Investigating the effect of reducing the signs and symptoms of lid wiper epitheliopathy in dry eye subjects with perfluorohexyloctane

Background: Perfluorohexyloctane (PFHO) acts to prevent the evaporation of the tear film. It has the potential to limit friction related issues between the eye lid margin and the ocular surface. Prior to the present work, this had not yet been evaluated.Objective: To examine the potential of using perfluorohexyloctane for reducing the signs and symptoms of lid wiper epitheliopathy (LWE).Methods: Data were collected at 4 visits spanning 2 months. Patients who had symptomatic dry eye and a LWE score of ≥1.0 on the Korb LWE scale were recruited. Participants were randomized to PFHO 4 times a day or no treatment. Lid wiper epitheliopathy was graded at each visit with the Korb and photographic LWE (PLWE) scales. Symptoms were assessed using the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness questionnaire and visual analog scales (0–100).Results: A total of 52 participants were enrolled (mean ± SD age, 49.7 ± 15.7 years; 79% female). Right eyes in the treatment group were significantly more likely to show an improvement of ≥0.5-units in PLWE scores at 2 months than the no treatment group (P = 0.04), but no left eye differences were noted. Korb and PLWE scores were significantly better in the treatment group compared with the no treatment group starting at 2 weeks and remained so for the duration of the study (all P Conclusions: Perfluorohexyloctane significantly reduced LWE and improved dry eye symptoms compared with no treatment, suggesting that PFHO may enhance ocular lubrication and reduce friction-related damage. Masked, randomized, trials are still needed to compare PFHO to other treatments in participants with LWE to support generalizability of results. ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT06671041.</p

The Right to Authorship in AI generated works

In the era dominated by digital platforms, knowledge workers grapple with challenges concerning the value of their work, copyright, distribution, and authorship. Urgent questions arise on the devaluation of human creative work through AI interventions and the lack of harmonization in the meaning of authorship under copyright laws across different jurisdictions. How do existing legal frameworks adapt to the nuances of AI-generated content, and to what extent do they safeguard the integrity and dignity of human-authored works and value? As AI contributes to creative processes, who holds authorship and subsequently ownership in generative works, and how can this be reconciled with traditional notions of creativity and intellectual property? What do we understand by creativity in a work environment where artificial and human intelligence are increasingly integrated. This paper responds to these questions. The primary focus lies in navigating the intricacies of AI-generated work versus human-generated work, especially considering the complexities of authorship within UK, EU, and US legal frameworks.</p

Who said growth means losing sight of circularity? A futuristic conceptualisation of a circular fashion rental model in the UK

The modern marketplace requires simultaneous growth in sustainable production and consumption, and degrowth in the use of finite resources and waste produced. Circular economy business models present important strategies to minimise raw materials and environmental impacts while allowing economic development. Fashion is a pertinent context to examine as the world’s worst polluter. This conceptual paper examines fashion rental business models that shift the focus of traditional consumption from linear to circular and access-based. Through a two-phase methodology, a comparative analysis of four UK fashion rental startups and four modes of theorising futures, four theorised futures are produced to illustrate circular startup growth. The theoretical and managerial implications of each imagined economy are discussed, as well as how such businesses scale in each scenario and the impact on their circular principles. Finally, we discuss the implications for the macromarketing discipline’s transformative role in imagining sustainable futures.</p

Book Review : Tadpole Hunter

I would hazard a guess that most people who have conducted fieldwork investigating the ecology or natural history of amphibians in Great Britain have not heard of the name Arnold Cooke, although I personally consider Cooke to be one of the pioneers of amphibian conservation in Britain and one of only a handful of researchers able to transform what was previously considered a hobby into a serious field of science. The lack of notoriety probably reflects the reality that this modest researcher has shied away from conferences and public events in recent times due to ill health and other commitments, at the very time when more biologists than ever are working in amphibian conservation...</p

