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The effect of virtual reality on executive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFObjectives
This review aimed to summarize the currently available premium evidence to determine the effect of virtual reality (VR) on executive function (EF) in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and to detect what level of immersive VR would be the most beneficial.
Method
Five electronic databases, namely, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched. Our research team screened the studies and extracted data according to our inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of each study was rated using the PEDro scale. When three or more studies reported the same outcome, a meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4.1.
Results
Finally, 14 randomized controlled trials with a total of 518 participants were included. VR training had an overall positive effect on cognitive flexibility, global cognitive function, attention, and short-term memory compared to the control groups. Additionally, semi-immersive VR was more effective in improving cognitive flexibility compared to the other two types of VR. The application of non-immersive level of VR had a significant effect on global cognitive function, attention, short-term memory, and cognitive flexibility.
Conclusion
VR may be effective in improving EF in older adults with MCI. However, the level of immersive VR that would be the most beneficial on EF still needs to be investigated with a greater number of well-designed studies
On connectivity and robustness of random graphs with inhomogeneity
Get PDFThe study of threshold functions has a long history in random graph theory. It is known that the thresholds for minimum degree k, k-connectivity, as well as k-robustness coincide for a binomial random graph. In this paper we consider an inhomogeneous random graph model, which is obtained by including each possible edge independently with an individual probability. Based on an intuitive concept of neighborhood density, we show two sufficient conditions guaranteeing k-connectivity and k-robustness, respectively, which are asymptotically equivalent. Our framework sheds some light on extending uniform threshold values in homogeneous random graphs to threshold landscapes in inhomogeneous random graphs
Challenging Parenting Behaviour and Anxiety Disorders in Emerging Adulthood
Get PDFChallenging parenting behaviour (CPB) refers to parental encouragement of behaviours where children push their own limits through engaging them engage in safe risks, such as rough-and-tumble play (Bögels & Phares, 2008). Preliminary evidence suggests that CPB reduces the risk of child anxiety however, little is known about the relationship between CPB and specific forms of anxiety disorders and the factors that influence this relationship. The present study aims to examine current maternal and paternal CPB in relation to symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) in emerging adulthood, and to identify whether intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and cognitive avoidance (CA) sequentially mediate this relationship. A sample of 190 UK-based adults (aged 18–25) completed a battery of online self-report measures. Greater maternal CPB, but not paternal CPB, was found to predict lower symptoms of SAD, but not GAD. IU and CA did not sequentially mediate the relationship between CPB and symptoms of GAD or SAD. This study suggests that CPB may be associated with certain forms of anxiety disorders such as SAD, but further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms between CPB and anxiety in young people
A ‘distinct UK offer’: The geographies of the FCDO's International Development Strategy 2022
Get PDFOn 16 May 2022, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) produced its first International Development Strategy. This commentary explores the geographies of the strategy in more depth, highlighting three key areas: firstly, the dominance of a ‘UK approach’; secondly, its focus on country and bilateral programmes; and, finally, the rise of diplomatic, commercial and technological spaces for development. The commentary concludes that this development strategy produces an imaginary of a more isolationist, independent, sovereign Britain, with development used as a vehicle for a geographical nationalistic re-branding. These geographical imaginaries are used to legitimise aid to a domestic audience and to enhance Britain's position in the development sector. This emphasis in turn asks further questions about governmental thinking on development – importantly, what is lost, neglected and dismissed through this focus on a ‘distinct UK approach’
Establishing underpinning concepts for integrating Circular Economy and Offsite Construction: A Bibliometric review
Get PDFPurposeCircular economy (CE) and Offsite Construction (OSC) are two innovations for improving the construction industry’s overall performance against a myriad of sustainability-driven agenda/initiatives. There is a real opportunity to conjoin OSC and CE to provide new insight and opportunities to deliver more evidence-based sustainable systems. This study analyses extant literature in CE and OSC (between 2000 and 2021) through a bibliometric review to tease out critical measures for their integration and transformation.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a science mapping quantitative literature review approach employing bibliometric and visualization techniques to systematically investigate data. The Web of Science database was used to collect data and the VOSviewer software to analyse the data collected to determine strengths, weights, clusters, and research trends in OSC and CE.FindingsImportant findings emerging from the study include extensive focus on Sustainability, waste, life cycle assessment and Building information modelling (BIM) which currently serve as strong interlinks to integrate OSC and CE. Circular business models, deconstruction, and supply chain management are emerging areas with strong links for integrating CE and OSC. These emerging areas influence organisational and operational decisions towards sustainable value creation hence requiring more future empirical investigations. Originality/valueThis study is novel research using bibliometric analysis to unpick underpinning conduits for integrating CE and OSC providing a blueprint for circular offsite construction future research and practice. It provides the needed awareness to develop viable strategies for integrating CE in OSC creating opportunities to transition to more sustainable systems in the construction sector
The discharge of the pipelines supplying public fountains in Roman Pompeii
