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Mental Health First Aid™ for Deaf communities: responses to a lack of national Deaf mental health service provision
No full textPurpose: For over fifteen years Mental Health First Aid™ (MHFA) has successfully been delivered in Wales, UK, with growing interest in the MHFA programme and increasing course attendees. Trainers, aware of the need for support, know the importance of MHFA being accessible for different communities and learner groups. MHFA has always focused on increasing mental health literacy. One marginalised group, with lower mental health literacy than general populations, are Deaf people, a group with increased risk of mental health problems. In this article we provide insights about why Deaf people are twice as likely as hearing people to experience mental health problems.Approach: During this paper we have used four focal points i) exploring situational contexts for Deaf people; ii) reasons why Deaf individuals are at greater risk of mental health problems; iii) we explore a project, ‘Hear Deaf’, and implementation of MHFA Wales by Deaf MHFA trainers; and iv) initiatives to influence and impact on policy makers.Findings: During the project, nine MHFA courses were delivered to Deaf communities across different locations in Wales, often with information and advertisements circulated direct to Deaf communities through Deaf clubs, resulting in 120 Deaf people trained. We conclude with our own reflections as a researcher and a Mental Health First Aid trainer who work predominantly with Deaf communities.Originality: This paper provides discussion on the specific risks for Deaf people around mental health and the importance of mental health promotion programs for Deaf communities. Further research is needed regarding the impact of MHFA on Deaf populations
Improving Science That Uses Code
Get PDFAs code is now an inextricable part of science it should be supported by competent Software Engineering, analogously to statistical claims being properly supported by competent statistics.If and when code avoids adequate scrutiny, science becomes unreliable and unverifiable because results — text, data, graphs, images, etc — depend on untrustworthy code.Currently, scientists rarely assure the quality of the code they rely on, and rarely make it accessible for scrutiny. Even when available, scientists rarely provide adequate documentation to understand or use it reliably.This paper proposes and justifies ways to improve science using code:1. Professional Software Engineers can help, particularly in critical fields such as public health, climate change and energy.2. ‘Software Engineering Boards,’ analogous to Ethics or Institutional Review Boards, should be instigated and used.3. The Reproducible Analytic Pipeline (RAP) methodology can be generalized to cover code and Software Engineering methodologies, in a generalization this paper introduces called RAP+. RAP+ (or comparable interventions) could be supported and or even required in journal, conference and funding body policies.The paper’s Supplemental Material provides a summary of Software Engineering best practice relevant to scientific research, including further suggestions for RAP+ workflows.‘Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer.’ Donald E. Knuth in A=B [ 1]‘I have to write to discover what I am doing.’ Flannery O’Connor, quoted in Write for your life [ 2]‘Criticism is the mother of methodology.’ Robert P. Abelson in Statistics as Principled Argument [ 3]‘From its earliest times, science has operated by being open and transparent about methods and evidence, regardless of which technology has been in vogue.’ Editorial in Nature [4
Experiences and views of people who frequently call emergency ambulance services: A qualitative study of UK service users
Get PDFIntroduction: People who call emergency ambulances frequently are often vulnerable because of health and social circumstances, have unresolved problems or cannot access appropriate care. They have higher mortality rates. Case management by interdisciplinary teams can help reduce demand for emergency services and is available in some UK regions. We report results of interviews with people who use emergency ambulance services frequently to understand their experiences of calling and receiving treatment. Methods: We used a two-stage recruitment process. A UK ambulance service identified six people who were known to them as frequently calling emergency services. Through third sector organisations, we also recruited nine individuals with health care experiences reflecting the characteristics of people who call frequently. We gained informed consent to record and transcribe all telephone interviews. We used thematic analysis to explore results. Results: People said they make frequent calls to emergency ambulance services as a last resort, when they perceive their care needs are urgent and other routes to help have failed. Those with the most complex health needs generally felt their immediate requirements were not resolved and underlying mental and physical problems led them to call again. A third of respondents were also attended by police and arrested for behaviour associated with their health need. Those callers receiving case management did not know they were selected for this. Some respondents were concerned case management could label frequent callers as troublemakers. Conclusion: People who make frequent calls to emergency ambulance services feel their health and care needs are urgent and ongoing. They cannot see alternative ways to receive help and resolve problems. Communication between health professionals and service users appears inadequate. More research is needed to understand service users' motivations and requirements in order to inform design and delivery of accessible and effective services. Patient or Public contribution: People with relevant experience were involved throughout developing, undertaking and disseminating this research. Two public contributors helped design and deliver the study, including developing and analysing service user interviews and drafting this paper. Eight public members of a Lived Experience Advisory Panel contributed at key stages of study design, interpretation and dissemination. Two more public contributors were members of an independent Study Steering Committee
