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The constraints of habit: craft, repetition, and creativity
Get PDFThe nature of craft creativity has often been ignored in research which focuses on innovative and novel ideas and thought processes. This view of creativity casts the repetitive nature of craft as antithetical to the disruptive nature of genuine creativity. Drawing on combined enactivist and pragmatist accounts of habits and on a focused cognitive ethnography of a wooden bowl turner, this paper explores the nature of the constraints wrought by habitual action. Habitual action will be shown to be less repetitive than may be initially assumed because of the uncertainty inherent in working with both the wood which forms the initial material and the tools necessary to transform it. Rather, this paper proposes habitual learned movements as an important concept in a pragmatist-informed theory of creativity since they mark the skilled co-ordination of material, tool and maker, at once constraining and enhancing the creative craft process
Secure blockchain-based tracking storage and permission verification of electronic health records
Get PDFBlockchains provide a unique approach to storing healthcare data, conducting healthcare transactions, and proving the trustworthiness of healthcare data in the context of a decentralized and open healthcare network ecosystem. Blockchain technology for healthcare businesses, whether for internal operations or collaborative research, is causing continuing debate regarding the potential risks to user data security and privacy. Despite considerable interest and attention from the corporate, government, and academic sectors, blockchain technology deployment in the healthcare business is still in its early stages. Blockchain technology has the potential to greatly boost patient data security in the healthcare industry. We not only understand the problems and expectations associated with security and privacy, but we also provide effective ways and procedures for overcoming these concerns via the use of technology. The first stage in using blockchains in the healthcare business is determining what features and standards are required to ensure the secure and effective transfer of electronic health information. Then we look at the technologies that may be utilized to offer the essential security and privacy aspects for each of the three potential blockchain uses in the healthcare business. In terms of the sharing of electronic medical records, blockchain technology has three potential uses blockchain technology to validate a patient's identity is standard. The previous work highlighted numerous potential uses of blockchain technology in healthcare. Many various types of information will be exchanged, including ideas, risks, requirements, development tools, system designs, and deployment strategies. Based on the findings of our poll, we were able to make some plausible assumptions regarding the problem
The Science of ADHD (Second edition)
No full text"ADHD remains one of the most widely misunderstood neurodevelopmental disorders, with debates surrounding its diagnosis, causes, and treatment continuing to evolve. The Science of ADHD provides a clear, balanced, and up-to-date exploration of this complex condition. With an accessible narrative style, author Chris Chandler expertly navigates the latest research to present an objective look at ADHD's neuroscience, genetics, psychological theories, and treatment approaches. The fully revised second edition reflects the latest advancements in the field, including updated diagnostic criteria and a nuanced discussion of ADHD as a neurodevelopmental disorder." (from publisher's website
Vitamin D status in a large, ethnically diverse patient population living in South East London at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study Including a SARS-CoV-2 positive patient subset
Get PDFBackground/Objectives:
Vitamin D is involved in immune regulation, and deficiency may increase susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study assessed vitamin D status and examined associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and demographic, anthropometric, and clinical factors, including SARS-CoV-2 infection, in a diverse urban UK patient population.
Methods:
We analysed 25(OH)D concentrations in 17,619 pre-COVID-19 vaccine patients (62% female) whose samples were routinely processed between January and June 2020 at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK. SARS-CoV-2 RNA/IgG test results (March 2020–January 2021) were linked to these records. Associations were examined with age, BMI, sex, ethnicity, and laboratory data. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D <25 nmol/L, and insufficiency as 25–50 nmol/L.
Results:
Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 25% of Black, 21% of Asian, and 17% of White patients; insufficiency was found in 36%, 34%, and 33%, respectively. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations differed by sex in Black and White patients but not in Asian patients. A total of 485 patients (2.8%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive, with a median 25(OH)D concentration of 42 nmol/L (IQR 25–66); 24.1% were deficient and 36.7% insufficient (60.8% total). Among deficient individuals, 38% were White (median age 67.5 years) and 35% Black (median age 52.0 years). Age and BMI were the most significant contributors to infection in White and Black patients, respectively.
Conclusions:
Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were common across all ethnic groups and associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Deficiency was most prevalent among Black patients. Vitamin D status should be monitored in patient populations, and deficiencies addressed to ensure adequacy of this nutrient for immune system regulation and possibly the reduction in respiratory infection risk, including COVID-19
School of Social Sciences & Professions AI guidance: how educators can implement the dual-model approach
Get PDFThe purpose of this document is to offer practical guidance to educators in the School of Social Sciences and Professions (SSSP) regarding how to understand and where appropriate, integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their teaching and learning practice
Thinking through / practicing materiality – a dialogue on practice
Get PDFUsing Heidegger’s A dialogue on language - between a Japanese and an inquirer (1982) essay as a starting point, Connelly and Hällsten performative essay will conduct a dialogue that moves across and between languages, materials and practices – exploring the verbal, visual, sensual aspects of their artistic research. Taking the Swedish word nysta as a starting point, they will work reflexively, unpicking, unravelling and translating their praxis through words and materials (thread, cloth and sound) in an attempt to understand and translate that which is difficult to translate, and how materials plays a particular role (sensations and affects) in attempting to give form to something that is ‘undefinable’ (Heidegger 1982:13), or alludes definition.
