NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Association between ethnicity and migration status with the prevalence of single and multiple long-term conditions in UK healthcare workers
No full textHealthcare workers’ (HCW) well-being has a direct effect on patient care. However, little is known about the prevalence and patterns of long-term medical conditions in HCWs, especially those from ethnic minorities. This study evaluated the burden of multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs), i.e. the presence of two or more single long-term conditions (LTCs), among HCWs in the United Kingdom (UK) and variation by ethnicity and migration status.
Methods
We used baseline data from the UK-REACH cohort study collected December 2020–March 2021. We used multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for demographic, occupational and lifestyle factors to examine the relationship between self-reported LTCs/MLTCs and ethnicity, migration status and time since migration to the UK.
Results
Of 12,100 included HCWs, with a median age of 45 years (IQR: 34–54), 27% were overseas-born, and 30% were from non-White ethnic groups (19% Asian, 4% Black, 4% Mixed, 2% Other). The most common self-reported LTCs were anxiety (14.9%), asthma (12.2%), depression (10.7%), hypertension (8.7%) and diabetes (4.0%). Mental health conditions were more prevalent among UK-born than overseas-born HCWs for all ethnic groups (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) using White UK-born as the reference group each time: White overseas-born 0.77, 95%CI 0.66–0.95 for anxiety). Diabetes and hypertension were more common among Asian (e.g. Asian overseas, diabetes aOR 2.97, 95%CI 2.30–3.83) and Black (e.g. Black UK-born, hypertension aOR 1.77, 95%CI 1.05–2.99) groups than White UK-born. After adjustment for age, sex and deprivation, the odds of reporting MLTCs were lower in most ethnic minority groups and lowest for those born overseas, compared to White UK-born (e.g. White overseas-born, aOR 0.68, 95%CI 0.55–0.83; Asian overseas-born aOR 0.75, 95%CI 0.62–0.90; Black overseas-born aOR 0.52, 95%CI 0.36–0.74). The odds of MLTCs in overseas-born HCWs were equivalent to the UK-born population in those who had settled in the UK for ≥ 20 years (aOR 1.14, 95%CI 0.94–1.37).
Conclusions
Among UK HCWs, the prevalence of common LTCs and odds of reporting MLTCs varied by ethnicity and migrant status. The lower odds of MLTCs in migrant HCWs reverted to the odds of MLTCs in UK-born HCWs over time. Further research on this population should include longitudinal studies with linkage to healthcare records. Interventions should be co-developed with HCWs from different ethnic and migrant groups focussed upon patterns of conditions prevalent in specific HCW subgroups to reduce the overall burden of LTCs/MLTCs
The Impact of High-Quality Energy Development and Technological Innovation on the Real Economy of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China: A Spatial Economic and Threshold Effect Analysis
No full textThe sustainable economic development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is a significant part of China’s regional development strategy. The article selects panel data from 11 provinces of the region from 2004 to 2020 and constructs a spatial economic model and a threshold effect model to investigate the impact of energy development and technological innovation on the real economy of this region. The result indicates that technological innovation plays a significantly beneficial role in supporting the development of the local real economy, while its spatial spillover effect to neighboring provinces is not significant. Energy development has a significant negative impact on both the local real economy and that of the neighboring provinces. Such impact is shaped by the threshold effect of the level of technological innovation
Squaratides: Sequence-Defined Anion Binding Receptors
No full textAnions are ubiquitous in biology, medicine, catalysis and the environment. Due
to their importance in a variety of areas, the selective recognition, sensing and
transport of anions has been a burgeoning area of research for decades,
especially in the field of supramolecular chemistry. Among the increasing and
diverse synthetic anion binding receptors, the squaramide moiety is gaining
popularity in recent years due to various advantageous characteristics that
render it useful for anion binding. This thesis will focus on the synthesis of
several families of a novel peptidomimetic hybrid between peptides and
squaramides; so-called squaratide receptors where their anion binding
behavior will be analyzed in detail.
The thesis will start with a literature review of anions and synthetic anion
binding receptor design and then concentrates on recently reported
squaramide anion binding receptors. The introduction of aims and objectives of
the research will follow.
