11237 research outputs found
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Book Review: Women in Herpetology
No full textLike most fields of science, herpetology has historically been dominated by men due to societal structures, traditions, or cultures that have existed in the establishments where research has been conducted. However, if you attend conferences as often as I do, you quickly notice that the tide is turning. More and more women have become involved in herpetology through their studies, and are pursuing careers in the field. In order to help elevate the voices of these women working in various herpetological subjects, the Global Women in Herpetology (GWH) project was born, with one of the products being the very book currently in front of me. Founded by the editors, GWH aims to provide role models to women in countries where representation is lacking at all career stages, inspire hope, provide funding via scholarships so women from marginalized regions can attend conferences, and act as a network to bring researchers together…</p
Book Review : Tadpole Hunter
No full textI would hazard a guess that most people who have conducted fieldwork investigating the ecology or natural history of amphibians in Great Britain have not heard of the name Arnold Cooke, although I personally consider Cooke to be one of the pioneers of amphibian conservation in Britain and one of only a handful of researchers able to transform what was previously considered a hobby into a serious field of science. The lack of notoriety probably reflects the reality that this modest researcher has shied away from conferences and public events in recent times due to ill health and other commitments, at the very time when more biologists than ever are working in amphibian conservation...</p
London’s New Scene: Art and Culture in the 1960s
No full textHow much really changed in 1960s Britain? There are those historians like Arthur Marwick who view the period as a cultural revolution. On the other hand, I once went to an event (around 1985) with Germaine Greer and others of the sixties generation where they looked back on those heady years when they propelled the avant garde. At the end, a woman put her hand up and said that the sixties may have been fun for Greer, but she had been brought up in a village in Northumberland at that time and the sixties felt like a party to which she was not invited...</p
Machine Learning–Based Prediction of Neurodegenerative Disease in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes by Derivation and Validation in 2 Independent Korean Cohorts: Model Development and Validation Study
No full textBackground
Several machine learning (ML) prediction models for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have recently been developed. However, the predictive power of these models is limited by the lack of multiple risk factors.
Objective
This study aimed to assess the validity and use of an ML model for predicting the 3-year incidence of ND in patients with T2DM.
Methods
We used data from 2 independent cohorts—the discovery cohort (1 hospital; n=22,311) and the validation cohort (2 hospitals; n=2915)—to predict ND. The outcome of interest was the presence or absence of ND at 3 years. We selected different ML-based models with hyperparameter tuning in the discovery cohort and conducted an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis in the validation cohort.
Results
The study dataset included 22,311 (discovery) and 2915 (validation) patients with T2DM recruited between 2008 and 2022. ND was observed in 133 (0.6%) and 15 patients (0.5%) in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. The AdaBoost model had a mean AUROC of 0.82 (95% CI 0.79-0.85) in the discovery dataset. When this result was applied to the validation dataset, the AdaBoost model exhibited the best performance among the models, with an AUROC of 0.83 (accuracy of 78.6%, sensitivity of 78.6%, specificity of 78.6%, and balanced accuracy of 78.6%). The most influential factors in the AdaBoost model were age and cardiovascular disease.
Conclusions
This study shows the use and feasibility of ML for assessing the incidence of ND in patients with T2DM and suggests its potential for use in screening patients. Further international studies are required to validate these findings.</p
The Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on Coronary Flow and Pressure-Based Indices of Coronary Stenosis Severity
No full textBackground: To assess whether hydrostatic pressure gradients caused by coronary height differences in supine versus prone positioning during invasive physiological stenosis assessment affect resting and hyperaemic pressure-based indices or coronary flow. Methods: Twenty-three coronary stenoses were assessed in twenty-one patients with stable coronary artery disease. All patients had a stenosis of at least 50% visually defined on previous coronary angiography. Pd/Pa, iFR, FFR, and coronary flow velocity (APV) measured using a Doppler were recorded across the same stenosis, with the patient in the prone position, followed by repeat measurements in the standard supine position. Results: When comparing prone to supine measurements in the same stenosis, in the LAD, there was a significant change in mean Pd/Pa of 0.08 ± 0.04 (p = 0.0006), in the iFR of 0.06 ± 0.07 (p = 0.02), and in the FFR of 0.09 ± 0.07 (p = 0.003). In the Cx, there was a change in mean Pd/Pa of 0.05 ± 0.04 (p = 0.009), iFR of 0.07 ± 0.04 (p = 0.01), and FFR of 0.05 ± 0.03 (p = 0.006). In the RCA, there was a change in Pd/Pa of 0.05 ± 0.04 (p = 0.032), iFR of 0.04 ± 0.05 (p = 0.19), and FFR of 0.04+−0.03 (p = 0.004). Resting and hyperaemic coronary flow did not change significantly (resting delta APV = 1.6 cm/s, p = 0.31; hyperaemic delta APV = 0.9 cm/s, p = 0.85). Finally, 36% of iFR measurements and 26% of FFR measurements were re-classified across an ischaemic threshold when prone and supine measurements were compared across the same stenosis. Conclusions: Pd/Pa, iFR, and FFR were affected by hydrostatic pressure variations caused by coronary height differences in prone versus supine positioning. Coronary flow did not change signifying a purely pressure-based phenomenon.</p
Globalisation versus deglobalisation in the fashion industry
No full textThe phenomenon of globalisation is an enhanced driver of fashion sales globally.
