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A consensus statement on child and family health during the COVID-19 pandemic and recommendations for post-pandemic recovery and re-build
Get PDFIntroduction: As health systems struggled to respond to the catastrophic effects of SARS-CoV-2, infection prevention and control measures significantly impacted on the delivery of non-COVID children's and family health services. The prioritisation of public health measures significantly impacted supportive relationships, revealed their importance for both mental and physical health and well-being. Drawing on findings from an expansive national collaboration, and with the well-being of children and young people in mind, we make recommendations here for post-pandemic recovery and re-build.Methods: This consensus statement is derived from a cross-disciplinary collaboration of experts.Working together discursively, we have synthesised evidence from collaborative research in child and family health during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have identified and agreed priorities areas for both action and learning, which we present as recommendations for research, healthcare practice, and policy. Results: The synthesis led to immediate recommendations grouped around what to retain and what to remove from 'pandemic' provision and what to reinstate from pre-pandemic, healthcare provision in these services. Longer-term recommendations for action were also made. Those relevant to children's well-being concern equity and relational healthcare. Discussion: The documented evidence-base of the effects of the pandemic on children's and family services is growing, providing foundations for the post-pandemic recovery and re-setting of child and family health services and care provision. Recommendations contribute to services better aligning with the values of equity and relational healthcare, whilst providing wider consideration of care and support for children and families in usual vs. extra-ordinary health system shock circumstances
Book Review: A Social Dreaming Experience at the Time of Covid by Pasini, E. and Trimboli, C. Springer International Publishing AG ISBN: 978-3-031-42497-7 (2023)
No full textPharmacies sell some products that have little or no evidence of working – so why do they do it?
No full textUMetaBE-DPPML: Urban Metaverse & Blockchain-Enabled Decentralised Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning Verification And Authentication With Metaverse Immersive Devices
Get PDFIt is anticipated that cybercrime activities will be widespread in the urban metaverse ecosystem due to its high economic value with new types of assets and its immersive nature with a variety of experiences. Ensuring reliable urban metaverse cyberspaces requires addressing two critical challenges, namely, cybersecurity and privacy protection. This study, by analysing potential cyberthreats in the urban metaverse cyberspaces, proposes a blockchain-based Decentralised Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning (DPPML) authentication and verification methodology, which uses the metaverse immersive devices and can be instrumented effectively against identity impersonation and theft of credentials, identity, or avatars. Blockchain technology and Federated Learning (FL) are merged in the developed DPPML approach not only to eliminate the requirement of a trusted third party for the verification of the authenticity of transactions and immersive actions, but also, to avoid Single Point of Failure (SPoF) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) attacks by detecting malicious nodes. The developed methodology has been tested using Motion Capture Suits (MoCaps) in a co-simulation environment with the Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism. The preliminary results suggest that the built techniques in the DPPML approach can prevent unreal transactions, impersonation, identity theft, and theft of credentials or avatars promptly before any transactions have been executed or immersive experiences have been shared with others. The proposed system will be tested with a larger number of nodes involving the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism using several other metaverse immersive devices as a future job
The Impact of Managerial Changes on Physical Performance in Elite Soccer Players
Get PDFThis study aimed to examine whether managerial changes and their training methodology influence the physical attributes of soccer players and determine if these changes significantly impact the overall physical performance of the team. Twenty-seven male elite-level football players competing in the Eastern Mediterranean region (age: 28.12 ± 5.5 years, height: 179.3 ± 6.25 cm, body mass: 75.8 ± 6.6 kg) participated in this study. To analyze the impact of managerial changes on elite football players’ physical performance, this study evaluated and compared physical attributes during weekly microcycles and official games across three different coaching regimes over an entire season. Data were collected using a 10 Hz GPS tracking technology and included the following external load (EL) parameters: total distance, high metabolic load distance, high-speed running, sprint distance, accelerations, and decelerations. A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was utilized to assess differences in physical performance across the three coaching methods. Significant differences were evident in high metabolic load distance during games [F(2,27) = 7.59, p < 0.05]. High-speed running distance also varied significantly across the three coaching regimes, both during training sessions [F(2,27) = 5.89, p < 0.05] and games [F(2,27) = 4.31, p < 0.05]. Furthermore, sprint distance showed significant differences during training [F(2,27) = 4.62, p < 0.05] and games [F(2,27) = 3.37, p < 0.05]. The findings of this study suggest that managerial changes can have a significant effect on the physical performance of soccer players. The results highlight the importance of aligning coaching strategies with physical conditioning techniques for optimizing performance. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the potential benefits and risks associated with managerial changes in professional soccer. Nevertheless, a limitation in this study is that all metrics of EL were interpreted as absolute values rather than relative-based threshold values, which may affect the interpretation of the players’ physical capacities
CHOSEN: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial
No full textBackground:
Improving oral health in acutely dysphagic stroke patients is a plausible approach to prevent pneumonia. We aimed to determine whether a phase 3, definitive trial of oral health care (OHC) treatments, supported by staff education and training, is feasible in stroke unit care.
Methods:
The trial was conducted and reported in line with the CONSORT 2010 statement extended to feasibility trials. We aimed to recruit 120 participants with acute stroke and dysphagia within 24 hours of admission, from 4 stroke units in the North-West of England, randomised (1:1:1:1) to one of 4 OHC treatments: manual toothbrush or powered toothbrush with either non-foaming toothpaste or chlorhexidine 1% gel. Stroke unit nursing staff received standardised education and training. Feasibility was assessed using a priori criteria.
