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New Malaria vaccine a boon to Endemic regions - Doubling efficacy rates, at lower cost
No full textMalaria is a life-threatening endemic disease spread by certain mosquitoes, mainly in tropical regions and is not spread from person-to-person. Symptoms range from fever, fatigue, to severe confusion and seizures. Children under five, travellers, individuals with immunodeficiency, and pregnant women have a higher risk to severe infections and death. Malaria is mostly spread by the bite of the infected female Anopheles mosquito but can also be transmitted via blood transfusions and contaminated needles. Several types of Plasmodium parasites cause disease in humans, with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the most important due to the death risk and global burden.</p
Interferon Gamma Gene Polymorphisms in Greek Primary Breast Cancer Patients
No full textBackground: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with distinct clinical subtypes, categorized by hormone receptor status, which exhibits different prognoses and requires personalized treatment approaches. These subtypes included luminal A and luminal B, which have different prognoses. Breast cancer development and progression involve many factors, including interferon-gamma (IFNG). Moreover, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IFNG have been associated with cancer risk. However, the functional role of IFNG polymorphisms in primary breast cancer subtypes, luminal A and luminal B, is unclear.Methods: A total of 138 breast cancer tissues were acquired: 81 had luminal A, 42 had luminal B, 10 had triple-negative, and 3 had human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) subtypes, while 2 had missing data. The tissues were evaluated in relation to luminal A and luminal B primary breast cancer subtypes. DNA was extracted from freshly frozen samples, and three SNPs (rs1861493 (chr12:68157416 (GRCh38.p13)), rs1861494 (chr12:68157629 (GRCh38.p13)) and rs2430561 (chr12:68158742 (GRCh38.p13))) in the IFNG gene were selected and evaluated based on previously published associations with cancer or other diseases.Results: The data showed that IFNG polymorphisms rs1861493 and rs1861494 were associated with breast cancer risk, with the A allele of rs1861493 and T allele of rs1861494 being noted as the risk alleles. Furthermore, the IFNG polymorphism rs2430561 was associated with breast cancer risk, with the A allele being the risk allele. In addition, the risk alleles were more prevalent in the more aggressive subtype, luminal B breast cancer, compared to luminal A. Similarly, the rs2430561 AA genotype was associated with the breast cancer severity.Conclusion: IFNG polymorphisms rs1861493, rs1861494, and rs2430561, with their respective risk alleles, are associated with increased breast cancer risk and severity. These risk alleles are more prevalent in the aggressive luminal B subtype compared to luminal A, indicating their role in both the prevalence and prognosis of breast cancer in a Greek population.</p
Oropouche fever outbreak in Brazil: an emerging concern in Latin America
No full textThe current outbreak of Oropouche virus (OROV) infection in the Amazonas and Acre states of Brazil presents considerable public health concerns, including the risk to travellers visiting these regions. Given the endemic nature of OROV infection in these areas, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently elevated Brazil to a level 1 Travel Health Alert. Oropouche fever, resulting from OROV infection, is an emerging zoonotic disease transmitted primarily via the bites of infected Culicoides paraensis, commonly known as biting midges, and sometimes via mosquitoes.</p
Nanoparticles in cancer diagnosis and treatment: Progress, challenges, and opportunities
No full textDespite considerable progress in patient care, the global incidence of various cancer types continues to rise. Developing safer and more efficient anti-cancer treatment approaches are of great interest. In recent decades, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising and innovative medical approach for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, as nanomedicine for cancer advances, it is important to understand and address challenges. Herein, we identify gaps in the current understanding of the effectiveness of nanomedicine on clinical outcomes and provide an outlook for the improved application of nanotechnology in medicine. We discuss the use of different types of nanoparticles for cancer diagnosis and therapy and the impact of the use of nanoparticles on the efficiency of existing anti-cancer treatments, such as chemotherapeutic, anti-angiogenic, immunotherapeutic drugs, and radiotherapy. Additionally, an update on the current status of clinical trials for nanoparticle-based treatments is provided.</p
Understanding researchers' perceptions and experiences in finance research replication studies: A pre-registered report
No full textA fundamental principle of responsible scientific research is replication. Replication provides independent verification of previously reported findings and improves our understanding of observed phenomena by removing researcher bias, strengthening existing evidence and questioning past conclusions. Replication is an essential component of the self-correcting nature of science but, for too long the scientific community has overlooked the benefits of replication due to its perceived lack of novelty. However, a shift in attitudes has been making its way through various scientific disciplines, with finance now having its turn. In this study we survey the authors of Pacific-Basin Finance Journal replication studies to explore their motivations, experiences and seek their feedback on the specific process utilized by the journal to undertake the important task of facilitating the publication of replications.</p
Advanced Optical Information Encryption Enabled by Polychromatic and Stimuli‐Responsive Luminescence of Sb‐Doped Double Perovskites
