Design of a 2.007 machine with al-terrain suspension

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, June 2004."May 2004."Includes bibliographical references (leaf 12).The deterministic design process taught in MIT's 2.007 course (Design and Manufacturing I) can be applied to many design situations. After taking the course, Browne developed a robotic car which has an articulated suspension. This car is a simple design that could be very useful to students in the 2.007 course; the robot cars made in this course often have a solid base which makes it difficult to drive over small obstacles. In addition to being easy to manufacture and assemble by students in the 2.007 course at MIT, Browne's design addresses this problem. It also is a generic car that could be used as a base for many other interesting and useful mechanisms a 2.007 student might design.by Courtney Browne.S.B

Taking a situated approach to assessment and intervention in trichotillomania and social connection

Trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) can be a debilitating mental health condition, but current interventions are not without their flaws. Central to developing an effective intervention is to first accurately measure it. Thus, this thesis’ first aim was to develop an assessment instrument for trichotillomania, with the intention to build an intervention. Traditional assessment measures for trichotillomania ignore the importance of the situation, can lead to inaccuracies, and may not give a complete picture of pulling for each individual. Chapter 2 addresses these concerns and builds a novel assessment instrument for trichotillomania, based on the theory of grounded cognition. Our results created a detailed pulling profile for each individual that was situation specific and presented promising areas for interventions to focus on. The second aim of this thesis was to develop an intervention for trichotillomania. As part of this intervention, we were interested in social connectedness and social support and what role they may play in hair pulling, given their association with mental health in general. Chapters 3 and 4 therefore develop an assessment instrument for social connectedness and social support, again building from the theory of grounded cognition. Findings from these studies helped to develop our understanding of influential processes for social connectedness and social support, and situational effects. Finally, the Discussion chapter introduces a trichotillomania intervention developed from the previous studies and the wider literature and further discussed the implication of the findings within Chapters 2-4

Cohort profile : The 'Children's Health in Care in Scotland' (CHiCS) study-a longitudinal dataset to compare health outcomes for care experienced children and general population children

Purpose: The Children’s Health in Care in Scotland Cohorts were set up to provide first population-wide evidence on the health outcomes of care experienced children (CEC) compared with children in the general population (CGP). To date, there are no data on how objective health outcomes, mortality and pregnancies for CEC are different from CGP in Scotland. Participants: The CEC cohort includes school-aged children who were on the 2009/2010 Scottish Government’s Children Looked After Statistics (CLAS) return and on the 2009 Pupil Census (PC). The children in the general population cohort includes those who were on the 2009 PC and not on any of the CLAS returns between 1 April 2007 and 31 July 2016. Findings to date: Data on a variety of health outcomes, including mortality, prescriptions, hospitalisations, pregnancies, and Accident & Emergency attendances, were obtained for the period 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2016 for both cohorts. Data on socioeconomic status (SES) for both cohorts were available from the Birth Registrations and a small area deprivation measure was available from the PC. CEC have, on average, lower SES at birth and live in areas of higher deprivation compared with CGP. A higher proportion of CEC have recorded events across all health data sets, and they experienced higher average rates of mortality, prescriptions and hospitalisations during the study period. The reasons for contacting health services vary between cohorts. Future plans: Age-standardised rates for the two cohorts by sex and area deprivation will be calculated to provide evidence on population-wide prevalence of main causes of death, reasons for hospitalisation and types of prescription. Event history analysis will be used on matched cohorts to investigate the impact of placement histories and socioeconomic factors on health

An implementation science protocol of the Women’s Health CoOp in healthcare settings in Cape Town, South Africa: A stepped-wedge design

