26199 research outputs found
Sort by
STANDARDISED EXTRACTS: USE, EXPERIENCES AND OPINIONS OF UK REGISTERED WESTERN HERBALISTS
Get PDFTraditionally Western Herbal Medicine (WHM) uses ‘whole plant extracts’ (WPEs), typically presented as liquid extracts, teas and powders. There is no formal measurement of any identified plant chemicals in WPEs. In contrast, preparations called ‘standardised extracts’ offer a guaranteed minimum content of specified plant constituents that have been identified in modern research studies. A limited number of these standardised extract preparations are in the form of ‘highly standardised extracts’ (HSEs), largely presented as tablets. They offer a much higher dose of identified ‘active constituent/s’ than is present in the WPE and are the focus of this study. This study uses a Grounded Theory (GT) with Mixed Methods Research (MMR) approach to investigate the use of these alternative herbal preparations (WPE vs HSE). It investigates how registered herbalists have come to use HSEs and their attitudes towards them, with a view to informing the debate and the wider interested community.
Findings indicate that there is limited but clear use of single HSEs by a large minority of participating respondents, with use influenced mainly by the growing body of research, historical influence of other herbalists and clinical evidence of ‘strength’. Other facilitating influences on HSE use were research-skills training which may have encouraged widespread open-mindedness, reduced historical controversy and lack of strong feelings against HSE. The major identified limiting factor in HSE use was the strong emphasis on the ‘natural’ WPE, with a ‘split’ in open-mindedness towards HSE. All herbalists reported use of herbal research, used for largely non-clinical reasons. Only limited evidence was identified of clinical ‘integration’ of research with practice by HSE users. Greater integration was suggested in a small minority of respondents which better reflects WHM practice in non-UK countries. Finally, it is acknowledged that response bias limits the strength of conclusions
The Preston Strike in Literature: Dickens, Gaskell and Bamford
Get PDFThis article maps the fictional responses of Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell and Samuel Bamford to the Preston dispute, arguing that they were based more on cultural sources than reportage. It includes the first scholarly analysis of Bamford’s contribution, three linked dialogues published in Cassell’s Illustrated Family Paper in 1854. This article also examines the relationship of Victorian fiction and the reading public to unrest and northern working-class life, demonstrating how ideology trumped the facts. Dickens’s priority was well crafted fiction. Gaskell attempted to base her fiction on reality, but only partly extricated herself from the assumptions of the period. Bamford, living in London at the time, was bound by his need to appeal to his middle-class audience, because of his precarious position and physical distance. He projected personal experience from an earlier period onto the Preston dispute, reinforcing the assumption that it was a strike rather than a lock-out. He knew no more of Preston than Dickens. It would take the cotton famine to shift prejudices against the northern working classes
A comparative Study of Automatic Facial Landmark Detection
Get PDFFacial signs are associated with people’s health and general fitness. Among different facial signs, the facial landmark is one of the essential appearances of facial characters, which can be linked with people’s emotions, state of consciousness and health. Facial landmark detection can be used for recognising people’s expressions, monitoring the conscious status of people’s faces, or diagnosing neurological diseases. Recent advances in imaging technology and ever increasing computing power have opened up the possibility of automatic facial landmark analysis and assessment. Facial landmark detection algorithms play an important role in facial analysis tasks, such as expression recognition, face swapping and medical auxiliary diagnosis. As a result, the accuracy of the facial landmark localisation directly impacts the reliability of facial landmark based tasks .
