The Noun Phrase in Bamunka: Towards a Complexity Analysis

A member of the the Grassfields Bantu family, the Bamunka language of Western Cameroon is spoken by approximantely 31, 000 speakers. Having begun the process of transcribing the lanaguge into written form just six years ago the principles and intricacies of its grammatical system are becoming evident. This paper will look in particular at the noun phrase in Bamunka and draw some conclusions as to the distribution of complexity found therein

An Ethnographic Investigation into Postgraduate Researchers’ Experience: University of Birmingham’s Library Services

This report is the work of the Birmingham Undergraduate Internship Programme (BUIP) Intern in Library Services during the summer of 2019. This report seeks to explore the experience of postgraduate researchers at the University of Birmingham

Effective headache management in the aneurysmal subarachnoid patient: a literature review

Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is described throughout the literature as a devastating neurological disorder associated with significant mortality and morbidity rates, arising not just from the haemorrhage itself, but also as a result of the catastrophic multisystem sequelae that can accompany the condition. Rupture of an intracranial aneurysm accounts for up to 85% of instances of SAH, occurring in approximately 6–7 per 100,000 in most populations and costing an estimated £510 million annually in the United Kingdom alone (Rivero-Arias et al, 2010). Treatment of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage (aSAH) includes prevention of re-bleeding, evacuation of space occupying haematomas, management of hydrocephalus and prevention of secondary cerebral insult. Headache has been highlighted as the predominant, most characteristic and often the only symptom of aSAH, its severity having a variety of physiological and psychological effects on the patient. This paper summarises the findings of a literature review conducted as part of a research study to examine existing practices in the assessment and management of headache in patients with aSAH in an Irish Neurosciences Centre. The review demonstrates that despite a wealth of published literature on the diagnosis and management of aSAH, evaluation and management of its main symptom, headache, remains suboptimal and under-researched. The lack of available literature demonstrates that such enquiry is both timely and necessary

Diarrhoeal disease and subsequent risk of death in infants and children residing in low-income and middle-income countries: analysis of the GEMS case-control study and 12-month GEMS-1A follow-on study

Background: The Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) was a 3-year case-control study that measured the burden, aetiology, and consequences of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea (MSD) in children aged 0–59 months. GEMS-1A, a 12-month follow-on study, comprised two parallel case-control studies, one assessing MSD and the other less-severe diarrhoea (LSD). In this report, we analyse the risk of death with each diarrhoea type and the specific pathogens associated with fatal outcomes. Methods: GEMS was a prospective, age-stratified, matched case-control study done at seven sites in Africa and Asia. Children aged 0–59 months with MSD seeking care at sentinel health centres were recruited along with one to three randomly selected matched community control children without diarrhoea. In the 12-month GEMS-1A follow-on study, children with LSD and matched controls, in addition to children with MSD and matched controls, were recruited at six of the seven sites; only cases of MSD and controls were enrolled at the seventh site. We compared risk of death during the period between enrolment and one follow-up household visit done about 60 days later (range 50–90 days) in children with MSD and LSD and in their respective controls. Approximately 50 pathogens were detected using, as appropriate, classic bacteriology, immunoassays, gel-based PCR and reverse transcriptase PCR, and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Specimens from a subset of GEMS cases and controls were also tested by a TaqMan Array Card that compartmentalised probe-based qPCR for 32 enteropathogens. Findings: 223 (2·0%) of 11 108 children with MSD and 43 (0·3%) of 16369 matched controls died between study enrolment and the follow-up visit at about 60 days (hazard ratio [HR] 8·16, 95% CI 5·69–11·68, p<0·0001). 12 (0·4%) of 2962 children with LSD and seven (0·2%) of 4074 matched controls died during the follow-up period (HR 2·78, 95% CI 0·95–8·11, p=0·061). Risk of death was lower in children with dysenteric MSD than in children with nondysenteric MSD (HR 0·20, 95% CI 0·05–0·87, p=0·032), and lower in children with LSD than in those with nondysenteric MSD (HR 0·29, 0·14–0·59, p=0·0006). In children younger than 24 months with MSD, infection with typical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, enterotoxigenic E coli encoding heat-stable toxin, enteroaggregative E coli, Shigella spp (non-dysentery cases), Aeromonas spp, Cryptosporidium spp, and Entamoeba histolytica increased risk of death. Of 61 deaths in children aged 12–59 months with non-dysenteric MSD, 31 occurred among 942 children qPCRpositive for Shigella spp and 30 deaths occurred in 1384 qPCR-negative children (HR 2·2, 95% CI 1·2–3·9, p=0·0090), showing that Shigella was strongly associated with increased risk of death. Interpretation: Risk of death is increased following MSD and, to a lesser extent, LSD. Considering there are approximately three times more cases of LSD than MSD in the population, more deaths are expected among children with LSD than in those with MSD. Because the major attributable LSD-associated and MSD-associated pathogens are the same, implementing vaccines and rapid diagnosis and treatment interventions against these major pathogens are rational investments

