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At least 1,243 records · Page 69Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Virtual reality in the rehabilitation of the upper limb after stroke: the user's perspective.

Our group has developed a relatively low-cost virtual reality (VR) system for rehabilitation of the upper limb following stroke. Our system is immersive in that the participant views a representation of their arm and hand, reaching and retrieving objects in the virtual environment (VE), through a head-mounted display (HMD). This is thought to increase the participant's sense of presence in the VE and may lead to improved rehabilitation outcomes. However, use of immersion, particularly with our low-cost system, may increase the incidence of side effects reported. Therefore, the aim of this project was to assess the interaction of healthy users and those following stroke, in terms of their experience of presence in the VE and the rate of self-reported side effects. Differences in rates of perceived exertion, levels of enjoyment, and sense of control between both groups were also explored.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The reaction of dentists to members of groups at risk of AIDS.

An experimental field study examined dentists' attitudes and actual behaviors toward men who belong to groups at great risk of AIDS. A total of 102 randomly selected dentists were uninformed subjects who examined an actor in need of dental care and who played three roles as a patient: one who is heterosexual, homosexual, and an intravenous drug user. After each examination, the actor/patient completed a questionnaire about his experience and the dentists were interviewed about homosexuality and AIDS. The dentists were then debriefed and told that they were part of an experiment. Despite negative feelings toward homosexuality, only one dentist refused to treat the actor when he was perceived to be homosexual. One dentist also rejected him when he played the part of an intravenous drug user.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1993

Image segmentation: methods and applications in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine.

We review and discuss different classes of image segmentation methods. The usefulness of these methods is illustrated by a number of clinical cases. Segmentation is the process of assigning labels to pixels in 2D images or voxels in 3D images. Typically the effect is that the image is split up into segments, also called regions or areas. In medical imaging it is essential for quantification of outlined structures and for 3D visualization of relevant image data. Based on the level of implemented model knowledge we have classified these methods into (1) manual delineation, (2) low-level segmentation, and (3) model-based segmentation. Pure manual delineation of structures in a series of images is time-consuming and user-dependent and should therefore be restricted to quick experiments. Low-level segmentation analyzes the image locally at each pixel in the image and is practically limited to high-contrast images. Model-based segmentation uses knowledge of object structure such as global shape or semantic context. It typically requires an initialization, for example in the form of a rough approximation of the contour to be found. In practice it turns out that the use of high-level knowledge, e.g. anatomical knowledge, in the segmentation algorithm is quite complicated. Generally, the number of clinical applications decreases with the level and extent of prior knowledge needed by the segmentation algorithm. Most problems of segmentation inaccuracies can be overcome by human interaction. Promising segmentation methods for complex images are therefore user-guided and thus semi-automatic. They require manual intervention and guidance and consist of fast and accurate refinement techniques to assist the human operator.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1984

Pelvic infection: a comparison of the Dalkon shield and three other intrauterine devices.

A detailed analysis was undertaken of reports of possible pelvic infection in relation to the use of four commonly fitted intrauterine contraceptive devices during 1971 to 1978 in the United Kingdom. The four devices were the Dalkon shield, Lippes loops 3C and 2D, and the Gravigard (copper 7), and data used were those collected systematically through the UK intrauterine device research network. Prospective reports that the Dalkon shield was uniquely related to high levels of infection when compared with other intrauterine devices were not substantiated in this prospective study among 13 349 users. Though some factors such as social class and previous experience of abortion appeared to influence the rate of infection, the type of intrauterine device being worn did not appear to be a significant factor. Various methods of analysis were used including life table, regression, and discriminant analysis, using information relating to the type of intrauterine device worn, the characteristics of the user, the fitting centre, and the pattern of diagnosis and treatment of reported or suspected pelvic infection. The results of this study suggest that fears that the Dalkon shield may be associated with a higher incidence of pelvic infection than other intrauterine devices may have been unjustified.

Female↗
PubMed2004

Condom use history as a determinant of university students' condom evaluative index.

Researchers examined the mean sum scores of 15 semantic differential scales to specify the evaluative index assigned to the term condom by 173 undergraduate students at a large public university. Of interest was whether evaluative indices were different for men and women, and for condom ever-users versus never-users. There was no sex difference in semantic evaluation of condom. However, the mean sum score of persons with prior condom experience reflected a significantly more positive rating compared to persons who were never-users. Because use of condoms is associated with an evaluative index that is statistically more favorable, encouraging sexually active young adults to try condoms may promote consistency of use, and thereby reduce undesired pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Indoor climate and occupational health--experiences from Hedmark and Oppland].

