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Film offers untapped potential for making critical interventions in world politics, particularly in ways that harness people’s capacity to narrate stories that creatively empower their communities. Combining International Relations scholarship on visual politics with narrative theory and feminist scholarship on care, this paper presents film as a means of exploring and expressing narrative agency; that is, the power to tell stories that represent people’s experiences in ways that disrupt hegemonic narratives. Dialectics of care and narrative agency are explored in the context of military-to-civilian ‘transition’ in Britain. We argue that the landscape of transition for military veterans is dominated by a preoccupation with employment and economic productivity, resulting in a ‘care deficit’ for veterans leaving the military. Through the Stories in Transition project, which used co-created film to explore narrative agency in the context of three veterans’ charities, we argue that the act of making care visible constitutes a necessary intervention in this transitional landscape. Grounding this intervention within feminist care ethics and the related notion of care aesthetics, we highlight the potential for film to reveal in compelling audio-visual narratives an alternative project of transition which might better sustain life and hope in the aftermath of military service.
This study explored the effects of different human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), solely and in combination, on gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity (organic acid production), using anaerobic in vitro batch culture fermenters. The aim was to compare prebiotic effects of HMOs (2’FL, 3’FL, 3’SL, 6’SL, LNT, LNnT, and 1:1 ratio mixes of 2’FL/3’SL and 3’SL/LNT) in faecal samples from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) donors and healthy controls, and to determine the best-performing HMO in IBS. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation coupled with flow cytometry was utilised to study microbiota changes in major colonic genera, and organic acid production was assessed by gas chromatography. IBS donors had different starting microbial profiles compared to healthy controls and lower levels of organic acids. In response to HMOs, there were alterations in both the control and IBS faecal microbiomes. In IBS donor fermenters, Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, total bacterial numbers, and organic acid production significantly increased post-HMO intervention. When comparing the effect of HMO interventions on the microbiota and organic acid production, a mix of 3’SL/LNT HMOs may be the most promising intervention for IBS patients.
We show that if $\Gamma $ is a point group of $\mathbb {R}^{k+1}$ of order two for some $k\geq 2$ and $\mathcal {S}$ is a k-pseudomanifold which has a free automorphism of order two, then either $\mathcal {S}$ has a $\Gamma $-symmetric infinitesimally rigid realisation in ${\mathbb R}^{k+1}$ or $k=2$ and $\Gamma $ is a half-turn rotation group. This verifies a conjecture made by Klee, Nevo, Novik and Zheng for the case when $\Gamma $ is a point-inversion group. Our result implies that Stanley’s lower bound theorem for centrally symmetric polytopes extends to pseudomanifolds with a free simplicial automorphism of order 2, thus verifying (the inequality part of) another conjecture of Klee, Nevo, Novik and Zheng. Both results actually apply to a much larger class of simplicial complexes – namely, the circuits of the simplicial matroid. The proof of our rigidity result adapts earlier ideas of Fogelsanger to the setting of symmetric simplicial complexes.
A collaborative evaluation of remote consultations in mental health services was undertaken by mental health service providers, experts by experience, academic institutions and a Health Innovation Network in south London, UK. ‘Learning healthcare systems’ thinking was applied. Workstream 1 reviewed international published evidence; workstream 2 synthesised findings from three health provider surveys of the perceptions and experiences of staff, patients and carers; and workstream 3 comprised an electronic survey on local projects.
Results
Remote consultations can be acceptable to patients and staff. They improve access for some while restricting access for others, with digital exclusion being a key concern. Providing tailored choice is key.
Clinical implications
The collaboration generated learning to inform choices by healthcare providers to embed or adapt remote delivery. A key output was freely downloadable survey questions for assessing the quantity and quality of appointments undertaken by phone or video or face to face.
In order to study the structure and temperature distribution within high-mass star-forming clumps, we employed the Australia Telescope Compact Array to image the $\mathrm{NH}_3$ (J,K) = (1,1) through (6,6) and the (2,1) inversion transitions, the $\mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O}$$6_{16}$-$5_{23}$ maser line at 22.23508 GHz, several $\mathrm{CH}_3\mathrm{OH}$ lines and hydrogen and helium recombination lines. In addition, 22- and 24-GHz radio continuum emission was also imaged.