The Burden of Cryptosporidium Diarrheal Disease among Children < 24 Months of Age in Moderate/High Mortality Regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, Utilizing Data from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS).

Background: The importance of Cryptosporidium as a pediatric enteropathogen in developing countries is recognized. Methods: Data from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS), a 3-year, 7-site, case-control study of moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) and GEMS-1A (1-year study of MSD and less-severe diarrhea [LSD]) were analyzed. Stools from 12,110 MSD and 3,174 LSD cases among children aged <60 months and from 21,527 randomly-selected controls matched by age, sex and community were immunoassay-tested for Cryptosporidium. Species of a subset of Cryptosporidium-positive specimens were identified by PCR; GP60 sequencing identified anthroponotic C. parvum. Combined annual Cryptosporidium-attributable diarrhea incidences among children aged <24 months for African and Asian GEMS sites were extrapolated to sub-Saharan Africa and South Asian regions to estimate region-wide MSD and LSD burdens. Attributable and excess mortality due to Cryptosporidium diarrhea were estimated. Findings: Cryptosporidium was significantly associated with MSD and LSD below age 24 months. Among Cryptosporidium-positive MSD cases, C. hominis was detected in 77.8% (95% CI, 73.0%-81.9%) and C. parvum in 9.9% (95% CI, 7.1%-13.6%); 92% of C. parvum tested were anthroponotic genotypes. Annual Cryptosporidium-attributable MSD incidence was 3.48 (95% CI, 2.27–4.67) and 3.18 (95% CI, 1.85–4.52) per 100 child-years in African and Asian infants, respectively, and 1.41 (95% CI, 0.73–2.08) and 1.36 (95% CI, 0.66–2.05) per 100 child-years in toddlers. Corresponding Cryptosporidium-attributable LSD incidences per 100 child-years were 2.52 (95% CI, 0.33–5.01) and 4.88 (95% CI, 0.82–8.92) in infants and 4.04 (95% CI, 0.56–7.51) and 4.71 (95% CI, 0.24–9.18) in toddlers. We estimate 2.9 and 4.7 million Cryptosporidium-attributable cases annually in children aged <24 months in the sub-Saharan Africa and India/Pakistan/Bangladesh/Nepal/Afghanistan regions, respectively, and ~202,000 Cryptosporidium-attributable deaths (regions combined). ~59,000 excess deaths occurred among Cryptosporidium-attributable diarrhea cases over expected if cases had been Cryptosporidium-negative. Conclusions: The enormous African/Asian Cryptosporidium disease burden warrants investments to develop vaccines, diagnostics and therapies

Obesity in adults: a 2022 adapted clinical practice guideline for Ireland

This Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the management of obesity in adults in Ireland, adapted from the Canadian CPG, defines obesity as a complex chronic disease characterised by excess or dysfunctional adiposity that impairs health. The guideline reflects substantial advances in the understanding of the determinants, pathophysiology, assessment, and treatment of obesity. It shifts the focus of obesity management toward improving patient-centred health outcomes, functional outcomes, and social and economic participation, rather than weight loss alone. It gives recommendations for care that are underpinned by evidence-based principles of chronic disease management; validate patients' lived experiences; move beyond simplistic approaches of "eat less, move more" and address the root drivers of obesity. People living with obesity face substantial bias and stigma, which contribute to increased morbidity and mortality independent of body weight. Education is needed for all healthcare professionals in Ireland to address the gap in skills, increase knowledge of evidence-based practice, and eliminate bias and stigma in healthcare settings. We call for people living with obesity in Ireland to have access to evidence-informed care, including medical, medical nutrition therapy, physical activity and physical rehabilitation interventions, psychological interventions, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery. This can be best achieved by resourcing and fully implementing the Model of Care for the Management of Adult Overweight and Obesity. To address health inequalities, we also call for the inclusion of obesity in the Structured Chronic Disease Management Programme and for pharmacotherapy reimbursement, to ensure equal access to treatment based on health-need rather than ability to pay

