A multi-sensory interactive reading experience for visually impaired children; a user evaluation

© 2018 Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature The children’s experience of reading is enhanced by visual displays, and through picture book experiences, young children expose themselves to develop socially, personally, intellectually, and culturally. While a sighted person’s mental imagining is constructed mostly through visual experiences, a visually impaired person’s mental images are a product of haptic, taste, smell, and sounds. In this paper, we are introducing a picture book with multi-sensory interactions for the visually impaired children. The key novelty in our concept is the integration of multi-sensory interactions (touch, sound, and smell) to create a new reading experience for visually impaired. Also, this concept is highlighting the lack of appropriately designed sensory reading experiences for visually impaired children. We have conducted a user study with 10 educators, and 25 children from a special school for visually impaired in Malaysia, and our evaluation revealed that this book is engaging and a novel experience of multi-sensory interactions to both children and educators

Seven- to 11-year-olds’ developing ability to recognize natural facial expressions of basic emotions

Being able to recognize facial expressions of basic emotions is of great importance to social development. However, we still know surprisingly little about children’s developing ability to interpret emotions that are expressed dynamically, naturally and subtly, despite real-life expressions having such appearance in the vast majority of cases. The current research employs a new technique of capturing dynamic, subtly expressed natural emotional displays (happy, sad, angry, shocked and disgusted). Children aged 7, 9 and 11 years (and adults) were systematically able to discriminate each emotional display from alternatives in a 5-way choice. Children were most accurate in identifying the expression of happiness and were also relatively accurate in identifying the expression of sadness; they were far less accurate than adults in identifying shocked and disgusted. Children who performed well academically also tended to be the most accurate in recognizing expressions and this relationship maintained independently of chronological age. Generally, the findings testify to a well-developed ability to recognize very subtle naturally occurring expressions of emotions

''Physiological and cognitive responses when riding an electrically assisted bicycle versus a classical bicycle''

Theurel, J. | Theurel, A. | Lepers, R.International audience''The present study compared the physiological responses and the subsequent cognitive performance when riding an electrically assisted (EB) versus a classical (CB) bicycle. Oxygen uptake, heart rate and leg extensor muscles electromyographic (EMG) activity were recorded in 10 subjects during a 30-min intermittent cycling exercise performed with EB versus CB. Cognitive performance was evaluated by a mail sorting test, performed at rest and after each cycling session. Averaged oxygen uptake and heat rate were significantly (P < 0.05) lower during EB cycling than during CB cycling. The EMG activities of the vastus lateralis, rectus femoris and gastrocnemius medialis muscles were significantly (P < 0.001) greater during CB cycling than during EB cycling. The time to complete the mail sorting test was significantly (P < 0.05) shorter after EB cycling than after CB cycling. Because EB cycling reduced muscle strains and physiological stress, it might offer benefits for those using bicycles in their work, such as postal workers and police officers. Statement of Relevance: This study compared physiological and cognitive responses when riding an electrically assisted versus a classical bicycle. The results showed that the electrically assisted bicycle led to reduced muscle strains and physiological stress and, therefore, might offer benefits for those using bicycles in their work, such as postal workers and police officers.'

SARS-CoV2 como causa de sepsis neonatal tardía, reporte de un caso

Introduction: SARS Cov2 infection in children has a clinical evolution not as severe as in adults and therefore lower mortality. This infection can affect neonates and they can acquire the infection by horizontal transmission, with variable clinical manifestations. Although the neonate born to a mother positive for SARS-CoV 2 has been the one with the greatest focus of attention, other neonates can acquire the infection from positive cases at home, symptomatic or not. Case report: A 22-day-old, previously healthy newborn with systemic manifestations such as fever, mild respiratory symptoms and frequent liquid stools, without mucus or blood. No history of infections in the family. The treatment was symptomatic, with acetaminophen, intravenous fluids and with good evolution Laboratories were nonspecific, and the study for SARS Cov2 was realized due to the current pandemic. The report was positive and the family refused to carry out tests. Discussion: Neonatal SARS CoV2 infection has been associated with symptoms such as fever, mild respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, usually with a positive notion of contagion from symptomatic or asymptomatic people, that can be underestimated.. It is possible that the diagnosis in a neonate could be the alarm on asymptomatic adults. Currently, due to the reported cases and the SARS CoV2 pandemic, newborns with fever and other systemic symptoms should be tested in the neonatal period. On the other hand, perform a follow-up of affected newborns.Introducción: la infección por SARS Cov2 en los niños tiene un comportamiento clínico menos severo que en adultos y por lo tanto menor mortalidad. Esta infección puede afectar neonatos y estos pueden adquirir la infección por trasmisión horizontal, con manifestaciones clínicas variables. Si bien, el neonato hijo de madre positiva para SARS CoV 2 ha sido el de mayor foco de atención, otros neonatos pueden adquirir la infección por casos positivos domiciliarios, sintomáticos o no. Reporte del caso: recién nacido previamente sano, de 22 días con manifestaciones sistémicas como fiebre, síntomas respiratorios leves y deposiciones liquidas frecuentes, sin moco ni sangre. Sin antecedentes de infecciones en la familia. El tratamiento fue sintomático, con acetaminofén, líquidos endovenosos y con evolución adecuada. Los laboratorios fueron inespecíficos, y se realizó estudio para SARS Cov2 por la pandemia actual. El reporte fue positivo y la familia rechazó realizarse pruebas. Discusión: la infección neonatal por SARS-CoV2 ha sido relacionada con síntomas como fiebre, cuadros respiratorios y gastrointestinales leves, generalmente con noción de contagio de personas sintomáticas o asintomáticas, que pueden ser subestimados. Es posible que el diagnóstico neonatal, sea la señal de adultos asintomáticos. Actualmente, ante los reportes literarios y la pandemia actual, se deberían realizar pruebas a neonatos febriles y con otros síntomas sistémicos. Además de realizar seguimiento a los neonatos afectados

Course for Promoting CR at Bedside - Evaluation

Purpose: Evidence proves health care providers should promote cardiac rehabilitation (CR) to patients face-to-face to increase CR enrollment. An online course was designed to promote this at the bedside; it is evaluated herein in terms of reach, effect on knowledge, attitudes, discussion self-efficacy and practices, and satisfaction. Methods: Design was observational, one-group pretest-posttest. Some demographics were requested from learners taking all language versions of the 20-minute course: English, Portuguese, French, Spanish, and simplified Chinese, available at https://globalcardiacrehab.com/CR-Utilization. Investigator-generated items in the pre- and post-test and evaluation survey administered using Google Forms were based on Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation model. Results: The course was initiated by 522 learners from 33/203 (16.3%) countries; most commonly female (n=341, 65.3%) nurses (n=180, 34.5%) from high-income countries (n=259, 56.7%), completing the English (n=296, 56.7%) and Chinese (n=108, 20.7%) versions. 414 (79.3%) completed the post-test and 302 (57.9%) completed the evaluation. Median CR attitudes were 5/5 on the Likert scale at pre-test, suggesting some selection bias. Mean CR knowledge (7.22±2.14/10), discussion self-efficacy (3.86±0.85/5), and practice (4.13±1.11/5) significantly improved after completion of the course (all P<.001). Satisfaction was high regardless of language version (4.44±0.64/5; P=.593). Conclusions: This free, open-access course is effective in increasing CR knowledge, self-efficacy, and encouragement practices among participating inpatient cardiac providers, with high satisfaction. While testing impact on actual CR use is needed, it should be more broadly disseminated to increase reach, in an effort to increase patient enrollment in CR, to reduce morbidity and mortality