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Decoloniality, dewesternisation, and the Responsibility to Protect
Get PDFThe Responsibility to Protect (R2P) has been shaped by advocacy from states in the Global South. How should the impacts of this advocacy be understood? This paper argues that whilst Global South and rising-power engagement has shaped R2P, it has not unpicked elements of coloniality that remain embedded in the norm. In placing greater emphasis on state responsibilities to protect over international responsibilities, rising-power advocacy embeds further in R2P a colonial concept of the state which has been mobilised to ward off criticism of the state’s colonial projects in its own peripheries. Moreover, the entrenchment of a colonial concept of the state at the heart of R2P reinforces a diagnosis according to which atrocity crimes occur due to failures within the state in which atrocity takes place. This diagnosis erases the role coloniality plays in the internationalised production of atrocity crimes, whilst also framing outsider states as potential saviours, thereby reproducing colonial saviourisms in R2P. Whilst R2P may be a dewesternised norm, it has thus not been decolonised
Modeling Ultra-Thin Flat Loop Heat Pipes using a 1-D Lumped Parameter Approach
Get PDFIn the present study, the transient behavior of a diffusion-bonded ultra-thin LHP, specifically designed for the thermal management of smartphones, is predicted by means of a 1-D Lumped Parameter Model (LPM). The LPM approach was previously validated for larger LHPs with different working fluids and is one of the few highly reliable transient models available in literature. The main novelty of this work is the extension of the application range of the LPM model to ultra-thin LHPs, where various parameters may affect the operation of these devices, such as heat leakage by conduction through the case material. The proposed LPM consists of a thermal network describing the thermo-fluidic behavior of the evaporator, connected to a series of mass, momentum, and energy conservation, solved iteratively to predict the device temperatures, heat transfer rates, and thermal resistances. The LPM model successfully predicted the transient temperature of the LHP with the highest and lowest average difference of 0.99 °C and 1.65 °C, respectively. Also, this approach estimated the steady-state thermal resistance with an average discrepancy of 28%. Therefore, the LPM showed to be a powerful design tool to predict and simulate the operation conditions of heat pipes, from ultra-thin to larger ones
Health professions and occupations
No full textThis entry focuses on the sociological aspects of health professions and occupations. It outlines five key theoretical perspectives and explores three significant areas of sociological enquiry: science, technology, and the digital; socialization; and interprofessional practice. It argues that the innovations in these three areas, rather than being a threat to the health professions and occupations, can be seen as opportunities to enhance the health professions and occupations and thus the patient experience
Mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy blockade contribute to renal osteodystrophy in chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder
Get PDFChronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) presents with extra-skeletal calcification and renal osteodystrophy (ROD). However, the pathophysiology of ROD remains unclear. Here we examine the hypothesis that stalled mitophagy within osteocytes of CKD-MBD mouse models contributes to bone loss. RNA-seq analysis revealed an altered expression of genes associated with mitophagy and mitochondrial function in tibia of CKD-MBD mice. The expression of mitophagy regulators, p62/SQSTM1, ATG7 and LC3 was inconsistent with functional mitophagy, and in mito-QC reporter mice with ROD, there was a two to three-fold increase in osteocyte mitolysosomes. To determine if uremic toxins were potentially responsible for these observations, treatment of cultured osteoblasts with uremic toxins revealed increased mitolysosome number and mitochondria with distorted morphology. Membrane potential and oxidative phosphorylation were also decreased, and oxygen-free radical production increased. The altered p62 /SQSTM1 and LC3-II expression was consistent with impaired mitophagy machinery, and the effects of uremic toxins were reversible by rapamycin. A causal link between uremic toxins and the development of mitochondrial abnormalities and ROD was established by showing that a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant (MitoQ) and the charcoal adsorbent AST-120 were able to mitigate the uremic toxin-induced mitochondrial changes and improve bone health. Overall, our study shows that impaired clearance of damaged mitochondria may contribute to the ROD phenotype. Targeting uremic toxins, oxygen-free radical production and the mitophagy process may offer novel routes for intervention to preserve bone health in patients with CKD-MBD. This would be timely as our current armamentarium of anti-fracture medications for patients with severe CKD-MBD is limited
The teachers just consume our money’::Casting Blame for Educational Failure in Rural Lesotho
No full textExploring factors influencing the choice of clinical area for scope of practice among trainee pharmacist independent prescribers:a qualitative study
No full textIntroduction: Trainee Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (tPIPs) must demonstrate clinical and diagnostic skills appropriate to their Scope of Practice (SoP) to certify as Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (PIP). However, the definition of SoP is often ambiguous and differs between professional groups and evolves throughout the professional’s career. This ambiguity may lead to confusion and opposition to pharmacist SoP extension. Conversely, a rigid SoP may be restrictive and reduce holistic care. There is limited literature on the implementation of SoP, especially with current changes to initiate newly registered pharmacists as independent prescribers from 2026 and onwards.Aim: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the choice of SoP among t-PIPs and its impact on their professional practice. Methodology: Six t-PIPs from a university in Southeast England participated in a focus group to provide insights into factors influencing their SoP choices. Thematic