Development of the Variable Dexterity Test: construction, reliability and validity

Background/Aims: This article introduces a dexterity test designed to assess individual types of dexterity used to carry out activities of daily living (ADL). The Variable Dexterity Test (VDT) was developed as part of a wider study, the broader aim being to fully understand dexterity and its effect on human-product interaction during ADL. This was done with a view to improve occupational therapy methods when assessing dexterity and general hand function. Methods: The control group consisted of 24 healthy participants. Estimates of reliability and validity were evaluated in this pilot study. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability were assessed using a one-way ANOVA. The validity of the test was estimated by correlating participants’ VDT scores with their proficiency to complete four ADL task actions and a standardised dexterity test (Purdue Pegboard Test). Results: The test produced consistent results among the control group with both a single assessor (test‑retest reliability) and multiple assessors (inter‑rater reliability). High correlations between participants’ VDT scores and proficiency to perform ADL were found for most of the subtests. There was also a high correlation between participants’ scores from the Purdue Pegboard Test and the VDT. Conclusions: The VDT proved to be a flexible, reliable and valid tool that assesses dexterity based on ability to carry out ADL. Validity and reliability estimates show encouraging values, which recognises that the VDT can be used as an accurate method to assess more than one type of dexterity.</p

Geographically distributed hybrid testing &amp; collaboration between geotechnical centrifuge and structures laboratories

© 2018, Institute of Engineering Mechanics (IEM). All rights reserved. Distributed Hybrid Testing (DHT) is an experimental technique designed to capitalise on advances in modern networking infrastructure to overcome traditional laboratory capacity limitations. By coupling the heterogeneous test apparatus and computational resources of geographically distributed laboratories, DHT provides the means to take on complex, multi-disciplinary challenges with new forms of communication and collaboration. To introduce the opportunity and practicability afforded by DHT, here an exemplar multi-site test is addressed in which a dedicated fibre network and suite of custom software is used to connect the geotechnical centrifuge at the University of Cambridge with a variety of structural dynamics loading apparatus at the University of Oxford and the University of Bristol. While centrifuge time-scaling prevents real-time rates of loading in this test, such experiments may be used to gain valuable insights into physical phenomena, test procedure and accuracy. These and other related experiments have led to the development of the real-time DHT technique and the creation of a flexible framework that aims to facilitate future distributed tests within the UK and beyond. As a further example, a real-time DHT experiment between structural labs using this framework for testing across the Internet is also presented

Imaging Features of Gray-Scale and Contrast-Enhanced Color Doppler US for the Differentiation of Transient Renal Arterial Ischemia and Arterial Infarction

No publisher copyright information found in the SHERPA/RoMEO list.OBJECTIVE: To characterize the imaging features on gray-scale and contrast-enhanced color Doppler US images which differentiate renal ischemia from renal infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The segmental renal arteries of eight healthy rabbits were surgically ligated. In four of these rabbits, the ligated renal artery was released 60 minutes after arterial occlusion to cause transient ischemia. In the remaining four rabbits, the arterial ligation was retained to cause a permanent infarction. The gray-scale and contrast-enhanced color Doppler US imaging features of the involved renal parenchyma of both ischemia and infarction groups were compared with respect to the presence or absence of parenchymal swelling, echogenicity changes, tissue loss and perfusion defects. RESULTS: Parenchyma swelling, echogenic changes, tissue loss and perfusion defects were found to be more extensive in the infarction than the ischemia group. The hyperechoic areas reperfused with blood flow recovered normal echogenicity and perfusion, whereas the hyperechoic areas without reperfusion became renal infarcts. CONCLUSION: Gray-scale and contrast-enhanced color Doppler US showed that the hyperechoic areas with reperfusion may reverse to normal parenchyma and allow the differentiation of renal ischemia from renal infarction

An Empirical Study on Collaborative Architecture Decision Making in Software Teams

