11237 research outputs found
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FlashPCR: Revolutionising qPCR by Accelerating Amplification through Low ∆T Protocols
No full textVersatility, sensitivity, and accuracy have made the real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) a crucial tool for research, as well as diagnostic applications. However, for point-of-care (PoC) use, traditional qPCR faces two main challenges: long run times mean results are not available for half an hour or more, and the requisite high-temperature denaturation requires more robust and power-demanding instrumentation. This study addresses both issues and revises primer and probe designs, modified buffers, and low ∆T protocols which, together, speed up qPCR on conventional qPCR instruments and will allow for the development of robust, point-of-care devices. Our approach, called “FlashPCR”, uses a protocol involving a 15-second denaturation at 79 °C, followed by repeated cycling for 1 s at 79 °C and 71 °C, together with high Tm primers and specific but simple buffers. It also allows for efficient reverse transcription as part of a one-step RT-qPCR protocol, making it universally applicable for both rapid research and diagnostic applications.</p
Investigating Young Women’s Retrospective Perceptions and Experiences of Menstrual Health Education in School Settings, England
No full textThis article describes the findings of a mixed-methods study aimed at understanding young women’s retrospective perceptions and experiences of menstrual health education in school settings in England. Data from surveys (N = 140) and eight in-depth interviews were analyzed using statistical methods and thematic analysis. Widespread inadequacies were identified in educational practices which often left participants lacking basic knowledge and feeling unprepared. While 90.0% of survey respondents reported receiving education about menstruation in school, 92.9% stated that it should have been better. Lessons typically focused on biological information and lacked practical content needed to help students manage menstruation and menstrual health, with long-term health impacts reported. Better-quality education is needed to provide sufficient knowledge and support for women to manage their menstrual health physically, emotionally and socially.</p
The HOMESIDE Study—A Research Project to Support People Living With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers: Preliminary Report on Reading Intervention
No full textThe behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) can be challenging for family caregivers to cope with, leading to distress and fatigue. It is therefore important to offer effective strategies to reduce the impact of BPSD. The HOMESIDE randomized controlled trial (RCT) was testing purposefully developed interventions to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of dyads of people with dementia and family caregivers as a result of reduction of BPSD. HOMESIDE RCT was conducted in Australia, Germany, Norway, Poland and the United Kingdom between 2019 and 2022. The study design was a three-arm parallel-group single-blinded, pragmatic RCT with a sample size of 432 dyads. Dyads were randomly allocated to one of three treatment conditions: Music Intervention plus Standard Care; or Reading Intervention plus Standard Care; or Standard Care only. The Reading Intervention (RI) within the HOMESIDE RCT aimed to evoke shared discussion, reminiscence, meaningful shared experiences and consequently enrich everyday life, interaction and the emotional connection between the caregiver (CG) and carereceiver (CR); as well as to enhance activities of daily living and to promote relaxation or stimulation as appropriate. This paper describes the underlying conceptual framework, the content, and delivery of the Reading Intervention within the HOMESIDE RCT.</p
Resilient Hospital Structures, Systems and Services
No full textInterest in healthcare resilience started in the mid-1940s and it took approximately two decades for researchers to pick up the topic and realise its importance. By the early 2000s the body of knowledge reached a level of maturity with details of international case studies about the performance of health facilities and systems to multi-hazards, guidance, and regulations able to lead to secure the minimum level of resilience of health systems. However, the failure of health systems to respond effectively to COVID-19 indicates that preparedness was not adequate and that there is a gap between this body of knowledge and practice. This gap is driven by many factors but mostly by the ‘Lost in Translation’ (LiT) Effect. Lost in Translation Effect happens when the application of guidelines is done in a mechanical, ‘paper filing’ method without understanding their goal and the knowledge behind them. There are countless contributors to LiT Effect such as appropriate knowledge of disaster resilience, an individual’s workload, motivation and capability to acquire new knowledge let alone the difference between agendas and organisational priorities. Some of these have been investigated and concluded that more work is needed to generate knowledge to translate strategic evidence at operational levels. This will enhance the further learning of professionals and enable them to develop adequate plans.The way disaster resilience is approached is one of the key issues of healthcare vulnerability. Health systems are struggling with the large number of day-to-day challenges. Disaster resilience falls low on decision makers’ lists of priorities, specifically when risks are moderate or low, due to being viewed as a burden instead of an obligation, a moral and a legal requirement. The analogy of the human body can help understand how healthcare facilities internal systems, specifically the immune