A depletable pool of adenosine in area CA1 of the rat hippocampus

Adenosine plays a major modulatory and neuroprotective role in the mammalian CNS. During cerebral metabolic stress, such as hypoxia or ischemia, the increase in extracellular adenosine inhibits excitatory synaptic transmission onto vulnerable neurons via presynaptic adenosine A1 receptors, thereby reducing the activation of postsynaptic glutamate receptors. Using a combination of extracellular and whole-cell recordings in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices from 12- to 24-d-old rats, we have found that this protective depression of synaptic transmission weakens with repeated exposure to hypoxia, thereby allowing potentially damaging excitation to both persist for longer during oxygen deprivation and recover more rapidly on reoxygenation. This phenomenon is unlikely to involve A1 receptor desensitization or impaired nucleoside transport. Instead, by using the selective A1 antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine and a novel adenosine sensor, we demonstrate that adenosine production is reduced with repeated episodes of hypoxia. Furthermore, this adenosine depletion can be reversed at least partially either by the application of exogenous adenosine, but not by a stable A1 agonist, N6-cyclopentyladenosine, or by endogenous means by prolonged (2 hr) recovery between hypoxic episodes. Given the vital neuroprotective role of adenosine, these findings suggest that depletion of adenosine may underlie the increased neuronal vulnerability to repetitive or secondary hypoxia/ischemia in cerebrovascular disease and head injury

Accessibility Coordinators: A model for embedded, sustainable change towards inclusive higher education

Higher education has seen a dramatic change over the last three decades. In this time, it has become open to groups of students that had not historically participated, leading to its democratisation, increased social inclusion and the breakdown of barriers to a previously elitist system. With these changes have come the moral and legislative requirements to ensure that all students, regardless of their circumstances or characteristics, have equitable study experiences. In the UK, higher education institutions have increasingly sought to develop and deliver curricula that are inclusive, particularly for students with disabilities, but changes to funding regimes have placed financial burdens on universities and exposed insecurities and gaps in academic staff skills and knowledge. These issues manifest as attainment gaps and the alienation of students the universities were making efforts to attract. Many universities seek to promote accessibility of teaching and learning but it can be challenging to operationalise accessibility systematically in institutions. In our UK university, this has been operationalised through a network of Accessibility Coordinators, operating in faculties throughout the university since 2010. These roles have become embedded to enact large-scale, consistent institutional change and have created substantial, sustainable improvements in accessibility and inclusive practice. In 2018, an evaluation of the Accessibility Coordinator role was conducted to assess how the role of Accessibility Coordinator has changed since its inception and investigate how these agents perceive the role needs to further adapt to respond to a changing higher education environment. In this paper, we present a model of how accessibility advocate roles can become embedded into an institutional structure, how the role may evolve over time and the factors involved in these changes. We review the role, beliefs and perceptions of these advocates by exploring their lived experiences, analysed in the context of change management theories. Finally, we explore how they adopt and adapt to the role, shaping it according to their context, skillset, interests and environment, and forming a change community with other advocates. In sharing this, we seek to posit a model that can be adapted into a framework for other educational institutions to create, embed, support and evaluate accessibility (or other inclusion) advocates in their own contexts

A method for modelling GP practice level deprivation scores using GIS

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A measure of general practice level socioeconomic deprivation can be used to explore the association between deprivation and other practice characteristics. An area-based categorisation is commonly chosen as the basis for such a deprivation measure. Ideally a practice population-weighted area-based deprivation score would be calculated using individual level spatially referenced data. However, these data are often unavailable. One approach is to link the practice postcode to an area-based deprivation score, but this method has limitations. This study aimed to develop a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) based model that could better predict a practice population-weighted deprivation score in the absence of patient level data than simple practice postcode linkage.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We calculated predicted practice level Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2004 deprivation scores using two methods that did not require patient level data. Firstly we linked the practice postcode to an IMD 2004 score, and secondly we used a GIS model derived using data from Rotherham, UK. We compared our two sets of predicted scores to "gold standard" practice population-weighted scores for practices in Doncaster, Havering and Warrington. Overall, the practice postcode linkage method overestimated "gold standard" IMD scores by 2.54 points (95% CI 0.94, 4.14), whereas our modelling method showed no such bias (mean difference 0.36, 95% CI -0.30, 1.02). The postcode-linked method systematically underestimated the gold standard score in less deprived areas, and overestimated it in more deprived areas. Our modelling method showed a small underestimation in scores at higher levels of deprivation in Havering, but showed no bias in Doncaster or Warrington. The postcode-linked method showed more variability when predicting scores than did the GIS modelling method.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A GIS based model can be used to predict a practice population-weighted area-based deprivation measure in the absence of patient level data. Our modelled measure generally had better agreement with the population-weighted measure than did a postcode-linked measure. Our model may also avoid an underestimation of IMD scores in less deprived areas, and overestimation of scores in more deprived areas, seen when using postcode linked scores. The proposed method may be of use to researchers who do not have access to patient level spatially referenced data.</p