The $\mathrm{NH}_3$ lines probe the optical depth and gas temperature of compact structures within the clumps. The $\mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O}$ maser pinpoints the location of shocked gas associated with star formation. The recombination lines and the continuum emission trace the ionised gas associated with hot OB stars. The paper describes the data and presents sample images and spectra towards select clumps. The technique for estimating gas temperature from $\mathrm{NH}_3$ line ratios is described. The data show widespread hyperfine intensity anomalies in the $\mathrm{NH}_3$ (1,1) images, an indicator of non-LTE $\mathrm{NH}_3$ excitation. We also identify several new $\mathrm{NH}_3$ (3,3) masers associated with shocked gas. Towards AGAL328.809+00.632, the $\mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O}$$6_{16}$-$5_{23}$ line, normally seen as a maser, is instead seen as a thermally excited absorption feature against a strong background continuum. The data products are described in detail.
Background:Candida spp can cause a variety of infections known as candidiasis, ranging from severe invasive infections to superficial mucosal infections of the mouth and vagina. Fluconazole, a triazole antifungal, is commonly prescribed to treat candidiasis but increasing fluconazole resistance is a growing concern for several Candida spp. Although C. albicans has historically been the most common cause of candidiasis, other species are increasingly common and antifungal resistance is more prevalent in these non-albicans species, including C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis, which were the focus of this analysis. Methods: We used the PINC AI healthcare data (PHD) database to examine fluconazole resistance for inpatient isolates between 2012 and 2021 from 187 US acute-care hospitals with at least 1 Candida spp culture with a fluconazole susceptibility result over the entire period. We calculated annual percentage fluconazole resistance for C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, and C. parapsilosis isolates using the clinical laboratory interpretation for resistance. Results: We identified 4,264 C. glabrata, 2,482 C. parapsilosis, and 2,283 C. tropicalis isolates between 2012 and 2021 with susceptibility results. The percentage of C. glabrata isolates resistant to fluconazole doubled between 2020 and 2021 (14.6% vs 29.3%) (Fig. 1a). The percentage of C. parapsilosis isolates resistant to fluconazole steadily increased since 2017 (Fig. 1b), with an 82% increase in 2021 compared with 2020 (3.8% in 2020 vs 6.9% in 2021). Fluconazole resistance among C. tropicalis isolates varied over the years, with a 0.3% decrease in 2021 from 2020 (Fig. 1c). Of hospitals reporting at least 1 result each year 2020–2021, 44% observed an increase in the proportion of C. glabrata isolates resistant to fluconazole in 2021 compared to 2020. Conclusions: Our analysis highlights a concerning increase in fluconazole resistance among C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis isolates in 2021 compared with previous years. Further investigation of the observed increases in fluconazole resistance among these Candida spp could provide further insight on potential drivers of resistance or limitations in reported results from large databases. More analyses are needed to understand rates, sites of Candida infections, and risk factors (eg, antifungal exposure) associated with resistance.
Loneliness, a negative emotion stemming from the perception of unmet social needs, is a major public health concern. Current interventions often target social domains but produce small effects and are not as effective as established emotion regulation (ER)-based interventions for general psychological distress (i.e., depression/anxiety). Given that loneliness and distress are types of negative affect, we aimed to compare them within an ER framework by examining the amount of variance ER strategies accounted for in loneliness versus distress, and comparing the ER strategy profiles characterising them. Participants (N = 582, Mage = 22.31, 77.66% female) completed self-report measures of loneliness, distress, and use of 12 cognitive (e.g., cognitive reappraisal) or behavioural (e.g., expressive suppression) ER strategies. Regression analyses revealed that ER explained comparable variance in these constructs. Latent profile analysis identified seven profiles differing in ER patterns, with no distinct loneliness or distress profile identified. Rather, similar patterns of ER characterised these two constructs, involving the greater use of generally maladaptive strategies and the lesser use of generally adaptive strategies. However, loneliness was additionally characterised by less use of strategies involving social connection/expression. Overall, our study supports the utility of ER for understanding loneliness. Established ER-based frameworks/interventions for distress may have transdiagnostic utility in targeting loneliness.
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a class of structurally diverse and complex unconjugated glycans present in breast milk, which act as selective substrates for several genera of select microbes and inhibit the colonisation of pathogenic bacteria. Yet, not all infants are breastfed, instead being fed with formula milks which may or may not contain HMOs. Currently, formula milks only possess two HMOs: 2′-fucosyllactose (2’FL) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), which have been suggested to be similarly effective as human breast milk in supporting age-related growth. However, the in vivo evidence regarding their ability to beneficially reduce respiratory infections along with altering the composition of an infant’s microbiota is limited at best. Thus, this review will explore the concept of HMOs and their metabolic fate, and summarise previous in vitro and in vivo clinical data regarding HMOs, with specific regard to 2’FL and LNnT.