analysis was employed to identify and analyse patterns in the data, to understand current beliefs around SoP. This study has been ethically reviewed at Tier 1 by the University of Brighton. Results: For t-PIPs, SoP was perceived as a boundary, comprising of their responsibilities, confidence and competence - for safe and effective practice. Factors influencing SoP included work expectations, personal interest, patient connections, fear of missing out, perceived competence, and mentorship. Notably, work expectations emerged as the most significant factor, driven by the need to align with evolving pharmacy practices. T-PIPs also perceived SoP to be ambiguous and restrictive in the context of pharmacy independent prescribing. Lastly, T-PIPs expressed that most patients and colleagues are supportive to pharmacist SoP expansion, with minor opposition.Discussion: Work expectations are the biggest factor influencing t-PIPs’ SoP as this heavily influences their roles and responsibilities. However, this is different compared to early-career family physicians and medical students where personal interests is the major theme [1, 2]. This may be due to the desire to align with current changes to pharmacy practice which if not met, may concern t-PIPs of reduced employability. Additionally, SoP can be seen as restrictive if an exclusive approach is taken while an inclusive and collaborative approach may enhance the role of PIPs in healthcare [3]. The place of PIPs in healthcare is yet to be clearly defined and only time will tell if their patients and colleagues will accept pharmacist SoP expansion.Limitations of this study include reduced generalisability as only one focus group was carried out, with a small sample size, with mainly hospital pharmacist and with t-PIPs at the researcher’s university only. Moreover, this study may be subjected to bias as this is a focus group study, utilising purposive sampling and due to coding being a subjective process. To minimise bias, a reflexive and iterative approach was taken throughout.<br/
Hard Times for British Soft Power
No full textA commissioned opinion piece for Apollo art magazine on the cultural and financial value of the British Council's art collection in the context of the institution's debt
Analytical and Finite Element Modeling for Time-Dependent Deflection of Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Beam
No full textUltra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) has emerged as an advanced concrete technology in the sustainable building industry. It can provide better infrastructural development in terms of strength, ductility, toughness, and stiffness than traditional concrete. This paper aims to analytically determine the time-dependent deflection (i.e., creep) of the UHPFRC beam with varying amounts of steel fiber addition. The age-adjusted effective modulus method was used to anticipate the time-dependent deflection of the UHPFRC beam. Experimental data related to time-dependent properties of UHPFRC were extracted from the literature to develop new formulas for creep coefficient and shrinkage strain through curve fitting and data validation. A new range of aging coefficient was proposed for UHPFRC through trial according to the ACI code. The existing shrinkage-induced curvature formula for cracked sections was modified using data validation. The analytical study incorporated all the proposed formulations and coefficient values to anticipate the UHPFRC beam's time-dependent deflection theoretically. Along with the analytic analysis, Finite Element Method (FEM) was also employed to predict the time-dependent deflection of the UHPFRC beam. It was found that for different percentages of steel fibers, both the FEM and the proposed analytical approaches conservatively estimate the deflection values, with an average deviation of around 20% from the experimental results. The accuracy and validation of the proposed theoretical formulation to predict the time-dependent deflection of UHPFRC beams were also demonstrated through statistical analysis
wedding absence
No full textThis poem uses material found in Mass Observation Autumn Directive 1998’s “Receiving Presents (continued)” and “Wedding Presents” The poem was crafted using a method of drafting then gathering feedback from Claude.AI 3.5 Sonnet
Characterisation and evaluation of early mobilisation interventions after emergency laparotomy surgery:a scoping review
No full textEmergency laparotomy is a high-risk surgery, and postoperative functional decline contributes to the 1-yr mortality of 25%. However, there is no established guidance around postoperative interventions to restore functional capacity, including early mobilisation. This scoping review synthesised current evidence on the definition of early mobilisation, delivery of interventions, barriers, and outcomes reported for postoperative mobilisation interventions.The review followed a structured methodological framework and was registered with Open Science Framework. Studies were identified through MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL. Eligible studies described an early mobilisation protocol (in isolation or as a bundled intervention) after emergency laparotomy. Data were extracted and analysed descriptively.Fourteen studies (2783 participants) were included, with all but one published since 2018. Mobilisation out of bed within 24 h of surgery was the most frequently used definition of early mobilisation. Adherence rates ranged from 31% to 96%. Interventions were heterogeneous, ranging from encouragement to achieve mobilisation targets through to comprehensive multidisciplinary programmes. Intervention groups tended to achieve earlier and greater mobilisation. Key modifiable barriers were pain, fatigue, and limited physiotherapy staffing. All studies reported physical performance outcomes; only one reported quality of life outcomes.This scoping review found heterogeneity in the delivery, dose, timing, and adherence to mobility interventions. Barriers to mobilisation after emergency laparotomy mirror those described after elective surgery. We suggest alignment in reporting the impact of individual factors (such as frailty and socioeconomic context) and core outcomes (including patient-centred measures) to standardise early postoperative mobilisation interventions and allow for synthesis of the evidence base.Scoping review protocolOpen Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/R63CP)