27 research outputs found

    Airport Drop-Off and Pick-Up Charges in Great Britain: Will They Come to the United States?

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    As transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft drive a change in modern transport behaviors, fewer passengers pay for services such as parking or commercial vehicle drop-off at airports, meaning that what once was a primary revenue source for airports now has a tenuous future. Therefore, airports must find a way to counterbalance the revenue losses created by these changes. One such solution has been on the rise in Great Britain. With airport drop-off and pick-up charges, private vehicles must pay for the convenience of loading or unloading passengers at the airport entrance. Not only does this practice have the potential to generate millions of dollars in annual revenue, but it also offers a remedy for other maladies such as congestion and safety issues on airport roads. This report examines the effects that drop-off and pick-up charges have had in Great Britain and explores what US airports might expect should they too adopt the practice

    Return to running following knee osteochondral repair using an anti-gravity treadmill: A case report

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    Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of an anti-gravity treadmill return to running programme on self-efficacy and subjective knee function following knee osteochondral surgery. Case Description: A 39-year-old otherwise healthy female endurance runner with a left knee femoral cartilage grade 3-4 defect 3cm2. The patient underwent single step arthroscopic microfracture with Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate. An AlterG® anti-gravity treadmill was used to manipulate loading during a graduated phased return to running over 8 weeks. Self-efficacy was evaluated using the Self-Efficacy for Rehabilitation outcomes scale (SER) and the Knee Self-Efficacy Scale (K-SES). Subjective knee function was evaluated using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC). Outcomes: The programme resulted in improvements in SER (57%), K-SES present (89%) and K-SES future (65%) self-efficacy domains. The IKDC score demonstrated a clinically important improvement with an increase from 62.1 in week 1 to 86.2 in week 8 (39%). Only the KOOS Sport/Rec subscale showed a clinically important improvement from week 1 to week 8. Discussion: The programme resulted in improved knee and rehabilitation self-efficacy and subjective knee function following osteochondral repair of the knee. This case report illustrates the importance of considering self-efficacy in rehabilitation after knee osteochondral surgery and highlights the potential role for anti-gravity treadmills in enhancing self-efficacy and subjective knee function in preparation for a return to sport

    Acute fluid shifts influence the assessment of serum vitamin D status in critically ill patients

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    Recent reports have highlighted the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and suggested an association with excess mortality in critically ill patients. Serum vitamin D concentrations in these studies were measured following resuscitation. It is unclear whether aggressive fluid resuscitation independently influences serum vitamin D.Nineteen patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass were studied. Serum 25(OH)D(3), 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3), parathyroid hormone, C-reactive protein (CRP), and ionised calcium were measured at five defined timepoints: T1 - baseline, T2 - 5 minutes after onset of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (time of maximal fluid effect), T3 - on return to the intensive care unit, T4 - 24 hrs after surgery and T5 - 5 days after surgery. Linear mixed models were used to compare measures at T2-T5 with baseline measures.Acute fluid loading resulted in a 35% reduction in 25(OH)D(3) (59 ± 16 to 38 ± 14 nmol/L, P < 0.0001) and a 45% reduction in 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) (99 ± 40 to 54 ± 22 pmol/L P < 0.0001) and i(Ca) (P < 0.01), with elevation in parathyroid hormone (P < 0.0001). Serum 25(OH)D(3) returned to baseline only at T5 while 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) demonstrated an overshoot above baseline at T5 (P < 0.0001). There was a delayed rise in CRP at T4 and T5; this was not associated with a reduction in vitamin D levels at these time points.Hemodilution significantly lowers serum 25(OH)D(3) and 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3), which may take up to 24 hours to resolve. Moreover, delayed overshoot of 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) needs consideration. We urge caution in interpreting serum vitamin D in critically ill patients in the context of major resuscitation, and would advocate repeating the measurement once the effects of the resuscitation have abated

    Return to running following knee osteochondral repair using an anti-gravity treadmill (P03-581)