We discuss investigations of 22 buildings where users had complained about indoor air and climate. Complaints about "dry air" were the most frequent. Insufficient care and cleaning of the furnishings and technical installations were demonstrated in 17 buildings. Proper documentation and instruction manuals for the maintenance of the installations were not found in any of the buildings. The personnel responsible for the installations had not received adequate instructions. Free man - made mineral fibres (MMMF) were found in the indoor environments in 12-15 of the buildings, originating from the furnishings or the technical climate-installations. Ten of the premises had filted carpets. In at least 13 of the buildings the indoor air temperature was too high, which exacerbated the problems. Better information and a higher level of understanding of problems relating to the indoor climate seems to be needed for all persons involved with these problems.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed1998

User charges and the demand for acute paediatric traumatology services.

The city of Helsinki in 1991 introduced moderate patient charges for certain acute paediatric services. This provided the framework for a natural, partially controlled experiment on price elasticity of demand for acute paediatric trauma services. A cross-sectional time-series analysis of a partially controlled natural experiment was done for the period 1989-1994. The findings suggest that moderate user charges may reduce the demand for paediatric trauma services measurably. The effect was diagnosis-specific and, on average, stronger in older than in pre-school children. It probably had a negligible impact on long-term health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The use of herbal medicine by older Mexican Americans.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about use of herbal medicines by older Mexican Americans. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics among older Mexican Americans that correlate with use of herbal medicines. METHODS: We administered a cross-sectional regional sample survey, the 1993-1994 Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly of Mexican Americans, by in-home interviews of noninstitutionalized older Mexican Americans age 65 and over living in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and California. RESULTS: The use of herbal medicine in the 2 weeks prior to the interview was reported by 9.8% of the sample. Chamomile and mint were the two most commonly used herbs. Users of herbal medicines were more likely to be women, born in Mexico, over age 75, living alone, and experiencing some financial strain. Having arthritis, urinary incontinence, asthma, and hip fracture were also associated with an elevated use of herbal medicines, whereas heart attacks were not. We found that herbal medicine use was substantially higher among individuals reporting any disability in activities of daily living, poor self-reported health, and depressive symptoms. Herbal medicine use was associated with the use of over-the-counter medications but not with prescription medications. Herbal medicine use was particularly high among respondents who had over 24 physician visits during the year prior to interview. CONCLUSIONS: Herbal medication use is common among older Mexican Americans, particularly among those with chronic medical conditions, those who experience financial strain, and those who are very frequent users of formal health care services.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Comparison of clinical symptoms of human immunodeficiency virus disease between intravenous drug users and homosexual men.

BACKGROUND: To compare the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related clinical symptoms among male intravenous drug users and homosexual men stratified by HIV serostatus and CD4 cell levels. METHODS: A cross-sectional sample using concurrent longitudinal studies of the natural history of HIV-1 infection among intravenous drug users (N = 539) and homosexual men (N = 932) was recruited in Baltimore, Md. Participants were administered a risk behavior interview and physical examination, and had hematologic tests evaluated in a similar calendar period. RESULTS: Both risk groups demonstrated an inverse relationship between frequency of symptoms and CD4 cell count. Fever, night sweats, and lymphadenopathy were not evaluated because pilot data suggested a confounding association with drug injection. Among those with mild to moderate immune suppression, intravenous drug users were significantly more likely than homosexual men to experience fatigue, weight loss, diarrhea, and shortness of breath; to have oral candidiasis, palpable spleen, and lower mean weight on physical examination; and abnormal hematocrit, platelets, and total lymphocyte counts. However, participants in either risk group with CD4 cell levels below 0.2 x 10(9)/L experienced similar frequency of all clinical symptoms. Self-reported oral candidiasis increased fourfold with HIV infection and was as likely in both groups at all CD4 cell levels. Duration and recency of intravenous drug use was not significantly associated with the higher frequency of most clinical symptoms. CONCLUSION: Social factors are an important consideration in evaluating the association between clinical symptoms and HIV immunosuppression. Except for oral candidiasis, there are limitations for the use of clinical symptoms as intermediate outcome measures for HIV infection among intravenous drug users.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Fiber numbers per unit weight of JFM standard reference samples determined with a scanning electron microscope. Japan Fibrous Material.

