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Intralesional infiltrations of arteriosclerotic tissue cells-free filtrate reproduce vascular pathology in healthy recipient rats
Get PDFLower-extremity arterial disease is a major health problem with increasing prevalence, often leading to non-traumatic amputation, disability and mortality. The molecular mechanisms underpinning abnormal vascular wall remodeling are not fully understood. We hypothesized on the existence of a vascular tissue memory that may be transmitted through soluble signaling messengers, transferred from humans to healthy recipient animals, and consequently drive the recapitulation of arterial wall thickening and other vascular pathologies. We examined the effects of the intralesional infiltration for 6 days of arteriosclerotic popliteal artery-derived homogenates (100 µg of protein) into rats’ full-thickness wounds granulation tissue. Animals infiltrated with normal saline solution or healthy brachial arterial tissue homogenate obtained from traumatic amputation served as controls. The significant thickening of arteriolar walls was the constant outcome in two independent experiments for animals receiving arteriosclerotic tissue homogenates. This material induced other vascular morphological changes including an endothelial cell phenotypic reprogramming that mirrored the donor’s vascular histopathology. The immunohistochemical expression pattern of relevant vascular markers appeared to match between the human tissue and the corresponding recipient rats. These changes occurred within days of administration, and with no cross-species limitation. The identification of these “vascular disease drivers” may pave novel research avenues for atherosclerosis pathobiology
Monitoring of airport runways by satellite-based remote sensing techniques: a geostatistical analysis on sentinel 1 SAR data
Get PDFMaintenance of airport runways is crucial to comply with strict safety requirements for airport operations and air traffic management [1]. Therefore, monitoring pavement surface defects and irregularities with a high temporal frequency, accuracy and spatial density of information becomes strategic in airport asset management [2-3]. In this context, Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) techniques are gaining momentum in the assessment and health monitoring of infrastructure assets, proving their viability for the long-term evaluation of
ground scatterers. However, the implementation of C-band SAR data as a routine tool in Airport Pavement Management Systems (APMSs) for the accurate measurement of differential
displacements on runways is still an open challenge [4]. This research aims to demonstrate the viability of using medium-resolution (C-band) SAR products and their contribution to improve current maintenance strategies in case of localised foundation settlements in airport runways. To this purpose, Sentinel-1A SAR products, available through the European Space Agency (ESA) Copernicus Program, were acquired and processed to monitor displacements on “Runway n.3” of the “L. Da Vinci International Airport” in Fiumicino, Rome, Italy.A geostatistical study is performed
for exploring the spatial data structure and for the interpolation of the Sentinel-1A SAR data in correspondence of ground control points. The analysis provided ample information on the spatial continuity of the Sentinel 1 data, also in comparison with the high-resolution COSMO-SkyMed and the ground-based topographic levelling data, taken as the benchmark. Furthermore, a comparison between the MT-InSAR outcomes from the Sentinel-1A SAR data, interpolated by means of Ordinary Kriging, and the ground-truth topographic levelling data demonstrated the accuracy of the Sentinel 1 data. Results support the effectiveness of using medium-resolution InSAR data as a continuous and long-term routine monitoring tool for millimetre-scale displacements in airport runways. Outcomes of this study can pave the way for the development of more efficient and
sustainable maintenance strategies for inclusion in next-generation APMSs
Quality of service based resource allocation in D2D enabled 5G-CNs with network slicing
Get PDFWith the rapid new advancements in technology, there is an enormous increase in devices and their versatile need for services. Fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks (5G-CNs) with network slicing (NS) have emerged as a necessity for future mobile communication. The available network is partitioned logically into multiple virtual networks to provide an enormous range of users’ specific services. Efficient resource allocation methods are critical to delivering the customers with their required Quality of Service (QoS) priorities. In this work, we have investigated a QoS based resource allocation (RA) scheme considering two types of 5G slices with different service requirements; (1) enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) slice that requires a very high data rate and (2) massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) slice that requires extremely low latency. We investigated the device-to-device (D2D) enabled 5G-CN model with NS to assign resources to users based on their QoS needs while considering the cellular and D2D user’s data rate requirements.We have proposed a Distributed Algorithm (DA) with edge computation to solve the optimization problem, which is novel as edge routers will solve the problem locally using the augmented Lagrange method. They then send this information to the central server to find the global optimum solution utilizing a consensus algorithm. Simulation analysis proves that this scheme is efficient as it assigns resources based on their QoS requirements. This scheme is excellent in reducing the central load and computational time
‘Last night, locked in…’: narrative fiction and embedded filmmaking as a response to, and a reflection on the existential impact of domestic confinement during the COVID-19 lockdowns
No full text'Last night, locked in...' is a narrative film made during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. Made as a response to, and reflection on, domestic confinement's impact on time, memory and identity, it employed an embedded filmmaking approach using only the equipment, props and actors available on location. As a response to the disorientation of temporal markers of memory and identity, the filmmaker investigated how narrative fiction could decontextualise confinement's estrangement of time to allow the author, protagonist and viewer a shared experience in discovering new meanings and understandings that could facilitate a re-ordering of memories and (re)stabilisation of personal identity
Presymptomatic, asymptomatic and post-symptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2: joint British Infection Association (BIA), Healthcare Infection Society (HIS), Infection Prevention Society (IPS) and Royal College of pathologists (RCPath) guidance
Get PDFCovid-19 is a worldwide problem, and we are learning not just how to treat and vaccinate (immunise) people, but also how and when the infection is spread from person to person. Unlike some infections, you cannot necessarily see who is likely to infect another person; this is because sometimes the infection is transmitted before (pre) someone develops symptoms. It is also the case that some people have the infection and can transmit it but never develop symptoms themselves; this we call asymptomatic transmission.
