192815 research outputs found
Sort by
“Fix one problem, create another?”: MiFID II and the hidden costs of regulating markets
No full textIntroducing substantial regulation into complex systems, such as contemporary capital markets,
creates a series of challenges for both regulators and market actors. In this article, we explore the
impact of a major piece of European legislation called MiFID II1
on long-established practices and
relationships. Our findings highlight that, despite well-intentioned efforts to address identified
risks, regulatory interventions can sometimes weaken the very systems they aim to improve.
Moreover, these unintended consequences are often difficult to foresee. To illustrate this dynamic,
we draw on our recent study of investor relations and corporate brokers, providing a real-world
example of how attempting to resolve one issue can, inadvertently, exacerbate another
Understanding suicidal behavior and gender-specific pathways in an adolescent community sample: a structural model approach
No full textSuicide remains a leading cause of death among adolescents, highlighting the need for more effective risk models to aid in prevention strategies. This study examined motivational and volitional factors contributing to suicidal ideation and attempts among adolescents aged 12–16 in a community-based sample., We investigated the roles of emotional abuse, non-suicidal self-injury, impulsivity, and emotional symptoms in predicting suicidal ideation intensity and likelihood of suicide attempt. We also investigated whether these associations differed by sex assigned at birth. Data were collected from 1,526 adolescents (M = 13.8; SD = 1.27) in Madrid, Spain, and analyzed under a Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes (MIMIC) structural equation model. This Structural Equation Model (SEM) showed good fit (CFI = .96, TLI = .97, RMSEA = .078, SRMR = .061). Emotional symptoms and emotional abuse were significant predictors of ideation, while non-suicidal self-injury and ideation intensity were strongly associated with suicide attempt probability. A multigroup analysis showed that gender assigned at birth did not significantly moderate the relationship between risk factors and suicidal outcomes. However, females were more impacted by emotional abuse and emotional symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of inclusive, comprehensive prevention strategies that address universal and gender-specific risk factors in adolescent suicide prevention. Longitudinal studies are recommended to further explore the temporal dynamics of these associations
The Memrise Prize, an international research competition: a pragmatic trial to compare methods for learning foreign language vocabulary
No full textHow well do learning techniques work in the real world, and what happens when several techniques are combined? We conducted a competition in which international research teams developed methods to maximize the number of correct translations that learners could acquire in 1 hr and successfully recall 1 week later. Teams initially tested their method for learning 80 Lithuanian–English words pairs against a standardized control method. Five shortlisted methods and the control condition were then compared on a common online platform, using Lakota–English pairs, with retention data collected from over 3,803 users of an online learning tool. The winning entry, which combined a visual mnemonic technique with retrieval practice and an adaptive algorithm for introducing new words, achieved an average of 27.23, 95% CI [26.08, 28.38] out of 80 word pairs recalled. This work highlights the contribution that competitions can play in addressing practical questions about human learning and memory
A study on the influence of digital inclusive finance on entrepreneurship of rural households
Get PDFAs displayed by data published by the 2012–2020 China Family Panel Studies and the data from the Institute of Digital Finance,
Peking University, this paper has studied the promotion and heterogeneity of digital inclusive fnance on entrepreneurship of
rural households with a two-way fxed-efect model. Trough logit regression, results show that digital inclusive fnance can
efectively promote rural entrepreneurship, and the research has successfully passed the robustness test, further confrming the
reliability of the fndings. Meanwhile, as indicated by the analysis of heterogeneity, it is also found that digital inclusive fnance
demonstrates a stronger promotion efect on rural households in the central region and households with medium education level.
In particular, the large size of a family also plays a certain role in encouraging the entrepreneurship of rural households. Ultimately, this paper puts forward several strategies and suggestions to enhance digital inclusive fnance and facilitate the development of entrepreneurship among rural households
International prevalence patterns of low eGFR in adults aged 18-60 without traditional risk factors from a population-based cross-sectional disadvantaged populations eGFR epidemiology (DEGREE) study
Get PDFThe disadvantaged populations eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) epidemiology (DEGREE) study was designed to gain insight into the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of undetermined cause (CKDu) using standard protocols to estimate the general-population prevalence of low eGFR internationally. Therefore, we estimated the age-standardized prevalence of eGFR under 60 ml/min per 1.73m in adults aged 18-60, excluding participants with commonly known causes of CKD; an ACR (albumin/creatinine ratio) over 300 mg/g or equivalent, or self-reported or measured (HT) hypertension or (DM) diabetes mellitus, stratified by sex and location. We included population-representative surveys conducted around the world that were either designed to estimate CKDu burden or were re-analyses of large surveys. There were 60,964 participants from 43 areas across 14 countries, with data collected 2007- 2023. The highest prevalence was seen in rural men in Uddanam, India (14%) and Northwest Nicaragua (14%). Prevalence above 5% was generally only observed in rural men, with exceptions for rural women in Ecuador (6%) and parts of Uddanam (6%‒8%), and for urban men in Leon, Nicaragua (7%). Outside of Central America and South Asia, prevalence was below 2%. Our observations represent the first attempts to estimate the prevalence of eGFR under 60 without commonly known causes of CKD around the world, as an estimate of CKDu burden, and provide a starting point for global monitoring. It is not yet clear what drives the differences, but available evidence supports a high general-population burden of CKDu in multiple areas within Central America and South Asia, although the possibility that unidentified clusters of disease may exist elsewhere cannot be excluded
