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Momentary lapse of control: A cognitive continuum approach to understanding and mitigating perseveration in human error
Get PDFEveryday complex and stressful real-life situations can overwhelm the human brain to an extent that the person is no longer able to accurately evaluate the situation and persists in irrational actions or strategies. Safety analyses reveal that such perseverative behavior is exhibited by operators in many critical domains, which can lead to potentially fatal incidents. There are neuroimaging evidences of changes in healthy brain functioning when engaged in non-adaptive behaviors that are akin to executive deficits such as perseveration shown in patients with brain lesion. In this respect, we suggest a cognitive continuum whereby stressors can render the healthy brain temporarily impaired. We show that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is a key structure for executive and attentional control whereby any transient (stressors, neurostimulation) or permanent (lesion) impairment compromises adaptive behavior. Using this neuropsychological insight, we discuss solutions involving training, neurostimulation, and the design of cognitive countermeasures for mitigating perseveration
Categorisation of Tinnitus Severity for the Mandarin Tinnitus Questionnaire
Get PDFBackground: The Tinnitus Questionnaire is commonly used to evaluate the psychological impact of tinnitus and has been translated into Mandarin. The original English version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire was translated into Mandarin (MTQ). The MTQ included not the same items compared with original version. Thus, MTQ should have its own severity categorization.
Aims/objectives: The objective of this research was to develop a method to categorize tinnitus patients by clinical severity using scores from the Mandarin Tinnitus Questionnaire (MTQ).
Material and Methods: A total of 192 participants with primary complaint of tinnitus were enrolled. Cross-tabulation was used to compare two categorization approaches of tinnitus severity. With the first approach, categories were assigned based purely on quartiles of MTQ scores. In the second approach, severity was determined based on Ordinal logistic regression. The two approaches were verified by comparing the consistency with clinical judgement.
Results: Categorization based on quartiles showed low consistency with clinical assessment(kappa=0.33), while categorization based on ordinal logistic regression showed good consistency with clinical assessment(kappa = 0.86).Regression-based MTQ score cut-offs were 47 for severe tinnitus.
Conclusions and significance: Tinnitus severity can be categorized accurately using ordinal logistic regression analysis of MTQ scores
A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Different Functional Treatments for Acute Ankle Sprains
Get PDFBackground: An ankle sprain is a very common sport-related injury and can reduce participation in sports and employment. It can also create further complications in the function of the joint.
Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of different functional treatments and to ascertain which functional treatment is the most effective method for acute ankle sprains.
Study Design: Systematic review.
Methods: The design of this systematic review was developed in accordance with PRISMA-P 2015 statement and performed according to its guidelines. A computerized literature search was performed from PubMed Central, MEDLINE via OVID and Cochrane library. Randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies, published within a ten-year period (2007 to 2017), in peer-reviewed journals, with full-text articles and written in English were included in this study. Any type of functional treatments being applied to treat acute ankle sprains were considered as an intervention and only adult participants were included in this review. Surgical methods, unpublished trials, not written in the English language or not experimental research were excluded.
Results: From the pooled data of this review, the stocking was more effective at improving pain, swelling, functional outcomes, range of motion, and return to sport/work, and had higher patient satisfaction than the bandage. There was no evidence that the taping and lace-up brace were more effective than other functional interventions in the treatment of acute ankle sprains. Furthermore, the prevalence of complications was greatest for the taping and lace-up brace interventions. The semi-rigid or posterior rigid support group had a better functional recovery and higher patient satisfaction, but some complications were present.
Conclusion: The semi-rigid or posterior rigid support group and stocking were the most effective functional interventions for acute ankle sprain treatment.
What is known about this subject: The functional treatments are becoming popular due to being effective, inexpensive and simplistic to apply. Different types of functional interventions have been used according to the choice of clinicians and patients in the treatment of ankle sprains. According to the previous researches, semi-rigid support, ankle braces, bandage and lace-up supports have greater advantages than other functional treatments from different perspectives (Example. the elastic bandage had a slower recovery rate than semi-rigid brace but less complications than taping, the lace-up support was better in swelling management than other functional treatments).