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    Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of an anti-gravity treadmill return to running programme on self-efficacy and subjective knee function following knee osteochondral surgery. Methods: Two otherwise healthy female endurance runners who had undergone knee osteochondral surgery were recruited. Patient A was 9 months post-surgery for a left knee femoral cartilage grade 3–4 defect 3 cm2. Patient B was 11 weeks post-surgery for a partial lateral menisectomy and chondroplasty. An anti-gravity treadmill was usedto manipulate loading during a graduated phased return to running. Self-efficacy was evaluated using the Self-Efficacy for Rehabilitation outcomes scale (SER) and the Knee Self-Efficacy Scale (K-SES). Subjective knee function was evaluated using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Results: The programmes resulted in improvements in SER (Patient A 57%; Patient B 18%) and K-SES present (Patient A 89%; Patient B 33%) and K-SES future (Patient A 65%; Patient B 33%). Only the KOOS Sport/Rec (Patient A and B) and the Quality of Life (Patient B) subscales showed clinically important improvements. Conclusions: The programmes resulted in improved knee and rehabilitation self-efficacy and subjective knee function following osteochondral repair of the knee. These case reports illustrate the importance of considering self-efficacy in individualising rehabilitation after knee osteochondral surgery and highlights the potential role for anti-gravity treadmills in enhancing self-efficacy and subjective knee function in preparation for a return to sport

    The Influence of Recruitment Age and Anthropometric and Physical Characteristics on the Development Pathway of English Academy Football Players

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    Purpose: This study aims firstly to investigate the influence of recruitment age on retention and release across the development pathway. Secondly, the study aims to explore the influence of anthropometric and physical characteristics on retention and release at different ages throughout the development pathway and the likelihood of obtaining a professional contract. Methods: Following ethics approval, a cross-sectional study tracking 4 cohorts of players over 5 years assessed 76 male youth football players (11-16 years) from an English football academy on three occasions annually in anthropometry, countermovement jump height, linear (30m and 15m) and multidirectional sprint time. Players were categorised based on their start and release date. Results: Starting early (i.e. before U12) in an academy was a key indicator of obtaining a professional contract, representing 87% of the players signed. Bayesian regression models suggest that the majority of differences in physical characteristics between players that were released and retained are trivial, small and / or uncertain. Players who attained a professional contract at 18 had slower 15m and 30m sprint times at U13-U15 (P>0=0.87–0.99), slower multidirectional sprint times at U14 (P>0=0.99) and a lower countermovement jump height at U13-U16 (P>0=0.88-0.99) compared with players who did not gain a contract. Conclusion: Players recruited early have an increased likelihood of gaining a professional contract. Physical assessments lack utility when used in isolation as a talent identification tool

    Autonomous adaptation to climate-driven change in marine biodiversity in a global marine hotspot

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    While governments and natural resource managers grapple with how to respond to climatic changes, many marine-dependent individuals, organisations and user-groups in fast-changing regions of the world are already adjusting their behaviour to accommodate these. However, we have little information on the nature of these autonomous adaptations that are being initiated by resource user-groups. The east coast of Tasmania, Australia, is one of the world’s fastest warming marine regions with extensive climate-driven changes in biodiversity already observed. We present and compare examples of autonomous adaptations from marine users of the region to provide insights into factors that may have constrained or facilitated the available range of autonomous adaptation options and discuss potential interactions with governmental planned adaptations. We aim to support effective adaptation by identifying the suite of changes that marine users are making largely without government or management intervention, i.e. autonomous adaptations, to better understand these and their potential interactions with formal adaptation strategies. © 2019, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

    What can eye-tracking tell us?