Abstract Background HIV persists as a public health emergency in South Africa, especially among women of childbearing age. In response to the HIV epidemic, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has put forth the 90–90-90 global goals to achieve an AIDS-free generation by 2020. This goal aspires to have 90% of people living with HIV diagnosed; 90% of those who test positive on sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART); and 90% of those on ART be virally suppressed. Ensuring access to ART is an important first step in reducing HIV incidence, especially among vulnerable populations such as women who use substances and bear the burden of HIV in South Africa. Additionally, alcohol and other drug (AOD) use and exposure to gender-based violence are associated with increased risk of HIV infection and reduced adherence to ART. However, no research has estimated ART adherence rates for women who use substances in South Africa since the government approved the provision of ART to all people living with HIV. Methods The Women’s Health CoOp (WHC) is an evidence-based, woman-focused, behavioral intervention that addresses the intersecting risks of AODs, sex behaviors, and violence and victimization, with the primary goal of increasing skills and knowledge to reduce substance abuse and HIV risks and to improve ART adherence. The WHC has been packaged for further dissemination. This article describes the study protocol used to assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the WHC intervention into standard of care in Cape Town health clinics and substance abuse rehabilitation centers to reduce HIV risk behavior and increase ART adherence among women who use substances and are living with HIV. Discussion Because few of the interventions that demonstrate efficacy for HIV prevention and ART adherence in randomized trials are sustainable, studies to adapt and test intervention variations are needed to determine the best strategies for implementing them in real-world, high-risk settings. However, implementation in real-world settings presents challenges. Consequently, intervention developers should consider the strengths and limitations of their anticipated implementation setting by engaging with key stakeholders before, during, and after the adaptation and implementation process when developing and attempting to scale-up interventions. Trial registration NCT 02733003 and date approved 1/21/2016

Structured groups make more accurate veracity judgements than individuals

Groups often make better judgements than individuals, and recent research suggests that this phenomenon extends to the deception detection domain. The present research investigated whether the influence of groups enhances the accuracy of judgements, and whether group size influences deception detection accuracy. Two-hundred fifty participants evaluated written statements with a pre-established detection accuracy rate of 60% in terms of veracity before viewing either the judgements and rationales of several other group members or a short summary of the written statement and revising or restating their own judgements accordingly. Participants' second responses were significantly more accurate than their first, suggesting a small positive effect of structured groups on deception detection accuracy. Group size did not have a significant effect on detection accuracy. The present work extends our understanding of the utility of group deception detection, suggesting that asynchronous, structured groups outperform individuals at detecting deception

Virtuous opinion change in structured groups

Although the individual has been the focus of most research into judgment and decision-making (JDM), important decisions in the real world are often made collectively rather than individually, a tendency that has increased in recent times with the opportunities for easy information exchange through the Internet. From this perspective, JDM research that factors in this social context has increased generalizability and mundane realism relative to that which ignores it. We delineate a problem-space for research within which we locate protocols that are used to study or support collective JDM, identify a common research question posed by all of these protocols—‘What are the factors leading to opinion change for the better (‘virtuous opinion change’) in individual JDM agents?’—and propose a modeling approach and research paradigm using structured groups (i.e., groups with some constraints on their interaction), for answering this question. This paradigm, based on that used in studies of judge-adviser systems, avoids the need for real interacting groups and their attendant logistical problems, lack of power, and poor experimental control. We report an experiment using our paradigm on the effects of group size and opinion diversity on judgmental forecasting performance to illustrate our approach. The study found a U-shaped effect of group size on the probability of opinion change, but no effect on the amount of virtuous opinion change. Implications of our approach for development of more externally valid empirical studies and theories of JDM, and for the design of structured-group techniques to support collective JDM, are discussed

mHealth versus face-to-face: study protocol for a randomized trial to test a gender-focused intervention for young African American women at risk for HIV in North Carolina

