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Objective: Peer support interventions can be successful in enhancing physical activity (PA) in a variety of health-related contexts. However, the evidence base remains equivocal, and ways to integrate structured peer support within the context of exercise referral schemes (ERSs) remain unexplored. In this regard, few studies consider the prospective acceptability of peer support interventions. Prior qualitative exploration can elicit insight into factors likely to influence peer intervention success, thus maximising the likelihood of developing and implementing effective peer support interventions. This study assessed the prospective acceptability of a peer support intervention for exercise referral. Design/Setting: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 ERS clients ( n = 10) and providers ( n = 4) across two ERS sites in the North West of England, UK. Method: Interviews covered preferred demographic and personal characteristics of ERS peers and prospective peer roles. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: A desirable ERS peer was perceived as someone who was positive and empathetic, with good interpersonal skills. ERS peers were considered to present a promising opportunity to enhance the accessibility of emotional, motivational and informational support among ERS clients while alleviating burden on ERS providers. Conclusion: Study findings have relevance to the integration of peer support in comparable ERS contexts, highlighting the value of developmental research to refine peer recruitment criteria and to facilitate ownership and support among providers across a variety of health-related contexts.

A growing body of evidence highlights the intricate linkage of exteroceptive perception to the rhythmic activity of the visceral body. In parallel, interoceptive inference theories of emotion and self-consciousness are on the rise in cognitive science. However, thus far no formal theory has emerged to integrate these twin domains; instead most extant work is conceptual in nature. Here, we introduce a formal model of cardiac active inference, which explains how ascending cardiac signals entrain exteroceptive sensory perception and confidence. Through simulated psychophysics, we reproduce the defensive startle reflex and commonly reported effects linking the cardiac cycle to fear perception. We further show that simulated ‘interoceptive lesions’ blunt fear expectations, induce psychosomatic hallucinations, and exacerbate metacognitive biases. Through synthetic heart-rate variability analyses, we illustrate how the balance of arousal-priors and visceral prediction errors produces idiosyncratic patterns of physiological reactivity. Our model thus offers the possibility to computationally phenotype disordered brain-body interaction.

This research developed a scale to assess the following life skills in higher education students: teamwork, goal setting, time management, emotional skills, interpersonal communication, social skil...

ObjectiveDespite the similar phenotypes, comparison between short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with autonomic features (SUNA) has hitherto not been possible due to the dearth of studies validating the phenotype of SUNA. Therefore, these 2 syndromes have been kept separate in the International Classification of Headache Disorders. The aim of this study is to characterize and compare the clinical phenotypes of large clinic-based cohorts of patients with SUNA and SUNCT.MethodsThe clinical phenotype of consecutive patients with SUNA identified from a single specialist headache center in the United Kingdom between 2007 and 2012 was studied and compared to that of patients with SUNCT.ResultsSixty-three patients with SUNA (18 male, 28.6%) and 70 patients with SUNCT (32 male, 35.7%) were included. The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with SUNA were similar to those of patients with SUNCT. Ptosis and rhinorrhea were predictors of SUNCT. The corresponding odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval) were 3.79 (1.64–8.77, p = 0.002) and 2.46 (1.09–5.59, p = 0.031), respectively. The presence of spontaneous only attacks was a predictor for SUNA (OR 2.58 [1.10–6.05], p = 0.029).ConclusionNo major clinical differences have emerged between SUNCT and SUNA, bar the fact that SUNCT is characterized by more prominent cranial autonomic features and triggerability. We propose that the 2 disorders be placed together in a single diagnostic category for which new diagnostic criteria are proposed.

