A systematic review of quantitative EEG findings in Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long COVID

Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID (LC) are similar multisymptom clinical syndromes but with difference in dominant symptoms in each individual. There is existing and emerging literature on possible functional alterations of the central nervous system in these conditions. This review aims to synthesise and appraise the literature on resting-state quantitative EEG (qEEG) in FMS, ME/CFS and LC, drawing on previous research on FMS and ME/CFS to help understand neuropathophysiology of the new condition LC. A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CINHAL, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases for articles published between December 1994 and September 2023 was performed. Out of the initial 2510 studies identified, 17 articles were retrieved that met all the predetermined selection criteria, particularly of assessing qEEG changes in one of the three conditions compared to healthy controls. All studies scored moderate to high quality on the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. There was a general trend for decreased low-frequency EEG band activity (delta, theta, and alpha) and increased high-frequency EEG beta activity in FMS, differing to that found in ME/CFS. The limited LC studies included in this review focused mainly on cognitive impairments and showed mixed findings not consistent with patterns observed in FMS and ME/CFS. Our findings suggest different patterns of qEEG brainwave activity in FMS and ME/CFS. Further research is required to explore whether there are phenotypes within LC that have EEG signatures similar to FMS or ME/CFS. This could inform identification of reliable diagnostic markers and possible targets for neuromodulation therapies tailored to each clinical syndrome

Autistic adults have insight into their relative face recognition ability

The PI20 is a self-report questionnaire that assesses the presence of lifelong face recognition difficulties. The items on this scale ask respondents to assess their face recognition ability relative to the rest of the population, either explicitly or implicitly. Recent reports suggest that the PI20 scores of autistic participants exhibit little or no correlation with their performance on the Cambridge Face Memory Test-a key measure of face recognition ability. These reports are suggestive of a meta-cognitive deficit whereby autistic individuals are unable to infer whether their face recognition is impaired relative to the wider population. In the present study, however, we observed significant correlations between the PI20 scores of 77 autistic adults and their performance on two variants of the Cambridge Face Memory Test. These findings indicate that autistic individuals can infer whether their face recognition ability is impaired. Consistent with previous research, we observed a wide spread of face recognition abilities within our autistic sample. While some individuals approached ceiling levels of performance, others met the prevailing diagnostic criteria for developmental prosopagnosia. This variability showed little or no association with non-verbal intelligence, autism severity, or the presence of co-occurring alexithymia or ADHD

Bridging the credit gap: the influence of regional bank structure on the expansion of peer-to-peer lending

This paper investigates the extent to which the regional credit market structures, characterized by the presence and lending capacity of traditional banks, shape the growth of online lending marketplaces using peer-to-peer (P2P) lending data. Using an instrumental variables (IV) approach, our study suggests that areas underserved by traditional banks witness more significant growth in P2P lending. This impact is more pronounced in regions with a lower presence of small bank outreach. Furthermore, we find that an increase in P2P lending is associated with a reduced risk of borrower default. Our findings also show that the expansion of online lending marketplaces positively impacts borrowers’ financial well-being by improving their credit scores

Development of respiratory care guidelines for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the UK: key recommendations for clinical practice

Significant inconsistencies in respiratory care provision for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are reported across different specialist neuromuscular centres in the UK. The absence of robust clinical evidence and expert consensus is a barrier to the implementation of care recommendations in public healthcare systems as is the need to increase awareness of key aspects of care for those living with DMD. Here, we provide evidenced-based and/or consensus-based best practice for the respiratory care of children and adults living with DMD in the UK, both as part of routine care and in an emergency. Methodology Initiated by an expert working group of UK-based respiratory physicians (including British Thoracic Society (BTS) representatives), neuromuscular clinicians, physiotherapist and patient representatives, draft guidelines were created based on published evidence, current practice and expert opinion. After wider consultation with UK respiratory teams and neuromuscular services, consensus was achieved on these best practice recommendations for respiratory care in DMD. Result The resulting recommendations are presented in the form of a flow chart for assessment and monitoring, with additional guidance and a separate chart setting out key considerations for emergency management. The recommendations have been endorsed by the BTS. Conclusions These guidelines provide practical, reasoned recommendations for all those managing day-to-day and acute respiratory care in children and adults with DMD. The hope is that this will support patients and healthcare professionals in accessing high standards of care across the UK

