A Brief History of Environmental Policy Through Literature

Environmental policy is a relative newcomer on the scene of federal regulation, with cries for a unified federal environmental response ignited by the publication of Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson in 1962 which exposed the new field of environmental science and its effects to the American public. However, the tradition of literature driving public awareness and federal policymaking does not stop at its genesis with many seminal works such as Collapse, by Jared Diamond, The Diversity of Life, by Edward O. Wilson, and Love Canal, by Richard Newman, continuing to do the same. These books have continued to champion the cause of environmental awareness through detailing the effects of human activities on the ecosystems around us, as well as the human cost. The shocking imagery in this literature has prompted many in the American public to take up the cause of environmental reform, this increased awareness and involvement of many in the public has perpetuated a chunk of the environmental reforms adopted by the federal government. As such, the history of the federal environmental legislature is inextricably linked with literature.https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/celebration_posters_2023/1041/thumbnail.jp

The Diversity of Life by E.O. Wilson

In The Diversity of Life, E. O. Wilson tells a tale about how our earth is on track for another extinction event and humans are at fault. Wilson discusses various topics such as environmental preservation, biodiversity and its importance, and how life has evolved over time. Wilson views biodiversity differently than many as he focuses on all species found in the ecosystem rather than narrowing his focus on one. He mentions how new species can be created by groups evolving and developing new skills or existing in new environments. Species are going extinct and being created constantly; these extinctions don\u27t have to be large; they can exist on small scales yet still cause an impact on the entire ecosystem. Wilson goes on to explain that humans have existed for a small period of time yet we are the number one cause of extinction events within species. Ultimately, humans will be the cause of our own downfall as the environment is a reflection and product of human actions.https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/celebration_posters_2023/1008/thumbnail.jp

Structural investigations of the regio- and enantioselectivity of lipases

Although lipases are widely applied for the stereospecific resolution of racemic mixtures of esters, the atomic details of the factors that are responsible for their stereospecificity are largely obscure. We determined the X-ray structures of Pseudomonas cepacia lipase in complex with two enantiopure triglyceride analogues, that closely mimic natural substrates. This allowed an unambiguous view of how the two wings of the boomerang-shaped active site accommodate the acyl and alcohol parts of the triglyceride. The binding groove for the hydrophobic sn-3 fatty acid chain is large and hydrophobic. The cleft for the alcohol moiety is divided in two parts, one tightly binding the sn-2 acyl chain with hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions, the other more weakly binding the sn-1 fatty acid. The enantioselectivity of Pseudomonas cepacia lipase seems therefore to be predominantly determined by the size and interactions of the sn-2 chain and by the size of the sn-3 chain.

An analysis of the development and implementation of a smartphone application for the delivery of antimicrobial prescribing policy: lessons learnt

Objectives: Smartphone usage amongst clinicians is widespread. Yet smartphones are not widely used for the dissemination of policy or as clinical decision support systems. We report here on the development, adoption and implementation process of the Imperial Antimicrobial Prescribing Application across five teaching hospitals in London. Methods: Doctors and clinical pharmacists were recruited to this study, which employed a mixed methods indepth case-study design with focus groups, structured pre- and post-intervention survey questionnaires and live data on application uptake. The primary outcome measure was uptake of the application by doctors and its acceptability. The development and implementation processes were also mapped. Results: The application was downloaded by 40% (376) of junior doctors with smartphones (primary target user group) within the first month and by 100% within 12 months. There was an average of 1900 individual access sessions per month, compared with 221 hits on the Intranet version of the policy. Clinicians (71%) reported that using the application improved their antibiotic knowledge. Conclusions: Clinicians rapidly adopted the mobile application for antimicrobial prescribing at the point of care, enabling the policy to reach a much wider audience in comparison with paper- and desktop-based versions of the policy. Organizations seeking to optimize antimicrobial prescribing should consider utilizing mobile technology to deliver point-of-care decision support. The process revealed a series of barriers, which will need to be addressed at individual and organizational levels to ensure safe and high-quality delivery of local policy at the point of care

The clinical effectiveness of individual behaviour change interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour after a negative human immunodeficiency virus test in men who have sex with men: systematic and realist reviews and intervention development

