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New Materialism and the Study of Classroom Practices: Using Actor-Network Theory and the New Literacy Studies as Methodology
No full textEffects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on cardiac metabolism, assessed by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy, in patients with heart failure
No full textNo abstract available
Navigating reverse cultural shock: readaptation of Chinese returnee students from the UK
Get PDFThe post-study abroad experience is a crucial aspect of the broader intercultural adaptation process for international returnee students, yet it has been insufficiently explored. Interviews indicate that many Chinese returnee students experienced reverse cultural shock in their home society after graduating from UK universities. This study highlights the need for UK higher educational institutions (HEIs) to collaborate with local Chinese agencies to offer enhanced social support for international students upon their return
Chronic pain and hypertension and mediation role of inflammation and depression
No full textBACKGROUND: The association between chronic pain and incident hypertension is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations between different pain characteristics (pain type, location, and spread) and incident hypertension, and whether they were mediated by inflammation, depression, or medication. METHODS: In a cohort study of 206 963 UK Biobank participants, multivariable Cox-proportional regression was used to investigate the associations between pain at baseline, measured via a touchscreen questionnaire, and incident hypertension ascertained from linkage to health records. Mediation analysis was conducted to estimate the percentage of the association mediated by inflammation, depression, and medications. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 13.5 years, 19 911 (9.62%) participants developed hypertension. Compared with no pain, those with short-term pain (hazard ratio, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.03–1.17]), chronic localized pain (hazard ratio, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.14–1.26]), and chronic widespread pain (hazard ratio, 1.75 [95% CI, 1.52–2.00]) had an increased risk of hypertension. A dose-relationship also existed between the number of chronic pain sites and hypertension. Chronic headache, neck, back, abdominal, hip, and widespread pain were all associated with an increased risk of hypertension, as was chronic musculoskeletal pain. Together, depression (11.3%) and inflammation (0.4%), as measured by C-reactive protein, mediated 11.7% of the association between chronic pain and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: People with chronic pain are at higher risk of developing hypertension, and this is partly explained by inflammation and depression. These findings reinforce the need for pain management, and the monitoring and early detection of hypertension
Views of facial attractiveness of faces of individuals with and without an intellectual disability
Get PDFBackground:
Little is known about people with intellectual disabilities' views of facial attractiveness and and how desirable they feel they are (self-desirability).
Method:
Twenty-four adults with intellectual disabilities and twenty-five adults without disabilities were recruited from further education colleges and voluntary community organisations. Participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of facial images of typically developing individuals and individuals with Down syndrome. This was followed by a semi-structured interview, exploring participants with intellectual disabilities' perceptions of self-desirability.
Results:
The participants with intellectual disabilities gave consistent attractiveness ratings when evaluating images of people with an intellectual disability. They were also more likely, than not, to perceive themselves as desirable to those they found attractive.
Conclusion:
The findings suggest that people with intellectual disabilities make sophisticated intuitive judgments about the facial attractiveness of other people with and without intellectual disabilities, and remain positive about their own attractiveness
A lithospheric drip triggered Green and Colorado River integration
No full textThe integration of the Green and Colorado Rivers shifted the continental drainage divide of North America, marking a key event in the hydrological and biogeographical evolution of the continent. Sedimentological and stratigraphic evidence shows that for integration to occur, the Green River likely cut through the Uinta Mountains between 8 and 1.5 Ma, long after the range formed more than 50 Ma. Though the Uinta Mountains have not been subject to active compressional tectonics since 50 Ma, the geomorphology of the range hints at some post-orogenic process influencing the topography of the range. The river networks draining the range preserve relict topography, which may form due to base-level fall or an increase in the rock uplift rate. By using a 2-D topographic inversion, we quantify the elevation change the relict topography has experienced relative to past base level. Based on the inferred pattern of elevation change to base level, we suggest the relict topography was most likely created by a rock uplift rate increase. Seismic tomographic images evidence a lithospheric drip beneath the range as the most likely driver of enhanced rock uplift. An estimate of the drip's velocity, and its imaged depth suggest that the drip detached between 2.3–4.7 Ma, matching the response time of the relict river network (2.1–4.6 Ma). Importantly, this fits existing age constraints for Green River incision through the Uinta Mountains, providing a mechanism for crustal deformation that could explain this event. Our findings demonstrate the profound impacts of geodynamic processes on topography, surface hydrology, and biogeography
Introduction: how to shift parent engagement from the source of inequality to opportunities for social justice?
