SnoRNAs in cardiovascular development, function, and disease

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiovascular (patho)biology. Several roles of snoRNAs have recently been identified in heart development and congenital heart diseases, as well as their dynamic regulation in hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies, coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac fibrosis, and heart failure. Furthermore, reports of changes in vesicular snoRNA expression and altered levels of circulating snoRNAs in response to cardiac stress suggest that snoRNAs also function in cardiac signaling and intercellular communication. In this review, we summarize and discuss key findings and outline the clinical potential of snoRNAs considering current challenges and gaps in the field of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)

Cover crops in cereal rotations: A quantitative review

The use of cover crops in conventional agriculture is not fully accepted. This is probably due to the substantial variability in outcomes reported and is complicated by the conflation of a host of techniques under the same umbrella term, often without the appropriate benchmarking. This review addresses these issues with a quantitative synthesis of the last 11 years of research on cover crops in cereal rotations in temperate climates. Strict inclusion criteria focus the scope of the review to studies offering comparisons with an equally treated bare fallow control. Coded variables included duration, fertiliser, irrigation and tillage regime, cover and cash crop type and termination mode. The result is a quantitative review of 100 parameters covered by multiple publications, with an additional overview on 124 parameters covered by single studies. The investigated response variables range from microbiology and chemical parameters to hydrology, soil structure, weed and pest control and crop performance. Relevant trends were identified regarding strengths and weaknesses of cover cropping, with predictions formulated about the conditions necessary for their successful implementation. Additionally, trade-offs specific to cover cropping are discussed, together with the variables at play in determining the final balance of net gain or loss. The main findings are that cash crop performance is best enhanced by legume cover crops and in low-tillage regimes, and the soil biotic effects of cover crops tend to be short-lived, fading by the end of the season. Most importantly, a positive effect of cover cropping on soil carbon is potentially offset by increased GHG emissions

Item development for a patient‐reported measure of compassionate healthcare in action

Background Compassionate care is a fundamental component of healthcare today; yet, many measures of compassionate care are subjective in focus and lack clarity around what compassionate care looks like in practice. Measures mostly relate to physical healthcare settings, neglecting mental healthcare. They also lack significant involvement of people with lived experience (PLE) of healthcare delivery in their development. This study aimed to begin the process of developing a new patient-reported measure, one that captures the observable actions of compassionate care delivery or ‘compassionate healthcare in action’ by any healthcare professional working in any care setting. The study involves PLE of healthcare delivery, both patients and staff, throughout. Methods A multistage mixed-methods scale development process was followed. First, items were derived inductively from reflexive thematic analysis of patient and clinician interviews about what compassionate care meant to them (n = 8), with additional items derived deductively from a literature review of existing measures. Next, a panel of patient, clinician and researcher experts in compassionate care was recruited (Round 1: n = 33, Round 2: n = 29), who refined these items in a two-round modified online Delphi process. Results Consensus was reached on 21 items of compassionate care in action relating to six facets: understanding, communication, attention, action, emotional sensitivity and connection. These items will form the basis for further scale development. Conclusions This item development work has laid the foundation of a potential new tool to systematically measure what compassionate healthcare in action looks like to patients. Further research is underway to produce a valid and reliable version of this proposed new measure. We have outlined these initial stages in detail in the hope of encouraging greater transparency and replicability in measure development, as well as emphasising the value of involving PLE throughout the process. Patient or Public Contribution This study involved PLE of both physical and mental healthcare (as staff, patients and service users) throughout the development of the new measure, including initial project conceptualisation and participation in item generation and refinement stages

Doing research in non-specialist mental health services for children and young people: lessons learnt from a process evaluation of the ICALM (Interpersonal Counselling for Adolescent Low Mood) feasibility randomised controlled trial

Background: The rising prevalence of adolescent mild depression in the UK and the paucity of evidence-based interventions in non-specialist sectors where most cases present, creates an urgent need for early psychological interventions. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for obtaining unbiased estimates of intervention effectiveness. However, the complexity of mental health settings poses great challenges for effectiveness evaluations. This paper reports learning from an embedded process evaluation of the ICALM RCT which tested the feasibility of delivering Interpersonal Counselling for Adolescents (IPC-A) plus Treatment as Usual (TAU) versus TAU only for adolescent (age 12–18) mild depression by non-qualified mental health professionals in non-specialist sectors. Methods: A qualitative mixed methods process evaluation, drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model to investigate key influences on trial delivery across macro-(e.g. policy), meso-(e.g. service characteristics) and micro-(e.g. on-site trial processes) contextual levels. Data collection methods included 9 site questionnaires, 4 observations of team meetings, policy documents, and 18 interviews with stakeholders including therapists, heads of service and managers. Thematic analysis focused on understanding how contextual features shaped trial implementation. Results: The ICALM trial concluded in 2022 having only randomised 14 out of the target 60 young people. At a macro-level, trial delivery was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with services reporting a sharp increase in cases of (social) anxiety over low mood, and backlogs at central referral points which prolonged waiting times for mild cases (e.g. low mood). An interaction between high demand and lack of capacity at a meso-service level led to low prioritisation of trial activities at a micro-level. Unfamiliarity with research processes (e.g. randomisation) and variation in TAU support also accentuated the complexities of conducting an RCT in this setting. Conclusions: Conducting a RCT of IPC-A in non-specialist services is not feasible in the current context. Failure to conduct effectiveness trials in this setting has clinical implications, potentially resulting in escalation of mild mental health problems. Research done in this setting should adopt pragmatic and innovative recruitment and engagement approaches (e.g. creating new referral pathways) and consider alternative trial designs, e.g. cluster, stepped-wedge or non-controlled studies using complex systems approaches to embrace contextual complexity

