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Designing for a Multispecies House-hold Development of Pet ́s Habitats
Publication . Venâncio, Clara; Pessanha, Luís
This article makes a brief presentation of the development process of two prototypes that foster the environmental enrichment of two species of companion animals: guinea pigs
and cats. The prototypes Domus Petra and Locus Turi were the results of a research project carried out within the scope of a master's thesis in product design. The main goal of the project is to research how product design can promote animal welfare, health and, also, human wellbeing. There were identified cats and guinea pigs’ main characteristics and needs, as well as the problems of the spaces they inhabit when integrated into multispecies households. The animal’s artificial habitats were re-evaluated and redesigned to encourage the practice of normal species behaviours. The focus lays on the relationship dynamics between humans and companion animals: their practices of care; feeding; maintenance of animals and their products; ways of living together; and human-animal-objects interactions. The Domus Petra and Locus Turi prototypes seem to be usable by animals and humans, however, future improvements and developments should be considered. There is a need to explore other approaches to non-anthropocentric design practices, and other paths to include animal perspectives in product development.
Participatory Co-design: Approaches to Enable People Living with Challenging Health Conditions to Participate in Design Research
Publication . Neves, S.; Macdonald, A.; Poole, M.; Dening, K. Harrison
Abstract People are living longer and are affected by challenging chronic, lifestyleand age-related conditions such as dementia and stroke. The increasing number of people living with challenging health conditions highlights social concerns and their implications for the successful delivery of healthcare services. Research on improving dementia care [Alzheimer’s Disease International (2016) World Alzheimer Report 2016: Improving healthcare for people living with dementia: coverage, quality and costs now and in the future. Alzheimer’s Disease International, London] shows a need to involve people living with dementia, their families, and health and social care professionals when designing improvements to their healthcare services. In addition, involving patients recovering from stroke in discussions about rehabilitation services has been considered important to enable making decisions that better address their health care needs [Kristensen HK, Tistad M, Koch LV, Ytterberg C (2016) The importance of patient involvement in stroke rehabilitation. PLOS One 11(6). 10.1371/journal.pone.0157149]. This paper presents two case studies of a participatory co-design approach used to engage people; (a) living with
dementia, and (b) recovering from stroke in design research, where co-design-led methods were used to enable participation. The paper describes the importance of each of the roles of—and relationships between—individuals involved in the participatory co-design research process and how people living with challenging health conditions are enabled to participate in a form of three-way relationship. It discusses lessons learned, reflections and recommendations for a new collaborative model for people living with challenging health conditions engagement to enable a more equal and reciprocal partnership for participation in design research into healthcare improvements.
Using Co-Design Methods to Develop a Patient Monitoring System in Hospital Emergency Care to Support Patient Safety
Publication . Neves, Sandra; Oliveira, Vera; Guarino, Maria
Efforts have been made to develop a collaborative model to engage healthcare professionals and patients in healthcare services and resource improvement (Neves et al. 2021) This paper aims to understand how a collaborative model can enhance how design researchers work with healthcare communities in Portugal. Within the context of the development of a patient monitoring system to support patient safety for hospitalised people, this paper reports how design researchers are collaborating with the more traditional healthcare support specialisms in the research team.
Design researchers are introducing methods and tools to involve all key stakeholders (i.e., nurses, doctors, and patient and public representatives) in the design of the new patient monitoring system, which involves the continuous monitoring of vital signs for early detection of clinical deterioration to ensure patient safety in emergency care provided in hospitals. Specifically, through the nature of co-design workshops and the use of participative tools, these approaches are intended to better empower patients and healthcare professionals in this co-development process, to allow them to mediate the decision-making process in this context. This paper presents the first phase of this co-development process, highlighting the importance of using a participatory co-design approach to enable healthcare professionals and patients to voice their issues when developing a patient monitoring system.
Experimentally driven atomistic model of 1,2 polybutadiene
Publication . Gkourmpis, Thomas; Mitchell, Geoffrey R.
We present an efficient method of combining wide angle neutron scattering data with detailed atomistic models, allowing us to perform a quantitative and qualitative mapping of the organisation of the chain conformation in both glass and liquid phases. The structural refinement method presented in this work is based on the exploitation of the intrachain features of the diffraction pattern and its intimate linkage with atomistic models by the use of internal coordinates for bond lengths, valence angles, and torsion rotations. Atomic connectivity is defined through these coordinates that are in turn assigned by pre-defined probability distributions, thus allowing for the models in question to be built stochastically. Incremental variation of these coordinates allows for the construction of models that minimise the differences between the observed and calculated structure factors. We present a series of neutron scattering data of 1,2 polybutadiene at the region 120–400 K. Analysis of the experimental data yields bond lengths for CC and C C of 1.54 Å and 1.35 Å, respectively. Valence angles of the backbone were found to be at 112° and the torsion distributions are characterised by five rotational states, a three-fold trans-skew± for the backbone and gauche± for the vinyl group. Rotational states of the vinyl group were found to be equally populated, indicating a largely atactic chan. The two backbone torsion angles exhibit different behaviour with respect to temperature of their trans population, with one of them adopting an almost all trans sequence. Consequently, the resulting configuration leads to a rather persistent chain, something indicated by the value of the characteristic ratio extrapolated from the model. We compare our results with theoretical predictions, computer simulations, RIS models and previously reported experimental results.
Effects of umbilical cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells (UCX®) on rat sciatic nerve regeneration after neurotmesis injuries
Publication . Gärtner, A.; Pereira, T.; Armada-da-Silva, P. A. S.; Amado, S.; Veloso, A. P.; Amorim, I.; Ribeiro, J.; Santos, J. D.; Bárcia, R. N.; Cruz, P.; Cruz, H.; Luís, A. L.; Santos, J. M.; Geuna, S.; Maurício, A. C.
Abstract
Peripheral nerves have the intrinsic capacity of self-regeneration after traumatic injury but the extent of the regeneration is often very poor. Increasing evidence demonstrates that mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) may play an important role in tissue regeneration through the secretion of soluble trophic factors that enhance and assist in repair by paracrine activation of surrounding cells. In the present study, the therapeutic value of a population of umbilical cord tissue-derived MSCs, obtained by a proprietary method (UCX®), was evaluated on end-to-end rat sciatic nerve repair. Furthermore, in order to promote both, end-to-end nerve fiber contacts and MSC cell-cell interaction, as well as reduce the flush away effect of the cells after administration, a commercially available haemostatic sealant, Floseal®, was used as vehicle. Both, functional and morphologic recoveries were evaluated along the healing period using extensor postural thrust (EPT), withdrawal reflex latency (WRL), ankle kinematics analysis, and either histological analysis or stereology, in the hyper-acute, acute and chronic phases of healing. The histological analysis of the hyper-acute and acute phase studies revealed that in the group treated with UCX® alone the Wallerian degeneration was improved for the subsequent process of regeneration, the fiber organization was higher, and the extent of fibrosis was lower. The chronic phase experimental groups revealed that treatment with UCX® induced an increased number of regenerated fibers and thickening of the myelin sheet. Kinematics analysis showed that the ankle joint angle determined for untreated animals was significantly different from any of the treated groups at the instant of initial contact (IC). At opposite toe off (OT) and heel rise (HR), differences were found between untreated animals and the groups treated with either UCX® alone or UCX® administered with Floseal®. Overall, the UCX® application presented positive effects in functional and morphologic recovery, in both the acute and chronic phases of the regeneration process. Kinematics analysis has revealed positive synergistic effects brought by Floseal® as vehicle for MSCs.