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Quantifying uncertainty about how interventions are assigned would improve impact evaluation in conservation: reply to Rasolofoson 2022
Get PDFEvaluating Jesus and other “heroes”:An application of appraisal analysis to Hellenistic Greek texts in the “Lives” genre
Get PDFAbstractThe appraisal framework developed by Martin and White and others working within systemic functional linguistics has been applied in a wide variety of contexts. However, to our knowledge, it has been little used in the interpretation of ancient written documents. We believe that it may have value, amongst other things, in determining the genre of such literature and we see this as particularly relevant in the area of biography, where the author’s presentation of the subject is a key factor. So, in this study, we apply aspects of the appraisal framework to three Hellenistic Greek texts often categorised with the genre “Lives”. Selected passages from these texts were divided into short units for quantitative analysis that focused on theJudgementthat the texts’ authors make of their central characters (their “heroes”), how this isamplifiedand how theyengagewith different “voices”. These passages were also compared with the rest of the texts in a more qualitative study. Our results show notable differences in theJudgementthe authors make and presumably wish their readers to share in terms of the positive/negative portrayal of their “heroes”, the degree of amplification and the interaction with other “voices”. We consider the appropriateness of the “Lives” genre for one of these texts, theGospel of John, and also a number of methodological issues arising from an area of application that has not previously received attention. These include the difficulty of making clear-cut evaluation choices where authors themselves may be ambivalent about those they are describing and the need to take account of the differing and complex value systems of ancient cultures. We suggest that our findings may have wider relevance for other applications of appraisal
Language skills in Greek-English bilingual children attending Greek supplementary schools in England
Get PDFMany parents in the U.K. enrol their children in Greek supplementary schools so the children can learn and maintain the Greek language and culture in parallel with English mainstream education. Despite fears about the effects of this heritage language (Greek) use on children’s skills in the majority language (English), research on these somewhat hidden schools to date is limited and qualitative in nature. The current study is the first quantitative study which examines the effect of attending a Greek supplementary school on the vocabulary and grammar scores of Greek-English bilingual children. We administered a battery of language tests in both languages to 31 Greek-English bilingual children, aged 5-13 years, and closely looked at the participants’ language history using parental questionnaires. Using multiple regression analyses we examine the relationship between relevant variables, such as language use and years in supplementary school and we find that the higher the use of Greek, the higher the scores in the Greek language tasks, although no significant relationship was detected between years in supplementary school and the development of language skills. Crucially, use of Greek does not negatively predict scores in the English language tasks. Implications of our results and future directions are discussed
Prevalence of integrons in multidrug‑resistant Escherichia coli isolates from waters and vegetables in Nsukka and Enugu, Southeast Nigeria
Get PDFIrrigation of fresh produce with poorly treated wastewater or contaminated freshwater sources can lead to produce contamination and foodborne illnesses, as well as the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance determinants. In this study, we assessed the presence of integrons in multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Wastewater Treatment Plant effluent, tap water, vegetables from irrigated gardens and vegetables sold in selected markets from Nsukka and Enugu cities. E. coli was isolated following standard laboratory procedure and confirmed through beta-glucuronidase (uidA)-targeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The antibiotic resistance of the isolates was determined using Bauer-Kirby disk diffusion assay, and multiplex PCR was used to determine the presence of class 1 and 2 integrons. Our result revealed a total of 188 E. coli isolates from WWTP effluent (n = 41), tap water (n = 10) and vegetables from greenhouse (n = 46), farms (n = 55) and market (n = 36). Multidrug resistance was detected in all the isolates, ranging from three-drug resistance in a single isolate to 7-drug resistance patterns in two different isolates. Of the total isolates, class 1 integrons were abundantly detected in 175 (93.1%) and class 2 in 5 (2.7%). All the class 2 integrons were found in isolates that were positive for class 1. The abundance of multidrug-resistant E. coli harbouring class 1 integrons in the effluent and vegetable samples is a potential public health risk. Therefore, the appropriate measures for the safe use of poorly treated wastewater for vegetable farm irrigation are required to be put in place to reduce the microbial load of the discharged effluent. Also, education of farmers and the community on the dangers of wastewater effluent-grown plants and proper methods for cleaning harvested vegetable is recommended
PrEP use, sexual behaviour, and PrEP adherence among men who have sex with men living in Wales prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFWe examined PrEP use, condomless anal sex (CAS), and PrEP adherence among men who have sex with men (MSM) attending sexual health clinics in Wales, UK. In addition, we explored the association between the introduction of measures to control transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on these outcomes. We conducted an ecological momentary assessment study of individuals in receipt of PrEP in Wales. Participants used an electronic medication cap to record PrEP use and completed weekly sexual behaviour surveys. We defined adherence to daily PrEP as the percentage of CAS episodes covered by daily PrEP (preceded by ≥3 days of PrEP and followed by ≥2 days). Sixty participants were recruited between September 2019 and January 2020. PrEP use data prior to the introduction of control measures were available over 5785 person-days (88%) and following their introduction 7537 person-days (80%). Data on CAS episodes were available for 5559 (85%) and 7354 (78%) person-days prior to and following control measures respectively. Prior to the introduction of control measures, PrEP was taken on 3791/5785 (66%) days, there were CAS episodes on 506/5559 (9%) days, and 207/406 (51%) of CAS episodes were covered by an adequate amount of daily PrEP. The introduction of pandemic-related control measures was associated with a reduction in PrEP use (OR=0.44, 95%CI:0.20-0.95), CAS (OR=0.35, 95%CI:0.17-0.69), and PrEP adherence (RR=0.55, 95%CI:0.34-0.89) and this may have implications for the health and wellbeing of PrEP users and, in addition to disruption across sexual health services, may contribute to wider threats across the HIV prevention cascade