We examined whether preadmission history of depression is associated with less delirium/coma-free (DCF) days, worse 1-year depression severity and cognitive impairment.
Design and measurements:
A health proxy reported history of depression. Separate models examined the effect of preadmission history of depression on: (a) intensive care unit (ICU) course, measured as DCF days; (b) depression symptom severity at 3 and 12 months, measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II); and (c) cognitive performance at 3 and 12 months, measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) global score.
Setting and participants:
Patients admitted to the medical/surgical ICU services were eligible.
Results:
Of 821 subjects eligible at enrollment, 261 (33%) had preadmission history of depression. After adjusting for covariates, preadmission history of depression was not associated with less DCF days (OR 0.78, 95% CI, 0.59–1.03 p = 0.077). A prior history of depression was associated with higher BDI-II scores at 3 and 12 months (3 months OR 2.15, 95% CI, 1.42–3.24 p = <0.001; 12 months OR 1.89, 95% CI, 1.24–2.87 p = 0.003). We did not observe an association between preadmission history of depression and cognitive performance at either 3 or 12 months (3 months beta coefficient −0.04, 95% CI, −2.70–2.62 p = 0.97; 12 months 1.5, 95% CI, −1.26–4.26 p = 0.28).
Conclusion:
Patients with a depression history prior to ICU stay exhibit a greater severity of depressive symptoms in the year after hospitalization.
Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) system technology is a key element for the realization of the Industry 4.0 vision, as it is vital for tasks such as entity tracking, identification and asset management. However, the plethora of RFID systems’ elements in combination with the wide range of factors that need to be taken under consideration along with the interrelations amongst them, make the problem of identification and design of the right RFID system, based on users’ needs particularly complex. The research outlined in this paper seeks to optimize this process by developing an integrating schema that will encapsulate this information in a form that is both human and machine processible. Human readability will allow a shared understanding of the RFID technology domain; machine readability, automated reasoning engines to perform logical deduction techniques returning implicit information. For this purpose, the novel RFID System Configuration Ontology (RFID SCO) is developed. Hence, non-RFID experts are enabled to identify the most suitable RFID system according to their needs and RFID experts to retrieve all the relevant information required for the efficient design of the corresponding RFID system. The RFID SCO is validated and tested successfully against real-world scenarios provided by domain experts.
The Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) is the first large-area survey to be conducted with the full 36-antenna Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope. RACS will provide a shallow model of the ASKAP sky that will aid the calibration of future deep ASKAP surveys. RACS will cover the whole sky visible from the ASKAP site in Western Australia and will cover the full ASKAP band of 700–1800 MHz. The RACS images are generally deeper than the existing NRAO VLA Sky Survey and Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey radio surveys and have better spatial resolution. All RACS survey products will be public, including radio images (with $\sim$ 15 arcsec resolution) and catalogues of about three million source components with spectral index and polarisation information. In this paper, we present a description of the RACS survey and the first data release of 903 images covering the sky south of declination $+41^\circ$ made over a 288-MHz band centred at 887.5 MHz.
There is a well-established relationship between cannabis use and psychosis, although the exact nature of this relationship is not fully understood. Recent studies have observed significant genetic overlap between a diagnosis of schizophrenia and lifetime cannabis use. Expanding on this work, the current study aimed to examine whether genetic overlap also occurs for subclinical psychosis (schizotypy) and cannabis use, as well as examining the phenotypic association between the traits. Phenotypic correlations were calculated for a variety of schizotypy and cannabis phenotypes in the UK Biobank (UKB), and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability estimates and genetic correlations were calculated for these UKB phenotypes as well as for several other variables taken from recent genomewide association studies. Positive phenotypic correlations were observed between 11 out of 12 pairs of the cannabis use and schizotypy phenotypes (correlation range .05–.18), indicating a robust association between increased symptoms of schizotypy and cannabis use. SNP-based heritability estimates for two schizotypy phenotypes remained significant after multiple testing correction: social anhedonia (h2SNP = .08, SE = .02, N = 4025) and ever seen an unreal vision (h2SNP = .35, SE = .10, N = 150,717). Finally, one significant genetic correlation was observed between schizotypy and cannabis use, a negative correlation between social anhedonia and number of times used cannabis (rg = −.30, p = .012). The current study suggests the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis is also seen in subclinical symptoms of psychosis, but further research with larger samples is needed to determine the biological mechanisms underlying this association.
