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Tracking Persistent Symptoms in Scotland (TraPSS):A longitudinal prospective cohort study of COVID-19 recovery after mild acute infection
No full textBackground COVID-19 disease results in disparate responses between individuals and has led to the emergence of long coronavirus disease (Long-COVID), characterised by persistent and cyclical symptomology. To understand the complexity of Long-COVID, the importance of symptom surveillance and prospective longitudinal studies is evident.Methods A 9-month longitudinal prospective cohort study was conducted within Scotland (n=287), using a mobile app to determine the proportion of recovered individuals and those with persistent symptoms and common symptoms, and associations with gender and age.Results 3.1% of participants experienced symptoms at month 9, meeting the criteria for Long-COVID, as defined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence terminology. The random effects model revealed a significant time (month) effect for infection recovery (p<0.001, estimate=0.07). Fatigue, cough and muscle pain were the most common symptoms at baseline, with fatigue persisting the longest, while symptoms like cough improved rapidly. Older age increased the likelihood of reporting pain (p=0.028, estimate=0.07) and cognitive impairment (p<0.001, estimate=0.93). Female gender increased the likelihood of headaches (p=0.024, estimate=0.53) and post-exertional malaise (PEM) frequency (p=0.05, estimate=137.68), and increased time x gender effect for PEM frequency (p=0.033, estimate=18.96).Conclusions The majority of people fully recover from acute COVID-19, although often slowly. Age and gender play a role in symptom burden and recovery rates, emphasising the need for tailored approaches to Long-COVID management. Further analysis is required to determine the characteristics of the individuals still reporting ongoing symptoms months after initial infection to identify risk factors and potential predictors for the development of Long-COVID
From Rights to Contracts:Model Clauses for Public-Private Contracts to Ensure the Right to Health
No full textDo Activity Sensors Identify Physiological, Clinical and Behavioural Changes in Laying Hens Exposed to a Vaccine Challenge?
Get PDFThis study aimed to identify if sensor technology could be used to detect sickness-type signs (caused by a live vaccine) in laying hens compared to physiological and clinical sign scoring and behaviour observation. The experiment comprised 5 replicate batches (4 hens and 12 days per batch) using previously non-vaccinated hens (n = 20). Hens were moved on day 1 to a large experimental room with various designated zones (e.g., litter, perches, nest box), where they wore two sensors (FitBark, TrackLab). Saline was applied using ocular and nasal drops on day 3 as a control. A live vaccine (Infectious Laryngotracheitis, ILT, vaccine), applied using the same method on day 6, was used to induce mild respiratory and other responses. Physiological and clinical signs, and behaviour from videos were also recorded by a single observer. There were significant changes in body weight (p < 0.001), feed intake (p = 0.031), cloacal temperature (p < 0.001) and three out of five clinical signs (ocular discharge (p < 0.001), conjunctivitis (p < 0.001) and depression (p = 0.009)) over days. A significant decrease (p < 0.001) in activity level (FitBark) and distance travelled (both sensors) were identified over the study days, and activity and distance travelled were highly significantly associated (p < 0.001) with total clinical scores, with hens showing reduced activity and distance travelled with worsening total clinical scores. With behaviour observations from videos, the proportions of sitting, foraging and feeding behaviours (p = 0.044, 0.036 and 0.004, respectively), the proportion of total visit duration to the litter zone (p < 0.001) and perch (p = 0.037) with TrackLab and the proportions of visit counts of hens in the litter zone (p = 0.012) from video scanning changed significantly with days. This study suggests that the vaccine challenge caused associated changes in clinical/physiological signs and activity/distance travelled data from the sensors. Sensors may have a role in detecting changes in activity and movement in individual hens indicative of health or welfare problems.</p
Enabling large-scale enhanced hydrogen production in deep underground coal gasification in the context of a hydrogen economy
Get PDFUnderground coal gasification (UCG) is an emerging clean energy technology with significant potential for enhanced hydrogen production, especially when coupled with water injection. Previous lab-scale studies have explored this potential, but the mechanisms driving water-assisted hydrogen enhancement in large-scale, deep UCG settings remain unclear. This study addresses this gap using numerical simulations of a large-scale deep coal model designed for hydrogen-oriented UCG. We investigated single-point and multipoint water injection strategies to optimize hydrogen production. Additionally, we developed a retractable water injection technique to ensure sustained hydrogen output and effective cavity control. Our results indicate that the water–gas shift reaction is crucial for increasing hydrogen production. Multipoint injection has been proven to be more effective than single-point injection, increasing hydrogen production by 11% with an equal amount of steam. The introduction of retractable injection allows for continuous and efficient hydrogen generation, with daily hydrogen production rates of approximately five times that of a conventional injection scheme, and an increase in cumulative hydrogen production of approximately 105% over the same time period. Importantly, the multipoint injection method also helped limit vertical cavity growth, mitigating the risk of aquifer contamination. These findings support the potential of UCG as a low-carbon energy source in the transition to a hydrogen economy.</p
Evidence of hydrogen release during CO<sub>2</sub> sequestration in basalt