Nevertheless, its continual growth will slow due to geopolitical factors. Globalisation has
contributed to many successes in the fashion industry, but political opinion is slowing this
process down. The question is whether globalisation becomes deglobalisation and how this
will affect the fashion industry from supply chain, operations, marketing to logistics. The
impact of deglobalisation on the value chain in the fashion industry will require a new
perspective. Deglobalisation is about refining globalisation so that cultural and social issues
feature more prominently in the globalisation construct; a fashion industry that reflects on
this will help to resolve inequalities and improve the wages and rights of the people that work
in developing countries. However, cultural change will require the fashion industry to accept
the premises of deglobalisation and incorporate ethical leadership centralised on morality and
fairness. Industry 4.0 has tools and applications that would help the industry on its journey so
that all actors gain positive outcomes. With Gen Z and other consumers making purchase
decisions influenced by the responsibility of the brand (suppliers, production and fashion
retailers) there is momentum to move the dial on the fashion industry from sluggishness to
change.</p
Managing heart failure in the longer term
No full textAfter initial diagnosis and treatment, patients presenting to hospital with acute heart failure (HF) are assessed and managed by the hospital HF team. Further investigations are carried out to confirm the diagnosis; existing guideline-directed medical therapies are optimised; and new treatments are initiated to stabilise the condition, manage symptoms, and reduce morbidity and mortality. A wide range of diagnostic tests and therapeutics are established for HF with reduced ejection fraction, while options for HF with preserved ejection fraction have been limited. However, repurposing of drugs originally developed for other conditions (eg, sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like receptor 1 antagonists) for use in people with heart failure and extended use of medications traditionally restricted to reduced ejection fraction, such as mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (eg, spironolactone) and angiotensin-neprilysin inhibitors (eg, sacubitril–valsartan) in those with an EF>40% is challenging established practice and increasing the options for optimisation of long-term management of patients with HF, across the entire ejection fraction spectrum. Integral to the management of chronic HF is the need to consider approaches to identify deterioration between scheduled visits, including annual electrocardiography and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide monitoring in primary care. Remote monitoring, including alert-based monitoring for patients with implanted devices, may help to identify worsening HF or deterioration between scheduled clinic visits. Questions remain around optimal diuretic treatment (eg, infusion vs bolus dosing during periods of decompensation and converting to oral furosemide or bumetanide); use of beta blockers in HF patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and midly reduced or normal ejection fraction; whether mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists should be used in HF patients with higher ejection fraction beyond the control of blood pressure, and the choice between spironolactone and eplerenone; how sacubitril–valsartan should be used in patients with ejection fraction>40%; in which setting drugs should be optimised following discharge, and whether cessation of medications is appropriate after recovery in ejection fraction.</p
Joining Non-signatory Third Parties to Arbitration Agreements in Jordan
No full textThis research paper examines the legal framework of arbitration agreements in Jordan, focusing particularly on the controversial issue of involving non-signatory third parties in arbitration proceedings. The judiciary in Jordan has broadened the scope of arbitration clauses to encompass disputes involving parties not directly bound by a contract, igniting discussions about the clarity and enforcement of the Arbitration Law. The absence of extensive legal literature in Jordan has resulted in inconsistent legal practices and uncertainties in proceedings, underscoring the critical need for revisions to the Arbitration Law. By considering international conventions like the Model Law and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Convention, this paper proposes a more comprehensive legal structure that permits the addition and participation of third parties in arbitration agreements. It also explores the consequences of fundamental legal doctrines, such as the Doctrine of Privity of Contract, on arbitration agreements, with the goal of improving the legal framework for effective dispute resolution in both local and global settings. The study highlights the significance of a thoroughly documented legal literature in Jordan to guarantee a dependable legal environment conducive to domestic and international business. It scrutinizes a pivotal court ruling that extends the influence of arbitration clauses to non-signatory entities, stressing the necessity for precise comprehension of arbitration stipulations in construction contracts. In summary, this paper advocates for an all-encompassing legal system in Jordan that promotes equitable and effective dispute resolution by means of a detailed understanding of arbitration agreements and the inclusion of non-signatory third parties.</p
