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Sarcopenia modelling by portal vein ligation inducing hyperammonemia in rats
Get PDFSarcopenia is a progressive muscle wasting condition often associated with hyperammonemia. However, no approved animal models of sarcopenia with hyperammonemia were reported. This study aimed to provide a surgical modelling of sarcopenia with hyperammonemia. Male Wistar rats were assigned by the method of random numbers (n = 6 per group) into experimental group with ligation of portal and pyloric veins or control group with sham surgery. Blood ammonia levels were measured directly after the surgery (20 min), after 1 h to observe acute damage in functioning shunts, and at the final endpoint (30 days). Rats were sacrificed with histological study of the liver, spleen, cerebral cortex, and skeletal muscles. Experimental rats revealed hyperammonemia at 30 days compared to controls, 70 µmol/L versus 38 µmol/L, p <0.05. No significant changes were observed in liver morphology between the groups, approving hyperammonemia without liver damage. Splenomegaly and Gamna-Gandy bodies in the spleen of experimental rats indirectly evidenced functionable portosystemic shunting after the ligation. Cerebral cortex showed a significant decrease in neurons of experimental animals, 7.6 ± 2.5 NeuN+cells vs 13 ± 2 in controls, p <0.05. Skeletal muscles revealed a significant difference of muscle fiber diameter between the groups, 20.2 ± 2.1 µm in the experimental group vs 30.7 ± 4.3 µm in controls, at p < 0.001. A model of sarcopenia with hyperammonemia was established with concomitant changes in cerebral histology revealed. This model may be a valuable tool for studies of sarcopenia and related therapeutic options
The suspect citizen: Institutional Islamophobia, prevent, and the British Muslim experience
Get PDFThis article examines British Muslim experiences of the UK’s Prevent counter-terrorism strategy, drawing on 18 qualitative interviews in London and Birmingham. It argues that Prevent contributes to the racialisation and securitisation of Muslims, reinforcing their image as a ‘suspect community’, which aligns with existing critiques of counter-terrorism policies being discriminatory and Islamophobic. However, the study emphasises the diversity within Muslim responses, identifying reactions of rejection, justification, and ambivalence, thus moving beyond monolithic portrayals. It highlights how intersectional factors such as race, gender (particularly for Muslims of colour and veiled women), and socio-political context shape these interactions. Furthermore, the research challenges simplistic state-versus-community views by acknowledging variations in how Prevent is implemented locally and recognising the agency of Muslims in negotiating and resisting the policy. This study advocates for refining the ‘suspect community’ concept through an intersectional, context-sensitive lens that captures internal diversity and lived complexity
Introduction to the Special Issue Beyond the Crisis Frame: Muslim Agency and the Contestation of European Identity
Get PDFInternational Trends in Opioid Prescribing by Age and Sex from 2001 to 2019: An Observational Study Using Population-Based Databases from 18 Countries and One Special Administrative Region
Get PDFObjective: To characterize multinational trends and patterns of opioid analgesic prescribing by sex and age. Design, Setting, and Participants: We studied opioid analgesic prescribing from 2001 to 2019 with common protocol using population-based databases from eighteen countries and one special administrative region. Main Outcome Measures: We measured opioid prescribing by geographical region, sex and age, estimating annual prevalent, incident, and nonincident opioid prescribing per 100 population with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and meta-analyzed the multinational and regional opioid prescribing with a random-effects model. Time trends were reported through average annual absolute changes, estimated using linear mixed models. We further explored the effect of sex and age on prevalent opioid prescribing in the multivariable analysis. Results: Over 248 million individuals were included. Pooled multinational opioid prescribing prevalence was 9.0% amongst included countries/regions. Opioid prescribing prevalence in 2015 ranged from 2.7% in Japan to 19.7% in Iceland. Average annual absolute changes in opioid prescribing prevalence per year ranged from − 1.53% (95% CI − 2.06, − 1.00; United States Medicaid) to + 1.24% (95% CI 1.02, 1.46; South Korea). Pooled multinational incident opioid prescribing (4.9%; 95% CI 4.1, 5.9) was higher than pooled multinational nonincident opioid prescribing (3.7%; 95% CI 2.9, 4.8). The female sex and older age were associated with higher opioid prescribing. Main limitations of this study include the absence of data from study duration or individuals not covered by the data sources and the lack of information on medication adherence and indication. Conclusions: Opioid prescribing remains unbalanced across geographical regions; however, results suggest a tendency to convergence across countries/regions. Differences in opioid prescribing by sex and age were identified
An interpretable two-stage adaptive deep learning model for humanitarian aid information prediction and emergency response support
No full textDiverse modes of information in social media posts during emergency responses collectively present an opportunity to advance artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to promote the integration of AI in humanitarian aid operations. To accurately identify humanitarian aid information and its categories, and to facilitate effective emergency responses, we first designed a two-stage humanitarian aid information prediction framework (THAIP). The first stage identifies humanitarian aid information and the second stage predicts the specific categories of information. We then developed an interpretable two-stage adaptive deep learning model (ITADL) based on THAIP, which adaptively determines the optimal data modality, model structure, and parameters based on the tasks at different stages. When applied to a real-world dataset from the social media platform Twitter in the context of emergency response, THAIP and ITADL achieved superior performance compared to models using a single-stage framework and several other deep learning models. Furthermore, the responses predicted by ITADL are interpreted at both global and local levels, enhancing the model's interpretability and providing valuable decision support for humanitarian aid planning and emergency response
A Protocol of Accelerated Rehabilitation following surgery for adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (PARIS) : a feasibility study
