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Organizational preventative strategies undertaken by dental clinics in Fiji during COVID-19 Pandemic: A qualitative study
Get PDFYesThis research aims to determine the organizational preventative strategies implemented by dental clinics in Fiji during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This qualitative study was conducted amongst Dental Officers (Dos) and Dental Managers (DMs) who were working at government dental clinics, private dental clinics, and the School of Dentistry and Oral Health clinic (SDOH), in the Central Division, Fiji. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was used for data collection through in-depth interviews via zoom. A manual thematic analysis of the data was conducted.
Results: Thirty Dos and 17 DMs participated in this study. 16 themes emerged from data analysis: Major Strategies implemented, Staff perception about strategies in place, Triaging and Screening, Hand hygiene, Waiting room changes, Operational Capacity, Universal precautions, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), Disinfection and decontamination protocols, Ventilation, Sterilization, Pre-procedural mouth rinse, Waste management, Vaccination status, Bubbles and Adaptation of Protocols. The Dos were generally satisfied with the strategies implemented by the DMs. The DMs along with other Dos had used various guidance documents to devise tailor-made ones suited for dental clinics in Fiji.
Conclusion: Various strategies were adopted from several guidelines and tailor-made Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for each workplaces were developed by the various DMs. The majority of Dos were in favor of and satisfied with the protocols in place. Future research can be conducted in other divisions and include other health care professionals as well apart from just Dos and DMs
The Bioarchaeology of Disability: A population-scale approach to investigating disability, physical impairment, and care in archaeological communities
Get PDFYesObjective: This research introduces ‘The Bioarchaeology of Disability’ (BoD), a population-scale approach which allows for a comprehensive understanding of disability in past communities through a combination of palaeopathological, funerary, and documentary analyses.
Methods: The BoD consists of three phases: 1) Contextualisation includes period-specific literature review; 2) Data collection consists of palaeopathological re-analysis of individuals with physical impairment and collation of mortuary treatment data; and 3) Analysis incorporates qualitative and quantitative comparison of the funerary treatment of individuals with and without physical impairment to explore contemporary perceptions of disability.
Materials: The BoD is demonstrated through a case study investigation of disability in later Anglo-Saxon England (c.8th-11th centuries AD) which included four burial populations (Ntotal=1,543; Nimpaired=28).
Results: Individuals with disability could be buried with normative or non-normative treatment (e.g., stone/clay inclusions, non-normative body positioning), and in marginal, non-marginal, and central locations.
Conclusions: The overall funerary variation for individuals with disability was relatively slight, which may suggest that political and religious factors were influencing normative funerary treatment of disabled individuals. The funerary variability that was observed in disabled individuals was probably influenced by individual and community-specific beliefs.
Significance: This research describes a population-scale approach to archaeological disability studies that can be replicated in other archaeological contexts.
Limitations: Individuals with non-skeletal physical impairment (e.g., soft tissue, mental) cannot be analysed osteologically and are not considered by the BoD.
Suggestions for further research: The BoD should be applied to different archaeological communities around the world to better understand disability in the past.This work was supported by the Society for Church Archaeology who awarded a Research Grant to the lead author which funded analysis of the Priory Orchard and St. Peter’s Church collections. Research trips were also funded by the University of Bradford, School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences’ research funds for PhD students
Genes versus lifestyles: Exploring beliefs about the determinants of cognitive ageing
No full textYesGenetic and lifestyle factors contribute to cognitive ageing. However, the extent to which the public attribute changes in thinking skills to either genetic or lifestyle factors is largely unknown. This may be important if it impacts engagement in activities deemed beneficial to thinking skills. This study, therefore, explored people’s beliefs about determinants of cognitive ageing and whether those beliefs were associated with engagement in potentially beneficial behaviours. Data were collected through a United Kingdom-wide survey of people aged 40 and over. Participants completed questions about their beliefs regarding cognitive ageing, and specifically the extent to which they believed lifestyle or genetic factors influence those changes, and their engagement in specific behaviours that may be cognitively beneficial. Responses from 3, 130 individuals (94.0% of the survey sample) were analysed using chi-square tests of independence, principal component analysis and ANCOVAs to investigate whether their attribution of genetic or lifestyle determinants were associated with their beliefs about cognitive ageing and their participation in brain health-related behaviours. Most respondents (62.2%) believed genes and lifestyle contribute equally to age-related changes in cognitive skills. Respondents who believed genetic factors were more influential were less likely to expect cognitive skills might be improved or maintained with age, less sure what behaviours might be associated with brain health, and less likely to engage in behaviours comprising mental challenge/novelty supported as beneficial for brain health. From this United Kingdom-wide survey about beliefs regarding potential determinants of cognitive ageing, some of our respondents’ views were not aligned with the findings from ageing research. It is important for the public to know how to keep their brains healthy. Our results indicate a need for clearer messaging highlighting the role of lifestyle factors for brain health.Velux Stiftung (Project No. 1034
Use and uptake of technology by people with dementia and their supporters during the Covid-19 pandemic
Get PDFYesObjective: This rapid review aims to identify the types of technologies used by people with dementia and their supporters during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the issues which influenced technology adoption within their usual care routines.
