23852 research outputs found
Sort by
Is Government Policy a Barrier or Facilitator to the Work of Place-Based Community-led Nonprofits?
Get PDFIn this paper we explore whether government policy acts as a barrier or facilitator to the work of nonprofits, and in what ways (if at all) different policy contexts influence the work of place-based community-led nonprofit organizations working to improve the health and wellbeing of their communities. Employing 'abductive' analysis of qualitative data collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 20 non-profit leaders located in different parts of the UK, we found that government policy can act both as barrier and facilitator at various times. There is often a disconnection between policy intent and the realities of local context, funding arrangements for nonprofits was often dependent on developing and maintaining successful relationships, and there were clear tensions between the pursuit of mission and alignment to government priorities.Good Health and Well-BeingPeace, Justice and strong institutionsPartnerships for the Goal
How does research about literacy education move to, among and around teachers? Briefing for Teacher Educators
Get PDFGrounding-line retreat of Milne Glacier, Ellesmere Island, Canada over 1966–2023 from satellite, airborne, and ground radar data
Get PDFMilne Glacier is a marine-terminating glacier located on the northern coast of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic, a region that has experienced extensive ice-mass loss over the last two decades. Milne Glacier flows into Milne Fiord where it transitions from grounded to floating at its grounding line. The glacier rests on a retrograde slope and is therefore potentially vulnerable to marine ice-sheet instability where enhanced basal melt and grounding-line retreat can trigger further deterioration of the glacier. Glacier changes that occur in the ice flexure zone, which spans from the hinge line, the inland limit of tidal flexure, past the grounding line to the landward limit of hydrostatic equilibrium, are critical for glacier dynamics. In this study, we quantify changes in the Milne Glacier grounding-line position from 1966 to 2023 using satellite, airborne, and ground radar observations. Double difference interferometric analysis of Synthetic Aperture Radar (DDInSAR) images acquired between 1992 and 2023 from European Remote Sensing (ERS-1/2) satellites, Sentinel-1 A/B, and RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) was performed to delineate a timeseries of the hinge line. We used these hinge lines to quantify changes in the grounding-line position as their migration rates are directly correlated. RCM-derived results had the highest spatial resolution (10 m) and the best coherence between 4-day repeat acquisitions, which provided the most continuous and detailed hinge-line delineation across the glacier. We also used airborne and ground-based ice penetrating radar (IPR) data collected between 2014 and 2023 to calculate the normalized bed reflection (NBRP) and internal reflection power (NIRP) coefficients to distinguish between basal returns associated with water versus bed and assess signal attenuation within the ice column. Spatial patterns in NBRP and NIRP coefficients allowed us to reliably separate the floating and grounded parts of Milne Glacier. This alternate way of delineating the grounding line was in good agreement with our satellite-based DDInSAR results. Analysis of historical airborne radar surveys in 1966 and 1981 in conjunction with our more recent NBRP/NIRP analysis revealed a ∼3.1 km retreat (or ∼55 m yr−1) of the grounding line along the glacier centerline over the past 57 years. DDInSAR analysis provided additional details on this shift across the Milne Glacier. ERS and RCM images acquired in 3 and 4-day repeat cycles, respectively, revealed variability in hinge-line positions. This information allowed us to estimate the landward and seaward bounds, associated with the short-term hinge-line migration, that were used to quantify the grounding-line retreat over years. The grounding line retreat was highly asymmetric with the grounding-line retreating at over twice the average rate near the western margin (124 m yr−1) than at the center (53 m yr−1) of the glacier between 2011 and 2023. The calculated average retreat rates of grounding line showed a close association with changes in the ocean temperatures and subglacial discharge. Our study demonstrated that satellite-based monitoring of the hinge line at high spatiotemporal resolution is crucial to better assess the grounding line short-term positional variability and reliably quantify its long-term retreat. Airborne and ground-based radar observations can provide additional in-situ information to explain changes in the grounding line that affect glacier dynamics and viability