Seizures are one of the most common medical problems affecting children, and epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological condition in children. Childhood epilepsy syndromes include a wide spectrum of disorders ranging from benign to life threatening. While there are many known epilepsy syndromes, there are many factors, which may lead to the development of seizures in children including infection, traumatic brain injury, or structural abnormality. Up to 40% of childhood epilepsies are thought to have some component of genetic involvement. New genes, mutations, and variants involved in epilepsy are being identified continuously. Most of the genes which have been identified encode for neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, molecules involved in intracellular signalling, or proteins involved in synaptic structure. As new candidate genes in epilepsy are identified, new technologies in genetic testing are becoming available and more accessible, making the molecular diagnosis of epilepsy increasingly relevant to researchers, physicians, patients, and their families. The standard of care and first-line treatment is the use of antiepileptic drugs. For those patients with medication-refractory epilepsy other available therapies include ketogenic diet, vagal nerve stimulator, or epilepsy surgery. The newest advancement in the treatment of paediatric epilepsies is based around the idea of targeted therapy. These therapies incorporate pharmacogenomics, the principle that an individual’s genetic background affects their response to specific drugs, as well as precision medicine, which identifies treatments for the damaged products resulting from specific gene mutations. Many of these therapies are still under research or in trial; however, there is much promise for the future of targeted medications.

The present study investigated the relationship between personality profiles and susceptibility to persuasion. Participants (N = 316) were recruited for an online questionnaire and asked to complete self-reported measures of their personality - Big-5, Dark Triad and Type D. Individual differences in susceptibility to persuasion were also explored using Cialdini's model of persuasion. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct profiles which were labelled Socially Apt, Fearful and Malevolent. These profiles were correlated with scores on the persuasion subscales - authority, commitment, liking, scarcity, reciprocity, consensus - and a number of interesting associations were identified. The malevolent profile self-reported as more susceptible to a higher use of scarcity relative to the other principles of persuasion, and was least susceptible to reciprocity and authority. The socially apt profile appear to be more inclined to be persuaded to do something if it is consistent with their beliefs or a prior act whereas individuals in the Fearful profile were more likely to report obeying those in authority and going along with a crowd. Implications for persuasion are discussed along with research on personality types.

The ability of patients to participate in recreational activities is an important facet of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after treatment for cancer of the head and neck. The aim of this study was to analyse patients' responses to the activity and recreation domains of the University of Washington quality of life questionnaire (UW-QoL), and to relate them to clinical characteristics, the intensity of leisure-time exercise/week, perceived barriers that interfere with exercise, and feeling able to participate in an exercise programme. Other questionnaires used were the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise questionnaire, the Perceived Exercise Barriers questionnaire, and the Exercise Preferences questionnaire. The survey sample comprised 1021 patients of whom 437 responded (43%). Of them, 9% reported a serious problem with activity and 8% with recreation. The main influencing factors were site (oropharynx), advanced stage, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, composite flap, gastrostomy tube, and coexisting conditions. Low (worse) scores in the UW-QoL activity and recreation domains were associated with little time spent exercising, low-intensity exercise, more barriers to exercising, and a lack of preference. The use of the UW-QoL in follow-up assessments can help to identify patients who are having difficulties in these two domains, as well as those who feel able to participate in an exercise programme. Further research is required to optimise the interventions that will promote exercise and improve recovery and wellbeing.

Objective Concussion is a common injury in ice hockey, and previous research suggests some misconceptions and unsafe attitudes amongst players. The purpose of this study was to assess sport concussion knowledge, attitudes and the effect of sport concussion history in UK-based male ice hockey players across three levels of competition: professional, semi-professional and amateur. Methods Sixty-one participants across a number of UK ice hockey teams completed the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey and reviewed a series of statements to assess knowledge (concussion knowledge index), attitudes (concussion attitude index) and misconceptions of concussion. Results Level of competition and concussion history had no significant effect on concussion knowledge index or concussion attitude index. A positive significant relationship exists between playing experience and concussion knowledge index and concussion attitude index. Statements identified common misconceptions and areas of accurate knowledge regarding concussion symptoms suggesting that male ice hockey players have a higher level knowledge compared to a sample of the UK general public. Playing experience was associated with increased knowledge and increasingly safe attitudes towards concussion. Conclusion Despite knowledge relating to loss of consciousness and correct management of symptoms being generally accurate, there are worryingly unsafe attitudes regarding aspects of concussion. Such attitudes may well pose significant threats to players’ safety and long-term health.

