The business of Universities: A case study of halls of residence

In this article, we discuss the changing modes of provision of English Universities’ halls of residence from University provision to a complex marketplace in which private provision dominates. We frame our analysis around five themes familiar to discussions of privatisations of public sector institutions: financialisation, affordability, infrastructure, regulation, and partnerships. We draw on our original research, which comprises a survey of 50 universities, readings of the corporate reports of the leading providers, and seven key stakeholder interviews. This data enables us to illustrate concerns about the effects on students and the University sector in England as a result of the shift in mode of provision

A new formula for estimating insertion length of umbilical catheters in neonates: An observational study

Objective: Current formulae used by clinicians to estimate the insertion length of umbilical catheters are inaccurate. We aimed to derive a new model that could improve accuracy in estimating the insertion length of umbilical catheters. Study design: This was a multi-centre prospective observational study of neonates admitted to neonatal units and needing umbilical line(s) inserted for clinical reasons. Demographic data, catheter-related measurements and a new external length measurement—sternal notch to the umbilicus, were collected at three tertiary-level neonatal units in South Wales, UK. Generalised linear models were used to estimate the fit of the external length, birthweight, gestation and head circumference with catheter length and to derive a formula. The best fit was estimated by comparing r2 values for each equation. Results: Data from 113 infants for each venous and arterial line were analysed for the new mathematical formulae. For both umbilical arterial catheterisation [ and umbilical venous catheter (UVC) [ ], a quadratic model based on birthweight was found to have the best fit for predicting the insertion length of the catheters. However, the overall fit for UVCs was poorer for all explanatory variables (y = estimated insertion length of the umbilical catheter in cm, x = birthweight in kg). Conclusion: Our prospective multi-centre observational study identified a quadratic model based on birthweight as the best fit for estimating the insertion length of umbilical lines in neonates. This is a new finding and further development on earlier birthweight-based linear models

Translation, cross‐cultural adaptation, and preliminary validation of a patient‐reported outcome measure for genetic counseling outcomes in Sweden

Genetic counseling is key for understanding the consequences of hereditary and genetic diseases and, therefore, crucial for patients, their families, and healthcare providers. Genetic counseling facilitates individuals' comprehension, decision‐making, and adaptation to hereditary diseases. This study focuses on the Swedish adaptation of the Genetic Counseling Outcome Scale‐24 (GCOS‐24), an internationally validated, patient‐reported outcome measure (PROM) for quantifying patient empowerment in genetic counseling. This study aimed to translate and cross‐culturally adapt the GCOS‐24 to measure patient‐reported outcome from genetic counseling in Sweden. The adaptation process was meticulously conducted, adhering to international guidelines, with cross‐cultural adaptation, translation, and back translation, to ensure semantic, conceptual, and idiomatic equivalence with the original English version. Face validity and understandability was assured using qualitative cognitive interviews conducted with patient representatives, and by a committee of experts in the field. The psychometric properties of the Swedish version of GCOS‐24 (GCOS‐24swe) were evaluated using a robust sample of 374 patients. These individuals received genetic counseling by telephone or video, necessitated by the constraints of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Participants responded to GCOS‐24swe both before and after genetic counseling. The GCOS‐24swe demonstrated face validity, good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86), significant responsiveness (Cohen's d = 0.65, p < 0.001), and good construct validity. The study's findings underscore the GCOS‐24swe's potential as an effective instrument in both clinical practice and research within Sweden. It offers a valuable means for assessing patient empowerment, a key goal of genetic counseling. Additional psychometric assessment of test–retest reliability and interpretability would further enhance the utility of GCOS‐24swe

Navigating the mind's eye: Understanding gaze shifts in visuospatial bootstrapping

