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A Motorcycle Pilgrimage on Icelandic F-roads
No full textIn June of 2022, I left my home in a small market town in the Southwest of England and headed out on my motorcycle across the width of southern England to catch a ferry. This transported me to continental Europe, where I would head north to Denmark before catching a two-day ferry to Iceland. I planned on spending three weeks exploring the remote and largely deserted F-roads of Iceland's mountainous highlands. Alongside this physical journey through breathtaking vistas, I also embarked on a journey of self-discovery as I explored how myths and legends influenced meaning-making of my travels through unconventional spaces. Rediscovering the transformative power of a quest instead of an expedition, I found inspiration from the concept of a ‘Wandering Pilgrim.’ The following vignettes and reflections explore my relationship with stories, culture, and the landscape and how they shape my identity. Navigating through these isolated spaces provided a unique opportunity for exploration and renegotiation of self-identity, and the journey became both the quest and the destination, with the F-roads serving as a portal to understand the role of myths in shaping my sense of self
Spatial mapping and analysis of forest fire risk areas in Sri Lanka – Understanding environmental significance
Get PDFThis study presents the first attempt in Sri Lanka to generate a forest fire risk map covering the entire country using a GIS-based forest fire index (FFI) model. The model utilized seven parameters: land use, temperature, slope, proximity to roads and settlements, elevation, and aspect. All these parameters were derived using GIS techniques with ArcGIS10.4 and QGIS3.16. Data from Remote Sensing sources, particularly the MODIS hotspot real-world dataset, were employed to gather fire count information for the year 2020. Validation was conducted through the merging hotspot technique and kernel density estimation (KDE). The research findings highlight the districts in the Central and Uva provinces, such as NuwaraEliya (10.3 km2), Kandy (2.74 km2), and Badulla (10.41 km2), as having a “very low risk" of forest fire potential. Conversely, districts like Hambanthota (0.1 km2), Kaluthara (0.04 km2), and Kurunegala (0.2 km2) exhibit a “very high risk" of forest fire potential, although it is negligible compared country's total area. Overall, the study suggests that Sri Lanka is not currently facing a significant threat of forest fires and is a “medium risk" of forest fires as 49.49% of land falls under this category. These results are of immense value to relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, in formulating effective strategies to manage and mitigate forest fire risks in the country
Commentary On Packing Vs Non-Packing of Pilonidal Sinus Cavities After Incision and Drainage
Get PDFPilonidal Sinus Disease (PSD) manifests as an inflammatory skin condition typically emerging within the anal cleft. The prevalence of this disease varies in high income countries. This disease is associated with significant physical and psychosocial distress. Surgery is an option for managing PSD, yet surgical methods vary, and a universally accepted gold standard approach is lacking, leading to current practices that are diverse and subject to ongoing debate. One such point of contention revolves around the decision to use packing or opt for a non-packing approach following surgery. Mohamedahmed et al. (2021) conducted a systematic review to evaluate the comparative outcomes of packing versus non-packing of an abscess cavity following incision and drainage of cutaneous abscess on any part of the body. This commentary aims to critically appraise the methods used within the review by Mohamedahmed et al. (2020) and expand upon the findings in the context of treatment and management of PSD
The impact of Covid-19 road-space reallocation measures: Insights from the north of England
Get PDFIn response to the Covid-19 pandemic, governments around the world initiated a programme of temporary road-space reallocation measures. These temporary measures helped to create more space for social distancing and encouraged an uptake in active travel (including walking and cycling). This paper examines the impact of the pandemic on travel behaviour in two contrasting local authorities in the North of England, and specifically, examines the deployment and impact of the temporary road-space measures introduced. This research shows that, overall, there was a substantial degree of change in usual travel behaviours amongst the sample in both locations; and this included modest shifts towards active modes (which were more pronounced in Sheffield). Notably, awareness of the temporary measures was high in both Lancashire and Sheffield (77.7% across the whole sample). Yet, actual use of the measures was relatively low (33.0%), although those using them held largely favourable views of their experiences. Increases in cycling were seen across both those who were aware of the measures and those who were not, but notably, the highest increases in cycling (for commuting, shopping, and leisure trips) were across those who were aware and then went on to use the temporary measures. For those not cycling pre-pandemic, there appears to be a positive relationship between beginning to cycle and use of the measures. In contrast, the temporary measures appeared to have little impact on levels of walking
Multi-Disciplinary Team Practitioners Working in High Performance Sport: Skilled intuitive ‘doers’ or novel problem-solving innovators
Get PDFPractitioners operating in performance sport are required to problem solve, enabling them to offer tailored performance solutions, whilst making expert decisions with a high degree of precision. Problem solving and decision-making are intertwined and tangled in practice, however the reality is that they are two independent skillsets that practitioners require. The aim of this study is to investigate performance practitioner’s approaches to problem solving and decision-making, analysing the meta-cognitive skills required by multi-disciplinary team (MDT) practitioners to be effective in their daily practice. Utilising a 71-statement Likert scale survey, 115 Performance and Medical related MDT practitioners were surveyed to gain insight into their strength of perceptions on how they think about and approach their work in relation to problem solving and decision making. We tabulated descriptive data and created heat maps to visualise correlations between responses. Findings suggest that practitioners rely on a mixed bag of approaches cognitively toggling between problem types, approaches, and decision styles. In this study practitioners preferred skilled procedural doing and intuitive expertise to overcome simple problems over rationalistic, logical innovating to address complex problems. Findings suggest the need for MDT Practitioners to differentiate between problem types, problem solving approaches and decision-making styles whilst deepening our comprehension of practitioners' expertise. It offers insight into the cognition that forms the foundation of their approaches, providing a valuable perspective
Strengthening knowledge and awareness in family services of domestic abuse (SKAFADA)
Get PDFThis rapid scoping study, conducted by researchers from the University of Central Lancashire and King’s College London, provides evidence on the knowledge, understanding, and skills of the Early Help and Family Support workforces in England with regard to domestic abuse.
