192815 research outputs found
Sort by
Using lifespan variation to better understand long-term trends in health inequalities in Scotland and Europe
No full textCross-country comparisons of socioeconomic inequalities in mortality/life expectancy (LE) face limitations regarding the comparability of population subgroup data. One potential alternative which can overcome this limitation is lifespan variation (LV). Our aims were to: (i) compare long-term trends in LV across Western European countries, focussing on Scotland as a country with known wide LE inequalities; and (ii) explore the validity of LV through comparisons with ranked measures of socioeconomic inequalities in mortality/LE within Scotland. We calculated e† (one measure of LV) using Human Mortality Database data from 1855 to 2021 for European nations, by sex. We then compared e† with absolute inequalities in mortality and LE by ranked area-level socioeconomic deprivation for all 32 local government areas in Scotland. Male and female LV in Scotland is the highest in Western Europe. For males especially, this resulted from increases in the 1980s–1990s, and was made worse by further increases in the early 2010s. All UK nations have relatively high LV, especially among females. Comparisons of sub-national, area-based, data show a moderate level of correlation between ranked LV and absolute socioeconomic inequalities in mortality (0.57), and male (0.48) and female (0.51) LE. For cross-country comparisons, LV may be a useful proxy for absolute socioeconomic inequalities in mortality/LE where comparable socioeconomic measures are not available; however, it requires cautious interpretation. Given the high level of, and recent increases in, LV in Scotland and the UK, the need for socioeconomic policies to narrow health inequalities has never been more urgent
Energy-containing electrons in solar flares: improving hard X-ray and EUV diagnostics
No full textSolar flares effectively accelerate particles to nonthermal energies. These accelerated electrons are responsible for energy transport and subsequent emissions in hard X-ray (HXR), radio, and UV/EUV radiation. Due to the steeply decreasing electron spectrum, the electron population and consequently the overall flare energetics are predominantly influenced by low-energy nonthermal electrons. However, deducing the electron distribution in this energy-containing range remains a significant challenge. In this study, we apply the warm-target HXR emission model with kappa-form injected electrons to two well-observed GOES M-class flares. Moreover, we utilize EUV observations to constrain the flaring plasma properties, which enables us to determine the characteristics of accelerated electrons across a range from a few keV to tens of keV. We demonstrate that the warm-target model (WTM) reliably constrains the properties of flare-associated electrons, even accounting for the uncertainties that had previously been unaddressed. The application of a kappa distribution for the accelerated electrons allows for meaningful comparisons with electron distributions inferred from EUV observations, specifically for energy ranges below the detection threshold of RHESSI. Our results indicate that the accelerated electrons constitute only a small fraction of the total electron population within the flaring region. Moreover, the physical parameters, such as electron escape time and acceleration timescale, inferred from both the WTM and the EUV observations further support the scenario in which electrons undergo thermalization within the corona. This study highlights the effectiveness of integrating the WTM with EUV observations to accurately characterize energy-containing electrons and their associated acceleration and transport processes
Suicidal ideation among people with different gambling behaviour profiles: analysis of a longitudinal survey of people who gamble regularly in the UK
No full textBackground:
People who gamble experience elevated rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Longitudinal studies have been scarce, and none has focused on those who regularly gamble in the UK.
Aims:
To examine the relationship between specific products and locations of gambling activity (and their combinations) and risk of subsequent suicidal thoughts.
Method:
We analysed a UK longitudinal survey of 3927 adults (18 years old or over) who regularly bet on sports. Data were collected online between June and November 2020. Latent class analysis was used to identify groups of people with similar gambling profiles on the basis of 13 types of gambling activity. Weighted group characteristics are presented. Regression modelling was used to test associations between gambling groups and suicidal thoughts, adjusting for baseline characteristics.
Results:
Five distinct groups were identified. One group (5.6% of the sample) reported multiple types of both in-person and online gambling. This group was the most likely to use electronic gambling machines. After adjustment for baseline suicidal thoughts, this group had significantly higher odds of subsequent suicidal thoughts (adjusted odds ratio 3.42; 95% CI: 1.18–9.89) than other groups.