system, operate. Immunity is integrated throughout the body; it detects and manages most external hazards such as bacteria and viruses without affecting daily activities. The immunity of the human body is comparable to the resilience of healthcare facilities and health systems and perhaps should be operating in a similar way. Resilience needs to be embedded in the daily routine of health systems and facilities operations.. The Jigsaw Concept is a simplification approach to enhance understanding the complexity of healthcare facilities and systems without overlooking details. It applies structured thinking to reduce the LiT Effect by identifying the components of healthcare facilities and systems, their interconnectivity and interdependency and predicting and mitigating the impact of the failure of each of these on the overall functionality in a continuous and integrated way. This functionality depends on six internal interconnected components, namely building integrity, lifeline systems, equipment, supplies, workforce and management and governance to regulate the way all these operate. Externally, it depends on interdependent components such as suppliers and infrastructure (e.g. transportation, power, water, internet and gas networks). Failure of one of these could cause direct or indirect failure of the continuity of healthcare service. Each of these components plays a unique role in the system similarly to pieces of a jigsaw needing to be assembled in a specific way to provide a clear picture and clarity is affected when one piece is missing. Advanced and smart technologies might play a role in dealing with this compounded complexity; however, there are many questions to be answered before this technology is applied such as ethics and ownership of used and generated data.</p
Herbivore diversity effects on Arctic tundra ecosystems: a systematic review
No full textBackground: Northern ecosystems are strongly influenced by herbivores that differ in their impacts on the ecosystem. Yet the role of herbivore diversity in shaping the structure and functioning of tundra ecosystems has been overlooked. With climate and land-use changes causing rapid shifts in Arctic species assemblages, a better understanding of the consequences of herbivore diversity changes for tundra ecosystem functioning is urgently needed. This systematic review synthesizes available evidence on the effects of herbivore diversity on different processes, functions, and properties of tundra ecosystems. Methods Following a published protocol, our systematic review combined primary field studies retrieved from bibliographic databases, search engines and specialist websites that compared tundra ecosystem responses to different levels of vertebrate and invertebrate herbivore diversity. We used the number of functional groups of herbivores (i.e., functional group richness) as a measure of the diversity of the herbivore assemblage. We screened titles, abstracts, and full texts of studies using pre-defined eligibility criteria. We critically appraised the validity of the studies, tested the influence of different moderators, and conducted sensitivity analyses. Quantitative synthesis (i.e., calculation of effect sizes) was performed for ecosystem responses reported by at least five articles and meta-regressions including the effects of potential modifiers for those reported by at least 10 articles. Review findings The literature searches retrieved 5944 articles. After screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 201 articles including 3713 studies (i.e., individual comparisons) were deemed relevant for the systematic review, with 2844 of these studies included in quantitative syntheses. The available evidence base on the effects of herbivore diversity on tundra ecosystems is concentrated around well-established research locations and focuses mainly on the impacts of vertebrate herbivores on vegetation. Overall, greater herbivore diversity led to increased abundance of feeding marks by herbivores and soil temperature, and to reduced total abundance of plants, graminoids, forbs, and litter, plant leaf size, plant height, and moss depth, but the effects of herbivore diversity were difficult to tease apart from those of excluding vertebrate herbivores. The effects of different functional groups of herbivores on graminoid and lichen abundance compensated each other, leading to no net effects when herbivore effects were combined. In turn, smaller herbivores and large-bodied herbivores only reduced plant height when occurring together but not when occurring separately. Greater herbivore diversity increased plant diversity in graminoid tundra but not in other habitat types. Conclusions This systematic review underscores the importance of herbivore diversity in shaping the structure and function of Arctic ecosystems, with different functional groups of herbivores exerting additive or compensatory effects that can be modulated by environmental conditions. Still, many challenges remain to fully understand the complex impacts of herbivore diversity on tundra ecosystems. Future studies should explicitly address the role of herbivore diversity beyond presence-absence, targeting a broader range of ecosystem responses and explicitly including invertebrate herbivores. A better understanding of the role of herbivore diversity will enhance our ability to predict whether and where shifts in herbivore assemblages might mitigate or further amplify the impacts of environmental change on Arctic ecosystems.</p
Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by glaucoma: A meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020
No full textObjectives
To estimate global and regional trends from 2000 to 2020 of the number of persons visually impaired by glaucoma and their proportion of the total number of vision-impaired individuals.
