Action capability constrains visuo-motor complexity during planning and performance in on-sight climbing

The capability to adapt to changing conditions is crucial for safe and successful performance in physical activities and sports. According to the affordance-based control perspective, individuals act in such a way as to take into account the limits of their capability to act. However, it is not clear how strength interacts with skill in shaping performer-environment interactions. We, therefore, determined whether fingertip strength influences patterns of gaze and climbing behavior on new routes of ever-increasing difficulty. We expected that comparatively weaker climbers would show less complex behavior because of an inability to perceive and act. Stronger climbers would show more complex visuo-motor behavior because more opportunities for action remain, even as route difficulty increases. For very strong climbers the route would not be challenging enough, and less complex patterns suffice. Twenty climbers, ranging from lower grade to elite level participated. Maximum fingertip strength was obtained. Participants previewed and then climbed two separate 3 m long traverses, gradually decreasing in edge depth. Gaze and hip positions were collected for subsequent computation of gaze transition entropy (during preview) and hip displacement entropy (during climbing). Data revealed statistically significant curvilinear relationships between both fingertip strength and gaze transition entropy, and fingertip strength, and hip displacement entropy. Visuo-motor complexity is scaled by how close the individual must act relative to boundaries of what the environment affords and does not afford for action given the individual constraints. Future research should examine in greater detail relationships between action capabilities and functional movement variability.     

Treating frostbite injuries

Frostbite injuries rarely occur in healthy Dutch persons. However, as the number of people engaging in winter and outdoor activities and travelling to high altitudes increases, the risk of frostbite also increases. Frostbite is a cold-induced injury which results from two processes: freezing and microvascular occlusion. Adequate first aid, which focuses on the prevention of refreezing and mechanical injury, and rapid rewarming together with the administration of ibuprofen, are of the greatest importance for limiting eventual tissue damage. Iloprost infusion and possibly (r)tPA are indicated if a patient presents within 24 hours after the tissue has thawed and the injury is such that severe morbidity can be expected. If the patient presents after this time period, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be considered; however, the evidence available on this type of treatment is limited.     

A Study of Expectations and the Marital Quality of Participants of a Marital Enrichment Seminar

This longitudinal study investigated the effects of expectations of effort of self and spouse on the marital quality of marital enrichment seminar participants. Self‐report measures of marital quality, expectations regarding effort put into implementing what was learned during the seminar, amount of perceived effort, and satisfaction with effort were administered before and after the seminar, as well as at a 2‐month follow‐up. Participants (147 women, 95 men) attended community‐based marital enrichment seminars in 12 U.S. cities. Multivariate path models indicated that larger discrepancies between expectations of effort postseminar and perceived effort at 2‐month follow‐up were associated with less satisfaction with perceived effort. Furthermore, participants' dissatisfaction in their spouses' effort had a negative effect on marital quality while controlling for initial marital quality, whereas dissatisfaction in their own effort did not. These findings highlight the possible detrimental effect that unmet spousal expectations can have. Implications for marital enrichment programs and couples therapy are discussed.     

Smoking frequency among current college student smokers: distinguishing characteristics and factors related to readiness to quit smoking

Given the increased prevalence of non-daily smoking and changes in smoking patterns, particularly among young adults, we examined correlates of smoking level, specifically motives for smoking, and readiness to quit smoking among 2682 college undergraduates who completed an online survey. Overall, 64.7% (n = 1736) were non-smokers, 11.6% (n = 312) smoked 1-5 days, 10.5% (n = 281) smoked 6-29 days and 13.2% (n = 353) were daily smokers. Ordinal regression analyses modeling smoking level indicated that correlates of higher smoking level included having more friends who smoke (β = 0.63, 95% CI 0.57-0.69) and more frequent other tobacco use (β = 0.04, 95% CI 0.02-0.05), drinking (β = 0.04, 95% CI 0.02-0.07) and binge drinking (β = 0.09, 95% CI 0.06-0.13). Bivariate analyses indicated that daily smokers (versus the subgroups of non-daily smokers) were less likely to smoke for social reasons but more likely to smoke for self-confidence, boredom, and affect regulation. Controlling for sociodemographics, correlates of readiness to quit among current smokers included fewer friends who smoke (P = 0.002), less frequent binge drinking (P = 0.03), being a social smoker (P < 0.001), smoking less for self-confidence (P = 0.04), smoking more for boredom (P = 0.03) and less frequent smoking (P = 0.001). Specific motives for smoking and potential barriers to cessation particularly may be relevant to different groups of college student smokers.     