The purpose of this project is to conduct a comparative study of existing vision based methodologies for detecting facial landmarks and to identify appropriate ones that could overcome the challenges, such as pose variation and exaggerated expression. Three effective facial landmark detection methodologies were selected and implemented in this project, including Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) Cascade, Deep Alignment Network (DAN), and Stacked Dense U-nets (SDU). In order to provide a thorough evaluation, three publicly available datasets were used for the benchmarking, such as Multi PIE, 300W and Menpo, which contain a large number of facial images with the variations in illumination, pose and expression as well as the occlusion. Through the evaluation based on different datasets, SDU was considered to have the best performance and it was adopted and implemented into a real time facial analysis system that contains landmark detection and assessmen
SPECTROVAS: The evaluation of biospectroscopy as a potential biomarker of disease activity in pauci-immune small vessel vasculitis
Get PDFAnti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) characterises an autoimmune disorder that results in inflammation and necrosis of small- and medium-sized blood vessels, causing potential multi-organ and life threatening disease. Immunosuppressive treatment strategies are effective with improved patient survival, but carry a significant risk of treatment-related toxicity and long-term patient morbidity that often results from the sequelae of relapsing disease and required re-exposure to therapy. The current lack of a reliable biomarker of disease activity in multisystem AAV poses a significant clinical unmet need when determining relapsing or persisting disease. Biospectroscopy offers a highly versatile, non-destructive and cost-effective means of analysing a given biological sample to determine its chemical composition; in effect providing a surrogate of its metabolomic profile. This thesis aimed to evaluate the role of biospectroscopy as a candidate biomarker of disease activity in AAV with application to plasma, serum, urine and renal tissue samples.
For both initial biofluid studies, paired blood and urine samples were collected within a single UK centre from patients with active disease, disease remission, disease controls and healthy controls. Three key biofluids were evaluated; plasma, serum and urine, with subsequent chemometric analysis and blind predictive model validation. Considering ATR-FTIR, plasma proved to be the most conducive biofluid, with 100% sensitivity (F-score 92.3%) for disease remission and 85.7% specificity (F-score 92.3%) for active disease. This was independent of organ system involvement and current ANCA status. Considering Raman spectroscopy, plasma and serum samples demonstrated equal ability to discriminate disease activity: F-score 80% for plasma (specificity 93.3%, sensitivity 70%, AUC 0.95) and 80% for serum (specificity 80%, sensitivity 80%, AUC 0.92). Both techniques exhibited similar findings on analysis of paired remission samples following successful remission-induction therapy.
For renal tissue samples, consecutive patients with active ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis (AAGN) and those in disease remission were recruited from a single UK centre. In those with active disease, renal tissue and a paired urine sample were collected. Amongst those in remission at the time of recruitment, archived renal tissue samples taken at the time of initial diagnosis were attained. Using histological data, spectral analysis from unstained tissue samples was able to discriminate disease activity with a high degree of accuracy according to >25% interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (F-score 95%, sensitivity 100%, specificity 90%, AUC 0.98), necrotising glomerular lesions (F-score 100%, sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%, AUC 1) and interstitial infiltrate (F-score 100%, sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%, AUC 0.97). Corresponding spectrochemical changes in paired urine samples was limited.
In this body of work, we confirm for the first time that both ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy offer a novel and functional candidate biomarker in AAV, distinguishing active from quiescent disease with a high degree of accuracy using plasma and serum, as well as the application of machine learning in conjunction with Raman spectroscopy as an innovative low-cost technique for the automated computational detection of disease activity in AAGN. The promising technique of biospectroscopy is clinically translatable and warrants future larger study with longitudinal data and more varied pathology, potentially aiding earlier intervention and individualisation of treatment
The differences and the influential relationship between LMX and Guanxi: A comparative study between China and Vietnam.
No full textLMX and guanxi are leader-subordinates' behaviours that have received attention from scholars for the past decades. However, the existing studies have yet to establish how these behaviours develop or compare China and Vietnam in terms of LMX and guanxi. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare China and Vietnam and provide empirical evidence that shows that LMX and guanxi develop together. We surveyed 158 and 454 respondents from China and Vietnam, respectively. We analysed our data using Pearson Correlation, Regression, and Sobel tests. From our findings, China rated higher on guanxi dimensions except for affective attachment, but Vietnam rated higher on LMX. We also found that LMX has a significant differential influence on guanxi, supporting the arguments that LMX is the foundation upon which guanxi thrives. We also found that the position of subordinates mediated the association between guanxi and LMX. Findings, recommendations, and managerial implications are discussed
A Report: Investigating the Integration of Music Interventions as a Social Prescription for People Living with Dementia
Get PDFChallenges and opportunities of Italian-qualified pharmacists relocated to work in Great Britain: A cross-sectional survey
Get PDFBackground: The Italian university system is actively revising the Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) curriculum to reflect post-COVID healthcare needs and a greater clinical focus. Understanding the challenges and opportunities faced by Italian pharmacists that relocated to Great Britain (GB) might provide valuable insights regarding the transferability of knowledge and skills obtained in the Italian pharmacy degree.