Perceived social support opportunities are central to successful exercise referral scheme (ERS) client experiences. However, there remains a lack of guidance on how ERSs can embed social support opportunities within their provision. This study presents retrospective acceptability findings from a 12-week social-identity-informed peer support intervention to enhance perceived social support among clients of an English ERS. Five peer volunteers were recruited, trained, and deployed in supervised ERS sessions across two sites. Peers assisted exercise referral officers (EROs) by providing supplementary practical, informational, motivational, and emotional support to ERS clients. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with peers (n = 4), EROs (n = 2), and clients (n = 5) and analysed thematically. The analysis identified three primary themes. The first theme detailed how EROs utilised peer volunteers to supplement the ERS client experience. This theme delineated peer roles within the ERS context and identified salient individual peer characteristics that contributed to their success. The second theme described peer acceptability among the various stakeholders. Peers were valued for their ability to reduce burden on EROs and to enhance perceptions of comfort among ERS clients. The final theme presented participant feedback regarding how the intervention may be further refined and enhanced. Peers represented a cost-effective and acceptable means of providing auxiliary social support to ERS clients. Moving forward, the structured integration of peers can improve the accessibility of social support among ERS participants, thus facilitating better rates of ERS completion.

With the rapid growth of optical-based neuroimaging to explore human brain functioning, our research group has been developing broadband Near Infrared Spectroscopy (bNIRS) instruments, a technological extension to functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). bNIRS has the unique capacity of monitoring brain haemodynamics/oxygenation (measuring oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin), and metabolism (measuring the changes in the redox state of cytochrome-c-oxidase). When combined with electroencephalography (EEG), bNIRS provides a unique neuromonitoring platform to explore neurovascular coupling mechanisms. In this paper, we present a novel pipeline for the integrated analysis of bNIRS and EEG signals, and demonstrate its use on multi-channel bNIRS data recorded with concurrent EEG on healthy adults during a visual stimulation task. We introduce the use of the Finite Impulse Response functions within the General Linear Model for bNIRS and show its feasibility to statistically localize the haemodynamic and metabolic activity in the occipital cortex. Moreover, our results suggest that the fusion of haemodynamic and metabolic measures unveils additional information on brain functioning over haemodynamic imaging alone. The cross-correlation-based analysis of interrelationships between electrical (EEG) and haemodynamic/metabolic (bNIRS) activity revealed that the bNIRS metabolic signal offers a unique marker of brain activity, being more closely coupled to the neuronal EEG response.

The importance of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is well known for the management of chronic respiratory disease and is a core component of disease management. The important of increasing uptake and availability of PR is made clear within the NHS long term plan. Despite this push little is known about patient’s perspective of PR or how to improve uptake despite proven benefits in health related quality of life. To evaluate patient perceptive of PR 4 group interviews were conducted in different PR groups in the North West of England. Patients were asked to discuss their thoughts on PR, including preconceptions of the programme, importance of PR and how to engage better with people with chronic respiratory disease. Interviews were recorded and themes were highlighted. 21 patients enrolled in an 8 week PR programme were interviewed for a total of 130 minutes. 10 males and 11 females were interviewed, 18 patients had a diagnosis of COPD, 2 were diagnosed with bronchiectasis and 1 was diagnosed with asthma. Thematic analysis showed patients perceived the importance of physical activity and saw gains in attending PR. Patients felt the positive impact of PR was not well delivered and was frequently offered too late in their disease process, health professionals (HCP) need to be offering PR at every clinical point of care. HCP lack of knowledge regarding PR was discussed by many patients, suggesting the need for HCP to improve their own knowledge and understanding. Another key area of debate was terminology used to describe PR, “rehabilitation” and “exercise” was felt to have negative connotations, and did little to sell the positive impact PR can have on their lives.

