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1.
Aesthetic Plast Surg ; 2024 Mar 04.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38438757

RESUMO

Breast augmentation procedures using silicone implants have become increasingly popular over the past six decades. This article addresses the concerns of patients regarding implant strength by providing clinicians with valuable information in addition to video and pictorial evidence to share, fostering reassurance. The article focuses on the structural integrity and stability of breast implants, which play a critical role in their long-term performance and patient satisfaction. Specifically, it examines the industry standards outlined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), with a particular emphasis on ISO14607-2018, which encompasses a range of mechanical and physio-mechanical tests, including the assessment of silicone gel-fill firmness, evaluation of shell integrity, and examination of the impact of environmental conditions on implant performance. Breast implants are not static devices and are subject to aging and fatigue-based degradation. This emphasizes the need for ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure the long-term safety and satisfaction of patients. By providing a comprehensive examination of breast implant structure and industry standards, this article equips clinicians with the necessary knowledge to address patient concerns and foster confidence in the safety and longevity of breast augmentation procedures using silicone implants.Level of Evidence III This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

3.
Clin Toxicol (Phila) ; 62(1): 10-18, 2024 Jan.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38421358

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis intoxication may increase the risk of motor vehicle crashes. However, reliable methods of assessing cannabis intoxication are limited. The presence of eyelid tremors is among the signs of cannabis use identified under the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Our objectives were to assess the accuracy and replicability of identifying eyelid tremor as an indicator of recent cannabis smoking using a blinded, controlled study design. METHODS: Adult subjects (N = 103) were recruited into three groups based on their cannabis use history: daily, occasional, and no current cannabis use. Participants' closed eyelids were video recorded for 30 seconds by infrared videography goggles before and at a mean ± standard deviation time of 71.4 ± 4.6 minutes after the onset of a 15-minute interval of ad libitum cannabis flower smoking or vaping. Three observers with expertise in neuro-ophthalmology and medical toxicology were trained on exemplar videos of eyelids to reach a consensus on how to grade eyelid tremor. Without knowledge of subjects' cannabis use history or time point (pre- or post-smoking), observers reviewed each video for eyelid tremor graded as absent, slight, moderate, or severe. During subsequent data analysis, this score was further dichotomized as a consensus score of absent (absent/slight) or present (moderate/severe). RESULTS: Kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient statistics demonstrated moderate agreement among the coders, which ranged from 0.44-0.45 and 0.58-0.61, respectively. There was no significant association between recent cannabis use and the observers' consensus assessment that eyelid tremor was present, and cannabis users were less likely to have tremors (odds ratio: 0.75; 95 percent confidence interval: 0.25, 2.40). The assessment of eyelid tremor as an indicator of recent cannabis smoking had a sensitivity of 0.86, specificity of 0.18, and accuracy of 0.64. DISCUSSION: Eyelid tremor has fair sensitivity but poor specificity and accuracy for identification of recent cannabis use. Inter-rater reliability for assessment of eyelid tremor was moderate for the presence and degree of tremor. The weak association between recent cannabis use and eyelid tremor does not support its utility in identifying recent cannabis use. LIMITATIONS: Videos were recorded at only one time point after cannabis use. Adherence to abstinence could not be strictly supervised. Due to regulatory restrictions, we were unable to control the cannabis product used or administer a fixed Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol dose. Participants were predominately non-Hispanic and White. CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort of participants with a range of cannabis use histories, acute cannabis smoking was not associated with the presence of eyelid tremor, regardless of cannabis use history, at 70 minutes post-smoking. Additional research is needed to identify the presence of eyelid tremor accurately, determine the relationship between cannabis dose and timeline in relation to last cannabis use to eyelid tremor, and determine how it should be, if at all, utilized for cannabis Drug Recognition Evaluator examinations.