Aim: The study aimed to capture the perceptions of Italian pharmacists practising in GB regarding the Italian pharmacy degree programme and to explore the challenges and opportunities they face in their new professional environment, ultimately to inform the Italian government and related stakeholders (Ministry of University and Research, MUR) about the need to update the Italian MPharm curriculum to make it more clinically relevant and aligned with international standards.
Materials and methods: The authors developed a 50-item survey, pilot tested and reviewed for face and content validity by an expert panel. Participants’ characteristics, reasons for moving to GB, and data on their experience of practising as a pharmacist in Italy and GB were collected using Likert-type items and open- and closed-ended questions. Convenience sampling was used, and a sample power calculation was not deemed necessary. Statistical analysis involved descriptive analysis presenting frequencies and percentages for Likert-type and categorical items.
Results: An estimated 281 pharmacists qualified in Italy are registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council in GB. Of these, 54 took part in the survey, resulting in a probable coverage of the sample population of 19.2%. Respondents pointed to the lack of job satisfaction and limited future perspectives as the main reasons to leave Italy (38.9% and 83.3%, respectively). Other reasons to relocate to GB were clinically focused job opportunities and better salaries (68.5% and 79.6%, respectively). Notably, almost two-thirds of the participants affirmed that Italian pharmacy degrees were insufficient to meet the requirements for practising as a pharmacist in GB.
Conclusion: Different approaches to teaching clinical pharmacy and practical aspects seen in the pharmacy degree programmes in Italy and GB highlight a clear need for aligning the Italian pharmacy curriculum with the modern requirements of the pharmacy profession. Additionally, this alignment would facilitate the movement of Italian pharmacists into the GB healthcare system and beyond
Establishing the relationship between selected physical fitness parameters and the efficiency in Olympic clay target shooting
Get PDFThis study aimed to optimise performance in the two Olympic clay shooting disciplines, Skeet and Trap, by providing empirical evidence on the critical fitness parameters that athletes and coaches should focus on during physical training. The first objective was to explore existing empirical research and gain a theoretical understanding and practical implications of selected fitness parameters in clay target shooting. In addition, relevant research results in other shooting disciplines were also examined. The second objective was to identify performance factors among the physical fitness parameters studied and determine their direct or indirect effects on shooting performance. In addition, the specific mental and psychomotor demands of Olympic clay target shooters and their relationships with other identified performance factors were examined. Based on the findings of the first two objectives, the next goal was to investigate the implementation of a training program specifically aimed at improving the identified performance parameters and whether further improvements in these parameters would lead to better shooting performance. The final objective was to determine the relative benefits of developing selected fitness parameters as a training strategy for novice and elite athletes in Olympic clay shooting.
The initial comprehensive review of the available scientific literature revealed that the current research in the field of Olympic clay target shooting lacks the necessary depth despite certain guidelines highlighting the importance of specific fitness parameters in other shooting disciplines. The findings of the desktop study were published in the Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 13(3), and the paper titled 'The relative importance of selected physical fitness parameters in Olympic clay target shooting' was issued in 2018. Due to the lack of empirical evidence in this field, a subsequent study examined the relationship between selected fitness parameters and performance in clay shooting. The outcome of this investigation demonstrated that none of the tested parameters were statistically significant, suggesting that they cannot be regarded as important determinants of performance. In conclusion, an average level of the tested fitness components was adequate for achieving a high shooting performance, and further increases in these parameters would not improve shooting scores. However, an important finding from a later study was that elite shooters exhibited better bilateral symmetries in shoulder mobility and grip strength. This discovery encouraged further investigation into the potential effects of neuromuscular imbalances, and the results of this investigation were shared with the scientific community through a publication in the Journal of Physical Education and Sport in 2021, with the title 'Assessment of physical fitness parameters in Olympic clay target shooters and their relationship with shooting performance'. To expand on the focus of previous research, modern computerised tests and traditional self-report assessments were used to examine psychological and psychomotor aspects that may contribute to Olympic clay shooting performance. The results of this investigation provide valuable insights into the coping strategies of Skeet and Trap shooters and their ability to overcome challenges, highlighting the significant role that coping skills play in this shooting sport. Subsequent research focused on further exploring the importance of bilateral neuromuscular symmetry, assessing the performance of competitive clay target shooters, applying individualised corrective training regimens to minimise detected asymmetries, and comparing results with shooting performance. The results of this investigation confirmed that neuromuscular asymmetries can negatively impact performance and that significant improvements in shooting performance were observed after minimising these imbalances.
