Famine: Lessons Learned

Famine: Lessons Learned was produced as the world was responding to four potential famines simultaneously – in Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen and Somalia. Much has been written and researched on famine, and many lessons on how to best prevent and respond to famine have been learned the hard way. This paper therefore draws on lessons learned from the last 30-plus years of famine crises and response, going back to famines in Ethiopia and Sudan in the 1980s, up to the most recent famine in Somalia in 2011

Social Support and Attitudes to Aging in Later Life

Negative attitudes to aging are a risk factor for poor health and well-being. The current study sought to examine satisfaction with social support as a potentially modifiable factor that might facilitate the development of more positive attitudes to aging. A convenience sample of 501 older respondents (Mage = 72.06) reported on frequency of social support and their satisfaction with it, as well as completing a rating of attachment (model of the self and others), a measure of attitudes to aging, and a number of background measures. Results indicated that better subjective health, younger age, and greater satisfaction with social support were all significant predictors of more positive attitudes to aging, while frequency of social support was not. Model of the self accounted for some variation in satisfaction with social support. Interventions to increase satisfaction with social support in later life, recognizing individual differences and attachment styles, may improve attitudes to aging, and further support health and well-being.Data collection for this study was supported by the ESRC grant (RES-000-22-4117) awarded to S.M. Nelis (PI), L. Clare and C.J. Whitaker. We also acknowledge the support of the ESRC and NIHR through grant ES/L001853/1 ‘Improving the experience of dementia and enhancing active life: living well with dementia’ (Investigators: L. Clare, I.R. Jones, C.Victor, J.V. Hindle, R.W.Jones, M.Knapp, M.Kopelman, A.Martyr, F.Matthews, R.G.Morris, S.M.Nelis, J.Pickett, C.Quinn, J.Rusted, N.Savitch, J.Thom)

A simple method for measuring plasma power in rf-GDOES instruments

A method for determining plasma power in rf-GDOES is presented. It is based on an effective resistance located in the inductive coil of the impedance matching. The amount of electrical power consumed in the matching system depends on the capacitive current flowing through the matching system, which depends on the applied voltage, the stray capacity, and the frequency. This correction method is experimentally evaluated and compared with the integral plasma power calculatio

Taking control of microplastics data: A comparison of control and blank data correction methods

Although significant headway has been achieved regarding method harmonisation for the analysis of microplastics, analysis and interpretation of control data has largely been overlooked. There is currently no consensus on the best method to utilise data generated from controls, and consequently many methods are arbitrarily employed. This study identified 6 commonly implemented strategies: a) No correction; b) Subtraction; c) Mean Subtraction; d) Spectral Similarity; e) Limits of detection/ limits of quantification (LOD/LOQ) or f) Statistical analysis, of which many variations are possible. Here, the 6 core methods and 45 variant methods (n = 51) thereof were used to correct a dummy dataset using control data. Most of the methods tested were too inflexible to account for the inherent variation present in microplastic data. Only 7 of the 51 methods tested (six LOD/LOQ methods and one statistical method) showed promise, removing between 96.3 % and 100 % of the contamination data from the dummy set. The remaining 44 methods resulted in deficient corrections for background contamination due to the heterogeneity of microplastics. These methods should be avoided in the future to avoid skewed results, especially in low abundance samples. Overall, LOD/LOQ methods or statistical analysis comparing means are recommended for future use in microplastic studies

'All the world's a stage': Accounting for the dementia experience - insights from the IDEAL study

YesQualitative dementia research emphasises the importance of recognising the voice of the person with dementia. However, research imbued with a politics of selfhood, whereby individuals are called upon to give coherence to experience and emotion, jars with representations of dementia as a gradual decline in capacity. Moreover, it reinforces an assumption that there is an essential experience that can be accessed through different methods. Drawing on Atkinson and Silverman, we view the interview not as confessional but rather as an outcome of social interaction. This paper draws on qualitative interviews from the Improving the Experince of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) study, to focus specifically on the forms of accounting and storytelling of people living with dementia and how these are produced through the course of the interview encounter. Extracts from our interviews highlight key aspects of this interactional process: (a) social conventions and temporality, (b) self presentation and identity work, (c) accounts and wider cultural meanings. To conclude, we suggest that qualitative research with people with dementia requires a reframing of both the interview encounter and interpretive practices.The IDEAL study’ was funded jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through grant ES/L001853/2 ‘Improving the experience of dementia and enhancing active life: living well with dementia

Safe food through better labelling: A robust method for the rapid determination of caprine and bovine milk allergens

Accidental milk cross-contamination is one of the most common causes for costly food recalls. Yet, quantifying trace-levels of allergen is time-consuming and current methods are not adapted for routine analyses making quality control for trace-level allergen content impractical. This perpetuates voluntary “may-contain” statements that are unhelpful for people suffering from food allergies. Here, we developed a rapid LC-MS method enabling milk allergen quantification by comparing all tryptic-peptides of major milk allergens. The bovine-specific αS-2 casein peptide and allergen-epitope NAVPITPTLNR provided excellent performance in sensitivity (LOD 1 mg.kg − 1; LOQ 2 mg.kg − 1) across various dairy products, good recovery rates in baked croissants (77 % with a 10 % inter-day RSD) and a linear range of 2 – 2,000 mg.kg − 1. The method can be used for routine determination of trace-contamination with bovine milk allergen and the adulteration of high-value caprine dairy products with lower-value bovine milk products, protecting consumer trust and the growing population suffering from food allergies

The AgeWell study of behavior change to promote health and wellbeing in later life: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