What this study adds to existing knowledge: This study found that the stocking is an effective treatment for managing acute ankle sprains. It is valuable for the patient because the cost of the stocking is considerably cheaper than other functional treatments and it is very easy to wear. Some popular functional treatments like lace-up support; taping and semi-rigid braces were shown to have some complications
Developmental biographies of Olympic Super-Elite and Elite athletes – a multidisciplinary pattern recognition analysis
Get PDFThis multidisciplinary study used pattern recognition analyses to examine the developmental biographies of 16 Great British Olympic and World Champions (‘Super-Elite’) and 16 matched international athletes who had not won major medals (‘Elite’). Athlete, coach and parent interviews (260 total interview hours) combined in-depth qualitative and quantitative methods. A combination of demographics, psychosocial characteristics, coach and family relationships, practice, competition, and performance development discriminated Super-Elite from Elite athletes with > 90% accuracy. Compared to Elite athletes, Super-Elite athletes were characterized by: (1) An early critical negative life experience in close proximity to significant positive sport-related events; (2) higher relative importance of sport over other aspects of life, stronger obsessiveness/perfectionism, and sport-related ruthlessness/selfishness; (3) conjoint outcome and mastery focus, and use of counterphobic and/or ‘total preparation’ strategies to maintain/enhance performance under pressure; (4) coaches who better met their physical and psychosocial needs; (5) coming back after severe performance setbacks during adulthood, and career ‘turning points’ leading to enhanced determination to excel; (6) more pronounced diversified youth sport engagement, and prolonged extensive sport-specific practice and competitions; and (7) continued performance improvement over more years during adulthood, eventually attaining their (first) gold medal after 21 ± 6 practice years. The findings are discussed relative to potential causal interactions and theoretical implications
Types, Sources, and Debilitating Factors of Sport-Confidence in Elite Early Adolescent Academy Soccer Players
Get PDFThis study provided an original contribution to the literature by examining elite early adolescent academy soccer players sport-confidence needs. Pre-interview booklets and individual semi-structured interviews were used as multiple sources of qualitative data to identify the types, sources, and debilitating factors of sport-confidence in a large sample (n = 28) of players within the youth development phase of the Elite Player Performance Plan (The Premier League, 2011). An abductive approach to hierarchical content analysis found three types of sport-confidence: Skill execution, physical factors, and psychological factors. These types were generated from five sources of sport-confidence: Accomplishments, social support, preparation, vicarious experience, and innate factors. Five confidence debilitating factors: Lack of social support, poor performances, poor preparation, pressure and expectations, and injury/illness were also identified. Practitioners are advised to widen the sport-confidence types experienced by elite adolescent performers and broaden the sources of sport-confidence such performers use to gain belief.
This study examined elite academy soccer players sport-confidence. Players were confident about: Skill execution, physical and psychological factors. Players gained confidence from: Accomplishments, social support, preparation, vicarious experience, and innate factors. Players confidence was reduced by: A lack of social support, poor performances, poor preparation, pressure and expectations, and injury/illness
Anti-pseudomonad Activity of Manuka Honey and Antibiotics in a Specialized ex vivo Model Simulating Cystic Fibrosis Lung Infection
Get PDFPseudomonas aeruginosa causes problematic chronic lung infections in those suffering from cystic fibrosis. This is due to its antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and its ability to form robust biofilm communities with increased antimicrobial tolerances. Using novel antimicrobials or repurposing current ones is required in order to overcome these problems. Manuka honey is a natural antimicrobial agent that has been used for many decades in the treatment of chronic surface wounds with great success, particularly those infected with P. aeruginosa. Here we aim to determine whether the antimicrobial activity of manuka honey could potentially be repurposed to inhibit pulmonary P. aeruginosa infections using two ex vivo models. P. aeruginosa isolates (n = 28) from an international panel were tested for their susceptibility to manuka honey and clinically relevant antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, and tobramycin), alone and in combination, using conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). To increase clinical applicability, two ex vivo porcine lung (EVPL) models (using alveolar and bronchiolar tissue) were used to determine the anti-biofilm effects of manuka honey alone and in combination with antibiotics. All P. aeruginosa isolates were susceptible to manuka honey, however, varying incidences of resistance were seen against antibiotics. The combination of sub-inhibitory manuka honey and antibiotics using conventional AST had no effect on activity against the majority of isolates tested. Using the two ex vivo models, 64% (w/v) manuka honey inhibited many of the isolates where abnormally high concentrations of antibiotics could not. Typically, combinations of both manuka honey and antibiotics had increased antimicrobial activity. These results highlight the potential of manuka honey as a future antimicrobial for the treatment of pulmonary P. aeruginosa isolates, clearing potential infection reservoirs within the upper airway
Selection of endurance capabilities and the trade-off between pressure and volume in the evolution of the human heart