Get PDFAddressing climate change requires effective carbon sequestration techniques, with geological storage in basalt formations being a prime candidate due to their widespread availability and capacity for mineral carbonation. This study explores CO2-basalt interactions under subsurface conditions, focusing on incidental hydrogen (H2) generation. Controlled experiments at 5 MPa and temperatures between 323K and 373K reveal preliminary evidence of H2 release, measured up to 0.18 wt% of the gas phase during CO2 injection into basalt. Total Inorganic Carbon (TIC) measurements provide direct evidence of carbon sequestration, with values increasing from a baseline of 20.9 mg/L to 463 mg/L and 468 mg/L at 323K and 373K, respectively. These findings enhance our understanding of basaltic carbon sequestration mechanics and suggest a potential avenue for H2 production alongside carbon storage. This study presents the first experimental evidence of H2 generation during CO2 sequestration in basalt under controlled subsurface conditions, highlighting potential dual benefits for carbon storage and clean energy production.</p
The Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Mental Health Among Syrians and Syrian Refugees During COVID-19
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations, such as internally displaced Syrians and Syrian refugees (SRR) in Middle Eastern host coun-tries, through a syndemic interplay of health, social, and economic challenges. Move-ment restrictions disrupted their livelihoods resulting in increased food insecurity. A mixed-method approach was used to address the research question: "What is the rela-tionship between food insecurity, mental health, and COVID-19 among displaced SRR working in agriculture?" 100 SRR participants working in agriculture were recruited from northern Syria and neighbouring countries to participate in a Household Survey. The survey data were analysed using correlation and regression analysis. Additionally, interviews with Household Survey researchers were conducted and thematically ana-lysed. Increasing food insecurity was significantly correlated with worse mental health outcomes among SRR participants (rs = -.24, p = .018). No moderation effects were found with COVID-19 measures or household responses to the pandemic. However, smaller food portions and storing food were positively correlated with poor mental health and food insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity and mental health challenges among displaced Syrians and refugees, particularly during Ramadan 2020, highlighting the compounded effects of overlapping crises and the need for further research into resilience strategies
Remote ischaemic post conditioning in NE:A feasible and simple paradigm for self-protection in the brain?
Get PDFPRC2 Promotes Canalisation during Endodermal Differentiation
Get PDFThe genetic circuitry that encodes the developmental programme of mammals is regulatedby transcription factors and chromatin modifiers. During early gestation, the three embryonicgerm layers are established in a process termed gastrulation. The impact of deleteriousmutations in chromatin modifiers such as the polycomb proteins manifests during gastrulation,leading to early developmental failure and lethality in mouse models. Embryonic stemcells have provided key insights into the molecular function of polycomb proteins, but it isimpossible to fully appreciate the role of these epigenetic factors in development, or howdevelopment is perturbed due to their deficiency, in the steady-state. To address this, wehave employed a tractable embryonic stem cell differentiation system to model primitivestreak formation and early gastrulation. Using this approach, we find that loss of the repressivepolycomb mark H3K27me3 is delayed relative to transcriptional activation, indicating asubordinate rather than instructive role in gene repression. Despite this, chemical inhibitionof polycomb enhanced endodermal differentiation efficiency, but did so at the cost of lineagefidelity. These findings highlight the importance of the polycomb system in stabilising thedevelopmental transcriptional response and, in so doing, in shoring up cellular specification
Young Adults Rehabilitation experiences and Needs following Stroke (YARNS):A scoping review of the rehabilitation care experiences and outcomes of young adults post-stroke
No full textBackgroundStroke is one of the leading disabling conditions in the United Kingdom. While an increasing focus on the rehabilitation care for stroke survivors has been noted, practice guidelines, targets and services tend to be tailored for the elderly population rather than young adults.ObjectivesThis scoping review aimed to map the existing literature on the rehabilitation care experiences and outcomes of young adults post-stroke aged between 18 and 45 years within acute and social care settings.Methods and analysisA scoping review was conducted to identify existing practice and published academic and evidence-based literature related to the topic. Arksey and O’Malley’s framework guided the review and reporting followed the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Electronic databases and grey literature were searched to capture the potentially recent and relevant literature available in English from year 2000–2022. The databases included CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ASSIA, AMED, PEDro, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Grey literature was searched from the following sources: Google Scholar, websites of networks, organisations and charities related to stroke. Hand searches were performed on the reference lists of the included articles and grey literature to find relevant references. Data were extracted on young adults’ experiences of stroke and rehabilitation care and their outcomes and experiences of a particular stroke rehabilitation programme in acute and social care settings.ResultsEighty-five articles were included in this review. In most instances, stroke was reported to negatively impact young adults, although positive consequences were also documented. The focus and the outcomes of stroke rehabilitation were predominantly physical especially in the areas of movement, communication and memory. Young adults experienced a lack of age-adapted stroke rehabilitation in acute and social care settings.ConclusionOur results highlight the unmet needs of young adults in their stroke recovery journey. Effective rehabilitation programmes and interventions should be developed to support young adults following stroke and meet their age-specific needs
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