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Rapid learning of a phonemic discrimination in the first hours of life
Get PDFHuman neonates can discriminate phonemes, but the neural mechanism underlying this ability is poorly understood. Here we show that the neonatal brain can learn to discriminate natural vowels from backward vowels, a contrast unlikely to have been learnt in the womb. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we examined the neuroplastic changes caused by 5 h of post- natal exposure to random sequences of natural and reversed (backward) vowels (T1), and again 2 h later (T2). Neonates in the experimental group were trained with the same stimuli as those used at T1 and T2. Compared with controls, infants in the experimental group showed shorter haemodynamic response latencies for forward vs backward vowels at T1, maximally over the inferior frontal region. At T2, neural activity differentially increased, maximally over superior temporal regions and the left inferior parietal region. Neonates thus exhibit ultra-fast tuning to natural phonemes in the first hours after birth
Hiding in Plain Sight-Ancient Chinese Anatomy
Get PDFAbstractFor thousands of years, scientists have studied human anatomy by dissecting bodies. Our knowledge of their findings is limited, however, both by the subsequent loss of many of the oldest texts, and by a tendency towards a Eurocentric perspective in medicine. As a discipline, anatomy tends to be much more familiar with ancient Greek texts than with those from India, China or Persia. Here we show that the Mawangdui medical texts, entombed in the Mawangdui burial site in Changsha, China 168BCE, are the oldest surviving anatomical atlas in the world. These medical texts both predate and inform the later acupuncture texts which have been the foundation for acupuncture practice in the subsequent two millennia. The skills necessary to interpret them are diverse, requiring the researcher firstly to read the original Chinese, and secondly to perform the anatomical investigations that allow a re-viewing of thestructures that the texts refer to. Acupuncture meridians are considered to be esoteric in nature, but these texts are clearly descriptions of the physical body. As such, they represent a previously hidden chapter in the history of anatomy, and a new perspective on acupuncture
Workforce planning models for oral healthcare: A scoping review
Get PDFBackground:For health care services to address the health care needs of populations and respond to changes in needs over time, workforces must be planned. This requires quantitative models to estimate future workforce requirements that take account of population size, oral health needs, evidence-based approaches to addressing needs, and methods of service provision that maximize productivity. The aim of this scoping review was to assess whether and how these 4 elements contribute to existing models of oral health workforce planning.Methods:A scoping review was conducted. MEDLINE, Embase, HMIC, and EconLit were searched, all via OVID. Additionally, gray literature databases were searched and key bodies and policy makers contacted. Workforce planning models were included if they projected workforce numbers and were specific to oral health. No limits were placed on country. A single reviewer completed initial screening of abstracts; 2 independent reviewers completed secondary screening and data extraction. A narrative synthesis was conducted.Results:A total of 4,009 records were screened, resulting in 42 included articles detailing 47 models. The workforce planning models varied significantly in their use of data on oral health needs, evidence-based services, and provider productivity, with most models relying on observed levels of service utilization and demand.Conclusions:This review has identified quantitative workforce planning models that aim to estimate future workforce requirements. Approaches to planning the oral health workforce are not always based on deriving workforce requirements from population oral health needs. In many cases, requirements are not linked to population needs, while in models where needs are included, they are constrained by the existence and availability of the required data. It is critical that information systems be developed to effectively capture data necessary to plan future oral health care workforces in ways that relate directly to the needs of the populations being served.Knowledge Transfer Statement:Policy makers can use the results of this study when making decisions about the planning of oral health care workforces and about the data to routinely collect within health services. Collection of suitable data will allow for the continual improvement of workforce planning, leading to a responsive health service and likely future cost savings
Social capital and geographical variation in the incidence of COVID-19: an ecological study
Get PDFBackground The new behavioural norms needed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 are likely scaffolded by social capital. Research on social capital and COVID-19 has yielded mixed results, with some studies finding it to be protective while others identifying it as a risk factor. We examined the association between social capital and COVID-19 at a finer spatial scale than previous research, and examined changes in the relationship over the course of the pandemic.Methods Routine COVID-19 surveillance data from Wales were linked to estimates of social capital at a small area level. Generalised linear mixed effects models predicting COVID-19 case rates across areas using social capital estimates and possible confounding variables were fitted to the data. A moving window version of the analysis explored whether this relationship varied across time.Results Areas with higher levels of social capital had lower rates of COVID-19 (rate ratio for trust=0.94, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.96; rate ratio for belonging=0.94, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.96). These associations were strongest during periods of lockdown, with evidence that social capital was less protective, and potentially even a risk factor, during periods when restrictions were eased. Trust, but not belonging, remained protective after adjusting for deprivation, population density, ethnicity and proportion population aged over 65 years.Conclusions Social capital is an important public health resource, which should be considered in future pandemic preparedness. Its importance may be greatest during times when social activity is most restricted