This is the final version of the article. Available from Biomed Central via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: Lifestyle factors playing a role in the development of late-life disability may be modifiable. There is a need for robust evidence about the potential for prevention of disability through behavior change interventions. METHODS/DESIGN: This feasibility study involves the development, implementation and initial testing of a behavior change intervention in a naturalistic setting. A small-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) will investigate the implementation of a goal-setting intervention aimed at promoting behavior change in the domains of physical and cognitive activity in the context of a community resource center for over-50s. Healthy older participants attending the center (n = 75) will be randomized to one of three conditions: control (an interview involving a general discussion about the center); goal-setting (an interview involving identification of up to five personal goals in the domains of physical activity, cognitive activity, diet and health, and social engagement); or goal-setting with mentoring (the goal-setting interview followed by bi-monthly telephone mentoring). All participants will be reassessed after 12 months. Primary outcomes are levels of physical and cognitive activity. Secondary outcomes address psychosocial (self-efficacy, mood, quality of life), cognitive (memory and executive function), and physical fitness (functional and metabolic) domains. Cost-effectiveness will also be examined. DISCUSSION: This study will provide information about the feasibility of a community-based lifestyle intervention model for over-50s and of the implementation of a goal-setting intervention for behavior change, together with initial evidence about the short-term effects of goal-setting on behavior. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN30080637 (http://www.controlled-trials.com).This study is funded by the Medical Research Council (UK) through the Lifelong Health and Well-being programme. The funder plays no role in the design of the study, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Professors Carol Brayne, Martin Knapp, Mike Martin, and Robin Morris advised on and critically reviewed the study proposal. John Clifford Jones, Maldwyn Roberts, and Stephen Williams of Age Cymru Gwynedd a Môn are responsible for setting up and managing the Nefyn AgeWell Centre. Julie Nixon is conducting the interviews and Jennifer Cooney is contributing to data collection. Anne Krayer will collect and analyze qualitative data for the biographical narrative analysis. Blood samples are analyzed by NHS laboratory staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor. Sources of funding for each author are as follows: LC: Higher Education Funding Council for Wales; JVH: National Health Service/ Welsh Assembly Government; IRJ: Higher Education Funding Council for Wales; SMN: Medical Research Council grant; JT: Higher Education Funding Council for Wales; CJW: Welsh Assembly Government

Targeting danger molecules in tendinopathy: the HMGB1/TLR4 axis

Objectives: To seek evidence of the danger molecule, high-mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) expression in human tendinopathy and thereafter, to explore mechanisms where HMGB1 may regulate inflammatory mediators and matrix regulation in human tendinopathy. Methods: Torn supraspinatus tendon (established pathology) and matched intact subscapularis tendon (representing ‘early pathology’) biopsies were collected from patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Control samples of subscapularis tendon were collected from patients undergoing arthroscopic stabilisation surgery. Markers of inflammation and HMGB1 were quantified by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Human tendon-derived primary cells were derived from hamstring tendon tissue obtained during hamstring tendon anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and used through passage 3. In vitro effects of recombinant HMGB1 on tenocyte matrix and inflammatory potential were measured using quantitative RT-PCR, ELISA and immunohistochemistry staining. Results: Tendinopathic tissues demonstrated significantly increased levels of the danger molecule HMGB1 compared with control tissues with early tendinopathy tissue showing the greatest expression. The addition of recombinant human HMGB1 to tenocytes led to significant increase in expression of a number of inflammatory mediators, including interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-33, CCL2 and CXCL12, in vitro. Further analysis demonstrated rhHMGB1 treatment resulted in increased expression of genes involved in matrix remodelling. Significant increases were observed in Col3, Tenascin-C and Decorin. Moreover, blocking HMGB1 signalling via toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) silencing reversed these key inflammatory and matrix changes. Conclusion: HMGB1 is present in human tendinopathy and can regulate inflammatory cytokines and matrix changes. We propose HMGB1 as a mediator driving the inflammatory/matrix crosstalk and manipulation of the HMGB1/TLR4 axis may offer novel therapeutic approaches targeting inflammatory mechanisms in the management of human tendon disorders

Influence of HiPIMS pulse widths on the deposition behaviour and properties of CuAgZr compositionally graded films

In this work, the influence of different pulse widths (25, 50 and 100 μs) during high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of copper, silver and zirconium was investigated in terms of plasma properties and properties of combinatorial composition gradient CuAgZr film libraries. In situ plasma diagnostics via optical emission spectroscopy (OES), time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS), and modified quartz crystal microbalance (m-QCM), followed by film ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations allowed to determine the effect of deposition parameters on the thin films' microstructural changes. Changing the pulse width, while keeping the duty cycle constant, modified the discharge composition in the target region and the ionised fraction of the sputtered species in the substrate region. The maximum Cu ionised fraction (19 %) was found for 50 μs, resulting in compact and smooth morphology for Cu-rich films, whereas short 25 μs pulses provided porous columnar films with rough surfaces, as the result from Ar+ bombardment. For Ag-rich films, Ag segregation allowed the deposition of dense layers, regardless of the used pulse width. Furthermore, low Ag (<10 at.%) CuAgZr films produced via HiPIMS and direct-current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) were compared in terms of structural and mechanical property changes as a function of Zr contents. For the studied chemical composition range, a linear relationship between Zr content, XRD phase shift and mechanical properties was observed for HiPIMS films, in contrast to DCMS's more abrupt transitions. An increase in hardness and elastic modulus (up to 44 % and 22 %, respectively) was found for the HiPIMS films compared to DCMS ones. The obtained results highlight HiPIMS's flexibility in providing a wide range of tailoring possibilities to meet specific application requirements, such as crystalline microstructure, density and associated mechanical properties