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Effect of Silica Nanoparticles on Wettability of Oil-Wet Surfaces
Get PDFThe effect of silica nanoparticles and brine salinity variation on the wettability alteration of oil-wet surfaces was investigated
in this paper. The rock and fluids of Kolo oilfield in Nigeria were used as case study and five brine salinities and two nanoparticles’ concentrations were investigated. The contact angle and Amott wettability index methods were used to investigate the wettability alteration potential of silica nanoparticles on oil-wet surfaces and intact core plugs, respectively. The results of the contact angle tests showed that the use of 1 g/L and 5 g/L silica nanoparticles reduced the oil-wet surface’s angle from 79o to 73o and 71o respectively in aqueous solution. Lower contact angles were however observed with the use of brines of different salinities with the lowest angles (69o and 68o ) being obtained with lowest salinity brine (90D). Which shows that the nanoparticles have the tendency to modify oil-wet surfaces towards waterwet condition irrespective of the brine salinities. Also, wettability alteration towards increasing water-wetness was observed with decrease in brine salinities and increase in the concentrations of the nanoparticles. Finally, the results of the Amott wettability index to water show that the application of nanoparticles modifies the intact rock wettability towards water-wet condition and higher oil production was observed with the spontaneous imbibition of nanofluid with 0.25 wettability index relative to that of the formation brine that was 0.1. The
sediments of nanoparticles were however observed on top the rock core and at the base of the cell during the spontaneous imbibition process. This work presents experimental study on the wettability alteration potential of the application of silica nanoparticles in Kolo oilfield reservoir rock and fluids. The study presented in this paper is relevant to the design and implementation of nanoparticles enhanced oil recovery process.Unfunde
Teaching Death, Grief and Bereavement
No full textThis is a draft chapter. The final version is available in [Teaching Death, Grief and Bereavement] edited by [N. Thompson & G. R. Cox], published in 2025, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. The material cannot be used for any other purpose without further permission of the publisher, and is for private use only.This is an teaching exercise to help students to understand the concept of “disenfranchised grief” originally coined by Doka in 1989. Learners will explore how grief which is incurred through loss can be unacknowledged and not recognised leading to disenfranchisement of self and others (Corr, 1999; Cesur-Soysal & Ari, 2022). The exercise hopes to promote person-centred values along with empathic and non-judgmental listening skills as well as develop learner’s self -awareness, helping them to see grief from their own and other people’s perspectives. Drawing on further work from Doka (1999 & 2017) social and cultural contexts of loss will be explored. We will then explore how we might enfranchise people’s grief by validating and acknowledging their experiences.N/
Systems thinking in mental health patient safety: A narrative review of complex adaptive systems
Get PDF© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Despite the growth of knowledge and interest into safety and quality in healthcare more generally, the exploration in mental healthcare has been deemed to be in a narrow isolated ‘world of its own’. It is possible that relatively little attention is being paid to the processes and interdependencies within the mental health patient safety system. This may result in simplistic static measures of what the system/organisation has, not what it does (or doesn't do). This can limit the potential for learning and affecting change. To investigate systems thinking in mental health patient safety, we conducted a narrative review into the extent of evidence streams supporting systems and complexity thinking approaches. We sourced a total of 89 reports for analysis with six themes identified. These themes included studies evaluating patient safety events that have occurred within mental healthcare, research that has investigated components of the safety system, and studies that have investigated how patient safety incidents are responded to, investigated, and learned from. The review evaluated the use of systems thinking and complexity research in patient safety, and research encapsulating patient and carer involvement. Most research has focused on the analysis of historic approaches to incident investigation and on system‐based factors of patient safety, with little attention being paid to systems and complexity thinking approaches. The relationships between components were often ignored in the non‐systemic studies sourced, with relationships between components not investigated and unknown. With policymakers recommending changes in patient safety practice through system‐based approaches, it is important that its implementation is evaluated robustly with consideration of the multiple levels of the healthcare system. Future research should aim to incorporate systems‐thinking approaches to model the safety system, and to improve our understanding of the highly interconnected technical and social entities that dynamically produce emergent behaviour across the system.This research received funding from a National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaborative North West Coast Early Career Research Fellowship
Identification of candidate synovial fluid biomarkers for the prediction of patient outcome after microfracture or osteotomy
Get PDF© 2021 The Author(s).BACKGROUND: Biomarkers are needed to predict clinical outcomes for microfracture and osteotomy surgeries to ensure patients can be better stratified to receive the most appropriate treatment.
