physical barriers
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Genes ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Jiao Qin ◽  
Bang Feng

True truffle (Tuber spp.) is one group of ascomycetes with great economic importance. During the last 30 years, numerous fine-scale population genetics studies were conducted on different truffle species, aiming to answer several key questions regarding their life cycles; these questions are important for their cultivation. It is now evident that truffles are heterothallic, but with a prevalent haploid lifestyle. Strains forming ectomycorrhizas and germinating ascospores act as maternal and paternal partners respectively. At the same time, a number of large-scale studies were carried out, highlighting the influences of the last glaciation and river isolations on the genetic structure of truffles. A retreat to southern refugia during glaciation, and a northward expansion post glaciation, were revealed in all studied European truffles. The Mediterranean Sea, acting as a barrier, has led to the existence of several refugia in different peninsulas for a single species. Similarly, large rivers in southwestern China act as physical barriers to gene flow for truffles in this region. Further studies can pay special attention to population genetics of species with a wide distribution range, such as T. himalayense, and the correlation between truffle genetic structure and the community composition of truffle-associated bacteria.


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Giuliani ◽  
Luca Sgarabotto ◽  
Sabrina Milan Manani ◽  
Ilaria Tantillo ◽  
Claudio Ronco ◽  
...  

AbstractAssisted peritoneal dialysis (asPD) is a modality intended for not self-sufficient patients, mainly elderly, who are not able to perform peritoneal dialysis (PD) alone and require some help to manage the treatment. In the last decades, many countries developed strategies of asPD to face with aging of dialysis population and give an answer to the increasing demand of health service for elderly. Model of asPD varies according to the type of assistants employed and intensity of assistance provided. Both health care and non-health care assistants have been used with good clinical results. A mixed model of help, using different professional figures for short time or for longer according to patients’ need, has been proved successful and cost-effective. Outcomes of asPD are reported in different ways, and the comparative effect of asPD is unclear. Quality of life has rarely been evaluated; however, patients seem to be satisfied with the assistance provided, since it allows them to both retain independence and to be relieved from the burden of self-care. Assisted PD should not be intended as a PD-favoring strategy, but as a model that allows home dialysis also in patients who would not be eligible for PD because of social, cognitive or physical barriers.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ieva Lampickienė ◽  
Nadia Davoody

Abstract Background: The use of patient initiated digital care visits has been increasing and even more so in the era of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Learning more about healthcare professionals’ experience of using such technology would provide valuable insight and a basis for improvement of digital visits.Aim: This study sought to explore the existing literature on healthcare professionals’ experience of performing digital care visits.Methods: A scoping review was performed following Arksey & O’Malley’s proposed framework and utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses – Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. Three large databases – PubMed, Web of Science and IEEE Xplore were searched, and 28 studies were included in the review. The collected data was analyzed using thematic content analysis.Results: Five main themes were identified in the literature: positive experiences/benefits, facilitators, negative experiences/challenges, barriers, and suggestions for improvement. Healthcare professionals mostly reported having overall positive experience with digital visits and saw benefits for themselves and the patients – efficiency, convenience, accessibility, and new perspectives in remote care to name a few. However, opinions were mixed or negative regarding the complexity of decision making, workload and workflow, suitability of this type of care and other challenges. The suggestions for improvement included training and education, improvements within system and tools and support for professionals.Conclusion: Despite overall positive experience and benefits for both professionals and patients, clinicians reported challenges and issues they faced when using digital care visits: physical barriers, technical issues, suitability concerns and others. Digital care visits could not fully replace face-to face visits.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Koki Taniguchi ◽  
Satoshi Kubota ◽  
Yoshihiro Yasumuro

Purpose The purpose of this study is to propose a method for vulnerable pedestrians to visualize potential obstacles on sidewalks. In recent years, the number of vulnerable pedestrians has been increasing as Japanese society has aged. The number of wheelchair users is also expected to increase in the future. Currently, barrier-free maps and street-view applications can be used by wheelchair users to check possible routes and the surroundings of their destinations in advance. However, identifying physical barriers that pose a threat to vulnerable pedestrians en route is often difficult. Design/methodology/approach This study uses photogrammetry to create a digital twin of the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of the existing walking space by collecting photographic images taken on sidewalks. This approach allows for the creation of high-resolution digital elevation models of the entire physical sidewalk surface from which physical barriers such as local gradients and height differences can be detected by uniform image filtering. The method can be used with a Web-based data visualization tool in a geographical information system, permitting first-person views of the ground and accurate geolocation of the barriers on the map. Findings The findings of this study showed that capturing the road surface with a small wide-angle camera while walking is sufficient for recording subtle 3D undulations in the road surface. The method used for capturing data and the precision of the 3D restoration results are described. Originality/value The proposed approach demonstrates the significant benefits of creating a digital twin of walking space using photogrammetry as a cost-effective means of balancing the acquisition of 3D data that is sufficiently accurate to show the detailed geometric features needed to navigate a walking space safely. Further, the findings showed how information can be provided directly to users through two-dimensional (2D) and 3D Web-based visualizations.


2022 ◽  
pp. 1953-1967
Author(s):  
Sibonokuhle Ndlovu

This chapter presents physical barriers, lack of adequate funding, poor supervision, delay in feedback, communication difficulties, negative attitudes, and impairment-related disadvantages as the unique challenges confronted by students with disabilities when doing research in higher education in South Africa. Data were collected through scanning South African and international literature available on Google scholar, ProQuest, in books, journal articles, and online resources. Informed by decolonial theory, the invisible underlying causes of the challenges are discussed. Suitable assistive devices, listening to students with disabilities' voices, and more time allocation are suggested as strategies that could improve research engagement for students with disabilities.