Sexual minority populations and disparities in cardiovascular healthcare

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading global cause of death and significant cardiovascular health disparities have been documented. There is growing evidence that sexual minority (SM; e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and other non-heterosexual) people are at higher risk of developing CVD compared to heterosexual people across the lifecourse. The minority stress model of cardiovascular health (CVH) theorizes that minority stressors across multiple levels influence CVD risk in SM people through mediated psychosocial, behavioural, and physiological mechanisms. These mechanisms remain understudied, which has hindered the development of clinical and public health interventions to reduce CVD risk among SM people. The purpose of this state-of-the-art review was to: (i) elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying CVH disparities among SM populations; (ii) analyse research gaps; and (iii) provide suggestions for improving cardiovascular care and identifying potential targets for clinical and public health interventions in this population. The authors identified multilevel determinants, such as minority stressors and interpersonal violence, that have been associated with tobacco use, alcohol use, sleep problems, obesity, and hypertension among SM populations. They conclude that studies investigating CVH disparities among SM people have considerable methodological limitations that must be addressed to improve our understanding of mechanisms underlying CVH disparities in this population. The authors subsequently provide suggestions for improving cardiovascular care and considerations for the development and implementation of interventions to reduce CVD risk among SM people. This review can help cardiovascular clinicians and researchers devise strategies to reduce CVH disparities among SM populations.</p

Differential eye movements and greater pupil size during mental scene construction in autobiographical recall

There is growing evidence supporting a role for eye movements during autobiographical recall, but their potential functionality remains unclear. We hypothesise that the oculomotor system facilitates the process of mental scene construction, in which complex scenes associated with an autobiographical event are generated and maintained during recall. To explore this, we examined spontaneous eye movements during retrieval of cued autobiographical memories. Participants’ verbal descriptions of each memory were recorded in synchronisation with their eye movements and pupil size during recall. For each memory participants described the place (details of the environment where the event took place) and the event (details of what happened). Narratives were analyzed using the Autobiographical Interview procedure, which separated internal spatial (place) and non- spatial (event, thoughts and emotion) details. Eye movements during recall of spatial details had significantly higher fixation duration and smaller saccade amplitude and peak velocity, and a higher number of consecutive unidirectional saccades, in comparison to recall of non-spatial details. Recurrence quantification analysis indicated longer sequences of refixations and more repetitions of the same fixation pattern when participants described spatial details. Recall of spatial details was also associated with significantly greater pupil area. Overall findings are consistent with the spontaneous production of more structured saccade patterns and greater cognitive load during the recall of internal spatial episodic scene details in comparison to episodic non-spatial details. These results are consistent with the oculomotor system facilitating the activation and correct positioning of elements of a complex scene relative to other imagined elements during autobiographical recall.</p

St Andrews Referral Delay in Skin Cancer (StARDISC): a study of keratinocyte skin cancer time to treatment, growth, invasiveness, British Association of Dermatologists risk factors and excision adequacy

Abstract Background British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) guidelines for managing basal (BCC) and squamous (SCC) cell skin carcinomas are distinct; however, there is a paucity of evidence relating to the histopathological behaviour of SCC and BCC over time, and the implications this has for management guidelines. Objectives To investigate the effect of lesion duration on keratinocyte skin cancer (KSC) growth, the development of high risk factors and excision margin adequacy; further aims included investigating the impact of the presence of high or very high risk histological parameters on excision rates and clearance margins. Methods A cohort study was undertaken with a random sample of patients referred to our Plastic Surgery Skin Cancer Centre with BCC and SCC from January to June 2019 inclusive. Data collected included patient demographics, referral source, lesion duration (first appearance to treatment), histological data, excision margins and skin cancer risk, as defined by BAD guidelines. Results In total, 728 patients were included [397 men, 331 women; median age 77 years (interquartile range 72–85)] who underwent 872 excisions (BCC, n = 454; SCC, n = 418). Longer lesion duration was associated with increased BCC (P 40 mm (P 6 mm (P 3 months had greater median surface areas (706.9 mm2 vs. 295.3 mm2; P < 0.001) and thicknesses (3.5 mm vs. 3 mm; P < 0.001) than those of ≤ 3 months’ duration; the same was found for median BCC surface area (263.9 mm2 vs. 131.9 mm2; P < 0.001). A general decline in the adequate excision of BCCs and SCCs was found with an increasing number of high- or very high risk parameters. Conclusions Longer lesion duration resulted in increased KSC thickness and surface area, and the increased presence of high risk factors as set out by the BAD. This was more common SCCs than for BCCs, and had a negative impact on surgical excision margins. Crucially, lesion duration was significantly associated with increased SCC (but not BCC) thickness at 3 months. Our results support BAD guidance on the management of KSC, identifying the highest risk lesions and informing the practice of skin cancer units.</p

