Using personas to exploit environmental attitudes and behaviour in sustainable product design.

The aim of this research was to study the relationship between user sustainable design attitudes versus behaviour, and to develop and test environmental personas as design tools. Current approaches towards environmentally sustainable design are primarily focused on capturing the environmentally conscious and pro-environmental consumers, or changing the attitude and behaviour of the anti-environmental consumer. In a survey of 521 consumers, environmental attitude was a poor predictor of environmental behaviour.

Mechanical characterisation of porcine non-intestinal colorectal tissues for innovation in surgical instrument design.

This article presents an investigation into the mechanical properties of porcine mesocolon, small intestinal mesentery, fascia, and peritoneum tissues to generate a preliminary database of the mechanical characteristics of these tissues as surrogates for human tissue. No study has mechanically characterised porcine tissue correlates of the mesentery and associated structures. The samples were tested to determine the strength, stretch at failure, and stiffness of each tissue.

A study of laparoscopic instrument use during colorectal surgery.

The aim of this study was to quantify laparoscopic instrument use and actions of both limbs during a sample of common colorectal surgical procedures. A method was devised using Observer XT software to code video recordings. Anonymised HD video recordings of nine laparoscopic colorectal procedures performed by a single surgeon were analysed.

Toward a Model of Human Information Processing for Decision-Making and Skill Acquisition in Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery.

Objective: To create a human information-processing model for laparoscopic surgery based on already established literature and primary research to enhance laparoscopic surgical education in this context.

Design: We reviewed the literature for information-processing models most relevant to laparoscopic surgery. Our review highlighted the necessity for a model that accounts for dynamic environments, perception, allocation of attention resources between the actions of both hands of an operator, and skill acquisition and retention.