Conclusions:
Although many profiles of gambling activity present suicide risk, some types present greater risk. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines recommend enquiry in primary care settings about gambling behaviours. Our findings suggest that clinicians should consider asking questions on mode (online or in-person) and product (especially electronic gambling machines) to identify those at heightened risk of suicidal ideation. Gambling should also be considered routinely in psychosocial assessments across clinical settings and incorporated into suicide prevention campaigns
Biomarkers of iron deficiency and prognosis in patients hospitalised with new-onset heart failure and a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction
Get PDFBackground: Iron deficiency (ID) is common in patients with heart failure (HF). Current guidelines define ID based on serum ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT) rather than soluble transferrin receptor (STFR) or ratios such as iron/STFR or TSAT/STFR. We investigated the associations between these biomarkers and prognosis in patients with new-onset HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
Methods: All patients hospitalised in 2016–2020 at Sahlgrenska University Hospital with new-onset HFrEF who had iron biomarkers measured within 6 months of discharge were included, with follow-up from the date of the iron biomarker test until 31 December 2021. The primary composite event of interest was first re-hospitalisation for HF (HHF) or all-cause mortality. The associations between ID biomarkers and endpoints were analysed using Cox regression adjusted for age, sex, previous HF, left ventricular ejection fraction, HF medications and comorbidity. Bonferroni-Holm correction was applied for multiple testing.
Results: Of 325 patients included (median age 68 (57–76) years, 70.2% men), 168 (52%) had ID using current guideline criteria and STFR was available for 224 (69%) patients. Median follow-up was 2.2 years. In the prespecified analysis plan, biomarkers of ID were not statistically significantly associated with the primary composite endpoint, although each SD increase in TSAT was associated with 56% lower risk of HHF (0.44 [0.27–0.71]) as were increased ratios of iron/STFR (0.58 [0.40–0.86]) and TSAT/STFR (0.55 [0.37–0.83]). However, in a post hoc sensitivity analysis in which patients with extreme values were excluded, each increase in SD of TSAT was associated with 47% lower risk of the primary composite endpoint (0.53 [0.35–0.79]).
Conclusions: Lower TSAT is associated with a greater risk of clinical events in patients with new-onset HF, as were the ratios of iron/STFR and TSAT/STFR. However, neither ratio appeared to offer a substantial advantage compared with TSAT alone
A guard cell carbonic anhydrase binds and regulates SLAC1 separate from its catalytic activity
Get PDFStomata of plant leaves open to enable CO2 entry for photosynthesis and close when CO2 in the leaf is elevated. CO2 is thought to promote stomatal closure in part by activating the SLAC1 anion channel at the guard cell plasma membrane. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) contribute to this activation, but their contribution as distinct from CO2-H2CO3 catalysis remains controversial. Here we show that the β-carbonic anhydrase CA4 binds selectively with the guard-cell anion channel SLAC1 to enhance channel current. The interaction is CO2-dependent, but binding is mediated by amino acids distal from the CO2-binding site of CA4 and is separable from carbonicanhydrase activity. CA4 mutants impaired in channel binding eliminate the CO2-sensitivity of SLAC1 in vivo and slow stomatal kinetics with a commensurate loss in water use efficiency. The findings demonstrate that CA4 contributes directly to the CO2-response mechanics regulating SLAC1 at near-ambient CO2 in guard cells and to stomatal kinetics in the plant
Role of metalinguistic awareness in young learners of Chinese as a second language in character reading and spelling: a one-year longitudinal study
Get PDFThis one-year longitudinal study examined the impact of metalinguistic awareness on character reading and spelling among young learners of Chinese as a second language (CSL). Assessments of orthographic, morphological, and phonological awareness, character and word reading, spelling, and oral vocabulary were conducted with 204 ethnic minority students at two time points. Longitudinal path analysis controlling for age, nonverbal intelligence, and oral vocabulary accounted for 62–86% of the variance in reading and spelling. Orthographic awareness made the strongest and most consistent contributions to both skills, while the influence of phonological awareness declined over time. Morphological awareness showed only a limited effect, predicting character reading at the first time point but not later. Oral vocabulary predicted reading and spelling and was associated with later phonological and morphological awareness, but not with orthographic awareness. A reciprocal effect from earlier reading to later orthographic awareness was also found. The findings highlight the central role of orthographic awareness and the relations among metalinguistic skills, oral language, and literacy development in young CSL learners, emphasising the need for an integrated approach to CSL literacy instruction
A Comparative Study of Conversational and Conventional Search Methods for Image Retrieval
Get PDFWith the continuous growth of multimedia archives,
there is significant interest in developing search-effective methods
to locate relevant content which are natural and intuitive to
users. Conversational search presents an opportunity to address
these challenges by improving multimedia search effectiveness
and reducing the cognitive load on users. In this study, we conduct
an experiment to investigate multi-stage conversational assistance
for multimedia search, incorporating multimodal clarification
questions through a text-based chat interface. In our study, we
compare user experience for our conversational approach to an
equivalent conventional ”one-shot” text-based search approach.