A standard reference 10 sample-set of fibrous minerals were prepared by the Japan Fibrous Material Research Association (JFMRA) under the name of JMF standard reference samples. In this paper, the fiber number per unit weight of JFM standard reference samples was determined with a scanning electron microscope. Fiber numbers per unit weight (f/microgram) and standard deviations observed in this experiment were as follows: glass wool (GW1) 7.0 +/- 0.1 x 10(2), rock wool (RW1) 1.7 +/- 0.2 x 10(3), micro glass fiber (MG1) 6.5 +/- 0.4 x 10(4), refractory ceramic fibers; (RF1) 8.8 +/- 0.7 x 10(3), (RF2) 8.7 +/- 0.8 x 10(3), mullite fibers (RF3) 3.5 +/- 0.7 x 10(3), potassium titanate whisker (PT1) 5.9 +/- 0.3 x 10(5), silicon carbide whisker (SC1) 4.1 +/- 0.4 x 10(5), titanium oxide whisker (rutile) (TO1) 6.4 +/- 0.6 x 10(5), and wollastonite (WO1) 2.4 +/- 0.1 x 10(4). Fiber numbers per unit weight would change in proportion to the cube or cube root of the fiber size if the fibers have the same density and the same aspect ratio. JFM standard reference samples should be used taking into consideration the difference in fiber number per unit weight when users conduct in vitro and/or in vivo (injection) biological experiments using these samples.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

[Discovering pathways for health research in dealing with the social movement].

This article is about methodology for scientific research in health, where the researcher is an important part of the object of investigation. The implementation of a broad-based Health Reform in Brazil depends on the involvement of users. It is important to guarantee these social rights. Many experiences sharing this concern are going on in this country. Still, research on the relationship between institutional work in health and the Social Movement lacks a predefined methodology. Therefore, the main objectives of this study are the following: to contribute to the discussion of possible ways of approaching the mechanisms of relationships between health and users of health services, and to collaborate with the development of the citizenship process. This work was done through theoretical research on participatory methodology and "action-based research". The following aspects are particularly important: definition of the object of study, self-positioning by the researcher, subjective explanations, documentary surveys and interviews for case studies, and feedback to theory. Finally, the author concludes that this methodology allows for an understanding of some mechanisms that explain the relationship between macro- and micro-structural analyses. In addition, one also observes a maturation process in the research protagonists.

English Abstract↗
PubMed2004

Verbal working memory deficits in current and previous users of MDMA.

Previous research suggests that MDMA users are impaired in various aspects of cognitive functioning, however, it remains unclear whether they might experience deficits in established measures of verbal working memory functioning. In the present study current and previous MDMA users were compared with non-users on verbal working memory measures including reading and computation span. Both user groups were found to be impaired on the computation span measure while current users also exhibited impairment in reading span. The MDMA-related deficit on the computation span measure remained significant following the introduction of statistical controls for the potentially confounding effects of cannabis and other drugs. The results are discussed in the context of recent research on executive processes. It is suggested that MDMA may produce differential effects on specific components within a fractionated executive system.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Involving service users in interprofessional education narrowing the gap between theory and practice.

Calls for greater collaboration between professionals in health and social care have led to pressures to move toward interprofessional education (IPE) at both pre- and post-registration levels. Whilst this move has evolved out of "common sense" demands, such a multiple systems approach to education does not fit easily into existing traditional educational frameworks and there is, as yet, no proven theoretical framework to guide its development. A research study of an IPE intervention at the University of Liverpool in the UK drew on complexity theory to conceptualize the intervention and to evaluate its impact on a group of approximately 500 students studying physiotherapy, medicine, occupational therapy, nursing and social work. The intervention blended a multidisciplinary (non-interactive) plenary with self-directed e-learning and a series of interdisciplinary (interactive) workshops. Two evaluations took place: the first when the workshops were facilitated by trained practitioners; the second when the practitioners co-facilitated with trained service users. This paper reports findings from the second evaluation which focused on narrowing the gap between theory and practice. A multi-stakeholder evaluation was used including: students' reflective narratives, a focus group with practitioners and individual semi-structured interviews with service users. Findings showed that service users can make an important contribution to IPE for health and social care students in the early stages of their training. By exposure to a service user perspective, first year students can begin to learn and apply the principles of team work, to place the service user at the centre of the care process, to make connections between theory and "real life" experiences, and to narrow the gap between theory and practice. Findings also revealed benefits for facilitators and service users.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1999

