45303 research outputs found
Sort by
Becoming oneself online: narrative self-constitution and the internet
No full textThis paper explores how self-identity can be impacted upon by the use of digital and social media. In particular, drawing on a narrative account of selfhood, it argues that some forms of activity and interaction on the internet can support the capacity to be oneself, and foster transformative processes that are self-enhancing.I start by introducing different positions in the philosophical exploration of identity online, critically outlining the arguments of those who hold a “pessimistic” and an “optimistic” stance respectively. I then expand on the narrative identity framework that has been used to support the optimists’ view, arguing that digital and social media use can foster forms of self-understanding that enable us to preserve or develop our identity. More precisely, exploring these dynamics also in relation to the lived experience of mental ill-health, I maintain that internet-enabled technology can support narrative self-constitution in three main ways: (1) by facilitating the processes through which we remember self-defining life-stories; (2) by enabling us to give salience to the stories that we decide should matter the most; and (3) by providing us with opportunities to obtain social uptake for our narratives. I then conclude by dispelling some possible objections to the use of a narrative approach to account for selfhood online
A Multifaceted Strategic Approach to Monitor and Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance in Türkiye: A Qualitative Study
No full textAntimicrobial resistance constitutes a global and national public health issue. In response, Turkish health authorities have initiated targeted measures to tackle this challenge and promote judicious antibiotic use. Nevertheless, Turkish policymakers need to recognise the multifactorial, multifaceted, and interconnected nature of antimicrobial resistance to devise comprehensive strategies against this threat. This thesis delves into the factors of antibiotic use contributing to antibiotic resistance in the Turkish context. Its primary objective is to construct a conceptual framework that can offer guidance to the Turkish government, policymakers, and healthcare bodies. This framework aims to facilitate culturally attuned, relevant, applicable, sustainable strategies, specifically tailored for Türkiye, to enhance prudent antibiotic practices and proactively address antibiotic resistance. To fulfil this objective, three sequential phases of a qualitative study were conducted. It sought to explore, comprehend, elucidate, and interpret perspectives from key informants, healthcare practitioners, and members of the public and social media users residing in Türkiye. The methodology followed underscored the potential significance of social media for gaining deeper insights into public health perceptions. This thesis meticulously crafted a contextualised conceptual framework pertinent to Türkiye. It encapsulates three key aspects of antibiotic resistance: (1) professional practices, (2) the healthcare system and policies, and (3) the public and patients. It provides an encompassing comprehension of the diverse factors, spanning individual, societal, and policy realms, that contribute to antibiotic resistance. The implications drawn from this research underscored considering societal and cultural norms pertinent to the Turkish community in re-designing strategic antimicrobial stewardship actions. Furthermore, it emphasised the integration of social media interventions into the national action plan, given their substantial influence on the attitudes related to antibiotic use among the Turkish population. In essence, this thesis represents a significant contribution in the realm of global antimicrobial stewardship, particularly focusing on low and middle-income countries like Türkiye
Contemporary approaches to the diagnosis and management of Pancreatic Ductal adenocarcinoma, examining the role of biomarkers in aiding early diagnosis
Get PDFWhilst other cancers have seen improvements in survival over recent decades, Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a disease with poor outcomes. At present no screening tests exist to detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage in the asymptomatic population. There is an increasing interest in novel ways to detect pancreatic cancer at an earlier stage in the disease process when a potential cure is more likely to be achieved. A literature review was undertaken of the current understanding and management of this devastating disease, focussing on aetiology, current methods of cancer diagnosis and staging, and therapeutic options. A feasibility study was then undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a selection of novel candidate biomarkers to differentiate between plasma and urine obtained from participants with and without pancreatic cancer, comparing them with the current gold standard biomarker, Ca19-9, which is often used with a cut-off concentration of 37U/L. Enzyme-Linked-Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to quantify concentrations of Ca19-9, Thrombospondin-2 (THBS2) and Human Chitinase 3-like 1 (YKL-40). Samples were analysed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, with the spectra of cancer and non-cancer specimens being compared, allowing a machine-learning diagnostic model to be created. In isolation, plasma Ca19-9 had the greatest ability to discriminate between cancer and non-cancer (AUC = 0.885). However, a multi-analyte panel (comprising plasma Ca19-9, plasma THBS2 and urinary THBS2) was found to have a greater diagnostic accuracy to discriminate between the 2 groups when compared to using the widely used Ca19-9 cut-off of 37U/L (83.33% vs 76.6%). A diagnostic model using FTIR spectroscopy had a diagnostic accuracy of >90%.Pancreatic cancer remains a disease with poor outcomes, but there are promising new strategies to diagnose patients at an earlier stage. The initial results from these investigations are promising, but require validation with a larger test cohort