No full textParent engagement in children’s learning, education, and schooling (Goodall, 2018) plays a key role in students’ academic achievement, emotional well-being, and sense of belonging in the interrelated domains of home, school, and the community (Baquedano-López et al., 2013; Jeynes, 2011). The rise of “intensive parenting” (Hays, 1998), which created new expectations for parents to organize their children’s free time and advocate on their behalf to ensure academic success coincided with the shift to accountability in education policy, where parents rather than the state are seen as responsible for their children’s education (Vincent, 2017). Subsequently, parent engagement developed as a dual strategy of parents spending more time, money, and efforts to support their children’s education, and policymakers developing strategies to encourage schools to harness parent engagement to “improve” schools by raising students’ academic attainment (Leithwood & McElheron-Hopkins, 2004). Sociologists of education know that parents have different levels of economic, social, and cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1986) and receive different return on their investment in the school system (Lareau, 2011). Such uneven playing field risks undermining equity (Antony-Newman, 2023), especially if educators privilege the engagement of some parents at the expense of others (Calarco, 2018). Educational inequality is increasing in the neoliberal context in particular, when for the first time in decades, members of the new generations face the prospects of downward social mobility (Piketty, 2014). In response, parents, especially in the middle classes, made a reasonable decision to minimize such risks by investing significant resources in children’s education (Weis et al., 2014), leading to a cycle of inequality
Head and neck cancer patients’ health literacy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBackground: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is rising globally and linked to poor clinical outcomes. Health Literacy (HL) could
potentially have a role throughout the HNC pathway.
Methods: Following PRISMA, this review assessed HL impact in HNC. Five databases and gray literature were searched for
observational studies. Descriptive analysis and proportional meta-analyses were performed.
Results: Of the 70 studies, 11 met the inclusion criteria (2153 HNC patients), mostly from the USA (n=7). The Brief Health
Literacy Screen was the most used tool (n=6). The post-treatment phase and quality of life (QoL) were the main outcomes
studied. Inadequate HL (11.9%–47%) was more common among men, laryngeal cancer, and advanced HNC, reducing posttreatment adherence and delaying postoperative radiotherapy. Adequate HL was associated with higher education, better QoL,
better health-promoting lifestyle, and shorter time to diagnosis.
Conclusions: HL influences diagnostic timelines, overall QoL, and post-treatment phase. However, its role in prevention,
screening, and survival remains understudied
Who is providing pain care? Mapping chronic pain services across Scotland using Freedom of Information requests
Get PDFBackground:
The Scottish Service Model for Chronic Pain advocates multidisciplinary provision of care, stratified across sectors. However, there is lack of transparency over staffing capacities and provisions.
Method:
We submitted Freedom of Information requests to the 14 regional Scottish Health Boards in September 2024. We conducted descriptive quantitative and qualitative analysis of responses.
Findings:
We received 13 responses from 14 Health Boards with varying levels of detail. We found that staff groups most commonly reported to provide dedicated care for chronic pain are: medicine, physiotherapy, psychology and nursing, with lower levels of occupational therapy and pharmacy provision. Six Boards reported at least 1.0 whole-time equivalent medical, physiotherapy and psychology staffing capacity per 500,000 population, with sparse provisions by some populous Boards, showing considerable variation. A variety of pain groups were reported. Boards with higher levels of multidisciplinary staffing and group provision tended to report a dedicated management resource. We found several examples of cross-sectoral connections, potentially improving access to pain care according to need at the local level. The most variable and least well-developed responses were to the question on equitable delivery of care, demonstrating need to improve delivery of equitable approaches and strategies to pain care.
Conclusions:
We used FOI requests to collect data on chronic pain staffing capacity showing considerable variation across Scotland. There are limitations to this method; it is likely that our findings do not show a complete picture, rather useful insights into activities and provisions of services for pain care across Scotland
Topological photonic devices and circuits at terahertz frequencies
Get PDFTopological photonics has emerged as a transformative paradigm for terahertz (THz) science and technology, offering unprecedented control over electromagnetic waves through modes that are inherently robust against disorder, defects, and fabrication imperfections. 3D topological insulators (TIs), characterized by spin‑polarized Dirac surface states, provide a powerful materials platform for realizing tunable, low‑loss THz components with functionalities that surpass those of conventional photonic systems. Operating across a spectral range central to next‑generation imaging, sensing, and high‑capacity wireless communications, TI‑based devices promise enhanced performance, stability, and energy efficiency. This paper covers recent advances in THz photonic devices and circuits enabled by TIs and topological design principles. We first outline the fundamental electronic and optical properties of 3D TIs and evaluate their integration into THz modulators, switches, detectors, and emitters. We then discuss the progression from traditional TI‑based photonics to fully topological photonic platforms, highlighting the emergence of structures that support unidirectional, backscattering‑immune light transport. Finally, we examine how advanced topological phases, including quantum spin Hall, quantum valley Hall, and higher‑order topologies, unlock defect‑immune propagation, reflectionless interfaces, and reconfigurable THz circuitry. Together, these developments position topological photonic materials and architectures as a foundational technology for scalable, resilient, and high‑performance THz and quantum photonic systems
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