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The imaging support workforce: Stakeholder perceptions of role, impact and career progression
No full textYesIntroduction: Demand for imaging continues to rise, placing significant challenges on an already-stretched radiography workforce. Enhancing the capability and capacity of the Support Worker and Assistant Practitioner (SWAP) workforce is a potential solution, yet little evidence exists about their deployment. This study explored imaging department stakeholder perceptions in NHS institutions across England regarding SWAP roles and responsibilities, their contribution to service provision, and potential for career progression.
Methods: This qualitative study is the final phase of a multi-stage explanatory mixed methods study investigating the utilisation of the imaging SWAP workforce. A case study approach included semi-structured interviews (service/modality leads) and focus groups (SWAPs) across nine NHS Trusts. Sampling was evidence-based and purposive, aiming for representative diversity in SWAP utilisation levels, geographical spread and department size. Thematic analysis was conducted within and across cases.
Results: The SWAP workforce was consistently recognised as crucial for maintaining operational efficiency and enhancing patient care. Four overarching themes emerged: (1) operational efficiency and service impact, where SWAPs were critical in optimising workflows; (2) roles and responsibilities, recognising both role clarity and ambiguity leading to role strain; (3) career progression, support, and training, highlighting opportunities yet significant barriers to advancement; and (4) workforce dynamics and job satisfaction, where high job satisfaction contrasted with challenges in role stability and professional recognition.
Conclusion: SWAPs significantly enhance imaging service delivery. Despite their substantial contributions, SWAPs face challenges in role clarity and career progression that can impact on inherently high job satisfaction.
Implications for practice: A high level of variation in SWAP deployment is confirmed; a structured framework is required to guide implementation of effective deployment models. Moving from SWAP rotational models to static modality deployment may enhance consistency, team dynamics and job satisfaction.NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research programme(I.D.NIHR133813)
Effect of publication bias on the evidence supporting the use of myopia control interventions
No full textYesPurpose
Publication bias exists when studies with negative results are less likely to be published, resulting in over-estimation of treatment efficacy. This study aimed to assess the impact of publication bias on current evidence supporting myopia control interventions.
Methods
A systematic literature search was conducted to retrieve systematic-reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) assessing myopia control interventions. From eligible SRs & MAs randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating myopia control treatments (spectacle-based, contact lenses (CL), pharmacological) were included. Outcomes were mean changes in axial-length and refractive error. Pooled estimates of efficacy were computed with random effects meta-analysis. Publication bias was evaluated with funnel plots and Egger’s test.
Results
This study included 27 SRs and MAs, reporting on 49 eligible RCTs. Considering axial length outcomes, there were 41 RCTs, assessing CL (n = 16, 39 %), spectacles (n = 13, 31.7 %), and pharmacological treatments (n = 12, 29.3 %). Egger’s test was significant only for pharmacological treatments (p = 0.045), but trim and fill analysis indicated that that treatment efficacy was not over-estimated. Of 46 RCTs considering refractive error outcomes, 13 (28.3 %), 14 (30.4 %), and 19 (41.3 %) examined CL, pharmacological and spectacle treatments, respectively. Egger’s test showed significant asymmetry only for CL (p = 0.006), but there was not over-estimate of treatment efficacy. Among specific treatments, only atropine (refractive outcomes) and multifocal CL (axial length and refractive outcomes) had sufficient RCTs for analysis, and all Egger’s test were not significant (all p > 0.05).
Conclusions
This study did not find evidence of publication bias affecting the current literature supporting myopia control treatments, suggesting that the effect of different interventions is unlikely to be overestimated.Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action (MUSA) project, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) Mission 4, Component 2, Investment Line 1.5: Strengthening of research structures and creation of R&D “innovation ecosystems”, set up of “territorial leaders in R&D”The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 20 Jun 2026
From donations to devotion: how cause-related marketing frames drive brand evangelism through cognitive and social pathways in hospitality
No full textYesPurpose: Customers increasingly engage in prosocial behavior when purchasing products tied to social causes, but how message framing influences these responses remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the differential impact of gain vs loss-framed purchase-triggered donation (PTD) messages on brand evangelism (BE). It explores the mediating roles of perceived brand social responsibility (PBSR) and altruistic value (PAV) and the moderating effects of cognitive preoccupation (CP) and memory efficacy (ME).
Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 660 restaurant customers via MTurk using a between-subjects experimental design. Participants were randomly assigned to either a gain-framed or a loss-framed PTD message condition. Data were analyzed using ANOVA for mean comparisons, ANCOVA to control for potential confounds and PROCESS Model 8 and Model 4 to test the hypotheses to examine moderation and mediation effects.
Findings: PTD gain vs loss framed messages exhibited differential effects on customers’ BE, PBSR and PAV. PBSR and PAV played significant mediating roles, shaping customers’ BE Intriguingly, CP amplified the framing effects on PBSR and PAV, while ME strengthened the link between gain-framed messages and BE.
Practical implications: Marketers should prioritize gain-framed messages to harness the benefits of BE, especially for customers with high ME Strengthening PBSR and PAV through CP can also turn promoters into evangelists, offering a practical framework for impactful CRM strategies aligned with consumer values.
