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Tanning Melanotan Jabs and Nasal Spray: Safe or Not?
Get PDFCultural values among young population are focused on the concept of skin tanning as a perception of health and attractiveness. This has populated the development of using synthetic tanning agents especially with the advertisement coming from the social media. Synthetic tanning agents in forms of nasal spray or injections have gained publicity of use within society through the web and other uncontrolled sourcing routes. Warnings have been issued by UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and Irish Medicines Board against the use of subcutaneous injections labelled as Melanotan, after the upsurge in consuming tanning injections that has noticed in recent years
Securing the Future of UK Public-Interest News: Navigating Change With Foresight and Innovation
Get PDFThis article delves into the factors driving change in the UK’s public-interest news sector, pinpointing key uncertainties that shape its future. Through a participatory action research approach and scenario planning, the study News Futures 2035, seeks to answer the pivotal question: How can the UK ensure the ongoing supply of trustworthy, public-interest news? It stands out for its unique focus, enriching the debate among industry, academia, policymakers, and civil society on safeguarding the sector’s future. The research identified two primary, unpredictable elements with significant influence: the realm of policies, regulations, and governance; and the industry’s capacity for innovation to maintain the relevance of public-interest news for all stakeholders. The study highlights the indispensable role of collaborative action research and continuous dialogue among key stakeholders. It emphasizes the need for structured, cooperative efforts to navigate the complexities of policy, regulation, and consumer relevance, introducing the concept of back-channel deliberations, akin to track 2 diplomacy, as a valuable strategy for engaging diverse stakeholders in informal yet structured discussions. This method promises to foster a platform for innovative solutions and mutual understanding, addressing the challenges to the future supply of public-interest news. The participants’ commitment to advancing this dialogue through a dedicated forum underlines the importance of ongoing stakeholder engagement to ensure the sector’s relevance, sustainability, and societal impact
NECR523 Forming a Young Advisory Group for Natural England’s Children’s People and Nature Survey (C-PANS)
Get PDFAn AcciMap approach to analyse the Chinese melamine milk scandal
Get PDFPurpose: The 2008 Chinese melamine milk scandal resulted in six reported fatalities and affected around 300,000 children of which 54,000 were hospitalised. Previous studies have used linear approaches to examine the root causes of the melamine milk scandal.
Methodology: In the present study we applied a systems approach to the melamine milk scandal to identify the complex systems level failures across the supply chain leading to the incident and why food fraud incidents such as this occurred in the dairy sector. Additionally, systemic failures associated with food fraud vulnerability factors were considered (i.e., opportunities, motivation and control measures).
Findings: Forty-eight contributory factors of influence were identified and grouped across six sociotechnical levels across the Chinese dairy system from government to equipment and surroundings. Lack of vertical integration (processes and communication) contributed to the failure. When viewed in a broader perspective, the melamine milk scandal can be linked to a series of human error and organisational issues associated with government bodies, the dairy supply chain, individual organisations and management decisions and individual actions of staff or processes.
Originality: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse a food fraud incident using the AcciMap approach and food fraud vulnerability assessment (FFVA) technique. Accimap analysis is applied to both unintentional and intentional aspects of the incident.
Practical Implication: This approach is of value to policy makers and the industry as it supports public health investigation of food fraud incidents and proactive food safety management
The Importance of Social Networks in Neurosurgery Training in Low/Middle income countries
Get PDFNeurosurgery is evolving with new techniques and technologies, relies heavily on high-quality education and training. Social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn have become integral to this training. These platforms enable sharing of surgical experiences, fostering global knowledge-sharing and collaboration among neurosurgeons. According to the PICO format, the target population (P) for the purpose of this paper are medical students, neurosurgical residents and consultants on the role of social media (I) in neurosurgery among Low-Middle income countries (C) with the main outcome to understand the collaborative domain of learning.This cross-sectional survey, conducted in June-July 2023, involved 210 medical students, neurosurgery residents, fellows, and practicing neurosurgeons from low and middle-income countries. A structured questionnaire assessed social network usage for neurosurgery training, covering demographic details, usage frequency, and purposes like education, collaboration, and communication. Participants rated these platforms' effectiveness in training on a 1-5 scale. Data collection employed emails, social media groups, and direct messaging, assuring respondent anonymity. The survey aimed to understand and improve social networks' use in neurosurgery, focusing on professional development, challenges, and future potential in training.In a survey of 210 participants from low and middle-income countries, 85.5% were male, 14.5% female, with diverse roles: 42.9% neurosurgery residents, 40% practicing neurosurgeons, 14.6% medical students, and 2.4% other healthcare professionals. Experience ranged from 0 to 35 years, with Mexico, Nigeria, and Kenya being the top participating countries. Most respondents rated neurosurgery training resources in their countries as poor or very poor. 88.7% used social media professionally, predominantly WhatsApp and YouTube. Content focused on surgical videos, research papers, and webinars. Concerns included information quality and data privacy. Interactive case discussions, webinars, and lectures were preferred resources, and most see a future role for social media in neurosurgery training.Our study underscores the crucial role of social media in neurosurgery training and practice in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Key resources include surgical videos, research papers, and webinars. While social media offers a cost-effective, global knowledge-sharing platform, challenges like limited internet access, digital literacy, and misinformation risks remain significant in these regions