Results:
Between January 2022 and end of January 2023, 626 patients were screened. 101 participants (median [IQR] age 73 [62-80] years, median [IQR] NIHSS 10 [5-18], 44% female) were enrolled (77% of eligible patients approached). Adherence was 91%, with no substantial difference between the OHC treatments. 88% completed follow-up. There were 19 serious adverse events but no marked differences between allocated OHC treatments. In exploratory secondary analyses, again there were no substantial differences in survival, incident pneumonia, modified Rankin Scale score or quality of life at 3 months between the OHC treatment allocations.
Conclusions:
OHC treatments incorporating chlorhexidine and powered brushing and supported by standardised staff training appeared feasible and safe in acutely dysphagic stroke patients. Progression criteria were met for a definitive trial of efficacy and cost-effectiveness.
ISRCTN52421361 https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN5242136
Differences in Kinematic and Muscle Activity between ACL Injury Risk and Healthy Players in Female Football: Influence of Change of Direction Amplitude. Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study
Get PDFBackground and Objectives: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rates remain high and have a significant impact on female football players. This study aims to evaluate knee kinematics and lower limb muscle activity in players at risk of ACL injury compared to healthy players during three side-cutting tests. It also investigates how the amplitude of change of direction influences stabilization parameters. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted with 16 participants (23.93 ± 5.16 years), divided into Injured (n=8) and Healthy groups (n=8). Injured players had a history of non-contact knee injury involving valgus collapse, without undergoing surgical interven-tion. Three change of direction tests: Change of Direction and Acceleration Test (CODAT), Go Back Test (GOB), and Turn test (TURN) were used for evaluation. The peak and range of knee joint angles and angular velocities across three planes, along with the average rec-tified and peak envelope EMG signals of the Biceps Femoris (BF), Semitendinosus (ST), Vastus Medialis (VM), and Gastrocnemius Lateralis (GL), were recorded during the prep-aration and load phases. Group differences were analyzed using two-factor mixed-model ANOVA with pairwise comparisons. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Injured players demonstrated lower external tibial rotation angular velocity and a greater range of motion in tibial external rotation compared to Healthy players. Additionally, the Injured showed significantly higher average rectified muscle activity in VM and GL both increased by 4% during the load phase. The CODAT and TURN tests elicited higher Bf and VM muscle activity, compared to the GOB test. The TURN test also showed greater extension angular velocity in the sagittal plane. Conclusions: The results revealed differ-ences in knee kinematics and muscle activity between players at risk of ACL injury and healthy players, influenced by the amplitude of directional changes. Players altered transverse plane mechanics and increased VM and LG activation during LOAD may re-flect a dysfunctional motor pattern, while the greater sagittal plane angular velocity and VM and BF activation from CODAT and TURN highlight their higher potential to replicate ACL injury mechanisms compared to GOB. Clinical Implications: This study highlights the importance of assessing kinematics in conjunction with specific muscle activity during functional tests that replicate ACL injury mechanisms, in order to better determine player risk profiles and design more effective prevention programs
Player and staff perceptions of mental health support within professional women’s football in England
No full textDeciphering the genetic diversity in the Arabian Peninsula and Africa: insights from Y-STR data
No full textMiddle Eastern and African populations make up a significant portion of the global population and exhibit substantial genetic diversity. However, genetic studies on these populations have been largely underrepresented compared to other populations. This study analysed published Y-STR data for 186 populations and regions, including 14,504 individuals from 52 Middle Eastern and 134 African populations. The highest genetic diversity was found at the DYS458 locus in the Middle East and North Africa, and at the DYS385b locus in other African regions. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis and genetic distance calculations between Middle Eastern and African populations revealed five distinct clusters. The Arabian Peninsula countries formed two small clusters, while most African countries formed two mains centrally located clusters. The most common haplogroups in the Middle Eastern populations were J1a (29.4%), while in the African populations, E1b1a (43.2%) was the most prevalent. This study examined two allelic richness parameters: distinct and private alleles. Central Africa showed the highest levels of distinct alleles, with the Middle East having the third-highest level. The prevalence of private alleles in the Middle East was moderate, lower than South Africa but higher than North Africa. A population Q-matrix graph was constructed, yielding 10 clusters (K = 10) that identified population clusters in the Y-STR data corresponding to specific geographical regions and revealed stronger sub-grouping of countries within each population
Safety in Taxis Study
Get PDFThis project aimed to gain an understanding of how people in Lancashire feel about their safety when using taxi services.
Taxis provide an important role in local and regional transport networks, serving both day and nighttime economies, facilitating business and tourism, enhancing public transport connectivity, promoting accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities and people with no access to private transport (Linton and Bray 2017). During festivals, sporting events, and peak tourism periods, taxis also provide transport links, ensuring smooth operations and increased spending in local economies.
In 2024 Chorley Taxi Association (CTA) and the Connect Centre at the University of Central Lancashire identified that there is a research gap in the UK in relation to how safe people and especially women feel when they are travelling in taxis. Recent research (Saheen 2024; Fileborn et al 2022; and Martin 2022) and anecdotal evidence suggest that taxis (and rideshare services) can be sites of sexual harassment and violence. Whilst we are not aware of any research on this subject locally, we know of several initiatives to address the safety of people, especially women when they are out at night (Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner 2024)