1,459 research outputs found
Variations in antibody response to Aspergillus fumigatus inhalation in mice
Studies have configured immunological responses to Aspergillus fumigatus in mice, leading to advanced understandings. However, the comparisons of the immune responses between juvenile (younger than 6 weeks) male and female C57BL/6J mice after A. fumigatus exposure, remains uninvestigated. In this study, we intranasally inoculated 3 week old male and female mice with Aspergillus fumigatus spores dilution of 2 106spores per 40 l. They were exposed to the allergen once a week for 8 consecutive weeks and euthanized on day 28 post the last inoculation. As compared to our last report, we increased the sample size for each group in this study. To compare the immune response, we analyzed bronchoalveolar lavage cell counts to quantify macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and monocytes after differential staining. We also quantified IgE levels using an ELISA kit to see the allergic response from the repeated exposure of Aspergillus fumigatus. Treatment groups representing both genders have significantly higher lymphocytes. However, macrophages accounted for both the treatment and naive groups have similar quantification.. At the end of the study, our data could indicate that sex differences could be an important factor in shaping the immune response of mice against A. fumigatus which could benefit the design of diagnostics and therapeutics for allergic asthma treatments
The Effects of Social-Emotional Learning Strategies on Promoting Positive Behavior on Elementary Students
The focus of this action research project was to implement social-emotional learning (SEL) lessons to help promote positive behaviors in the classroom. Participants in the six week study included 16 first graders and 21 fourth graders, in two different classrooms, in Central Minnesota. During the intervention both classrooms participated in daily morning meetings, constructed classroom norms, weekly journals and SEL lessons. Data sources included daily behavior frequency tally charts, behavior office referrals, pre/post feedback forms, student journals and a teacher lesson log. After analyzing the data collected during this research project, the researchers concluded that weekly social-emotional teaching had a positive effect on students in elementary schools. Further research could study the impact of a school-wide scale on promoting positive behaviors from social emotional teaching
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The impact of the built environment on health behaviours and disease transmission in social systems
The environment plays an important role in disease dynamics and in determining the health of individuals. Specifically, the built environment has a large impact on the prevention and containment of both chronic and infectious disease in humans and in non-human animals. The effects of the built environment on health can be direct, for example, by influencing environmental quality, or indirect by influencing behaviours that impact disease transmission and health. Furthermore, these impacts can happen at many scales, from the individual to the society, and from the design of the plates we eat from to the design of cities. In this paper, we review the ways that the built environment affects both the prevention and the containment of chronic and infectious disease. We bring examples from both human and animal societies and attempt to identify parallels and gaps between the study of humans and animals that can be capitalized on to advance the scope and perspective of research in each respective field. By consolidating this literature, we hope to highlight the importance of built structures in determining the complex dynamics of disease and in impacting the health behaviours of both humans and animals.This article is part of the theme issue 'Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour'
The effectiveness of pilates exercise in people with chronic low back pain: A systematic review
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effectiveness of Pilates exercise in people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) through a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). DATA SOURCES:A search for RCTs was undertaken using Medical Search Terms and synonyms for "Pilates" and "low back pain" within the maximal date range of 10 databases. Databases included the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; Cochrane Library; Medline; Physiotherapy Evidence Database; ProQuest: Health and Medical Complete, Nursing and Allied Health Source, Dissertation and Theses; Scopus; Sport Discus; Web of Science. STUDY SELECTION:Two independent reviewers were involved in the selection of evidence. To be included, relevant RCTs needed to be published in the English language. From 152 studies, 14 RCTs were included. DATA EXTRACTION:Two independent reviewers appraised the methodological quality of RCTs using the McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies. The author(s), year of publication, and details regarding participants, Pilates exercise, comparison treatments, and outcome measures, and findings, were then extracted. DATA SYNTHESIS:The methodological quality of RCTs ranged from "poor" to "excellent". A meta-analysis of RCTs was not undertaken due to the heterogeneity of RCTs. Pilates exercise provided statistically significant improvements in pain and functional ability compared to usual care and physical activity between 4 and 15 weeks, but not at 24 weeks. There were no consistent statistically significant differences in improvements in pain and functional ability with Pilates exercise, massage therapy, or other forms of exercise at any time period. CONCLUSIONS:Pilates exercise offers greater improvements in pain and functional ability compared to usual care and physical activity in the short term. Pilates exercise offers equivalent improvements to massage therapy and other forms of exercise. Future research should explore optimal Pilates exercise designs, and whether some people with CLBP may benefit from Pilates exercise more than others
A CALIBRATION PROCEDURE FOR MIMU SENSORS ALLOWING FOR THE CALCULATION OF ELBOW ANGLES
Non-optical wearable sensors such as magnetic and inertial measurement units (MIMUs) are gaining popularity in sport and clinical settings owing to their ease of application, relative affordability and potential for improved ecological validity. We propose a method for the standardised reference calibration of a simple two-sensor MIMU system for the estimation of anatomically meaningful elbow kinematics. The participant poses with the elbow at 90° flexion and neutral (0°) pronation, allowing for the relative orientation of the MIMU on the forearm to be determined with reference to the MIMU located on the arm. Comparisons were with traditional kinematic marker method results. Root mean squared errors of less than 1° in flex/ext and < 2° (pro/sup) found in simple movements. Results with simple movements provide rationale to expand research to complex movements
Time of Day and Performance on Cognitive Tests in Patients with Mild Dementia
Background
Cognitive screening for elderly patients with mild dementia is typically conducted in the morning under the impression that testing at this time will optimize performance and cooperation of patients. This study was conducted to determine if the time of day in which several cognitive screening tests would be normally given could significantly affect test performance in patients with mild dementia and normal control subjects.
