DESIGNING A NOVEL STEERING WHEEL FOR GENERATION-Y, BABY BOOMERS, AND ENGINEERS

Historically, the steering wheel has been viewed as a stylistic or utility component of the vehicle; however, as in-vehicle technology increases, the steering wheel may provide a way to integrate technologies into the vehicle. This study built upon a usability study that examined a broad range of steering wheels. In the current study, participants designed their ideal steering wheel for a concept vehicle by using a paper prototyping method. Fifty-five participants (20 young adults 18 to 30 years of age, 20 older adults 47 to 65 years of age, and 15 male automotive engineering graduate students 18 to 30 years of age) were given an outline of a steering wheel and asked to choose their ideal steering wheel functions as well as the types of controls for those functions and stylistic features. Results showed that while there was no single common design, there were trends among the groups. These three groups selected largely similar controls but tended to locate them differently, create unique steering wheel structures and express their wants and needs differently when asked about their designs. Based on trends in participant designs, two prototypes were created for each group and two for a combination of all groups

1700 deg C optical temperature sensor

A new gas temperature sensor was developed that shows promise of sufficient ruggedness to be useful as a gas turbine temperature sensor. The sensor is in the form of a single-crystal aluminum oxide ceramic, ground to a cone shape and given an emissive coating. A lens and an optical fiber conduct the thermally emitted light to a remote and near-infrared photodetector assembly. Being optically coupled and passive, the sensor is highly immune to all types of electrical interference. Candidate sensors were analyzed for optical sensor performance, heat transfer characteristics, stress from gas loading. This led to the selection of the conical shape as the most promising for the gas turbine environment. One uncoated and two coated sensing elements were prepared for testing. Testing was conducted to an indicated 1750 C in a propane-air flame. Comparison with the referee optical pyrometer shows an accuracy of + or - 25 C at 1700 C for this initial development. One hundred cycles from room temperature to 1700 C left the sapphire cone intact, but some loss of the platinum, 6% rhodium coating was observed. Several areas for improving the overall performance and durability are identified

The Saskatchewan Cancer Program: A historical examination of government in providing health care

The problem of cancer has long been an issue of vital importance to Canadians. In an attempt to arrest the spread of cancer, radiation therapy emerged early in the 20th century as an effective tool in combating the disease and prompted a new hope that a cure for cancer would be realized in the not too distant future. However, due to the expense of obtaining naturally occurring radioactive elements, radiation therapy was limited to a select group of patients. The onset of the Great Depression further exposed the inability of patients to pay for treatment and led the Saskatchewan government to establish a cancer program that provided consultative, diagnostic and radiation therapy at a cost largely incurred by the state. This thesis deals with the causative factors for the government to expand into the cancer care arena more than thirty years before the adoption of publicly funded universal health care. It argues that the fuel to provide cancer care was as much a desire to benefit the sick as it was to building a recognizable identity for the province. Legislators in Saskatchewan believed that they had a responsibility to mold an image for the province and ensuring that patients had access to increasingly specialized and technological treatments for cancer was a means through which the state could forge an identity as a progressive society dedicated to the health and well-being of its citizens

Mothers with Serious Mental Illness: Their Experience of “Hitting Bottom”

This study sought to understand the experience of “hitting bottom” from the perspective of 32 mothers with serious mental illness. Secondary narrative analysis of 173 stories about experiences related to hitting bottom were identified. Enactment of their perceived mothering roles and responsibilities was compromised when confronted by the worst of illness. Subsequent to women's descent to bottom was their need for a timely and safe exit from bottom. An intense experience in bottom further jeopardized their parenting and treatment self-determination and, for some, their potential for survival. The results suggest that prevention of bottom is feasible with early assessment of the diverse issues contributing to mothers' vulnerabilities. Interventions to lessen their pain may circumvent bottom experiences. Healing necessitates purposeful approaches to minimize the private and public trauma of bottom experiences, nurture growth towards a future, and establish resources to actualize such a life

Health Coaching-Based Interventions For Oral Health Promotion:A Scoping Review

Background: Health coaching-based interventions can support behaviour change to improve oral health. This scoping review aims to identify key characteristics of health coaching-based interventions for oral health promotion. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist and the Joanna Briggs Institute manual for evidence synthesis were used in this review. A search strategy using medical subject heading terms and keywords was developed and applied to search the following databases: CINAHL, Ovid, PubMed, Cochrane Library and Scopus. Thematic analysis was used to synthesise the data. Results: Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. These studies were predominantly based on health coaching and motivational interviewing interventions applied to oral health promotion. The following are the characteristics of health coaching-based interventions extracted from themes of the included studies: (a) Health professionals should be trained on the usage of motivational interviewing/health coaching interventions; (b) oral health professionals should acquire motivational techniques in their practice to engage patients and avoid criticisms during the behaviour change process; (c) routine brief motivational interviewing/health coaching intervention sessions should be introduced in dental clinics; (d) traditional oral health education methods should be supplemented with individually tailored communication; and (e) for cost-effectiveness purposes, motivational interviewing/health coaching strategies should be considered. Conclusions: This scoping review reveals that health coaching-based techniques of health coaching and motivational interviewing can significantly impact oral health outcomes and behaviour change and can improve oral health professional–patient communication. This calls for the use of health coaching-based techniques by dental teams in community and clinical settings. This review highlights gaps in the literature, suggesting the need for more research on health coaching-based intervention strategies for oral health promotion

An ADePT evaluation for incorporating the TIPPS periodontal health intervention into primary care antenatal programmes to enhance infant birth weight in Palestine:a feasibility study

Background: A feasibility study was conducted to implement the Talk, Instruct, Practice, Plan and Support (TIPPS) intervention for pregnant women to enhance infant birth weight in a conflict area in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). The decision tool, A process for Decision-making after Pilot and feasibility Trials (ADePT), examines the methodological factors identified in a feasibility study, that may require modification for a full trial. Thus, this study aimed to use the ADePT decision tool to evaluate if the feasibility study had achieved its objectives and to identify the need for intervention, clinical context and trial design modification. Methods: A one-arm, pretest–posttest feasibility study recruited 25 pregnant women in their first trimester and clinic staff from a primary healthcare clinic located in Gaza City, Palestine. The TIPPS periodontal health intervention was delivered by antenatal care nurses to the pregnant women during their regular follow-up appointments. The ADePT framework was applied to evaluate the findings from the feasibility study. The ADePT checklist demonstrated sample size estimation, recruitment, consent, intervention adherence, intervention acceptability, costs and duration, completion and appropriateness of outcome assessments, retention, logistics, and synergy between protocol components. Results: All recruited pregnant women (25, aged 16–35 years old) consented to participate in the study, and the adherence to the intervention was 88% (22 women). The TIPPS intervention was acceptable, but there was ambivalence over who should deliver it in the clinic. Only the cost of toothbrushing and TIPPS information materials was calculated, while the cost of nurses’ time was not included. The missing values of data were few (12% of gingival bleeding data and 22% from infant birth weight data). This intervention significantly reduced the mean percentage of plaque and bleeding scores after 3 months. The sample size for future randomised controlled trial was estimated around 400 participants. The participants stated the value of the intervention. The clinic staff voiced concerns regarding time and the cost of nurses providing the TIPPS intervention. This allowed suggestions to be made regarding the modification of trial design and context of implementation. Conclusions: The ADePT evaluation showed it was possible to progress to full trial with modifications in the trial design