Increasing cadence with a metronome and running barefoot changes the sagittal kinematics of the lower limbs and trunk
Get PDFThe purpose was to compare two non-laboratory based running retraining programs on lower limb and trunk kinematics in recreational runners. Seventy recreational runners (30 ± 7.3 years old, 40% female) were randomised to a barefoot running group (BAR), a group wearing a digital metronome with their basal cadence increased by 10% (CAD), and a control group (CON). BAR and CAD groups included intervals from 15 to 40 minutes over 10 weeks and 3 days/week. 3D sagittal kinematics of the ankle, knee, hip, pelvis, and trunk were measured before and after the retraining program, at comfortable and high speeds. A 3 × 2 mixed ANOVA revealed that BAR and CAD groups increased knee and hip flexion at footstrike, increased peak hip flexion during stance and flight phase, decreased peak hip extension during flight phase, and increased anterior pelvic tilt at both speeds after retraining. In addition, BAR increased ankle plantar flexion at footstrike and increased anterior trunk tilt. Both retraining programs demonstrated significant moderate to large effect size changes in parameters that could reduce the mechanical risks of injury associated with excessive knee stress, which is of interest to coaches, runners and those prescribing rehabilitation and injury prevention programs
Classification performance of sEMG and kinematic parameters for distinguishing between non-lame and induced lameness conditions in horses
Get PDFDespite its proven research applications, it remains unknown whether surface electromyography (sEMG) can be used clinically to discriminate non-lame from lame conditions in horses. This study compared the classification performance of sEMG absolute value (sEMGabs) and asymmetry (sEMGasym) parameters, alongside validated kinematic upper-body asymmetry parameters, for distinguishing non-lame from induced fore- (iFL) and hindlimb (iHL) lameness. Bilateral sEMG and 3D-kinematic data were collected from clinically non-lame horses (n=8) during in-hand trot. iFL and iHL (2-3/5 AAEP) were induced on separate days using a modified horseshoe, with baseline data initially collected each day. sEMG signals were DC-offset removed, high-pass filtered (40Hz), and full-wave rectified. Normalized, average rectified value (ARV) was calculated for each muscle and stride (sEMGabs), with the difference between right and left-side ARV representing sEMGasym. Asymmetry parameters (MinDiff, MaxDiff, Hip Hike) were calculated from poll, withers, and pelvis vertical displacement. Receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analysis determined the accuracy of each parameter for distinguishing baseline from iFL or iHL. Both sEMG parameters performed better for detecting iHL (0.97≥AUC≥0.48) compared to iFL (0.77≥AUC≥0.49). sEMGabs performed better (0.97≥AUC≥0.49) than sEMGasym (0.76≥AUC≥0.48) for detecting both iFL and iHL. Like previous studies, MinDiff Poll and Pelvis asymmetry parameters (MinDiff, MaxDiff, Hip Hike) demonstrated excellent discrimination for iFL and iHL, respectively (AUC>0.95). Findings support future development of multivariate lameness-detection approaches that combine kinematics and sEMG. This may provide a more comprehensive approach to diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of equine lameness, by measuring the underlying functional cause(s) at a neuromuscular level
Morphometric evaluation of human Achilles tendon: a cadaveric study of Malawian adult male population
Get PDFThe anatomy of the Achilles tendon and its relationship to the posterior compartment of the leg dimensions are critical in managing Achilles tendinopathy. Individuals show considerable differences in the dimensions of the Achilles tendon across populations. This study aimed to determine the morphology and morphometric dimensions of the Achilles tendon in adult male Malawian cadavers and to suggest clinical implications associated with Achilles tendinopathy. Male adult Achilles tendon specimens (n=14) obtained from the dissection laboratory at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences were dissected to assess the tendon length, proximal width, middle width, distal width, proximal circumference, middle circumference, distal circumference, proximal thickness, middle thickness, distal thickness, and gastrocnemius bulkiness using a standard Vernier caliper. The study found that the mean Achilles tendon length was 4.06 cm. The tendon length, width, circumference, and thickness showed no statistically significant difference between the right and left lower limbs; however, there was a positive correlation between gastrocnemius bulkiness and Achilles tendon proximal thickness. The current study has described the morphology and morphometry of the Achilles tendon concerning the risk of Achilles tendinopathy. Our sample population generally showed smaller Achilles tendon dimensions than other populations. This should be considered during the management of Achilles tendinopathy and preoperative planning of surgical operations of the posterior compartment of the leg
Evaluation of a Serious VR Game Designed to Promote the Sustainable Development Goals
Get PDFThis paper presents an evaluation of a serious Virtual Reality (VR) game designed to promote awareness and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals among Higher Education students.
The evaluation assesses user experience in terms of usability/playability, play engrossment, enjoyment and visual aesthetics of the VR environment. It also explores the onset
of VR Sickness symptoms among users after their experience with the VR game. Players positively evaluated the game’s usability, its ability to engross them in gameplay, and the environment’s enjoyment and visuals.
The results concerning VR sickness indicate that the game was generally well-received, while also highlighting areas where improvements could be implemented to mitigate the reported symptoms and further improve the user experience. The findings can inform future game-based endeavours supporting education for sustainable development