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The medical education of James McCune Smith (1813-1865)
Get PDFThe physician, activist, essayist, radical free thinker, polyglot and first African American medical graduate James McCune Smith has for long been a forgotten figure. Despite extensive writings, a lack of oratory skills, when compared with those of his contemporaries, had relegated him to a lesser place in the pantheon of the abolitionist movement and overdue recognition. His education at Glasgow University provided a knowledge he applied not only to his medical practice and publications but also in his wider writings. In championing equality, emancipation and the abolition of slavery McCune Smith did not hold back in calling out pomposity, inaccuracy and the misrepresentation of facts by others, irrespective of their position or prominence. His forensic approach and knowledge of the medical literature of the times were evident from his student days to the last essays. This article addresses the formative years, exile in Glasgow to achieve the education denied in his homeland and his return to New York as a newly qualified physician
Design and evaluation of Coconut: typestates for C++
Get PDFThis paper introduces Coconut, a C++ tool that uses templates for defining object behaviours and validates them with typestate checking. Coconut employs the GIMPLE intermediate representation (IR) from the GCC compiler’s middle-end phase for static checks, ensuring objects follow valid state transitions as defined in typestate templates. It supports features like branching, recursion, aliasing, inheritance, and typestate visualisation. We illustrate Coconut’s application in embedded systems, validating their behaviour pre-deployment. We present an experimental study, showing that Coconut improves performance and reduces code complexity wrt the original code, highlighting the benefits of typestate-based verification
Rational cathode design for efficient solid-state diffusion in solid-state batteries
Get PDFSevere risks of explosion and fire hazards with traditional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using liquid organic electrolytes have attracted all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) due to its nonflammable characteristics. Among the various solid electrolytes (SEs), Li10GeP2S12 (LGPS) and garnet-type oxide such as Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) are evaluated as promising candidates for next-generation solid-state batteries due to high ionic conductivity and possibility for mass production. Recent research is mainly about synthesis, conduction mechanism, and especially ionic conductivity. However, the promising properties of bulk SEs can not be guaranteed to exhibit excellent performance in practical applications to full cells. The contact and interface issues between SEs and active materials must be solved for actual cell driving in ASSBs having a solid-solid ionic conduction system. In this perspective, discussion, approaches, and future research directions in relation to ASSBs’ performance are provided. Through the careful examination of the cathode design, it is expected that enhanced solid-state diffusion between the SE and cathode will contribute toward more sustainable long-term ASSBs operation
Crafting Companions: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Customization Amongst Robot Owners
No full textA key challenge in social robotics is identifying the design features and social mechanisms that sustain long-term engagement with robots. Although mounting evidence suggests that end-user customization is a vital aspect of robot ownership “in the wild”, empirical research on this phenomenon and its psychological outcomes remains sparse. In this mixed methods study, we surveyed 113 robot owners and conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 more, providing a holistic perspective on customization practices among long-term users. Our findings show that customization is highly prevalent among robot owners, with quantitative results indicating that customization indirectly predicts robot attachment through self-extension and psychological ownership. Our interviews furthermore reveal a vibrant culture of customization in online and offline robotics spaces, which is sustained by strong community networks. Together, these results underscore the central role of customization in fostering enduring engagement with companion robots. Through customization, users imbue their robots with personally significant identities, form deeper attachments to them, and reinforce their own individuality as robot owners. Customization also embeds owners within a broader community of robot enthusiasts, promoting social connections, creative practice, and sustained use. Given its prevalence among robot owners, we conclude with recommendations for how robot designers and researchers can leverage customization to set the stage for long-term and personally meaningful human–robot bonds
A vibrational analysis of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate derivatives: pyridoxal 5′-Phosphate-isopropylamine and pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-(S)-1-phenylethylamine
No full textThe external aldimine, a pivotal Schiff base intermediate in pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme-catalyzed reactions, plays a central mechanistic role in the ω-transamination pathway used for the synthesis of chiral amines in pharmaceutical production. To investigate the potential of vibrational spectroscopy to probe molecular interactions relevant to PLP’s role as a cofactor in transamination reactions, two external aldimines, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-isopropylamine (PLP-IPAm) and pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-(S)-1-phenylethylamine (PLP-PEA), are synthesized and analyzed by vibrational spectroscopy. Single-molecule DFT calculations are employed to predict the vibrational characteristics of both compounds. Inelastic neutron scattering measurements validate the single-molecule DFT calculations for the noncrystalline PLP-aldimines. The computational data sets guide the assignment of ATR-IR and FT-Raman spectra of both external aldimines over the 400–4000 cm–1 range, enabling the identification of vibrational bands from functional groups that may contribute to the transamination mechanism. The characterization of discrete vibrational modes for each external aldimine defines a platform by which vibrational spectroscopy (e.g., Raman spectroscopy) could potentially be used to monitor PLP-dependent transamination processes
Prey, not temperature, is the dominant driver of juvenile growth in North Sea sandeels
Get PDFDeclining body sizes are prevalent in marine fish and have been suggested to be a response to increasing temperatures. However, the evidence is mixed and the underlying causes often unknown. Here, we explore drivers of spatio-temporal patterns in size in juvenile lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus, focusing on ongoing size declines in parts of the North Sea. We combine experimental and field data with theory to develop a biologically realistic dynamic energy budget model that explicitly models feeding, metabolism and energy allocation to produce daily predictions of sandeel length during the growth season from 1979 to 2016 in 4 North Sea sub-populations. When forced with daily temperature estimates and zooplankton data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder, model predictions largely match observed spatio-temporal patterns. Our results suggest that the most plausible driver of observed size declines in the western North Sea is declining prey densities. In contrast, the direct effect of temperature on sandeel size is small, but interacts with local prey availability so that increasing temperatures may boost growth rates in areas with high food availability but reduce growth rates in areas with low food availability. Our results thus suggest that to understand effects of climate change on fish size we need to account for both direct physiological effects and changes in resource availability. Finally, we show that early-life phenology and turbidity (via its impact on intake rates in the visually foraging sandeel) may also impact sandeel size, highlighting the importance of broadening our view of potential drivers of size declines
Systemic and pulmonary congestion by ultrasound and prognosis in heart failure: a pooled cohort analysis
No full textObjective:
We assessed the prognostic value of the relation between pulmonary and systemic congestion in HF.
