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BackgroundThe recent trends of technological innovation and widescale digitization as potential solutions to challenges in health care, sports, and emergency service operations have led to the conception of smart textile technology. In health care, these smart textile systems present the potential to aid preventative medicine and early diagnosis through continuous, noninvasive tracking of physical and mental health while promoting proactive involvement of patients in their medical management. In areas such as sports and emergency response, the potential to provide comprehensive and simultaneous physiological insights across multiple body systems is promising. However, it is currently unclear what type of evidence exists surrounding the use of smart textiles for the monitoring of physiological outcome measures across different settings. ObjectiveThis scoping review aimed to systematically survey the existing body of scientific literature surrounding smart textiles in their most prevalent form, the smart shirt, for monitoring physiological outcome measures. MethodsA total of 5 electronic bibliographic databases were systematically searched (Ovid Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Excerpta Medica database, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and SPORTDiscus). Publications from the inception of the database to June 24, 2019 were reviewed. Nonindexed literature relevant to this review was also systematically searched. The results were then collated, summarized, and reported. ResultsFollowing the removal of duplicates, 7871 citations were identified. On the basis of title and abstract screening, 7632 citations were excluded, whereas 239 were retrieved and assessed for eligibility. Of these, 101 citations were included in the final analysis. Included studies were categorized into four themes: (1) prototype design, (2) validation, (3) observational, and (4) reviews. Among the 101 analyzed studies, prototype design was the most prevalent theme (50/101, 49.5%), followed by validation (29/101, 28.7%), observational studies (21/101, 20.8%), and reviews (1/101, 0.1%). Presented prototype designs ranged from those capable of monitoring one physiological metric to those capable of monitoring several simultaneously. In 29 validation studies, 16 distinct smart shirts were validated against reference technology under various conditions and work rates, including rest, submaximal exercise, and maximal exercise. The identified observational studies used smart shirts in clinical, healthy, and occupational populations for aims such as early diagnosis and stress detection. One scoping review was identified, investigating the use of smart shirts for electrocardiograph signal monitoring in cardiac patients. ConclusionsAlthough smart shirts have been found to be valid and reliable in the monitoring of specific physiological metrics, results were variable for others, demonstrating the need for further systematic validation. Analysis of the results has also demonstrated gaps in knowledge, such as a considerable lag of validation and observational studies in comparison with prototype design and limited investigation using smart shirts in pediatric, elite sports, and emergency service populations.

The crown of a successful academic career is often considered an achievement of tenure. The path to tenure may vary based on the type of Carnegie University at which one is employed. Carnegie Doctoral granting R1 Universities place a high priority on conducting research, grant writing and publishing while other Carnegie classified Universities place more emphasis on teaching. Regardless of a University's Carnegie classification the path to tenure requires sound time management skills if an academic is to achieve tenure. To that end, the authors have decided to revisit Covey's Time Management Matrix (CTMM). The authors provide an ethnographic perspective with respect to the Quadrants of the CTMM for the purpose of providing a priority driven time self-management instrument to assist academics navigating towards tenure. Priority driven effective time self-management is key to successfully achieving tenure and we forward our academic interpretation of the CTMM as a potential guide for academics and their administrators. Further, the authors suggest that a priority driven effective time self-management strategy is portable across disciplines and national/cultural borders.

Introduction: This study assessed the prevalence and associations of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction in electrical utility workers, with the aim of applying the findings to better prevent and rehabilitate workplace musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: Employees completed an online survey recording their musculoskeletal symptoms across nine anatomical locations for the preceding 12 months. A total of 565 employees, working across eight different electrical utility organisational work units, completed the survey. Consumer and Community Involvement: The study was collaborative and conducted in Australia's largest, wholly government owned electricity company. The study originated from the participating organisation wanting to better understand their musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks. Results: Employees who experienced high job stress were 4.06 times (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.78–9.29) more likely to report musculoskeletal symptoms in the shoulder compared with employees with lower reported job stress. Employees that perceived their work to have high physical demands report lower back musculoskeletal symptoms at 2.64 times the rate of those perceiving their job to be of low physical demand (95% CI = 1.44–4.84). There were significant differences in the lower back musculoskeletal symptoms according to work unit membership. Conclusions: Understanding the prevalence of MSDs is critical to implementing practical prevention and rehabilitation strategies in the workplace. This anonymous survey highlighted that a large proportion of electrical utility workers reported that musculoskeletal symptoms had impacted their ability to perform their job, housework and/or hobbies in the preceding 12 months. Early access to rehabilitation services is essential. However, many workers report barriers to disclosing MSDs; therefore, workplace rehabilitation services may need to be broadened to account for these barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the potential psychological and cognitive advantages for older individuals engaged in hard martial arts (HMA), through a comprehensive scoping review of literature up to 2023. Specifically, it examines the extent of changes in cognition, mental state, and quality of life among elderly participants of HMA. Inclusion criteria were studies conducted on healthy persons who were over 50 years of age. Only papers published in the English language were included. The search was undertaken in electronic databases and sources of grey literature. Thirteen papers with a total of 514 participants met the inclusion criteria. Improved cognition and decreased levels of anxiety and depression were emerging themes. Together, these factors contributed to the quality of life of participants. HMA was found to benefit cognitive abilities and psychological well-being, increasing quality of life more than traditional exercise alone. Findings suggested duration of training influenced change more than frequency. The limited number of studies exploring the effects of HMA on mental wellness and cognitive ability in older adults underscores the need for further research. The findings of this review suggest cognitive and quality