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The GHSR1a antagonist LEAP2 regulates islet hormone release in a sex-specific manner
Get PDF© 2024, [BioScientifica]. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Journal of Endocrinology uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at the link. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it. LEAP2, a liver-derived antagonist for theghrelin receptor, GHSR1a, counteracts effects of ghrelin on appetite and energybalance. Less is known about its impact on blood glucose-regulating hormonesfrom pancreatic islets. Here we investigate whether acyl-ghrelin (AG) and LEAP2regulate islet hormone release in a cell type- and sex-specific manner. Hormonecontent from secretion experiments with isolated islets from male and femalemice was measured by radioimmunoassay and mRNA expression by qPCR. LEAP2enhanced insulin secretion in islets from males (p<0.01) but not females(p>0.2), whilst AG-stimulated somatostatin release was significantlyreversed by LEAP2 in males (p<0.001) but not females (p>0.2). Glucagonrelease was not significantly affected by AG and LEAP2. Ghsr1a, Ghrelin,Leap2, Mrap2, Mboat4 and Sstr3 islet mRNA expression did notdiffer between sexes whereas the SSTR3 antagonist MK4256 enhanced glucose-induced insulin secretion in islets from males only. In control male islets maintained without 17-betaoestradiol (E2),AG exerted an insulinostatic effect (p<0.05), with a trend towards reversalby LEAP2 (p=0.06). Both were abolished by 72h E2 pre-treatment (10 nmol/l,p>0.2). AG-stimulated somatostatin release was inhibited by LEAP2 fromcontrol (p<0.001) but not E2-treated islets (p>0.2). LEAP2and AG did not modulate insulin secretion from MIN6 beta cells and Mrap2was downregulated (P<0.05) and Ghsr1a upregulated (P<0.0001) inislets from Sst-/- mice. Our findings show that AG and LEAP2regulate insulin and somatostatin release in an opposing and sex-dependentmanner, which in males can be modulated by E2. We suggest that regulation ofSST release is a key starting point for understanding the role of GHSR1a inislet function and glucose metabolism.
Investigating the Use of a Conceptual Framework for a Positive Psychology Coaching Practice Using Grounded Theory: An International Study
No full textPositive Psychology and Coaching Psychology are considered natural partners by researchers and practitioners and are now integrated as Positive Psychology Coaching. A Conceptual Framework for a Positive Psychology Coaching Practice has been proposed by Burke (2018). The research study aims to bridge the gap between the theory and practice of Positive Psychology Coaching to inform future training. This international study investigates the use of Burke’s (2018) Conceptual Framework with 14 ICF-credentialed coaches in eight countries who self-identified as using positive psychology in their coaching practice. Through Constructivist Grounded Theory, the study uncovered challenges to practicing Positive Psychology Coaching due to the considerable knowledge required. Consequently, this led to the coaches not using 'Positive Psychology Coach as a self-identifier. A model of this situation has been proposed that offers a solution to these circumstances by suggesting new training that combines the three areas of positive psychology, coaching psychology and evidence-based coaching into one more manageable and tailored approach. This study sheds light on how coaches apply positive psychology coaching to their practice. It also illuminates an under-researched area, providing valuable insights for researchers, educators, and practitioners to advance the evidence-based practices and application of Positive Psychology Coaching among credentialed coaches
Motor imagery drives the effects of combined action observation and motor imagery on corticospinal excitability for coordinative lower-limb actions
No full textCombined action observation and motor imagery (AOMI) facilitates corticospinal excitability (CSE) and may potentially induce plastic-like changes in the brain in a similar manner to physical practice. This study used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to explore changes in CSE for AOMI of coordinative lower-limb actions. Twenty-four healthy adults completed two baseline (BL , BL ) and three AOMI conditions, where they observed a knee extension while simultaneously imagining the same action (AOMI ), plantarflexion (AOMI ), or dorsiflexion (AOMI ). Motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes were recorded as a marker of CSE for all conditions from two knee extensor, one dorsi flexor, and two plantar flexor muscles following TMS to the right leg representation of the left primary motor cortex. A main effect for experimental condition was reported for all three muscle groups. MEP amplitudes were significantly greater in the AOMI condition compared to the BL condition (p = .04) for the knee extensors, AOMI condition compared to the BL condition (p = .03) for the plantar flexors, and AOMI condition compared to the two baseline conditions for the dorsi flexors (ps ≤ .01). The study findings support the notion that changes in CSE are driven by the imagined actions during coordinative AOMI. [Abstract copyright: © 2024. The Author(s).
