In this study, four major muscles acting on the scapula were investigated in patients who had been treated in the last six years for unilateral carcinoma of the breast. Muscle activity was assessed by electromyography during abduction and adduction of the affected and unaffected arms. The main principal aim of the study was to compare shoulder muscle activity in the affected and unaffected shoulder during elevation of the arm. A multivariate linear mixed model was introduced and applied to address the principal aims. The result of fitting this model to the data shows a huge improvement as compared to the alternatives.
Fractal analysis and the calculation of fractal dimension offer the potential for the numerical characterisation of places by providing a synthetic measurement of place complexity. This paper provides a fractal analysis of street vistas linking the calculation of fractal dimension to the perception of levels of visual variety present in everyday urban streets. A technique for calculating street vista fractal dimensions of textures extracted from greyscale images is presented, and correlations between the resultant fractal dimension and scores for perceived visual variety are discussed.
There is growing evidence showing contact with nature has benefits for mental and physical health. Within the design community, evidence has been encapsulated in the concept of biophilic design. The underlying principle is that humans have evolved in nature and therefore share ' an innate love of contact with other living organisms' (Wilson 2017), there are however a number of philosophical, ethical and practical issues that arise with the application of the 'biophilic hypothesis' in urban and architectural design. This paper reports on research that expands on these issues, centred on the computational method of visual texture analysis as developed by one of the authors (Cooper). The output of the method is the generation of a numerical measure, visual texture level, drawing on fractal geometry, combined with the identification of texture types. Looking at the results of a number of investigations and applications, the paper suggests the combination of texture level and texture type can provide an effective …
Introduction: Hospital managers aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their institutions through leadership and guidance of medical personnel. Fulfilling these objectives requires a holistic approach to both the management of people and institutional prioritization. The aim of this study was to identify the skills and competencies that hospital managers must demonstrate in order to achieve their objectives. Methods: In 2015, a regional, multi-center qualitative study was undertaken in Shiraz, Iran. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with university hospital managers, senior managers, faculty members, and post-graduate students, and the results were analyzed using the content analysis method by MAXQDA software. Results: Eight key skill themes (communication, experience, appreciation of institution logistics/infrastructure, management skills, motivation, systematic problem solving, ethics, and financial/legal awareness) were identified among the hospital managers. The common …
Despite evidence that inactivity is a major factor causing ill health in people with intellectual disabilities (pwID) there are gaps in our knowledge of their physical activity (PA). To date, there is no published systematic review of their PA levels. Therefore, we performed a systematic review from January–October 2015, comprising studies from across the globe to establish PA levels, determine how they were measured, and what factors influenced PA in adults with intellectual disabilities (awID). Five databases were searched. Studies were included if written in English, peer-reviewed, had primary research data, and measured PA levels of awID. Quality was assessed using a 19-item checklist. Meta-summary of the findings was performed and a meta-analysis of factors influencing PA using multiple regression. Fifteen studies were included consisting of 3159 awID, aged 16–81 years, 54% male and 46% female. Only 9% of participants achieved minimum PA guidelines. PA levels were measured using objective and subjective…
BPD is a complex condition presenting with a wide array of features, making it difficult to diagnose and treat. Controversially, there is also concern about BPD misdiagnosis due to under-recognition of trauma and PTSD/CPTSD (Complex PTSD) because of common aetiology. PTSD/CPTSD has a better track record of successful treatment; as typically BPD treatment focuses more on symptoms, while PTSD/CPTSD treats underlying traumatic causes. Aim: The research objective is to assess if early screening for traumatic exposure and PTSD/CPTSD symptoms will enhance BPD diagnosis, and lead to improved treatment. Methodology: Following clinical and academic reviews, two stages were completed. Stage 1: Initially medical records of BPD (N=60) patients in three UK Mental Health Hospitals were examined for evidence of BPD, trauma, PTSD and CPTSD. Stage 2: Separate BPD outpatients (N=40) were screened for trauma, PTSD/CPTSD using a new simple ‘BPD Trauma Exposure and Reactions Screen’ (BTERS). Reliability and validity was then asse…
This cross-sectional survey assessed and compared by country, the levels and correlates of 21 self-reported symptoms/health complaints. We examined the associations between self-reported symptoms and perceived stress. Data was collected from universities in the United Kingdom and Egypt (N = 3706 and 3271 undergraduates, respectively). A self-administered questionnaire assessed a range of self-reported symptoms, perceived stress, sociodemographic (gender, age, marital status, year of study, living arrangements during semester, income sufficiency), lifestyle (tobacco smoking, illicit drug/s use, alcohol consumption frequency), and health variables (subjective health status, health awareness, BMI), along with religiosity, and quality of life. Factor analysis categorized the 21 self-reported symptoms into four components. Correlation analysis and linear regression tested the associations between the self-reported symptoms and stress. Factor analysis of the health symptoms generated four symptom groups for each of…