PURPOSE: To identify novel biomarker candidates and to investigate the potential of a panel of protein biomarkers for the prediction of clinical outcome after treatment with microfracture or osteotomy.
STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive laboratory study.
METHODS: To identify novel candidate biomarker proteins, we used label-free quantitation after liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry of dynamic range-compressed synovial fluids (SFs) from individuals who responded excellently or poorly (based on change in Lysholm score) to microfracture (n = 6) or osteotomy (n = 7). Biomarkers that were identified in this proteomic analysis or that relate to osteoarthritis (OA) severity or have predictive value in another early OA therapy (autologous cell implantation) were measured in the SF of 19 and 13 patients before microfracture or osteotomy, respectively, using commercial immunoassays, and were normalized to urea. These were aggrecanase-1 (ADAMTS-4), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), hyaluronan (HA), lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LYVE-1), matrix metalloproteinase 1 and 3, soluble CD14, S100 calcium binding protein A13, and 14-3-3 protein theta (YWHAQ). Levels of COMP and HA were also measured in the plasma of these patients. To find predictors of postoperative function, multivariable regression analyses were performed.
RESULTS: Proteomic analyses highlighted YWHAQ and LYVE-1 as being differentially abundant between the clinical responders/improvers and nonresponders after microfracture. A linear regression model after backward variable selection could relate preoperative concentrations of SF proteins (HA, YWHAQ, LYVE-1), activity of ADAMTS-4, and patient demographic characteristics (smoker status and sex) with Lysholm score 12 months after microfracture. Further, a generalized linear model with elastic net penalization indicated that lower preoperative activity of ADAMTS-4 in SF, being a nonsmoker, and being younger at the time of operation were indicative of a higher postoperative Lysholm score (improved joint function) after osteotomy surgery.
CONCLUSION: We have identified biomarkers and generated regression models with the potential to predict clinical outcome in patients treated with microfracture or osteotomy of the knee.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Candidate protein biomarkers identified in this study have the potential to help determine which patients will be best suited to treatment with microfracture or osteotomy.Research grant funds to perform the study were provided by Versus Arthritis (grant 20815, 21156); Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellowship (107471/Z/15/Z); Versus Arthritis (grants 20815, 21156); Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellowship (107471/Z/15/Z); Keele University Athena Swan Academic Returners Fund Gran
Drama as a transformational capability of sustainability science
Get PDF© The Author(s) 2025.The version of record of this article, first published in [Sustainability Science], is available online at Publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11625-025-01751-2Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a foundational aspect of the transformatory capability of sustainability science at the individual and group levels. Despite international frameworks to promote and monitor the development of sustainability competences, evidence of the efficacy of ESD remains limited and even challenging. This article proposes drama-based educational approaches, as part of an increasing body of arts-based methods used in sustainability science, which materially impact a wide range of sustainability competences. Drama is a practice-based approach that intentionally uses carefully designed educational activities involving body, story, interaction, and collaboration to generate sustainability awareness, knowledge, mindsets, and action taking for individuals and groups within higher education. Examples of applied drama practices can include various forms of role play, forum play (playing out roles and pausing/fast-forwarding/reversing to explore possible solutions), and legislative theatre (where participants collaborate with lawmakers to address local issues). This article draws on an international project applying drama methods across disciplinary areas, and outlines how drama methods may contribute to sustainability competences applied in practice. As a result of this, we propose further research to inform future high-impact practices of applied drama for the field of ESD.We would like to thank the Swedish Research Council for the support and funds to conduct the underpinning research for this article
The importance of investigating the impact of simultaneous anthropogenic stressors: the effects of rising temperatures and anthropogenic noise on avian behaviour and cognition
Get PDF© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Avian Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Society Oikos.Rising temperatures and anthropogenic noise are two of the most pervasive and well researched anthropogenic stressors affecting avian species globally. Despite often triggering similar behavioural responses in birds, and frequently co‐occurring (particularly in urban areas), the impact of these stressors are primarily investigated in isolation. Here, we discuss and compare the most commonly researched effects of anthropogenic noise and rising temperatures on avian behaviour. We then outline recent findings on the impacts of these two stressors on cognition in birds, which underpins many behavioural adjustments. We find that both anthropogenic noise and high temperatures, when investigated in isolation, impact avian behaviours such as foraging, the antipredator response, and interactions with conspecifics. We also find that both these stressors can lead to cognitive impairment, but the occurrence and magnitude of impairment varies depending on the cognitive trait examined. Finally, we discuss the limited studies that have investigated these two anthropogenic stressors simultaneously and outline different scenarios in which additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects of these stressors may occur. We hope our review will stimulate researchers to investigate the simultaneous effects of these and other anthropogenic stressors on the behaviour and cognition of urban‐living wild birds.This work was funded by an Australian Government Research Training Program, through a scholarship awarded to GB at the University of Western Australia, and through ARC Discovery Grants (grant no. DP200100566 and no. DP220103823), and Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment
Using Photovoice to explore adults' perceptions towards obesity and factors influencing food choice and physical activity in North Lebanon
Get PDF© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society.OBJECTIVE: To explore adults' perceptions towards obesity and factors influencing eating behaviour and physical activity in North Lebanon, using a variation of the Photovoice method.