Get PDFThe public fountains of the ancient Roman town of Pompeii were supplied through pipelines descending from the nearby water towers. The water discharge was determined by the height of the water towers as well as the hydraulic features of the pipes, including the average diameter and the internal surface roughness. In the present study the possible connections between each fountain and the nearby water towers are assessed. Based on available elevation data and measurements taken in various survey campaigns, a range is defined for the pipeline hydraulic slope. The discharge of the pipelines is estimated through a graphical method, which can conveniently be applied by scholars of non-technical background; values of the diameter between those of the ancient Roman digitus and denaria, and values of the hydraulic absolute roughness ks between 0.1 and 0.5 mm are considered. For 47 connections of fountains to water towers, the discharge is calculated to be between 0.1 and 2.5 l/s. The original height of the towers 12 and 13, not reconstructed after the 62–63 CE earthquake, is estimated as close to 6 m. The values of discharge in the pipelines generally confirm the figures obtained in 2021 by Monteleone et al., in a study on the discharge of the Pompeian fountains overflow channels
Determining if Honey bees (Apis mellifera) collect pollen from anemophilous plants in the UK
Get PDFWhether insect pollinators use wind-pollinated plants have implications for insect monitoring and conservation strategies in a wide range of environments. Habitats, such as coniferous plantations and arable crops of the Poaceae family are not typically considered priority for the monitoring of insect pollinators or habitat enhancement. Further many pollinator monitoring techniques focus on flowers and do not count insect interactions with wind-pollinated plants. Using two honey bee colonies from distinct environments (urban and rural) in north east England, we investigate the use of wind-pollinated plants over the summer of 2021. We combine honey bee pollen pellet analysis with airborne pollen sampling to investigate whether honey bees use three common wind-pollinated plant groups (Pinus sp., Plantago sp. and Poaceae) that have previously been considered sources of forage. Our results show that honey bees do forage on Plantago and Poaceae pollen, in line with previous studies. However, we show statistically that Pinus pollen is contamination from the atmosphere and not actively collected. It is important to consider airborne contamination before making interpretations based on small amounts of pollen in samples of bee products. The use of members of the Poaceae has implications for insect pollinator monitoring in urban environments, which has not always been considered in past studies
Compatibility effect on stress-free two-way memory of Ni-Mn-Ga single crystal
Get PDFA bar of single crystal Ni-Mn-Ga shape memory alloy takes the martensitic phase transformation via the nucleation and propagation of Austenite-Martensite (A-M) interfaces. Due to the compatibility between the two phases, very fine martensite twin laminates are generated near the A-M interface. Our experiments with the full-field observation on the specimen’s non-uniform deformation by optical cameras and the meso-scale observation on the twin laminates by high-magnification microscopes reveal that the fine laminates after cooling are unstable and spontaneously evolve into a single martensite variant, i.e., the heating-cooling cycles trigger the material to switch between the austenite phase and one of the martensite variants with large cyclic deformations. Furthermore, to select the desired single variant among the possible martensite variants, we propose a special design—a single-crystal cantilever beam under mild heating-cooling cyclic thermal loading at its clamping end has two different parts: the part near the clamping end takes cyclic phase transformation while the other part near its free end keeps unchanged. Because of the compatibility requirement between the two parts, the cooled martensite state of the transforming part is governed by the martensite state of the non-transforming part. That means, the compatibility relation can be adopted to design the cyclic deformation of the stress-free two-way memory
Evidence-based approaches for the management of fibromyalgia syndrome: a scoping review
Get PDFBackground
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic widespread pain syndrome characterized primarily by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep dysfunction and low exercise tolerance. The pathophysiology is complex and its understanding evolving, and clinical management is difficult, with heterogeneous interventions employed.
Objectives
This scoping review provides an overview of fibromyalgia syndrome, and the evidence for the principal rehabilitation approaches. CINAHL, Cochrane, Medline and PubMed databases were searched from 1996 to 2021. Rehabilitation approaches included exercise, psychologically-based approaches, multicomponent approaches, and complementary and alternative therapies.
Major findings
Due to factors such as methodological shortcomings of existing studies, and the lack of evidence on individual modalities, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions as to which is the most appropriate rehabilitation approach in FMS. However, there is evidence from meta-analyses and several international guidelines for the use of approaches incorporating exercise. There is also some evidence for the use of psychologically-informed interventions such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) approaches. Evidence for other interventions is more equivocal.
Conclusions
It appears that a combination of interventions (e.g. exercises combined with education and psychological approaches), is the most promising means of managing patients with FMS. Issues such as high numbers of drop-outs from exercise programmes, lack of long-term follow-up in many studies, and patients’ preferences warrant further investigation. An individualized approach based upon extent of psychological involvement, severity of symptoms and level of disability is also recommended
Ultrahigh Sensitivity Temperature Sensor Based on Harmonic Vernier Effect
Get PDFA high-sensitivity and miniature open cavity Fabry–Perot interferometer (OCFPI) encapsulated with the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film based on high-order harmonic Vernier effect is designed and experimentally investigated. To the best of our knowledge, PDMS is applied for the first time to fill the open cavity of Fabry–Perot interferometer to obtain high-temperature sensitivity. The resonant dip (peak) wavelength of the designed temperature sensor monotonically moves toward the shortwave direction as the temperature increases from 40°C to 60°C due to the effects of expansion and thermo–optic property of PDMS. The proposed OCFPI encapsulated with PDMS film provides the following excellent performance advantages. (1) Compared with traditional all-fiber air-cavity OCFPIs with temperature sensitivity of approximately 10 pm/°C, the proposed OCFPI sensor has a much higher temperature sensitivity of -3.4 nm/°C at the temperature range of 40°C–60°C with a magnification factor ( M -factor) of approximately 11 when order of harmonic Vernier effect i = 4. (2) The proposed OCFPI exhibits good reversibility during the heating and cooling processes, and the measured M -factor matches well with the theoretically calculated M -factor. (3) The proposed OCFPI shows excellent stability with maximum wavelength deviation of 0.567 nm (internal envelope based on a fourth-order harmonic Vernier effect) and 0.042 nm (upper envelope) within 450 min. (4) The proposed OCFPI is inexpensive, robust, easy to fabricate, and compact, which can be used in harsh environments. Therefore, it provides excellent potential in dynamic temperature measurement