Potential predation of a barred grass snake Natrix helvetica by a brown rat Rattus norvegicus, with a link to video evidence

The barred grass snake Natrix helvetica is a medium-sized snake species typically growing to 150 cm in length andfound throughout north-western Europe (Speybroeck et al., 2016). The brown rat Rattus norvegicus is a very widespread and highly adaptable mammal exploiting a wide range of food resources, especially cereals and their products. However, R. norvegicus may consume meat opportunistically and has been observed eating live snakes (Swanson, 1952; Fitch, 1963; Hummer & Tolley, 2008; Reynolds et al., 2023).</p

Lost in transition: Brecht’s theatre as a social change agent for youth empowerment in the time of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong Handover

Bertolt Brecht wanted his work to revolutionise theatre's bourgeois values and bring about social and political change. This chapter discussed how Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle was adopted and performed by a youth theatre in Hong Kong with a re-interpretation of empowerment to the youth in the 21st century, particularly situated at the time of the 20th-anniversary celebration of Hong Kong returned to China. Taking the three major Brecht’s aesthetic principles and techniques: theVerfremdungseffekt, Historicisation, and Gestus, the director trained more than 30 novice youth performers to ensemble the script into Chinese and co-create six Cantonese songs with live band performance of the Caucasian Chalk Circle. The director has demonstrated his newly interpreted definition of empowerment through the six workshops and 200 hours of rehearsals, the youths experienced to release their personal and social anxiety through an art-based immersion. The production also granted a valuable experience of breaking through the social barrier of differentiation among people. By using three steps of form, process and team spirit, the director demonstrated how theatre art can be an effective strategy for social changes by levelling the acting skills among the novice youth performers and the implementation of empowerment. The co-created songs not only fulfilling the acquisition of the script, it also serves as a process of provocation through the cognitive disruptions to the performers and the spectator’ feeling of “living at the moment of Hong Kong” to devise ways to change the world (the daily living environment) into a place fit for people to live in. With the written post-performance evaluation, the youths expressed different levels of satisfaction regarding how this performative immersion provided catharsis to their unsettling heart for the current uncertainty of life. Such catharsis also opened up new perspectives for them to analyse their individual situation, needs and evolve potential strategies to address their previous emotional disturbs in career, relationships and the insecurity of living in the on-going changing political environment of Hong Kong.</p

The effects of age and central field loss on maintaining balance control when stepping up to a new level under time-pressure

Objective To investigate the effects of age and central field loss on the landing mechanics and balance control when stepping up to a new level under time-pressure. Methods Eight older individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), eight visually normal older and eight visually normal younger individuals negotiated a floor-based obstacle followed by a ‘step-up to a new level’ task. The task was performed under (1) no-pressure; (2) time-pressure: an intermittent tone was played that increased in frequency and participants had to complete the task before the tone ceased. Landing mechanics and balance control for the step-up task was assessed with a floor-mounted force plate on the step. Results Increased ground reaction forces and loading rates were observed under time-pressure for young and older visual normals but not for AMD participants. Across conditions, loading rates and ground reaction forces were higher in young normals compared to older normals and AMD participants. Young visual normals also demonstrated 35–39% shorter double support times prior to and during the step-up compared to older normals and AMD participants. All groups shortened their double support times (31–40%) and single support times (7–9%) in the time-pressure compared to no-pressure condition. Regarding balance control, the centre-of-pressure displacement and velocity in the anterior-poster direction were increased under time-pressure for young and older visual normals but not for AMD participants. The centre-of-pressure displacement and velocity in the medial-lateral direction were decreased for the AMD participants under time-pressure but not for young and older visual normals. Conclusions Despite walking faster, AMD participants did not adapt their landing mechanics under time-pressure (i.e., they remained more cautious), whilst older and young adults with normal vision demonstrated more forceful landing mechanics with the young being most forceful. A more controlled landing might be a safety strategy to maintain balance control during the step-up, especially in time-pressure conditions when balance control in the anterior-posterior direction is more challenged.</p