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Towards a Natural Semiotics for Centralising "out of this world" images in Research with Children
Get PDFThis article discusses using concepts from various fields across general semiotics, to centralise children's abstract images in research. The aim is to move towards a natural semiotics – which accommodates the primordial, natural and universal dimensions of experience – that children connote through their ‘out of this world’ images. Natural semiotics is a term used to interrogate typical socio-cultural orientations towards meanings generated through signs. It is an approach to the co-interpretation of children's abstract images that appeals to emerging fields in semiotics and philosophical models which suggest the natural world as carrying intrinsic semantic value. Moving towards a natural semiotics carries potentials for co-interpreting children's ‘out of this world’ signs, in relation to situated and universal systems of meaning. When children cannot narrativise their experiences, symbols and other abstract imagery naturally emerge. A natural semiotics approach can be valuable for trying to figure out meanings behind children's creative, and at times, unknowable-yet-known data
Efficacy of interventions for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, functional abdominal pain—not otherwise specified, and abdominal migraine in children: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Get PDFBackground
Many treatments for abdominal pain-related disorders of gut-brain interaction (AP-DGBI) in children have been studied. We performed the first NMA to assess the efficacy and safety of all known treatment options for pediatric AP-DGBI.
Methods
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) studying any treatment option for AP-DGBIs (IBS, FAP-NOS and Abdominal Migraine, not functional dyspepsia) in children aged 4-18 years were considered. A literature search using EMBASE, MEDLINE and CENTRAL, were searched until January 16th 2024. Primary outcome was author-defined treatment success. Data extraction and appraisal was performed in duplicate Network meta-analysis methodology was employed within a frequentist framework using multivariate meta-analysis and outcomes assessed using GRADE methodology.
Findings
91 original RCTs (n=7226, 4408 female / 2818 male). were included, of which 12 on dietary treatments (n=730), 25 on pharmacological treatments (n=2140), 23 on probiotic treatments (n=1762) and 35 on psychosocial treatments (n=2952). More treatment success probably occurs (moderate certainty) with hypnotherapy (RR 4·96, 95% CI 2·16 to 11·4, large effect size) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (RR 1·99, 95% CI 1·32 to 2·95, moderate effect size). CBT probably reduces pain frequency episodes (MD 1·6 less/week, 95% CI 0·7 less/week to 2·7 less/week) and hypnotherapy (MD 5.4 less/week, 95% CI 3·0 less/week to 8·2 less/week, small effect) and dietary fibre (MD 3·4 less/week, 95% CI 1·4 less/week to 5.7 less/week, trivial effect) may reduce pain frequency. All other treatments were either not effective or the data were of very low certainty so no conclusions can be drawn.
Interpretation
Hypnotherapy and CBT show moderate certainty for treatment efficacy with clinically relevant effect sizes. No conclusions can be drawn about the other therapies in our analyses due to very low evidence certainty. Future RCTs should focus on improving the certainty level of those therapies’ impact on core AP-DGBI outcomes
Dark matter spiral arms in Milky Way-like halos
Get PDFThe coupling between the dark matter (DM) halo and the stellar disc is a key factor in galactic evolution. While the interaction between structures like the Galactic bar and DM halos has been explored (e.g. slowing down of the bar due to dynamical friction), the effect of spiral arms on the DM halo distribution has received limited attention. We analyze a suite of simulations featuring strong stellar spiral arms, ranging in complexity from test-particle models to fully cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. Using Fourier transforms, we characterize the phase and amplitude of the stellar spirals at different times and radii. We then apply the same methodology to DM particles near the stellar disc and compare trends in Fourier coefficients and phases between the two components. We detect a clear spiral arm signal in the DM distribution, correlated with the stellar spirals, confirming the reaction of the halo. The strength of the DM spirals consistently measures around 10\% of that of the stellar spiral arms. In the N-body simulation, the DM spiral persistently trails the stellar spiral arm by approximately 10∘. A strong spiral signal of a few km\,s−1 appears in the radial, azimuthal, and vertical velocities of halo particles, distinct from the stellar kinematic signature. In a test-particle simulation with an analytical spiral potential (omitting self-gravity), we reproduce a similar density and kinematic response, showing that the test-particle halo responds in the same way as the N-body halo. Finally, we also find the rest of the simulations, indicating that the dynamical signatures of the forced response in the DM halo are independent of the dynamical origin of the stellar spiral arms. We reveal the ubiquitous presence of DM spiral arms in Milky Way-like galaxies, driven by a forced response to the stellar spiral potential
Accessing Care: Experiences of Minoritised Ethnic Communities
No full textEthnic minority women are at a higher risk of adverse maternity outcomes. Good antenatal care can help prevent problems and is important for health promotion. However, women from ethnic minority groups are more likely to present late and are less likely to have adequate utilization of antenatal care. This commentary aims to critically appraise a recent review by Sharma et al., 2023 which explored the experiences of ethnic minority women accessing antenatal care in high-income European countries. The commentary also aims to expand upon the findings of the review in the context of clinical practice
Application of graphic design and animation technology based on biomechanics principle in communication optimization