Originality/value: Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model and social cognitive theory, this research provides fresh theoretical perspectives on consumer–brand relationships by positioning BE as an outcome variable, a construct rarely explored in cause-related marketing. Furthermore, it advances the understanding of framing effects in CRM by identifying critical mediating (PBSR and PAV) and moderating (CP and ME) mechanisms, expanding their application beyond psychology into hospitality marketing
Prevalence of refractive errors in Vietnamese school children: a meta-analysis
Get PDFYesClinical Relevance: The findings provide greater information on the level of refractive errors in Vietnam, which could assist clinicians and relevant stakeholders to identify high-risk groups and prioritise interventions and preventative measures, contributing to more efficient eye care and cost-effective strategies.
Background/Aims: Vietnam, a developing country in Southeast Asia, has shown an increase in myopia progression in recent years. However, the prevalence of refractive errors across the country is unclear. The aim of this study was to estimate the pooled prevalence of different refractions in children across Vietnam, and to explore differences between rural and urban areas, and male and female children.
Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to capture all studies up to April 2024, using online databases including Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL. This was carried out independently by two researchers, following the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (PROSPERO ID: CRD42024524780). The quality assessment of included studies was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool checklist. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled refractive error prevalence, with robustness evaluated using 95% confidence intervals and sensitivity analyses.
Results: 15 school-based studies were identified (children n = 32,211), of which 6 qualified for meta-analysis inclusion (n = 15,825). The pooled refractive error, myopia, and hyperopia prevalences were calculated respectively as 37.60% [95%CI: 27.78–47.43], 28.83% [95%CI: 19.24–38.42], and 0.41% [95%CI: 0.24–0.59] with high heterogeneities of 99%, p<0.01. Refractive error prevalence was greater in urban locations, and female children.
Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis of refractive error prevalence in Vietnamese school children indicates a significant presence of refractive error, especially myopia. However, the large interval ranges suggest that further research using a standardised protocol is required to achieve more accurate estimates.Vietnamese Government Scholarship, Ministry of education and training, Vietnam [Grant number: 75/ICD-FG
Lanthanide (Er, Eu)-Doped TiO2 with Enhanced Kinetics for a High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor and Oxygen Evolution Reaction
No full textNoSupercapacitor performance is generally hindered by sluggish electrode reaction kinetics, which can be improved through doping to create surface defects, oxygen vacancies, and active sites. Pristine TiO2, Er-doped, Eu-doped, and Er/Eu-codoped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via a solution-based method. Among all of the electrodes fabricated, Er/Eu-codoped TiO2 showed the highest specific capacitance of 1772.5 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and a low charge transfer resistance of 12.37 Ω, highlighting the enhanced electrical conductivity and rapid ion and electron transport. The Er/Eu-codoped TiO2 electrode was further investigated in asymmetric supercapacitor geometry, where it demonstrated a wide potential window of 1.6 V, a specific capacitance of 135 F g−1 at 2 A g−1, an energy density of 48 Wh kg−1, and a power density of 1.6 kW kg−1. Additionally, pristine TiO2, Er-doped, Eu-doped, and Er/Eu-codoped TiO2 exhibited excellent oxygen evolution reaction performance, with onset potentials of 1.57, 1.52, 1.49, and 1.47 V and low overpotentials of 460, 400, 380, and 290 mV at 20 mA cm−2. The electrodes exhibited excellent electrochemical stability when tested for 20 h using constant potential electrolysis. Tafel slopes of 166.11, 164.71, 139.08, and 115.19 mV dec−1 suggested that all of the electrocatalysts under study are promising materials for OER research. These findings confirm that TiO2 codoped with rare earth metals is an appealing electrode material for energy storage as well as energy generation.Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) Split-Site program (PKCN-2019-175
SUMOylation machinery protein, PIAS4 role in breast cancer cell proliferation and drug sensitivity
No full textYesPurpose: Breast cancer is a significant global health issue, with resistance to doxorubicin (DOX) posing a major challenge to effective treatment. SUMOylation, a post-translational modification process, is linked to cancer progression and therapy resistance. PIAS4, a SUMO E3 ligase involved in maintaining genome stability and stress response, may play a role in these mechanisms. However, its function in breast cancer progression and DOX resistance remains uncertain. This study investigates the potential role of PIAS4 in mediating DOX resistance in breast cancer.
Methods and results: Naked mole-rats (NMRs) are cancer-resistant rodents with improved genome maintenance, yet the role of SUMOylation in this trait remains unclear. SUMOylation machinery gene expression levels are investigated using qPCR in NMR tissue in comparison with carcinogenic breast cancer (MCF-7) cell line. Functional studies are performed in MCF-7 cells overexpressing PIAS4 to demonstrate effects on proliferation, invasion, drug sensitivity, and protein expression in the presence and absence of DOX treatment. While most SUMOylation genes were expressed at low levels in NMR intestinal tissues, PIAS4 showed higher expression compared to MCF-7 cells. PIAS4 overexpression in MCF-7 cells significantly decreases colony formation, invasiveness, and resistance to DOX. Western blot analysis showed downregulated Bcl-2 protein levels after DOX treatment, indicating a potential role in apoptosis evasion.