Background:
Increasing congestion, either pulmonary (detected by ultrasound) or systemic (quantified by inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter), is associated with worse outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF).
Methods:
We performed a pooled analysis on five European cohorts of patients with HF. The primary outcome was a composite of hospitalization for HF and all-cause death. Patients with mild pulmonary congestion (lowest tercile of B-lines, <16 for in-patients, <3 for out-patients) and un-dilated IVC (<21 mm) were considered as the reference group.
Results:
835 patients (mean age 75 ± 11 years, 60 % men, 60 % in-patients) were included. Compared to patients with the lowest degree of congestion (n = 124 in-patients, 25 %, and 75 out-patients, 22 %), those with greater congestion were older, had higher natriuretic peptides and lower tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, but similar left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Among in-patients, 163 (33 %) were re-hospitalized or died during a follow-up of 180 days while 125 (37 %) out-patients were re-hospitalized or died during a median follow-up of 600 days. In models adjusted for age and LVEF, out-patients with the greatest degree of isolated pulmonary congestion (highest tercile) were at higher risk than reference group (HR: 2.34 (1.11–4.91), p = 0.025). A dilated IVC was associated with a greater risk in both in-patients and out-patients when pulmonary congestion was more than mild.
Conclusion:
Among patients with HF, the combination of both pulmonary and systemic congestion is associated with a worse prognosis than either sign of congestion alone
Understanding pathways to low educational attainment: a multidimensional poverty and educational achievement model
No full textWhile the link between poverty and educational achievement is well-established, the mechanisms through which poverty impacts learning remain poorly understood, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study explores the pathways from poverty to educational attainment in two LMIC contexts – Ghana and Malawi. We employed a qualitative multi-perspectival research design, conducting in-depth interviews with 103 participants in both countries, including pupils (n = 34), teachers (n = 31), headteachers (n = 11), education advisors (n = 8), and parents (n = 19) from schools with historically low academic performance. These schools primarily serve pupils living in poverty. Using a semi-structured interview approach, we elicited participants' understandings of the factors and mechanisms that account for low educational achievement of pupils from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The qualitative data were analysed using the grounded theory method to identify key concepts and develop a theoretical understanding of how poverty influences achievement. We present a Multidimensional Poverty and Educational Achievement Model (MPEAM) that identifies three key dimensions of poverty – school resources, household conditions, and accessibility. These dimensions affect educational outcomes by shaping the learning environment, influencing learner participation and concentration, contributing to absenteeism, and limiting interactions among pupils, teachers, and communities. The study offers new insights into the complex, context-specific pathways linking poverty to educational outcomes. It highlights the need for integrated policies and interventions that address the multifaceted nature of poverty to support improved learning for socioeconomically disadvantaged learners
Proposal for testing ventilation systems to control microbial contamination in surgical operating rooms
No full textSurgical operating rooms are air conditioned, not only to provide comfortable conditions for the occupants, but to reduce airborne microbial contamination and the incidence of surgical site infections. To protect patients’ health and not waste resources, it is necessary to demonstrate that the ventilation systems of operating rooms provide the required airborne microbial cleanliness. Discussed in this article are the engineering properties of ventilation systems needed to control airborne microbial contamination in both conventionally ventilated and unidirectional airflow operating rooms, and how these properties should be investigated and tested to show they function correctly. Also discussed is how to confirm that engineering tests have been carried out correctly by measuring microbial airborne contamination in an empty operating room
China-Russia partnership: an axis of revisionism?
Get PDFI examine the changing nature and characteristics of China‐Russia partnership in the context of their escalating rivalries with
the US, using the two‐level explanatory framework. This article begins with an investigation of the causal impact of the shifting
global power balance on China‐Russia relations at system‐level level, followed by an analysis of various domestic factors that
shape the two revisionist powersʼ individual strategic behaviours at unit‐level level. I scrutinise three cases of Russia and
Chinaʼs responses to external pressures, 2014–2018, 2018–2022, and 2022–2024. I demonstrate how Russiaʼs reduced room for
manoeuvre led to making concessions towards China in such areas as energy and security, ultimately strengthening the ties
between the two states. In turn, Moscowʼs lack of capabilities prevented it from supporting China in the areas of economic and
technological competition with the US. I also briefly discuss the impact of Trumpʼs initial policy moves for the Sino‐Russian
relationship
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