Association between circulating inflammatory markers and adult cancer risk: a Mendelian randomization analysis
Get PDFBackground Tumour-promoting inflammation is a “hallmark” of cancer and conventional epidemiological studies have reported links between various inflammatory markers and cancer risk. The causal nature of these relationships and, thus, the suitability of these markers as intervention targets for cancer prevention is unclear. Methods We meta-analysed 6 genome-wide association studies of circulating inflammatory markers comprising 59,969 participants of European ancestry. We then used combined cis-Mendelian randomization and colocalisation analysis to evaluate the causal role of 66 circulating inflammatory markers in risk of 30 adult cancers in 338,294 cancer cases and up to 1,238,345 controls. Genetic instruments for inflammatory markers were constructed using genome-wide significant (P 70% was employed to indicate support for shared causal variants across inflammatory markers and cancer outcomes. Findings were replicated in the FinnGen study and then pooled using meta-analysis. Findings We found strong evidence to support an association of genetically-proxied circulating pro-adrenomedullin concentrations with increased breast cancer risk (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.10–1.29, q-value = 0.033, PPH4 = 84.3%) and suggestive evidence to support associations of interleukin-23 receptor concentrations with increased pancreatic cancer risk (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.20–1.69, q-value = 0.055, PPH4 = 73.9%), prothrombin concentrations with decreased basal cell carcinoma risk (OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.53–0.81, q-value = 0.067, PPH4 = 81.8%), and interleukin-1 receptor-like 1 concentrations with decreased triple-negative breast cancer risk (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.88–0.97, q-value = 0.15, PPH4 = 85.6%). These findings were replicated in pooled analyses with the FinnGen study. Though suggestive evidence was found to support an association of macrophage migration inhibitory factor concentrations with increased bladder cancer risk (OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.48–4.10, q-value = 0.072, PPH4 = 76.1%), this finding was not replicated when pooled with the FinnGen study. For 22 of 30 cancer outcomes examined, there was little evidence (q-value ≥0.20) that any of the 66 circulating inflammatory markers examined were associated with cancer risk. Interpretation Our comprehensive joint Mendelian randomization and colocalisation analysis of the role of circulating inflammatory markers in cancer risk identified potential roles for 4 circulating inflammatory markers in risk of 4 site-specific cancers. Contrary to reports from some prior conventional epidemiological studies, we found little evidence of association of circulating inflammatory markers with the majority of site-specific cancers evaluated.Additional authors: Paul Martin, Demetrius Albanes, Lifang Hou, Polly A. Newcomb, Emily White, Alicja Wolk, Anna H. Wu, Loïc Le Marchand , Amanda I. Phipps, Daniel D. Buchanan The International Lung Cancer Consortium: Maria Teresa Landi, Victoria Stevens, Ying Wang, Demetrios Albanes, Neil Caporaso, Paul Brennan, Christopher I. Amos, Sanjay Shete, Rayjean J. Hung, Heike Bickeböller, Angela Risch, Richard Houlston, Stephen Lam, Adonina Tardon, Chu Chen, Stig E. Bojesen, Mattias Johansson, H-Erich Wichmann, David Christiani, Gadi Rennert, Susanne Arnold, John K. Field, Loic Le Marchand, Olle Melander, Hans Brunnström, Geoffrey Liu, Angeline Andrew, Lambertus A. Kiemeney, Hongbing Shen, Shan Zienolddiny, Kjell Grankvist, Mikael Johansson, M. Dawn Teare, Yun-Chul Hong, Jian-Min Yuan, Philip Lazarus, Matthew B. Schabath, Melinda C. Aldrich The PRACTICAL Consortium: Rosalind A. Eeles, Christopher A. Haiman, Zsofia Kote-Jarai, Fredrick R. Schumacher, Sara Benlloch, Ali Amin Al Olama, Kenneth R. Muir, Sonja I. Berndt, David V. Conti, Fredrik Wiklund, Stephen Chanock, Ying Wang, Catherine M. Tangen, Jyotsna Batra, Judith A. Clements, Henrik Grönberg, Nora Pashayan, Johanna Schleutker, Demetrius Albanes, Stephanie J. Weinstein, Alicja Wolk, Catharine M.L. West, Lorelei A. Mucci, Géraldine