Little is known about parents’ compensatory health beliefs (CHB) surrounding their children’s engagement in physical activity (PA). Our aim was to provide evidence regarding the nature of, and factors underpinning, parents’ PA-related compensatory beliefs for their children.
Design:
A qualitative descriptive approach and thematic content analysis were employed.
Setting:
Parents were recruited from community sport and PA programmes.
Participants:
Eighteen parents aged 32–52 years (mean age = 40·8 (sd 5·4) years; six males; twelve females).
Results:
Analyses indicated that parents compensate through ‘passive’ or ‘active’ means. Among parents who compensated, most described their provision of ‘treat’ foods/drinks and a minority described allowing extended sedentary time to their children. Parents’ reasons underpinning these beliefs related to their child’s general physical/health status and psychological characteristics, and their own motivation and mood state.
Conclusions:
These findings provide the first evidence of unhealthy dietary and sedentary behaviour CHB that parents may hold regarding their children’s involvement in PA.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To explore the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in association with hippocampal and amygdala volumes in ICU survivors. We hypothesize that the severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms in ICU survivors is associated with lower volumes of both the hippocampus and amygdala. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Secondary analysis of the VISIONS study, a prospective sub-study of the BRAIN-ICU cohort, which included survivors of critical illness. Patients were screened for preexisting PTSD before discharge. The PTSD Checklist Specific (PCL-S) was used at 3 and 12 months to evaluate the ICU as a traumatic experience. A score of >30, indicated significant symptoms of PTSD. A Philips Achieva 3T MRI scanner was used to scan patients at both discharge and 3-month follow-up. To compare median brain volumes at discharge and 3 months for those with and without significant PTSD symptomatology (PCL-S ≥30) at 3 and 12 months, we used a Kruskal-Wallis (KW) equality-of-populations rank test. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The median age for our sample was 58.5 (52.6, 63.7). One-third of the sample was female, and 90% were Caucasian. Fifty-seven percent of individuals (N = 12) had at least one prior mental health diagnosis, with two having a prior history of PTSD. One third of individuals experienced delirium during their critical illness. At 3-month follow up, there were three patients with PTSD symptomatology and one at 12-month follow up. Median brain volumes (hippocampus or amygdala) did not differ between individuals with or without PTSD symptomatology at either 3 or 12 months (p-values for all tests >0.05). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Although our study did not reveal significant differences in brain volumes between PTSD patients and non-PTSD patients, sample size is a major limitation and larger scale studies should be undertaken to elucidate possible neurobiological markers of PTSD in ICU survivors. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DESCRIPTION: Dr. Wilson would like to acknowledge salary support from the Vanderbilt Faculty Research Scholars Program (1KL2TR002245), HL111111 and GM120484. Drs. Ely and Jackson as well as Mrs. Kiehl all receive funding for their time working on this investigation from AG035117 and HL111111. Dr. Ely would additionally like to acknowledge salary support from the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC). Dr. Ely will also disclose additional funding for his time from AG027472 and having received honoraria from Orion and Hospira for CME activity; he does not hold stock or consultant relationships with those companies. The authors would like to acknowledge the following: this work was conducted in part using the resources of the Center for Computational Imaging at Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science and the Advanced Computing Center for Research and Education at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, and study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at Vanderbilt University.
Evidence is emerging that beliefs about voices are influenced by broader schematic beliefs about the self and others. Similarly, studies indicate that the relationship an individual has with their voice may mirror wider patterns of relating observed in social relationships, which may be influenced by schematic beliefs.
Aims:
This study examined associations between beliefs about voices and self and other schemas. Furthermore, associations between schemas and the perceived relationship between the hearer and their predominant voice were explored.
Method:
Forty-four voice-hearing participants were recruited across mental health services. Participants completed self-report measures of beliefs about voices, schema functioning, and relating between the hearer and their voice. Dimensions of voice experience, such as frequency and content, were assessed using a clinician-rated scale.