El vapeo ya es más común que el tabaquismo entre los jóvenes, y sus riesgos van más allá de los daños pulmonares y cerebrales
No full textReal-World Clinical Experience of Oral Semaglutide in a Secondary Diabetes Clinic in the UK: A Retrospective Observational Study
No full textIntroductionOral semaglutide improves cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in clinical trials, though real-world evidence is limited. We aimed to determine the real-world impact of oral semaglutide on routinely collected clinical data in our practice.MethodsPeople with T2D initiated on oral semaglutide in secondary care diabetes clinics at two hospital sites in Wales (United Kingdom) were included. Data were collected on reasons for oral semaglutide initiation and changes in bodyweight, blood pressure, glycemic control, and lipid profiles over follow-up at 3–6 months, and at 6–12 months. Data were collected to determine the safety of oral semaglutide.ResultsSeventy-six patients were included, with a median age 59.3 [51.4–67.6] years, and 38 (50.0%) patients were female. The most common reasons for oral semaglutide were need for weight loss and improved glycemia (69.8%), and improved glycemia alone (25.0%). Oral semaglutide associated with significantly reduced bodyweight (− 3.3 kg), body mass index (BMI) (– 0.9 kg/m2), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (− 11 mmol/mol), and total cholesterol (− 0.4 mmol/l) by 3–6 months follow-up. At 6–12 months, there was a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (− 7.0 mmHg), in addition to sustained reductions in other metabolic parameters. By 12 months, 18 (23.6%) patients had discontinued the drug, largely resulting from gastrointestinal disturbance, but there were no serious events in this cohort.ConclusionsOral semaglutide was effective in improving cardiovascular risk factors in this real-world population living with T2D, and no serious events were identified related to oral semaglutide in this patient group
How Do XR Technologies Remediate Museum Curatorial Practices and User Experience?
No full textOver the past 20 years, the integration of digital media into museum curatorial methodologies and visitor engagement strategies has been profound, with extended reality (XR) technologies emerging as pivotal components in this digital museology evolution. A review of existing literature highlights focuses on the technological tools and solutions, the various forms of experience modalities as well as evaluation process, findings, and limitations of XR cases in cultural heritage (CH). However, there are few instances of research that focuses on the theoretical aspects of this use of XR. This gap presents a significant opportunity to provide explanations for the effectiveness (or failures) of XR museum applications from a theoretical and philosophical position. To bridge this gap, the current research adopts phenomenological and post-phenomenological frameworks to theoretically underpin the operational success of XR in CH applications. Employing a qualitative research approach, this thesis analyzes data from case studies, surveys, and interviews. The investigation encompasses four case studies, including one AR and three VR applications, leveraging user experience (UX) testing methods such as semi-structured observations and interviews to gauge 22 user responses to XR museum exhibits. The sample size of 22 users was determined based on typical museum visitor profiles to ensure a representative range of perspectives. Furthermore, discussions with 22 XR specialists and museum curators were conducted to gain insight into the design and development motivations behind these applications. Findings reveal two main areas: digital curation's influence on conceptualizing and delivering virtual museum experiences, and these experiences' impact on visitor engagement. Importantly, this research proposes a philosophical shift in museum conceptualization, treating artifacts as living history that fosters an emotional and interactive visitor experience. This vision champions museums as dynamic, responsive entities, where technology and narrative create a sense of home and belonging, inviting visitors to actively participate in and contribute to the cultural narrative
An In Vitro Model to Assess Early Immune Markers Following Co-Exposure of Epithelial Cells to Carbon Black (Nano)Particles in the Presence of S. aureus: A Role for Stressed Cells in Toxicological Testing