Abstract Background Disparities in the prevalence of HIV persist in the southern United States, and young African American women have a disproportionate burden of HIV as compared with young women of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. As a result, engaging young African American women in the HIV care continuum through HIV testing is imperative. This study is designed to reach this key population at risk for HIV. The study seeks to test the efficacy of two formats of a gender-focused, evidence-based, HIV-risk reduction intervention—the Young Women’s CoOp (YWC)—relative to HIV counseling and testing (HCT) among young African American women between the ages of 18 and 25 who use substances and have not recently been tested for HIV. Methods Using a seek-and-test framework, this three-arm cross-over randomized trial is being conducted in three county health departments in North Carolina. Each county is assigned to one of three study arms in each cycle: in-person (face-to-face) YWC, mobile Health (mHealth) YWC, or HCT. At study enrollment, participants complete a risk behavior survey via audio computer-assisted self-interview, and drug, alcohol, and pregnancy screening tests, and are then referred to HIV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia testing through their respective health departments. Participants in either of the YWC arms are asked to return approximately 1 week later to either begin the first of two in-person individual intervention sessions or to pick up the mHealth intervention preloaded on a tablet after a brief introduction to using the app. Participants in all arms are asked to return for a 6-month follow-up and 12-month follow-up, and repeat the survey and biological testing from baseline. Discussion The findings from this study will demonstrate which delivery format (mHealth or face-to-face) is efficacious in reducing substance use and sexual risk behaviors. If found to be efficacious, the intervention has potential for wider dissemination and reach. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02965014 . Registered November 16, 2016

Gender and Context Matter: Behavioral and Structural Interventions for People Who Use Alcohol and Other Drugs in Africa

Heavy alcohol consumption and other drug use are prominent across Africa and increase the risk of exposure to violence, HIV acquisition, and other life-threatening injuries. This review synthesizes evidence on alcohol and other drug (AOD) interventions in Africa; evaluates the differences between interventions that do and do not specifically target populations that use AODs; and highlights the impact of comprehensive vs. brief interventions and those that address syndemic issues from a gender and contextualized lens. Literature searches were conducted to identify research outcomes of randomized interventions published between January 2010 and May 2022 that address AOD use in Africa. Thirty-five full-text articles were included in this review. Most of the identified research studies were concentrated in a few countries. Most studies were conducted in South Africa. Many of the studies comprised brief interventions. However, the most comprehensive interventions were the most effective for AOD outcomes. Several studies indicated the importance of addressing AOD use alongside gender-based violence, mental health needs, gender roles, and other social determinants that affect health outcomes. Intervening on AOD use and addressing social determinants from a gender and contextually relevant perspective is essential to ensuring the long-term health and well-being of people in Africa

Study protocol for a randomised placebo-controlled trial of pramipexole in addition to mood stabilisers for patients with treatment resistant bipolar depression (the PAX-BD study)

Abstract Background Treatment Resistant Bipolar Depression (TRBD) is a major contributor to the burden of disease associated with Bipolar Disorder (BD). Treatment options for people experiencing bipolar depression are limited to three interventions listed by National Institute for Health and Care: lamotrigine, quetiapine and olanzapine, of which the latter two are often not well tolerated. The majority of depressed people with BD are therefore prescribed antidepressants despite limited efficacy. This demonstrates an unmet need for additional interventions. Pramipexole has been shown to improve mood symptoms in animal models of depression, in people with Parkinson’s Disease and two proof of principle trials of pramipexole for people with BD who are currently depressed. Methods The PAX-BD study, funded by the United Kingdom (UK) National Institute for Health Research, aims to extend previous findings by assessing the efficacy, safety and health economic impact of pramipexole in addition to mood stabilisers for patients with TRBD. A randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled design is conducted in a naturalistic UK National Health Service setting. An internal pilot study to examine feasibility and acceptability of the study design is included. Participants with TRBD are screened from National Health Service secondary care services in up to 40 mental health trusts in the UK, with the aim of recruiting approximately 414 participants into a pre-randomisation phase to achieve a target of 290 randomised participants. Primary safety and efficacy measures are at 12 weeks following randomisation, with follow up of participants to 52 weeks. The primary outcome is depressive symptoms as measured by Quick Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology – Self Report. Secondary outcomes include changes in anxiety, manic symptoms, tolerability, acceptability, quality of life and cost-effectiveness. Outcome measures are collected remotely using self-report tools implemented online, and observer-rated assessments conducted via telephone. ANCOVA will be used to examine the difference in rating scale scores between treatment arms, and dependent on compliance in completion of weekly self-report measures. A mixed effects linear regression model may also be used to account for repeated measures. Trial registration ISRCTN72151939. Registered on 28 August 2019, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN72151939 Protocol Version: 04-FEB-2021, Version 9.0