Accounting for the features of Shape and Transitivity in a Functional-Typological approach to the Ring Languages

The Ring languages, an understudied sub-group of the Grassfields Bantu family is examined from a function-typological perspective in relation to features of [Shape] and [Transitivity] as per Rijkhoff (2002, 2003). The word classes of noun, adjective and verb of a selection of these languages are examined as to their sensitivity to these features along with implications of these findings in areas such as the position of modifiers in the NP, how these relate to the notion of iconicity and NP word order, and the impact on voice and valence-changing constructions. Evidence to suggest that the Ring languages do not a have a large distinct adjectival class suggests that its nominals may be characterised by the feature [-Shape]. While Rijkhoff (2002) largely points to sortal numeral classifiers as evidence for [-Shape] nominals, an examination of the semantics of Ring noun classes along with the presence of partially grammaticalised numeral classifier systems in line with findings form Dimmendaal (2011) and Kiessling (2018) suggests that noun class markers that encode shape/configuration may also be a useful tool in diagnosing [-Shape] nominals. An analysis of the feature of [Transitivity] in Ring verbs suggests that, due to the presence of A-labile verbs in a language like Kom, it may in fact be the feature of [Dynamicity] that is the differentiating feature when it comes ot the presence of a distinct verb class in a given language, contra Rijkhoff (2003). An analysis of the feature of [Transitivity] in so-called \u27semi-transitive\u27 and \u27bi-transitive\u27 verbs of Babungo is significant however in a reanalysis of such as complex predicates. This finding has implications for an understanding of the causative -s? suffix in Ring, which when examined in light of evidence from Creissels (2016) on the Manding languages and Bostoen et al. (2015) on the presence on an anti-passive marker in Bantu, suggests that an anti-passive fuction may be encoded in the -s? suffix. These findings point to a need to use typologically appropriate frameworks when describing understudied languages such as Ring thus avoiding the pitfalls of purely semantic or syntax-first approaches and point to a need for further shape-based investigations into the Ring languages from both a typological and cognitive perspective. Support was provided for Kiessling (2018) and Dimmendaal\u27s suggestion that apparent emergence of numeral classifier systems in related languages is compensating for the loss of noun classes. Future research into the understudied field of numeral classifiers in shape-based semantics in Bantoid and Bantu could further strengthen these assertions. The analysis of word classes and their impact on the NP in Ring supported Rijkhoff\u27s (2002) suggestion that a misattribution of elements to particular categories in the simplex NP may skew findings as they relate to the notion of iconicity. While findings on [Transitivity] features suggest the need for a clarification of definitions in Rijkhoff\u27s (2003) proposal and lay the groundwork for research on grammaticalisation paths of the causative suffix in Ring as it potentially relates to an anti-passive function

The protein and miRNA profile of plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) can distinguish feline mammary adenocarcinoma patients from healthy feline controls

Abstract Feline mammary adenocarcinomas (FMA) are aggressive tumours with metastatic capability and limited treatment options. This study aims to investigate whether miRNAs associated with FMA tumours are secreted in extracellular vesicles (EVs) and whether they can potentially be used as a cancer biomarker in EVs from feline plasma. Tumours and matched tumour free margins from 10 felines with FMA were selected. Following a detailed literature search, RT-qPCR analyses of 90 miRNAs identified 8 miRNAs of interest for further investigation. Tumour tissue, margins and plasma were subsequently collected from a further 10 felines with FMA. EVs were isolated from the plasma. RT-qPCR expression analyses of the 8 miRNAs of interest were carried out in tumour tissue, margins, FMA EVs and control EVs. Additionally, proteomic analysis of both control and FMA plasma derived EVs was undertaken. RT-qPCR revealed significantly increased miR-20a and miR-15b in tumours compared to margins. A significant decrease in miR-15b and miR-20a was detected in EVs from FMAs compared to healthy feline EVs. The proteomic content of EVs distinguished FMAs from controls, with the protein targets of miR-20a and miR-15b also displaying lower levels in the EVs from patients with FMA. This study has demonstrated that miRNAs are readily detectable in both the tissue and plasma derived EVs from patients with FMA. These miRNAs and their protein targets are a detectable panel of markers in circulating plasma EVs that may inform future diagnostic tests for FMA in a non-invasive manner. Moreover, the clinical relevance of miR-20a and miR-15b warrants further investigation