Architecture decision making is considered one of the most challenging cognitive tasks in software development. The objective of this study is to explore the state of the practice of architecture decision making in software teams, including the role of the architect and the associated challenges. An exploratory case study was conducted in a large software company in Europe and fifteen software architects were interviewed as the primary method of data collection. The results reveal that the majority of software teams make architecture decisions collaboratively. Especially, the consultative decision- making style is preferred as it helps to make decisions efficiently while taking the opinions of the team members into consideration. It is observed that most of the software architects maintain a close relationship with the software teams. Several organisational, process and human related challenges and their impact on architecture decision-making are also identified

Topologically Protected Quantum State Transfer in a Chiral Spin Liquid

Topology plays a central role in ensuring the robustness of a wide variety of physical phenomena. Notable examples range from the robust current carrying edge states associated with the quantum Hall and the quantum spin Hall effects to proposals involving topologically protected quantum memory and quantum logic operations. Here, we propose and analyze a topologically protected channel for the transfer of quantum states between remote quantum nodes. In our approach, state transfer is mediated by the edge mode of a chiral spin liquid. We demonstrate that the proposed method is intrinsically robust to realistic imperfections associated with disorder and decoherence. Possible experimental implementations and applications to the detection and characterization of spin liquid phases are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

Millisecond and Binary Pulsars as Nature's Frequency Standards. III. Fourier Analysis and Spectral Sensitivity of Timing Observations to Low-Frequency Noise

This paper discusses spectral sensitivity of solitary and binary pulsars to a low-frequency (colored) noise. It is a third paper in a series of papers devoted to analysis of the low-frequency noise in pulsar timing observations and its impact on observable fitting parameters of timing model.Comment: 25 pages, 3 figures, accepted to MNRA

Antinociceptive Interactions between Intrathecal Gabapentin and MK801 or NBQX in Rat Formalin Test

Antagonists for spinal N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and amino-hydroxy-methtyl-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors are effective in attenuating acute nociception or injury-induced hyperalgesia. The antinociception of spinal gabapentin is developed in injury-induced hyperalgesia without affecting acute nociception. The authors evaluated the effects of intrathecal gabapentin, NMDA antagonist (MK801) and AMPA antagonist (NBQX) in the formalin test which shows injury-induced hyperalgesia as well as acute pain. We further assessed the interactions between gabapentin and either MK801 or NBQX. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with intrathecal catheters. To evoke pain, 50 µL of 5% formalin solution was injected into the hindpaw. The interaction was investigated by a fixed dose analysis or an isobolographic analysis. MK801 and NBQX suppressed flinching responses during phase 1 of the formalin test, while gabapentin had little effect on phase 1. All three agents decreased the phase 2 flinching response. A fixed dose analysis in phase 1 showed that gabapentin potentiated the antinociceptive effect of MK801 and NBQX. Isobolographic analysis in phase 2 revealed a synergistic interaction after coadministration of gabapentin-MK801 or gabapentin-NBQX. Correspondingly, spinal gabapentin with NMDA or AMPA antagonist may be useful in managing acute pain and injury-induced hyperalgesia

Interaction between Intrathecal Gabapentin and Adenosine in the Formalin Test of Rats

Spinal gabapentin and adenosine have been known to display an antinociceptive effect. We evaluated the nature of the interaction between gabapentin and adenosine in formalin-induced nociception at the spinal level. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared for intrathecal catheterization. Pain was evoked by injection of formalin solution (5%, 50 µL) into the hindpaw. After examination of the effects of gabapentin and adenosine, the resulting interaction was investigated with isobolographic and fractional analyses. Neither gabapentin nor adenosine affected motor function. Gabapentin or adenosine decreased the sum of the number of flinches during phase 2, but not during phase 1 in the formalin test. Isobolographic analysis, in phase 2, revealed an additive interaction between gabapentin and adenosine. Taken together, intrathecal gabapentin and adenosine attenuated the facilitated state and interacted additively with each other