Visuospatial bootstrapping refers to the well-replicated phenomena in which serial recall in a purely verbal task is boosted by presenting digits within the familiar spatial layout of a typical telephone keypad. The visuospatial bootstrapping phenomena indicates that additional support comes from long-term knowledge of a fixed spatial pattern, and prior experimentation supports the idea that access to this benefit depends on the availability of the visuospatial motor system. We investigate this by tracking participants’ eye movements during encoding and retention of verbal lists to learn whether gaze patterns support verbal memory differently when verbal information is presented in the familiar visual layout. Participants’ gaze was recorded during attempts to recall lists of seven digits in three formats: centre of the screen, typical telephone keypad, or a spatially identical layout with randomised number placement. Performance was better with the typical than with the novel layout. Our data show that eye movements differ when encoding and retaining verbal information that has a familiar layout compared with the same verbal information presented in a novel layout, suggesting recruitment of different spatial rehearsal strategies. However, no clear link between gaze pattern and recall accuracy was observed, which suggests that gazes play a limited role in retention, at best

The “good is up” metaphoric effects on recognition: True for source guessing but false for item memory

The “good is up” metaphor, which links valence and verticality was found to influence affective judgement and to direct attention, but its effects on memory remain unclear with contradictory research findings. To provide a more accurate assessment of memory components involved in recognition, such as item memory and source-guessing biases, a standard source monitoring paradigm was applied in this research. A series of three experiments provided a conceptual replication and extension of Experiment 2 by Crawford et al., (2014) and yielded a consistent result pattern suggesting that the “good is up” metaphor biases participants’ guessing of source location. That is, when source memory failed, participants were more inclined to guess the “up” location versus “down” location for positive items (and vice versa for negative items). It did, however, not affect source memory or item memory for valenced stimuli learned from metaphor-congruent versus incongruent locations (i.e., no metaphor-(in)congruent effects in memory). We suggest that the “good is up” metaphor may affect cognitive processes in a more subtle way than originally suggested

Privacy preservation in artificial intelligence-enabled healthcare analytics

Emerging techniques such as the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) have revolutionized healthcare analytics by offering a multitude of significant benefits, including real-time process, enhanced data efficiency and optimization, enabling offline operation, fostering resilience, personalized and context-aware healthcare, etc. However, privacy concerns are indeed significant when it comes to edge computing and machine learning-enabled healthcare analytics. The training and validation of AI algorithms face considerable obstacles due to privacy concerns and stringent legal and ethical requirements associated with datasets. This work has proposed a healthcare data anonymization framework to address privacy concerns and ensure compliance with data regulations by enhancing privacy protection and anonymizing sensitive information in healthcare analytics, which can maintain a high level of privacy while minimizing any adverse effects on the analytics models. The experimental results have unequivocally showcased the effectiveness of the proposed solution

Rampart nations: bulwark myths of east European multiconfessional societies in the age of nationalism [Book Review]

Book review of "Rampart nations: bulwark myths of east European multiconfessional societies in the age of nationalism" edited by Liliya Berezhnaya and Heidi Hein-Kircher, New York and Oxford, Berghahn Books, New Perspectives on Central and East European Studies, 2019, 406 pp., $145.00/£107.00 (Hardback), ISBN 978-1-78920-147-5;$39.95/£31.95 (Paperback), ISBN 978-1-80073-435-7; $39.95 (eBook), eISBN 978-1-78920-148-

Transcriptomic profiles in major depressive disorder: the role of immunometabolic and cell-cycle-related pathways in depression with different levels of inflammation