Background The advantages of transradial neuroangiography over a transfemoral access with respect to fewer access site complications, shorter procedure duration and better patient comfort are well described. Radial arterial lines are routinely placed in the ICU in critically ill neurosurgical patients and in the OR on patients undergoing complex neurovascular procedures. We describe the utility of rewiring a radial arterial line in exchange for an arterial sheath for the purpose of diagnostic cerebral arteriography or neurointervention. Rewiring a radial arterial line has the practical benefit of avoiding repeat needle puncture in the setting of an existing catheter that can be ready exchanged for an arterial sheath using a wire exchange technique. Methods Consecutive patients who had transradial neuro-angiography through arterial line access over the 12 months were included in the study. The technique for transradial access was modified in the presence of arterial line. The Arterial line catheter was re-wired and exchanged with 5Fr or 6 Fr sheath as necessary. Data on demographics, indication, devices, and complications was recorded and analyzed. Results Twelve procedures were performed on 11 patients. Mean age was 58.6 +12.9 years; 7 were female. Seven procedures were performed using left-sided arterial line access while 5 procedures were performed using the right side. The most common indication was post-operative angiogram after clipping of aneurysms (n=8), coiling of anterior communicating artery aneurysm (n=1), arteriovenous fistula surgery (n=1). Two cases were performed to evaluate intraventricular hemorrhage (n=1), and arteriovenous malformation resection (n=1). No access site complication was observed. The radial artery sheath was either removed or sutured in place to be used as an arterial line if the patient needed to return to the operating room or the ICU. Conclusion Arterial line rewiring allows rapid transradial access with an arterial sheath and avoids repeat needle puncture. This improvised approach to transradial interventions is especially useful for immediate post-operative evaluation of vascular disorders. Disclosures R. Dossani: None. M. Waqas: None. M. Tso: None. G. Rajah: None. H. Rai: None. A. Levy: None. A. Siddiqui: None. J. Davies: None.

Although there are few high-profile cases of adolescent athletes being caught doping, up to a third of young athletes may dope. In order to generate a more accurate understanding of why adolescent athletes dope, it is important to validate models that help to explain this behavior. The aims of this study were 3-fold: firstly, to test the Sport Drug Control Model for Adolescent Athletes (SDCM-AA); secondly, to generate athlete profiles that would help quantify the proportion of athletes who are at risk of doping; and thirdly, to create norm values for the Adolescent Sport Doping Inventory (ASDI), which would allow national doping organizations, sporting organizations, and clubs to benchmark the scores of their athletes for key psycho-social variables linked to doping. A total of 2208 adolescent athletes from the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, and the United States completed the ASDI. The data presented an appropriate fit to the SDCM-AA model, in which 54% of the variance in susceptibility to doping was explained in the model, and 44.8% of attitudes toward doping was accounted for. Four distinct clusters of athletes emerged: the Susceptibles (i.e., identified with the benefits of doping, were willing to cheat, and viewed little threat), the Chancers (i.e., identified with the benefits of doping, scored high on willingness to cheat, and were highly influenced by their reference group, but had an average score for threat, self-esteem, and legitimacy), the Pragmatists (i.e., did not engage with any aspects of doping, but were more susceptible than the fair players), and Fair Players (i.e., high levels of sportspersonship, unwilling to cheat, and viewed doping as a threat). The revised SDCM-AA appears a valid model that helps explain the factors associated with doping attitudes and doping susceptibility. Adolescent athletes can be classified into one of four clusters, in relation to doping. Their cluster group could influence the content of the anti-doping education they receive.

Lambru et al. argue that trigeminal neurovascular contact with morphological changes is involved in the aetiology of both SUNCT and SUNA. The absence of any significant radiological differences between SUNCT and SUNA adds to evidence suggesting they should be considered a single clinical entity., Emerging data-points towards a possible aetiological and therapeutic relevance of trigeminal neurovascular contact in short lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) and perhaps in short lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with cranial autonomic symptoms (SUNA). We aimed to assess the prevalence and significance of trigeminal neurovascular contact in a large cohort of consecutive SUNCT and SUNA patients and evaluate the radiological differences between them. The standard imaging protocol included high spatial and nerve-cistern contrast resolution imaging acquisitions of the cisternal segments of the trigeminal nerves and vessels. MRI studies were evaluated blindly by two expert evaluators and graded according to the presence, location and degree of neurovascular contact. The degree of contact was graded as with or without morphological changes. Neurovascular contact with morphological changes was defined as contact with distortion and/or atrophy. A total of 159 patients (SUNCT = 80; SUNA = 79) were included. A total of 165 symptomatic and 153 asymptomatic trigeminal nerves were analysed. The proportion of neurovascular contact on the symptomatic trigeminal nerves was higher (80.0%) compared to the asymptomatic trigeminal nerves (56.9%). The odds on having neurovascular contact over the symptomatic nerves was significantly higher than on the asymptomatic nerves [odds ratio (OR): 3.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.84–4.99; P

