. The mechanical degradation is caused by the transient lithium diffusion processes during charge and discharge of layered oxide spherical cathode micro-particles, leading to highly anisotropic incompatible strain fields. Experimental characterisation of the transient mechanisms underlying crack and void formation requires the combination of very high resolution in space (sub-micron) and time (sub-second) domains without charge interruption. The present study is focused on sub-micron focused operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction and in situ Ptycho-Tomographic nano-scale imaging of a single nano-structured LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 core-shell particle during charge to obtain a thorough understanding of the anisotropic deformation and damage phenomena at a particle level. Preferential grain orientation within the shell of a spherical secondary cathode particle provides improved lithium transport but is also associated with spatially varying anisotropic expansion of the hexagonal unit cell in the c-axis and contraction in the a-axis. These effects were resolved in relation to the grain orientation, and the link established with the nucleation and growth of intergranular cracks and voids that causes electrical isolation of active cathode material. Coupled multi-physics Finite Element Modelling of diffusion and deformation inside a single cathode particle during charge and discharge was validated by comparison with experimental evidence and allowed unequivocal identification of key mechanical drivers underlying Li-ion battery degradation

The impact of digging on the evolution of the rodent mandible

There are two main (but not mutually exclusive) methods by which subterranean rodents construct burrows: chisel-tooth digging, where large incisors are used to dig through soil; and scratch digging, where forelimbs and claws are used to dig instead of incisors. A previous study by the authors showed that upper incisors of chisel-tooth diggers were better adapted to dig but the overall cranial morphology within the rodent sample was not significantly different. This study analyzed the lower incisors and mandibles of the specimens used in the previous study to show the impact of chisel-tooth digging on the rodent mandible. We compared lower incisors and mandibular shape of chisel-tooth digging rodents with nonchisel-tooth digging rodents to see if there were morphological differences between the two groups. The shape of incisors was quantified using incisor radius of curvature and second moment of area (SMA). Mandibular shape was quantified using landmark based geometric morphometrics. We found that lower incisor shape was strongly influenced by digging group using a Generalized Phylogenetic ancova (analysis of covariance). A phylogenetic Procrustes anova (analysis of variance) showed that mandibular shape of chisel-tooth digging rodents was also significantly different from nonchisel-tooth digging rodents. The phylogenetic signal of incisor radius of curvature was weak, whereas that of incisor SMA and mandibular shape was significant. This is despite the analyses revealing significant differences in the shape of both mandibles and incisors between digging groups. In conclusion, we showed that although the mandible and incisor of rodents are influenced by function, there is also a degree of phylogenetic affinity that shapes the rodent mandibular apparatus