Get PDFThe exposure of human lung and skin to carbon black (CB) is continuous due to its widespread applications. Current toxicological testing uses ‘healthy’ cellular systems; however, questions remain whether this mimics the everyday stresses that human cells are exposed to, including infection. Staphylococcus aureus lung and skin infections remain prevalent in society, and include pneumonia and atopic dermatitis, respectively, but current in vitro toxicological testing does not consider infection stress. Therefore, investigating the effects of CB co-exposure in ‘stressed’ infected epithelial cells in vitro may better approximate true toxicity. This work aims to study the impact of CB exposure during Staphylococcus aureus infection stress in A549 (lung) and HaCaT (skin) epithelial cells. Physicochemical characterisation of CB confirmed its dramatic polydispersity and potential to aggregate. CB significantly inhibited S. aureus growth in cell culture media. CB did not induce cytokines or antimicrobial peptides from lung and skin epithelial cells, when given alone, but did reduce HaCaT and A549 cell viability to 55% and 77%, respectively. In contrast, S. aureus induced a robust interleukin (IL)-8 response in both lung and skin epithelial cells. IL-6 and human beta defensin (hβD)-2 could only be detected when cells were stimulated with S. aureus with no decreases in cell viability. However, co-exposure to CB (100 µg/mL) and S. aureus resulted in significant inhibition of IL-8 (compared to S. aureus alone) without further reduction in cell viability. Furthermore, the same co-exposure induced significantly more hβD-2 (compared to S. aureus alone). This work confirms that toxicological testing in healthy versus stressed cells gives significantly different responses. This has significant implications for toxicological testing and suggests that cell stresses (including infection) should be included in current models to better represent the diversity of cell viabilities found in lung and skin within a general population. This model will have significant application when estimating CB exposure in at-risk groups, such as factory workers, the elderly, and the immunocompromised
Radicalisation, Counter-radicalisation and Prevent: A Vernacular Approach
No full textThis book offers the first sustained investigation into non-elite understandings of radicalisation and counter-radicalisation policy. Drawing on original focus group research with students from universities across England and Wales, the book explores how ‘ordinary’ citizens understand radicalisation, how they make sense of counter-radicalisation initiatives like the UK Prevent Strategy, and how they evaluate its functioning and effects across society. Radicalisation, Counter-radicalisation and Prevent demonstrates that these non-elite insights often contradict and diverge from traditional (elite) security knowledge and thus shed new light on wider questions around the politics of security. This has vitally important implications not only for counter-radicalisation and counter-terrorism policy but for the very study and practice of security
Global correlation analysis of strongly nonlinear frequency responses using the arclength-based separation and the Correlation-Map
Get PDFGlobal correlation analysis is an important technique to quantify both the shape and amplitude differences between two response vectors. In linear dynamic systems, differences between two Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) are quantified as scalar number curves of the Global Shape Criterion (GSC) and the Global Amplitude Criterion (GAC), to represent FRF similarities at different frequencies. From linear to nonlinear, responses are usually obtained at different frequencies to form the Frequency Response Curve (FRC), replacing the FRF for dynamic analysis. Extending the concept of global correlation analysis from linear FRFs to nonlinear FRCs could quantify shape and amplitude similarities between nonlinear models. However, global correlation analysis for multivalued FRCs with a strong nonlinearity is hard to conduct, as strongly nonlinear correlation functions have complex multivalued phenomena with real/fake characteristics. In this paper, the Global Shape Curve Criterion (GSCC) and Global Amplitude Curve Criterion (GACC) are proposed for the correlation analysis of strongly nonlinear FRCs, which can quantify the similarity between two FRCs with different and complex multivalued phenomena. Through the arclength-based separation, multivalued FRCs are separated to single-valued response branches, in order to compute single-valued correlation functions that form the multivalued correlation function. The computed correlations contain the GSCC and GACC, which separately represent shape and amplitude differences between two FRCs at each frequency. The multivalued correlation function is represented as a Correlation-Map (C-MAP) to extract real correlation characteristics, for accurate correlation analysis. The multivalued correlation analysis is first verified on a 3 DOF model with a strong nonlinearity. Differences between the reference and initial multivalued FRCs are successfully quantified as scalar curves and the GACC may be more sensitive than the GSCC on models with a local nonlinearity. Then, the proposed method is further validated on an experimental 3 DOF model. Very complex 15-valued correlation functions between FRCs with different multivalued phenomena are established. Even so, the real correlations are still successfully extracted by the C-MAP. These show the validity and superiority of the proposed method