Both artists draw on listening practices, such as Jean-Luc Nancy’s seminal text Listening (2007), where he states: “to listen is to be straining towards a possible meaning, and consequently one that is not immediately accessible” (2007). It is through the embodied work with textiles, weaving and sound (oral and material) that we explore this possibility of meaning making. Importantly using rhythm of the utterance and weave moving across, and creating, a score or surface, unearthing that recurring return of the unfamiliar in our multilingual practices.
Connelly and Hällsten have worked with translation over the past few decades - working closely together as supervisor and supervisee and coming together to collaborate on multilingual performances and installations. This call provides the opportunity for them to scrutinise how materials and processes become part of the dialogue, an agent, that is not passive. This will be explored through a poetic performative essay, that will provide insights into their practices, as they continue to build on their shared knowledge and cultural differences
Animal-computer interaction: advances and opportunities
Get PDFWe are excited to present this Special Issue, which shares new ideas and developments in the field of Animal–Computer Interaction, including those that advance scientific knowledge about animals, enhance connections between species, improve the stewardship of animals in human care and articulate the design of systems that offer greater autonomy to other species. This collection of articles features research with mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians, including wild, farmed, zoo-housed and working contexts. The diversity of approaches illustrates how technology can be used as a tool to support humans working with both free-roaming and managed animals, facilitating initiatives in conservation, welfare and enrichment. This demonstrates the potential for interesting and insightful collaborations between animal experts and technologists, working together to create an equitable and sustainable future for all species
Penetrative biomimetic nanovehicle boosts immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer via SOS1 blockade
Get PDFImmunotherapy of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is significantly hindered by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Notably, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which constitute the predominant infiltrating immune cell type in TNBC, represent a critical target for "turning off" immunosuppressive TME. Despite numerous ongoing clinical trials, current strategies exhibit limited efficacy in overcoming immunosuppressive TME. Interestingly, regulation of son of sevenless 1 (SOS1), which is overexpressed in TNBC patients, shows promising potential for TAM repolarization. Herein, we developed a biomimetic liposomal platform (CCM/Cil-lipo@TD), which integrates cilengitide (Cil)-functionalized breast cancer cell membranes (CCM) to co-deliver tetrandrine (TET) and low-dose docetaxel (DTX) for TNBC therapy. This system synergistically enhanced immunotherapy by coupling SOS1 blockade-driven TAM repolarization with immune cell death (ICD)-mediated dendritic cell (DC) maturation, thereby reshaping the highly immunosuppressive TME in TNBC. Critically, the low-density Cil-anchored, CCM-fused liposomes overcome the penetration limitations inherent to conventional CCM-based delivery systems, achieving deep intratumoral accumulation of therapeutic payloads. Mechanistically, the CCM/Cil-lipo@TD ensured that TET-mediated SOS1 inhibition in tumor cells efficiently polarized TAM2 (protumor) toward TAM1 (antitumor). Furthermore, SOS1 blockade synergized with low-dose DTX-induced ICD to remodel TME, as evidenced by sustained cytotoxic T-cell infiltration and suppression of regulatory T cells. The CCM/Cil-lipo@TD exerted superior tumor inhibition (82.9 %) in 4T1 orthotopic models and effectively inhibited postoperative local recurrence and distant metastasis. Taken together, the Cil-engineered, cell membrane-anchoring CCM/Cil-lipo@TD provides a promising approach for TNBC immunotherapy
President Putin is not a loyal reader. What's next for The Moscow Times? The publication is in exile, and its founder has died. Will it lose its relevance?
Get PDFWhen Dutch media magnate Derk Sauer died in a tragic accident in July, he left behind The Moscow Times, which was launched just three months after the Soviet collapse in March 1992. It became Russia’s first independent English-language newspaper - a vital window into post-Soviet Russia for the outside world, and a launchpad for generations of journalists, both Russian and international, including several Pulitzer Prize winners. Remarkably, it still endures - though now in exile. Driven out by the Kremlin’s relentless crackdown on independent media, it operates today from Amsterdam, along with TV Dozhd’ (Rain), the independent news channel Derk also helped to relocate. The Moscow office is shuttered, the newsroom dispersed, and Derk lives on as a black-and-white photograph on the wall. Yet The Moscow Times continues to publish from a distance, its focus unchanged. And yes - with apologies to Celine Dion - it will go on
‘Russian military censorship, like the Russian warship, can go f*** itself.’ An analysis of Russian independent media response to wartime media freedom restrictions
No full textThis chapter explores the reactions of Russian independent journalists and editors to censorship efforts in Russia in the year following the invasion of Ukraine. It examines editorials published by six independent online media outlets on their websites and social media. This chapter finds that journalists use editorials as spaces to provide practical information to their audiences, to explain editorial decisions, to discuss the laws restricting coverage of the war as military censorship, and to emphasize the professional norms and values of journalism. In addition, editorials become spaces to fundraise, express anti-war sentiments and solidarity with colleagues, and emphasize the importance of independent journalism