Results:
Beliefs about voices correlated with negative voice content and schemas. After controlling for negative voice content, schemas were estimated to predict between 1 and 17% of the variance in the six measured beliefs about voices; three of the associations reached statistical significance. Negative-self schema were the strongest predictors of beliefs about voices, whilst positive-self also showed potential relationships. Schemas also correlated with dimensions of relating between the hearer and their voice.
Conclusions:
In line with previous research, this study provides evidence that schemas, particularly self-schema, may be important in the development of beliefs about voices. This study offers preliminary findings to suggest that schemas are also associated with the perceived relationship between the hearer and their voice.
Wild sheep and many primitive domesticated breeds have two coats: coarse hairs covering shorter, finer fibres. Both are shed annually. Exploitation of wool for apparel in the Bronze Age encouraged breeding for denser fleeces and continuously growing white fibres. The Merino is regarded as the culmination of this process. Archaeological discoveries, ancient images and parchment records portray this as an evolutionary progression, spanning millennia. However, examination of the fleeces from feral, two-coated and woolled sheep has revealed a ready facility of the follicle population to change from shedding to continuous growth and to revert from domesticated to primitive states. Modifications to coat structure, colour and composition have occurred in timeframes and to sheep population sizes that exclude the likelihood of variations arising from mutations and natural selection. The features are characteristic of the domestication phenotype: an assemblage of developmental, physiological, skeletal and hormonal modifications common to a wide variety of species under human control. The phenotypic similarities appeared to result from an accumulation of cryptic genetic changes early during vertebrate evolution. Because they did not affect fitness in the wild, the mutations were protected from adverse selection, becoming apparent only after exposure to a domestic environment. The neural crest, a transient embryonic cell population unique to vertebrates, has been implicated in the manifestations of the domesticated phenotype. This hypothesis is discussed with reference to the development of the wool follicle population and the particular roles of Notch pathway genes, culminating in the specific cell interactions that typify follicle initiation.
A piezoelectric biomedical microelectromechanical system (bioMEMS) cantilever device was designed and fabricated to act as either a sensing element for muscle tissue contraction or as an actuator to apply mechanical force to cells. The sensing ability of the piezoelectric cantilevers was shown by monitoring the electrical signal generated from the piezoelectric aluminum nitride in response to the contraction of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes cultured on the piezoelectric cantilevers. Actuation was demonstrated by applying electrical pulses to the piezoelectric cantilever and observing bending via an optical detection method. This piezoelectric cantilever device was designed to be incorporated into body-on-a-chip systems.
The patterns and drivers of late Quaternary vegetation dynamics in the southeastern United States are poorly understood due to low site density, problematic chronologies, and a paucity of independent paleoclimate proxy records. We present a well-dated (15 accelerator mass spectrometry 14C dates) 30,000-yr record from White Pond, South Carolina that consists of high-resolution analyses of fossil pollen, macroscopic charcoal, and Sporormiella spores, and an independent paleotemperature reconstruction based on branched glycerol dialkyl tetraethers. Between 30,000 and 20,000 cal yr BP, open Pinus-Picea forest grew under cold and dry conditions; elevated Quercus before 26,000 cal yr BP, however, suggest warmer conditions in the Southeast before the last glacial maximum, possibly corresponding to regionally warmer conditions associated with Heinrich event H2. Warming between 19,700 and 10,400 cal yr BP was accompanied by a transition from conifer-dominated to mesic hardwood forest. Sporormiella spores were not detected and charcoal was low during the late glacial period, suggesting megaherbivore grazers and fire were not locally important agents of vegetation change. Pinus returned to dominance during the Holocene, with step-like increases in Pinus at 10,400 and 6400 cal yr BP, while charcoal abundance increased tenfold, likely due to increased biomass burning associated with warmer conditions. Low-intensity surface fires increased after 1200 cal yr BP, possibly related to the establishment of the Mississippian culture in the Southeast.
Spatial conditionally autoregressive (CAR) models in a hierarchical Bayesian framework can be informative for understanding state politics, or any similar population of border-defined observations. This article explains how a hierarchical CAR model is specified and estimated and then uses Monte Carlo analyses to show when the CAR model offers efficiency gains. We apply this model to data structures common to state politics: A cross-sectional example replicates Erikson, Wright and McIver’s (1993) Statehouse Democracy model and a multilevel panel model example replicates Margalit’s (2013) study of social welfare policy preferences. The CAR model fits better in each case and some inferences differ from models that ignore geographic correlation.