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An investigation in to how soccer coaches attempt to explicitly address the motives their players have for participating in sport
No full textDevelopment of tri-component antibacterial hybrid fibres for potential use in wound care.
No full textTri-component antibacterial psyllium-alginate-chitosan fibres were developed and their properties were studied with reference to their application in health-care. Psyllium was co-extruded with sodium alginate as a carrier into a coagulation bath containing calcium chloride and hydrolysed chitosan. Different concentrations of the hydrolysed chitosan were used and an in vitro assessment of antibacterial activity of the produced fibres was carried out against the known pathogens of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The effect of hydrolysed chitosan bath composition on physical and mechanical properties of produced fibres was also examined. Chitosan-containing fibres demonstrated a 70-130% thicker dry diameter than the control fibre (F1). The linear density of the fibre increased from 6.8 to 10 tex as the chitosan concentration increased from 10g/l to 30g/l (fibre type F1 to F4). With the addition of hydrolysed chitosan, distilled water absorption was increased while the saline and solution-A (0.83% w/v NaCl and 0.03% w/v CaCl ) absorption decreased. The percentage strain of hybrid fibres was lower than the control fibre due to the inclusion of hydrolysed chitosan. At lower viscosities of the hydrolysed chitosan bath, the fibres were much stiffer due to better penetration of the hydrolysed chitosan. Similarly, at lower viscosities, the tenacities of the hybrid fibres were higher than the control fibre. The hydrolysed chitosan-treated fibres were more effective against Staphylococcus aureus than the Escherichia coli, and the antibacterial activity increased with the decrease in viscosity of the hydrolysed chitosan bath. We developed novel PAC fibres. Antibacterial testing showed that hydrolysed chitosan was more effective against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria
Thermoelectric heat patch for clinical and self-management: melanoma excision wound care.
No full textThermotherapy is considered to have potential beneficial effects when applied to wounds. Of particular relevance to this research are wounds that have dropped in temperature due to regional anaesthesia. This study is aimed at developing a normothermic system comprising of a heat patch controlled by external hardware. The study is divided into three parts: (i) the analyses of the skin temperature that form the foundation of the system; (ii) the development of an efficient wearable heat patch incorporating thermoelectric elements to electrical and thermal conductive textiles; and (iii) the hardware development to control the current flow to the thermoelectric elements thus managing the temperature of the heat patch and conserving current. It was observed that a distance of 3 cm between the thermoelectric elements provides ideal heat distribution relative to the surface area. The system allowed for an 80% reduction in current, while maintaining the temperature of the heat patch at the required thermophysiological skin temperature. Future studies will include development of a temperature sensor identifying the real-time temperature of the wound; and circuitry for switching the polarity of the thermoelectric elements. The cooling capabilities of the thermoelectric elements can be applied to wounds that have increased in temperature
A preliminary investigation of the motivations for participation, held by female performance soccer players
No full textRecombinant extracellular matrix protein fragments support human embryonic stem cell chondrogenesis
No full textWe previously developed a 14-day culture protocol under potentially GMP, chemically defined conditions, to generate chondro-progenitors from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). In vivo work has confirmed the cartilage repair capacity of these cells in a nude rat osteochondral defect model. Aiming to enhance hESC-chondrogenesis we screened a range of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules for their ability to support differentiation of hESCs towards chondrocytes. We identified two novel ECM protein fragments that supported hESC-chondrogenesis: Fibronectin III (fibronectin 7-14 protein fragments including the RGD domain, syndecan binding domain and heparin binding domain); fibrillin-1 (FBN1) fragment PF8 (encoded by exons 30–38, residues 1238–1605, which contains the RGD motif but not heparin binding site). These two protein fragments support hESC-chondrogenesis compared with the substrates routinely used previously (a mixture of fibronectin and gelatin) in our directed chondrogenic protocol. We have identified recombinant fibronectin fragment (FN III) and FBNI fragment (PF8) as alternative coating substrates to promote expression of genes known to regulate chondrocytes and code for chondrocyte extracellular matrix components. These recombinant protein fragments are likely to have better batch to batch stability than full length molecules especially where extracted from tissue/serum
“Honour”-based violence in a British South Asian community
No full textPurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore attitudes towards, and victimisation experiences of, “honour”-based violence (HBV) in a reportedly vulnerable population in the UK.Design/methodology/approach A convenience sample of 216 participants were recruited from a local community in England; the majority were young (mean age=21.93), Indian or Pakistani (85 per cent), Muslim (96 per cent), females (67 per cent).Findings Although gender differences were found for attitudes towards one aspect of HBV (namely, forced marriage), these were not significant. While HBV victimisation affected only a small proportion of this sample, when it was reported, the effects were serious and included anxiety, attempted suicides and running away from home. This highlights the need to identify and safeguard vulnerable groups without stigmatising whole communities.Originality/value These findings contribute to the scarce literature available on HBV in British communities, and highlight a need for culturally aware emergency and health service provision
Leisure in Inter-War Britain
No full textVoluntary action in leisure in inter-war Britain was shaped by three principal forces. The most immediate and pressing was the need for social and cultural reconstruction after the First World War. The widespread demand for and expectation of a better post-war society stimulated interest in the potential contribution of leisure to this in terms of its more democratic distribution and of community-building. However the optimism of the early phase of social reconstruction was undermined by a series of economic crises that led to the mass unemployment of the 1930s and the ‘enforced leisure’ of the unemployed. The absence of work raised difficult questions about the meaning of leisure, fuelling fears of alienation and community breakdown. In areas of high unemployment voluntary action became not so much a question of deploying leisure to community reconstruction but of maintaining community cohesion to prevent the unemployed becoming a separated community. However, in the more prosperous regions of the midlands and the south, leisure opportunities expanded as living standards improved. The third force was the changing nature of leisure itself as new forms, notably the cinema, wireless and greyhound racing, gained widespread popularity. With the founding of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1927 drama and both light and classical music became increasingly available. The popularity of spectator sport also grew, providing an affordable leisure interest for everyone and especially working-class people
Natural fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites from woven-nonwoven textile preforms: mechanical and fire performance study
No full textPartially and fully biodegradable natural fibre – reinforced composites have been prepared using a novel patented woven-nonwoven technology. Natural fibres included jute and sisal, whereas the matrices were of synthetic polymers derived from petroleum (polypropylene (PP)) or natural (polylactic acid (PLA)) resources. The physical, mechanical and flammability properties of these partially and fully biodegradable composites have been studied and compared with those of similarly produced glass-fibre reinforced PP and PLA composites with a view to enabling their use in automotive applications. Mechanical test results showed that the tensile and flexural moduli of the PLA composites were higher than respective PP composites. In comparison, sisal composites have higher tensile and flexural moduli than jute composites. The fire performance of the composites studied by cone calorimetry showed that while natural fibre reinforcement had no effect on time-toignition, peak heat release was significantly reduced. PLA composites had lower burning propensity compared to respective PP composites