Assuntos
Pálpebras , Alucinógenos , Abuso de Maconha , Detecção do Abuso de Substâncias , Adulto , Humanos , Cannabis , Pálpebras/efeitos dos fármacos , Fumar Maconha , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Tremor/induzido quimicamente , Tremor/diagnóstico , Abuso de Maconha/diagnóstico , Detecção do Abuso de Substâncias/métodos
4.
J Cannabis Res ; 6(1): 3, 2024 Feb 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38308382

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Acute cannabis use has been demonstrated to slow reaction time and affect decision-making and short-term memory. These effects may have utility in identifying impairment associated with recent use. However, these effects have not been widely investigated among individuals with a pattern of daily use, who may have acquired tolerance. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of tolerance to cannabis on the acute effects as measured by reaction time, decision-making (gap acceptance), and short-term memory. METHODS: Participants (ages 25-45) completed a tablet-based (iPad) test battery before and approximately 60 min after smoking cannabis flower. The change in performance from before to after cannabis use was compared across three groups of cannabis users: (1) occasional use (n = 23); (2) daily use (n = 31); or (3) no current use (n = 32). Participants in the occasional and daily use group self-administered ad libitum, by smoking or vaping, self-supplied cannabis flower with a high concentration of total THC (15-30%). RESULTS: The occasional use group exhibited decrements in reaction time (slowed) and short-term memory (replicated fewer shapes) from before to after cannabis use, as compared to the no-use group. In the gap acceptance task, daily use participants took more time to complete the task post-smoking cannabis as compared to those with no use or occasional use; however, the level of accuracy did not significantly change. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are consistent with acquired tolerance to certain acute psychomotor effects with daily cannabis use. The finding from the gap acceptance task which showed a decline in speed but not accuracy may indicate a prioritization of accuracy over response time. Cognitive and psychomotor assessments may have utility for identifying impairment associated with recent cannabis use.

5.
Biostatistics ; 2024 Feb 29.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38423531

RESUMO

Dynamic models have been successfully used in producing estimates of HIV epidemics at the national level due to their epidemiological nature and their ability to estimate prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates simultaneously. Recently, HIV interventions and policies have required more information at sub-national levels to support local planning, decision-making and resource allocation. Unfortunately, many areas lack sufficient data for deriving stable and reliable results, and this is a critical technical barrier to more stratified estimates. One solution is to borrow information from other areas within the same country. However, directly assuming hierarchical structures within the HIV dynamic models is complicated and computationally time-consuming. In this article, we propose a simple and innovative way to incorporate hierarchical information into the dynamical systems by using auxiliary data. The proposed method efficiently uses information from multiple areas within each country without increasing the computational burden. As a result, the new model improves predictive ability and uncertainty assessment.

6.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr ; 95(1S): e34-e45, 2024 01 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38180737

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Previously, The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS estimated proportions of adult new HIV infections among key populations (KPs) in the last calendar year, globally and in 8 regions. We refined and updated these, for 2010 and 2022, using country-level trend models informed by national data. METHODS: Infections among 15-49 year olds were estimated for sex workers (SWs), male clients of female SW, men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID), transgender women (TGW), and non-KP sex partners of these groups. Transmission models used were Goals (71 countries), AIDS Epidemic Model (13 Asian countries), Optima (9 European and Central Asian countries), and Thembisa (South Africa). Statistical Estimation and Projection Package fits were used for 15 countries. For 40 countries, new infections in 1 or more KPs were approximated from first-time diagnoses by the mode of transmission. Infection proportions among nonclient partners came from Goals, Optima, AIDS Epidemic Model, and Thembisa. For remaining countries and groups not represented in models, median proportions by KP were extrapolated from countries modeled within the same region. RESULTS: Across 172 countries, estimated proportions of new adult infections in 2010 and 2022 were both 7.7% for SW, 11% and 20% for MSM, 0.72% and 1.1% for TGW, 6.8% and 8.0% for PWID, 12% and 10% for clients, and 5.3% and 8.2% for nonclient partners. In sub-Saharan Africa, proportions of new HIV infections decreased among SW, clients, and non-KP partners but increased for PWID; elsewhere these groups' 2010-to-2022 differences were opposite. For MSM and TGW, the proportions increased across all regions. CONCLUSIONS: KPs continue to have disproportionately high HIV incidence.


Assuntos
Síndrome de Imunodeficiência Adquirida , Infecções por HIV , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa , Adulto , Feminino , Masculino , Humanos , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Homossexualidade Masculina
7.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr ; 95(1S): e59-e69, 2024 01 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38180739