Cancel-Tassin, Stella Koutros, Karina Dalsgaard Sørensen, Eli Marie Grindedal, David E. Neal, Freddie C. Hamdy, Jenny L. Donovan, Ruth C. Travis, Robert J. Hamilton, Sue Ann Ingles, Barry S. Rosenstein, Yong-Jie Lu, Graham G. Giles, Robert J. MacInnis, Adam S. Kibel, Ana Vega, Manolis Kogevinas, Kathryn L. Penney, Jong Y. Park, Janet L. Stanfrod, Cezary Cybulski, Børge G. Nordestgaard, Sune F. Nielsen, Hermann Brenner, Christiane Maier, Christopher J. Logothetis, Esther M. John, Manuel R. Teixeira, Susan L. Neuhausen, Kim De Ruyck, Azad Razack, Lisa F. Newcomb, Davor Lessel, Radka Kaneva, Nawaid Usmani, Frank Claessens, Paul A. Townsend, Jose Esteban Castelao, Monique J. Roobol, Florence Menegaux, Kay-Tee Khaw, Lisa Cannon-Albright, Hardev Pandha, Stephen N. Thibodeau, David J. Hunter, Peter Kraft, William J. Blot, Elio Riboli Sizheng Steven Zhao, Dipender Gill, Stephen J. Chanock, Mark P. Purdue, George Davey Smith, Paul Brennan, Karl-Heinz Herzig, Marjo-Riitta Järvelin, Chris I. Amos, Rayjean J. Hung, Abbas Dehghan, Mattias Johansson, Marc J. Gunter, Kostas K. Tsilidis, Richard M. Marti
Insecticide tolerance of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae following larval exposure to microplastics and insecticide
Get PDFMicroplastic (MP) pollution poses a global threat to urban and rural environments and can have negative effects on a range of organisms. Mosquito larvae often breed in water contaminated with MPs, and given their important role as disease vectors, understanding the effects of larval exposure to MPs is critical for understanding the potential impact on their life history traits and subsequent methods for their control. Here, we have exposed first instar larvae of Anopheles gambiae s.s. to environmentally realistic concentrations of PET microplastics (1.0–7.5 μm) and a sub-lethal dose of insecticide mixed with microplastics, and quantified survival, development, and susceptibility of larvae over six generations. Adult mosquitoes from larvae exposed to these treatments were subsequently tested for insecticide resistance. Exposure to MPs decreased larval survival rates compared to the control; however, over six generations of exposure, survival rates significantly increased. Similarly, there was a higher survival rate of those larvae exposed to MPs mixed with insecticide compared to those exposed to just the insecticide, and survival increased further over the six generations. For the adult mosquito susceptibility tests, knockdown times (KDTs) indicated some level of insecticide tolerance when larvae had been previously exposed to MPs and insecticides. This is the first study demonstrating the selection of insecticide tolerance in adult mosquitoes after consecutive generations of larval exposures to varying concentrations of MPs. Therefore, field-scale studies are now urgently required to quantify whether larval insecticides are less effective at controlling mosquitoes in breeding sites commonly polluted with MPs
A closer look at plastic colonisation: Prokaryotic dynamics in established versus newly synthesised marine plastispheres and their planktonic state
Get PDFThe taxonomy of marine plastisphere communities has been extensively studied, demonstrating the ubiquity of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria of potential biotechnological significance. However, prokaryotic functioning on plastic surfaces has received limited attention, and the question of whether these microorganisms are active and expressing specific molecular mechanisms underpinning plastisphere colonisation remains to be addressed. The aim of this study was to investigate the plastic colonisation process, to identify the active taxa involved in biofilm formation and the mechanisms used to initiate colonisation. To achieve this, a marine plastisphere characterised by active hydrocarbonoclastic genera was used as the inoculum for a short-term microcosm experiment using virgin low-density polyethylene as the sole carbon source. Following incubation for 1 and 2 weeks (representing early and late colonisation, respectively), a taxonomic and comparative metaproteomic approach revealed a significant shift in plastisphere diversity and composition, yet highlighted stability in the predominance of active Proteobacteria spanning 16 genera, including Marinomonas, Pseudomonas, and Pseudoalteromonas. Relative quantification of 1762 proteins shared between the initial plastisphere inoculum, the microcosm plastisphere and the planktonic cells in the surrounding artificial seawater, provided insights into