Methods: PubMed, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Cochrane COVID reviews were searched to identify peer-review studies published since 2020. A total of 18 studies were included and synthesised thematically.
Results: Of these, most were conducted in the community (n = 15) with people with dementia only (n = 11) and involved qualitative methods (n = 11). The majority (n = 12) focused on digital off-the-shelf and low-cost solutions, such as free video conferencing platforms, to access care, socialise or take part in interventions. Whilst often well-accepted and associated with positive outcomes (such as improved social connectedness), lack of digital literacy or support to use technologies, limited access to appropriate technology, individuals' physical, cognitive, or sensory difficulties, were highlighted and likely to threaten the adoption of these solutions. The quality of the evidence was mixed, neither very robust nor easily generalisable which may be attributed to the challenges of conducting research during the pandemic or the need to rapidly adapt to a new reality.
Conclusion: While COVID-19 has fast-tracked the adoption of technology, its use is likely to continue beyond the pandemic. We need to ensure this technology can leverage dementia support and care and that people with dementia are enabled and empowered to use it
Typographic design of outdoor signage, restaurant authenticity, and consumers’ willingness to dine: extending semiotic theory
Get PDFYesPurpose: Restaurants’ outdoor signage plays an irreplaceable role in attracting potential diners, as it conveys important functional and symbolic meanings of the businesses. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of typographic design elements of outdoor signage on consumers’ perceptions of authenticity. This study also tests the linkage between authenticity and willingness to dine, as well as the moderating effect of frequency of dining in ethnic restaurants on the relationship.
Design/methodology/approach: Using a 2 (simplified vs traditional Chinese characters) × 2 (calligraphy vs computer font) × 2 (vertical vs horizontal text flow) between-subject design, the authors did two experiments with 786 Chinese diners. Restaurant authenticity and willingness to dine are dependent variables, and openness to ethnic cuisine is the control variable.
Findings: Display characters and text flow significantly affect restaurant authenticity. Furthermore, the results of this study demonstrate that display characters interact with typeface to influence restaurant authenticity. Consumers’ perceived authenticity significantly increases their willingness to dine. The frequency of dining in ethnic restaurants moderates the relationship between restaurant authenticity and willingness to dine.
Practical implications: Ethnic restaurateurs should pay attention to the outdoor signage design, as it affects potential consumers’ authenticity perceptions. Specifically, in Mainland China, traditional Chinese characters and vertical text direction increase potential consumers’ authenticity perceptions.
Originality/value: This study extends the semiotic theory and applies the cue–judgment–behavior model in the hospitality literature. This study also provides new understanding of authenticity by identifying the influence of typographic design on authenticity, which confirms the semiotic theory that certain semiotic cues affect consumers’ judgments
Providing a clearer insight into how sport-related concussion and physical pain impact mental health, cognition, and quality of life
Get PDFYesSport-related concussion (SRC) and physical pain are both associated with poor mental health, impaired cognition, and
reduced quality of life. Despite SRC and physical pain often co-occurring, there is little research that investigates these
two factors together, and therefore it is difficult to conclude which of these contributes to the negative outcomes asso ciated with them. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of SRC and physical pain on mental health,
cognitive ability, and quality of life. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression
Scale, anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory while the SF-12 recorded health-related quality of
life. A trail making task (TMT) assessed cognitive flexibility of participants. Analysis of 83 participants (43 concussed)
revealed that SRC led to reduced accuracy on TMT(A) and (B), whereas physical pain was responsible for poorer mental
health and reduced quality of life. This study highlights the influence that SRC has on cognitive ability and the impact that
physical pain has on mental health and quality of life. With this information, we are better placed to predict the negative
consequences of SRC and physical pain and therefore tailor support accordingly
Demystifying case management in Aotearoa New Zealand: A scoping and mapping review
Get PDFYesCommunity-based case managers in health have been compared to glue which holds the dynamic needs of clients to a disjointed range of health and social services. However, case manager roles are difficult to understand due to poorly defined roles, confusing terminology, and low visibility in New Zealand. This review aims to map the landscape of case management work to advance workforce planning by clarifying the jobs, roles, and relationships of case managers in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Methods: Our scoping and mapping review includes peer-reviewed articles, grey literature sources, and interview data from 15 case managers. Data was charted iteratively until convergent patterns emerged and distinctive roles identified. Results: A rich and diverse body of literature describing and evaluating case management work in NZ (n = 148) is uncovered with at least 38 different job titles recorded. 18 distinctive roles are further analyzed with sufficient data to explore the research question. Social ecology maps highlight diverse interprofessional and intersectoral relationships. Conclusions: Significant innovation and adaptations are evident in this field, particularly in the last five years. Case managers also known as health navigators, play a pivotal but often undervalued role in NZ health care, through their interprofessional and intersectoral relationships. Their work is often unrecognised which impedes workforce development and the promotion of person-centered and integrated health care.This research was funded by the AUT University, Faculty of Health & Environmental Sciences Summer Student Grant 2021/2022 and the School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies PBRF Funding 2021. The APC charge is covered by the School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies PBRF 2022
The development of a spatial explicit agent-based modelling framework to explore past vegetation dynamics
No full textThe ways in which humans interacted with and subsequently altered their environments in the past has always been an important consideration when it comes to archaeological interpretation. Unfortunately, the temporal resolution of data we do have rarely allows us insight into how environmental change would have been perceived at the human scale. The early and mid-Holocene saw dramatic changes climatically and culturally in North-West Europe, with the Mesolithic to Neolithic transition perhaps the most important of them all, manifesting in the shift from hunting and gathering to farming practices. Debate still surrounds causality of these changes, but the archaeological record presents definitive changes in woodland composition and structure at this time. However, the data we are often presented with span centuries and millennium, offering only static snapshots in time. Considering this, new ways of applying what data we do have through the integration of methods from other disciplines are still needed to fully explore such past phenomena.