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Key populations (KPs), including female sex workers (FSWs), gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID), and transgender women (TGW) experience disproportionate risks of HIV acquisition. The UNAIDS Global AIDS 2022 Update reported that one-quarter of all new HIV infections occurred among their non-KP sexual partners. However, this fraction relied on heuristics regarding the ratio of new infections that KPs transmitted to their non-KP partners to the new infections acquired among KPs (herein referred to as "infection ratios"). We recalculated these ratios using dynamic transmission models. SETTING: One hundred seventy-eight settings (106 countries). METHODS: Infection ratios for FSW, MSM, PWID, TGW, and clients of FSW were estimated from 12 models for 2020. RESULTS: Median model estimates of infection ratios were 0.7 (interquartile range: 0.5-1.0; n = 172 estimates) and 1.2 (0.8-1.8; n = 127) for acquisitions from FSW clients and transmissions from FSW to all their non-KP partners, respectively, which were comparable with the previous UNAIDS assumptions (0.2-1.5 across regions). Model estimates for female partners of MSM were 0.5 (0.2-0.8; n = 20) and 0.3 (0.2-0.4; n = 10) for partners of PWID across settings in Eastern and Southern Africa, lower than the corresponding UNAIDS assumptions (0.9 and 0.8, respectively). The few available model estimates for TGW were higher [5.1 (1.2-7.0; n = 8)] than the UNAIDS assumptions (0.1-0.3). Model estimates for non-FSW partners of FSW clients in Western and Central Africa were high (1.7; 1.0-2.3; n = 29). CONCLUSIONS: Ratios of new infections among non-KP partners relative to KP were high, confirming the importance of better addressing prevention and treatment needs among KP as central to reducing overall HIV incidence.


Assuntos
Infecções por HIV , Profissionais do Sexo , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa , Masculino , Humanos , Feminino , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Homossexualidade Masculina
8.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr ; 95(1S): e13-e23, 2024 01 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38180846

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Thirteen Asian countries use the AIDS Epidemic Model (AEM) as their HIV model of choice. This article describes AEM, its inputs, and its application to national modeling. SETTING: AEM is an incidence tool used by Spectrum for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS global estimates process. METHODS: AEM simulates transmission of HIV among key populations (KPs) using measured trends in risk behaviors. The inputs, structure and calculations, interface, and outputs of AEM are described. The AEM process includes (1) collating and synthesizing data on KP risk behaviors, epidemiology, and size to produce model input trends; (2) calibrating the model to observed HIV prevalence; (3) extracting outputs by KP to describe epidemic dynamics and assist in improving responses; and (4) importing AEM incidence into Spectrum for global estimates. Recent changes to better align AEM mortality with Spectrum and add preexposure prophylaxis are described. RESULTS: The application of AEM in Thailand is presented, describing the outputs and uses in-country. AEM replicated observed epidemiological trends when given observed behavioral inputs. The strengths and limitations of AEM are presented and used to inform thoughts on future directions for global models. CONCLUSIONS: AEM captures regional HIV epidemiology well and continues to evolve to meet country and global process needs. The addition of time-varying mortality and progression parameters has improved the alignment of the key population compartmental model of AEM with the age-sex-structured national model of Spectrum. Many of the features of AEM, including tracking the sources of infections over time, should be incorporated in future global efforts to build more generalizable models to guide policy and programs.


Assuntos
Síndrome de Imunodeficiência Adquirida , Epidemias , Infecções por HIV , Humanos , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Tailândia
9.
Matern Child Nutr ; : e13605, 2023 Dec 13.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38093409

RESUMO

Stunting affects almost one-quarter of children globally, leading to reduced human capacity and increased long-term risk of chronic disease. Despite intensive infant and young child feeding (IYCF) interventions, many children do not meet their requirements for essential nutrients. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of implementing an IYCF intervention utilizing nutrient-dense powders from egg, biofortified sugar beans and Moringa oleifera leaf in rural Zimbabwe. A mixed-methods formative study was conducted comprising the following: (i) a recipe formulation trial, (ii) trials of improved practices to assess acceptability of the intervention, and (iii) a participatory message formulation process to develop counselling modules for the IYCF-plus intervention. Twenty-seven mother-baby pairs were recruited between November 2019 and April 2020. Key domains affecting IYCF practices that emerged were time, emotional and physical space, cultural and religious beliefs, indigenous knowledge systems and gender dynamics. Household observations and sensory evaluation indicated high acceptability of the new ingredients. Recipe formulation and participatory message formulation by participants instilled community ownership and served to demystify existing misconceptions about the new food products. Families noted the potential for intervention sustainability because the foods could be grown locally. Supplementing complementary foods with nutrient-dense local food ingredients as powders has the potential to sustainably address nutrient-gaps in the diets of young children living in rural lower- and middle-income countries. Comprehensive IYCF counselling utilizing a gender-lens approach, family support and indigenous knowledge systems or resources are key elements to support positive behaviour change in complementary feeding interventions.

