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Development and optimisation of inhalable EGCG nano-liposomes as a potential treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension by implementation of the design of experiments approach
Get PDFYesEpigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main ingredient in green tea, holds promise as a potential treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, EGCG has many drawbacks, including stability issues, low bioavailability, and a short half-life. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to develop and optimize an inhalable EGCG nano-liposome formulation aiming to overcome EGCG’s drawbacks by applying a design of experiments strategy. The aerodynamic behaviour of the optimum formulation was determined using the next-generation impactor (NGI), and its effects on the TGF-β pathway were determined using a cell-based reporter assay. The newly formulated inhalable EGCG liposome had an average liposome size of 105 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.18, a zeta potential of −25.5 mV, an encapsulation efficiency of 90.5%, and a PDI after one month of 0.19. These results are in complete agreement with the predicted values of the model. Its aerodynamic properties were as follows: the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) was 4.41 µm, the fine particle fraction (FPF) was 53.46%, and the percentage of particles equal to or less than 3 µm was 34.3%. This demonstrates that the novel EGCG liposome has all the properties required to be inhalable, and it is expected to be deposited deeply in the lung. The TGFβ pathway is activated in PAH lungs, and the optimum EGCG nano-liposome inhibits TGFβ signalling in cell-based studies and thus holds promise as a potential treatment for PAH.This study was supported by Schlumberger Foundation’s faculty for the future in the form of PhD funding awarded to Fatma Haddad
Natural language processing-driven framework for the early detection of language and cognitive decline
Get PDFYesNatural Language Processing (NLP) technology has the potential to provide a non-invasive, cost-effective method using a timely intervention for detecting early-stage language and cognitive decline in individuals concerned about their memory. The proposed pre-screening language and cognition assessment model (PST-LCAM) is based on the functional linguistic model Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) to analyse and represent the structure and meaning of utterances, via a set of language production and cognition parameters. The model is trained on a DementiaBank dataset with markers of cognitive decline aligned to the global deterioration scale (GDS). A hybrid approach of qualitative linguistic analysis and assessment is applied, which includes the mapping of participants´ tasks of speech utterances and words to RRG phenomena. It uses a metric-based scoring with resulting quantitative scores and qualitative indicators as pre-screening results. This model is to be deployed in a user-centred conversational assessment platform
Affective Justice: The International Criminal Court and the Pan-Africanist Pushback by Kamari Clarke
No full textYe
In jars: The integration of historical anatomical and pathological potted specimens in undergraduate education
No full textNoAcross the UK, many anatomy departments possess historical potted wet cadaveric specimen collections, such as organs preserved in fluid-filled jars. Although considered obsolete by some for anatomical education, there is immense potential for their utilisation in teaching, particularly in institutes that have limited access to cadavers or have had body donation rates impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Another benefit of historical potted cadaveric specimens is that severe pathology, often not seen today, can be observed by the student.
The aim of this study was to understand students' opinions and attitudes towards the use of historical anatomical and pathological potted wet specimen collections in undergraduate science teaching. Following their integration into the anatomy program of a Clinical Sciences degree, seventy-seven undergraduate students completed a five-point Likert questionnaire on their perspective for the integration of the historical potted specimens in anatomical education. This study was approved by the Research Ethics committee at the University of Bradford RESULTS: The study demonstrated that 90 % of students found the collection useful in teaching, 92 % would like to see the collection used more in teaching, and 76 % of students found that the collection encouraged them to consider medical ethics and the donor.
