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Automorphisms of models of set theory and extensions of NFU
Get PDFIn this paper we exploit the structural properties of standard and non-standard models of set theory to produce models of set theory admitting automorphisms that are well-behaved along an initial segment of their ordinals. NFU is Ronald Jensen's modification of Quine's ‘New Foundations’ Set Theory that allows non-sets (urelements) into the domain of discourse. The axioms AxCount, AxCount≤ and AxCount≥ each extend NFU by placing restrictions on the cardinality of a finite set of singletons relative to the cardinality of its union. Using the results about automorphisms of models of subsystems of set theory we separate the consistency strengths of these three extensions of NFU. More specifically, we show that NFU+AxCount proves the consistency of NFU+AxCount≤, and NFU+AxCount≤ proves the consistency of NFU+AxCount≥.This research was completed while the author was a Ph.D. student in the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at the University of Cambridge. The author's Ph.D. studies were supported the Cambridge Commonwealth Trus
What Aspects of Professional Socialisation Impact on UK Adult Student Nurses’ Future Career Aspirations? A Visual Methods Study
No full textThere have been calls to strengthen the evidence base regarding how effective pre-registration nursing education is impacting upon improved healthcare outcomes. Whilst educating more student nurses is welcomed to meet the demands of the whole health and social care economy, there is deep concern that there is a lack of evidence to ensure that students are going into areas of clinical practice in which they are needed the most. The aim of this study was to critically investigate what aspects of professional socialisation impact on UK adult student nurses’ future career aspirations.
Visual methods were selected as the methodological lens of enquiry, utilising photo elicitation to discover the characteristics and attributes that UK student nurses socially construct about registered nurses from their most and least desired areas of clinical practice post registration. The methods included eight semi-structured interviews from a third-year nursing student cohort from a university situated in the Northwest of the United Kingdom. Thematical analysis was employed to inform the findings of the study.
A global theme of self-actualisation was established from student nurses describing their ‘ideal registered nurse’. This study presents new knowledge on the characteristics and attributes that student nurses perceive about registered nurses from different areas of adult clinical practice, which are socially constructed through themes of professional socialisation, professional evolution, care environments and mastery of skills and attributes. These findings suggest there is a dichotomy between socially constructed views held by student nurses and the reality of the registered nurse working in the least desirable area of clinical practice.
The findings echo previous recommendations for approved educational institutions and practice learning partners to collaborate to ensure students experience a diverse range of clinical practice with greater preparation for learning opportunities with good role modelling. The findings also make new recommendations for nursing education and further research into the early evaluation of the effectiveness of the new NMC (2018;2023) standards. A student nurse career aspiration disk has also been created to support discussions with personal academic tutors and academic assessors
Volatiles of bacteria associated with parasitoid habitats elicit distinct olfactory responses in an aphid parasitoid and its hyperparasitoid
Get PDFThis is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Goelen, T., Sobhy, I. S., Vanderaa, C., de Boer, J. G., Delvigne, F., Francis, F., Wäckers, F., Rediers, H., Verstrepen, K. J., Wenseleers, T., Jacquemyn, H., & Lievens, B. (2020). Volatiles of bacteria associated with parasitoid habitats elicit distinct olfactory responses in an aphid parasitoid and its hyperparasitoid. Functional Ecology, 34(2), 507-520], which has been published in final form at [https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13503]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.To locate mating partners and essential resources such as food, oviposition sites and shelter, insects rely to a large extent on chemical cues. While most research has focused on cues derived from plants and insects, there is mounting evidence that indicates that micro‐organisms emit volatile compounds that may play an important role in insect behaviour. In this study, we assessed how volatile compounds emitted by phylogenetically diverse bacteria affected the olfactory response of the primary parasitoid Aphidius colemani and one of its secondary parasitoids, Dendrocerus aphidum . Olfactory responses were evaluated for volatile blends emitted by bacteria isolated from diverse sources from the parasitoid's habitat, including aphids, aphid mummies and honeydew, and from the parasitoids themselves. Results revealed that A. colemani showed a wide variation in response to bacterial volatiles, ranging from significant attraction over no response to significant repellence. Our results further showed that the olfactory response of A. colemani to bacterial volatile emissions was different from that of D. aphidum . Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis of the volatile blends revealed that bacterial strains repellent to A. colemani produced significantly higher amounts of esters, organic acids, aromatics and cycloalkanes than attractive strains. Strains repellent to D. aphidum produced significantly higher amounts of alcohols and ketones, whereas the strains attractive to D. aphidum produced higher amounts of the monoterpenes limonene, linalool and geraniol. Overall, our results indicate that bacterial volatiles can have an important impact on insect olfactory responses, and should therefore be considered as an additional, so far often overlooked factor in studying multitrophic interactions between plants and insects.Unfunde
Entomological baseline data collection and power analyses in preparation of a mosquito swarm-killing intervention in south-western Burkina Faso
Get PDF© The Author(s) 2021.BACKGROUND: Insecticides are currently the main tools used to reduce the transmission of malaria; therefore, the development of resistance to insecticides in malaria vectors is of major concern for malaria control. The resistance level to pyrethroids is particularly high in the Western region of Burkina Faso and may affect the efficacy of insecticidal bed nets and indoor residual spraying. Adult mosquito swarming and other nocturnal behaviours exhibit spatial and temporal patterns that suggest potential vulnerability to targeted space spraying with effective insecticides. Indeed, targeted space-spraying against adult mosquito swarms has been used to crash mosquito populations and disrupt malaria transmission.