Get PDFWith the development of information technology and digital media, graphic design and animation technology play an increasingly important role in modern communication. Through the combination and optimization of visual elements, graphic design realizes the efficient communication of information and the fast focusing of audience’s attention, while animation technology makes complex information visualized and vivid by virtue of its dynamic performance and narrative ability, which enhances the comprehensibility and infectiousness of the content. This paper starts from the point of view of biomechanics discusses the application of graphic design and animation technology in information 7dissemination, analyzes the key technologies such as skeletal animation, motion capture and GPU-accelerated rendering, and proves its advantages in the fields of advertisement, education, and cultural dissemination through the comparison of specific application examples. The results of the study show that graphic design and animation combined with modern technology can significantly improve the effect of information dissemination and provide technical support and development direction for future communication innovation
Neuropsychiatric manifestations of long COVID
No full textIn 2019 after the COVID-19 outbreak, a subset of patients was observed to be experiencing unusual symptoms and prolonged illness following SARS-CoV-2 infection and were labeled as "Long-haulers". Various terms like Long COVID, and Post-COVID-19 Conditions (PCC) were used to describe symptoms extending four weeks or more. Long COVID encompasses a range of persistent symptoms with a multisystemic nature, exhibiting a relapsing-remitting pattern. Various theories explaining Long COVID such as direct neuro-invasion, systemic effects of the virus, and neuroimmune dysregulation have been suggested. Clinical manifestations of Long COVID include diverse symptoms with fatigue, dyspnea, and cognitive impairment being common symptoms reported. Neurological manifestations are more prevalent in severe COVID-19 cases. Non-specific neurological manifestations include loss of taste and smell while specific neurological manifestations include hemiplegia and large artery ischemic stroke. COVID-19 medications may also cause neurological symptoms. Psychiatric manifestations include depression, anxiety, panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis, and cognitive symptoms such as attention and executive function deficits. Psychological symptoms vary among different social groups like frontline health workers, young individuals, and the elderly. Social isolation exerts a substantial impact on the psychological presentations of Long COVID through mechanisms such as Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA) hyperactivation, epigenetic modifications, increased steroid concentrations, immune system suppression, and reactivation of latent infections. Conclusively, neuroimmune dysregulation, social isolation and associated factors serve as the link between SARS-CoV-2 virus, long COVID and its neuropsychiatric manifestations
Emerging Perspectives on Distraction and Task Interruptions - Part III: Contexts, Mechanisms and Metacognitive Blind spots
No full textDifferences in Kinematic and Muscle Activity Associated with ACL Injury Risk in Second Division Female Football Players: Influence of Direction Task
Get PDFMapping the evidence of the effects of environmental factors on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the non-built environment
Get PDFBackground:
Antibiotic resistance increasingly threatens the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment. While misuse of antibiotics is a known driver, environmental factors also play a critical role. A balanced One Health approach—including the environmental sector—is necessary to understand the emergence and spread of resistance.
Methods:
We systematically searched English-language literature (1990–2021) in MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science, plus grey literature. Titles, abstracts, and keywords were screened, followed by full-text reviews using a structured codebook and dual-reviewer assessments.
Results:
Of 13,667 records screened, 738 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies focused on freshwater and terrestrial environments, particularly associated with wastewater or manure sources. Evidence of research has predominantly focused on Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas spp., with a concentration on ARGs conferring resistance to sulphonamides (sul1–3), tetracyclines (tet), and beta-lactams. Additionally, the People’s Republic of China has produced a third of the studies—twice that of the next country, the United States—and research was largely domestic, with closely linked author networks.
Conclusion:
Significant evidence gaps persist in understanding antibiotic resistance in non-built environments, particularly in marine, atmospheric, and non-agricultural settings. Stressors such as climate change and microplastics remain notably under-explored. There is also an urgent need for more research in low-income regions, which face higher risks of antibiotic resistance, to support the development of targeted, evidence-based interventions
Talk 2 Impact of NHS England uniform policies on Muslim female healthcare professionals
Get PDFBackground The ‘2020 NHS England Uniform and Workwear: guidance for NHS employers’ has made clear provision for religious head coverings in theatre and adjustments to bare below elbow (BBE) rules. However, there is great variability in how this guidance is implemented in local uniform policies. There is limited understanding as to how this affects Muslim women in healthcare.
Methods A quantitative self-completed cross-sectional survey was conducted online via Qualtrics software over a period of one month from 31/08/2024 to 30/09/2024. Muslim female healthcare professionals or healthcare students in NHS England since April 2020 were eligible to take part. All responses were recorded anonymously. HRA approval was not required.
Results Provisional results show a total of 430 responses were received. Of the respondents, 35% were doctors, 28% were medical/dental students, 11% were nurses and 26% were other healthcare professionals. 27% of those that work in theatres were prevented from wearing their headscarf. 72% of respondents had been asked to be BBE when not engaged in direct patient care activity. 47% felt they were treated differently at work due to the uniform policy. Due to hospital uniform policies, 46% felt their mental health had been affected with 33% having considered changing job roles and 31% having considered leaving the NHS. Furthermore, 66% did not feel comfortable raising concerns with their supervisors.
Conclusion NHS England uniform policies are having a profound impact on Muslim female healthcare professionals. There is a pressing need to increase awareness and implement national guidance more widely