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Interactional impact of defence expenditure and political instability on economic growth in Nigeria: revisited
No full textOver the last decade empirical research has increasingly recognized the significance of understanding how defence spending and political stability jointly influence economic growth in developing nations. This paper revisits the complex interplay between defence expenditure, political instability, and economic growth in the context of Nigeria, and for the period 1960-2021. Leveraging the robust Smooth Transition Autoregressive (STAR) model proposed by Granger and Terasvirta, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the dynamic relationships among these critical factors. Our investigation employs the STAR model to capture potential nonlinearities and regime shifts in these interactions (confirmed by the diagnostic tests), shedding light on how political instability may impact the effectiveness of defence spending on economic growth. The findings further reveal how military spending can influence political stability and governance, particularly in contexts where military resources wield significant power and influence. They also show that low military spending negatively impacts economic growth due to inadequate resources for security and stability maintenance. These findings hold vital implications for policymakers striving to enhance economic development amidst the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and security challenges.</p
The benefits of engaging third space practitioners in curriculum development
No full textThird space practitioners are often overlooked in the curriculum development process, to everyone’s detriment. Here’s a look at the viewpoints they can offer and how to engage them better.<br/
Disability and Quality of Life Measures in older frail and prefrail people with type 2 diabetes. The MIDFRAIL-Study
Get PDFAim: To explore the individual response to a multimodal intervention on quality of life (QOL) and disability. Methods: 843 (77.83 years, 50.65 % men) prefrail and frail individuals ≥ 70 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Participants were randomized to the usual care group (UCG) or the multicomponent intervention (IG). Intervention consisted in 16-week progressive resistance training program, 7 educational sessions and the achievement of HbA1c (7–8 %, 53–64 mmol/mol)) and BP (<150 mmHg) targets. QOL (EuroQol EQ-5D-5L), basic (Barthel Index, BI) and instrumental (Lawton and Brody Index) activities of daily living (ADL) were assessed. Multivariate binomial and multinomial logistic regression models were used to explore the effect of the IG, and adherence on the outcomes studied. Results: The IG was associated with a significant higher probability of improvement in the QOL [OR(95 %CI): 1.75 (1.20, 2.54), p-value 0.004] and a lower probability of deterioration in QoL [0.61 (0.87, 0.54), 0.006] and Barthel Index [0.59 (0.37, 0.93), 0.023]. A high adherence (≥93 %) was needed to achieve benefits in the QOL while > 84.38 % was needed for achieving the benefits in Barthel Index. Conclusions: IG has proven to be effective in increasing QOL and avoiding the worsening of QOL and basic ADL.</p
Pauca verba on the association between protein intake and sarcopenia in older adults
Get PDFSarcopenia is a prevalent neuromuscular condition among older adults, marked by significant reductions in muscle mass and strength, which result in notable impairments in physical performance. Modifications in lifestyle habits have been frequently highlighted as essential approaches to mitigate the progression of sarcopenia, with a particular focus on protein consumption. Over the past few decades, a wealth of knowledge has emerged, driven by both observational and experimental studies exploring various factors related to protein intake, such as amount, timing, and sources. This review provides a pauca verba overview of these findings, presenting a concise yet informative summary of key insights.</p
Postcards from the edge: developing a professional identity for trainee teachers in English education
Get PDFFollowing the de-regulation of teaching in post-compulsory education in England (DBIUS, 2012), the requirement for teachers to be qualified was removed and subsequently the numbers of trainees who studied to gain a qualification, whilst working ‘in-service’ began to reduce. At the same time a new group of trainees emerged; those undergoing ‘pre-service’ training based on a full-time programme where teaching practice was gained on a practical placement. As ‘outsiders’ within their settings these trainees did not always experience the same level of support as their in-service colleagues. Whilst being introduced to a community of practice (CoP) through their teaching placement, they were very much on the edge of the community and it is only through ‘legitimate peripheral participation’ (Lave and Wenger, 1991) that they begin to develop professional identities as teachers. In 2020, this situation was further complicated by the Covid 19 pandemic which meant that more teaching has taken place online and the usual opportunities for interaction with colleagues were removed. Using focus groups with pre-service trainees and written reflections from teachers who trained during the height of the pandemic, this research highlights obstacles to developing a professional identity. The findings show the steps taken to navigate the journey from trainee to fully-fledged teacher
Fault detection and monitoring for electric pump motors
No full textPatent file GB2402869.8 Outcome of Innvoate KTP project
Effectiveness of postnatal maternal or caregiver interventions on outcomes among infants under six months with growth faltering: a systematic review
Get PDFThe care of infants at risk of poor growth and development is a global priority. To inform new WHO guidelines update on prevention and management of growth faltering among infants under six months, we examined the effectiveness of postnatal maternal or caregiver interventions on outcomes among infants between 0 and 6 months. We searched nine electronic databases from January 2000 to August 2021, included interventional studies, evaluated the quality of evidence for seven outcome domains (anthropometric recovery, child development, anthropometric outcomes, mortality, readmission, relapse, and non-response) and followed the GRADE approach for certainty of evidence. We identified thirteen studies with preterm and/or low birth weight infants assessing effects of breastfeeding counselling or education (n = 8), maternal nutrition supplementation (n = 2), mental health (n = 1), relaxation therapy (n = 1), and cash transfer (n = 1) interventions. The evidence from these studies had serious indirectness and high risk of bias. Evidence suggests breastfeeding counselling or education compared to standard care may increase infant weight at one month, weight at two months and length at one month; however, the evidence is very uncertain (very low quality). Maternal nutrition supplementation compared to standard care may not increase infant weight at 36 weeks postmenstrual age and may not reduce infant mortality by 36 weeks post-menstrual age (low quality). Evidence on the effectiveness of postnatal maternal or caregiver interventions on outcomes among infants under six months with growth faltering is limited and of ‘low’ to ‘very low’ quality. This emphasizes the urgent need for future research. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022309001)