This guidance document is one of a pair which have reviewed the scientific evidence on how Covid-19 is spread. This part of the guide provides recommendations on how to help stop the spread of infection before someone becomes obviously ill (presymptomatic) and for those who never become ill themselves (asymptomatic). We did not find evidence for post symptomatic transmission (someone transmitting Covid-19 after they have recovered).
The recommendations based on the evidence we have reviewed give confidence that the things we are all doing such as social distancing, hand washing, wearing face coverings and keeping rooms well ventilated by opening windows are the things that we should be doing to prevent people getting infected with Covid-19. We hope that this guide will help everyone try and prevent spreading Covid-19
Crisis in the city? A systematic literature review of crises and tourism cities
Get PDFTourism destinations are prone to crises and disasters that can cause significant loss and damage, with cities even more exposed to such events due to their complex nature. This was evidenced by the current coronavirus pandemic that had a devastating impact for many city destinations. Yet, this is an area of research that has attracted little attention from academics until recently. This study provides an in-depth systematic review of the research published to date on crises in tourism cities and discusses how this field has evolved over the years. The findings show that while there is a healthy amount of literature on crises in cities and a consistent body of knowledge on tourism crises, cities are somewhat overlooked in the context of tourism crises. Several other imbalances are highlighted regarding the type of crises discussed, regions studied, research methods employed, and topics discussed. Finally, several avenues for future research are proposed
Investigative private policing beyond the police: an exploratory study
Get PDFThis paper is based on a survey of 331 private investigators predominantly based or working in the UK. It offers findings on the background, roles undertaken, tools used and outcomes of their work. It divides the investigators into four main groups: private investigators (or detectives), investigators working for forensic accountants, in-house private investigators and in-house public investigators (non-police). Given the lack of research on this segment of private policing, important exploratory findings are presented which can be used as the foundations of further research in this rarely investigated sector. The paper illustrates the dominance of older men in second careers among private investigators, the dominance of fraud investigation as the most common work undertaken and limited involvement in surveillance. The paper also presents significant findings on the number of persons who face some form of justice as a result of their investigations
Superior cervical ganglionectomy alters gut microbiota in rats
Get PDFThe diversity and complexity of sympathetic function highlight the importance of fundamental research. Little is known about the interaction of superior cervical sympathetic ganglion (SCG) and gut microbiota. In this study, the engagement of the sympathetic ganglia with gut microbiota was investigated. Bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) significantly altered the microbiota composition in rats 14 days post-surgery, and these microbiotas may participate in several biological pathways in the host, suggesting the vital role of the cervical sympathetic ganglion in regulating the microbiome-brain axis, and further confirming that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) regulates the microbiome-brain axis
Effects of Dietary and lifestyle management on type 2 diabetes development among Ethnic minority adults living in the UK: A generational shift
Get PDFNon-communicable diseases (NCD) contribute to most health problems worldwide and are the main drivers for causing disability (Global Burden of Disease Study, 2017). An increase in disability globally was observed due to metabolic conditions such as type-2 diabetes (T2D) (Global Burden of Disease Study, 2017). Besides disability, diabetes is today also one of the top ten causes of death worldwide (Ahmed et al., 2020); thus, it has become a common disease which needs health emergencies. A rapid burden of diabetes in adults is observed in the UK and the prevalence is increasing over time (Diabetes UK, 2019). The higher risk group of T2D includes ethnic populations such as South Asian or Black Afro-Caribbean people (Diabetes UK, 2019).