Early Help (EH) is designed to intervene before challenges in families reach the threshold where statutory safeguarding services are required, whereas Family Support (FS) provides services and interventions for vulnerable families and where children are defined as ‘in need’. These local authority (LA) workforces often collaborate with other partners to work with adults to develop parenting skills as well as in direct work with children. Early Help/Family Support practitioners have high levels of contact with families experiencing domestic abuse, and so it is important that the training and development they receive equips them with the tools they need to identify and deal with situations of domestic abuse
Individual patient data meta-analysis of the effects of fluoxetine on functional outcomes after acute stroke
Get PDFBackground
Three large randomised controlled trials of fluoxetine for stroke recovery have been performed. We perfomed an individual patient data meta-analysis (IPDM) on the combined data.
Methods
Fixed effects meta-analyses was performed on the combined data set, for the primary outcome (modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 6 months), and secondary outcomes common to the individual trials. As a sensitivity analysis, summary statistics from each trial were created and combined.
Findings
The three trials recruited a combined total of 5907 people (mean age 69∙5 years (SD 12∙3), 2256 (38%) females, 2-15 days post-stroke) from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Sweden and Vietnam; and randomized them to fluoxetine 20mg daily or matching placebo for 6 months. Data on 5833 (98∙75%) were available at 6 months. The adjusted ordinal comparison of mRS was similar in the two groups (common OR 0∙96, 95% CI 0∙87 to 1∙05, p=0∙37). There were no statistically significant interactions between the minimization variables (baseline probability of being alive and independent at 6 months, time to treatment, motor deficit or aphasia) and pre-specified subgroups (including age, pathological type, inability to assess mood, proxy or patient consent, baseline depression, country). Fluoxetine increased seizure risk (2∙64% vs 1∙8%, p=0∙03), falls with injury (6∙26% vs 4∙51%, p=0∙03), fractures (3∙15% vs 1∙39%, p<0∙0001) and hyponatraemia (1∙22% vs 0∙61%, p=0∙01) but reduced new depression (10∙05% vs 13∙42%, p<0∙0001). At 12 months, there was no difference in adjusted mRS (n=5760; COR 0∙98, 95% CI 0∙89 to 1∙07). Sensitivity analyses gave the same results.
Interpretation
Fluoxetine 20mg daily for six months did not improve functional recovery. It increased seizures, falls with injury, and bone fractures but reduced depression frequency at 6 months
Mangrove mapping and monitoring using remote sensing techniques towards climate change resilience
Get PDFMangroves are amongst the richest ecosystems in the world providing valuable goods and services to millions of people while enhancing the resilience of coastal communities against climate change induced hazards, especially island nations. However, these mangroves are severely affected by many anthropogenic activities. Therefore, understanding the spatial variability of mangroves in island nations is highly essential in the events of ongoing climatic change. Thus, this study assessed the use of remote sensing techniques and GIS to map and monitor mangrove cover change at selected sites, namely Le Morne and Ferney, on the tropical island of Mauritius. Freely available 2013 SPOT-5 and 2023 Sentinel 2A images were retrieved and processed using ArcGIS Pro tools and SNAP; mangroves were mapped based on Google Earth Pro historical imagery and ground truthing at the respective sites. Following the application of selected vegetation indices, GLCM and PCA analysis, mosaicked images were classified using the Random Trees algorithm. Kappa values of all the classified images were in the 90 s; Le Morne showed a significant increase in mangrove cover over the decadal scale with main class change from mudflat to mangroves. This study demonstrates how geo-spatial tools are crucial for monitoring mangroves as they provide spatially explicit and time sensitive information. Decision makers, researchers, and relevant stakeholders can utilize this data to bolster tailored mitigation and adaptation strategies at specific sites, thereby enhancing resilience to climate change
From Flesh to Bones: Multi-Omics Approaches in Forensic Science
Get PDFRecent advancements in omics techniques have revolutionised the study of biological systems, enabling the generation of high-throughput biomolecular data. These innovations have found diverse applications, ranging from personalised medicine to forensic sciences. While the investigation of multiple aspects of cells, tissues or entire organisms through the integration of various omics approaches (such as genomics, epigenomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) has already been established in fields like biomedicine and cancer biology, its full potential in forensic sciences remains only partially explored. In this review, we have presented a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art analytical platforms employed in omics research, with specific emphasis on their application in the forensic field for the identification of the cadaver and the cause of death. Moreover, we have conducted a critical analysis of the computational integration of omics approaches, and highlighted the latest advancements in employing multi-omics techniques for forensic investigations
Accraspiroketides A-B, Phenylnaphthacenoid-Derived Polyketides with Unprecedented [6 + 6+6 + 6] + [5 + 5] Spiro-Architecture
Get PDFTwo novel polyketides, accraspiroketides A (1) and B (2), which feature unprecedented [6 + 6+6 + 6] + [5 + 5] spiro chemical architectures, were isolated from Streptomyces sp. MA37 ΔaccJ mutant strain. Compounds 1-2 exhibit excellent activity against Gram-positive bacteria (MIC = 1.5–6.3 μg/mL). Notably, 1 and 2 have superior activity against clinically isolated Enterococcus faecium K60–39 (MIC = 4.0 μg/mL and 4.7 μg/mL, respectively) than ampicillin (MIC = 25 μg/mL)