Assisted living is a fast-growing living option for seniors who require residence-based activities for maintaining mental and physical health. Guided equine interactions may benefit seniors, so an on-site equine program was started at Hacienda at the River senior living community. For research purposes, twenty-four residents and associates, aged fifty-five or over, consented to physiological measurements before, during and after four guided sessions of stroking one of three horses for 10 min over 4-6 weeks. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured simultaneously in humans and horses during interactions. We hypothesized that human heart rate (HR) and HRV would increase during stroking and HRV power would shift toward the very low frequency (VLF) range common in horses, indicative of healthy function. During stroking, human HR increased ( < 0.05) but HRV (SDRR) and %VLF of HRV power did not change. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP), an exploratory measure, significantly increased after stroking, consistent with arousal. Two horses showed no significant changes in HR or HRV, but one relaxed. Sixteen horse-human pairs demonstrated synchronized HRV peak frequencies during sessions, suggestive of social connection. Participants used more positive than negative words describing their experience during exit interviews ( < 0.05). These data show that horses animate seniors without causing emotional stress and provide opportunities for social bonding.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8533143 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/bs11100129 | DOI Listing |
Light Sci Appl
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Optical Communication Systems and Networks, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
Metamaterials have revolutionized wave control; in the last two decades, they evolved from passive devices via programmable devices to sensor-endowed self-adaptive devices realizing a user-specified functionality. Although deep-learning techniques play an increasingly important role in metamaterial inverse design, measurement post-processing and end-to-end optimization, their role is ultimately still limited to approximating specific mathematical relations; the metamaterial is still limited to serving as proxy of a human operator, realizing a predefined functionality. Here, we propose and experimentally prototype a paradigm shift toward a metamaterial agent (coined metaAgent) endowed with reasoning and cognitive capabilities enabling the autonomous planning and successful execution of diverse long-horizon tasks, including electromagnetic (EM) field manipulations and interactions with robots and humans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpilepsy Behav
December 2024
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Background: There are still insufficient data on caregiver burden among caregivers of adult people with epilepsy (PWE), particularly in Malaysia. This study aims to explore the level of perceived caregiver burden among the informal caregivers caring for PWE, its predicting factors associated with caregiver burden, and the impact of this caregiver burden on their psychological health.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, caregivers of adult PWE attending the neurology outpatient clinic at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) completed a comprehensive questionnaire comprising demographic data of participants and care recipients (adult PWE).
PLoS One
December 2024
School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States of America.
Background: Quitline counseling is an effective method for supporting smoking cessation, offering personalized and accessible assistance. Tobacco use is a significant public health issue among people living with HIV. In Vietnam, over 50% of men living with HIV use tobacco.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMymensingh Med J
January 2025
Dr Maisha Farjana, Research Assistant, Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs, Dhaka, Bangladesh; E-mail:
World population is experiencing huge death toll due to Covid-19 pandemic with panic and uncertainty. Students used the electronic media called e-learning, became the budging word in these days. This study was aimed to determine the experiences of the medical students regarding e-learning during Covid-19 pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
December 2024
Department of Geography, HPT Arts and RYK Science College, Nashik, 422 005, Maharashtra, India.
Floods are one of the most catastrophic and widespread disasters that cause loss of lives, infrastructure, livelihoods, and people. Therefore, the identification and mapping of flood-prone areas is crucial for flood disaster management. The main objective of this study is to identify and map the potential flood areas of the Wardha Basin using frequency ratio (FR) and statistical index (SI) models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!