Moving towards improved surveillance and earlier diagnosis of aquatic pathogens: from traditional methods to emerging technologies
Get PDFEarly and accurate diagnosis is key to mitigating the impact of infectious diseases, along with efficient surveillance. This however is particularly challenging in aquatic environments due to hidden biodiversity and physical constraints. Traditional diagnostics, such as visual diagnosis and histopathology, are still widely used, but increasingly technological advances such as portable Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are being tested for early diagnosis. The most straightforward methodologies, based on visual diagnosis, rely on specialist knowledge and experience but provide a foundation for surveillance. Future computational remote sensing methods, such as AI image diagnosis and drone surveillance, will ultimately reduce labour costs whilst not compromising on sensitivity, but they require capital and infrastructural investment. Molecular techniques have advanced rapidly in the last 30 years, from standard PCR through loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to NGS approaches, providing a range of technologies that support the currently popular eDNA diagnosis. There is now vast potential for transformative change driven by developments in human diagnostics. Here we compare current surveillance and diagnostic technologies with those that could be used or developed for use in the aquatic environment, against three gold standard ideals of high sensitivity, specificity, rapid diagnosis, and cost-effectiveness
Pre-processing waste tomatoes into separated streams with the intention of recovering protein: towards an integrated fruit and vegetable biorefinery approach to waste minimization
Get PDFA large proportion of the European Union’s tomato crop is discarded during harvesting and downstream processing and there is considerable potential for value addition to the various residue streams produced, using a cascade biorefinery approach. Cherry tomatoes were segregated into three separate components in order of proportion of dry composition: juice, pomace (pulp and peel), and seeds. The protein content of the seeds was highest with 27.4% while the pulp and peel contained 7.6%. Carbohydrase mediated hydrolysis revealed a minor increase in protein recovery from seeds by 10% using Filta 02L (cellulase, xylananse and β-glucanase), while from pulp and peel was increased by 210% using Tail 157 (pectinase, hemicellulase). Sequential washing of milled tomato seeds followed by low-speed centrifugation facilitated collection of two separate fractions comprising of a crude protein and tomato seed hulls. The fibre content of the hull fraction showed a higher fibre content of 65% compared with 47% in the seeds. A significant proportion of the fibre in the hull fraction was composed lignin although the protein contents between both fractions was similar ranging from 27.4% to 29.9%. These results provide some indication about which types of carbohydrases are effective on each component of the cherry tomatoes in aiding the recovery of protein and carotenoid
Linguistic expression of place appreciation in English and Welsh:A case study in North Wales
Get PDFDespite the prominence of ’place’ notions in human geography and beyond, thelanguage of place is surprisingly poorly understood. Platial research addresses human relations to places beyond the purely (geometric and cognitive) spatial aspects, whose linguistic features are well researched. This paper offers an in-depth case study of platial discourse in English and Welsh, contributing to a better understanding of how people use language to describe their attachment to a place. We asked 72 people to describe three local areas in North Wales in terms of what makes each one special and distinctive, along with further questions. We explore the responses in terms of a range of qualitative linguistic features indicating aspects such as proximity and ownership, identify a range of semantic categories relevant to the notion of place, and offer an exhaustive analysis of how one particularly popular local feature - castles - is referred to in our data. Beyond identifying how the three local areas differ with respect to the platial attachment associated with them, this paper offers lists of keywords for each of the identified platial semantic categories as a basis for future studies in the field. Our findings further suggest that ownership terminology, time references, and spatial inferences frequently characterise expressions of place appreciation,in different ways in English and Welsh
An evaluation of a short film promoting kindness in Wales during COVID‑19 restrictions #TimeToBeKind
Get PDFBackground: In response to successive COVID-19 restrictions in Wales, the Welsh ACE Support Hub launched the #TimeToBeKind campaign in March 2021. The campaign used a short film broadcast on national television and promoted on social media to encourage behaviour change for kindness. We evaluated the #TimeToBeKind campaign film to identify whether watching the film would result in increased intention to act in ways that promote kindness to others and if intentions were associated with being emotionally affected by the film.Methods: A mixed methods evaluation was employed, using a short online survey and interaction with the film on the Twitter social media platform. The online survey measured public (n = 390) attitudes towards the film including feelings invoked, and behavioural intentions for acts of kindness as a result of viewing the film. Tweets which interacted with the film (n = 59; likes, re-tweets or comments), and tweet sentiment (positive, negative, or neutral) towards the film were also explored.Results: The majority of participants reported positive attitudes to the film and agreed that they understood the campaign message (91.8%). 67.9% reported that the film made them feel upset or sad and for 22.6% the film resonated with their lockdown experience. As a result of seeing the film, 63.6% reported intentions to be kinder to others, 65.6% intended to try and help other members of their community, and 70.5% were more likely to check in on friends, family and neighbours. A higher proportion of individuals who were emotionally affected by the film (e.g. upset or sad, hopeful or encouraged, gained something positive) and those for whom the film resonated with their lockdown experience reported increased kindness behavioural intentions as a result of seeing the film.Conclusions: Film can be an effective tool to promote behaviour change for kindness. Films that provoke strong emotional reactions can still be perceived positively and lead to behaviour change. With the COVID-19 pandemicaccelerating a move online for many, the findings of the present evaluation are relevant to how public health messaging can adapt and utilise this space to target individuals and promote behaviour change