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Local ocean, global currents: climate governance and the postcolonial legacy of seychelles’ blue economy
Full text linkIn recent years, Seychelles has emerged as a prominent advocate of the blue economy and climate action on the global stage. However, the policy frameworks that shape this leadership are deeply influenced by the country’s postcolonial governance structures. This paper critically examines how colonial legacies continue to inform the development and discourse of Seychelles’ climate policy, particularly in relation to the blue economy. This discourse explores how climate initiatives are framed within narratives of economic modernization, sustainability, and global responsibility. It asks whose voices are amplified or marginalized in the construction of national policy, and the extent to which community-led perspectives influence official climate governance. By tracing the discursive framework of the blue economy within a postcolonial context, it highlights the contention that global environmental goals can sometimes reproduce historical inequities, even as they promote sustainability. The findings underscore the importance of critically engaging with both the content and context of climate policy in small island states. Ultimately, the paper argues for more inclusive and reflexive governance models that centre local knowledge and experience in climate adaptation planning
The structural order of crystallin proteins during early human lens development
Full text linkPurpose: To study the structural arrangement of crystallin proteins in the human lens during development.
Methods: Fetal human lenses were acquired from the UK Human Developmental Biology Resource and examined at four developmental stages; postconception weeks (pcw) 8 to 9 (n = 5), 12 to 13 (n = 3), 16 to 17 (n = 6), and 20 to 21 (n = 3). Small-angle X-ray scattering patterns were obtained as raster scans across the entirety of each lens using a 0.1 nm-wavelength, synchrotron X-ray beam measuring 200 × 150 µm at the specimen. Analysis of each small-angle X-ray scattering pattern provided a measure of the average nearest neighbor spacing and the extent of spatial order in the crystallin protein array.
Results: Crystallins in the lens center became compacted as development progressed, with the average spacing measuring 19.9 nm at 8 to 9 pcw, 19.6 nm at 12 to 13 pcw, 18.7 nm at 16 to 17 pcw, and 17.7 nm at 20 to 21 pcw. The spatial order of the crystallin proteins in the lens center also decreased with time as indicated by a parameter called the coherence distance, which measured 26.9 nm at 8 to 9 pcw, 24.7 nm at 12 to 13 pcw, 24.6 nm at 16 to 17 pcw, and 24.9 nm at 20 to 21 pcw. Spacing and spatial order were consistently higher at the lens periphery, compared with the center, at all developmental stages studied.
Conclusions: Spatiotemporal modifications in the array of crystallin proteins occur as the human lens develops. These are perhaps reflective of a shift in the relative proportions of crystallin subtypes present and have potential implications for the lens's developing refractive index
Co-production within community-based services for children with intellectual disabilities and behaviours that challenge in England
No full textPurpose Developing effective community-based services for children with intellectual disabilities and behaviours that challenge in England is a national priority. Service design and delivery guidelines state services should be co-produced with the children and families/carers accessing them. There are no identified data about how well services are delivering this recommendation. This research paper aimed to describe self-reported co-production activities within such services, and to consider how well these align with co-production definitions. Design/methodology/approach During a mapping exercise of community-based services for children with intellectual disabilities and behaviours that challenge in England, staff at 60 services completed an interview including questions concerning co-production. Types of self-reported co-production within services were described. The authors then examined how well these aligned with definitions of co-production. Findings Six types of self-reported “co-production” activities were identified via content analysis – (i) service planning, (ii) recruitment processes and decisions, (iii) individual case work, (iv) resources used within the service, (v) running training, workshops and groups and (vi) the service’s physical environment. Very few activities met co-production definitions, typically being classified as participation or co-creation. Practical implications All involved in the planning and delivery of services need to better consider how to implement additional activities that meet higher-level co-production definitions. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first known assessment of how well community-based services for children with intellectual disabilities and behaviours that challenge are enacting guidance that service design and delivery should be co-produced
Reverse chronology quota record screening for realist synthesis: Fostering causally rich extrapolations with a diverse and contemporaneous sample of literature
Full text linkIdentifying studies for inclusion in realist syntheses using title and abstract screening is challenging given the need to unearth explanatory insights to build context–mechanism–outcome configurations. Such insights may only be uncovered through full-text paper reading. To address this issue, a novel approach for identifying studies has been developed called Reverse Chronology Quota Record Screening (RCQRS). Results of database searches are screened in reverse chronology, and in stages, to fill quotas matching the requirements of the review. RCQRS may be beneficial in any of the following circumstances: (a) the timeframe to complete the synthesis is short; (b) the scope of inquiry is not fully defined, (c) the availability of suitable literature is beyond the screening capacity of the reviewers; or (d) the availability of literature is sparse and reviewers seek to extrapolate insights from other areas. In contrast to RCQRS, exhaustive title and abstract screening (i.e., screening entire database results) may hamper study selection due to being overwhelming in volume and time-intensive, resulting in a causally thin cohort of papers for analysis. RCQRS used in stages, and in conjunction with other search strategies (e.g., hand searching, backward citation tracking, and expert solicitation) can support creative, robust analytical insights with causally rich extrapolations. Using the Horizon-EU funded SERENITY study on deprescribing in palliative care as a case example, the benefits and limitations of RCQRS are explored. Finally, a checklist template is offered for teams who wish to reflect on, and transparently report, the use of RCQRS in their realist synthesis
Secondary somatosensory cortex Is required for learning but not execution of a tactile discrimination
Full text linkThe relationship between primary (S1) and secondary (S2) somatosensory cortex is not well understood, and the role of S2 in somatosensory function is not well defined. To test the role of S2 and its interplay with S1 in learning a texture discrimination, we reversibly inhibited primary (S1) and/or secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) bilaterally using DREADDs and measured the effect on the ability of mice to learn a whisker‐dependent tactile discrimination. Freely moving mice foraged in an arena that contained two bowls, one of which contained a buried food reward. The bowls could only be distinguished by the texture on the outer surface. DREADD‐mediated inhibition suppressed sensory responses and disrupted network activity in the cortical area in which DREADDs were expressed. We found that both S1 and S2 were critical for learning the tactile discrimination. Tactile learning in naive mice required normal S2 function during the learning phase but not during the post‐training consolidation phase of approximately 6 h. Furthermore, S2 was only required during learning. Once expert levels of discrimination had been attained, S2 was not required for execution of the learned discrimination. The role of S2 was confined to tactile learning and was not required for olfactory discrimination. Our findings suggest that S1 and S2 interact when learning a new tactile discrimination, but the learned skill eventually becomes independent of S2
Relative maternal protection against type 1 diabetes: a combined analysis of five observational studies
Full text linkContext:
Maternal (versus paternal) type 1 diabetes is associated with a relative reduction in type 1 diabetes risk in offspring during early life.