Influence of environmental factors and genome diversity on cumulative COVID-19 cases in the highland region of China: comparative correlational study
Get PDFBackground: The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 caused the global COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging reports support lower mortality and reduced case numbers in highland areas; however, comparative studies on the cumulative impact of environmental factors and viral genetic diversity on COVID-19 infection rates have not been performed to date. Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the difference in COVID-19 infection rates between high and low altitudes, and to explore whether the difference in the pandemic trend in the high-altitude region of China compared to that of the lowlands is influenced by environmental factors, population density, and biological mechanisms. Methods: We examined the correlation between population density and COVID-19 cases through linear regression. A zero-shot model was applied to identify possible factors correlated to COVID-19 infection. We further analyzed the correlation of meteorological and air quality factors with infection cases using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Mixed-effects multiple linear regression was applied to evaluate the associations between selected factors and COVID-19 cases adjusting for covariates. Lastly, the relationship between environmental factors and mutation frequency was evaluated using the same correlation techniques mentioned above. Results: Among the 24,826 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported from 40 cities in China from January 23, 2020, to July 7, 2022, 98.4% (n=24,430) were found in the lowlands. Population density was positively correlated with COVID-19 cases in all regions (ρ=0.641, P=.003). In high-altitude areas, the number of COVID-19 cases was negatively associated with temperature, sunlight hours, and UV index (P=.003, P=.001, and P=.009, respectively) and was positively associated with wind speed (ρ=0.388, P<.001), whereas no correlation was found between meteorological factors and COVID-19 cases in the lowlands. After controlling for covariates, the mixed-effects model also showed positive associations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) with COVID-19 cases (P=.002 and P<.001, respectively). Sequence variant analysis showed lower genetic diversity among nucleotides for each SARS-CoV-2 genome (P<.001) and three open reading frames (P<.001) in high altitudes compared to 300 sequences analyzed from low altitudes. Moreover, the frequencies of 44 nonsynonymous mutations and 32 synonymous mutations were significantly different between the high- and low-altitude groups (P<.001, mutation frequency>0.1). Key nonsynonymous mutations showed positive correlations with altitude, wind speed, and air pressure and showed negative correlations with temperature, UV index, and sunlight hours. Conclusions: By comparison with the lowlands, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was substantially lower in high-altitude regions of China, and the population density, temperature, sunlight hours, UV index, wind speed, PM2.5, and CO influenced the cumulative pandemic trend in the highlands. The identified influence of environmental factors on SARS-CoV-2 sequence variants adds knowledge of the impact of altitude on COVID-19 infection, offering novel suggestions for preventive intervention
The Regulate your Sitting Time (RESIT) intervention for reducing sitting time in individuals with type 2 diabetes: findings from a randomised-controlled feasibility trial
Get PDFBackground: Reducing and breaking up sitting is recommended for optimal management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Yet, there is limited evidence of interventions targeting these outcomes in individuals with this condition. The primary aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of delivering and evaluating a tailored online intervention to reduce and break up sitting in adults with T2DM. Methods: A mixed-methods two-arm randomised controlled feasibility trial was conducted in ambulatory adults with T2DM who were randomised 1:1 to the REgulate your SItting Time (RESIT) intervention or usual care control group. The intervention included online education, self-monitoring and prompt tools (wearable devices, smartphone apps, computer apps) and health coaching. Feasibility outcomes were recruitment, attrition, data completion rates and intervention acceptability. Measurements of device-assessed sitting (intended primary outcome for definitive trial), standing and stepping, and physical function, psychosocial health and wellbeing were taken at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted at six-months (post intervention) to explore acceptability, feasibility and experiences of the trial and intervention using the Framework Method. Results: Seventy participants aged 55 ± 11 years were recruited. Recruitment rate (proportion of eligible participants enrolled into the study) was 67% and participant retention rate at 6 months was 93% (n = 5 withdrawals). Data completion rates for daily sitting were 100% at baseline and ranged from 83 to 91% at 3 months and 6 months. Descriptive analysis demonstrated potential for the intervention to reduce device-measured sitting, which was 30.9 ± 87.2 and 22.2 ± 82.5 min/day lower in the intervention group at 3 and 6 months, respectively, compared with baseline. In the control group, sitting was 4.4 ± 99.5 and 23.7 ± 85.2 min/day lower at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Qualitative analysis identified three themes: reasons for participating in the trial, acceptability of study procedures, and the delivery and experience of taking part in the RESIT intervention. Overall, the measurement visits and intervention were acceptable to participants. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the RESIT intervention and evaluation methods, supporting a future definitive trial. If RESIT is found to be clinically effective, this could lead to changes in diabetes healthcare with a focus on reducing sitting. Trial registration: The trial was registered with ISRCTN (number ISRCTN14832389).</p
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