We find that users rate their search experience statistically significantly more positively in our conversational filtering condition
compared to the one shot search condition. They rate it as
more attractive (p < .001), efficient (p = .0036), dependable
(p = .001), stimulating (p < .01) and novel (p < .01). Our
results indicate that conversational filtering has the potential to
offer a more engaging and efficient way to search, particularly
in image retrieval scenarios
Controls on lag time in Philippine catchments identified using rainfall-runoff modelling and generalized additive model (GAM)
Get PDFUnderstanding the controls upon lag time, can improve river and flood management decision-making. This study investigates the relative importance of catchment characteristics in explaining lag time variability across the Philippines. Numerically simulated 5-year return period lag times for 291 catchments were analysed using a generalized additive model (GAM) to capture non-linear relationships with location, geology, climate, topography, and land use. The 5-year return period is representative of moderate flood response, as lag time varies little across return periods. Correlation analysis and recursive feature elimination guided variable selection, while bootstrapping assessed model stability and uncertainty. Ten significant controls on lag time were identified, with relief ratio, land cover index, and catchment area most influential. The GAM achieved an R2 of 0.77 and explained 84% of deviance. Land cover emerged as the only anthropogenically modifiable control, highlighting a key management lever. National hydrological observations are needed to further support model calibration
Design for recycling in electronic manufacturing: enabling circularity and lower impact manufacturing through heterogenous integration and lower impact recovery
Get PDFThe adoption of ‘Design-for-Recycling’ (DfR) approaches for manufacturing Electrical and Electronic Equipment is still in its infancy. However, growing interest in DfR is driven by its potential to address the global challenge of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and reduce the environmental footprint of electronics. In this study, a DfR approach that enables up to 99% material recovery using scalable laboratory methods is presented. Through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a 90% reduction in environmental impact compared to conventional Flame-Retardant Level 4 (FR4)-based printed circuit board assemblies manufacturing is demonstrated. To achieve this, a fully additive process is adopted with Heterogeneous integration using Ultra-Precise Deposition (UPD) to provide a more compact form factor with lower material use than conventional approaches. For recycling trials, selective recovery using Iron Chloride (FeCl₃) was adopted, enabling silver (Ag) to be recovered by mechanical filtration. The LCA results indicate a notable reduction in environmental impact and human toxicity, primarily due to the lower substrate footprint, reduced reagent use, the ease of disassembly and resource retention enabled by the DfR design. The results show that the integration of DfR principles with recycling establishes a new standard for electronics manufacturing, where technological performance and environmental accountability are simultaneously pursued
Skin colour in salamanders is modulated by both epitranscriptomic methylation and gene expression
Get PDFAnimal colouration is a key trait in organismal biology, being involved in natural and sexual selection, competition, and communication. Amphibians use their highly diverse colouration in many ecological interactions, but the molecular bases of their colour variation are less well understood than in other vertebrate systems. While the genetic, structural, and cellular bases of pigmentation are increasingly understood in a range of models, potential epigenetic or epitranscriptomic effects are almost completely unexplored. The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) has striking colour patterns and polymorphisms, but the extremely large genome size of salamanders makes traditional genetic analyses infeasible. To discover loci and molecular mechanisms underlying colour differences in salamanders, we used long-read direct RNA sequencing to test the roles of RNA methylation, gene expression and their relationship on intra- and inter-individual colour variation in black, yellow and brown skinned salamanders. We found 129 differentially expressed and 281 differentially methylated genes across all pairwise comparisons. Many of the genes involved are related to pigmentation, with several directly associated with melanin production, such as Melan-A (MLANA), Premelanosome protein (PMEL), Tyrosinase (TYR) and Tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1). We found both a positive overall correlation and a significant overlap in transcripts that are differentially methylated and expressed. These findings suggest multiple molecular mechanisms, including gene expression and RNA methylation, contribute to amphibian colour diversity. RNA modifications as a promising area for understanding morphological variation in non-model animals and their impact on their ecology
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! 👇