Tumor budding and poorly differentiated clusters as a biological continuum in colorectal cancer invasion and prognosis
Get PDFTumor budding (TB) and poorly differentiated clusters (PDCs) are features of infiltrative growth patterns and powerful independent prognostic factors in colorectal cancer (CRC), yet the underlying biological mechanisms behind their role in CRC invasion is less understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular background and prognostic role of tumor cluster size at the invasive margin (IM) of CRC, and determine whether a biological continuum between TB and PDCs exists. Using a combination of spatial transcriptomic and immunohistochemical (IHC) techniques, we demonstrated a biological continuum from larger to smaller tumor clusters, with TB possessing greater invasive potential than PDCs. We deployed artificial intelligence on a cohort of 1134 Stage I-III CRC resections to automatically detect nearly 400,000 isolated tumor cells/clusters of any particular size across the IM. We determined that 2-celled clusters were the most abundant feature at the IM, and the simultaneous assessment of TB and PDCs yielded a prognostic performance stronger than either independently. Our study provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind CRC invasion while improving risk stratification for Stage I-III CRC
The association between socioeconomic status and outcomes in critical illness: A national cohort study of emergency admissions to critical care units in Scotland 2010–2021
No full textBackground: Socioeconomic inequalities in chronic disease management and outcomes are well-established. Their association with critical illness management and outcomes is less clear. This study aimed to investigate the association between socioeconomic status and outcomes following emergency admission for critical illness. Methods: Three Scotland-wide health databases were linked: the Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group database (critical care units); the Scottish Morbidity Record 01 (hospital admissions) and death certificates. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on adults (⩾16 years) admitted as an emergency to critical care units between 25th October 2010 and 25th October 2021 inclusive. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the association between area-based socioeconomic status (Scottish Index of Mortality (SIMD) decile) and all-cause mortality, adjusting for potential confounders: age, sex, comorbidities, illness severity, and diagnostic group. Secondary outcomes included unit and hospital lengths of stay, and emergency hospital readmissions. Results: Overall, 50,914 patients were included in the cohort. Those in the least deprived decile were less likely to die ( adj HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.79–0.92), had 19% longer critical care unit stays (95% CI 13–26) and a 12% longer hospital stays (95% CI 7%–18%). Over the subsequent year, the least deprived had significantly fewer emergency hospital re-admissions ( adj IRR 0.73; 95% CI 0.67–0.81). Discussion: People living in the most deprived communities have worse outcomes following emergency admission to critical care; particularly in the longer term and reinforcing the need to address socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare access and outcomes
Technology to improve mental health after an acquired brain injury? A cohort study of research priorities identified by service users, carers, and healthcare professionals in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFResearch on health-technology for people with acquired brain injury (ABI) is evolving rapidly and accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is little information on what ABI stakeholders want from this research. We conducted a mixed methods study using an online survey with data collected twice, before and during, the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 18 + from three self-identified stakeholder groups: (1) people with ABI, (2) ABI carers, and (3) ABI healthcare professionals. There were 252 participants (55.8%) before the COVID-19 pandemic and 200 (44.2%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Half (49.3%, n = 223) were healthcare professionals, one third (33.6%, n = 152) people with ABI, and the remainder (17.0%, n = 77) carers. Most had experience with technology (97.8%, n = 224) and acknowledged its value in supporting mental health. Nine key research priorities were identified pre-pandemic, spanning innovative technologies for specific purposes (aiding cognition, managing emotions, accessing support groups, and gaining information), and general barriers and facilitators to using technology. These themes were also present during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the second cohort were less enthusiastic about, and some (medics, physiotherapists, and social workers) were less willing to use technology to support mental health, highlighting challenges that were not previously apparent
Managing an ageing cystic fibrosis population: challenges and priorities
Get PDFThe increasing life expectancy of people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF), largely driven by advancements in early diagnosis, multidisciplinary care and the recent introduction of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapies, is likely to herald a shift in the focus of care toward managing the complexities of ageing. This review highlights key challenges and research priorities for addressing the health needs of an ageing CF population. A growing body of evidence underscores the heightened risks of cancers, cardiovascular diseases and changing nutritional and metabolic profiles as pwCF age. CFTR modulators have improved clinical outcomes, but their effects on inflammation, immunity and long-term disease trajectories remain incompletely understood. Nutritional management, particularly the implications of obesity and body composition, poses new challenges, as does the potential accelerated ageing of immune and pulmonary systems in CF. Emerging issues such as menopause in females with CF, lifetime antimicrobial resistance and the interplay between chronic inflammation and ageing further complicate the care landscape. The review emphasises the urgent need for multidisciplinary research programmes that integrate clinical, patient and community perspectives. Leveraging established CF registries, clinical trial networks and collaborations with ageing research frameworks is critical to addressing these challenges. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that pwCF not only live longer but also experience improved quality of life and holistic wellbeing as they realise the full benefits of therapeutic advances
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Open Research Online? Become a CORE Member to access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard! 👇