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) experience significant inequalities in health and well-being. They are the group in the UK at the highest risk of acquiring a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Guidance relating to both HIV infection prevention, in general, and individual-level behaviour change interventions, in particular, is very limited. Objectives: To conduct an evidence synthesis of the clinical effectiveness of behaviour change interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour among MSM after a negative HIV infection test. To identify effective components within interventions in reducing HIV risk-related behaviours and develop a candidate intervention. To host expert events addressing the implementation and optimisation of a candidate intervention. Data sources: All major electronic databases (British Education Index, BioMed Central, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, Educational Resource Index and Abstracts, Health and Medical Complete, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, PubMed and Social Science Citation Index) were searched between January 2000 and December 2014. Review methods: A systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of individual behaviour change interventions was conducted. Interventions were examined using the behaviour change technique (BCT) taxonomy, theory coding assessment, mode of delivery and proximity to HIV infection testing. Data were summarised in narrative review and, when appropriate, meta-analysis was carried out. Supplemental analyses for the development of the candidate intervention focused on post hoc realist review method, the assessment of the sequential delivery and content of intervention components, and the social and historical context of primary studies. Expert panels reviewed the candidate intervention for issues of implementation and optimisation. Results: Overall, trials included in this review (n = 10) demonstrated that individual-level behaviour change interventions are effective in reducing key HIV infection risk-related behaviours. However, there was considerable clinical and methodological heterogeneity among the trials. Exploratory meta-analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in behaviours associated with high risk of HIV transmission (risk ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.91). Additional stratified analyses suggested that effectiveness may be enhanced through face-to-face contact immediately after testing, and that theory-based content and BCTs drawn from ‘goals and planning’ and ‘identity’ groups are important. All evidence collated in the review was synthesised to develop a candidate intervention. Experts highlighted overall acceptability of the intervention and outlined key ways that the candidate intervention could be optimised to enhance UK implementation. Limitations: There was a limited number of primary studies. All were from outside the UK and were subject to considerable clinical, methodological and statistical heterogeneity. The findings of the meta-analysis must therefore be treated with caution. The lack of detailed intervention manuals limited the assessment of intervention content, delivery and fidelity. Conclusions: Evidence regarding the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions suggests that they are effective in changing behaviour associated with HIV transmission. Exploratory stratified meta-analyses suggested that interventions should be delivered face to face and immediately after testing. There are uncertainties around the generalisability of these findings to the UK setting. However, UK experts found the intervention acceptable and provided ways of optimising the candidate intervention. Future work: There is a need for well-designed, UK-based trials of individual behaviour change interventions that clearly articulate intervention content and demonstrate intervention fidelity

The positions of primary and secondary schools in the English school field: a case of durable inequality

In interviews as part of a research study of structural reform in England, some tension between primary head teachers and their secondary peers was evident. This was symptomatic of a long-standing difference in status between the two phases. At a time when relations between stakeholders in local systems are subject to change, we seek to understand anew why that might be the case and how the tension we found was evidence of a current difference of power within interactions between representatives of the phases. We analyse differences of size, resources, workforce, pedagogy and history, and how they have resulted in different, and differently valued, practices and professional identities. We explore how attributes of the two phases have been counterposed and how, in complex interaction with wider discourses of politics, gender and age, this process has invested the differences with meanings and values that tend to relegate attributes associated with primary school. By focusing on the activation of cumulative inequality in interactions, we contribute a complementary perspective to studies of perceived relative status and highlight the implications for understanding school positioning in local arenas as the role of local authorities is reduced

Writing in Britain and Ireland, c. 400 to c. 800

No abstract available

Evaluation of a range of mammalian and mosquito cell lines for use in Chikungunya virus research

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is becoming an increasing global health issue which has spread across the globe and as far north as southern Europe. There is currently no vaccine or anti-viral treatment available. Although there has been a recent increase in CHIKV research, many of these in vitro studies have used a wide range of cell lines which are not physiologically relevant to CHIKV infection in vivo. In this study, we aimed to evaluate a panel of cell lines to identify a subset that would be both representative of the infectious cycle of CHIKV in vivo, and amenable to in vitro applications such as transfection, luciferase assays, immunofluorescence, western blotting and virus infection. Based on these parameters we selected four mammalian and two mosquito cell lines, and further characterised these as potential tools in CHIKV research