Profile of outer membrane proteins of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli in Ghana

Objective: Carbapenem resistance is a major global health threat, but insights on its molecular determinants are scanty in sub-Saharan Africa, the predominant global antimicrobial resistance hotspot. This study aimed to profile outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of 111 carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria recovered from a broad spectrum of clinical specimens from Ghana. Results: The OMPs of Pseudomonas aeruginosa produced decreased amounts of OprD or the porin was completely lost, except in 5.9% (n = 3) of the isolates which had high-level porins. For Acinetobacter baumannii, 96.8% (n = 30) expressed loss of OprF. One carbapenemase non-PCR-positive isolate with high-level porin expression was observed. In A. baumannii, the major and significant band on SDS-PAGE was ~ 35 kDa. There were substantial numbers of unrelated porin expression among the isolates. Particularly, OmpC/F or OmpK35/37 expression was deficient. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis for Escherichia coli, Klebsiella aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and other Enterobacterales had OmpC and OmpF absent or markedly reduced compared to the control strains. Overall, porin loss was a major mechanism underlying carbapenem resistance among the isolates, suggesting that in carbapenem-resistant organisms that seem to lack known carbapenem resistance genes, porin loss may be the underlying carbapenem resistance mechanism

Estimating the Replicability of Sports and Exercise Science Research

Background The replicability of sports and exercise research has not been assessed previously despite concerns about scientific practices within the field. Aim This study aims to provide an initial estimate of the replicability of applied sports and exercise science research published in quartile 1 journals (SCImago journal ranking for 2019 in the Sports Science subject category; www.scimagojr.com) between 2016 and 2021. Methods A formalised selection protocol for this replication project was previously published. Voluntary collaborators were recruited, and studies were allocated in a stratified and randomised manner on the basis of equipment and expertise. Original authors were contacted to provide deidentified raw data, to review preregistrations and to provide methodological clarifications. A multiple inferential strategy was employed to analyse the replication data. The same analysis (i.e. F test or t test) was used to determine whether the replication effect size was statistically significant and in the same direction as the original effect size. Z-tests were used to determine whether the original and replication effect size estimates were compatible or significantly different in magnitude. Results In total, 25 replication studies were included for analysis. Of the 25, 10 replications used paired t tests, 1 used an independent t test and 14 used an analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the statistical analyses. In all, 7 (28%) studies demonstrated robust replicability, meeting all three validation criteria: achieving statistical significance (p < 0.05) in the same direction as the original study and showing compatible effect size magnitudes as per the Z test (p > 0.05). Conclusion There was a substantial decrease in the published effect size estimate magnitudes when replicated; therefore, sports and exercise science researchers should consider effect size uncertainty when conducting subsequent power analyses. Additionally, there were many barriers to conducting the replication studies, e.g., original author communication and poor data and reporting transparency

Physical Health Proficiencies in Mental Health Nursing Education: Student Nurses’ Perspectives

Aim To explore mental health nursing students’ perceptions and experiences of being taught physical health competencies in mental health nurse education. Background Current standards for pre-registration nursing education in the UK require students to be taught and assessed on a range of physical health proficiencies. In the context of mental health nursing, this focus has been widely debated, with some academics arguing that it marks the beginning of a shift toward a more generalised approach to nursing. However, mental health nursing students - key stakeholders in the teaching and assessment process have not been actively involved in evaluating the relevance or validity of these proficiencies. Design A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate student experiences. Methods The study was conducted using an anonymous online questionnaire, incorporating quantitative and qualitative elements; administered to mental health nursing students from five UK universities to elicit their perceptions regarding the taught content and assessment of physical health proficiencies in their curriculum. Descriptive and inferential analysis was conducted on quantitative data; thematic analysis was conducted for qualitative data. Results 115 mental health nursing students from UK universities participated in the survey. Quantitative findings revealed that respondents generally agreed on the importance of physical health skills and recognised the benefits of the related taught content. Qualitative analysis highlighted key factors influencing students' development of physical health competencies, including theoretical learning at university, clinical skills simulation and practical consolidation during placements. However, participants emphasised that transferability of taught physical skills could be enhanced by observing the application in mental health and broader healthcare settings, thereby increasing their perceived value for learning and practice. Conclusions Mental health nursing students up to now a neglected voice have shown they value the physical health content of their courses. Greater attention is needed to ensure these skills are effectively experienced and assessed in practice. Further evaluation should include perspectives of students and registered mental health nurses responsible for integrating these procedures into performance assessments

Niobium as an alternative cladding material for neutron producing targets: Analysis of erosion response