In conclusion, the survey findings suggest that further utilisation of historical potted wet specimen collections would be useful in the teaching of anatomy and that these collections could potentially encourage conversations on post-mortem bodily integrity, ethics, and organ donation
Examining the Relationship Between Blockchain Capabilities and Organizational Performance in the Indian Banking Sector
Get PDFYesBlockchain has enormous capabilities to transform traditional business models in countless ways. Banks in India are building collaborative blockchain ecosystems to create an innovative business model and disrupt the traditional one to create more competitive advantage. This study’s purpose was to examine the relationship between blockchain capabilities (BCC), competitive advantage (CA), and organizational performance (OP), as well as evaluate CA’s mediating role in the relationship between BCC and OP. In this context, a scientific research model, including a hypothesis, has been developed from extant literature. The proposed model was tested using statistical data collected from blockchain specialists, blockchain product marketing managers, experts in future and emergent technology, and banking, finance, and tech managers or executives who are involved in planning and deploying practical blockchain in the financial sector. Data were analyzed and tested using AMOS 22.0 and a process macro using a sample comprising 289 responses. Our empirical results indicated a significant positive relationship between BCC, CA, and OP, as well as a relationship between BCC and OP, partially mediated by CA. This paper took an original approach and contributes to the literature on this subject to understand CA’s mediating role in the relationship between BCC and OP in the Indian banking sector
Evaluating DigiDAD: one year on
Get PDFYesIn a broader context where there are very real barriers to the development and implementation of service support that is father-inclusive, there is compelling evidence that the current support landscape in the UK engages ineffectively with young fathers (Maxwell et al., 2012; Bond, 2019). Young fathers have either been overlooked or excluded by professional support services (Bateson et al., 2017) or subject to a risk-based approach that stereotypically treats them with suspicion and surveillance (Neale and Davies, 2015; Tarrant and Neale, 2023). Established in 2017 as a regional charity in Gateshead, the North East Young Dads and Lads (NEYDL) project has sought to address discernible gaps in existing provision by prioritising and supporting the informational requirements of young men who are either currently fathers or soon to be fathers. This would prepare them to play an active and meaningful role in the lives of their child(ren). As part of an ambitious strategy and programme of support, NEYDL has pioneered DigiDAD, an e-learning parenting platform made by and for young fathers. First created during the COVID-19 pandemic, DigiDAD features pioneering, evidence-informed content designed to support the informational requirements of young fathers. The content comprises of bespoke advice and practical information for young fathers around parenting skills, relationships and support needs which they are likely to need as they navigate their parenting journeys. The purpose of this evaluation is to assess whether DigiDAD, a year from its launch, is meeting its primary objectives, namely that: 1. More young fathers will have the confidence, skills, and opportunities to be a positive presence in their children’s lives. 2. Statutory services recognise and value the role of young fathers. 3. The stigma of being a young father is reduced
Disruptive market shift: conceptualization, antecedents, and response mechanisms
Get PDFYesAlthough prior research has examined the effects of different forms of disruptive market shift on organizational practice, structure, and performance, knowledge is lacking on its conceptual domain, antecedents, and organizational response outcomes. This study draws insights from an in-depth analysis of 23 organizations to conceptualize disruptive market shift and explore its antecedents and consequences. We find that digitization, technological advancements, political uncertainty and government regulations, competitive pressures, the media, and customer dynamism are major drivers of disruptive market shifts. Furthermore, evidence suggests that organizations establish collaborative relationships, initiate internal transformational processes, and develop innovative metrics and patterns to respond to disruptive market shifts. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings
Deposit-borrowing substitutability: evidence from microfinance institutions around the world
Get PDFYesDrawing from 645 microfinance institutions across 56 countries, this paper examines the deposit-borrowing dynamic of microfinance institutions’ source of capital. We find that deposits and borrowings are substitutes rather than complements. We further find that the degree of substitutability is more pronounced among microfinance institutions operating in a developed financial sector where the level of information asymmetry is lower. Our findings represent novel contribution in understanding microfinance institutions’ funding behaviour that supports its quest for further growth and long-term sustainability.Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, April 2023
Suprathreshold Approaches to Mapping the Visual Field in Advanced Glaucoma
Get PDFYesMeasuring the spatial extent of defects may be advantageous in advanced glaucoma where conventional perimetric sensitivity measurements are unreliable. We test whether suprathreshold tests on a higher density grid can more efficiently map advanced visual field loss.
Data from 97 patients with mean deviationSupported by a College of Optometrists Research Fellowship (to JD)
Generalized Concept and MATLAB Code for Modeling and Analyzing Wideband 90◦ Stub-Loaded Phase Shifters with Simulation and Experimental Verifications
Get PDFYesIn the design of phase shifters, the modeling equations are too complicated and require some approximations to be derived correctly by hand. In response to this problem, this paper presents a generalized concept, algorithm, and MATLAB code that provide the exact modeling equations of the transmission parameters and the scattering parameters of any 90^o wideband stub-loaded phase shifter. The proposed code gives the modeling equations in term of variables for any number of stubs and characteristic impedance value by utilizing the symbol-based analysis of the MATLAB. It also illustrates the results as a function of normalized frequency relative to the center frequency f_o, and can be and can be tailored to any user-defined frequency range. As a matter of comparison, a three-stub wideband 90^o stub-loaded phase shifter is simulated using CST Microwave Studio and experimentally fabricated on Rogers RT5880 dielectric substrate with dimensions of 30×40×0.8 〖mm〗^3. The comparison reveals the accuracy of the proposed computerized modeling with -10 dB impedance bandwidth equal to 90% (0.55 fo-1.45 fo), (90∓5 degrees ) phase difference bandwidth equal to 100% (0.5 fo-1.5 fo), and negligible insertion loss. The novelty of this work is that the proposed code provides the exact modeling equations of the stub-loaded phase shifter for any number of stubs regardless the complexity of the mathematical derivations