In summary, this study provides novel information about performance factors that have not been studied previously and highlights the importance of symmetric rather than absolute values. The findings suggest that training programs to correct bilateral asymmetries should be incorporated into clay shooters' training regimes. The results of this study will subsequently help professionals involved in Olympic clay shooting better understand the importance of addressing and developing these aspects of the sport
EWSR1::ATF1 translocation: a common tumor driver of distinct human neoplasms
Get PDFCancer is among the leading causes of mortality in developed countries due to limited available therapeutic modalities and high rate of morbidity. Although malignancies might show individual genetic landscapes, recurring aberrations in the neoplastic genome have been identified in the wide range of transformed cells. These include translocations of frequently affected loci of the human genetic material like the Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWSR1) of chromosome 22 that results in malignancies with mesodermal origin. These cytogenetic defects frequently result in the genesis of fusion genes involving the EWSR1 and a number of genes from partner loci. One of these chromosomal rearrangements is the reciprocal translocation between the q13 and q12 loci of chromosome 12 and 22, respectively, that is believed to initiate cancer formation by the genesis of a novel, chimeric transcription factor provoking dysregulated gene expression. Since soft-tissue neoplasms carrying t(12;22)(q13;q12) have very poor prognosis and clinical modalities specifically targeting t(12;22)(q13;q12)-harboring cells are not available to date, understanding this DNA aberration is not only timely but urgent. Here, we review our current knowledge of human malignancies carrying the specific subset of EWSR1 rearrangements that leads to expression of the EWSR1::ATF1 tumor-driver chimeric protein
Can different scores in first and second halves influence running and explosive-based measures?
Get PDFThis study aimed to examine the influence of different scores in the first and second half on running and explosive-based performance of elite male soccer players. Thirty-three professional players from one English Premier League team participated in the study across two consecutive seasons, 2021/22 and 2022/23. Matches were divided into half (first versus second) and nine phases; WIN-WIN; WIN-DRAW; WIN-LOSS; DRAW-WIN; DRAW-DRAW; DRAW-LOSS; LOSS-WIN; LOSS-DRAW; and LOSS-LOSS. Match physical data were monitored using an 18 Hz Global Positioning System. There was a main effect for half for all variables ( < 0.001-0.008; η = 0.004-0.028), with distances covered per minute and number of explosive actions per minute greater in the first-half than second-half ( = 0.144-0.374). There was an interaction effect between half and phase for m/min, high-speed running per min, high metabolic load distance (HMLD) per min, HML efforts/min, and accelerations/min ( < 0.001-0.012; η = 0.010-0.015). There was a reduction between first-half and second-half performance during WIN-WIN, WIN-DRAW, DRAW-WIN, DRAW-DRAW, LOSE-WIN, and LOSE-LOSE for m/min ( < 0.001; = 0.435-0.714), HMLD/min ( < 0.001-0.004; = 0.334-0.605), and HML efforts/min ( < 0.001; = 0.408-0.611). In conclusion, our findings emphasise the importance of considering both match half and phase when analysing players' physical performance to support the prescription of tailored training programs and tactical strategies to optimise performance across different match situations. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © Institute of Sport – National Research Instutite.