Assessing Information Technology Use over Time with Growth Modeling and Hierarchical Linear Modeling: A Tutorial

Time is an important factor in the use of information technology. However, traditional information systems research methods cannot adequately account for the dynamic nature of time-based relationships often found in longitudinal data. This shortcoming is problematic when investigating volatile relationships that evolve over time (e.g., information technology use across users, departments, and organizations). Educational, sociological, and management researchers study the influence of time using a rigorous multilevel method called growth modeling. We demonstrate the use of growth modeling in this tutorial, which is based on a semester-long study of an actual web-based university-level course content delivery system. The tutorial provides guidance on preliminary data tests, the construction and analysis of growth models using hierarchical linear modeling, and the interpretation of final results. The tutorial also describes other unique advantages of using growth modeling for IS research

ANTHROPOMETRY AND STRENGTH PREDICTORS OF GRINDING PERFORMANCE IN AMERICA'S CLIP SAILORS

This study aimed to determine what anthropometric and strength factors could predict performance in America's Cup grinding. Eleven male America's Cup sailors were measured for 42 anthropometric dimensions, and bench pull strength, and their power output was obtained from repeated eight-second maximal bursts of high load backwards grinding. Strength and body mass had the highest relationships with grinding performance. Stepwise regression analysis indicated that strength was the major determinant in grinding ability, explaining 64% of the known variance in grinding performance. Total arm length and total leg length were the best anthropometric predictors of performance, each explaining 9% of the remaining variance

AMERICA'S CUP GRINDERS' POWER OUTPUT CAN BE IMPROVED WITH A BIOMECHANICAL TECHNIQUE INTERVENTION

Grinding provides the power behind tacking and gybing, where the yacht crosses the wind to change direction. This study evaluated the effect of a technique intervention on grinding performance. Ten America's Cup grinders were assessed, via videoed joint kinematics and grinder ergometer power output, before and after a technique intervention based on biomechanical principles. Anthropometric measures were obtained from each grinder using ISAK protocols. Maximal strength was assessed using 1 RM bench pull. The intervention produced a 4.7% increase in mean power output (p = 0.012). Regression analysis indicated predictors for grinding performance were COM. position and maximal strength

Towards Inclusive Language: Exploring student-led approaches to talking about disability-related study needs

To support inclusive and equitable study, universities often categorise students as ‘disabled’ in order for them to access support for their studies, and require them to engage with terms such as ‘disclosing a disability’ and ‘reasonable adjustments’. This pathologises them by requiring them to identify as ‘different’ even if they do not consider themselves to be. Indeed, many students report that they feel uncomfortable with this; they do not identify as ‘disabled’, and this can discourage students from informing the university about their ‘disability’ and can create barriers to accessing support. There is little understanding of how members of these diverse populations identify themselves or their preferences for discussing ‘disability-related’ support. In this paper, we report on a study where we sought to understand students’ language styles and preferences when it comes to discussing disability and study requirements, and contrast these with the language used throughout our institution (and UK higher education institutions in general). The aim of the project was to investigate the language that students feel comfortable using when talking about their ‘disabilities’ and to identify gaps between the language students use to describe their own disabilities and the language used in UK higher education. We initially utilised a mixed-methods approach to investigate students’ perspectives of language. This combined a qualitative approach using discourse and positioning analysis techniques to investigate the language students use, and a quantitative approach to analyse these results at scale. Survey results showed that terminology addressing students as ‘disabled’ was uncomfortable for many (particularly those with mental health conditions or specific learning difficulties); ‘additional study needs’ was preferred. However, we found divergence in these preferences across contexts, rather than consistent preference for any recognised language model. We also identified clusters with significantly different perspectives on language within the population. The project team then worked with a wide range of stakeholders to collaboratively develop guidance for student-facing staff, and researchers and policy-makers to use when talking to students about disability. We also developed guidance for students to explain the type of language commonly used by universities around disability. In this paper, we explain the process we followed to turn the findings of the first stage of the research into guidance. We explore the issues staff raised and how these led to the creation of suitable research-informed guidance on language use. Through this, we draw conclusions on how to develop suitable understanding of inclusive language across an educational institution. These include the sensitivities both staff and students may feel regarding terminology such as ‘needs assessments’ and ‘adjustments’, the importance of mirroring language in a one-to-one setting and the need to provide clear examples as well as abstract terms. This guidance will support staff to use, investigate and influence language used to discuss disability-related study needs, with a view to moving towards inclusive, student-led language approaches