2,264 research outputs found
Racially-conditional donation: The example of umbilical cord blood
While direction of donated tissue to family members has long been accepted, direction to members of specific racial groups has been opposed, on the basis that it is discriminatory and contrary to the ethos the institution of organ donation seeks to promote. It has, however, recently been proposed that racially conditional donation may provide a useful--and ethically acceptable--way to address the social inequalities and injustices experienced by certain cultural groups. This article examines the ethical, legal and cultural arguments for and against racially conditional donation, concluding that the practice is more likely to undermine the values of equity and justice than to promote them and that it may also lead to other unfavourable personal and social outcomes
Racially-conditional donation: The example of umbilical cord blood
While direction of donated tissue to family members has long been accepted, direction to members of specific racial groups has been opposed, on the basis that it is discriminatory and contrary to the ethos the institution of organ donation seeks to promote. It has, however, recently been proposed that racially conditional donation may provide a useful--and ethically acceptable--way to address the social inequalities and injustices experienced by certain cultural groups. This article examines the ethical, legal and cultural arguments for and against racially conditional donation, concluding that the practice is more likely to undermine the values of equity and justice than to promote them and that it may also lead to other unfavourable personal and social outcomes
People should be allowed to do what they likeâ: Autistic adultsâ views and experiences of stimming
This is the final version. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Data from participants who consented will be deposited in the
UK Data Service, in 2019.âStereotyped or repetitive motor movementsâ are characterised as core features in the diagnosis of autism, yet many
autistic adults (and the neurodiversity movement) have reclaimed them as âstimmingâ. Supported by a growing body of
scientific research, autistic adults argue that these behaviours may serve as useful coping mechanisms, yet little research
has examined stimming from the perspective of autistic adults. Through interviews and focus groups, we asked 32
autistic adults to share their perceptions and experiences of stimming, including the reasons they stim, any value doing
so may hold for them and their perceptions of othersâ reactions to stimming. Using thematic analysis, we identified
two themes: stimming as (1) a self-regulatory mechanism and (2) lacking in social acceptance, but can become accepted
through understanding. Autistic adults highlighted the importance of stimming as an adaptive mechanism that helps
them to soothe or communicate intense emotions or thoughts and thus objected to treatment that aims to eliminate
the behaviour.Wellcome TrustLeverhulme Trus
Malnutrition in community-dwelling older people: lessons learnt using a new procedure
This article reports the implementation of a new procedure for screening and treatment of malnutrition in a community NHS trust in England. The barriers and facilitators to implementation were assessed with staff from Integrated Community and Older People's Mental Health teams. Data from interviews and surveys were collected at baseline, 2 months after initial training and 16 months after initial training as well as following deployment of a nutrition lead to embed new developments for nutritional care. The adoption of the procedure made screening and treatment of malnutrition simpler and more likely to be actioned. The benefit of a nutrition lead and local nutrition champions to support and empower staff (avoiding reliance on training alone) was shown to drive change for nutritional care across the community. Prioritisation and commitment of leadership at the organisational level are needed to embed and sustain malnutrition screening and treatment in routine practice
'I would rather die': reasons given by 16-year-olds for not continuing their study of mathematics
Improving participation rates in specialist mathematics after the subject ceases to be compulsory at age 16 is part of government policy in England. This article provides independent and recent support for earlier findings concerning reasons for non- participation, based on free response and closed items in a questionnaire with a sample of over 1500 students in 17 schools, close to the moment of choice. The analysis supports findings that perceived difficulty and lack of confidence are important reasons for students not continuing with mathematics, and that perceived dislike and boredom, and lack of relevance, are also factors. There is a close relationship between reasons for non-participation and predicted grade, and a weaker relation to gender. An analysis of the effects of schools, demonstrates that enjoyment is the main factor differentiating schools with high and low participation indices. Building on discussion of these findings, ways of improving participation are briefly suggested
Dynamical Instabilities of the Randall-Sundrum Model
We derive dynamical equations to describe a single 3-brane containing fluid
matter and a scalar field coupling to the dilaton and the gravitational field
in a five dimensional bulk. First, we show that a scalar field or an arbitrary
fluid on the brane cannot evolve to cancel the cosmological constant in the
bulk. Then we show that the Randall-Sundrum model is unstable under small
deviations from the fine-tuning between the brane tension and the bulk
cosmological constant and even under homogeneous gravitational perturbations.
Implications for brane world cosmologies are discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure
Validity and reliability of shortâterm heartârate variability from disposable electrocardiography leads
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Singleâuse electrocardiography (ECG) leads have been developed to reduce healthcareâassociated infection. This study compared the validity and reliability of shortâterm heart rate variability (HRV) obtained from singleâuse disposable ECG leads. METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects (33â±â10 years; 9 females) underwent 5âmin resting HRV assessments using disposable (single use) ECG cable and wire system (Kendall DLâą Cardinal Health) and a standard, reusable ECG leads (CardioExpress, Spacelabs Healthcare). RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with 95% confidence interval (CI) between disposable and reusable ECG leads was for the time domain [RâR interval (ms); 0.99 (0.91, 1.00)], the root mean square of successive normal RâR interval differences (RMSSD) (ms); 0.91 (0.76, 0.96), the SD of normalâtoânormal RâR intervals (SDNN) (ms); 0.91 (0.68, 0.97) and frequency domain [lowâfrequency (LF) normalized units (nu); 0.90 (0.79, 0.95), high frequency (HF) nu; 0.91 (0.80, 0.96), LF power (ms(2)); 0.89 (0.62, 0.96), HF power (ms(2)); 0.90 (0.72, 0.96)] variables. The mean difference and upper and lower limits of agreement between disposable and reusable leads for timeâ and frequencyâdomain variables were acceptable. Analysis of repeated measures using disposable leads demonstrated excellent reproducibility (ICC 95% CI) for RâR interval (ms); 0.93 (0.85, 0.97), RMSSD (ms); 0.93 (0.85, 0.97), SDNN (ms); 0.88 (0.75, 0.95), LF power (ms(2)); 0.87 (0.72, 0.94), and HF power (ms(2)); 0.88 (0.73, 0.94) with coefficient of variation ranging from 2.2% to 5% (pâ>â0.37 for all variables). CONCLUSION: Singleâuse Kendall DLâą ECG leads demonstrate a valid and reproducible tool for the assessment of HRV
Negative Thermal Expansion Coefficient of Graphene Measured by Raman Spectroscopy
The thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of single-layer graphene is estimated
with temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy in the temperature range between
200 and 400 K. It is found to be strongly dependent on temperature but remains
negative in the whole temperature range, with a room temperature value of
-8.0x10^{-6} K^{-1}. The strain caused by the TEC mismatch between graphene and
the substrate plays a crucial role in determining the physical properties of
graphene, and hence its effect must be accounted for in the interpretation of
experimental data taken at cryogenic or elevated temperatures.Comment: 17 pagese, 3 figures, and supporting information (4 pages, 3
figures); Nano Letters, 201
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