Get PDFAims: Almost 50% of adolescents who undergo surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) do not return to their preoperative levels of physical activity. Considering the potential long-term impacts of surgery, testing postoperative physiotherapy interventions should be a priority in this group. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a future randomized controlled trial (RCT), which compares the effectiveness of an accelerated physiotherapist-led rehabilitation protocol to standard care for patients following surgical correction of AIS. Methods: A total of 23 participants with AIS were recruited from surgical waiting lists at a single elective orthopaedic hospital. Participants were randomly allocated postoperatively to either a physiotherapist-led intervention of 12 sessions or standard care. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), including Scoliosis Research Society 22-point revised questionnaire, were collected at baseline, six months, and 12 months. Recruitment rate, retention rate, response rate to PROMs, treatment adherence, and safety of the intervention via adverse events were also measured. Results: Overall, 62% of eligible individuals were consented and there were three withdrawals (surgical delay, unable to travel to appointments). A total of 20 participants remained (intervention n = 9, standard care n = 11). The retention rate was 70% at six months and 65% at 12 months. Overall, treatment adherence was 76%. There were no adverse events related to the intervention. Conclusion: This feasibility study has indicated that an accelerated physiotherapist-led rehabilitation protocol following surgery for AIS is safe and that patients can be successfully identified, recruited, and randomized to a future RCT. The next iteration of this intervention protocol needs to be developed with relevant stakeholders, including patients and the public, to improve retention rates and treatment adherence
Viral load inference of high dynamic range signals using non-adaptive pooled testing
Get PDFMedical diagnostic testing can be made significantly more efficient using pooled testing protocols. These typically require a sparse infection signal and use either binary or real-valued entries of O(1) . However, existing methods do not allow for inferring viral loads which span many orders of magnitude. We develop a message passing algorithm coupled with a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) specific noise function to allow accurate inference of realistic viral load signals. A version of the Combinatorial Orthogonal Matching Pursuit algorithm is employed to compare the obtained inference results with those of our probabilistic message passing. This work is in the non-adaptive setting and could open the possibility of efficient screening where viral load determination is clinically important
A principal-agent analysis of inter-agency cooperation in EU border management
Get PDFIn the wake of the 2015 Migration Crisis, the European Union has embarked on an extensive process to reinforce external border controls and make horizontal cooperation between EU agencies critical. This article leverages the principal-agent model to elucidate the impact of inter-agency cooperation on agency autonomy and, by extension, the management of the EU’s external borders. The findings reveal that inter-agency cooperation leads to a situation in which the participating agencies enjoy more room for manoeuvre than originally granted by the EU legislature. This research sheds light on the proactive efforts of the concerned agencies in working alongside their counterparts to bolster their institutional standing and policy turf, thereby fuelling the institutionalisation of joint implementation in EU border management
Exploring the agency of skilled refugees in the British labour market
Get PDFDrawing on the analytical distinction between agency and social structure, I provide insights into four strategies used by skilled refugees to navigate labour market constraints: pre-empting, to avoid present labour market constraints; circumventing present constraints, to realise future benefits; persisting in the search for skilled jobs via mobilising longstanding patterns of thought and action; and exercising voice to drive future system improvements that benefit similar others. It is striking how these strategies harmonised self-interest and others’ interests. I highlight the interplay between social structure and agency in labour market strategies to depict skilled refugees as reflexive agents of change. I highlight gender-based nuances in skilled refugees’ labour market moves and conclude by outlining the implications of my findings for HRM practice
Approach to Complementary Feeding and Infant Language Use: An Observational Study
Get PDFEmerging research suggests that a more infant-led approach to complementary feeding may confer benefits for child language, but these findings are based on parent report studies. Using an observational approach this study examines whether different complementary feeding experiences relate to infant language exposure and language use. Fifty-eight parents recorded a typical infant mealtime in the home (mean infant age = 14 months, SD = 4.15). Observations were coded to measure the prevalence of infant-led and parent-led feeding using the Family Mealtime Coding Scheme. Caregiver language use (word types and token directed at the child, mean length of utterances in child-directed speech, responsiveness and initiations) and the number of infant vocalisations were coded in ELAN using CHAT conventions and parents completed the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory short form as a measure of child language. Greater observed infant self-feeding was significantly associated with greater observed exposure to language from caregivers (r = 0.312 percentage of infant self-feeding correlated with caregiver word types directed at the child) and a greater number of infant vocalisations (r = 0.320 percentage of infant self-feeding correlated with number of child vocalisations produced). Structural Equation Modelling showed the relationship between infant self-feeding and infant vocalisations to be significantly mediated by enhanced quality and quantity of caregiver child-directed speech (model fit: χ2 [5] = 5.01, p = 0.415, CFI = 1.00 [NF = 0.98], RMSEA = 0.006). Differences in the approach to complementary feeding may shape infant's experiences in ways that support language exposure and use. Autonomy associated with infant self-feeding may enhance opportunities for social interaction
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