No full textThe smart materials with multi-color and stimuli-responsive luminescence are very promising for next generation of optical information encryption and anti-counterfeiting, but these materials are still scarce. Herein, a multi-level information encryption strategy is developed based on the polychromatic emission of Sb-doped double perovskite powders (SDPPs). Cs2NaInCl6:Sb, Cs2KInCl6:Sb, and Cs2AgInCl6:Sb synthesized through coprecipitation methods exhibit broadband emissions with bright blue, cyan, and orange colors, respectively. The information transmitted by specific SDPP is encrypted when different SDPPs are mixed. The confidential information can be decrypted by selecting the corresponding narrowband filter. Then, an encrypted quick response (QR) code with improved security is demonstrated based on this multi-channel selection strategy. Moreover, the three types of SDPPs exhibit three different water-triggered luminescence switching behaviors. The confidential information represented by Cs2NaInCl6:Sb can be erased/recovered through a simple water spray/drying. Whereas, the information collected from the green channel is permanently erased by moisture, which fundamentally avoids information leakage. Therefore, different encryption schemes can be designed to meet a variety of encryption requirements. The multicolor and stimuli-responsive luminescence greatly enrich the flexibility of optical information encryption, which leaps the level of security and confidentiality.</p
Fashion Text Collaborative Glossary
No full textBACKGROUND As Laura Garnder observes in Mode and Mode: Tactics for Publishing Fashion in the Margins (2019), ‘scholars have identified a lack of research on fashion media, especially considering its vital role in the production and consumption of fashion.’ Although theorist such as Roland Barthes (The Fashion System, 1967) and Malcolm Barnard (Fashion Theory: A Reader, 2007), have long shown how fashion writing produces fashion meaning, their work has largely focused on developing theoretical arguments and critiquing extended texts. Meanwhile, little attention has been given to that shorter fashion paratexts –captions and coverlines – that comprise much contemporary fashion media and which the Fashion Text Collaborative Glossary seeks to address. CONTRIBUTION The Fashion Text Collaborative Glossary is a collectively composed text that analyses the tropes and tendencies found in the fashion paratexts – captions and coverlines – of commercial fashion media. The glossary is comprised of 25 textual analyses, written by 14 leading fashion researchers. Of these, Cibis contributed 4 analyses under the headings; Frenglish, Interdictions, Redefining Words and Transfigured Time. By treating these peripheral and commercial texts as significant sites of fashion production and meaning making, the glossary contributes to fashion research by i) drawing attention to an overlooked aspect of fashion practice, ii) critiquing an aspect of the fashion media which often goes unquestioned, and iii) exploring the creative opportunity afforded by marginal texts. SIGNIFICANCE The Fashion Text Collaborative Glossary was published in volume 06 of the internationally renowned Viscose Journal; that seeks to expand possibilities for fashion research, practice, and critique. The journal is edited by Jeppe Ugelvig, author of Fashion Work: 25 Years of Art in Fashion (2020) and is supported by the Nordic Culture Fund, Danish Arts Foundation and The International Library for Fashion Research, Norway. The glossary itself was edited by leading fashion academics Dr. Laura Gardner (RMIT University) and Femke de De Vries (ArtEZ University of the Art) and includes contributions from esteemed fashion researchers including Dal Chodha (Central Saint Martins) and Caroline Stevenson (London College of Fashion).</p
Green strategic leadership capability: Construct development and measurement validation
No full textGreen strategic leadership capability (GSLC) has emerged as a major study topic in strategic management in light of urgent global crises such as climate change. There is, however, a paucity of theoretically conceptualised and empirically validated measurement models evaluating the various leadership capabilities of top managers. GSLC implies that top managers endorse green management practices in organisational operations to minimise their environmental impact. Our research conceptualises GSLC from a natural-resource-based view by considering top managers’ capabilities to develop GSLC measurement models. We used a multi-study, multi-method approach to develop GSLC multidimensional scales using field interviews, thematic analysis and bulk surveys. GSLC is operationalised as a hierarchical and multidimensional scale consisting of three core dimensions, namely green foresight capacity, green adaptive capacity and green absorptive capacity, along with nine subdimensions – resulting in 31 measurement items. The developed and validated scales may be applied to extend the theory and practice of green management, while offering a valuable source for organisations to assess their GSLC and identify and prioritise areas for green growth.</p
My Hand in Yours
No full textBackgroundThis multi-disciplinary art project draws upon the history of sculpture and touch alongside socially engaged art practices, the serial object and photography. It draws on the history of small hand-held objects such as early Venus amulets and contemporary jewellery practice as an embodiment of social and material connections. These works are influenced by research into embodiment that traces a lineage from phenomenologists Husserl, Merleau-Ponty and Heidegger to work in cognitive science and embodiment such as enactivism (Noe, 2004) and sensorimotor empathy (Chemero 2016). The relational in art is considered from Bourriaud’s Relational Aesthetics (1998) to Clare Bisshop’s Artificial Hells (2012) and Pablo Helguera’s Education for Socially Engaged Art (2011). The project critiques art as commodification by gifting the art and using it as a social utility to create active and embodied relations between the artist and audience.Contribution‘My Hand in Yours’ was a socially engaged project that aimed to create connectedness through touch. It involved the creation and gifting of 40 small, cast bronze sculptures of the artist’s hand and documentation of the exchange between artist and audience. The work aimed to create social and material connections between artist and audience and break down the material hegemony of bronze as a semi—precious metal and a symbol of power in the public realm – particularly as figurative sculpture. By gifting these small biomorphic objects, the artist distributed and atomised this power endowing the recipient with an active and embodied experience. This project was conducted outside traditional gallery settings, serving as a critique of those institutional systems. It was documented and shared on social media. SignificanceThis work was included in the 2024 festival Radiant Pavilion – Naarm/Melbourne Contemporary Jewellery and Object Biennial through a competitive and peer reviewed process. Forty people took part in the project and received their own hand cast bronze. This process was documented with simple photographs then uploaded to Instagram (@fleursummers). There were 40 social media posts consisting of a total of 200 photographs documenting the process over six months. This project garnered considerable interest with some of these posts receiving over 1000 views.</p
