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Parents’ responses and reactions to the National Childhood Measurement Programme in a contemporary sample of British children: A mixed methods study
No full textNo description supplied</p
Cardiac dysfunction during adverse maternal outcomes in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
No full textIntroduction Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are associated with significant cardiac remodeling and diastolic dysfunction during pregnancy and are important contributors to maternal morbidity and mortality. Whether acute adverse maternal outcomes during hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are associated with abnormal left ventricular geometry and function has not been widely studied. Material and Methods A prospective observational study was conducted on 255 women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy who underwent transthoracic echocardiography during the peripartum period. Maternal echocardiographic parameters, including left ventricular morphology and function, were analyzed to determine their association with composite adverse maternal outcomes by univariate and multivariate analyses. The composite adverse maternal outcome was defined as at least one of the following: admission to a high dependency unit (an intermediate‐care ward, providing enhanced cardiac monitoring), acute renal injury, adverse cardiopulmonary events, stroke, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Results Adverse maternal outcomes occurred in 68 (26.7%) participants. Women with adverse outcomes had significantly higher left atrial volume index (28.8 [23.4–32.3] mL/m 2 vs. 26.6 [22.2–30.9] mL/m 2 , p = 0.045) and E/e' ratio (7.8 [6.6–9.2] vs. 7.0 [5.9–8.1], p = 0.002) compared to those without complications. Other diastolic indices, namely, mitral inflow E/A and tissue‐Doppler e' velocities at the lateral and septal mitral annulus, showed no statistically significant between‐group. In multivariable analysis, both left atrial volume index and E/e' ratio remained independently associated with adverse maternal outcomes after adjusting for maternal factors and clinical variables. Right ventricular indices, such as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and systolic velocity S', were independently associated with adverse maternal outcomes, while fractional area change remained unchanged, indicating hyperkinetic circulatory adaptation rather than enhanced intrinsic right systolic function. Conclusions Cardiac abnormalities, particularly in left ventricular diastolic function and in right ventricular function, are more common in women with adverse maternal outcomes in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy than in hypertensive women without adverse maternal outcomes. Further studies are needed to determine whether these echocardiographic abnormalities could help identify women at increased risk of complications.</p
The role of nature in psychological wellbeing of people living with long term physical health conditions
No full textIt is long established that engagement with nature can support human health and wellbeing. In recent years, interaction with nature has been advanced to be of potential benefit for people living with long-term physical health conditions (LTCs).Systematic Literature ReviewThis review sought to systematically appraise published evidence of the application of nature-based interventions (NBIs) to address psychological wellbeing for those living with LTCs. Eighteen studies exploring NBI for people with LTCs were included and their findings compiled across a range of psychological outcomes. Quality appraisal showed modest robustness with some methodological weaknesses. Findings suggest that reported psychological outcomes present an argument for NBIs having a promising and positive impact on psychological wellbeing for people living with LTCs. This suggests NBIs may offer a suitable addition to current maintenance treatment.Empirical Research ProjectThis study investigated the association between interaction with natural environments and the psychological wellbeing of people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). An online survey was completed by people with a diagnosis of CKD, and their “significant others” without CKD. Questions assessed psychological wellbeing, patient activation status, symptom frequency, physical activity, and nature interaction. Survey responses were received for 367 participants (non-dialysis [NDCKD], n=188; kidney transplant recipients [KTR], n=70; haemodialysis [HD], n=40; peritoneal dialysis [PD], n=21; and significant others [SO], n=48). Findings indicated that nature interaction was modestly associated with better psychological wellbeing in people with CKD. These findings highlight how we can better support people living with CKD to access nature, with potential positive impacts on their psychological wellbeing.</p
Ideological dilemmas of policing on the spectrum: Using critical discursive psychology to examine how neurodivergent police manage their identity framing
No full textIn the context of autism and ADHD, tensions exist between medical and social model framings of disability. This article explores neurodivergent police accounts of how aspects of their conditions intersect with their occupational identity and what this means for a disability positioning. Using critical discursive psychology, we illuminate three ideological dilemmas from reflective interviews with 37 autistic police or those with ADHD: (1) tensions between the medical and social identity; (2) tensions between constructing ability and disability; and (3) tensions between remaining invisible and being an advocate. We conclude that a focus on discourse illustrates that organisations need to move away from binary thinking in relation to ability and disability and reconcile some of the tensions navigated by police employees.</p
Intrusive Dreams and Converging Worlds in the <i>Íslendingasögur</i>