METHODS: Prior to impact assessment of swarm killing, a baseline data collection was conducted from June to November 2016 in 10 villages divided into two areas in western Burkina Faso. The data considered both ecological and demographic characteristics to monitor the key entomological parameters.
RESULTS: The mean number of swarms observed was 35 per village, ranging from 25 to 70 swarms according to the village. Female density in both areas varied significantly as a function of the village and the period of collection. The human biting rate was significantly affected by the period of collection and depended upon whether the collection was carried out indoors or outdoors. Averages of parity rate were high in both areas for all periods of collection, ranging from 60 to 90%. These values ranged from 80 to 100% for inseminated females. Sporozoite rates ranged between 1.6 and 7.2% depending upon the village. The molecular identification of resting and swarming mosquitoes showed the presence of the three major malaria vectors in Burkina Faso, but in different proportions for each village.
CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of the potential swarm markers and swarms in villages suggested that swarms are clustered across space, making intervention easier. Power simulations showed that the direct sampling of swarms provides the highest statistical power, thereby reducing the number of villages needed for a trial.This work was funded by Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC) with a grant to Abdoulaye Diabaté
Cardiovascular disease in the context of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): A comprehensive narrative review
Get PDF© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic hepatic disease with a rising global prevalence (25–38% of the general population). As a new term, MASLD was introduced in 2023 to replace the previous nomenclature of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). This new term/definition introduced changes in the diagnostic criteria and underscores the direct link between cardio-metabolic risk and this prevalent liver disease. In this context, the present review examines the clinical and pathophysiological links between MASLD and cardiovascular disease (CVD), providing a robust evidence synthesis of primarily systematic review data on the association between MASLD and coronary artery disease (CAD), atrial fibrillation (AF), and heart failure (HF). This association appears to be not only synergistic, but also independent of other known CVD risk factors, highlighting MASLD as a key cardio-metabolic risk factor that merits prompt diagnosis and treatment. The development of MASLD-related cardiovascular morbidity increases with the severity of the underlying hepatic pathology, particularly with progression to steatohepatitis and fibrosis. Notably, growing evidence highlights the links between MASLD and CVD through cardiac structural, electrical, and functional alterations that can progress to CAD, AF, and new-onset HF. Recognizing these links in clinical practice underscores the importance of early detection and multi-disciplinary management of MASLD to prevent disease progression and CVD complications.unfunde
Chemical ecology of nectar–mosquito interactions: recent advances and future directions
Get PDFCrown Copyright © 2024 Published by Elsevier Inc.Mosquitoes, males and females, rely on sugar-rich resources, including floral nectar as a primary source of sugar to meet their energy and nutritional needs. Despite advancements in understanding mosquito host-seeking and blood-feeding preferences, significant gaps in our knowledge of the chemical ecology mediating mosquito-nectar associations remain. The influence of such association with nectar on mosquito behavior and the resulting effects on their fitness are also not totally understood. It is significant that floral nectar frequently acts as a natural habitat for various microbes (e.g. bacteria and yeast), which substantially alter nectar characteristics, influencing the nutritional ecology of flower-visiting insects, such as mosquitoes. The role of nectar-inhabiting microbes in shaping the nectar-mosquito interactions remains, however, under-researched. This review explores recent advances in understanding the role of such multitrophic interactions on the fitness and life history traits of mosquitoes and outlines future directions for research toward their control as disease vectors.Unfunde
Editorial: Inducing plant resistance against insects using exogenous bioactive chemicals: Key advances and future perspectives
Get PDFCopyright © 2022 Sobhy, Lou and Bruce.EditorialUnfunde
Synergies and trade‐offs between insect and pathogen resistance in maize leaves and roots
No full textThis is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Erb, M., Balmer, D., De Lange, E. S., Von Merey, G., Planchamp, C., Robert, C. A., Röder, G., Sobhy, I. S., Zwahlen, C., Mauch-Mani, B., Turlings, T. C. J., & Planchamp, C. (2011). Synergies and trade‐offs between insect and pathogen resistance in maize leaves and roots. Plant, Cell & Environment, 34(7), 1088-1103], which has been published in final form at [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3040.2011.02307.x]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.Determining links between plant defence strategies is important to understand plant evolution and to optimize crop breeding strategies. Although several examples of synergies and trade-offs between defence traits are known for plants that are under attack by multiple organisms, few studies have attempted to measure correlations of defensive strategies using specific single attackers. Such links are hard to detect in natural populations because they are inherently confounded by the evolutionary history of different ecotypes. We therefore used a range of 20 maize inbred lines with