The current design of neutron producing spallation targets (TS2) at ISIS constitutes a Tungsten (W) core cladded with a thin Tantalum (Ta) sleeve which facilitates circulation of cooling water. These targets are undergoing premature failure due to erosion-corrosion of the Ta sleeve as one of the primary causes. This has drawn attention towards sourcing alternative cladding materials and Niobium (Nb) is potentially seen as a candidate. However, the aqueous slurry erosion response of Nb is unreported and needs scrutiny. In this work, slurry erosion performance of Nb was studied with the help of an impinging jet erosion-corrosion apparatus. Aims included measuring erosion rate of Nb with respect to abrasive particle concentration, slurry velocity, and slurry impingement angle including determining erosion mechanisms. Results revealed peak erosion rate at a slurry impingement angle of 30°, and for velocities of 6 ms-1 having a particle concentration of 7 wt.%. The material removal mechanism involved a dominating ploughing and type-1 micro-cutting action at shallow angles of impact as compared to formation and breakage of platelets due to a ‘plastic deformation-fatigue’ dominated wear mechanism at near normal impact angles. The erosion response of Nb thus could be described as one typically observed for ductile materials. Experiments were also performed to analyse the cavitation erosion resistance of Nb using an ultrasonic vibratory apparatus (sonotrode) in de-ionised water to complement impinging slurry jet studies

Localising digital manufacturing in Sub-Saharan Africa: challenges and strategic pathways for industrial competitiveness

Globally, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to line up their products and processes with the evolving market demand. This underscores the importance of embracing nascent manufacturing technologies, with digitalisation being a critical enabler for productivity and competitiveness. However, many low-income countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region are lagging behind; limiting them from enhancing their productivity and competitiveness. This paper is therefore organized to examine manufacturing digitalisation localising pathways supported with implementation digitalisation index. A thematic survey-based SWOT analysis and TOWS matrix, identifying transformative areas of action, and synthesising various digitalisation variables have substantiated the evolved digitalisation index. It also offers key challenges that need attention during the localisation while defining strategies and policy approaches including perceiving knowledge towards digital transformation, describing benefits from digital success stories, focusing on localised innovation ecosystem, and enriching the process of digital transformation through capacity building. The study then synthesised findings, solely sourced from secondary data, to verify the long-term resilience and benefits of localising the manufacturing digitalisation. The cutting-edge implication of the study in the cased region is finally shown in fostering cross-organisational synergy of the manufacturing industry through boosted productivity, enhanced competitiveness, enriched value addition, and through focused sustainability ecosystem

21. Son of Danny

Chapter 21: Son of Danny, focuses on my discoveries via Ancestry and discusses my ethical dilemmas regarding making contact with Danny’s son

Memory, heritage, and the post steel city: Mediating the transformation of Sheffield since 1990

This chapter examines the stakeholders involved in the mediation of Sheffield’s transition to a post Steel City from 1990 onward, considering three key case studies. The first focuses on the city’s Lower Don Valley, which was the site of the World Student Games in 1991. The urban planning company Sheffield Development Corporation (SDC), chaired by industrialist Hugh Sykes, had overseen the regeneration of Sheffield’s East End. Sykes was incredibly influential in crafting a vision of rebirth for Sheffield that centred on the introduction of retail and leisure. The SDC was a private company that had to collaborate with council leaders and departments, such as the Department for Education and Economic Development (DEED). The latter was crucial in selling the new vision of Sheffield being crafted by Sykes and the SDC in the early 1990s, using the World Student Games as an opportunity to show Sheffield’s new global confidence. The second case study focuses on the Sheffield One urban planning company in the early 2000s, a company in which Hugh Sykes was again influential, alongside public relations strategists. Sheffield One was focused on redeveloping the city centre, overseeing the completion of the Heart of the City regeneration programme and masterminding a new publicity campaign to convince both citizens and businesses of the potential for a New Retail Quarter. The final case study focuses on the new co-operative movements and independent businesses in the city in the 2010s that have taken on the role of urban regeneration. Specific attention is given to the project Leah’s Yard and the way in which it has embraced previous attempts to rebrand Sheffield, but doing so through the mythmaking process of memory, heritage, and independent craft making. The chapter makes use of sources held at the Sheffield City Archives, focusing on the records of the World Student Games, the Sheffield Development Corporation, and the Sheffield One partnership, alongside new promotional material for the Heart of the City II regeneration programme and the Leah’s Yard development. It primarily focuses on public relations material, as well as visual evidence (photographs and film footage), to consider the ways in which Sheffield’s transition to the post Steel City, and ultimately its deindustrialisation, was mediated to both the city’s citizens and to businesses and professionals outside of Sheffield in an attempt to convince them to relocate to the city. In doing so, the aim is to foreground the paradoxical nature of this process in which those ‘doing’ the mediating were simultaneously drawing upon Sheffield’s steel industry heritage, while also persistently searching for a new future and identity

Unveiling Psychosocial Factors Influencing Metaverse-Associated App Adoption: Acumens from fsQCA Approach

The Metaverse represents a fusion of the physical and digital worlds, heralding the next evolution in the manufacturing and services sector. Given the rapid proliferation of Metaverse-associated apps (MAPPs), gaining a profound understanding of consumer proclivities and intentions to use them is crucial. However, existing Metaverse literature primarily uses symmetric variance-based approaches, which have not fully captured the complex interactions among factors influencing adoption. We address this gap by examining how various psychosocial factors and their configurations influence MAPPs adoption through the lens of configuration and complexity theories. The research results were based on a sample of 372 Chinese consumers analyzed using PLS-SEM, NCA, and fsQCA, identifying seven distinct solutions, each characterized by a unique combination of personality, motivational, social, and functional traits. This study adds to the Metaverse literature by offering a robust theoretical framework to explain the asymmetric impact of psychosocial factors on MAPP adoption