Creating Mentally Healthy Universities: Lessons from Staff Experiences of Transition through the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic generated unprecedented challenges for educators world-wide. University teaching staff were forced to rapidly adapt to virtual classrooms during lockdown and the return to campus has seen continuing flux. Poor student mental wellbeing is a major concern and although nascent digital mental health interventions can increase reach and augment in-person services, research on the effectiveness of digital interventions is still in its infancy. The implementation of hybrid solutions is challenging due to the complexity and diversity of institutions; however, important lessons can be learned from the switch to online teaching and the integration of digital technologies during the transition process. This paper explores staff experiences of transition through the pandemic using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three teaching academics from English universities. Analysis yielded four group experiential themes: Transition was a traumatic process; Relationships as a source of support and strain; Opportunities for learning and growth; and Surviving and inspiring the mental wellbeing environment. Key findings revealed the switch to online working presented unique stressors, while relationships were pivotal for navigating transition and healthy personal development. Findings can inform transition guidance including the integration of hybrid pathways to support mental wellbeing for the whole learning community
The role of BACP in maximising the potential of counselling and psychological therapies research in the UK: Benefitting clients, communities, and societies
No full textAbstractThe British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is the largest professional membership body within the field of counselling and psychological therapies in the UK, but there is a mismatch between its membership of >65,000 and its research impact. This article sets out a potential strategic direction as considered by an informal grouping of researchers and teachers in the field. Actionable research plans are outlined at three levels: client–practitioner, local communities, and societies. At the client–practitioner level, data‐informed practice can be readily implemented as a therapeutic aid akin to supervision, providing the potential for integrating research into everyday practice. At the community level, interdisciplinary collaborations together with a focus on equality, diversity, and inclusiveness are paths to building a community of researchers and citizens that includes marginalised populations. The importance of social justice extends to the societal level, connecting with politics at a micro and macro level, and engaging internationally to respond to actual threats (e.g., climate change). Across these three levels, high value is placed on data with its potential for informing and improving practice, but also enhancing the lives of people in communities and societies. Overall, research strategies need to be collaborative (i.e., collegial) and less singular (i.e., individually project‐based), developing cumulative knowledge around specific topics via a ‘capture and build’ strategy for small projects with strategic oversight by BACP. Clarity of research strategy combined with collaborative and collective action from BACP and leaders in the field can help realise the full potential of BACP's research capacity
Impact of Combined Prebiotic Galacto-Oligosaccharides and Bifidobacterium breve-Derived Postbiotic on Gut Microbiota and HbA1c in Prediabetic Adults: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study
No full textEthnic differences in the relationship between ectopic fat deposition and insulin sensitivity in Black African and White European men across a spectrum of glucose tolerance
Get PDFThe gender gap in political efficacy: the accelerating effect of classroom discussions
No full textThe gender gap in political self-efficacy originates early in life and is among the most persistent inequalities in political attitudes across Western democracies. The difficulties in accessing data for early adolescents have resulted in limited research available to provide an understanding on how gender differences in political self-efficacy are developed. In this article we provide unique evidence on the development of the efficacy gap during secondary school. The Citizenship Educational Longitudinal study data from England on young people between the ages 11–16 shows that boys increase their levels of political self-efficacy significantly during this period while girls do not. Secondly, we show that teaching methods that are expected to enable the development of internal political efficacy, such as classroom discussions, are accelerating the gender gap in perceived abilities to get engaged in politics. Our findings show that, despite having the same access to classroom discussions in schools, this experience has a positive effect in the development of political efficacy for boys but, if anything, a negative effect for girls. Furthermore, even a small number of boys in the classroom discussions appears detrimental to girls’ political efficacy
Advanced hybrid malware identification framework for the Internet of Medical Things, driven by deep learning
No full textThe Internet of Things (IoT) effortlessly enables communication between items on the World Wide Web and other systems. This extensive use of IoTs has created new services and automation in numerous industries, enhancing the standard of living, especially in healthcare. Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) adoption has been beneficial during pandemic conditions by enabling remote patient monitoring and therapy. Nevertheless, the excessive use of IoMT has raised security concerns as it can compromise critical data. This breach in security can result in an inaccurate diagnosis or violate privacy. This research presents a novel approach to hybrid deep learning‐based detection of malware solutions for the IoT. This study uses RNN‐Bi‐LSTM to detect and extract significant features related to an already existing dataset. The proposed model exhibits a detection accuracy of 98.38% when evaluated using these existing datasets. Statistical tests like Mathew co‐relation and Log Loss also indicated reliability of proposed framework. The distinguished feature of our framework is its ability to combine complex deep learning models for IoMT security, which is of economic and scientific importance. It certainly offers a reliable solution for healthcare applications that rely on real‐time functionality and dependency on IoMT systems
