179566 research outputs found
Sort by
The design and development of a home-based rehabilitation programme for those recovering after an episode of delirium
No full textBACKGROUND: Delirium, closely linked to increasing age and frailty, is a growing concern in the aging population, yet there is little understanding about how to support recovery for individuals and their carers. This paper details the design and development of RecoverED, a home-based rehabilitation intervention for delirium recovery.METHODS: A realist-informed approach was used to develop a programme theory and logic model for RecoverED. A rapid realist review had identified strategies for delirium recovery, followed by interviews with stakeholders (older adults, carers, and professionals), and an expert panel discussion. The intervention was then developed based on the refined programme theory of what had worked to improve recovery from delirium, for whom, and in what context.RESULTS: The RecoverED intervention, described using the TIDieR checklist, was a complex, multicomponent, 12 week home-based programme delivered by a multidisciplinary team in up to 10 sessions. The intervention comprised cognitive, physical, and psychosocial components. An intervention manual and training programme had been developed to support delivery teams.CONCLUSION: The RecoverED intervention was being evaluated in a multi-centre feasibility trial with a qualitative process evaluation. This paper describes theory-based rehabilitation interventions for long-term delirium recovery. Further research through a randomised controlled trial is needed to assess its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness before broader implementation.SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-025-13614-8.</p
Reproductive vulnerabilities:A critical perspective
No full textIn this introduction to the special issue, we reflect on why a critical approach to the concept of vulnerability is particularly important for reproduction. We explain how each article in the special issue draws out key insights from critical theories of vulnerability, including: (1) The importance of conceptualising vulnerability as created by social structures rather than as inhering, biologically or otherwise, in “the vulnerable population”; (2) How the violent application of reproductive norms, within and beyond the state, creates vulnerability; and (3) Reflections on how vulnerability is defined in the realm of reproduction, who shapes the category of “vulnerable”, and what consequences this may have. Collectively, the articles propose a powerful articulation of critical theories of vulnerability in relation to reproduction, presenting an incisive and diverse picture of “how vulnerability and politics are interwoven in concrete lives” (Han, 2018, p. 340)
Downdraft Devices for Negative Emissions—Quantification Study and Environmental Implication
No full textMethane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential far exceeding that of CO2 over short time horizons. Its removal from the atmosphere remains challenging due to its low ambient concentration and chemical stability. This study explores downdraft energy towers (DETs) as an innovative CH4 mitigation technology that enhances the dominant hydroxyl radical (·OH) sink via water vapor release. A coupled modeling framework integrating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and a simplified atmospheric chemistry model was developed to quantify the influence of operational parameters, environmental conditions, and tower scale. The CFD simulations evaluated internal flow dynamics and water vapor output, whereas the atmospheric model estimated ·OH production and CH4 oxidation potential. Results indicate that higher water injection rates, elevated ambient temperatures, and lower relative humidity markedly increase downdraft strength, vapor emissions, and ·OH formation. Scaling analysis showed that an 800 DET could remove up to 141.17 t CH4 per year, with the highest efficiency in hot, dry climates. These findings highlight DETs as a promising complementary option for greenhouse gas mitigation and provide guidance for optimizing their design and deployment in climate engineering strategies.</p
BIA Transmission in Rate Splitting-based Optical Wireless Networks
No full textOptical wireless communication (OWC) has recently received massive interest as a new technology that can support the enormous data traffic increasing on daily basis. In particular, laser-based OWC networks can provide terabits per second (Tbps) aggregate data rates. However, the emerging OWC networks require a high number of optical access points (APs), each AP corresponding to an optical cell, to provide uniform coverage for multiple users. Therefore, inter-cell interference (ICI) and multi-user interference (MUI) are crucial issues that must be managed efficiently to provide high spectral efficiency. In radio frequency (RF) networks, rate splitting (RS) is proposed as a transmission scheme to serve multiple users simultaneously following a certain strategy. It was shown that RS provides high data rates compared to orthogonal and non-orthogonal interference management schemes. Considering the high density of OWC networks, the application of RS within each optical cell might not be practical due to severe ICI. In this paper, a novel strategy is derived, referred to as blind interference alignment-rate splitting (BIA-RS), to fully coordinate the transmission among the optical APs, while determining the precoding matrices of multiple groups of users formed beforehand. Therefore, RS can be implemented within each group to manage MUI. The proposed BIA-RS scheme requires two layers of power allocation to achieve high performance. Given that, a max-min fractional optimization problem is formulated to optimally distribute the power budget among the groups and the messages intended to the users of each group. Finally, a power allocation algorithm is designed with multiple Lagrangian multipliers to provide practical and sub-optimal solutions. The results show the high performance of the proposed scheme compared to other counterpart schemes.</p