Palliative care Needs Rounds in rural residential aged care: A mixed-methods study exploring experiences and perceptions of staff and general practitioners

New approaches are needed to assist residential aged care (RAC) staff increase their skills and confidence in identifying when residents are nearing the dying phase and managing symptoms. One new evidence-based approach to improve palliative and end-of-life care in RAC is outreach Specialist Palliative Care Needs Rounds (monthly triage and risk stratification meetings – hereafter Needs Rounds); as yet untried in rural settings which may face unique enablers or challenges. Needs Rounds were introduced into two RAC facilities in the rural Snowy Monaro region of New South Wales, Australia. This study explored staff and general practitioners’(GPs’) experiences and perceptions of palliative and end-of-life care in rural RAC, and staff confidence and capability in providing such care, prior to, and after the introduction of Needs Rounds. A mixed-methods, pre- and post-intervention approach was taken, utilizing a Likert-scale written questionnaire and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Between March and November 2018, 61 questionnaires were completed by 48 RAC staff (33 pre-, 28 post-intervention); eight staff and three GPs were interviewed. Despite system and site-specific barriers, staff self-reported that Needs Rounds increased their capability in providing end-of-life care (p?=?0.04; 95% CI 0.20–7.66), and improved staff: (1) awareness of end of life, reflective practice, and critical thinking; (2) end-of-life decision making and planning; and (3) pain management. Needs Rounds are acceptable and feasible in rural RAC. Palliative and end-of-life care for residents may be improved through education, collaboration, communication, and planning. Further studies should explore running Needs Rounds via telehealth and/or utilizing a multidisciplinary approach.     

Efficacy of novel recombinant fowlpox vaccine against recent Mexican H7N3 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus

Since 2012, H7N3 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has produced negative economic and animal welfare impacts on poultry in central Mexico. In the present study, chickens were vaccinated with two different recombinant fowlpox virus vaccines (rFPV-H7/3002 with 2015 H7 hemagglutinin [HA] gene insert, and rFPV-H7/2155 with 2002 H7 HA gene insert), and were then challenged three weeks later with H7N3 HPAI virus (A/chicken/Jalisco/CPA-37905/2015). The rFPV-H7/3002 vaccine conferred 100% protection against mortality and morbidity, and significantly reduced virus shed titers from the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. In contrast, 100% of sham and rFPV-H7/2155 vaccinated birds shed virus at higher titers and died within 4?days. Pre- (15/20) and post- (20/20) challenge serum of birds vaccinated with rFPV-H7/3002 had antibodies detectable by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay using challenge virus antigen. However, only a few birds (3/20) in the rFPV-H7/2155 vaccinated group had antibodies that reacted against the challenge strain but all birds had antibodies that reacted against the homologous vaccine antigen (A/turkey/Virginia/SEP-66/2002) (20/20). One possible explanation for differences in vaccines efficacy is the antigenic drift between circulating viruses and vaccines. Molecular analysis demonstrated that the Mexican H7N3 strains have continued to rapidly evolve since 2012. In addition, we identified in silico three potential new N-glycosylation sites on the globular head of the H7 HA of A/chicken/Jalisco/CPA-37905/2015 challenge virus, which were absent in 2012 H7N3 outbreak virus. Our results suggested that mutations in the HA antigenic sites including increased glycosylation sites, accumulated in the new circulating Mexican H7 HPAIV strains, altered the recognition of neutralizing antibodies from the older vaccine strain rFPV-H7/2155. Therefore, the protective efficacy of novel rFPV-H7/3002 against recent outbreak Mexican H7N3 HPAIV confirms the importance of frequent updating of vaccines seed strains for long-term effective control of H7 HPAI virus.