Progress and challenges of implantable neural interfaces based on nature-derived materials

AbstractNeural interfaces are bioelectronic devices capable of stimulating a population of neurons or nerve fascicles and recording electrical signals in a specific area. Despite their success in restoring sensory-motor functions in people with disabilities, their long-term exploitation is still limited by poor biocompatibility, mechanical mismatch between the device and neural tissue and the risk of a chronic inflammatory response upon implantation.In this context, the use of nature-derived materials can help address these issues. Examples of these materials, such as extracellular matrix proteins, peptides, lipids and polysaccharides, have been employed for decades in biomedical science. Their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability in the absence of toxic compound release, physiochemical properties that are similar to those of human tissues and reduced immunogenicity make them outstanding candidates to improve neural interface biocompatibility and long-term implantation safety. The objective of this review is to highlight progress and challenges concerning the impact of nature-derived materials on neural interface design. The use of these materials as biocompatible coatings and as building blocks of insulation materials for use in implantable neural interfaces is discussed. Moreover, future perspectives are presented to show the increasingly important uses of these materials for neural interface fabrication and their possible use for other applications in the framework of neural engineering.

Download Full-text

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning in health professional education: a mixed methods study protocol

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-021-02871-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Arunaz Kumar ◽

Mahbub Sarkar ◽

Elizabeth Davis ◽

Julia Morphet ◽

Stephen Maloney ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Online Education ◽

Health Professional ◽

Student Performance ◽

Professional Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Biomedical Science ◽

Health Professional Education ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Due to the complex nature of healthcare professionals’ roles and responsibilities, the education of this workforce is multifaceted and challenging. It relies on various sources of learning from teachers, peers, patients and may focus on Work Integrated Learning (WIL). The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many of these learning opportunities especially those in large groups or involving in person interaction with peers and patients. Much of the curriculum has been adapted to an online format, the long-term consequence of which is yet to be recognized. The changed format is likely to impact learning pedagogy effecting both students and teachers. This requires a systematic approach to evaluation of online teaching and learning adaptation, in comparison to the previous format, where, in person education may have been the focus. Methods The proposed study is a broad based evaluation of health professional education in a major Australian University. The protocol describes a mixed methods convergent design to evaluate the impact of online education on students and teachers in health professional courses including Medicine, Nursing, Allied Health and Biomedical Science. A framework, developed at the university, using Contribution Analysis (CA), will guide the evaluation. Quantitative data relating to student performance, student evaluation of units, quantity of teaching activities and resource utilization will be collected and subjected to relevant statistical analysis. Data will be collected through surveys (500 students and 100 teachers), focus groups (10 groups of students) and interviews of students and teachers (50 students beyond graduation and 25 teachers, for long term follow up to 12 months). Application of CA will be used to answer the key research questions on the short term and long-term impact of online education on teaching and learning approaches. Discussion The protocol describes the study, which will be widely implemented over the various courses in Health Professional Education and Biomedical Science. It will evaluate how students and teachers engage with the online delivery of the curriculum, student performance, and resources used to implement these changes. It also aims to evaluate longitudinal outcome of student learning attributes and impact on graduate outcomes, which is poorly reported in educational literature.

Download Full-text

Assessing the Impact of Relationship Length in the SMEs and Bank Association

International Journal of Marketing Studies ◽

10.5539/ijms.v9n5p17 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 17 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mark Ojeme

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Principal Component ◽

Building Blocks ◽

Relationship Building ◽

Internal Reliability ◽

Relationship Length ◽

Relationship Context ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

The Impact

Despite the importance of satisfaction, loyalty and relationship length in the literature, there is very little evidence of studies within the Nigerian Business to Business (B2B) Relationship terrain. This paper seeks to investigate the effect of relationship length on SMEs association with their banks in Nigeria. Measurement Items were adapted from various scale sets presented in existing studies were combined to investigate the B2B relationship context. Data were collected from 221 SMEs via a self-administered questionnaire completed either by the SME owner or senior manager with responsibility for relationship with their bank, providing 199 usable records. Principal Component Exploratory Analysis (PCA) was used to determine the underlying data structure, with subsequent deployment of Cronbach’s alpha as a post-hoc assessment of the internal reliability of the retained factors. Subsequently, regression analysis was employed to determine the impact of satisfaction on loyalty in a short and long term relationship contexts. The analysis presented suggests that the SMEs’ had evidence of been satisfied with their bank, however, the regression analysis for both short and long term relationship length were both significant in impacting their loyalty towards their bank. The originality of this paper lies in the investigation of a B2B relationship involving SMEs and banks within a relationship context that hitherto was unknown and the validation of relevant relationship building blocks.