Traditional magnetoencephalographic (MEG) brain imaging scanners consist of a rigid sensor array surrounding the head; this means that they are maximally sensitive to superficial brain structures. New technology based on optical pumping means that we can now consider more flexible and creative sensor placement. Here we explored the magnetic fields generated by a model of the human hippocampus not only across scalp but also at the roof of the mouth. We found that simulated hippocampal sources gave rise to dipolar field patterns with one scalp surface field extremum at the temporal lobe and a corresponding maximum or minimum at the roof of the mouth. We then constructed a fitted dental mould to accommodate an Optically Pumped Magnetometer (OPM). We collected data using a previously validated hippocampal-dependent task to test the empirical utility of a mouth-based sensor, with an accompanying array of left and right temporal lobe OPMs. We found that the mouth sensor showed the greatest task-related theta power change. We also found that, as predicted by the simulations, the mouth sensor was anti-correlated with those on over the temporal lobes. We found that this sensor had a mild effect on the reconstructed power in the hippocampus (~10% change) but that coherence images between the mouth sensor and reconstructed source images showed a global maximum in the right hippocampus. We conclude that augmenting a scalp-based MEG array with sensors in the mouth shows unique promise for both basic scientists and clinicians interested in interrogating the hippocampus.

The "social lubrication" function of alcohol during interpersonal interactions is well documented. However, less is known about the effects of alcohol consumption on group-level behavior. Empirical findings from social psychological literature suggest that individuals tend to favor those who are considered as members of their own social group. Not yet evaluated is how alcohol intoxication interacts with this group-level bias. Therefore, the current study examined experimentally the effects of intoxication on group bias. Ninety-four individuals (Mage = 20.18, SD = 2.36, 55 women, 39 men) were randomly assigned to consume an alcoholic (n = 48) or a placebo (n = 46) drink before completing manipulated allocation matrices, a task which measured the distribution of hypothetical monetary awards based on social groups. Results point to an interaction between drink condition and social group identification, whereby identification was significantly associated with in-group favoritism among intoxicated individuals only. Following alcohol consumption, participants with higher identification with their social group were more likely to demonstrate allocation strategies that favored their own group members. However, nonsignificant effects were observed for those in the placebo condition. The findings highlight how alcohol intoxication may facilitate group bias that results from social group identification. (PsycINFO Database Record

This paper proposes a feedback time difference amplifier (FTDA) that achieves linear, controllable gain and changeable input range for different time difference gains. The proposed FTDA consists of two identical feedback output generators. The feedback output generator achieves a linear input–output transfer characteristic by employing two p-type keepers for time gain feedback control. Its validity was demonstrated using $${0.13}\, {\upmu \hbox {m}}$$ SiGe BiCMOS process. The power consumption is $$91.54 \,{\upmu \hbox {W}}$$ for the highest gain with input signals at $${2}\,\hbox {MHz}$$ . The gain can be controlled from 25.06 to $$734.9\,{\hbox {s/s}}$$ within $$40 \,\hbox {ps}$$ input time interval.

The present study aimed to establish exercise preferences, barriers, and perceived benefits among head and neck cancer survivors, as well as their level of interest in participating in an exercise program. Patients treated for primary squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck between 2010 and 2014 were identified from the hospital database and sent a postal questionnaire pack to establish exercise preferences, barriers, perceived benefits, current physical activity levels, and quality of life. A postal reminder was sent to non-responders 4 weeks later. The survey comprised 1021 eligible patients of which 437 (43%) responded [74% male, median (interquartile range) age, 66 (60–73) years]. Of the respondents, 30% said ‘Yes’ they would be interested in participating in an exercise program and 34% said ‘Maybe’. The most common exercise preferences were a frequency of three times per week, moderate-intensity, and 15–29 min per bout. The most popular exercise types were walking (68%), flexibility exercises (35%), water activites/swimming (33%), cycling (31%), and weight machines (19%). Home (55%), outdoors (46%) and health club/gym (33%) were the most common preferred choices for where to regularly exercise. Percieved exercise benefits relating to improved physical attributes were commonly cited, whereas potential social and work-related benefits were less well-acknowledged. The most commonly cited exercise barriers were dry mouth or throat (40%), fatigue (37%), shortness of breath (30%), muscle weakness (28%) difficulty swallowing (25%), and shoulder weakness and pain (24%). The present findings inform the design of exercise programs for head and neck cancer survivors.