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    Background: Early development of neurocognitive functions in infants can be compromised by poverty, malnutrition and lack of adequate stimulation. Optimal management of neurodevelopmental problems in infants requires assessment tools that can be used early in life, and are objective and applicable across economic, cultural and educational settings. Objective and design: The present study examined the feasibility of infrared eye tracking as a novel and highly automated technique for assessing visual-orienting and sequence-learning abilities as well as attention to facial expressions in young (9-month-old) infants. Techniques piloted in a high-resource laboratory setting in Finland (N=39) were subsequently field-tested in a community health centre in rural Malawi (N=40). Results: Parents' perception of the acceptability of the method (Finland 95%, Malawi 92%) and percentages of infants completing the whole eye-tracking test (Finland 95%, Malawi 90%) were high, and percentages of valid test trials (Finland 69-85%, Malawi 68-73%) satisfactory at both sites. Test completion rates were slightly higher for eye tracking (90%) than traditional observational tests (87%) in Malawi. The predicted response pattern indicative of specific cognitive function was replicated in Malawi, but Malawian infants exhibited lower response rates and slower processing speed across tasks. Conclusions: High test completion rates and the replication of the predicted test patterns in a novel environment in Malawi support the feasibility of eye tracking as a technique for assessing infant development in low-resource setting. Further research is needed to the test-retest stability and predictive validity of the eye-tracking scores in low-income settings

    Prediction of 7-year psychopathology from mother-infant joint attention behaviours: a nested case–control study

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    &lt;br&gt;Background: To investigate whether later diagnosis of psychiatric disorder can be predicted from analysis of mother-infant joint attention (JA) behaviours in social-communicative interaction at 12 months.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Method: Using data from a large contemporary birth cohort, we examined 159 videos of a mother-infant interaction for joint attention behaviour when children were aged one year, sampled from within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Fifty-three of the videos involved infants who were later considered to have a psychiatric disorder at seven years and 106 were same aged controls. Psychopathologies included in the case group were disruptive behaviour disorders, oppositional-conduct disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, pervasive development disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders. Psychiatric diagnoses were obtained using the Development and Wellbeing Assessment when the children were seven years old.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Results: None of the three JA behaviours (shared look rate, shared attention rate and shared attention intensity) showed a significant association with the primary outcome of case–control status. Only shared look rate predicted any of the exploratory sub-diagnosis outcomes and was found to be positively associated with later oppositional-conduct disorders (OR [95% CI]: 1.5 [1.0, 2.3]; p = 0.041).&lt;/br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Conclusions: JA behaviours did not, in general, predict later psychopathology. However, shared look was positively associated with later oppositional-conduct disorders. This suggests that some features of JA may be early markers of later psychopathology. Further investigation will be required to determine whether any JA behaviours can be used to screen for families in need of intervention.&lt;/br&gt

    MT-ND5 Mutation Exhibits Highly Variable Neurological Manifestations at Low Mutant Load.

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    Mutations in the m.13094T>C MT-ND5 gene have been previously described in three cases of Leigh Syndrome (LS). In this retrospective, international cohort study we identified 20 clinically affected individuals (13 families) and four asymptomatic carriers. Ten patients were deceased at the time of analysis (median age of death was 10years (range: 5·4months-37years, IQR=17·9years). Nine patients manifested with LS, one with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), and one with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. The remaining nine patients presented with either overlapping syndromes or isolated neurological symptoms. Mitochondrial respiratory chain activity analysis was normal in five out of ten muscle biopsies. We confirmed maternal inheritance in six families, and demonstrated marked variability in tissue segregation, and phenotypic expression at relatively low blood mutant loads. Neuropathological studies of two patients manifesting with LS/MELAS showed prominent capillary proliferation, microvacuolation and severe neuronal cell loss in the brainstem and cerebellum, with conspicuous absence of basal ganglia involvement. These findings suggest that whole mtDNA genome sequencing should be considered in patients with suspected mitochondrial disease presenting with complex neurological manifestations, which would identify over 300 known pathogenic variants including the m.13094T>C

    Play Behavior and Attachment in Toddlers with Autism

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    Play helps to develop social skills. Children with autism show deviances in their play behavior that may be associated with delays in their social development. In this study, we investigated manipulative, functional and symbolic play behavior of toddlers with and without autism (mean age: 26.45, SD 5.63). The results showed that the quality of interaction between the child and the caregiver was related to the development of play behavior. In particular, security of attachment was related to better play behavior. When the developmental level of the child is taken into account, the attachment relationship of the child with the caregiver at this young age is a better predictor of the level of play behavior than the child's disorder
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