Download Full-text

Behind the Limes: On the Quest for an Eastern Dimension of European Identity

Human Affairs ◽

10.2478/v10023-008-0010-8 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Juraj Hocman

Keyword(s):

Western Europe ◽

Specific Area ◽

European Identity ◽

The West ◽

Totalitarian Regime ◽

East Central Europe ◽

East Central ◽

Internal Coherence ◽

The Impact

Behind the Limes: On the Quest for an Eastern Dimension of European IdentityAlthough the integration processes in Western Europe have been studied for decades, the idea of European identity as a specific area of scholarship is relatively new. This interest coincides with fundamental changes that have occurred in Europe since 1989 and that may impact the internal coherence of the enlarged European Union. Over the past decades, the East-West dichotomy has been magnified due to the impact of Communism in the East, which exacerbated an already existent sense in the West of Eastern Europe's primordial otherness. Since four decades of Communism in East Central and Southern Europe produced only two, or at most, three generations that were raised and lived under a totalitarian regime, a long-term historical perspective is essential for a better understanding of the mutual estrangement. The paper examines the origins and key moments in the alienation of Eastern and Western Europe as reflected in ancient, medieval and modern history. It focuses on the present stage of perception of East Central Europe in the West. In the final part, it identifies societal values that may re-generate socio-cultural cohesiveness aimed at filling the gap between the two parts of Europe.

Download Full-text

Promoting healthy backs in schools: an evaluative study

Health Education ◽

10.1108/09654280710778592 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 107 (5) ◽

pp. 463-479 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Angela G. Springett ◽

Joyce E.M. Wise

Keyword(s):

Positive Impact ◽

Population Group ◽

Specific Area ◽

Target Population ◽

Feedback Form ◽

Content Type ◽

Back Care ◽

Long Term Impact ◽

The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of educating adolescents in practical ways of looking after their backs to reduce the incidence of back‐pain, with particular focus on the use and carrying method of ergonomically designed schoolbags.Design/methodology/approachAn educational leaflet containing a range of back care information was designed specifically for a target population group of Year 7 schoolchildren, aged 11 to 12 years, and distributed to Year 7 students (n=682) attending three main secondary education schools in West Sussex during September 2004. A feedback form was used to evaluate the impact of the leaflet on one class in each school (total n=81).FindingsThe main findings in this paper indicated education had immediate positive impact on students' awareness of the importance of looking after their backs, and achieving positive back‐health. Information gained was likely to influence future choice of schoolbag type, and intention to change to more back‐health aware schoolbook and equipment carrying behaviours.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper shows that long‐term impact was not evaluated, and is a limitation of this study. Further research is required to evaluate the long‐term impact of education on back care in adolescents, and at which age optimum educational impact in this area is gained.Originality/valueThis paper contributes evidence, which could be used to inform national and international health agendas, focusing on the specific area of healthy back education for adolescents through a school‐based health promotion initiative.

Download Full-text

Suppressed, but Not Forgotten

Swiss Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1024/1421-0185/a000033 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. 5-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Beat Meier ◽

Anja König ◽

Samuel Parak ◽

Katharina Henke

Keyword(s):

Memory Trace ◽

Thought Suppression ◽

Test Phase ◽

Indirect Test ◽

Final Test ◽

Test Experiment ◽

And Control ◽

Cue Words ◽

The Impact

This study investigates the impact of thought suppression over a 1-week interval. In two experiments with 80 university students each, we used the think/no-think paradigm in which participants initially learn a list of word pairs (cue-target associations). Then they were presented with some of the cue words again and should either respond with the target word or avoid thinking about it. In the final test phase, their memory for the initially learned cue-target pairs was tested. In Experiment 1, type of memory test was manipulated (i.e., direct vs. indirect). In Experiment 2, type of no-think instructions was manipulated (i.e., suppress vs. substitute). Overall, our results showed poorer memory for no-think and control items compared to think items across all experiments and conditions. Critically, however, more no-think than control items were remembered after the 1-week interval in the direct, but not in the indirect test (Experiment 1) and with thought suppression, but not thought substitution instructions (Experiment 2). We suggest that during thought suppression a brief reactivation of the learned association may lead to reconsolidation of the memory trace and hence to better retrieval of suppressed than control items in the long term.

Download Full-text