By definition, maximal exercise testing inherently requires participants to give a maximal effort. This is an important practical issue as submaximal efforts can produce invalid test results. Verbal encouragement is commonly used to motivate participants to maintain or increase effort investment during maximal exercise testing. Accordingly, studies have reported significant increases in time to exhaustion of between 8% and 18% during VO2max and multistage shuttle run tests, and a significant 30.5 m mean increase in 6-min walk test distance. Significant improvements during shorter tests, such as the Wingate and 2-min walk tests, have not been observed however. Although participants typically perceive verbal encouragement positively during maximal exercise testing, around one-third have neutral or negative perceptions. Despite the ubiquity and importance of verbal encouragement during maximal exercise testing, surprisingly little research has investigated the characteristics of effective encouragement with respect to its content, timing, and frequency. The only randomised controlled trial to investigate one of these issues observed that verbal encouragement delivered every 20 s increased time to exhaustion during VO2max testing, but not every 60 s or 180 s. Of particular concern is that several exercise testing guidelines have incorporated specific guidelines for the use of verbal encouragement, but not provided any theoretical or empirical justification, presumably because of the limited research to inform practice. Recent empirical research does provide some important insight into participant preference for the content and timing of verbal encouragement during maximal exercise testing, however, much more research is clearly required to establish comprehensive evidence-based guidelines.

Objectives: The Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale (PEAS; Petróczi & Aidman, 2009) is an extensively used questionnaire to assess doping attitudes among adult and adolescent athletes. To date, however, there is limited evidence to support the structure of the PEAS with either adult or adolescent athletes. The aim of this paper was to assess the factor structure of the PEAS with adult and adolescent athletes.\ud Design: Cross-sectional.\ud Methods: One thousand, one-hundred and fifty-four athletes, who were aged between 12 and 68 years (M age = 21.76 years, SD = 7.68) completed the PEAS in the presence of a research assistant. We subjected the data to Confirmatory Factor Analysis.\ud Results: The original 17-item PEAS displayed a poor model among the overall sample, and with the sub-samples of adult and adolescent athletes. The 11-item, 8-item, and 6-item versions of the PEAS, which were used in previous studies, provided a better fit than the original 17-item PEAS. The 8-item version of the PEAS demonstrated the best fit for adults, but no model exhibited a good fit with adolescent athletes. \ud Conclusions: Scholars could consider using the 8-item version of the PEAS with adults. Our data, however, infers that researchers should use the PEAS with caution to assess doping attitudes among adolescent athletes, due to the poor model fit of all versions tested. The accurate assessment of attitudes towards doping among adolescent athletes requires questionnaires specifically designed for this population, and grounded in an appropriate theoretical framework.