2022 ◽  
pp. 92-113
Author(s):  
Sibel Ergun Elverici

Considering the growing popularity of mobile technologies and therefore social media tools, the idea of this study is not to promote or romanticise a social media tool but to explore the potential of social media for educational use by presenting a specific example. The study also aims to bring a deeper understanding of how mobile applications could be used to foster language education and consider their possible potential in education. Unlike the common trend investigating English vocabulary in the field, this study does not expose students to word lists but attempts to support the curriculum that students have to follow in their formal education. In this context, this chapter suggests an example of going beyond the physical constraint of language classroom by providing learners informal opportunities to practise English outside school in various contexts by using one of the most popular tools, namely WhatsApp.


Dementia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 147130122110653
Author(s):  
Noelannah Neubauer ◽  
Christa Spenrath ◽  
Serrina Philip ◽  
Christine Daum ◽  
Lili Liu ◽  
...  

A growing number of Canadians live with dementia. Strategies to reduce the risks of getting lost include physical barriers, restraints and medications. However, these strategies can restrict one’s participation in meaningful activities and reduce quality of life. Locator devices can be used to manage safety risks while also supporting engagement and independence among persons living with dementia. As more locator devices become available on the market, adoption rates would be affected by certain factors. There is no clear, standardized approach to identify the factors that have an influence on the acceptance and usability of locator devices for persons with dementia and their care partners. This project aimed to identify factors related to acceptance and usability of locator devices that are important to individuals with dementia, their care partners, service providers and technology developers. Qualitative description and conventional content analysis guided our approach. We conducted 5 focus groups with 21 participants. Trustworthiness strategies included multiple data sources, data verification for accuracy and peer debrief. Five overarching factors emerged as critical aspects in the acceptance and usability of locator devices. These factors were inclusivity, simplicity, features, physical properties and ethics. Participants thought that locator devices do not adequately consider privacy and stigma. Therefore, the acceptance and usability of locator devices could be enhanced if privacy and stigma are addressed. The factors identified will inform the creation of an acceptance and usability scale for locator devices used by persons living with dementia, their care partners and service providers.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mridul Chowdhury Konok

The Paper was presented in the International Conference on Inclusive Education, Dhaka, in 2013. The Researcher outlined the blue print of an Inclusive School that is accessible to all students regardless of their physical barriers. The school design was contemplated by the Researcher in the context of a developing country, which indicates that it is possible to build this school with all the described facilities with a small budget. Thus, making the school a cost saving one.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Mark Bal ◽  
Lars Østergaard

Angiosperms (from the Greek “angeion”—vessel, and “sperma”—seed) are defined by the presence of specialised tissue surrounding their developing seeds. This tissue is known as the ovary and once a flower has been fertilised, it gives rise to the fruit. Fruits serve various functions in relation to the seeds they contain: they often form tough physical barriers to prevent mechanical damage, they may form specialised structures that aid in dispersal, and they act as a site of nutrient and signal exchange between the parent plant and its offspring. The close coordination of fruit growth and seed development is essential to successful reproduction. Firstly, fertilisation of the ovules is required in most angiosperm species to initiate fruit growth. Secondly, it is crucial that seed dispersal facilitated by, e.g., fruit opening or ripening occurs only once the seeds have matured. These highly coordinated events suggest that seeds and fruits are in close communication throughout development and represent a classical problem of interorgan signalling and organismic resource allocation. Here, we review the contribution of studies on the edible, unicarpellate legume Pisum sativum to our understanding of seed and fruit growth coregulation, and propose areas of new research in this species which may yield important advances for both pulse agronomy and natural science.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Munoz-Valencia ◽  
James Montoya-Lerma ◽  
Perttu Seppa ◽  
Fernando Diaz

Disentangling the mechanisms underlying spatial distribution of genetic variation into those due to environment or physical barriers from mere geographic distance is challenging in complex landscapes. The Andean uplift represents one of the most heterogeneous habitats where these questions remain unexplored as multiple mechanisms might interact, confounding their relative roles. We explore this broad question in the leaf-cutting ant Atta cephalotes, a species distributed across the Andes Mountains using nuclear microsatellite markers and mtCOI gene sequences. We investigate spatial genetic divergence across the Western range of Northern Andes in Colombia by testing the relative role of alternative scenarios of population divergence, including geographic distance (IBD), climatic conditions (IBE), and physical barriers due to the Andes Mountains (IBB). Our results reveal substantial genetic differentiation among A. cephalotes populations for both types of markers, but only nuclear divergence followed a hierarchical pattern with multiple models of genetic divergence imposed by the Western range. Model selection showed that IBD, IBE (temperature and precipitation), and IBB (Andes mountains) models, often proposed as individual drivers of genetic divergence, interact, and explain up to 33% of genetic divergence in A. cephalotes. IBE models remained significant after accounting for IBD, suggesting that environmental factors play a more prominent role when compared to IBB. These factors in combination with idiosyncratic dispersal patterns of ants appear to determine hierarchical patterns of gene flow. This study enriches our understanding of the forces shaping population divergence in complex habitat landscapes.


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