Methods
A systematic review and meta-analysis of published population studies and grey literature from 2000 to 2020 was carried out to estimate global and regional trends in number of people with vision loss due to glaucoma. Moderate or severe vision loss (MSVI) was defined as visual acuity of 6/60 or better but
Results
Globally, in 2020, 3.61 million people were blind and nearly 4.14 million were visually impaired by glaucoma. Glaucoma accounted for 8.39% (95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]: 6.54, 10.29) of all blindness and 1.41% (95% UI: 1.10, 1.75) of all MSVI. Regionally, the highest proportion of blindness relating to glaucoma was found in high-income countries (26.12% [95% UI: 20.72, 32.09]), while the region with the highest age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma-related blindness and MSVI was Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, global age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma-related blindness among adults ≥50 years decreased by 26.06% among males (95% UI: 25.87, 26.24), and by 21.75% among females (95% UI: 21.54, 21.96), while MSVI due to glaucoma increased by 3.7% among males (95% UI: 3.42, 3.98), and by 7.3% in females (95% UI: 7.01, 7.59).
Conclusions
Within the last two decades, glaucoma has remained a major cause of blindness globally and regionally.</p
Using feedback dialogue in personal tutorials to support international student attainment
No full textThis three-year pedagogical action research (PedAR) project sought a novel approach to addressing the Home/ International attainment gap on a diverse undergraduate business course in a UK Arts University.Using mixed methods this project investigated student and tutor conceptions of feedback and determined how a personal tutoring scheme could be used to support students’ use of feedback to enhance their attainment. An initial reconnaissance phase preceded the implementation of an intervention named Personal Academic Tutorials (PATs). The first cycle involved one course with subsequent cycles widening the scope across the business school to 8 undergraduate and 11 postgraduate courses seeking validation for the intervention.Through an iterative design of PedAR, the largely qualitative datasets evidenced that both curriculum and personal relationships are important in motivating student use of feedback. Large cohort sizes and their impact on time were found to present a barrier to relationship development between students and tutors which was seen to particularly impact international students and hinder the development of their academic cultural competences including their feedback literacy. In the context of a modularised business course where subject relationships are fragmented this provides an additional relational challenge.This study confirms the reported endurance of student and tutor conceptualisations of feedback as product and the reported challenges of feedback uptake. It also supports the understanding of feedback as an interaction between practices, context and individuals. This study demonstrates that the personal tutor can play an important role in the feedback ecosystem. Recommendations are made for the crafting of SMART feedback ecosystem processes that are adapted to discipline, prior educational experience and year of study.</p
Global burden of vaccine-associated multiple sclerosis, 1967–2022: a comprehensive analysis of the international pharmacovigilance database
No full textVaccine-associated multiple sclerosis (MS) is rare, with insufficient evidence from case reports. Given the scarcity of large-scale data investigating the association between vaccine administration and adverse events, we investigated the global burden of vaccine-associated MS and potential related vaccines from 1967 to 2022. Reports on vaccine-associated MS between 1967 and 2022 were obtained from the World Health Organization International Pharmacovigilance Database (total number of reports = 120 715 116). We evaluated global reports, reporting odds ratio (ROR), and information components (IC) to investigate associations between 19 vaccines and vaccine-associated MS across 156 countries and territories. We identified 8288 reports of vaccine-associated MS among 132 980 cases of all-cause MS. The cumulative number of reports on vaccine-associated MS gradually increased over time, with a substantial increase after 2020, owing to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-associated MS. Vaccine-associated MS develops more frequently in males and adolescents. Nine vaccines were significantly associated with higher MS reporting, and the highest disproportional associations were observed for hepatitis B vaccines (ROR 19.82; IC025 4.18), followed by encephalitis (ROR 7.42; IC025 2.59), hepatitis A (ROR 4.46; IC025 1.95), and papillomavirus vaccines (ROR 4.45; IC025 2.01). Additionally, MS showed a significantly disproportionate signal for COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (ROR 1.55; IC025 0.52). Fatal clinical outcomes were reported in only 0.3% (21/8288) of all cases of vaccine-associated MS. Although various vaccines are potentially associated with increased risk of MS, we should be cautious about the increased risk of MS following vaccination, particularly hepatitis B and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, and should consider the risk factors associated with vaccine-associated MS.</p
Examining the association between depersonalisation traits and the bodily self in waking and dreaming.