of life improvements and reduced depression and anxiety in individuals engaging in HMA. This review serves as a foundation for soundly designed future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Australia is known for its outdoor culture, with a large percentage of its population engaging in outdoor recreational activities, aquatic, non-aquatic and outdoor occupational activities. However, these outdoor enthusiasts face increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), leading to a higher risk of skin cancer, including malignant melanoma (MM). Over the past 40 years, there has been a significant rise in skin cancer rates in Australia, with two out of three Australians expected to develop some form of skin cancer by age 70. Currently, skin cancer examinations are not endorsed in asymptomatic or low-risk individuals in Australia, with only high-risk individuals recommended to undergo regular skin examinations. Notably, the Melanoma Institute Australia suggests that one-half of patients identify MMs themselves, although this claim appears to be based on limited Australian data which may not reflect contemporary practice. Therefore this study sought to determine the percentage of patients who were able to self-identify MMs as lesions of concern when presenting for a skin cancer examination. Methods: Multi-site, cross-sectional study design incorporating a descriptive survey and total body skin cancer screening, including artificial intelligence by a skin cancer doctor. Results: A total of 260 participants with suspect MM lesions were biopsied, with 83 (31.9%) found to be melanomas. Of the true positive MMs only a small percentage of participants (21.7% specificity) correctly had concerns about the suspect lesion being a MM. These MMs were located primarily on the back (44.4%), shoulder (11.1%) and upper leg (11.1%). There was no significant difference in the size between those participants aware of a MM versus those who were not (P = 0.824, 24.6 vs 23.4 mm2). Significantly more males identified lesions of concern that were MMs as compared to females (P = 0.008, 61.1% vs 38.9%, respectively). With regard to true negatives males and females were similar (52.1% vs 47.9%, respectively). With regard to false negatives (n = 65), a greater percentage of males than females did not recognize the MM as a lesion of concern (66.2% vs 33.8%, respectively). Participants were more likely to correctly identify an invasive MM as opposed to an in situ MM (27.3% versus 21.3%). Conclusions: Only a small percentage of participants in this study were able to self-identify either in situ or invasive MM as a lesion of concern with a tendency to identify the more advanced, thicker MMs. Given that MM is associated with a high mortality and cost of treatment, particularly when invasive, the inability of lay persons to identify these cancerous lesions will likely lead to delayed treatment and a possible adverse outcome. We believe the current melanoma screening practices in Australian general practice should be revisited to improve patient outcomes with regard to MM. Additionally, prevention campaigns should include images and primary risk factors for MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Improvements to the quality of life of tai chi practitioners have been demonstrated in the literature; however, less is known about the possible effects on the quality of life of practitioners of harder styles of martial arts in older populations. The aim of this study was to identify what facets of a modified hard martial arts programme motivated participants to attend and therefore guide the design of future programmes. Methods: A total of nine community-dwelling older adults with a mean age of 75 years (± 7.3 years) who participated in 12 weeks of modified hard martial arts training were asked if they had perceived any changes to their health or quality of life over the participation period. A self-reported survey instrument, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, was used to measure change pre- and post-intervention, and semi-structured interviews were used to explore participants' motivators for participating, perceived benefits and concerns. Results: Five themes emerged which were: (1) a general feeling that quality of life had increased; (2) an increase in social interaction; (3) increased physical abilities; (4) the need to preserve a safe training environment; and (5) a sense of loss relating to the study ending. Positive and Negative Affect Schedule scores indicated clinically significant improvement but did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: These themes may have important implications when designing future hard martial arts programmes aimed at attracting older persons who prefer to engage in vigorous exercise. Implications for practice: As populations around the world age, engaging older adults in activities that promote fitness and social inclusion becomes increasingly important to maintain health into older age. Providing diverse and non-mainstream niche opportunities to older adults such as this programme will maximise engagement and potentially reduce loneliness and physical morbidity in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Early detection of malignant melanoma (MM) has the potential to significantly reduce morbidity and mortality as the thickness of the lesion is closely associated with prognosis. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a non-invasive technology that has the potential to aid clinicians in the early diagnosis of skin cancers, including melanoma. Performance metrics of machine-based AI have been shown to rival or improve upon clinician diagnosis. However, many studies have limited this scope to pre-build image databases that may not replicate real-world settings experienced in general practice. This systematic review aimed to report the performance of commercial or market-approved dermatoscopic systems with AI in the form of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) when tasked with classifying melanoma. The sensitivity and specificity of CNNs are highly varied and illustrate the necessity of clinician-to-patient interaction in the diagnosis process. Clinicians working in unison with AI show the most promise for better performance when classifying MM. Background: Cutaneous melanoma remains an increasing global public health burden, particularly in fair-skinned populations. Advancing technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), may provide an additional tool for clinicians to help detect malignancies with a more accurate success rate. This systematic review aimed to report the performance metrics of commercially available convolutional neural networks (CNNs) tasked with detecting MM. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Web of Science databases. Results: A total of 16 articles reporting MM were included in this review. The combined number of melanomas detected was 1160, and non-melanoma lesions were 33,010. The performance of market-approved technology and clinician performance for classifying melanoma was highly heterogeneous, with sensitivity ranging from 16.4 to 100.0%, specificity between 40.0 and 98.3% and accuracy between 44.0 and 92.0%. Less heterogeneity was observed when clinicians worked in unison with AI, with sensitivity ranging between 83.3 and 100.0%, specificity between 83.7 and 87.3%, and accuracy between 86.4 and 86.9%. Conclusion: Instead of focusing on the performance of AI versus clinicians for classifying melanoma, more consistent performance has been obtained when clinicians' work is supported by AI, facilitating management decisions and improving health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]