the differential regulation of proteins associated with plastisphere formation. This included the upregulation of proteins mediating cellular attachment in the plastisphere, for example flagellin expressed by Marinomonas, Cobetia, Pseudoalteromonas, and Pseudomonas, and curli expressed by Cobetia. In addition to the differential regulation of energy metabolism in Marinomonas, Psychrobacter, Pseudomonas and Cobetia within the plastisphere relative to the surrounding seawater. Further, we identified the upregulation of amino acid metabolism and transport, including glutamine hydrolysis to glutamate in Marinomonas and unclassified Halomonadaceae, potentially coupled to ammonia availability and oxidative stress experienced within the plastisphere. Our study provides novel insights into the dynamics of plastisphere formation and function, highlighting potential targets for regulating plastisphere growth to enhance plastic bioremediation processes
Even low levels of tree cover improve dietary quality in West Africa
Get PDFForests are attracting attention as a promising avenue to provide nutritious and “free” food without damaging the environment. Yet, we lack knowledge on the extent to which this holds in areas with sparse tree cover, such as in West Africa. This is largely due to the fact that existing methods are poorly designed to quantify tree cover in drylands. In this study, we estimate how various levels of tree cover across West Africa affect children's (aged 12–59 months) consumption of vitamin A–rich foods. We do so by combining detailed tree cover estimates based on PlanetScope imagery (3 m resolution) with Demographic Health Survey data from >15,000 households. We find that the probability of consuming vitamin A–rich foods increases from 0.45 to 0.53 with an increase in tree cover from the median value of 8.8 to 16.8% (which is the tree cover level at which the predicted probability of consuming vitamin A–rich foods is the highest). Moreover, we observe that the effects of tree cover vary across poverty levels and ecoregions. The poor are more likely than the non-poor to consume vitamin A–rich foods at low levels of tree cover in the lowland forest-savanna ecoregions, whereas the difference between poor and non-poor is less pronounced in the Sahel-Sudan. These results highlight the importance of trees and forests in sustainable food system transformation, even in areas with sparse tree cover
Effectiveness of a smartphone app Drink Less versus usual digital care for reducing alcohol consumption among increasing and higher risk adult drinkers in the UK: a two-arm parallel group, double-blind, randomised controlled trial
Get PDFBackground Digital interventions, including apps and websites, can be effective for reducing alcohol consumption. However, many are not evidence- or theory-informed and have not been evaluated. We tested the effectiveness of the Drink Less app for reducing alcohol consumption compared with usual digital care in the UK. Methods In this two-arm, parallel group, double-blind, randomised controlled trial, we enrolled increasing-and higher-risk drinkers (AUDIT ≥ 8) in the UK, who were motivated to reduce their alcohol consumption and willing to use a digital intervention to do so, via online methods. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1), using an online algorithm, to receive a web link to download the Drink Less app (intervention) or to the NHS alcohol advice webpage (usual digital care). Researchers were masked to group allocation. Participants were followed up at one, three and six months. The primary outcome was self-reported weekly alcohol consumption at six months, adjusting for baseline consumption. The full analytic sample was used in most analyses, though missing data was treated in different ways. The primary, pre-registered intention-to-treat analysis assumed baseline-carried-forwards. Secondary pre-registered analyses also focused on the full analytic sample and used alternatives including multiple imputation and last observation carried forwards. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN64052601. Findings Between 07/13/2020 and 03/29/2022, 5602 people were randomly assigned to the Drink Less app (n = 2788) or comparator (n = 2814) groups. Six-month follow-up rates were 79% and 80%, respectively. The primary pre registered conservative intention-to-treat approach assuming non-responders were drinking at baseline levels of consumption, found a non-significant greater reduction of 0.98 units in weekly alcohol consumption in the intervention group at 6-month follow-up (95% CI −2.67 to 0.70). The data were insensitive to detect the hypothesised effect (Bayes factor = 1.17). Data were not missing completely at random, with 6-month follow-up rates differing in terms of education, occupation, and income. We therefore conducted the pre-registered sensitivity analysis using multiple imputation, showing that the Drink Less app resulted in a 2.00-unit greater weekly reduction at 6-month follow-up compared with the NHS alcohol advice webpage (95% CI −3.76 to −0.24). Fewer than 0.1% of participants in both arms who responded to one, three or six-month follow-up reported adverse events linked to participation in the tria