DESIGN: This research is part of a broader qualitative study exploring factors influencing the rising levels of obesity and understanding the barriers and enablers for effective policy for obesity prevention using a socio-ecological model as a guiding framework. For this study, a variation of "Photovoice" was used to collect photographs to explore participants' perspectives of obesity and its causes in Lebanon, using these photographs to generate discussion in one-to-one face-to-face interviews. Inductive and deductive thematic analyses were used to analyse the transcribed interviews.
SETTING: Tripoli, North Governorate, Lebanon.
PARTICIPANTS: Twenty Lebanese adults aged 20-64 years were recruited.
RESULTS: The participants (n=20) generated 257 photographs representing various factors perceived to be associated with rising obesity in Lebanon: changes in the food and eating landscape, sedentary behaviours, food environments, eating out, and food marketing on social media platforms. Several themes specific to Lebanon were also identified, including the perceptions towards obesity, the central role of women in Lebanese food preparation and the family, and the sociocultural importance of food and social gatherings.
CONCLUSION: This study highlights how influences across the five levels of the socio-ecological model shaped the participants' food choices and physical activity levels. Collaborative initiatives and public policies are necessary to address the identified barriers and curb the increasing prevalence of obesity in Lebanon.Unfunde
Has the pandemic response entrenched a pathogenic emphasis in education?
Get PDFThis document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in [British Journal of Nursing], copyright © MA Education, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/bjon.2022.31.20.1066CommentaryUnfunde
Self-compassion and veteran's health: A scoping review
Get PDF© 2021 The Author(s).There is evidence to suggest that self-compassion is related to positive health and wellbeing outcomes, therefore, this paper explores this concept within the military veteran population. The aim of this review was to identify research and explore the evidence-based of self-compassion as a protective factor, from negative health outcomes, amongst military veterans. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guided the undertaking and reporting of this review. Databases (CINAHL, EBSCO, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, SocINDEX, Web of Science), manual searches of grey literature, websites, and reference lists of retrieved articles, were explored to identify peer-reviewed English language studies published from 2000 to 2019. Searches included any study that measured self-compassion or involved self-compassion education/training. A narrative synthesis was utilized. Searches retrieved 89 articles; 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies were conducted in the US and included veterans, with three also including partners. There was heterogeneity between studies’ designs, methodologies, and characteristics. Of these studies, 11 examined associated factors, eight measured improvements in health or well-being outcomes, and six reported feasibility and acceptability of self-compassion strategies. Self-compassion seems to be particularly beneficial for veterans who have experienced trauma, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, trauma-related guilt, depression (or at risk of suicide), and for those who have been in combat and deployed. Limited evidence was found for Schizophrenia and alcohol misuse. Self-compassion appears to have a protective role with positive outcomes for mental and physical health in veterans, in particular for trauma-related psychopathology symptoms.unfunde
Children’s rights, deinstitutionalisation and the development of foster care services across the world
Get PDF© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.In many countries, foster care is an established system for looking after children who cannot live with their birth families. It is accepted as a preferable form of provision when compared to institutional arrangements. Deinstitutionalisation is founded upon theories of child development, most particularly attachment theory, which suggest that children are more likely to flourish in family settings as opposed to institutions. The implementation of a foster care system accords with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the associated recommendations. But is it feasible to apply these rights and recommendations across the world? How transferable is the system of foster care? By making use of the literature, this paper draws attention to some of the challenges and complexities that accompany attempts at implementing this child care strategy in some of the world’s regions.unfunde
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