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The relationship between lower limb FMS tests and frontal plane projection angles at the knee utilising 2D motion analysis in cyclists
No full textDynamic behavior assessment protocol for secure Decentralized Federated Learning
Get PDFDecentralized Federated Learning (DFL) is a prevalent approach to efficiently train deep learning models and preserve privacy by sharing model gradients instead of the local data. However, participants in the DFL may opt to adopt a dynamic behavior for personal gains. The existing DFL models cannot differentiate between the adaptive behavior of the participants in the massively distributed environments and assume that all the participants are honest. As a result, free riders or malicious participants remain undetected and not penalized. In this paper, we present a DFL architecture where decentralized participants assess the behavior of each other using the quality of gradients. A novel dynamic reputation assessment protocol is implemented to detect and eliminate participants with adaptive behavior. The proposed architecture is evaluated using behavior-based attacks in a decentralized environment by increasing the percentage of adaptive participants from 10% to 40%. The results show that our proposed protocol can effectively detect and eliminate participants with adaptive behavior from the DFL in only two rounds whereas centralized federated learning fails to detect behavior-based attacks.<br/
‘County lines’:racism, safeguarding and statecraft in Britain
Get PDFGovernment policies relating to dealers in ‘county lines’ drugs trafficking cases have been welcomed as a departure from punitive approaches to drugs and ‘gang’ policing, in that those on the bottom rung of the drugs economy of heroin and crack cocaine are no longer treated as criminals but as potential victims and ‘modern slaves’ in need of protection. However, our research suggests not so much a radical break with previous modes of policing as that the term ‘county lines’ emerged as a logical extension of the government’s racist and classist language surrounding ‘gangs’, knife crime and youth violence. Policies implemented in the name of safeguarding the vulnerable also act as a gateway for criminalisation not just under drugs laws but also modern slavery legislation. The government’s discovery of, and responses to, ‘county lines’ hinge on a moral crisis in the making, which ultimately deepens the state’s pre-emptive and violent criminalisation of the ‘Black criminal other’ at a time of deep political crisis.</p
Does love at first sight actually exist?
No full textThis is a Psychology Subject Spotlight with Dr Joseph Adonu from the University of Bedfordshire. An interactive, cinematic course taster experience to allow students to gain insights into what it's like to study Psychology
Parental perceptions to new-born screening for hearing loss in Nigeria: a systematic review
No full textObjectiveTo investigate the perceptions of parents towards universal new-born screening for hearing loss in Nigeria.MethodsA systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) system. A comprehensive search was undertaken using multiple databases (National Library of Medicine, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE) published in English between 2009 and 2018. The sample size of 10 studies were retrieved by using a predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, keywords, and Boolean operator search patterns. Data extraction and analysis and quality appraisal of the selected articles was carried out.Results80% of the identified studies indicated negative perceptions of Nigerian parents towards new-born hearing loss screening programmes. Possible reasons behind such negative perceptions were categorised into demographic factors, psychological factors, behavioural factors, and service-related factors. Specifically, barriers included low income, misconceptions, mode of delivery, fear of associated risk with screening procedure, preference for traditional medicines, inappropriately designed screening programmes, cost of screening programmes, resource-limited settings, lack of awareness about risk factors and their effects.ConclusionThe research concluded that it is necessary to focus on the range of underlying factors (including awareness and education) contributing in shaping the above mentioned negative perceptions among Nigerian parents. The findings have great implications for the theoretical researchers for developing future research path as well as practical suggestion for authorities in policymaking in the healthcare sector in Nigeria
Retraction notice to “Impact of Nutrition Interventions for Reduction of Anemia in Women of Reproductive Age in Low- and Middle-Income Countries:A Meta-Review” [Curr Dev Nutr (2022) 6(12) nzac134] (Current Developments in Nutrition (2022) 6(12), (S2475299123120816), (10.1093/cdn/nzac134))
Get PDFThis article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Initial concerns were raised on the paper regarding an incomplete and/or incorrect selection and classification of studies potentially affecting several important Forest plots included in the meta-review. The authors were asked to provide a detailed reply. They acknowledged the concerns, supplying revised data and updated analyses. During this time, the journal appended an “Expression of Concern” to the paper whilst it was re-examined by editorial staff and external reviewers. Subsequent evaluation of the paper and author responses noted that important changes were necessary in four Forest plots comparing: 1) Multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMN) to iron + folic acid (IFA, control) with respect to haemoglobin concentrations in pregnant women and lactation mothers, 2) Intravenous iron sucrose (IVS) vs iron with respect to haemoglobin concentrations in pregnant women and lactating mothers, 3) MMN fortification to IFA supplementation with respect to haemoglobin concentrations, and 4) IVS to daily IFA (control) with respect to serum ferritin concentrations in pregnant women. These changes were judged to exceed the threshold that could be corrected via a Corrigendum and therefore necessitated retraction. As a consequence of the above, the scientific trustworthiness of the original article cannot be established; however, intentional wrongdoing should not be inferred and the authors were invited to resubmit a new manuscript for subjection to standard peer review.</p