Convalescent human plasma candidate reference materials protect against Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) challenge in an A129 mouse model

Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) is spread by infected ticks or direct contact with blood, tissues and fluids from infected patients or livestock. Infection with CCHFV causes severe haemorrhagic fever in humans which is fatal in up to 83 % of cases. CCHFV is listed as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) and there are currently no widely-approved vaccines. Defining a serological correlate of protection against CCHFV infection would support the development of vaccines by providing a ‘target threshold’ for pre-clinical and clinical immunogenicity studies to achieve in subjects and potentially obviate the need for in vivo protection studies. We therefore sought to establish titratable protection against CCHFV using pooled human convalescent plasma, in a mouse model. Convalescent plasma collected from seven individuals with a known previous CCHFV virus infection were characterised using binding antibody and neutralisation assays. All plasma recognised nucleoprotein and the Gc glycoprotein, but some had a lower Gn glycoprotein response by ELISA. Pooled plasma and two individual donations from convalescent donors were administered intraperitoneally to A129 mice 24 h prior to intradermal challenge with CCHFV (strain IbAr10200). A partial protective effect was observed with all three convalescent plasmas characterised by longer survival post-challenge and reduced clinical score. These protective responses were titratable. Further characterisation of the serological reactivities within these samples will establish their value as reference materials to support assay harmonisation and accelerate vaccine development for CCHFV

Use of routinely collected blood donation data for expanded HIV and syphilis surveillance in Blantyre district, Malawi

The World Health Organization recommends that all blood donations be screened for transfusion transmissible infections; these data are currently not incorporated into national disease surveillance efforts. We set out to use routinely collected data from blood donors in Blantyre district, Malawi to explore HIV and syphilis prevalence and identify sero-conversions among repeat donors. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of blood donation data collected by the Malawi Blood Transfusion Service from 2015 to 2021. All blood donations were routinely screened for HIV and syphilis. We characterized donor demographics as well as screening outcomes, including identifying sero-conversions among repeat donors who previously tested negative on their last donation. A total of 23,280 donations from 5,051 donors were recorded, with a median frequency of donations of 3 (IQR:2–6). Most donors were male (4,294; 85%) and students (3,262; 64.6%). Prevalence of HIV at first donation was 1.0% (52/5,051) and prevalence of syphilis was 1.6% (80/5,051); 52 HIV sero-conversions and 126 syphilis sero-conversions were identified, indicating an incidence rate per 1,000 person-years of 5.9 (95% CI: 4.7, 7.4) and 13.3 (95% CI:11.4, 15.4) respectively. Students had a lower prevalence of HIV and syphilis but higher risk of syphilis seroconversion. While blood donors are generally considered a low-risk population for HIV and syphilis, we were able to identify relatively high rates of undiagnosed HIV and syphilis infections among donors. Routinely collected data from national blood donation services may be used to better understand local HIV and syphilis epidemiology, with the potential to enhance disease surveillance systems. These findings may be used to identify priority prevention areas and populations in Blantyre district that can inform targeted interventions for improved disease prevention, testing and treatment

