Zoekresultaten

Application of motor learning in neurorehabilitation

Motor learning is particularly challenging in neurological rehabilitation: patients who suffer from neurological diseases experience both physical limitations and difficulties of cognition and communication that affect and/or complicate the motor learning process. Therapists (e.g.,, physiotherapists and occupational therapists) who work in neurorehabilitation are therefore continuously searching for the best way to facilitate patients during these intensive learning processes. To support therapists in the application of motor learning, a framework was developed, integrating knowledge from the literature and the opinions and experiences of international experts. This article presents the framework, illustrated by cases from daily practice. The framework may assist therapists working in neurorehabilitation in making choices, implementing motor learning in routine practice, and supporting communication of knowledge and experiences about motor learning with colleagues and students. The article discusses the framework and offers suggestions and conditions given for its use in daily practice.

Youth Care Knowledge Exchange through Online simulation gaming

A case study and method development research of online simulation gaming to enhance youth care knowlegde exchange. Youth care professionals affirm that the application used has enough relevance as an additional tool for knowledge construction about complex cases. They state that the usability of the application is suitable, however some remarks are given to adapt the virtual environment to the special needs of youth care knowledge exchange. The method of online simulation gaming appears to be useful to improve network competences and to explore the hidden professional capacities of the participant as to the construction of situational cognition, discourse participation and the accountability of intervention choices.

The design of a novel, environmentally improved cotton pre-treatment proces

The scope of this thesis of Gerrit Bouwhuis, lecturer at Saxion Research Centre for Design and Technology in Enschede is the development of a new industrial applicable pre-treatment process for cotton based on catalysis. The pre-treatment generally consists of desizing, scouring and bleaching. These processes can be continuous or batch wise. Advances in the science of biocatalytic pre-treatment of cotton and catalytic bleaching formed the scientific basis for this work. The work of Agrawal on enzymes for bio-scouring and of Topalovic on catalytic bleaching led to the conclusion that reduced reaction temperatures for the pre-treatment processes of cotton are possible. A second reason for the present work is a persistent and strong pressure on the industry to implement ‘more sustainable’ and environmental friendlier processes. It was clear that for the industrial implementation of the newly developed process it would be necessary to ‘translate’ the academic knowledge based on the catalysts, into a process at conditions that are applicable in textile industry. Previous experiences learned that the transition from academic knowledge into industrial applicable processes often failed. This is caused by lack of experience of university researchers with industrial product and process development as well as a lack of awareness of industrial developers of academic research. This is especially evident for the so-called Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s). To overcome this gap a first step was to organize collaboration between academic institutes and industries. The basis for the collaboration was the prospect of this work for benefits for all parties involved. A rational approach has been adopted by first gathering knowledge about the properties and morphology of cotton and the know how on the conventional pre-treatment process. To be able to understand the conventional processes it was necessary not only to explore the chemical and physical aspects but also to evaluate the process conditions and equipment that are used. This information has been the basis for the present lab research on combined bio-catalytic desizing and scouring as well as catalytic bleaching. For the measurement of the performance of the treatments and the process steps, the performance indicators have been evaluated and selected. Here the choice has been made to use industrially known and accepted performance indicators. For the new bio-catalytic pre-treatment an enzyme cocktail, consisting of amylase, cutinase and pectinase has been developed. The process conditions in the enzyme cocktail tests have been explored reflecting different pre-treatment equipment as they are used in practice and for their different operation conditions. The exploration showed that combined bio-catalytic desizing and scouring seemed attractive for industrial application, with major reduction of the reaction and the rinsing temperatures, leading to several advantages. The performance of this treatment, when compared with the existing industrial treatment showed that the quality of the treated fabric was comparable or better than the present industrial standard, while concentrations enzymes in the cocktail have not yet been fully optimized. To explore the application of a manganese catalyst in the bleaching step of the pre-treatment process the fabrics were treated with the enzyme cocktail prior to the bleaching. It has been decided not to use conventional pre-treatment processes because in that case the combined desizing and scouring step would not be integrated in the newly developed process. To explore catalytic bleaching it has been tried to mimic the existing industrial processes where possible. The use of the catalyst at 100°C, as occurs in a conventional steamer, leads to decomposition of the catalyst and thus no bleach activation occurs. This led to the conclusion that catalytic bleaching is not possible in present steamers nor at low temperatur

Citizen Science for Health: An International Survey on Its Characteristics and Enabling Factors

Even though citizen and patient engagement in health research has a long tradition, citizen science in health has only recently gained attention and recognition. However, at present, there is no clear overview of the specifics and challenges of citizen science initiatives in the health domain. Such an overview could contribute to highlighting and articulating the different needs of stakeholders engaged in any form of citizen science in the health domain. It may also encourage the input of citizens and patients alike in health research and innovation, policy, and practice. This paper reports on a survey developed by the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA)’s Working Group “Citizen Science for Health,” to highlight the perceived characteristics and enabling factors of citizen science in the health domain, and to formulate a direction for future work and research. The survey was available in six languages and was open between January and August 2022. The majority of the 254 respondents were from European countries, and the largest stakeholder respondent group was researchers. Respondents were asked about their perspectives on the particular characteristics of citizen science performed in health and biomedical research, as well as the challenges and opportunities it affords. Ethics, the complexity of the health domain, and the overlap in roles whereby the researcher is sometimes also the subject of research, were the main issues suggested as being specific to citizen science in health. The top two areas that respondents identified as in need of development were “balanced return on investment” and “ethics.” This publication discusses these and other conditions with references to current literature.

Knowledge and attitudes toward musculoskeletal pain neuroscience of manual therapy postgraduate students in the Netherlands

Background: Health care practitioners' knowledge and attitudes influence patients’ beliefs and health outcomes in musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. It is unclear to what extent physiotherapists undertaking a postgraduate master in manual therapy (MT students) possess the knowledge and attitudes toward pain neuroscience to be able to apply the biopsychosocial model in patients with MSK pain. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward pain neuroscience in MT students. Design: A cross-sectional study. Method: Self-reported knowledge and attitudes were measured among students (n = 662) at baseline and in all years of the MT postgraduate programs in the Netherlands. The Knowledge and Attitudes of Pain questionnaire (KNAP) was used as a primary measure. Difference in KNAP-scores between baseline (0), year 1, year 2 and year 3 was tested using a one-way ANOVA (hypothesis: 0 < 1

De effectiviteit van transmedia storytelling in themed entertainment: Vooral besluitvormings- of belevingseffect?