Briefing Paper 002: Ventilation and the effect of residents behaviour within Passivhaus dwellings

In the UK, over 40% of energy consumption is building related. The energy used in homes alone is responsible for more than a quarter of CO2 emissions. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas and the most significant cause of climate change. Most of the energy used in homes is produced using processes that release CO2 into the air. Studies have found that a building’s energy use for space heating is significantly influenced by occupant’s behaviour such as the opening of windows and the selected thermostat setting. This influence is greater in energy efficient dwellings designed for low energy use. The aim of this paper is to facilitate a better understanding of how occupant behaviour may effect ventilation within Passivhaus buildings in particular

LEARNING VOCABULARY THROUGH SONGS: A STUDY ON THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN TEACHING VERBS

Purpose of the study: This study aims to investigate how the use of songs in English language classrooms could aid tertiary students to increase their verb vocabulary repertoire. Methodology: This quantitative study was carried out among diploma students from a local university in Malaysia. The students were exposed to various English songs during their English lessons. Pre-test and post-test were conducted in this study. Main Findings: The use of songs can increase vocabulary acquisition among English language learners at tertiary level. The use of songs is able to provide a fun way of picking up new words. Applications of this study: The findings of this research indicate that English language teachers of tertiary students should use English songs as classroom activities to facilitate their students’ language learning and motivate them in acquiring new English vocabulary. The findings of this research are useful for university policymakers, teachers, and students. Novelty/Originality of this study: In this research, the use of English songs from contemporary genres, such as Western or Islamic songs can be an effective way to promote language learning

Bezlotoxumab for Prevention of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients. Recurrences are common after antibiotic therapy. Actoxumab and bezlotoxumab are human monoclonal antibodies against C. difficile toxins A and B, respectively. METHODS We conducted two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials, MODIFY I and MODIFY II, involving 2655 adults receiving oral standard-of-care antibiotics for primary or recurrent C. difficile infection. Participants received an infusion of bezlotoxumab (10 mg per kilogram of body weight), actoxumab plus bezlotoxumab (10 mg per kilogram each), or placebo; actoxumab alone (10 mg per kilogram) was given in MODIFY I but discontinued after a planned interim analysis. The primary end point was recurrent infection (new episode after initial clinical cure) within 12 weeks after infusion in the modified intention-to-treat population. RESULTS In both trials, the rate of recurrent C. difficile infection was significantly lower with bezlotoxumab alone than with placebo (MODIFY I: 17% [67 of 386] vs. 28% [109 of 395]; adjusted difference, −10.1 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], −15.9 to −4.3; P<0.001; MODIFY II: 16% [62 of 395] vs. 26% [97 of 378]; adjusted difference, −9.9 percentage points; 95% CI, −15.5 to −4.3; P<0.001) and was significantly lower with actoxumab plus bezlotoxumab than with placebo (MODIFY I: 16% [61 of 383] vs. 28% [109 of 395]; adjusted difference, −11.6 percentage points; 95% CI, −17.4 to −5.9; P<0.001; MODIFY II: 15% [58 of 390] vs. 26% [97 of 378]; adjusted difference, −10.7 percentage points; 95% CI, −16.4 to −5.1; P<0.001). In prespecified subgroup analyses (combined data set), rates of recurrent infection were lower in both groups that received bezlotoxumab than in the placebo group in subpopulations at high risk for recurrent infection or for an adverse outcome. The rates of initial clinical cure were 80% with bezlotoxumab alone, 73% with actoxumab plus bezlotoxumab, and 80% with placebo; the rates of sustained cure (initial clinical cure without recurrent infection in 12 weeks) were 64%, 58%, and 54%, respectively. The rates of adverse events were similar among these groups; the most common events were diarrhea and nausea. CONCLUSIONS Among participants receiving antibiotic treatment for primary or recurrent C. difficile infection, bezlotoxumab was associated with a substantially lower rate of recurrent infection than placebo and had a safety profile similar to that of placebo. The addition of actoxumab did not improve efficacy. (Funded by Merck; MODIFY I and MODIFY II ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT01241552 and NCT01513239.

The dynamic impact of non-renewable and renewable energy on carbon dioxide emissions and ecological footprint in Indonesia

Abstract The global trend of environmental degradation, marked by escalating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and expanding ecological footprints, poses a significant risk to the planet and leads to global warming. This decline in the environment is primarily attributed to the extensive use of non-renewable energy sources and substantial economic activities. This study investigates the dynamic impact of non-renewable energy (coal, gas, and oil), renewable energy, economic growth, and capital formation on CO2 emissions and the ecological footprint in Indonesia spanning from 1965–2022. Employing Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), and a robustness test with Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR) techniques, we seek to establish long-term associations among the studied variables. Preliminary findings, supported by our primary models, reveal that every increase in coal and gas directly results in higher CO2 emissions but does not affect ecological footprints. Conversely, every increase in oil affects the rise of ecological footprints but not CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, the rise in renewable energy will reduce both CO2 emissions and ecological footprints, consequently enhancing Indonesia's environmental quality. Furthermore, increasing economic growth will increase both CO2 emissions and ecological footprint, while the rise in capital formation reduces the ecological footprint. The Granger causality test showed unidirectional causality from CO2 emissions to renewable energy and also revealed bidirectional causality between ecological footprint and renewable energy. This study clarifies the patterns of energy emissions in Indonesia and provides policymakers with recommendations for maintaining environmental sustainability, including investing in renewable energy use and transitioning away from non-renewable energy, given the pressing climate challenges and the goal of achieving carbon neutrality

Ustekinumab induction and maintenance therapy in refractory Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: In patients with Crohn's disease, the efficacy of ustekinumab, a human monoclonal antibody against interleukin-12 and interleukin-23, is unknown. METHODS: We evaluated ustekinumab in adults with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease that was resistant to anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment. During induction, 526 patients were randomly assigned to receive intravenous ustekinumab (at a dose of 1, 3, or 6 mg per kilogram of body weight) or placebo at week 0. During the maintenance phase, 145 patients who had a response to ustekinumab at 6 weeks underwent a second randomization to receive subcutaneous injections of ustekinumab (90 mg) or placebo at weeks 8 and 16. The primary end point was a clinical response at 6 weeks. RESULTS: The proportions of patients who reached the primary end point were 36.6%, 34.1%, and 39.7% for 1, 3, and 6 mg of ustekinumab per kilogram, respectively, as compared with 23.5% for placebo (P=0.005 for the comparison with the 6-mg group). The rate of clinical remission with the 6-mg dose did not differ significantly from the rate with placebo at 6 weeks. Maintenance therapy with ustekinumab, as compared with placebo, resulted in significantly increased rates of clinical remission (41.7% vs. 27.4%, P=0.03) and response (69.4% vs. 42.5%, P<0.001) at 22 weeks. Serious infections occurred in 7 patients (6 receiving ustekinumab) during induction and 11 patients (4 receiving ustekinumab) during maintenance. Basal-cell carcinoma developed in 1 patient receiving ustekinumab. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease that was resistant to TNF antagonists had an increased rate of response to induction with ustekinumab, as compared with placebo. Patients with an initial response to ustekinumab had significantly increased rates of response and remission with ustekinumab as maintenance therapy