Methods
Fifty nursing home residents with mild to moderate dementia and twenty normal control subjects were given three commonly used cognitive tests in two separate sessions (morning and afternoon) with a two week interval between sessions. Half of subjects were tested first in the morning and second in the afternoon, the other half first in the afternoon and second in the morning. Evaluation tools included the Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE), the Mini-Cog Test, and Semantic Verbal Fluency (for animal names) at each session. Test scores were compared within each subject between the morning and afternoon sessions.
Results
Across all subjects, better scores were observed for afternoon performance in the MMSE score (p\u3c0.005) and Mini-Cog (p\u3c0.011) for subjects who tested first in the morning and second in the afternoon. No differences were observed in the reverse condition. The morning/afternoon differences and trends across all subjects were strongest for the mild dementia group (MMSE, p\u3c0.003; Mini-Cog, p\u3c0.075). However, the analysis also indicated that test experience contributed to some of the observed differences, such that no clear effect of time of day on performance could be substantiated.
Conclusion
Under the conditions of this study, we could not conclude that performance on cognitive tests was significantly affected by the time of day of administration. A more comprehensive study will be necessary to better define the potential factors identified
Clinical stakeholders' opinions on the use of selective decontamination of the digestive tract in critically ill patients in intensive care units : an international Delphi study
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
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Food Insecurity in the Community College, a Phenomenological Inquiry: The Lived Experience of Students Using a Campus Food Pantry
The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of students to discern the impact of their interaction with the food pantry. This knowledge may, in turn, influence future food pantry methods and wider policy, both at PNW College and more broadly. Not only does student hunger have the potential to impact negatively student persistence and completion, but it represents an important equity issue on our higher ed campuses. By using phenomenological inquiry to explore the impact on student users of the campus food pantry, the following is the research question that was addressed: What are the lived experiences, perceptions, and educational impacts for community college students who use the food pantry at PNW College? This study was grounded in an interpretivist philosophical approach, which fits especially well with a phenomenological inquiry that asks students about their lived experiences with a food pantry on a community college campus. Ten interviews were analyzed using “in vivo” coding, and themes were determined using the students’ own words.
Themes that emerged from the study included challenges (food pantry barriers, educational obstacles, and stigma), survival attributes (strategy, resource, and findings), personal characteristics (resilience, caring, feelings, worry/apprehension, and self-sufficiency), and food pantry impacts (education/increased focus, validation, improved health). The results affirm the notion that non-academic barriers represent a significant concern among community college students. Additionally, findings indicate that the food pantry plays an important role on campus in supporting student health and focus on studies. Participants were found to be resilient and self-sufficient, and exhibited altruism toward other students. Contrary to popular thought, stigma emerged as almost a non-challenge; despite the prevailing idea that students using campus supports will feel ashamed, participants universally expressed a lack of concern with stigma. This study, which put students at the center of their own stories, offered several implications for future practice, policy, and research.
The practical significance of this study is potentially large. The study filled gaps in the literature where community colleges are not generally a focus, where qualitative research is rare, and where the voices of students themselves have been unheard. The role of the food pantry on college campuses in supporting student success is now widely recognized. This study is important, since it is vital for educators, administrators, and policy makers to understand student perceptions of food pantry use and its role as a support in their educational success. Particularly as we in higher education witness a push towards completion rather than mere enrollment, we must consider what populations are at risk. Optimistically, a focus on completion will mean a new push to remove non-academic barriers to student achievement that have long gone unaddressed. Food insecurity on higher ed campuses is a critical problem that undermines student success, but it is an issue that is within our collective power to overcome
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