Secular trends of fast-food consumption among adolescents aged 12-15 years: a global analysis including 18 countries
No full textConsumption of fast-food in adolescence is detrimental to mental and physical health. However, data on the temporal trends of fast-food consumption in this population are scarce, particularly from non-Western or non-high-income settings. Therefore, we aimed to examine this trend in representative samples of school-going adolescents aged 12–15 years from 18 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, which were predominantly low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Data from the Global School–based Student Health Survey (GHSH) 2009–2017 were analyzed. Fast-food consumption referred to eating from a fast-food restaurant at least once in the past 7 days. The prevalence of fast-food consumption was calculated for each survey, and crude linear trends within each country were examined by linear regression models. Data on 74,055 students aged 12–15 years were analyzed (mean (standard deviation (SD)) age: 13.9 (1.0) years; 49.2% boys). The mean prevalence of fast-food consumption was 52.7%. Of the 18 countries included in the study, significant increasing, decreasing, and stable trends were observed in 5, 2, and 11 countries, respectively. The most drastic increases were observed in Morocco between 2010 (44.2%) and 2016 (62.2%) and Lebanon between 2011 (64.6%) and 2017 (77.1%). Significant decreasing trends were observed in Kuwait between 2011 (90.5%) and 2015 (75.1%) and Samoa between 2011 (78.9%) and 2017 (67.3%). The prevalence of fast-food consumption is overwhelmingly high among adolescents globally. Decreasing trends were only observed in two countries (Kuwait and Samoa). These data suggest that global strategies to tackle fast-food consumption among adolescents are urgently required.</p
Global, regional, and national trends in drug use disorder mortality rates across 73 countries from 1990 to 2021, with projections up to 2040: a global time-series analysis and modelling study
No full textBackground: Drug use disorder (DUD) poses a major public health crisis globally, necessitating immediate attention to global trends and future projections to develop effective health policies and interventions. Thus, we aimed to estimate the global trends in DUD mortality rates from 1990 to 2021 and future projections of DUD deaths until 2040 across 73 countries.Methods: In this time-series analysis and modelling study, we investigated the global trends in DUD mortality rates from 1990 to 2021 using the WHO Mortality Database and forecasted future trends through 2040. Global trend analysis was analysed using a locally weighted scatter plot smoother (LOESS) curve, and future projections were calculated based on a Bayesian age-period-cohort analysis. In addition, we performed a decomposition analysis to identify the variations in DUD deaths, specifically examining factors such as population growth, ageing, and epidemiological changes.Findings: Of the 73 countries included in the analysis of DUD mortality, 45 were high-income countries (HICs), and 28 were low to middle-income countries (LMICs). The LOESS estimates of the global DUD mortality rate were 1.84 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% CI, −0.44 to 4.12) in 1990 and 13.09 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% CI, 10.74–15.43) in 2021. Notably, HICs showed a significant increase in DUD mortality from 1.43 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% CI, −1.55 to 4.42) in 1990 to 17.19 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% CI, 13.84–20.53) in 2021. A significant increase in DUD mortality was observed among individuals aged 25–64 and males. Our analysis also identified associations between DUD mortality rates and several log-transformed parameters, including Human Development Index (β, 14.92; p Interpretation: An increasing trend in global DUD mortality was observed from 1990 to 2021, especially in HICs. Future DUD deaths were also predicted to increase until 2040 at the global level. Therefore, these findings suggest urgent and proactive strategies for DUD to reduce the mortality rates related to DUD are needed. However, further prospective research that accounts for potential confounding factors, such as socioeconomic variables and the quality of reporting data from individual countries, is imperative for more accurate estimation.Funding: National Research Foundation and Ministry of Science and ICT of South Korea.</p
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