Involving students in researching learning and teaching approaches: An additional focus for undergraduate student publications?

Sue Burkill, Head of Education Enhancement, University of Exete

Sources of Sex Information Used by Young British Women Who Have Sex with Women (WSW) and Women Who Have Sex Exclusively with Men (WSEM): Evidence from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles

There is little consideration about the provision of information about sex to women who have sex with women (WSW). This study drew on data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle, a nationally representative survey of people in Great Britain. Logistic regression was undertaken to examine firstly the relationships between WSW and women who have sex exclusively with men (WSEM) and their main source of information about sex, and secondly between WSW/WSEM and unmet need for information about sex. Each source was included as the binary outcome indicating yes this was the main source, or no this was not the main source of information about sex. The results found that WSW had significantly lower odds of reporting lessons at schools as their main source of information, and significantly higher odds of reporting sources defined as ‘other’ (predominantly first girlfriend/boyfriend or sexual partner) as their main source of information. Reported levels of unmet need for information was also higher amongst young WSW compared with WSEM. This study provides new insights into the sex educational needs of young women and highlights the need for sex education in schools in Great Britain to include information on a full-range of sexual practices, including same-sex sexual relationships

Pregnancy outcomes after exposure to interferon beta : a register-based cohort study among women with MS in Finland and Sweden

Background Our aim was to estimate and compare the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women with multiple sclerosis (MS) exposed to interferon beta (IFNB) and among women with MS unexposed to any MS disease-modifying drug (MSDMD). Methods This cohort study used Finnish (1996-2014) and Swedish (2005-2014) national register data. Women with MS having IFNB dispensed 6 months before or during pregnancy as the only medication were considered as IFNB exposed (only IFNB-exposed), whereas women with MS unexposed to any MSDMD were considered unexposed (MSDMD-unexposed). Prevalence was described and compared using log-binomial or logistic regression and adjusted for potential confounders including maternal age and comorbidity. Results Among 2831 pregnancies, 2.2% of the only IFNB-exposed and 4.0% of the MSDMD-unexposed women had serious adverse pregnancy outcomes [elective termination of pregnancy due to foetal anomaly (TOPFA), major congenital anomaly (MCA) in live, or stillbirth]. After adjustments, the prevalence of serious adverse pregnancy outcomes was lower among the only IFNB-exposed compared with the MSDMD-unexposed [relative risk 0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31-0.96]. The prevalence of individual outcomes, including MCA, spontaneous abortions, and stillbirths was not increased with IFNB exposure. Women with MS exposed to IFNB appeared more likely to terminate their pregnancy for reasons other than foetal anomaly, compared with MSDMD-unexposed pregnant MS patients (odds ratio 1.71, 95% CI 1.06-2.78). Conclusion In this large cohort study, no increase in the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes was observed in women with MS exposed to IFNB compared with MS patients unexposed to any MSDMDs. This study together with other evidence led to a change in the labels of the IFNB products in September 2019 in the European Union, and IFNB use today may be considered during pregnancy, if clinically needed.Peer reviewe

Preoperative diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding due to a GIST of the jejunum: a case report

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms affecting the digestive tract or nearby structures within the abdomen. We present a case of a 66-year-old female patient who presented with obscure anemia due to gastrointestinal bleeding and underwent exploratory laparotomy during which a large GIST of the small intestine was discovered. Examining the preoperative results of video capsule endoscopy, computed tomography, and angiography and comparing them with the operative findings we discuss which of these investigations plays the most important role in the detection and localization of GIST. A sort review of the literature is also conducted on these rare mesenchymal tumours

Association of Timing of Sexual Partnerships and Perceptions of Partners' Concurrency With Reporting of Sexually Transmitted Infection Diagnosis