10.
BMJ Glob Health ; 8(11)2023 11 24.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38007225

RESUMO

International financing for health has been high on the political and global health agenda since COVID-19. The recent launch of the Pandemic Fund represents the first consolidated effort of the international community to mobilise additional voluntary financial resources for the purpose of strengthening global efforts in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR). Against such a dynamic landscape, building on recent critiques and new policy proposals, we propose a new generation of more equitable, effective and coordinated financing arrangements for pandemic PPR and for global health and development more broadly: lessons that could be applied in the ongoing endeavour of the Pandemic Fund. We also explore the principles of Global Public Investment and consider their potential to achieve greater inclusiveness in governance, diversity in financing, and transparency and performance in operations. The Pandemic Fund could become the first example of a global health initiative based on innovative concepts. It needs to be broad based, more flexible, leverage a great variety of funding sources and join forces with multiple stakeholders to maximise the impact.


Assuntos
Cooperação Internacional , Pandemias , Humanos , Saúde Global , Políticas
12.
Diabetes Res Clin Pract ; 202: 110830, 2023 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37451626

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To conduct an Australian community-led survey of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D), identifying priorities for, and barriers to, optimal use of advanced glucose management technologies. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A 30-question online survey of current or past users of insulin pump therapy (IPT), real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM), or intermittently scanned CGM (isCGM) explored perceptions regarding device design, access, education, outcomes, and support. RESULTS: Between November 2021 and January 2022, surveys were completed by 3,380 participants (age [mean ± SD] 45 ± 16 years; 62% female; 20 ± 14 years diabetes), with 55%, 82%, and 55% reporting experience with IPT, RT-CGM, and isCGM, respectively. Overall, most considered diabetes technology '(extremely) important' for maintaining target glucose levels (98%) and reducing hypoglycaemia severity and frequency (93%). For most, technology contributed positively to emotional well-being (IPT 89%; RT-CGM 91%; isCGM 87%), which was associated with device effectiveness in maintaining glucose in range, comfort, and convenience. Barriers included affordability (IPT 68%; RT-CGM 81%; isCGM 69%) and insufficient information for informed choices about device suitability (IPT 39%; RT-CGM 41%; isCGM 36%). CONCLUSIONS: Technology is perceived by adults with T1D as important for managing glycaemia and emotional well-being. Modifiable barriers to use include affordability, and information regarding device suitability.


Assuntos
Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1 , Insulinas , Humanos , Adulto , Feminino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Masculino , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1/tratamento farmacológico , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1/psicologia , Glicemia , Automonitorização da Glicemia , Austrália/epidemiologia , Poder Psicológico , Hipoglicemiantes/uso terapêutico , Insulina/uso terapêutico
13.
BMJ Lead ; 7(3): 226-228, 2023 Sep.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37192095

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The renal transplant team in Northern Ireland performed 70 transplants in 61 days during the first wave of COVID-19, an 8-fold increase in their typical activity. Mobilising diverse professional skills to achieve this number, especially under COVID-19 conditions, required extraordinary effort on the part of everyone involved along the transplant patient pathway, management and staff from other patient groups. METHODS: Fifteen transplant team members were interviewed to explore their experiences during this time. RESULTS: Seven key leadership and followership lessons, contextualised within The Healthcare Leadership model, were learnt from these experiences. CONCLUSIONS: While circumstances were untypical, the achievement and motivation of staff were no less commendable. We contend that this was not only because of the unusual circumstances but as a result of extraordinary leadership and followership, teamworking and individual agility.Recommendations for those leading services which require a quick response and collaborative effort are made.

14.
Aesthetic Plast Surg ; 47(5): 1905-1910, 2023 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36596923

RESUMO

Seroma is a common problem following abdominoplasty surgery. Both compressive garments with drains and progressive tension sutures have their advocates to minimise seroma formation. This is a retrospective study in which patients underwent an identical surgical procedure, except for use of drains and garments in comparison to progressive tension sutures between 2005 and 2020. Two hundred thirty-two patients were included in the study 61 in the drains and garment group (DG group), and 171 with progressive tension sutures (PTS group) alone. There was a lower incidence of seroma formation in the PTS group (X2 (1, N = 232) = 6.35, P = .012). The weight of tissue excised in the PTS group was greater than the DG group (P < .001). There was there a significantly higher tissue excision weights for patients who developed a seroma, compared with those who did not (P=.02). Patients, who developed a seroma in the PTS group, had significantly greater excision weights than the DG group. Liposuction did not change the incidence of seroma in each group (X2 (4, N = 232) = 6.701, P = .08 n/s). This study demonstrates the effectiveness of progressive tension sutures in reducing the incidence of seroma formation following abdominoplasty, particularly when large excision weights are involved. The addition of small volume liposuction distant to the abdominal flap does not increase the incidence of seroma formation.Level of Evidence III This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .


Assuntos
Abdominoplastia , Seroma , Humanos , Seroma/epidemiologia , Seroma/etiologia , Seroma/prevenção & controle , Estudos Retrospectivos , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/epidemiologia , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/prevenção & controle , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/etiologia , Abdominoplastia/efeitos adversos , Abdominoplastia/métodos , Suturas/efeitos adversos
16.
BMJ Open ; 12(12): e056435, 2022 12 30.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36585147

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Over one-quarter of children in sub-Saharan Africa are stunted; however, commercial supplements only partially meet child nutrient requirements, cannot be sustainably produced, and do not resolve physiological barriers to adequate nutrition (eg, inflammation, microbiome dysbiosis and metabolic dysfunction). Redesigning current infant and young child feeding (IYCF) interventions using locally available foods to improve intake, uptake and utilisation of nutrients could ameliorate underlying pathogenic pathways and improve infant growth during the critical period of complementary feeding, to reduce the global burden of stunting. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Child Health Agriculture Integrated Nutrition is an open-label, individual household randomised trial comparing the effects of IYCF versus 'IYCF-plus' on nutrient intake during infancy. The IYCF intervention comprises behaviour change modules to promote infant nutrition delivered by community health workers, plus small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements from 6 to 12 months of age which previously reduced stunting at 18 months of age by ~20% in rural Zimbabwe. The 'IYCF-plus' intervention provides these components plus powdered NUA-45 biofortified sugar beans, whole egg powder, moringa leaf powder and provitamin A maize. The trial will enrol 192 infants between 5 and 6 months of age in Shurugwi district, Zimbabwe. Research nurses will collect data plus blood, urine and stool samples at baseline (5-6 months of age) and endline (9-11 months of age). The primary outcome is energy intake, measured by multipass 24-hour dietary recall at 9-11 months of age. Secondary outcomes include nutrient intake, anthropometry and haemoglobin concentration. Nested laboratory substudies will evaluate the gut microbiome, environmental enteric dysfunction, metabolic phenotypes and innate immune function. Qualitative substudies will explore the acceptability and feasibility of the IYCF-plus intervention among participants and community stakeholders, and the effects of migration on food production and consumption. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04874688) and was approved by the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ/A/2679) with the final version 1.4 approved on 20 August 2021, following additional amendments. Dissemination of trial results will be conducted through the Community Engagement Advisory Board in the study district and through national-level platforms. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04874688.


Assuntos
Saúde da Criança , Fenômenos Fisiológicos da Nutrição do Lactente , Criança , Humanos , Lactente , Zimbábue , Pós , Fenômenos Fisiológicos da Nutrição do Lactente/fisiologia , Suplementos Nutricionais , Transtornos do Crescimento/prevenção & controle , Agricultura/métodos , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto
17.
Health Place ; 78: 102935, 2022 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36356381

RESUMO

This paper analyses the findings from qualitative interviews conducted as part of a cross-disciplinary pilot study into the efficacy of the Friendship Bench for promoting mental health amongst rural women living in Shurugwi District, Zimbabwe. Informed by UNICEF's nurturing care framework, the pilot study hypothesised that women's caring capabilities would be enhanced if a cost-effective intervention could be found for those suffering from common mental disorders (CMD), locally referred to as kufungisisa. Focusing on the women's accounts of their embodiment of kufungisisa, the paper further highlights the important role that gender plays in women's experience of common mental health disorders. More critically, it identifies the ways in which patriarchal social relations may be reinforced through the spaces of global health interventions such as the one reported on here. The paper concludes with a moment of self-reflection. Specifically, it poses the question that our paper, and the global health intervention it reports upon, would look very different if the women's experiences of kufungisisa were considered not only as they appear in the present but at the intersection of social and spatial relations that have much longer histories.