Corporate social responsibility disclosure, dividend payments and firm value – Relations and mediating effects

We examine the relations between corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures, dividend payments, and firm value. We use an international sample and measure CSR disclosures based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) disclosure levels, which we divide into two parts (unexpected and expected disclosures). We find three main results. First, firms with higher levels of unexpected CSR disclosure pay higher dividends, and this association is attributable to firms where unexpected CSR disclosure is aligned with CSR performance. Second, only the unexpected part of CSR disclosures is positively associated with share prices. Third, this positive association is fully mediated by dividends

Genre-based instruction and corpora

Genre, understood most simply, is a term for grouping texts together, representing broad rhetorical templates that writers draw on to respond to recurring situations: what users see as effective ways of getting things done using language. In this forum piece I discuss how genres are understood and used to support corpus-based approaches to language pedagogy

Basic human values and preferences for an EU-wide social benefit scheme

Previous explanations regarding transnational solidarity in the European Union (EU) have mainly focussed on factors including left–right self-placement, support for European integration and European identity. We expand this model by considering deeper psychological determinants of transnational solidarity: values, operationalised as Schwartz's basic human values of universalism and security. We expect them to exert (1) direct effects on transnational solidarity – measured as support for pan-European social benefits – and (2) indirect effects via the three aforementioned factors. We test and find evidence to support our theoretical framework using multigroup structural equation modelling and data from the European Social Survey. We further show that the effect size of the value of universalism on preferences for an EU social benefit scheme in each country is positively moderated by that country's net contribution to the EU budget, highlighting the interaction between material interests and psychological value motivations

Reformulation letters in cognitive analytic therapy: The practitioner's experience

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore (1) cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) practitioners' experiences of receiving their own reformulation letter as part of their training and (2) CAT practitioners' perceptions about how receiving their own reformulation letter altered their clinical practice. Design: Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit participants' (N= 9) experiences of having received their personal CAT, with a particular focus on the reformulation letter, and their perceptions of its impact on them as clinicians and their clinical practice. Methods: Inductive “bottom up” thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts and extract overarching themes and subthemes across all participants. Results: Four overarching themes emerged from the data: the power of the reformulation letter; inhabiting the client's role; absorbing thinking as a CAT practitioner; and evolving the therapist's technique. Conclusions: Cognitive analytic therapy practitioners report experiences of the reformulation letter that indicate a positive impact on their self-awareness, learning about CAT and consciousness about how their own clients experience therapy. This was also the case when the reformulation letter did not resonate with them to the desired extent as learning from their therapist's limitations was experienced as having an impact on their learning and subsequent practice

Cut-off scores for mild and moderate dementia on the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-III and the Mini-Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination compared with the Mini-Mental State Examination

Aims and method: We aimed to establish cut-off scores to stage dementia on the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III) and the Mini-Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (M-ACE) compared with scores traditionally used with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Our cross-sectional study recruited 80 patients and carers from secondary care services in the UK. Results: A score ≤76 on the ACE-III and ≤19 on the M-ACE correlated well with MMSE cut-offs for mild dementia, with a good fit on the receiver operating characteristic analysis for both the ACE-III and M-ACE. The cut-off for moderate dementia had lower sensitivity and specificity. There were low to moderate correlations between the cognitive scales and scales for everyday functioning and behaviour. Clinical implications: Our findings allow an objective interpretation of scores on the ACE-III and the M-ACE relative to the MMSE, which may be helpful for clinical services and research trials

The determinants of electoral registration quality: A cross-national analysis

Electoral registers provide the definitive record of who can participate in an election, but there is often thought to be considerable variations in their quality cross-nationally. This leads to concerns about eligible voters being de facto disenfranchised on election day; but also ineligible voters or fictitious names appearing on the roll which can enable electoral fraud. In either case, the legitimacy of the election can be questioned. The electoral register is also used for other purposes such as drawing electoral boundaries. This article introduces some common international terminology for electoral register quality and a conceptualisation of the different ways in which an electoral register can be compiled. It then introduces a new global dataset on registration procedures (n = 159). The article hypotheses that automatic voter registration, as well as organisational and structural factors, strongly affects accuracy and completeness. The results show that automatic voter registration increases the completeness of the electoral register and also has a positive impact on accuracy. The organisational performance of the electoral management body was also shown to have positive effects on completeness and accuracy, suggesting an additional means of improving electoral registers beyond the registration model, which also rest in the hands of policy makers