Get PDFChimpanzees and gorillas, when not inactive, engage primarily in short bursts of resistance physical activity (RPA), such as climbing and fighting, that creates pressure stress on the cardiovascular system. In contrast, to initially hunt and gather and later to farm, it is thought that preindustrial human survival was dependent on lifelong moderate-intensity endurance physical activity (EPA), which creates a cardiovascular volume stress. Although derived musculoskeletal and thermoregulatory adaptations for EPA in humans have been documented, it is unknown if selection acted similarly on the heart. To test this hypothesis, we compared left ventricular (LV) structure and function across semiwild sanctuary chimpanzees, gorillas, and a sample of humans exposed to markedly different physical activity patterns. We show the human LV possesses derived features that help augment cardiac output (CO) thereby enabling EPA. However, the human LV also demonstrates phenotypic plasticity and, hence, variability, across a wide range of habitual physical activity. We show that the human LV’s propensity to remodel differentially in response to chronic pressure or volume stimuli associated with intense RPA and EPA as well as physical inactivity represents an evolutionary trade-off with potential implications for contemporary cardiovascular health. Specifically, the human LV trades off pressure adaptations for volume capabilities and converges on a chimpanzee-like phenotype in response to physical inactivity or sustained pressure loading. Consequently, the derived LV and lifelong low blood pressure (BP) appear to be partly sustained by regular moderate-intensity EPA whose decline in postindustrial societies likely contributes to the modern epidemic of hypertensive heart disease
Active Buildings in Practice
Get PDFThis paper discusses the development and validation of a new Code of Practice for the design of Active Buildings, which will be the main output from a Professional Doctorate in the Sustainable Built Environment (D.SBE) research project being undertaken by the first author. It sets the context for the Code, related to UK, European and Global Climate Change targets, before describing the aspirations of the first author to develop the guidance document in conjunction with architectural practitioners, combining knowledge sharing and education with government targets for reducing energy consumption and associated carbon emissions from buildings. An explanation of the term ‘Active Building’ is included and the recently (2019) established Active Building Centre is also discussed to explain the need for the Code of Practice, which will be one of the main outputs from the centre at the end of its current 3-year programme ending in 2022. Progress on the development of the Code of Practice is discussed, including how the document is being tested with Architects and students, and how it could align with government policies, as well as enabling the roll-out of Active Buildings across the United Kingdom (UK)
An Evaluation of Offsite Timber Frame Manufacturer’s in Wales, UK
Get PDFThe Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship two (KESS2) doctoral project undertaken by the first author has contributed research towards work package 4 (WP4) of the Home-Grown Homes project (HGHP), focused on disrupting the challenges that can lead to a supply chain of home-grown timber (UK) for high performance and healthy homes. This paper discusses the element of research within WP4 that has evaluated the manufacturers of timber frame (TF) construction systems manufactured offsite. The Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme introduced in 2017 is helping to immensely incentivize the shift to offsite manufacturing (OSM) in Wales where increased systemization is requiring a profound re-think of how Wales conceives and delivers and shifts towards nearly zero-energy dwellings, from 2020. Context to the UK need to drive efficiencies in housing supply and performance is given, highlighting the current and future drivers for the development of OSM. This paper will be of interest to researchers engaged in projects to disrupt conventional thinking and investigate the challenges of using softwood timber, grown and processed offsite, for their own country and for the export markets within Europe
Building Performance Assessment Protocol for Timber Dwellings – Conducting Thermography Tests on Live Construction sites
Get PDFThis paper introduces the pan-Wales (UK) Home-Grown Homes (HGH) project (2018 to 2020) which focusses on three areas of improvement for delivering high performance, affordable and healthy homes. The HGH project is funded by Powys County Council, through the European Regional Development Fund’s Agricultural Stream. The HGH project is being delivered by Woodknowledge Wales in a consortium with Cardiff Metropolitan University (CMU), TRADA and Coed Cymru, with seven work packages. ‘More and Better Homes from Wood’ (work package (WP) WP3) focusses on the assessment of building performance for dwellings using timber, and is being delivered by a multi-disciplinary team at CMU through the Sustainable and Resilient Built Environment (SuRBe) group. This paper discusses the context and need for the HGH project as Wales launched its low carbon agenda in March 2019. The focus of this paper on introducing the building performance assessment (BPA) protocol to be implemented by SuRBe across several housing case studies in Wales, through the design, in-construction and occupancy phases, to address thermal and fire (TaF) performance issues, and impacts on occupants’ quality of life, comfort and safety. Preliminary results of in-construction testing on a live construction site are presented, with the challenges of conducting thermography tests whilst construction is in progress and weather conditions in spring in the UK (April 2019). This paper will be useful for academics, architects, building contractors, housing developers and professionals undertaking building performance assessment and evaluation on live construction sites