A disaster response model driven by spatial-temporal forecasts
Get PDFIn this research, we propose a disaster response model combining preparedness and responsiveness strategies. The selective response depends on the level of accuracy that our forecasting models can achieve. In order to decide the right geographical space and time window of response, forecasts are prepared and assessed through a spatial-temporal aggregation framework, until we find the optimum level of aggregation. The research considers major earthquake data for the period 1985 – 2014. Building on the produced forecasts, we develop accordingly a disaster response model. The model is dynamic in nature, as it is updated every time a new event is added in the database. Any forecasting model can be optimized though the proposed spatial-temporal forecasting framework, and as such our results can be easily generalized. This is true for both other forecasting methods, as well as in other disaster response contexts
The extremes of disturbance reduce functional redundancy: Functional trait assessment of the shallow Antarctic benthos
Get PDFClimate-driven changes in disturbance are a major threat to ecosystem Functional diversity. The selective mechanisms underlyingecosystem response to disturbance are far from universal and remain the subject of scientific debate. Ice scouring of the shallow Antarctic benthos is one of the largest disturbance gradients in the natural environment and thus provides an opportunity to investigate how disturbance gradients influence functional structure of a biological assemblage. The Western Antarctic Peninsula, in particular, is a hotspot of climate-driven environmental change. Addressing how this system might respond to species loss is critical. Previous surveys across the shallowest 100 m of the seabed, detected unimodal changes in diversity and a shift in assemblage composition in response to disturbance gradients. This study investigated how functional traits and associated functional diversity change across the depth gradient. Our results revealed that selective mechanisms, such as disturbance filtering and inter-species competition, reduce functional redundancy at the extremes of the disturbance gradient. Our study highlights areas of potential vulnerability to future environmental change due to low functional redundancy. Threatening the important negative (mitigating) feedbacks on climate change, through blue carbon, currently provided by Antarctic continental shelf benthic assemblages
Interface interactions in UN-X-UO2 systems (X = V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W) by pressure-assisted diffusion experiments at 1773 K
Get PDFUN-UO2 composite fuel is considered an advanced technology fuel (ATF) option to overcome the low oxidation resistance of the UN fuel. However, the interaction between UO2 and UN limits the performance of such composites. A possible way to avoid this interaction is to encapsulate the UN fuel with a material that has a high melting point, high thermal conductivity and reasonably low neutron cross-section. Amongst many candidates, refractory metals can be the first option. In this study, detailed investigations in UN-X-UO2 composite systems (X = V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W) were performed using SEM/FIB-EDS. The systems were heat-treated at 1773 K and 80 MPa for 10 min in vacuum using the spark plasma sintering method as a pressure-assisted diffusion apparatus. The results suggest that Mo and W are the most promising coating candidates to protect the UN fuel against interactions with UO2. Both metals are inert to N migration and preserve sharp interfaces with the nitride fuel. V, Nb, Ta and Cr strongly interact with UO2 and UN and form their respective nitrides V2N/V8N, Nb2N, and Cr2N. The formation of TaNx was not observed but Ta reacts with UO2 and forms two phases at the UO2-Ta interface (UTa2O7 and Ta2O5), while O from UO2+ x diffuses throughout the Ta foil and oxidise the UN pellet via grain boundary attack. This oxidation mechanism also occurs at the V, Nb and Cr-UN interfaces. Our recent atomic scale modelling of the X-UN interfaces also proposes Mo and W as the optimal candidates. Therefore, these results validate the coating candidates for the UN fuel and may guide further experimental/modelling development in UN-X-UO2 advanced technology fuel
The UK stand together trial: protocol for a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of KiVa to reduce bullying in primary schools
Get PDFCounterpoint: Is it ethically appropriate for physicians to offer to pray with patients in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit)? No
Get PDFIt is ethically inappropriate for physicians to offer to pray with patients in the ICU. Patients in ICU are seriously ill, helpless and vulnerable. Appropriate spiritual or religious support should be provided to them by properly trained chaplains. Religious and spiritual belief is diverse, and an unsolicited invitation to joint prayer from a stranger will predictably provoke negative feelings in a proportion of patients. ICU patients are very likely to be delirious and to suffer adverse psychological sequelae, which means that well-meant but ambiguous behaviour by a physician is easily misinterpreted
Dillwyn v. Llewelyn─A Fresh Perspective on a Misconceived Approach:An Article in Honour of the Late Professor Mark Thompson
Get PDFReflects on Dillwyn v Llewelyn (QB), which applied principles that became known as proprietary estoppel, and new facts that have emerged which reveal that the parties were on good terms and that recourse to proprietary estoppel was the only way to bring about the desired outcome. Analyses the overlap between the principles of proprietary estoppel and of constructive trusts, when the courts seek to disengage the provisions of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 s.2(1), and argues that from a historical perspective there should be no overlap between the two