Decarbonisation strategies in industry: going beyond clusters

An effective and just industrial transition is necessary both to mitigate climate change and protect jobs, and as a precursor to enable other sectors to decarbonise. Activity is at an early stage and examples of successful sector-wide interventions to decarbonise industry do not yet exist. Governments of industrialised countries are beginning to develop policy and provide funding to support deployment of carbon capture and low-carbon hydrogen infrastructures into high-emitting industrial clusters, but options for sites outside of clusters, denoted here as ‘dispersed sites’, are also required. This paper takes a mixed methods approach to provide the first analysis of the issues facing dispersed industrial sites on their route to decarbonisation and to suggest solutions to the challenges they face. Using the UK as a case study, it first characterises dispersed sites in terms of location, emissions released, sectors involved, and size of companies affected. It then shows how these features mean that simply expanding the geographical scope of the present UK decarbonisation strategy, which focuses on the provision of carbon capture and low-carbon hydrogen, would face a number of challenges and so will need to be broadened to include a wider range of abatement options and other considerations to meet the needs of dispersed sites. While the solutions for each place will be different, these are likely to include some combination of the expansion of shared infrastructure, the development of local zero-carbon hubs, research into a wider range of novel abatement technologies and facilitating local participation in energy planning. The paper concludes with a discussion of remaining knowledge gaps before outlining how its findings might apply to industrial decarbonisation strategies in other countries

PROFILE: extinction rebellion in the Gambia

The emergence of Extinction Rebellion (XR) in 2018 as a global movement led to the establishment of chapters all around the world. Much existing work has focused on cases located in the UK, Western Europe and the Anglosphere. This profile presents a case study of the formation of XR in The Gambia as an example of further diffusion of the movement. We examine how partial democratisation opened up space for contention, which in turn led to the adoption of the XR brand in the country. In turn, becoming a chapter of XR has opened up new opportunities for the transnationalisation of Gambian environmental activism. The profile concludes by reflecting on the potential future of the group

Effectiveness of stress management interventions to change cortisol levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Stress has a damaging impact on our mental and physical health, and as a result, there is an on-going demand for effective stress management interventions. However, there are no reviews or meta-analyses synthesising the evidence base of randomised controlled trials testing the effectiveness of psychological interventions on changing cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in non-patient groups. Therefore, the primary aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to address this gap. Six databases (Medline, PsychInfo, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane and Web of Science) were searched (1171 studies identified) with 58 studies (combined N = 3508) included in the meta-analysis. The interventions were coded into one of four categories; mind body therapies, mindfulness, relaxation or talking therapies. A random effects meta-analysis on cortisol as measured in blood, saliva or hair found that stress management interventions outperformed pooled control conditions with a medium positive effect size (g = 0.282). The studies that utilised cortisol awakening measures (g = 0.644) revealed larger effects of stress management interventions than those that measured diurnal cortisol (g = 0.255). Mindfulness and meditation (g = 0. 345) and relaxation (g = 0. 347) interventions were most effective at changing cortisol levels, while mind body therapies (g = 0. 129) and talking therapies (g = 0.107) were shown to have smaller and non-significant effect sizes. Additionally, studies that utilised an active control group (g = 0. 477) over passive control group (g = 0.129) were found to have stronger effects. Length of the intervention, study quality, risk of bias, age and gender did not influence the effectiveness of interventions and there was no evidence of publication bias. Overall, the current findings confirm that stress management interventions can positively influence cortisol levels. Future research should investigate the longer term implications for health and health outcomes

Real-Time Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance for Robot Manipulators Based on Cascaded Nonlinear MPC With Artificial Potential Field

Nowadays, the realization of obstacle avoidance for robot manipulators are generally based on offline path planning, which may be insufficient for real-time dynamic obstacle avoidance scenarios. In order to achieve safe and smooth avoidance of dynamic obstacles, a low-latency motion planning algorithm, which takes into account the dynamic planning is of practical significance. Toward this end, this article proposes a cascaded nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) assigned with a two-stage optimization problem. Specially, the high-level MPC combines artificial potential field as a motion planner to generate foresight smooth trajectories. The low-level MPC acts as a trajectory tracker and a safety protector, taking along hard constraints to avoid collisions and singularities. In addition, a super-twisting observer is deployed to enhance the motion estimation accuracy of dynamic obstacles. Experimental results show that the proposed approach is beneficial to achieve safe and smooth dynamic obstacle avoidance in real-world scenarios