This thesis describes the development and implementation of a spatially explicit agent-based modelling suite integrating individual tree dynamics and human interaction from prehistory. Adopting approaches used for contemporary woodlands, primarily forest succession models, these are applied to prehistoric landscapes with change determined by human management, climate change and landscape features. Key concepts of computer modelling and their effects on both the implementation and interpretation of the produced results provides the foundation for rationalising such an approach, weighing both the pros and cons.European Research Council, via the Europe’s Lost Frontiers Projec
The Novel Coronavirus Causes Impairment of Blood Vessels and Respiratory System with Head-to-Toe Symptoms and Vaccine Development: An Overview
No full textYesBlood clotting was reported in April 2020 [1] as another serious symptom due to COVID-19, but also came other reports such as young adults dying due to strokes and heart attacks [2]. The currently known head-to-toe symptoms of COVID-19, seem to indicate vascular as well as respiratory diseases and that 40% of related death are due to cardiovascular complications [2]. In a recently published journal paper in Lancet [3], the authors found that SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect the endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels noting that endothelial cells protect the cardiovascular system and release proteins that influence everything from blood clotting to the immune response. In the same paper, the authors showed damage to endothelial cells in the lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, and intestines in patients with Covid-19. Therefore, the emerging belief is that the novel coronavirus is a respiratory illness to begin with, but as it spreads further into blood vessels it becomes a vascular illness that is capable of killing patients via vascular system
Genetic Prediction of Myopia in Different Ethnic Ancestries
Get PDFYesBackground: Myopia has been shown to have a complex mode of inheritance, being influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Here, an introduction into myopia genetics is given, with the shortcomings of current genetic prediction for myopia discussed, including the proportionally limited research on genetic prediction in people of non-European ancestry. A previously developed genetic risk score derived from European participants was evaluated in participants of non-European ancestry.
Methods: Participants from UK Biobank who self-reported their ethnicity as “Asian”, “Chinese”, or “Black” and who had refractive error and genetic data available were included in the analysis. Ancestral homogeneity was confirmed using principal component analysis, resulting in samples of 3500 Asian, 444 Chinese, and 3132 Black participants. A published refractive error GWAS meta-analysis of 711,984 participants of European ancestry was used to create a weighted genetic risk score model which was then applied to participants from each ethnic group. Accuracy of genetic prediction of refractive error was estimated as the proportion of variance explained (PVE). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were developed to estimate myopia prediction performance at three thresholds: any myopia (equal to or more than 0.75D), moderate myopia (between -3.00D and -4.99D) and high myopia (equal to or more than -5.00D). Odds ratios for myopia were calculated for the participants in the top 10th or 5th percentile of genetic risk score distribution, comparing them to the remainder of the population.
Results: The PVE value for refractive error was 6.4%, 6.2%, and 1.5% for those with Asian, Chinese and Black ethnicity, respectively (compared to 11.2% in Europeans). Odds ratios for any myopia and moderate myopia development for those within the top 10th and 5th percentile of genetic risk were significant in all ethnic groups P<0.05). However, the genetic risk score was not able to reliably identify those at risk of high myopia, other than for participants of Chinese ethnicity (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Prediction of refractive error in Asian, Chinese and Black participants was ~57%, 55% and 13% as accurate in comparison to prediction in European participants. Further research in diverse ethnic populations is needed to improve prediction accuracy.This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource (applications #17351). UK Biobank was established by the Wellcome Trust; the UK Medical Research Council; the Department for Health (London, UK); Scottish Government (Edinburgh, UK); and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (Warrington, UK). It also received funding from the Welsh Assembly Government (Cardiff, UK); the British Heart Foundation; and Diabetes UK. Collection of eye and vision data was supported by The Department for Health through an award made by the NIHR to the Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom (grant no. BRC2_009). Additional support was provided by The Special Trustees of Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom (grant no. ST 12 09). Many parts of this project were performed during the time that author Neema Ghorbani Mojarrad was supported by the College of Optometrists with a Postgraduate Scholarship