Remedying Error: Addressing Medication Adherence Errors at the Intersection of Healthcare Insights and Industry 4.0
No full textHealth is essential to human well-being, with its implications transcending beyond the physical realm. However, it is one of those vital aspects of life that determines overall happiness and quality of life. The persistent nature of chronic conditions impacts daily routines by creating significant challenges for individuals, leading to physical, cognitive, and social consequences that affect the quality of life of those suffering from these conditions. Diabetes is one of the chronic conditions that has become increasingly prevalent across the globe and is adversely impacting the lives of those affected. The effective management of diabetes requires individuals to self-manage various aspects of their dietary habits, physical activity, blood sugar, and medication adherence. A person with diabetes must adhere to their medication regimen to control their blood glucose levels and prevent further complications. Better adherence leads to better control of diabetes, preventing diabetes-related health impairments, and saving post-complication costs. However, numerous people with diabetes encounter substantial barriers to medication adherence due to factors that include forgetfulness, misconceptions, and the inherent complexity of treatment protocols. Medication non-adherence has become one of the most critical challenges for the healthcare sector due to its impact on patient outcomes and the substantial increase in financial burden on the healthcare system. The concept of agency in healthcare implies the ability of individuals to autonomously make decisions and take actions related to their health and well-being. Healthcare design practitioners are able to enhance the potential of patient agency by designing products and services that offer clear affordances to empower patients to improve health outcomes and enhance their autonomy. Situated at the intersection of industrial design and healthcare, my practice-based research focuses on developing prototype-based design propositions aimed at enhancing medication adherence among people with diabetes, drawing insights from the experiences of clinicians treating such patients. This research, being undertaken through creative practice, focuses on exploring the possibilities of using physical computing, hardware devices and sensors to provide a smart medical home environment for people with diabetes. Investigating the area of medication management in the context of people with diabetes highlights a gap between the clinician's expectations regarding the patient's adherence to the prescribed medication regimen and the challenges that the patient faces in following the regimen. The creative practice-based research involves the design of Internet of Things (IoT) based propositional sprints, inspired by the principles of Industry 4.0, that help individuals with diabetes adhere to their medication regimens and empower clinicians with information about it. This research illustrates its novelty through details such as QR-code-enabled prescription refilling, IoT integration, and a clinician-patient interface within a mobile application, which significantly distinguishes it from existing solutions. The COVID-19 epidemic limited direct contact with patients in hospitals, necessitating the adoption of different methodologies in my approach to developing design briefs for project sprints. As a result of the limited access to patients, the approach involved a shift to spending more time with the clinician with expertise in diabetes. The clinician provided insights into patient behaviours and medication challenges, which paved the way for potential intervention strategies, culminating in four design propositions. This shift underscored the fact that the clinician's insights could yield substantial and actionable data, often more efficiently than direct patient interviews. Employing the laboratory metaphor, the electronic prototype-oriented design sprints conceptualised four design projects as iterative cycles of concept generation, experimentation, and validation. This metaphor served as a structured framework to finally create a patentable medication management system focusing on providing the prescribed medicine in time to relieve the person of the additional burden of keeping track and consequently eliminate errors in medication adherence. Through speculative design methodologies and multi-sensory product experience frameworks, the prototypes explored prospective healthcare scenarios that enhance patient involvement and engagement beyond conventional functional adherence. Building on the principles of error reduction methods used in Lean Manufacturing processes from Industry 4.0, the medicine management project uses the IoT framework to develop a system that engages individuals with diabetes to have more autonomy in defining and following their medical treatments by integrating them within the home environment, as well as empowers the clinician by mapping the errors in the regimen for subsequent consulting visits. The approach to integrating IoT and Industry 4.0 error reduction methods in the design propositions has demonstrated the convergence of industrial design, advanced technology, and industry best practices in developing healthcare solutions. Moreover, the close collaboration between the designer and clinician showcases effective ways of developing functional solutions that resonate with users. At every juncture, the designer's tacit knowledge and the clinician's practical expectations came together to create a design intervention that could fulfil the crucial tasks in the day-to-day life of a person with diabetes, which, as the clinician mentioned, "would save lives".</p