IMPORTANCE: The timing of sexual partnerships is important for sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission potential. Studies often measure timing as whether partnerships overlap in time (concurrency), but this measure does not account for how STI risk from previous partners can be carried forward into future partnerships even when there is a time gap between them (serial monogamy) if the infectious period is greater than this time gap. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of the timing of partnerships, measured as the time gap or time overlap between partners, and perceptions of partners' concurrency with STI transmission. DESIGN SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This survey study that was conducted in 2017 included 8867 participants in Britain aged 16 to 44 years who reported 1 or more sexual partners in the 5 years before the interview. Data were collected from 2010 to 2012 from Britain's third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), a large probability survey (response rate, 57.7%) designed to be broadly representative of the general population. EXPOSURE: Gaps between participants' 3 or fewer most recent partners in the past 5 years were calculated from dates of the last sexual encounter with former partners and the first sexual encounter with subsequent partners. Negative gaps denote overlapping partnerships (concurrency); positive gaps denote serial monogamy. Participant perception of most recent partner concurrency was proxied by asking participants whether they knew or thought that their partners had had sex with other partners since their first sexual encounter together. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Reported STI diagnosis in the past 5 years. RESULTS: Of 8867 participants eligible for this analysis, 3509 (39.6%) were male and 5158 (58.2%) were female, with a mean age of 28 years. Overall, 48.1% of males and 39.5% of females reported 2 or more partners and 1 or more time gaps. The median time gap was 2 months (interquartile range, -3 months to 8 months). Although 67.0% of the time gaps were 1 month or more, many were sufficiently short time gaps for STI transmission. The time gap was independently associated with STI diagnosis, without a significant decrease in likelihood until the time gap was 4 months or more for females (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.39, 95% CI, 0.19-0.81) and 6 months or more for males (adjusted OR: 0.42, 95% CI, 0.20-0.85) compared with time overlaps of 2 years or more. Participant perception of partners' concurrency (reported by half of the participants) was independently associated with STI diagnosis among females (reporting no partner concurrency vs reporting partner concurrency: adjusted OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.22-0.49). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: The findings suggest that the gap between partners is often sufficiently small to permit STI transmission and that many people, although themselves monogamous, have partners who are not, which itself is associated with an increase in the risk of STI acquisition. Public health practitioners should communicate these epidemiological facts, and researchers should develop measures that better capture the risk of STI transmission from partners

The Use of Heart Rate Variability in Esports: A Systematic Review

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a psychophysiological measure of particular interest in esports due to its potential to monitor player self-regulation. This study aimed to systematically review the utilisation of HRV in esports. Consideration was given to the methodological and theoretical underpinnings of previous works to provide recommendations for future research. The protocol was made available on the Open Science Framework. Inclusion criteria were empirical studies, examining HRV in esports, using esports players, published in English. Exclusion criteria were non-peer-reviewed studies, populations with pre-existing clinical illness other than Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), opinion pieces or review papers. In November 2022 a search of Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCOHost identified seven studies using HRV in esports. Risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Narrative review identified two primary uses of HRV in esports; stress response and IGD. A lack of theoretical and methodological underpinning was identified as a major limitation of current literature. Further investigation is necessary before making recommendations regarding the use of HRV in esports. Future research should employ sound theoretical underpinning such as the use of vagally mediated HRV and the robust application of supporting methodological guidelines when investigating HRV in esports

Measuring sexual behaviours and attitudes in hard-to-reach groups. A comparison of a non-probability web survey with a national probability sample survey