considerable differences in resistance traits to determine if correlations exist between leaf and root resistance against pathogens and insects. Aboveground resistance against insects was positively correlated with the plant's capacity to produce volatiles in response to insect attack. Resistance to herbivores and resistance to a pathogen, on the other hand, were negatively correlated. Our results also give first insights into the intraspecific variability of root volatiles release in maize and its positive correlation with leaf volatile production. We show that the breeding history of the different genotypes (dent versus flint) has influenced several defensive parameters. Taken together, our study demonstrates the importance of genetically determined synergies and trade-offs for plant resistance against insects and pathogens.N/AAAM supplied by author and uploaded to ChesterRep 07/11/202
A situation analysis of diagnostic and management strategies for gestational Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Kisumu County, Kenya: Maternal health implications and opportunities for diagnostic improvement
Get PDF© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, yet epidemiological data on gestational UTIs in Kenya are limited. This study assessed diagnostic and management practices in Kisumu County to inform diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship. A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted from February 2020 to February 2021 among 416 records of pregnant women at Chulaimbo and Nyahera Sub-County Hospitals. Socio-demographic, laboratory, and clinical history data were collected using structured forms and analysed in STATA 16.0. Statistical methods included chi-square, multivariate logistic regression, and Spearman’s rank correlation (p ≤ 0.05). Dipstick-based presumptive proportion of UTIs was 57.9% (241/416). Only 1.4% (6/416) had microbiological confirmation despite infections being recorded. The mean maternal age was 23.92 years, parity two, mean antenatal visits two, and mean haemoglobin 10.73 ± 1.8 g/dL. The first antenatal care attendance occurred at varying gestational ages in 56% (233/416). Antibiotics prescribed were 60% from WHO ‘Access’ group and 40% from ‘Watch’ group. Gestational UTI’s in Kisumu County were frequently managed without confirmatory diagnosis, increasing antimicrobial resistance risk. Strengthening management requires better laboratory capacity, sustained financial investment, improved antibiotic access, and adherence to WHO AWaRe guidelines to protect maternal and neonatal health.This research was funded by De Montfort University’s QR-Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) 2021, This funding body provided financial support for data collection, analysis and interpretation. Furthermore, the APC was funded by the DMU Open Access fund (2025), enabling the research article to be made open access
Organisational contextual drivers of evidence-based practice across acute and primary care
No full text© The Author(s) 2025.The version of record of this article, first published in [BMC Nursing], is available online at Publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-04129-yBackground: Evidence based practice (EBP) is widely recognised as fundamental to high quality nursing care, yet implementation remains uneven across healthcare settings in England. Attention has shifted from individual barriers to organisational context. Leadership, team dynamics, access to resources, and social capital shape how nurses engage with EBP. Despite national policies promoting research active environments, how these ambitions are realised at the frontline is unclear. This study examined how organisational factors influence nurses’ implementation of evidence across acute and primary care.
Methods: A cross-sectional design was used with registered nurses working in acute and primary care settings. Two validated instruments, the Evidence Based Practice Implementation Scale and the Alberta Context Tool, were administered. A nonprobability sampling strategy targeted the acute and general practice nursing workforce. Response distributions were monitored across pre specified strata and fieldwork closed once coverage and precision criteria were met. Descriptive statistics summarised participant and organisational characteristics. Inferential analyses compared settings, mediation modelling tested the role of social capital in the leadership to EBP pathway, and cluster analysis identified implementation profiles.
Results: Engagement with EBP was moderate overall (M = 3.16, SD = 0.88) with no significant difference between sectors (p = 0.38). Acute care nurses reported higher leadership support (M = 4.01 versus 3.78, p = 0.008) and better access to structural resources (M = 3.35 vs. 3.10, p = 0.004). Within acute care, leadership differed across specialties, with higher scores in ICU or CCU and general medicine, F (4, 636) = 4.12, p = 0.003. Social capital significantly mediated the association between leadership and EBP implementation (β = 0.15, 95% CI 0.10–0.21). Three engagement clusters were identified, high 32%, moderate 45%, and low 23%, each with distinct organisational profiles.
Conclusion: Organisational context, particularly leadership and social capital, is central to nurses’ capacity to implement evidence. Variation across specialties and sectors indicates that a one size fits all approach is unlikely to succeed. Policy relevant levers include formalising protected time, resourcing embedded facilitation, investing in knowledge infrastructure, and expanding clinical academic pathways, to create environments where evidence use is routine and supported.UnfundedMetadate record added to CR as only the unedited version available on publisher's website until 14/01/2026. Final published VoR uploaded to CR 15/01/202
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