Objective:
To determine whether this effect extends into later life. To clarify the importance of intrauterine exposure to maternal type 1 diabetes, and baseline genetic susceptibility in this context.
Methods:
We compared the proportion of individuals with type 1 diabetes diagnosed age 0-88 years with affected mothers and fathers across five observational studies (n=11,475), and used random-effects meta-analyses to generate overall effect estimates. We examined this by age at diagnosis, and timing of parental diagnosis relative to offspring birth. We compared the type 1 diabetes genetic risk score (T1D-GRS2) of individuals with affected mothers and fathers.
Results:
Almost half as many individuals with type 1 diabetes had an affected mother versus father (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.48, 0.64), p18 years) (OR 0.63 (95% CI 0.43, 0.91), p=0.01). The lower proportion of individuals with maternal versus paternal type 1 diabetes was only observed if maternal diagnosis preceded offspring birth (OR 0.51 (95% CI 0.37, 0.70), p<0.001 versus OR 0.97 (95% CI 0.69, 1.38), p=0.87 after birth). T1D-GRS2 was similar between individuals with affected mothers and fathers (p=0.25).
Conclusion:
Our analyses suggest intrauterine exposure to maternal type 1 diabetes is associated with long-lasting relative protection against offspring type 1 diabetes, which is independent of genetic susceptibility as measured by T1D-GRS2
Environmental controls on green bands in marine sediments
No full textWidely observed banding in marine sediments is believed to be connected to oxygen-sensitive diagenetic processes in shallow sediments. This study combines a spatial survey of distinctive banding in shallow sediments (<1 m below seafloor) with novel 1 million-year long records of banding occurrence at International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Sites U1474 and U1313 to assess the link between sedimentary diagenetic band and bottom water oxygen across the middle to late Pleistocene. The spatial survey of banding in shallow sediments indicates that bands at active redox fronts are connected to high bottom-water oxygen concentrations, while the stratigraphic survey shows numerous instances of the synchronous development of banding in both hemispheres during the glaciations of the Pleistocene in tandem with low bottom-water oxygen events. A review of available evidence suggests that the diagenetic bands form due to rising bottom-water oxygen concentrations, which trap reduced iron sourced from organic matter-enriched deposits from a preceding low-oxygen interval. Connections among Southern Ocean productivity, green-band abundance, Mediterranean sapropel occurrence, and the 400-kyr benthic δ13C cycle point to the possibility of long-term variability in deep-ocean oxygenation across the Pleistocene
Investigation of associations between self-reported sensory processing, eating disorder symptoms, neurodivergence, and gender congruence from a lived experience lens
Full text linkBackground
Eating disorders (EDs) are increasingly recognised among neurodivergent and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals, yet most assessment and treatment models remain grounded in cisnormative and neuronormative assumptions and frameworks. Sensory processing, spanning interoception and exteroception, has been proposed as a potential factor that may help explain observed associations between neurodivergent traits, gender incongruence, and EDs. Empirical evidence, however, remains limited. This study examined whether sensory processing characteristics accounted for variance in observed associations between neurodivergent traits (with a focus on Autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADHD), gender incongruence, and ED symptoms in an adult community sample.
Methods
Participants (N = 195) completed an online Qualtrics survey involving validated self-report measures of exteroception, interoceptive sensibility, gender congruence, and ED symptoms (for example, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short, EDE-QS and Nine Item Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Screener, NIAS). Correlation, regression, and effects analyses were used to explore associations among self-reported neurodivergent traits, gender incongruence, sensory processing, and ED symptoms.
Results
Gender incongruence and Autistic traits showed positive associations with restrictive and avoidant ED symptoms. ADHD traits showed positive associations with a broader range of ED symptoms, including restrictive, avoidant, and binge eating presentations. Gender incongruence also showed positive associations with sensory processing differences across both exteroceptive and interoceptive domains: namely, elevated visual and auditory sensitivity and reduced body trust. Furthermore, interoceptive sensibility, particularly lower body trust, showed significant statistical relations with ADHD motor traits and EDE-QS scores. Interoceptive sensibility also showed significant statistical relations in models including gender incongruence and EDE-QS scores. Exteroceptive hypersensitivity showed a partial statistical relation in models examining gender incongruence and NIAS scores.
Conclusions
To the authors’ knowledge, this study provides the first lived experience-led empirical intersectional investigation linking interoception and exteroception with neurodivergent traits, gender incongruence, and ED symptoms. Results highlight the relevance of intersectional, sensory-informed, and identity-affirming perspectives for future research and the ongoing development of ED assessment and care