A qualitative exploration of the mechanisms,pathways and public health outcomes of a city centre 20mph speed limit intervention: The case of Belfast,United Kingdom

Twenty miles per hour (mph) speed limits can impact the health of the public (e.g., road safety, active travel). However, a better understanding of how individuals experience 20mph limits is required, to ensure interventions are cognisant of perceptions and potential un/intended outcomes. Focus groups (n = 9, 60 participants) to explore the Belfast 20mph intervention highlighted divergent perspectives and experiences including: 12 mechanisms (e.g., limited awareness), 15 pathways (e.g., reduced driving speed→improved liveability) and 10 public health outcomes (e.g., increased cyclist safety). Future interventions should consider un/intended outcomes and implement strategies to enhance effectiveness and mitigate harms (e.g., through training, enforcement).     

Isolierte Fraktur des Sustentaculum tali: ein Fallbericht

Case reportA 32 years old male patient slipped while going downhill and injured his right foot. The next day X-rays were taken in which no bony injury was seen. Because of persistent complaints additional diagnostic by MRI and CT were performed. These showed a displaced fracture of the sustentaculum tali. The sustentaculum tali was fixed with screws. The fracture healed with a congruent articular surface and good functional outcome.ConclusionFractures of the sustentaculum tali are rare and are overseen frequently because of overlapping structures on X-rays. Even low energy trauma can cause these fractures in young patients. In patients with persistent complaints of the foot an additional cross-sectional diagnostic is strongly recommended.     

Role of disturbance of ependymal ciliary movement in development of hydrocephalus in rats

We have developed a new in vitro method of quantitatively analyzing ciliary movement in the ependymal wall of the aqueduct in rats. An axial slice of the midbrain containing ependymal wall was placed in a culture dish filled with a culture medium containing latex beads 1 m in diameter at a concentration of 10⁷ beads/ml. The movement of the beads caused by flow of culture medium generated by the to-and-fro ciliary movement was recorded by a high speed video system attached to an inverted phase-contrast microscope. Ciliary movement was expressed by the speed of the latex beads (m/s). Aqueductal ciliary movement in congenitally hydrocephalic HTX rats, congenitally hydrocephalic WIC-Hyd rats, and other normal rats was evaluated. The results suggest that in congenitally hydrocephalic WIC-Hyd rats the degree of hydrocephalus related strongly to the degree of ciliary dyskinesia, but in congenitally hydrocephalic HTX rats it did not. Considering this discrepancy, we attempted to see whether or not hydrocephalus was caused by artificial disturbance of ependymal ciliary movement in vivo. We found that continuous infusion of metavana date, an inhibitor of ciliary movement, into the III ventricle of normal Sprague-Dawley rats for 7 days induced dilatation of the ventricular system. Although the question whether or not disturbance of aqueductal ependymal ciliary movement is related to the development of human congenital hydrocephalus is debatable, the results of the present in vitro and in vivo experimental investigations appear to suggest that the disturbance of ciliary movement in the aqueduct could at least be one of the factors contributing to the inducement of hydrocephalus in experimental conditions.     

Use of a Calibration Balloon Tube to Size the Pouch and Channel in Gastroplasty Procedures

Gastroplasty is currently one of the most common surgical procedures performed on the morbidly obese for weight loss. An adequate result can be assured only if the pouch that is created is less than 30 ml and the channel that connects that pouch to the distal stomach is approximately 1 cm in diameter. The current method to size the pouch is to occlude the esophagus and the outlet of the pouch and to measure with a manometer through a naso-gastric tube. We contend this method is both time consuming and adds to the potential of complications. Through the use of a calibration balloon tube the size of the pouch can be quickly and safely estimated. It can also be used to size the channel between the pouch and the distal stomach and check for leaks. The technique of how this tube has been used over the past 6 years is described. By the use of a calibration balloon tube, three problem areas in gastric stapling surgery for morbid obesity are avoided, namely: inappropriate pouch size, inappropriate channel size and postoperative leaks.     