No full textThe storyworlds of Old Norse-Icelandic literature are multifaceted and variable, ranging from the worlds of heroic poetry and popular romance to the recognizable narrative universe built by the Sagas of Icelanders. Despite this, they have rarely been explored, and narratological theories of storyworlds or fantasy scholarship have had little impact on the field. Yet given that every story creates its own storyworld, it can be assumed that Old Norse-Icelandic literary texts, too, build worlds — and these worlds are diverse and complex, as shown by the contributors in this volume: they constantly engage with one another, exploring, shaping, and expanding, while also entering into a dialogue with the primary world from which they draw.This volume brings together scholars from different areas of Old Norse-Icelandic studies to explore questions related to not only the storyworlds of medieval Icelandic literature, but also those of legal and learned texts, and to the way that they are built. Together they inquire into the nature of these worlds, into their preservation and transmission in manuscripts, their transmediality, transnarrativity, and reception. In doing so, these inquiries showcase the breadth of new perspectives on medieval Icelandic literature made possible by the application of narratological theory in its study.</p
Introduction: Museums and Digital Confidence
No full textIn this introductory chapter, the volume’s editors (Ross Parry, Vince Dziekan, and Karin de Wild) explain the book’s aim to explore the evolving nature of digital confidence in museums, why it has faltered (at times), why it matters (especially in times when the global pandemic made us question how we work productively and function sustainably), and how it may flourish (now, and as an integral part of the museum’s post-digital future). Introducing each of the authors and their contributions, the editors emphasise the diversity of expertise that has been brought together in the volume – from museology, museum management, organisational studies, curatorial practice, and cultural policy. The editors describe the three parts of the book, which present how museums can build digital confidence by: navigating new ways of working (Part I, Organisation); managing their collections (Part II, Collection); and curating exhibitions (Part III, Interface). The editors suggest how together these chapters show there is no single pathway to digital confidence. Instead, the key to building digital confidence, they propose, comes not from searching for a common sector-wide approach, but rather by framing the unique experience of each individual, each team, and each institution.</p
Blood pressure and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in older people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: Findings based on the Clinical Practice Research Datalink databases in England
No full textAimsManaging blood pressure (BP) in older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains controversial, particularly regarding optimal targets and the impact of inadequate monitoring. Using Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) data, this study assessed associations between baseline systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality in adults aged ≥65 with both T2D and CKD, the impact of missing BP records (proxy for inadequate monitoring), and sex-based differences in these relationships.Materials and MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted using CPRD data. The primary outcome was MACE (nonfatal stroke, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death); the secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. Baseline BP was modelled continuously and categorised as high (≥140/90 mmHg), normal (ResultsMACE analysis included 160 764 individuals; mortality analysis included 181 307. The 5-year MACE risk was 14.1% for normal, 13.8% for high, and 19.6% for missing SBP. For all-cause mortality, risks were 20.6% (normal), 19.4% (high), and 34.0% (missing). SBP was a stronger risk indicator than DBP for both outcomes. Lower SBP (120 mmHg) was moderately associated with increased MACE and mortality; higher DBP (90 mmHg) was linked to increased mortality. Men had higher MACE and mortality risks than women.ConclusionsIn older adults with T2D and CKD, lower SBP and DBP were moderately associated with a higher risk of MACE and mortality, but the strongest indicator of adverse outcomes was the absence of regular blood pressure monitoring.</p
The Prognostic Value of Troponin in Acute Pulmonary Embolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
No full textAcute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Troponin elevation is increasingly used for risk stratification, but its prognostic utility remains variably reported across studies. To evaluate the prognostic value of troponin elevation in patients with acute PE, concerning short-term mortality and adverse clinical outcomes. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed was searched from January 2000 to the present, using terms such as "pulmonary embolism," "troponin," and "prognosis." Eligible studies reported associations between troponin elevation and mortality or adverse events in adult patients with PE. Data were synthesised quantitatively and narratively. The Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool was used to assess risk of bias. Sixty studies (n = 25,282) were included. Meta-analysis showed that elevated troponin was significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality (OR: 5.42; 95% CI: 4.35-6.83), 30-day mortality (OR: 4.35; 95% CI: 3.30-5.74), right ventricular dysfunction (OR: 3.42; 95% CI: 2.69-4.31), haemodynamic instability (OR: 3.29 95% CI: 2.48-4.39), and intensive care unit admission (OR: 5.81 95% CI: 3.52-9.68). Non-meta-analysed mortality data were similar to the meta-analysed data, showing an association between elevated troponin levels and worse outcomes in PE. These associations were observed across both conventional and high-sensitivity assays, as well as normotensive or low-risk patients. Elevated troponin is a strong and consistent predictor of short-term mortality and clinical deterioration in acute PE. With further research, it has the potential to be more widely integrated into risk stratification frameworks.</p
It's Spooked! Issue 1: The Horror of Childhood
No full textIn this 'zine Dr Jessica Urwin and Laurie Parsons examine The Babadook (2014) to discuss the inherent uncanniness of childhood, why we fear children, and why horror is the perfect genre to explore our own pasts. This was created as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2025, in conjunction with a screening of The Babadook at Phoenix Leicester.</p