Jointly genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors related to T2D (Prasad and Groop, 2015; Ahmed et al., 2020; World Health Organization, 2021). Environmental means modifiable factors include dietary behaviour and physical activity (Prasad and Groop, 2015). Ethnic minorities such as South Asians genetically carry fewer β-cells, and over the life-course failure of those cells leads to diabetes (Bhopal, 2013). Thus, to reduce CVD risk and improve health in adults, prevention of T2D demands priority by enhancing a healthy diet and lifestyle globally (Hu, 2011). It is because more than half of the T2D cases are possible to prevent or delay by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and dietary habits (Diabetes UK, 2019).
In general, unhealthy dietary habits triggered the global burden of disease (GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators, 2017), causing diabetes, cardiovascular disease ("CVD"), and certain cancers. Dietary habits are dynamic and are influenced by individual choice, health benefits, and culture, where the people grow and live for a long time (Pieroni et al., 2007). Thus, the choice of fruits and vegetables, amount of daily consumption of those, and the cooking style differ due to acculturation and affect T2D diabetes prevention and development.
The changing pattern of such modifiable factors like dietary behaviour for different generations in ethnic populations is unclear yet in literature, particularly in the UK, as some evidence exists for the immigrant population in the US. Research in the US demonstrated that an unhealthy dietary habit such as low fruit and high fast food existed due to long-time acculturation in Latina immigrants in the USA (Kasirye et al., 2005). Acculturated first-generation Chinese Americans consume more sweets, fatty foods, and soft drinks, and thus were advised to reduce such unhealthy diets; while the second generation was advised to follow a healthy lifestyle including more fruit and vegetable consumption (Lv and Cason, 2004).
The fourth prominent risk factor for mortality worldwide is deemed as sedentary activity (Ranasingheet al., 2013). A lower level of physical activity was stated by South Asians born population outside the UK (1st generation) than those born inside the UK (2nd generation). This difference can be partly explained by cultural differences (Williams et al., 2011). Past studies show that North African, South Asian, African Caribbean, and Mexican immigrants in Europe are less prone to taking sufficient physical exercise due to acculturation and are more likely to be overweight and obese and developing diabetes (Gilbert and Khokhar, 2008; Gualdi-Russo et al., 2014).
Socio-cultural factors influence the likelihood of becoming a smoker or drinker (Best et al., 2001). Among the Indians, Pakistanis, and Black Caribbeans, smoking and alcohol drinking habits are reported more by the second generation than the first (Wang and Li, 2019). Either active or passive smoking (Zhang et al., 2011) and alcohol drinking enhance the earlier onset of T2D (Johnson, Bazargan and Cherpitel, 2001).
Despite such importance, to the author's knowledge and research, no study focused on the generational effect on the onset of T2D in dietary and healthy lifestyle habits in Asian, African, and Caribbean adults living in the UK. Thus, the study aims to investigate whether these changing dietary and lifestyle habits affect the onset of T2D in terms of generations. Moreover, whether generation of Asian, African and Caribbean, living in the UK differs in terms of onset of T2D
Automated assessment of transthoracic echocardiogram image quality using deep neural networks
Get PDFBackground
Standard views in two-dimensional echocardiography are well established but the quality of acquired images are highly dependent on operator skills and are assessed subjectively. This study is aimed at providing an objective assessment pipeline for echocardiogram image quality by defining a new set of domain-specific quality indicators. Consequently, image quality assessment can thus be automated to enhance clinical measurements, interpretation, and real-time optimization.
Methods
We have developed deep neural networks for the automated assessment of echocardiographic frame which were randomly sampled from 11,262 adult patients. The private echocardiography dataset consists of 33,784 frames, previously acquired between 2010 and 2020. Unlike non-medical images where full-reference metrics can be applied for image quality, echocardiogram's data is highly heterogeneous and requires blind-reference (IQA) metrics. Therefore, deep learning approaches were used to extract the spatiotemporal features and the image's quality indicators were evaluated against the mean absolute error. Our quality indicators encapsulate both anatomical and pathological elements to provide multivariate assessment scores for anatomical visibility, clarity, depth-gain and foreshortedness, respectively.
Results
The model performance accuracy yielded 94.4%, 96.8%, 96.2%, 97.4% for anatomical visibility, clarity, depth-gain and foreshortedness, respectively. The mean model error of 0.375±0.0052 with computational speed of 2.52 ms per frame (real-time performance) was achieved.
Conclusion
The novel approach offers new insight to objective assessment of transthoracic echocardiogram image quality and clinical quantification in A4C and PLAX views. Also lays stronger foundations for operator's guidance system which can leverage the learning curve for the acquisition of optimum quality images during transthoracic exam