Vaping during pregnancy: A systematic review of health outcomes
Get PDFIntroduction Smoking during pregnancy is harmful to maternal and child health. Vaping is used for smoking cessation but evidence on health effects during pregnancy is scarce. We conducted a systematic review of health outcomes of vaping during pregnancy. Methods We searched six databases for maternal/fetal/infant outcomes and vaping, including quantitative, English language, human studies of vaping during pregnancy, to November 10th, 2023. We assessed study quality with the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool. We focused on comparisons of exclusive-vaping with non-use of nicotine and tobacco products and with smoking. Presentation is narrative as the studies were of insufficient quality to conduct meta-analysis. Results We included 26 studies, with 765,527 women, with one randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing vaping and nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation, 23 cohort studies and two case–control studies. While the RCT met 4/5 quality criteria, the quality of the cohort studies and case–control studies was poor; none adequately assessed exposure to smoking and vaping. For studies comparing exclusive-vaping with ‘non-use’, more reported no increased risk for vaping (three studies) than reported increased risk for maternal pregnancy/postpartum outcomes (one study) and for fetal and infant outcomes (20 studies no increased risk, four increased risk), except for birth-weight and neurological outcomes where two studies each observed increased and no increased risk. When the RCT compared non-users with those not smoking but vaping or using NRT, irrespective of randomisation, they reported no evidence of risk for vaping/NRT. For studies comparing exclusive-vaping and exclusive-smoking, most studies provided evidence for a comparable risk for different outcomes. One maternal biomarker study revealed a lower risk for vaping. For small-for-gestational-age/mean-birth-centile equal numbers of studies found lower risk for vaping than for smoking as found similar risk for the two groups (two each). Conclusions While more studies found no evidence of increased risk of exclusive-vaping compared with non-use and evidence of comparable risk for exclusive-vaping and exclusive-smoking, the quality of the evidence limits conclusions. Without adequate assessment of exposure to vaping and smoking, findings cannot be attributed to behaviour as many who vape will have smoked and many who vape may do so at low levels
Our city our crew: sense of place, cultural entrepreneurship and ‘thick’ cultural resistance in the #SaveTheCrew movement
Get PDFIn this study, we examined the Twitter (now X, but hereafter still referred to as Twitter) hashtag #Savethecrew, a hashtag and movement created and maintained by Columbus Crew SC supporters in their attempt to prevent the relocation of their soccer team, from Columbus, Ohio, to Austin, Texas. We used two constructs – Sense of place and cultural entrepreneurship – as the basis for a critical exploration and thematic analysis. We analysed over 4000 Tweets and relevant media documents (eg local newspapers, club press statements) to explicate and frame the culturally resonant narratives and resistance strategies of Crew supporters. The case study emphasizes the ongoing importance of place and associated meanings, such as community, as strategically and culturally relevant resources that can be used to craft powerful and persuasive narratives. Ultimately, this culturally resonant narrative was used to resist ownership led activities that do not align with supporter ideals for what is best for soccer clubs and their surrounding communities
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Stirling Online Research Repository (STORRE)? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!