Short communication: Complete dissolution of MX-phase nanoprecipitates in fusion steels during irradiation by heavy-ions
No full textThis material in this paper was a result of a £50K EUROFERAP Castable Nano-structured Radiation Resistant Steel funded by UKAEA and completed in March 2022. This project used rapid alloy prototyping of new reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic steels and compared them to the industry ITER standard steel Eurofer-97. The project was jointly funded by Swansea and UKAEA and delivered on time with promising results, proving the MACH1 rapid alloying techniques developed over the last 5-6 years within the Prosperity project (EP/S005218/1) could also be applied to steel for nuclear applications
‘Cythryblus a thrychinebus’: Gwrthryfel y Pasg, 1916, a’r Wasg Gymreig
Get PDFFe esgorodd Gwrthryfel y Pasg yn Nulyn yn 1916 ar gyfres o ddigwyddiadau a arweiniodd at annibyniaeth trwch yr ynys, ond ar y pryd nid oedd gwerthfawrogiad o’i arwyddocâd yng Nghymru. I fwyafrif helaeth y Cymry, roedd hwn yn weithred fradwrol gan ei fod yn digwydd ar adeg pan oedd Iwerddon (fel gweddill y Deyrnas Gyfunol) yng nghanol rhyfel gwaedlyd na welwyd ei fath o’r blaen. Mae’r erthygl hon yn olrhain sut edrychwyd ar ddigwyddiadau yn Iwerddon yng nghyd-destun y rhyfel yn erbyn yr Almaen, a sut oedd y cysyniad ei fod yn fuddiol i Iwerddon (fel Cymru) i aros yng nghôl yr Ymerodraeth Brydeinig wedi ei wreiddio mor ddwfn fel nad oedd modd ei herio
Burn contracture risk factors and measurement in low-middle income countries: A clinical perspective
Get PDFThere is a lack of high-quality published evidence on risk factors for burn contracture formation. The vast majority of research is from High Income Countries (HICs), where many potential risk factors are controlled for by standardised and high-quality healthcare systems. To augment the published literature, burn care professionals with Low Middle Income Countries (LMICs) experience were interviewed for their opinion on risk factors for burn contracture formation. Participants were also asked for their views on identification and measurement of contracture. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted (13 burn surgeons and 4 therapists). The average length of experience in burn-care was 13 years. Participants represented Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Nepal, and India. Participants reported ninety risk factors. Risk factors were later collated according to topic: Non burn individual factors (n=13), Burn injury factors (n=14), Family and community factors (n=9), Treatment factors (n=18), Complications (n=2), Healthcare capacity factors (n=19) and Societal and environmental factors (n=12). The top five most frequently cited risk factors were lack of splinting, lack of physiotherapy, lack of early excision and skin grafting, low socioeconomic status and presence of infection. Although participants had no doubts that they could recognise a contracture, none provided a standardised system of measurement or an operational definition of contracture. Burn care professionals have a wealth of experience and untapped knowledge of risk factors for burn contracture formation in their own population base, but many of the risk factors highlighted by participants have not yet been explored in the literature. Variations in clinicians’ diagnosis and measurement of a burn contracture underscores the need for an agreed, standardised, simple and easily reproducible method of diagnosing and classifying burn contracture
Identification of bacterial species in complex probiotic products using multiplex PCR and flow cytometry
No full textProbiotics are a group of microorganisms known for their health promoting effects. Consumer demand for probiotic products containing multiple species has increased due to the belief that their synergistic effects exert more health benefits. This puts additional pressure on a quality control laboratory who are required to confirm the identification of each organism in a product, rendering molecular methods requiring the cultivation of bacteria unsuitable due to long lead times of results. Therefore, identification using a culture-independent technique is required. Two methods were investigated: multiplex PCR and flow cytometry. Multiplex PCR can detect individual species within a mixed population using species-specific primer pairs. The aim of this study was to develop a multiplex PCR assay capable of identifying Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis and Bifidobacterium bifidum in mixed populations. Additional work was also carried out to determine if L. acidophilus could be detected in a mixed product with the use of polyclonal antibodies using flow cytometry, which provided promising preliminary data. This study culminated in the production and optimisation of a multiplex PCR assay capable of detecting five species within a mixed product, reducing result lead times and expense
Virtual reality in retailing: a meta-analysis to determine the purchase and non-purchase behavioural intention of consumers
Get PDFMethodological considerations and reliability of visually detecting muscle activity onset during an isometric midthigh pull