Introduction: Hard-to-reach and minority groups are often at higher risk for adverse sexual health outcomes. While such groups are therefore of interest to sexual health researchers, it can be difficult to locate and recruit sufficient sample sizes using probability sampling methods. This study aims to establish whether web-panel surveys can provide a viable less resource intensive means of boosting sample sizes of two hard-to-reach groups (people of Black African ethnicity, and gay men) for a sexual health survey, and the extent of any bias. Methods: Results from a national probability sample survey (Natsal-3, administered using a computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) and self-interview (CASI) with 15,162 participants), which included 211 black African participants and 83 gay men, were compared with results from a web-panel survey (using identical questions) of 529 black Africans and 592 gay men. Web-panel survey results for socio-demographics were compared with external benchmarks, and for sexual behaviours and attitudes reported in Natsal-3. Odds ratios (ORs) were used to examine differences between variables and the average absolute OR, along with the number of estimates for which the web-panel survey differed significantly from the benchmarks, were used to summarise survey performance. Results: At least 18% of estimates differed significantly between surveys for gay and black African men, and 28% for black African women. For black African women average absolute ORs were: 1.6 for attitudinal questions asked in CAPI, 1.5 for attitudinal CASI questions, 3.2 for behaviour questions asked in CAPI and for 1.7 for behaviour CASI. For black African men average absolute ORs were: 1.5 for attitudinal questions asked in CAPI, 1.8 for attitudinal CASI questions, 2.5 for behavioural questions asked in CAPI and 1.6 for behavioural questions asked in CASI=1.6. For gay men, average absolute ORs were: 2.2 for attitudinal questions asked in CAPI, 2.8 for attitudinal CASI questions, 1.8 for behavioural questions asked in CAPI to 1.6 for behavioural questions asked in CASI. Discussion: Web-panel surveys may be able to sample hard-to-reach groups but may not be able to replace probability-sample surveys where accurate population-level estimates of sensitive sexual behaviours are required. Differences between web and CASI responses, where mode effects may be similar, suggest web-panel survey selection bias

The value of ischemia-modified albumin compared with d-dimer in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Study objective</p> <p>The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether IMA levels are helpful in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). The secondary aim was to determine whether IMA was more effective alone or in combination with clinical probability scores in the diagnosis of PE. Thirdly, the sensitivity and specificity of IMA is compared with D-dimer both with and without clinical probability scores in patients with suspected PE.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with suspected PE were prospectively recruited, and healthy volunteers were also enrolled as controls. D-dimer and IMA levels were measured for the entire study group. Wells and Geneva scores were calculated and s-CTPA was performed on all suspected PE patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study population consisted of 130 patients with suspected PE and 59 healthy controls. Mean IMA levels were 0.362 ± 0.11 ABSU for Group A, the PE group (n = 75); 0.265 ± 0.07 ABSU for Group B, the non-PE group (n = 55); and 0.175 ± 0.05 ABSU for Group C, the healthy control group (p < 0.0001). At a cut-off point of 0.25 ABSU, IMA was 93% sensitive and 75% specific in the diagnosis of PE. PPV was 79.4% and NPV was 78.6%. Mean D-dimer levels were 12.48 ± 10.88 μg/ml for Group A; 5.36 ± 7.80 μg/ml for Group B and 0.36 ± 0.16 μg/ml for Group C (p < 0.0001). The D-dimer cut-off point was 0.81 μg/ml with a sensitivity of 98.9% and a specificity of 62.7%, PPV of 69.4% and NPV of 83.3%. The use of IMA in combination with Wells and Geneva clinical probability scores was determined to have a positive impact on these scores' sensitivity and negative predictive values.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>IMA is a good alternative to D-dimer in PE diagnosis in terms of both cost and efficiency. Used in combination with clinical probability scores, it has a similar positive effect on NPV and sensitivity to that of D-dimer. The PPV of IMA is better than D-dimer, but it is still unable to confirm a diagnosis of PE without additional investigation.</p

Why is cheating wrong?

Since cheating is obviously wrong, arguments against it (it provides an unfair advantage, it hinders learning) need only be mentioned in passing. But the argument of unfair advantage absurdly takes education to be essentially a race of all against all; moreover, it ignores that many cases of unfair (dis)advantages are widely accepted. That cheating can hamper learning does not mean that punishing cheating will necessarily favor learning, so that this argument does not obviously justify sanctioning cheaters. -- Keywords: academic dishonesty, academic integrity, academic misconduct, education, ethics, homework, plagiarismComment: 8 pages; new (completely rewritten) version; in Studies in Philosophy and Education (2009