Chapter 2 introduces a novel family of cyclic squaratide dimers as anion
binding receptors using amino acids, squaramide, and ethylenediamine as
building blocks. The receptors were synthesized by facile and reliable methods
and their structures were fully characterized. The crystal structure of one of the
dimers was obtained which revealed the solid-state conformation of this
macrocycle. The anion binding performance of the dimers was examined by 1H
NMR anion titrations, in which an abnormal shift of the amide NH protons was
observed. The results were plotted by the function of anion concentration and
were fitted using the open-access software BindFit to simulate their binding
stoichiometry. The cyclic squaratide dimers were found to selectively bind to
acetate and benzoate while displaying a moderate affinity for chloride and a
rather weak affinity for sulfate. This behavior was not anticipated when
comparing to previously reported cyclic squaramide and peptide containing
squaramide receptors.
Chapter 3 introduces acyclic squaratide dimers based on their cyclic
counterparts reported in Chapter 2. The receptors were synthesized by
coupling two similar monomers of amino acid-squaramide-ethylenediamine
monomers. The binding performance was explored by 1H NMR titrations where
the acyclic squaratide dimers showed relatively weak overall selectivity and
affinity for variously anions compared to their cyclic analogues. This has
proven the importance of cyclic structure as a method of pre-organization of
binding sites in anion binding receptors. By comparing the 1H NMR spectra of
cyclic and acyclic squaratide dimers, a postulation was put forward about the
intramolecular hydrogen bonding within the cyclic squaratide dimers and its
impact on the anion recognition and binding process, which eventually caused
a possible conformational change as well as the previously mentioned
abnormal shift of amide NH protons in Chapter 2.
Chapter 4 introduces the cyclic squaratide polymers in order to exploit the
availability of enlarging the binding cavity and the addition of hydrogen bond
donors. Trimers and tetramers of L-Phe, D-Phe and Boc-Lys derivatives were
successfully prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis method and the
polymers were characterized by a variety of means such as NMR, IR and
HRMS. The anion titrations were performed where the chirality of L/D-Phe
polymers was found not playing an important role in anion recognition and
binding selectivity. The overall anion binding performance of cyclic squaratide
polymers were outmatched by cyclic squaratide dimers, which was attributed
to over-enlarged cavity and complicated binding behavior brought by multiple
anion binding sites.
Chapter 5 explores the binding performance of several bis-amino acid
squaramide compounds which were reported a long time ago yet were never
considered as anion binding receptors. The anion titrations of these
compounds displayed of high affinity, yet complicated binding behaviors for
oxoanions like phosphate monobasic, acetate and benzoate anions. An
esterified bis-AA squaramide receptor, bis-(Ala-OMe) squaramide was then
synthesized as a control and was titrated with acetate and turned out to display
simplified binding behavior and improved binding affinity for acetate, revealing
that the carboxylic groups in bis-AA squaramides were interfering the anion
recognition and binding, thus complicating the overall anion binding behaviors
Living in a Legal Utopia: The Gap Between Law and Lived Experiences for LGBTI Activists in South Africa
No full textSouth Africa is applauded for being the first country in the world to provide
constitutional protection from discrimination to LGBTI people. However, high
rates of discrimination, threats, and violence against LGBTI people persist.
Against this backdrop, this dissertation explores the lived experiences of LGBTI
activists in South Africa and how people navigate the gaps between the law as
prescribed and every day lived experiences. Adopting an intersectional feminist,
anti-racist, and decolonial framework, this project layers archival material with
contemporary experiences and examines ways in which non-heterosexual and
gender non-conforming people in South Africa (re)make spaces of queer
resistance from spaces of vulnerability. This was done through a combination of
semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, along
with immersion in several archives. Particular attention was paid to the layers
of legal meaning inherited from colonisation and apartheid, which continue to
reverberate into the present. I demonstrate how anti-sodomy laws moved
intact across the British Empire and how the vague language utilised by
lawmakers has contributed to anti-LGBTI attitudes. Drawing from nine-months
of fieldwork conducted between June 2017 and September 2018, I argue that
violence is displaced in the public imaginary allowing participants to engage in
place-based activities that nurture feelings of belonging and (precarious) safety.
I further argue for understandings of multiple types of queer space and explore
how participants navigate the inherent tensions between NGO-mandated queer
spaces and more fluid queer spaces that are often fleeting and temporary. This
research also offers insights into place-based activities in which solidarities are
built and nurtured, both within and beyond LGBTI communities in the present
and in the past. Ultimately, this dissertation contributes to scholarship that
unsettles binary thinking about good and bad places to be gay, offering insights
into (re)making queer spaces and nurturing solidarities as part of imagining a
better future
Can we trust projections of AMOC weakening based on climate models that cannot reproduce the past?