Get PDFThe isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) is the most commonly employed multi-joint isometric test of neuromuscular function. Performance in the IMTP is associated with several dynamic tests of neuromuscular function among weightlifters, cyclists, wrestlers, powerlifters, rugby league players, NCAA D1 track and field athletes and several other disciplines at the collegiate level. The test is commonly performed on a force platform (FP), for typically quantifying maximal force producing capacity or peak force (PF) and rate of force development (RFD). In an IMTP, PF has been reported as a valid and reliable output variable. However, there is lack of agreement and evidence regarding the reliability of RFD. In contrast to PF, quantification of RFD is dependent on the identification of a start-time. The start-time refers to an instant between the quiescent phase and the start of the athlete pulling, manifested by a sudden change in the expression of the vertical component of the groundreaction force (VGRF). The lack of agreement in the calculation procedures employed to quantify RFD has contributed to a lack of clarity regarding the level of reliability reported in previous studies. More importantly, the method of identifying the start-time varies across studies, contributing to the conflicting results that exist within the scientific literature. The method of identifying a start time in an IMTP remains to be validated and standardised for subsequent calculation of RFD and any other variable dependent on a start-time, e.g., time to peak force. The expression of mechanical force, often recorded using instruments such as the FP, is preceded by a physiological phenomenon of neural and muscular excitation that can be recorded using surface electromyography (sEMG). Considering the possibility of investigating the onset time of muscle excitation and subsequent mechanical forceproduction, it was proposed that temporal sEMG analysis could be used to validate a method of determining the start-time of an IMTP performed on a FP. The onset of muscular activity in single-joint isometric tests of neuromuscular function has been investigated using sEMG, but this method has not been applied to multi-joint activities such as the IMTP. Consequently, the aim of this study was to develop a reliable and valid novel method for detecting the time of muscle onset in an IMTP, which could then be used in future studies to validate a starttime based interrogation of a recorded force-time history. The study consisted of two experimental sections which, when combined, satisfied the aim of the study. Study 1 investigated the methodological considerations in the identification of the time of muscle onset (Tmo) during an isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) using visual detection, i.e., manual visual inspection of sEMG amplitude-time history. Firstly, seven pairs of muscles were identified that are activated during the performance of an IMTP. The study then established a 2-step visual detection method, which allowed the visual inspection of these muscle’s activity during the quiescent and active phases of an IMTP. The method was thereafter used for determining the Tmo corresponding to the initiation of muscular activity during a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) in an IMTP. Study 2 investigated the reliability of the methodology developed in Study 1. This was achieved by measuring the inter and intra-rater reliabilities of onset times, detected by two raters in the seven pairs of selected muscles across three experimental conditions; ‘ON’, ‘OFF’ and ‘WL’. The study included nine male participants with experience (> 3 years) in weightlifting exercises, especially power cleans. One participant was recruited for both the ON and OFF experimental conditions while the remaining 8 participants proficient in weightlifting were categorised under WL. ON, denotesthe test condition where sensors remained on the muscles of the participant throughout all test-retest trials. This condition was designed for the visual assessment of muscle activation patterns during IMTP test-retest trials for the same individual and its effect on reliability. In contrast OFF denotes the test condition where sensors were removed and reattached to the muscles prior to each subsequent trial. The OFF test-retest condition was designed to visually assess whether sensor placement performed by a trained individual had an effect on muscle activation patterns, in terms of the reliability. WL (weightlifters) denotes the test condition that was used to categorise the resistance and weightlifting trained participants recruited in the study. This condition aimed to evaluate reliability across a group of participants, while also exploring similarities in muscle activity among individuals and its effect on reliability. Standard deviation (SD) of differences was employed as the statistical measure for determining the variation between two independent sets of muscle onset points. Visually detecting the Tmo for 14 muscles (7 pairs) was assessed using a pre-set criteria of ≤ 5 ms, variations above which measurements were deemed unreliable. SD of differences betweenthe Tmo as determined by the same rater on two separate occasions identified all 7 pairs of muscles as reliable (differences ≤ 5 ms) in each condition. SD of differences between the Tmo determined by two raters identified 3 muscle pairs as reliable, (differences ≤ 5 ms) across the three experimental conditions. These were; gastrocnemius medialis (GS) (SD of differences; ON: 0.7 ms, OFF: 0.2 ms, WL: 0.3 ms), bicep femoris (BF) (SD of differences; ON: 2.4 ms, OFF: 3.5 ms, WL: 2.5 ms) and erector spinae longissimus (ESL) (SD of differences; ON: 2.4 ms, OFF: 2.5 ms, WL: 2.3 ms). Results of both intra and inter-rater reliability demonstrate GS as the most reliable muscle across each experimental condition, demonstrating a variation of < 1 ms. Considering the results of Study 2, GS, BF and ESL are the 3 muscle pairs recommended for future temporal investigations in the IMTP. Inspection of muscle activity via sEMG traces over the course of Study 2, revealed that GS and BF were the only two muscle pairs with negligible baseline noise prior to Tmo. Automated methods of detecting Tmo, that rely on the baseline noise can therefore be applied to GS and BF, potentially accounting for limitations associated with visual detection in future studies. This thesis has reported a reliable and novel method of detecting the Tmo during an IMTP. Furthermore, the results of this thesis can be used to validate the start-time of an IMTP, contributing towards the standardisation of IMTP research methods and improved reliability of time-dependent variables