The psycho-social impact of obstetric fistula and available support for women residing in Nigeria: a systematic review
Get PDFBackground: Obstetric fistula continues to affect the social and mental wellbeing of women living in Nigeria giving rise to poor maternal health outcome. While the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended the introduction of psycho-social interventions in the management of obstetric fistula women, psycho-social support for women living with obstetric fistula in Nigeria, are limited. This systematic review aimed to synthesise the psycho-social impact of obstetric fistula on women living in Nigeria as well as the available psycho-social support for these affected women. Methods: Following a keyword strategy, Medline, CINAHL, Google scholar, ScienceDirect, Cochrane library, PsychINFO, AMED, British Nursing database, Pubmed central, TRIP database, UK Pubmed central, socINDEX, Annual reviews, ISI Web of Science, Academic search complete, Credo reference, Sage premier and Scopus databases were searched alongside hand searching of articles. The inclusion criteria were set as articles published between 2000 and 2020, on the psychosocial consequences of obstetric fistula in Nigeria. The Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) tool was used to appraise the quality of the included studies. The data was extracted and then analysed using narrative synthesis. Results: 620 relevant citations were identified, and 8 studies were included. Women with obstetric fistula, living in Nigeria were found to be ostracised, abandoned by families and friends, stigmatised and discriminated against, which led to depression, loneliness, loss of self-esteem, self-worth and identity. Psycho-social interventions for women who experienced obstetric fistula are not widely available. Conclusion: There is a need for the introduction of more rehabilitation and reintegration programs across the country. The psychosocial effect of obstetric fistula is significant and should be considered when developing interventions. Further, more research is needed to evaluate the sustainability of psychosocial interventions in Nigeria
GEN1 promotes common fragile site expression
Get PDFOur genomes harbor conserved DNA sequences, known as common fragile sites (CFSs), that are difficult to replicate and correspond to regions of genome instability. Following replication stress, CFS loci give rise to breaks or gaps (termed CFS expression) where under-replicated DNA subsequently undergoes mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS). We show that loss of the structure-selective endonuclease GEN1 reduces CFS expression, leading to defects in MiDAS, ultrafine anaphase bridge formation, and DNA damage in the ensuing cell cycle due to aberrant chromosome segregation. GEN1 knockout cells also exhibit an elevated frequency of bichromatid constrictions consistent with the presence of unresolved regions of under-replicated DNA. Previously, the role of GEN1 was thought to be restricted to the nucleolytic resolution of recombination intermediates. However, its ability to cleave under-replicated DNA at CFS loci indicates that GEN1 plays a dual role resolving both DNA replication and recombination intermediates before chromosome segregation
The characteristics and treatment outcomes of people with very late onset of problem drinking.
Get PDFThe characteristics and outcomes of people who begin to experience problems with alcohol later in life are not well understood. This study examines whether people with a very late-onset of problem drinking, defined as occurring after the age of 60, differ in their use of alcohol, mental health functioning, and alcohol treatment outcomes from people with an earlier onset of problem drinking. Seven hundred eighty participants aged 50+ were categorized as either early onset (<25 years, n = 119, 15%), mid-onset (25-39 years, n = 200, 26%), late-onset (40-59 years, n = 376, 48%) or very late-onset problem drinkers (≥60 years, n = 85, 11%). Participants completed measures on alcohol use, mental health, and cognitive functioning. Eleven percent of participants had very late onset of problem drinking. After controlling for age as a covariate, age of onset of problem drinking was not associated with level of alcohol intake or cognitive functioning, but individuals with very late onset of problem drinking had significantly lower levels of depression and significantly better mental health well-being. Age of onset was not associated with treatment outcomes (i.e., change in alcohol use following treatment or treatment completion). People who first experience problems with alcohol after the age of 60 may have better mental health functioning than people with an earlier age of problem drinking. The results suggest that the age of onset of problem drinking may be a poor predictor of alcohol use severity and treatment outcomes and older adults can benefit from alcohol treatment irrespective of the age problem drinking began
Cross-disciplinary collaborations for sustainable futures and a vital and relevant academic community
Get PDFCollaboration in Higher Education, an open access book, focuses on the opportunities and challenges created by engaging in collaboration and partnership in higher education. As higher education institutions become ever more competitive to sustain their place in a global, neoliberal education market, students and staff are confronted with alienating practices. Such practices create an individualistic, audit and surveillance culture that is exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the wholesale 'pivot' to online teaching. In this atomised and competitive climate, this volume synthesises theoretical perspectives and current practice to present case study examples that advocate for a more inclusive, cooperative, collaborative, compassionate and empowering education, one that sees learning and teaching as a practice that enables personal, collective and societal growth. The human element of education is at the core of this book, focusing on what we can do and achieve together: students, academic staff, higher education institutions and relevant stakeholders. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by Knowledge Unlatched
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