Prevalence of active foot disease and foot disease risk factors in a subacute inpatient rehabilitation facility: a cross-sectional prevalence study

Background Australian subacute inpatient rehabilitation facilities face significant challenges from the ageing population and the increasing burden of chronic disease. Foot disease complications are a negative consequence of many chronic diseases. With the rapid expansion of subacute rehabilitation inpatient services, it seems imperative to investigate the prevalence of foot disease and foot disease risk factors in this population. The primary aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of active foot disease and foot disease risk factors in a subacute inpatient rehabilitation facility. Methods Eligible participants were all adults admitted at least overnight into a large Australian subacute inpatient rehabilitation facility over two different four week periods. Consenting participants underwent a short non-invasive foot examination by a podiatrist utilising the validated Queensland Health High Risk Foot Form to collect data on age, sex, medical co-morbidity history, foot disease risk factor history and clinically diagnosed foot disease complications and foot disease risk factors. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of clinically diagnosed foot disease complications, foot disease risk factors and groups of foot disease risk factors. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate any associations between defined explanatory variables and appropriate foot disease outcome variables. Results Overall, 85 (88%) of 97 people admitted to the facility during the study periods consented; mean age 80 (±9) years and 71% were female. The prevalence (95% confidence interval) of participants with active foot disease was 11.8% (6.3 – 20.5), 32.9% (23.9 – 43.5) had multiple foot disease risk factors, and overall, 56.5% (45.9 – 66.5) had at least one foot disease risk factor. A self-reported history of peripheral neuropathy diagnosis was independently associated with having multiple foot disease risk factors (OR 13.504, p = 0.001). Conclusion This study highlights the potential significance of the burden of foot disease in subacute inpatient rehabilitation facilities. One in eight subacute inpatients were admitted with active foot disease and one in two with at least one foot disease risk factor in this study. It is recommended that further multi-site studies and management guidelines are required to address the foot disease burden in subacute inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Keywords: Subacute; Inpatient; Foot; Complication; Prevalence

Modeling and control of a CLC resonant dual active bridge

This paper proposes a linear large signal state-space model for a phase controlled CLC (Capacitor Inductor Capacitor) Resonant Dual Active Bridge (RDAB). The proposed model is useful for fast simulation and for the estimation of state variables under large signal variation. The model is also useful for control design because the slow changing dynamics of the dq variables are relatively easy to control. Simulation results of the proposed model are presented and compared to the simulated circuit model to demonstrate the proposed model's accuracy. This proposed model was used for the design of a Proportional-Integral (PI) controller and it has been implemented in the circuit simulation to show the proposed models usefulness in control design.

The suitability of DEAE-Cl active groups on customized poly(GMA-co-EDMA) continuous stationary phase for fast enzyme-free isolation of plasmid DNA

The creation of a commercially viable and a large-scale purification process for plasmid DNA (pDNA) production requires a whole-systems continuous or semi-continuous purification strategy employing optimised stationary adsorption phase(s) without the use of expensive and toxic chemicals, avian/bovine-derived enzymes and several built-in unit processes, thus affecting overall plasmid recovery, processing time and economics. Continuous stationary phases are known to offer fast separation due to their large pore diameter making large molecule pDNA easily accessible with limited mass transfer resistance even at high flow rates. A monolithic stationary sorbent was synthesised via free radical liquid porogenic polymerisation of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) with surface and pore characteristics tailored specifically for plasmid binding, retention and elution. The polymer was functionalised with an amine active group for anion-exchange purification of pDNA from cleared lysate obtained from E. coli DH5α-pUC19 pellets in RNase/protease-free process. Characterization of the resin showed a unique porous material with 70% of the pores sizes above 300 nm. The final product isolated from anion-exchange purification in only 5 min was pure and homogenous supercoiled pDNA with no gDNA, RNA and protein contamination as confirmed with DNA electrophoresis, restriction analysis and SDS page. The resin showed a maximum binding capacity of 15.2 mg/mL and this capacity persisted after several applications of the resin. This technique is cGMP compatible and commercially viable for rapid isolation of pDNA.

Electropolymerisation of catalytically active PEDOT from an ionic liquid on a flexible carbon cloth using a sandwich cell configuration

We report the electropolymerization of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene) (PEDOT) from an ionic liquid, butyl-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (C4mpyrTFSI) onto flexible carbon cloth electrodes. A continuous, homogeneous and well adhered coating of the individual cloth fibres is achieved by employing a sandwich cell arrangement where the carbon cloth which is soaked with electrolyte is placed between two indium tin oxide electrodes isolated from each other by a battery separator. The resultant PEDOT modified carbon cloth electrode demonstrates excellent activity for the oxygen reduction reaction which is due to the doping level, conductivity and morphology of the PEDOT layer and is also tolerant to the presence of methanol in the electrolyte. This simple approach therefore offers a route to fabricate flexible polymer electrodes that could be used in various electronic applications.