Transcriptomic profiles are important indicators for molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in major depressive disorder (MDD) and its different phenotypes, such as immunometabolic depression. We performed whole-transcriptome and pathway analyses on 139 individuals from the observational, case-control, BIOmarkers in DEPression (BIODEP) study, 105 with MDD and 34 controls. We divided MDD participants based on levels of inflammation, as measured by serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), in n = 39 ‘not inflamed’ (CRP 3 mg/L). We performed whole-blood RNA sequencing using Illumina NextSeq 550 and statistical analyses with the Deseq2 package for R statistics (RUV-corrected) and subsequent pathway analyses with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Immunometabolic pathways were activated in individuals with CRP > 1 mg/L, although surprisingly the CRP 1–3 group showed stronger immune activation than the CRP > 3 group. The main pathways identified in the comparison between CRP < 1 group and controls were cell-cycle-related, which may be protective against immunometabolic abnormalities in this ‘non-inflamed’ depressed group. We further divided MDD participants based on exposure and response to antidepressants (n = 47 non-responders, n = 37 responders, and n = 22 unmedicated), and identified specific immunomodulatory and neuroprotective pathways in responders (especially vs. non-responders), which could be relevant to treatment response. In further subgroup analyses, we found that the specific transcriptional profile of responders is independent of CRP levels, and that the inhibition of cell-cycle-related pathways in MDD with CRP < 1 mg/L is present only in those who are currently depressed, and not in the responders. The present study demonstrates immunometabolic and cell-cycle-related transcriptomic pathways associated with MDD and different (CRP-based and treatment-based) MDD phenotypes, while shedding light on potential molecular mechanisms that could prevent or facilitate an individual’s trajectory toward immunometabolic depression and/or treatment-non-responsive depression. The recognition and integration of these mechanisms will facilitate a precision-medicine approach in MDD

Acute effects of interferon-alpha on cellular anabolic and catabolic processes are associated with the development of fatigue during Interferon-alpha-based therapy for Hepatitis-C: A preliminary study

Introduction Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is a key mediator of antiviral immune responses used to treat Hepatitis-C virus (HCV) infection. Though clinically effective, IFN-α frequently induces functionally impairing mood and motivation symptoms, particularly fatigue. Unlike mood impairment, which typically emerges after weeks of treatment, fatigue tends to emerge and evolve rapidly, typically within hours of the first IFN-α injection. Despite being a major source of functional impairment during IFN-α and other immune-based therapies, the biological mechanisms underlying fatigue remain poorly understood. Here, we aimed to identify acute immune-response signatures to IFN-α that could predict the later development of fatigue. Methods In this exploratory study, we analyzed whole blood transcriptomics in a longitudinal sample of 27 HCV patients initiating IFN-α and Ribavirin therapy. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and 4½ hours after the first IFN-α dose and transcriptomic data was obtained using Affymetrix Human Gene 1.1 ST Array Strips. Gene expression data visualization and quality control were assessed using Partek Genomics Suite V6.6 and protein–protein interaction networks using STRING and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). A Fatigue Visual Analogue Scale (fVAS) was utilized to record fatigue symptoms at baseline, 4½ hours and 4 weeks after initiation of treatment. Results IFN-α was associated with an upregulation of 526 transcripts and a downregulation of 228 genes, indicating a rapid transcriptomic response in whole blood within 4½ hours of injection. 93 genes were significantly positively correlated with changes in fatigue, with gene expression changes measured from baseline to 4.5 h and increases in fatigue assessed from baseline to week 4 on the fVAS. We identified a novel network of predominantly cytosolic ribosomal units and ubiquitin proteins implicated in modulating mTOR signaling that was associated with the development of fatigue 4 weeks after initiation of IFN-α treatment (p = 0.0078). Conclusion Our findings suggest that acute activation of this anabolic/catabolic network by IFN-α may predispose to the experience of fatigue similar to evidence found in cancer-related fatigue. Further investigation is warranted to confirm the exploratory nature of these observations

Senedd reform: from aspiration to cold-headed reality?

In May 2024, the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill completed its legislative journey through the Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament. The bill marks the latest chapter in the Senedd's evolution from an assembly established with no formally separated executive branch and no primary legislative powers into a lawmaking and tax-raising parliament. It also marks the culmination of a long-running debate about the size of the Welsh legislature. For at least twenty years there had appeared to be a broad agreement that the Senedd was too small, its capacity too thinly spread and that a larger membership of at least eighty, but closer to ninety or 100, members was required. In those respects, the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill can be seen as the culmination of that long-established consensus. However, as this article will explore, in one key area—the choice of electoral system—the bill marks a key point of departure