A significant barrier to understanding the psychosocial antecedents of doping use among adolescent athletes is the lack of valid measures. In order to address this issue, the first aim of this paper was to develop and validate the Adolescent Sport Drug Inventory (ASDI) among adolescent athletes from Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. The second aim was to assess the construct validity of the ASDI. As such, this paper is divided into two parts. Part 1 relates to the development of the ASDI and contains two studies: item development (Study 1) and factorial validity (Study 2). Part 2 contains information on how the psychosocial variables measured in the ASDI are associated with situational temptation, and honesty (Study 3), maturation (Study 4), stress and coping (Study 5), and coaching (Study 6). In devising the ASDI, 19 different models were examined, which culminated in a 9-factor, 43-item ASDI. Coping, mastery-approach goals, and cognitive-social maturity were associated with doping attitudes. Caring motivational climates, strong coach-athlete relationships, and positive coach behaviors were associated with athletes being less susceptible toward doping, which provides construct validity for the ASDI. The ASDI is a valid tool to assess the psychosocial factors associated with doping among adolescent athletes. This questionnaire can be used to identify athletes who are the most at risk of doping, assess how the psychosocial factors associated with doping change over time, and to monitor the impact of antidoping interventions for adolescent athletes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Background The electroencephalogram (EEG) can be a useful tool to investigate the neurophysiology of gait during walking. Our aims were to develop an approach that identify and quantify event related potentials (ERPs) during a gait cycle and to examine the effects of aging and dual tasking on these gait related potentials (GRPs). Methods 10 young and 10 older adults walked on a treadmill while wearing a wireless 20-channels EEG and accelerometers on the ankles. Each heel strike extracted from the accelerometers was used as an event to which the electrical brain activity pattern was locked. The subjects performed usual and dual task walking that included an auditory oddball task. GRPs amplitude and latency were computed, and a new measure referred to as Amplitude Pattern Consistency (APC) was developed to quantify the consistency of these GRP amplitudes within a gait cycle. The results were compared between and within groups using linear mixed model analysis. Results The electrical pattern during a gait cycle consisted of two main positive GRPs. Differences in these GRPs between young and older adults were observed in Pz and Cz. In Pz, older adults had higher GRPs amplitude (p = 0.006, p = 0.010), and in Cz lower APC (p = 0.025). Alterations were also observed between the walking tasks. Both groups showed shorter latency during oddball walking compared to usual walking in Cz (p = 0.040). In addition, the APC in Cz was correlated with gait speed (r = 0.599, p = 0.011) in all subjects and with stride time variability in the older adults (r = −0.703, p = 0.023). Conclusions This study is the first to define specific gait related potentials within a gait cycle using novel methods for quantifying waveforms. Our findings show the potential of this approach to be applied broadly to study the EEG during gait in a variety of contexts. The observed changes in GRPs with aging and walking task and the relationship between GRPs and gait may suggest the neurophysiologic foundation for studying walking and for developing new approaches for improving gait.

A radiation-hard, compact, low-mass, hybrid GaN and CMOS integrated module DC-DC converter has been designed with an input voltage of up to 14V regulated down to an output voltage of 1.5V, with 6A maximum load current. The converter exhibits greater than 70% efficiency. Discrete GaN transistors are used for the power stage, and the controller circuitry and power device drivers are integrated on a 0.35um CMOS chip. Radiation hardening by design (RHBD) techniques have been employed to meet TID levels greater than 150 megarad (Si). This work presents the design and successful measurement results of the custom-designed CMOS driver/controller integrated circuit (IC) and the entire DC-DC converter module that uses this IC. The next version of the controller/driver IC has been sent to fabrication in the fall 2018 and it is expected to provide 18V to 1.5V conversion with >75% efficiency

Frequent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbators are at a higher risk of adverse health outcomes when compared to infrequent exacerbators. A COPD frequent exacerbator phenotype and its definition has been reported. Haptoglobin (Hp) polymorphism has been associated with differing clinical outcomes in cardiovascular and renal disease. The Hp 2-2 phenotype has been found to have bacteriostatic properties, while the Hp 1-1 phenotype was found to be associated with infections.To determine the correlation in haptoglobin phenotypes and the frequent exacerbator status compared to COPD non-exacerbators.Inclusion criteria included previous diagnosis of COPD and presence of at least two documented exacerbations of COPD in the previous 12 months (frequent exacerbator group) or absence of such exacerbations in the previous 24 months (non-exacerbator group). Descriptive data was analyzed using Fisher's exact test and the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed.The multivariate logistic regression yielded a model in which haptoglobin phenotype did not have a statistically significant association with frequent exacerbator status. Smoking status was found to be negatively related with the frequent exacerbator status (odds ratio [OR] 0.240, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 0.068-0.843, P = 0.03). Number of pack-years was negatively related to being a frequent exacerbator (OR 0.979, 95%CI 0.962-0.996, P = 0.02).We found no relationship between haptoglobin polymorphism and frequent exacerbator status. However, frequent exacerbator status had a statistically significant association with COPD Assessment Test scores and pack-years and a negative correlation with current smoking status.