Conclusion: PIAS4 expression level plays a role in breast cancer cell survival, invasiveness, and chemoresistance, partly by altering anti-apoptotic pathways. These findings position PIAS4 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for overcoming resistance to anthracycline-based therapies in breast cancer
Towards an International Digital Product Passport: The New Paradigm of a Worldwide Circular Economy
Get PDFYesThe circular economy is a concept that promotes implementations aimed at eliminating waste and pollution throughout a product’s life cycle. Many policies, actions, and plans around the world support this economic system. A key emerging technology in this effort is the digital product passport (DPP), which facilitates information exchange among various stakeholders by tracking a product’s lifecycle and providing valuable insights into its environmental impact. Despite its potential, there is limited knowledge on how to implement DPPs globally, as well as on the key requirements, implications, enablers, and barriers to their adoption. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed 87 research papers and developed a comprehensive framework covering all critical aspects of DPP adoption. Our findings underscore several important factors that must be considered when implementing DPP systems. These include the necessity for standardized data structures, flexible virtual replication of passport data, data pools with information isolation, and data privacy concerns. Our theoretical framework is grounded in Porter’s cluster theory and literature on trading blocs. Academically, our research clarifies the mechanisms through which socially sustainable supply chains and trade data privacy legislation can foster sustainable development in intra-regional trading areas. Practically, our study offers real-life solutions and recommendations for implementing DPPs across various industries, such as mining, real estate, electric vehicles, and textiles
Evaluation of two raw Indian and Turkish propolis samples as pre-formualtion study for cosmetic preparations [Abstract]
No full textYesGhaida Mustafa is receiving a scholarship for her PhD study by the Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the future program
Local bond-slip behavior and mechanisms of steel fiber-UHPC matrix interface modified by nano-engineering
No full textYesThe bond performance at the interface between steel fibers and the ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) matrix plays a critical role in determining the mechanical behavior of UHPC. While nano-engineering presents promising strategies to strengthen this interface, the localized bond-slip behavior of steel fibers in nano-engineered UHPC is not fully understood, owing to complex microstructural features and pronounced stress heterogeneity along the interface resulting from the fiber-matrix modulus disparity. Combining pull-out tests, microstructural characterizations, theoretical modeling, and numerical simulations, this study elucidates two distinct mechanisms responsible for bond enhancement induced by nanofillers: the interface nano-modification effect and the transition zone nano-modification effect. The relative scale between nanofillers and steel fibers governs the enrichment or dilution of nanofillers at the interface, thereby affecting the modification efficacy within the transition zone. These mechanisms collectively contribute to a notable improvement in interfacial bond strength, reaching a peak value of 11.73 MPa—exceeding all previously reported results. The derived bond-slip constitutive models, grounded in these mechanistic insights, indicate that although nano-engineering can substantially improve the strength and durability of UHPC, it also leads to a reduction in ductility
Regulation of TGF-β and BMP signaling by natural triterpene compounds in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
No full textYesPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating cardiovascular disorder caused by right heart failure leading to premature death. The TGFBR2 and BMPR-II receptors, which are members of the TGF-β receptor family, are considered promising targets for developing novel drugs in PAH. Lupeol and ψ-taraxasterol, naturally occurring triterpene molecules with proven anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and cardioprotective activities, hold considerable potential in the treatment of PAH. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the impacts of lupeol and ψ-taraxasterol isolated from Cirsium sintenisii Freyn on the TGF-β and BMP pathways, aiming to determine their therapeutic values in PAH. The effects of the compounds were extensively investigated using both in silico and wet lab experiments, including reporter assays, RT-PCR/QPCR, Western blots, and cell proliferations assays. Both lupeol and ψ-taraxasterol demonstrated interactions with the majority of components of these signaling pathways, including the TGFBR2 and BMPR-II receptors, suggesting that both compounds were capable of modulating the BMP and TGF-β pathways. Data derived from reporter assays, RT-PCR/QPCR, and Western blots demonstrated that lupeol and ψ-taraxasterol inhibited the TGF-β signaling pathway by reducing the phosphorylation of the SMAD3 protein and the expression of pai-1 transcripts. Additionally, ψ-taraxasterol enhanced BMP signaling via regulating the phosphorylation of SMAD1/5 proteins and upregulated the expression of id-1 transcripts. Finally, lupeol and ψ-taraxasterol inhibited abnormal proliferation of mutant-type (bmpr2R899X+/-) PAMSCs stimulated with the TGF-β1 ligand with no discernible effects on wild-type cells. This is the first comprehensive report outlining the potential therapeutic effects of lupeol and ψ-taraxasterol in PAH, which may have immediate experimental and clinical applications not only in PAH but also other BMP- and TGF-β-associated disorders.Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council (TUBITAK) for supporting this study with the 2219 TUBITAK International Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Programme. Research carried out at MTN laboratories is funded by the GrowMedtech, the Royal Society grant (R00609 to MTN), the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation (grant B70 to MTN), and the University of Bradford (UoB)