No full textThe Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a crucial element of the Earth's climate system, is projected to weaken over the course of the twenty-first century which could have far reaching consequences for the occurrence of extreme weather events, regional sea level rise, monsoon regions and the marine ecosystem. The latest IPCC report puts the likelihood of such a weakening as ‘very likely’. As our confidence in future climate projections depends largely on the ability to model the past climate, we take an in-depth look at the difference in the twentieth century evolution of the AMOC based on observational data (including direct observations and various proxy data) and model data from climate model ensembles. We show that both the magnitude of the trend in the AMOC over different time periods and often even the sign of the trend differs between observations and climate model ensemble mean, with the magnitude of the trend difference becoming even greater when looking at the CMIP6 ensemble compared to CMIP5. We discuss possible reasons for this observation-model discrepancy and question what it means to have higher confidence in future projections than historical reproductions.
This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Atlantic overturning: new observations and challenges'
Influence of the interannual variability of meteorological drought on the cross-interactions of ecological and hydrological drought in the central Spanish Pyrenees
No full textThis paper analyzes the influence of the interannual variability of climatic drought on ecological and hydrological droughts for a basin in the central Spanish Pyrenees using variables derived from observations and hydro-ecological simulation in order to determine the possible connection between meteorological, ecological and hydrological drought considering a cascading approach and encompassing different variables that give insights into water availability in the basin (e.g.,soil moisture, streamflow, reservoir storages and releases). Using different climatic, ecological and hydrological standardized drought indices, we show the greater role of meteorological droughts in hydrological systems than in ecological systems, and the small influence of vegetation activity and growth in explaining the interannual variability of water resources in the basin. By contrast, hydrological droughts are strongly affected by precipitation variability with relationships characterized by seasonal differences and the role of different time-scales in the standardized drought metrics
Insight into the synergistic effect of 2D/2D layered metal selenides wrapped nickel boride nanoparticles based ternary heterostructure for constructing asymmetric supercapacitors with excellent energy density
No full textTuning the structural and electronic properties of layered metal selenides is a highly feasible approach for
developing high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). In this work, a ternary heterostructure of
yttrium diselenide/molybdenum diselenide (YSe2/MoSe2) with amorphous nickel boride nanoparticles (NixB
NPs) was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method followed by a liquid phase route. Interestingly, this ternary
heterostructure consists of multiple layers of YSe2/MoSe2 nanosheets uniformly wrapped by NixB NPs over the
entire surface. The characterization results by X-ray diffraction, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
showed that the strong synergism between YSe2/MoSe2 and NixB NPs indicates an obvious electron transfer from
NixB to the YSe2/MoSe2 hybrid, which contributes to the enhancement of the electrical conductivity of the
electrode. Due to its exclusive heterostructure network, the single YSe2/MoSe2/NixB electrode achieved a specific
capacitance of 893.3 F/g at 1 A/g and a capacity retention of 128.17% over 5000 cycles. In addition, the
asymmetric YSe2/MoSe2/NixB||rGO device with a working potential of 1.6 V showed an impressive energy
density of 39.5 Wh kg− 1 with a power density of 800 W kg− 1 and excellent cycling stability with 85.60% capacity
retention after 5000 cycles in aqueous electrolyte. This result of the designed ASC device encourages the
development of a new platform for the design of electrode materials based on metal selenides and metal boride
The duality of HR analysts' storytelling: Showcasing and curbing
No full textGiven the increased popularity of HR analytics, a particular focus has been placed on its enactors - HR analysts. Their capabilities are believed to entail analytical and storytelling skills. While we acknowledge the importance of analytical skills, this study utilises an exploratory and qualitative approach to extend our understanding on the storytelling of HR analysts, which remains less understood in the HR analytics research. Data from HR analysts shows they engage in storytelling as showcasing, incorporating a narrow approach to translating and selling. The latter is a broader form of institutional work to gain legitimacy for HR analytics on a general level. New insights are also offered on how HR analysts engage in storytelling as curbing, a form of institutional work linked with decoupling HR analytics policy from daily practices and projects. HR analysts engage with these two seemingly contradictory aspects of storytelling to develop sustainable and legitimate HR analytics
Design of Technology-Enabled Interactions for Flow Experience in an Omnichannel Customer Journey.