Introduction to the special issue Beyond the Crisis Frame:Muslim agency and the contestation of European identity
No full textDecolonising minds in higher education:An ode to black ancestrality in four movements
Get PDFThis paper is an ode to Black diasporic ancestrality, structured around four movements inspired by Shirley J. Thompson's New Nation Rising: A 21st Century Symphony. It explores how coloniality perpetuates racism by defining, validating, and reproducing knowledge systems that marginalise Black epistemologies. The ostracism of Black scholars, exemplified by Virginia Leone Bicudo, Brazil’s first Black female sociologist and psychoanalyst, underscores this exclusionary process. The movements delve into rediscovery, mourning, dreaming, and a commitment to addressing systemic racism within academia, while celebrating the contributions of Black productions. The paper critiques the reduction of Black identities to narratives of pain and victimhood, offering decolonial practices as strategies to disrupt colonial modes of knowledge validation. It advocates for a reimagined educational future that embraces inclusivity and opens pathways to dismantle the ostracism entrenched within traditional academic frameworks
Tailoring ZnO Properties via Mn and V Doping: A Path Toward Advanced Functional Materials
Get PDFThis research utilises first-principles investigations to explore the incorporation of two transition metals into the ZnO crystal structure. The addition of these dopants improves the material’s dielectric and conductive characteristics. Moreover, we assess the elastic constants to confirm the stability of the modified structure. The modeling is performed using Material Studio and simulated in CASTEP to observe alterations in ZnO’s properties. Specifically, Manganese (Mn) and Vanadium (V) atoms substitute for Zinc (Zn) atoms in this study. We concentrate on several critical aspects, including band structure, X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, and optical properties such as conductivity, reflectivity, and refractive index. The findings from this computational study are encouraging and may serve as a basis for comparison with experimental investigations
A transcription termination mechanism for maintaining homogeneous protein expression
Get PDFPremature transcription termination is a critical mechanism for repressing harmful, unproductive transcription. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, premature termination by the Nrd1-Nab3-Sen1 (NNS) complex also triggers decay of mRNAs induced to counteract stress. However, why mRNAs might be upregulated and simultaneously targeted for degradation remains unclear. Our work reveals a novel role for NNS as a gene expression noise suppression system. Single-cell analyses demonstrate that targeted disruption of Nab3 binding to the highly conserved mitochondrial transporter PIC2 not only alters its mRNA stability and protein levels but also dramatically increases cell-to-cell variability in Pic2 protein concentration. This specific perturbation in the regulation of a low-abundant transcript has substantial phenotypic consequences: significantly increased cell volumes, disrupted energy homeostasis, decreased growth rate, and altered expression of other NNS-regulated genes-all of which highlight the physiological importance of NNS control of Pic2 protein concentration. We show further that elevated levels of the human orthologue of Pic2, whose expression is tuned by the microRNA machinery, cause similar energy homeostasis defects, underscoring the evolutionary conservation of the tight regulation of the PIC2 gene. Our results illustrate that targeted changes in the interaction of a single transcription termination factor (Nab3) with a specific RNA substrate can trigger significant system-wide defects and profoundly impact cellular fitness.- The Author(s) 2025.</p
Patient-Centered Communication and Risky Health Behaviors Among Adults With and Without a Cancer History
Get PDFBackground: Patient-centered communication (PCC) has been recognized as a key factor in improving health outcomes, yet little is known about the role of PCC in preventing risky health behaviors.Objective: This study investigated associations between PCC and health-risk behaviors (ie, traditional cigarette use, electronic cigarette use, alcohol consumption above recommended levels) among U.S. adults with and without cancer history.Methods: The nationally representative data used in this study came from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey. The sample included 2529 adults (aged ≥18 years), including 421 with a self-reported cancer history and 2108 without a self-reported cancer history. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.Results: Overall, 13.2% reported current traditional cigarette use, 6.1% e-cigarette use, and 31.4% alcohol use above recommended levels. Although cancer survivors were less likely to report e-cigarette use (2.2% vs 6.5%, P = .004), no group differences in cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking were established. Better PCC was associated with lower odds of reporting ≥1 health-risk behavior among cancer survivors (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95-0.99; P = .005). Among those without cancer, older age (AOR = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.27-0.73; P = .002), higher education (AOR = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37-0.98; P = .040), and having health insurance (AOR = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.19-0.89; P = .025) were associated with lower odds of engaging in ≥1 health-risk behavior.Conclusion: Study findings showed significant associations between PCC and health-risk behaviors among cancer survivors. Promoting PCC among providers is needed for better patient outcomes. PCC, that is, responsive to patients' needs and expectations can prevent engagement in risky health behaviors
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Edinburgh Research Explorer? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!