Within-patient longitudinal speech reception measures with continuous interleaved sampling processors for ineraid implanted subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To assess within-subject changes in speech reception over time in a group of Ineraid subjects fitted with continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) wearable processors fabricated in Geneva. To compare asymptotic performance between CIS and Ineraid processors for the same subjects. DESIGN: Twelve patients, all users of the 4-channel Ineraid cochlear implant system for several years and with no previous experience of CIS processors in daily life, were equipped with Geneva Wearable Processors programmed to implement a high-rate CIS sound processing strategy using four to six channels. Their speech reception performance with CIS processors was monitored over a period of 1 yr with consonant and vowel identification tests. For comparison, speech reception performance also was measured with Ineraid processors before switching to CIS and after 6 mo of non-use of Ineraid processors. RESULTS: At fitting, CIS processors produced significantly better consonant identification but no better vowel identification. Subsequently, consonant and vowel scores with CIS processors improved progressively to asymptote after 6 mo of daily use. At 6 mo and beyond, performance with CIS processors was significantly superior to that obtained with Ineraid processors on both consonant and vowel identification tests. Control tests made with Ineraid processors after 6 mo of non-use of the device yielded results that were indistinguishable from those obtained before the study. CONCLUSIONS: The full potential of the CIS strategy is not revealed at fitting. Accumulation of daily experience provides significant improvements, asymptotic performance being reached after about 4 to 6 mo of use. All Ineraid users might greatly benefit from CIS processors.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Understanding dissatisfied users: developing a framework for comprehending criticisms of health care work.

Recent government proposals have underlined the importance of ascertaining users' views of health care. Traditionally these have been obtained through satisfaction surveys. However, researchers argue that the focus of attention should now shift to exploring dissatisfaction because it highlights more clearly any problems in lay-practitioner relationships. Research has shown that dissatisfaction is a complex social construct which is underpinned by a range of values, beliefs, attitudes and experiences. The aim of this paper is to provide insights into the meaning of dissatisfaction by exploring how dissatisfied users attribute cause, responsibility and blame for their untoward experiences. Forty-one people were identified from a household survey of user views as experiencing problems with their health care. They were interviewed in depth, and a grounded theory approach was used to construct a framework inductively from their accounts. This identified a number of normative expectations through which health work was routinely criticized; these included respondents casting aspersions on the professional integrity of health care practitioners and preserving their own moral identity through demonstrating competence, knowledge, rationality, reasonableness and concern for others. Moreover, it is argued that these patterns help practitioners to understand how dissatisfied users' perceive subsequent health care encounters.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Error-tolerant sign retrieval using visual features and maximum a posteriori estimation.

This paper proposes an efficient error-tolerant approach to retrieving sign words from a Taiwanese Sign Language (TSL) database. This database is tagged with visual gesture features and organized as a multilist code tree. These features are defined in terms of the visual characteristics of sign gestures by which they are indexed for sign retrieval and displayed using an anthropomorphic interface. The maximum a posteriori estimation is exploited to retrieve the most likely sign word given the input feature sequence. An error-tolerant mechanism based on mutual information criterion is proposed to retrieve a sign word of interest efficiently and robustly. A user-friendly anthropomorphic interface is also developed to assist learning TSL. Several experiments were performed in an educational environment to investigate the system's retrieval accuracy. Our proposed approach outperformed a dynamic programming algorithm in its task and shows tolerance to user input errors.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2003

Barriers to the involvement of clients in family planning service development: lessons learnt from experience.

CONTEXT: Client involvement in service development underpins the Department of Health strategy for sexual health improvement in the UK. Participatory approaches to user consultation have been effectively piloted in this context but the responses of service providers to these data are rarely documented. OBJECTIVES: Recruiting clinic users and training clinic users to interview their fellow clinic users on sexual health service use and to document staff responses to the results of this consultation. DESIGN: Clinic users interviewed young clinic users (aged <25 years) using a time line to generate a description of their first clinic visit. The results were presented to staff with a questionnaire requesting their views. RESULTS: Forty-six clients were interviewed. More comments were made on the waiting room than any other aspect of clinic use. These comments were almost exclusively negative. The waiting room was described as uncomfortable, insufficiently confidential and lacking refreshment and entertainment. Most clients were happy with the clinical consultation. Both positive and negative comments on this aspect of service use related to staff attitudes. The priorities of clients and staff were different and potentially conflicting. Whereas staff are keen that the waiting room should appear tidy, clients require refreshments or children's toys that generate mess. Staff see the clinical service as the most important aspect of a clinic visit while users may view their comfort while waiting for long periods as equally important. DISCUSSION: This methodology documents clients' experiences (positive and negative) of a specific service and generates practical suggestions for improvement. Further work is required to identify common goals for staff and clients. An iterative process of staff and client consultation may ensure that future service development proceeds in a direction that meets the needs of both groups.

Adolescent↗