Assuntos
Identidade de Gênero , Saúde Global , Feminino , Humanos , Zimbábue , Projetos Piloto , População Rural
18.
Front Hum Neurosci ; 16: 983226, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35966997

RESUMO

Implantable neurotechnology devices such as Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and Deep Brain Stimulators (DBS) are an increasing part of treating or exploring potential treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders. While only a few devices are approved, many promising prospects for future devices are under investigation. The decision to participate in a clinical trial can be challenging, given a variety of risks to be taken into consideration. During the consent process, prospective participants might lack the language to consider those risks, feel unprepared, or simply not know what questions to ask. One tool to help empower participants to play a more active role during the consent process is a Question Prompt List (QPL). QPLs are communication tools that can prompt participants and patients to articulate potential concerns. They offer a structured list of disease, treatment, or research intervention-specific questions that research participants can use as support for question asking. While QPLs have been studied as tools for improving the consent process during cancer treatment, in this paper, we suggest they would be helpful in neurotechnology research, and offer an example of a QPL as a template for an informed consent tool in neurotechnology device trials.

19.
iScience ; 25(8): 104725, 2022 Aug 19.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35874095

RESUMO

This article investigates the unexplored potentials of vortices or orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams using the low-cost and high-gain dielectric reflectarray antennas (RAs) at the terahertz (THz) band. It proposes a paradigm to enable 3D beam-steering or OAM multiplexing by a single structure via tilted OAM beams. That, in turn, requires reaching the maximal attainable angles either to send multiple beams to different receivers or to focus the OAM beams of different modes in a desired direction. For this reason, two concepts are addressed in this work: (i). generating a single 3D steered OAM beam and (ii) producing multiple off-centered OAM beams with different modes. A volumetric unit cell is adopted to be accurately tuned through the aperture to steer the generated beams towards the desired direction(s). The proposed paradigm can be utilized to produce RAs with beam-steering or OAM multiplexing capabilities as candidates for THz indoor communications.

20.
Traffic Inj Prev ; 23(sup1): S1-S7, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35686998

RESUMO

Objective: This research explores the driving performance of people who use cannabis daily or occasionally during distraction tasks performed following acute cannabis use.Methods: Healthy adults aged 25 to 45 years with different cannabis usage histories were recruited to participate in a within-subjects controlled experiment using a car-based driving simulator. Participants were classified as having daily use (n = 31), occasional use (1 or 2 times per week; n = 24), or no-use (n = 30). Participants completed a practice drive followed by four 5-10 minute driving scenarios during the baseline period. Participants then smoked self-procured cannabis flower ad libitum for up to 15 minutes. Thirty minutes later, they completed four additional 5-10 minute scenarios. Scenarios were paired according to difficulty and randomized across the baseline and post-use periods. Each scenario contained between 0 and 3 repetitions of a distraction task where the participant was prompted by an audio message to select an app from a 4 × 5 grid displayed on a mounted tablet, a step that would require briefly looking away from the roadway. Measures of driving performance (lane departures, standard deviation of lateral position) were assessed during the five-second period following the audio trigger and analyzed using generalized linear mixed models.Results: Those with a pattern of occasional use were significantly more likely to experience a lane departure during distraction periods after acute cannabis use relative to baseline (OR = 3.71, p = 0.04, CI = 1.04, 13.17), while those with daily use did not exhibit a similar increase (OR = 1.56, p = 0.43, CI = 0.52, 4.64). Changes in departure risk were significantly greater for the occasional use group compared to no-use (p = 0.02), but not for the daily use group compared to no-use (p = 0.18). However, following acute use, those who use daily exhibited decreases in speed relative to baseline in comparison to the changes observed in the no-use group (p = 0.02), while differences between occasional and no-use did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.052). Differences in standard deviation of lateral position were not statistically significant, likely due to the short duration of tasks.Conclusions: These results find the largest potential safety concerns associated with a pattern of occasional use, who displayed an increase in lane departures after acute cannabis smoking. Those in the daily use group decreased their speed, which may be interpreted as compensation for drug effects. Further research is needed to understand the effects during longer and more complex secondary tasks.


Assuntos
Cannabis , Direção Distraída , Fumar Maconha , Desempenho Psicomotor , Adulto , Humanos , Cannabis/efeitos adversos , Fumar Maconha/epidemiologia , Desempenho Psicomotor/efeitos dos fármacos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Simulação por Computador , Direção Distraída/psicologia , Direção Distraída/estatística & dados numéricos
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