No full textThe omnichannel retail strategy has become increasingly popular in recent years as retailers strive to provide a seamless customer experience across all channels. However, multiple studies indicate that retailers are facing challenges in delivering desired experiences in an omnichannel environment. Given this uncertainty faced by many retail firms in an environment with multiple channels, it is imperative for researchers to discern and utilize the factors that improve the customers’ flow when customers are moving between channels. Digital technologies play a vital role in delivering this experience, but retailers need design guidelines to utilize the potential of these technologies effectively.
This research addresses this problem by introducing the omniflow framework, a design framework for improving the flow experience in the digital technology-enabled cross-channel customer journey. The study employed the design science research methodology and evaluated the design framework through an in-depth case study with an Irish retailer. This study explores the elements that enable integrated customer interactions with touchpoints across different channels within and outside retailers’ direct control. This study identified the technologies and digital solutions that act as enablers for channel integration activities. It also identifies the various dimensions that constitute the flow experience and proposes design principles linking the dimensions of the flow experience and the design of technology-enabled interactions.
The study advances design theory by establishing a link between the design of technology-enabled interactions and the flow experience. The study's findings also contribute to a clearer understanding of the differences between retailer-controlled channel integration and the flow experience in the customer journey, which extends beyond the retailer's control. The results of the study also offer practical insights for retailers seeking to enhance the omnichannel experience for their customers
NDM-3: A Study of the Expression, Purification, and Characterisation of a B1-type metallo β-lactamase
No full textAntibiotic resistance is a prevalent and global problem. It is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, health care challenge we face this century. Metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) are a group of enzymes that play a pivotal role in the spread of resistance. There are many contributing factors for the success of MBLs at overcoming current antibiotics, and why they evade and evolve to overcome potential new antibiotics before said antibiotics would make it to market. One of these reasons is the sheer number of MBLs and more specifically, the number of mutants of these MBLs. There are as many as four subgroups in the MBL family, labelled B1 to B4. B1 is the best-studied subgroup, and the one that is most prevalent in pathogenic microorganisms. Members of this subgroup employ two metal ions (generally Zn2+) in their active sites for hydrolysis of antibiotics. NDM (New Delhi MBL) is a prominent example that has spread quickly and poses a real threat to society’s use of antibiotics. Known as a “superbug,” NDM-1 has made use of various tools to spread rapidly (horizontal gene transfer), evade inhibition, and evolve catalytic efficiency. The introduction of specific mutations has led to the emergence of at least 15 known variants of this enzyme that vary in their substrate preference and catalytic properties.
NDM-3 is one such variant and is the topic of this research project, which aims to determine and characterise its catalytic properties and compare those to corresponding parameters reported for the original NDM variant discovered, NDM-1.
What was discovered during this thesis was the optimised process to isolate, express, and purify NDM-3. This was completed with two constructs of NDM-3: NDM-3+Ub, and NDM-3(NC) – NDM-3(NC) did not have the ubiquitin tag attached. Purification of both of these constructs were completed using hexahistidine IMAC chromatography. NDM-3+Ub then underwent cleavage using USP2cc protease, however no activity was ever witnessed on this cleaved enzyme.
Activity assays were performed on both the uncleaved NDM-3+Ub, and NDM-3(NC). These results were compared with the NDM-3(NC) showing stronger activity than the construct with the ubiquitin tag.
Overall, NDM-3(NC) has lower activity than NDM-1. From these works it is shown that like NDM-1, NDM-3(NC) was shown to have activity across a wide range of substrates but NDM-1 has superior hydrolytic activity against most β-lactam antibiotics tested. As an example, the kcat values of NDM-1 for the hydrolysis of ampicillin and penicillin are 182 s-1 and 142 s-1, respectively. The corresponding parameters for NDM-3(NC) are only 47 s-1 and 38 s-1, respectively, effectively showing only ~40% of NDM-1 activity.
Similarly, NDM-3(NC) underwent pH profile assays to determine the pH range it has activity against various beta lactam antibiotic substrates, and to determine the pH point that activity is the strongest. As would be expected for a virulent and pathogen that infects humans, NDM-3(NC) like NDM-1, has strongest activity at physiological pH points (i.e. around pH 7.5) and showing the strongest activity overall against ampicillin and meropenem across the pH ranges