No full textDepersonalisation (DP) is characterized by fundamental alterations to the sense of self that include feelings of detachment and estrangement from one’s body. We conducted an online study in healthy participants (n=514) with DP traits to investigate and quantify the subjective experience of body and self during waking and dreaming, as the vast majority of previous studies focussed on waking experience only. Investigating dreams in people experiencing DP symptoms may help us understand whether the dream state is a ‘spared space’ where people can temporarily ‘retrieve’ their sense of self and sense of bodily presence. We found that higher DP traits - i.e. higher scores on the Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale (CDS) - were associated with more frequent dream experiences from an outside observer perspective (r = .28) and more frequent dream experiences of distinct bodily sensations (r = .23). We also found that people with higher CDS scores had more frequent dream experiences of altered bodily perception (r = .24), more frequent nightmares (r = .33) and higher dream recall (r = .17). CDS scores were negatively correlated with body boundary scores (r = -.31) in waking states and there was a negative association between CDS scores and the degree of trust in interoceptive signals (r = -.52). Our study elucidates the complex phenomenology of DP in relation to bodily selfhood during waking and dreaming and suggests avenues for potential therapeutic interventions in people with chronic depersonalisation (depersonalisation -derealisation disorder).</p
Optical development in the murine eye lens of accelerated senescence-prone SAMP8 and senescence-resistant SAMR1 strains
No full textThe eye lens is responsible for focusing objects at various distances onto the retina and its refractive power is determined by its surface curvature as well as its internal gradient refractive index (GRIN). The lens continues to grow with age resulting in changes to the shape and to the GRIN profile. The present study aims to investigate how the ageing process may influence lens optical development. Murine lenses of accelerated senescence-prone strain (SAMP8) aged from 4 to 50 weeks; senescence-resistant strain (SAMR1) aged from 5 to 52 weeks as well as AKR strain (served as control) aged from 6 to 70 weeks were measured using the X-ray interferometer at the SPring-8 synchrotron Japan within three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022. Three dimensional distributions of the lens GRIN were reconstructed using the measured data and the lens shapes were determined using image segmentation in MatLab. Variations in the parameters describing the lens shape and the GRIN profile with age were compared amongst three mouse strains. With advancing age, both the lens anterior and posterior surface flattens and the lens sagittal thickness increase in all three mouse strains (Anterior radius of curvature increase at 0.008 mm/week, 0.007 mm/week and 0.002 mm/week while posterior radius of curvature increase at 0.002 mm/week, 0.007 mm/week and 0.003 mm/week respectively in AKR, SAMP8 and SAMR1 lenses). Compared with the AKR strain, the SAMP8 samples demonstrate a higher rate of increase in the posterior curvature radius (0.007 mm/week) and the thickness (0.015 mm/week), whilst the SAMR1 samples show slower increases in the anterior curvature radius (0.002 mm/week) and its thickness (0.013 mm/week). There are similar age-related trends in GRIN shape in the radial direction (in all three types of murine lenses nr2 and nr6 increase with age while nr4 decrease with age consistently) but not in the axial direction amongst three mouse strains (nz1 of AKR lens decrease while of SAMP8 and SAMR1 increase with age; nz2 of all three models increase with age; nz3 of AKR lens increase while of SAMP8 and SAMR1 decrease with age). The ageing process can influence the speed of lens shape change and affect the GRIN profile mainly in the axial direction, contributing to an accelerated decline rate of the optical power in the senescence-prone strain (3.5 D/week compared to 2.3 D/week in the AKR control model) but a retardatory decrease in the senescence-resistant strain (2.1 D/week compared to the 2.3D/week in the AKR control model).</p
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