神经妥乐平治疗周围神经病变的疗效观察

目的：观察神经妥乐平治疗周围神经病变的临床效果。方法：静脉滴注神经妥乐平，比较用药前后患者神经系统症状及神经传导速度的变化。结果：治疗后患者视觉模拟评分下降，患侧肢体神经传导速度改善。治疗前后比较，有显著性差异。结论：对多种疾病导致的周围神经病患者，使用神经妥乐平治疗可获得较好疗效。     

Measurements of preferred walking speed in subjects with central and peripheral vision loss

BACKGROUND: Previous mobility studies have used Preferred Walking Speed (PWS) in order to determine the walking efficiency in terms of the Percent Preferred Walking Speed (PPWS) of visually impaired adults. PWS has been measured in previous studies using the sighted guide (SG) and non-sighted guide (NSG) techniques. This study compared the NSG, SG and string (ST) (subjects walked by holding on lightly to a cardboard tube attached to a piece of string) techniques of measuring PWS in visually impaired subjects. METHODS: Forty visually impaired subjects with central and peripheral vision loss were recruited. PWS was measured using the NSG, SG and ST techniques. For each technique, PWS was determined by recording the time taken for a subject to walk an unobstructed, straight 20-m corridor. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in PWS using the SG, NSG and ST techniques. CONCLUSION: For assessing walking efficiency, either the SG, NSG or ST technique could be employed when measuring PWS in visually impaired subjects.     

用市电干扰校准心电图机走纸速度

校准心电图走纸速度的方法,在实际操作中,钟表检查法不宜掌握、浪费记录纸、误差较大;正弦波检查法因条件所限,无正弦波发生器或频率不准,不易实现。经过多年实践,总结出用市电50Hz交流干扰法校准心电图走纸速度,其方法简单实用、容易掌握、不用任何设备、准确度高、适用于维修人员和临床医务人员,减少误诊,提高临床诊断率。     

Evaluation of Surface Roughness Parameters of HDF for Finishing under Industrial Conditions

One of the most important properties of the surface of wood-based panels is their roughness. This property determines the way of working with the material in the processes of gluing and surface varnishing. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of various sanding belt configurations and the feeding speed of the conveyor belt during grinding on the surface roughness of high-density fiberboards (HDF). The research material was prepared under industrial conditions. Three types of boards were selected for the tests. After grinding, the roughness parameters were measured both transversely and longitudinally relative to the grinding direction, using a Mitutoyo SJ-210 profilometer and the optical method. Based on ANOVA analysis of the data, it was found that the type of HDF boards used and the configuration of the abrasive belts had a statistically significant impact on the roughness. The samples for which the grinding process was performed with sanding belts of the highest grain size had the lowest roughness. For the amplitude roughness parameters, the direction of roughness measurement had a significant influence. These results may provide valuable guidance for the furniture industry in the preparation of HDF for furniture production.     

No clear associations between subjective memory concerns and subsequent change in cognitive function: the PATH through life study

The literature on subjective memory concerns (SMC) as a predictor for future cognitive decline is varied. Furthermore, recent research has pointed to additional complexity arising from variability in the experience of SMC themselves (i.e. whether they are remitting or sustained over time). We investigated the associations between SMC and objectively measured cognition in an Australian population-based cohort. Four waves (4-year intervals between waves) of data from 1236 participants (aged 62.4 ± 1.5 years, 53% male) were used. We categorized participants as experiencing SMC, when they indicated that their memory problems might interfere with their day-to-day life and/or they had seen a doctor about their memory. SMC was categorized as “no” reported SMC, “remitting”, “new-onset” or “sustained” SMC. Cognitive assessment of immediate and delayed recall, working memory, psychomotor speed, attention and processing speed were assessed using a neuropsychological battery. Eighteen percent of participants were characterised as having SMC: 6% (77) “remitting”, 6% (77) “new-onset” and 6% (69) “sustained” SMC. There was no consistent evidence for an association between SMC and subsequent decline in cognition. However, SMC was associated with poorer performance on contemporaneous tasks of attention and processing speed compared to “no” SMC. Asking about SMC may indicate a current decline in cognitive function but, in this sample at least, did not indicate an increased risk of future decline.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10433-022-00694-2.     

Changes in cerebral blood flow before,during, and after forward and backward walking in stroke patients trained using virtual reality walking videos with deliberately induced inaccuracies in walking speed estimations

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to examine the effects of virtual reality (VR) training, with deliberately induced inaccuracies in walking speed estimations, on brain activity. [Participants and Methods] The study participants were 21 stroke patients, and the walking tasks involved forward and backward walking. While the VR walking speed was set at 3 km/h, estimation errors were induced by using an actual walking speed of 1 km/h during the walking tasks. Cerebral blood flow was measured using two functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) channels located over the left and right prefrontal cortices, to determine changes in oxyhemoglobin levels from the resting state. Cerebral hemodynamics were compared during and after the VR training. [Results] The backward walking task induced a significant increase in cerebral blood flow in the right prefrontal cortex during and after the VR training. No significant changes were observed during the forward walking task. [Conclusion] In the backward walking condition, greater activation of the right prefrontal cortex was observed during and immediately after the VR training. Watching VR may have led to inaccurate walking-speed estimations, necessitating postural control (which may be attributed to the activation of the prefrontal cortex) during walking.