Application of TS-Fuzzy Controller for Active Power and DC Capacitor Voltage Control in DFIG-Based Wind Energy Conversion Systems

This chapter focuses on the implementation of the TS (Tagaki-Sugino) fuzzy controller for the Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) based wind generator. The conventional PI control loops for mantaining desired active power and DC capacitor voltage is compared with the TS fuzzy controllers. DFIG system is represented by a third-order model where electromagnetic transients of the stator are neglected. The effectiveness of the TS-fuzzy controller on the rotor speed oscillations and the DC capacitor voltage variations of the DFIG damping controller on converter ratings is also investigated. The results from the time domain simulations are presented to elucidate the effectiveness of the TS-fuzzy controller over the conventional PI controller in the DFIG system. The proposed TS-fuzzy con-troller can improve the fault ride through capability of DFIG compared to the conventional PI controller.

The performance of diversified emerging market equity funds

We investigate the performance of globally diversified emerging market equity funds during the first decade of the twenty-first century. A vast majority of these funds do not outperform the market benchmark even before transaction costs. The systematic risk of most of the funds is similar to that of the market benchmark portfolio, which may suggest that they aim to offer diversification benefits rather than seeking superior risk-adjusted returns through active management. We do not find any evidence of market timing ability amongst these funds. Finally, whilst we detect persistence in performance, this result is driven mainly by the poorly performing funds.

Television content for the 21st century classroom

This thesis examines the confluence of digital technology, evolving classroom pedagogy and young people's screen use, demonstrating how screen content can be deployed, curated, and developed for effective use in contemporary classrooms. Based on four detailed case studies drawn from the candidate's professional creative practice, the research presents a set of design considerations for educational media that distill the relevance of the research for screen producers seeking to develop a more productive understanding of and engagement with the school education sector.

Bikeshare's impact on active travel: Evidence from the United States, Great Britain, and Australia

Over 800 cities globally now offer bikeshare programs. One of their purported benefits is increased physical activity. Implicit in this claim is that bikeshare replaces sedentary modes of transport, particularly car use. This paper estimates the median changes in physical activity levels as a result of bikeshare in the cities of Melbourne, Brisbane, Washington, D.C., London, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. This study is the first known multi-city evaluation of the active travel impacts of bikeshare programs. To perform the analysis, data on mode substitution (i.e. the modes that bikeshare replaces) were used to determine the extent of shift from sedentary to active transport modes (e.g. when a car trip is replaced by bikeshare). Potentially offsetting these gains, reductions in physical activity when walking trips are replaced by bikeshare was also estimated. Finally a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis was conducted to estimate confidence bounds on estimated impacts on active travel given uncertainties in data sources. The results indicate that on average 60% of bikeshare trips replace sedentary modes of transport (from 42% in Minneapolis/St. Paul to 67% in Brisbane). When bikeshare replaces a walking trip, there is a reduction in active travel time because walking a given distance takes longer than cycling. Considering the active travel balance sheet for the cities included in this analysis, bikeshare activity in 2012 has an overall positive impact on active travel time. This impact ranges from an additional 1.4 million minutes of active travel for the Minneapolis/St. Paul bikeshare program, to just over 74 million minutes of active travel for the London program The analytical approach adopted to estimate bikeshare’s impact on active travel may act as the basis for future bikeshare evaluations or feasibility studies.

Book review: Politics and the media in twenty-first century Indonesia: Decade of democracy

This is the third (but first edited) volume in Sen and Hill’s corpus on Indonesian media. An anthology built from contributions to a 2006 workshop, it is necessarily more fragmented than the editors’ earlier monographs. While this fragmented character helps to evoke a fractured context, it also makes for unwieldiness...

Designing hubs for connected learning: social, spatial and technological insights from Coworking, Hackerspaces and Meetup groups

Connected learning, as a design approach, does not restrict learning to a dedicated learning space (school, university, etc.), but considers it to be an aggregation of individual experiences made through intrinsically motivated, active participation in and across various socio-cultural, every-day life environments. Urban places for meeting, interacting and connected learning with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures and areas of expertise are highly significant in the knowledge economy of our 21st century. However, little is yet known about best practices to design and curate such hubs that attract and support interest-driven and socially embedded learning experiences. The research study presented in this paper investigates design aspects that contribute to successful place-based spaces for connected learning. The paper reports findings from observations as well as interviews with users and managers of three different types of local, community-led learning environments, i.e., coworking spaces, hackerspaces, and meetup groups across Australia. The findings reveal social, spatial and technological interventions that these spaces apply to nourish a culture of connected learning, sharing and peer interaction. The discussion suggests a set of design implications for designers, managers and decision makers that have an interest in nourishing a connected learning culture among their user community.

Active aging: Exploration into self-ratings of "being active," out-of-home physical activity, and participation among older Australian adults living in four different settings

We examined whether self-ratings of “being active” among older people living in four different settings (major city high and lower density suburbs, a regional city, and a rural area) were associated with out-of-home participation and outdoor physical activity. A mixed-methods approach (survey, travel diary, and GPS tracking over a one-week period) was used to gather data from 48 individuals aged over 55 years. Self-ratings of “being active” were found to be positively correlated with the number of days older people spent time away from home but unrelated to time traveled by active means (walking and biking). No significant differences in active travel were found between the four study locations, despite differences in their respective built environments.The findings suggest that additional strategies to the creation of “age-friendly” environments are needed if older people are to increase their levels of outdoor physical activity. “Active aging” promotion campaigns may need to explicitly identify the benefits of walking outdoors to ambulatory older people as a means of maintaining their overall health, functional ability, and participation within society in the long-term and also encourage the development of community-based programs in order to facilitate regular walking for this group.