Objectives COPD is a debilitating lung condition that affects lives in the UK. One of the main aims of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is to improve the quality of life for patients who have been diagnosed with COPD. The challenge for PR is that many patients do not complete or engage with the programme. Healthcare professionals delivering PR believe that patients who are working together as part of a group (intervention) may better attend and engage with PR. An intervention underpinned by social identity theory through group goal setting was developed to be delivered by trained rehabilitation staff. It is believed that this encourages patients to interact and support each other and work as a team during PR in order to achieve mutually agreed goals. However, there is an absence of research evidence to guide such desired changes to current practice. Methods 84 patients enrolled in an 8 week PR programme and were recruited into pilot randomised trial to provide feasibility information on whether PR sessions based on a social identity theory intervention were acceptable to patients and would improve health-related quality of life. In depth analysis of patient’s perception of the social identity theory intervention was undertaken through focus group interviews to explore issues such as acceptability. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Results Inductive thematic analysis revealed that there was a positive social and motivational experience associated with the social identity theory intervention. The intervention promoted bonding, togetherness, friendship and support. In addition, the interviews indicated that patients understood the objectives of the intervention which they associated with enjoyment, pride, learning from others, greater persistence and engagement with staff. Staff were of the opinion that the intervention was easy to implement with an exception of the need to delay the starting dates for patients in order to accrue sufficient group numbers. Conclusions The preliminary findings lend support for the development of a group-based identity intervention for creating a rehabilitation environment that was socially and motivationally inclusive. Findings suggest that group identity can help COPD patients collectively comply with exercise prescription during PR and could help promote sustainable exercise engagement.

Objectives We examined a model, informed by self-regulation theories from the health psychology literature, which included goal adjustment capacities, appraisals of challenge and threat, coping, and well-being. Design Prospective. Methods Two-hundred and twelve athletes from the United Kingdom ( n = 147) or Australia ( n = 65), who played team ( n = 135) or individual sports ( n = 77), and competed at international ( n = 7), national ( n = 11), county ( n = 67), club ( n = 84), or beginner ( n = 43) levels participated in this study. Participants completed measures of goal adjustment capacities and stress appraisals two days before competing. Athletes also completed coping and well-being questionnaires within 3 h of their competition ending. Results The way an athlete responded to an unattainable goal was associated with his or her well-being in the period leading up to and including the competition. Goal reengagement positively predicted well-being, whereas goal disengagement negatively predicted well-being. Further, goal reengagement was positively associated with challenge appraisals, which in turn was linked to task-oriented coping, and task-oriented coping positively associated with well-being. Conclusion When highly-valued goals become unattainable, consultants and coaches could encourage athletes to generate alternative approaches to achieve the same goal or help them develop a completely new goal in order to promote well-being among athletes.

This paper describes the development and production of an educational and reference app designed for the medical and pharmaceutical industries as well as interested members of the public. ‘Clinically Speaking’ consists of edited, impromptu movies of clinical interviews of patients with common and rare conditions archived over two decades. Each is indexed by subject area and disease, identified by short title and thumbnail and accompanied by a description and Wikipedia URL. The app design allows users to scroll down through subject areas such as cardiology and gastroenterology, then across to access several hundred edited cases. For users with Windows, Google or Android rather than iOS devices, a similar experience is delivered through a web-based version. The almost complete market penetration of smart phones and computers allows educational database material to be distributed very economically. An opportunity to partially recoup design and coding costs and cover on-going expenses of upgrades, server charges and annual developer fees is afforded by app store sales. Distributed worldwide via the app store, ‘Clinically Speaking’ constitutes a versatile vehicle for addition of further cases and provides experience of conditions that are infrequently seen in practice. Apps and mobile devices capture the current zeitgeist and constitute potentially powerful new vehicles for delivering reference material and clinical medical education. The development process, described herein, is slow, expensive and complex. The market is saturated and the rationale for adding further apps needs careful consideration.

The purpose of this study was to assess an a priori model that included perceptions of coach behavior, coach–athlete relationship, stress appraisals, and coping. A total of 274 athletes from the United Kingdom, Austalia, and Hong Kong completed relevant measures that assessed each construct. Our results revealed that perceptions of coach behavior were associated with aspects of the coach–athlete relationship and stress appraisals. In particular, closeness was positively associated with challenge appraisals and negatively with threat appraisals. However, commitment was positively associated with threat, indicating that there might be some negative implications of having a highly committed coach–athlete relationship. Further, commitment was also positively associated with disengagement-oriented coping, which has previously been linked to poor performance and lower goal-attainment. Applied practitioners could monitor athlete’s perceptions of the coach–athlete relationship, particularly commitment levels, and provide training in appraising stress and coping to those who also score highly on threat and disengagement-oriented coping, but low on task-oriented coping.