A study of mixed language use among two social groups of East Malaysian multilinguals in informal settings

PhD ThesisMalaysia is a nation of considerable multi-ethnolinguistic variety. Comprising thirteen states (eleven located on the mainland, two situated in island Southeast Asia), diversity is evident between the many officially categorised ethnic groups, as well as within them (blurring official ethnic categories). Bi- or multilingualism is the norm throughout Malaysia, albeit more prevalent among minorities and in certain areas, especially those that are urban and/or are locations of ethnic diversity. Codeswitching and translanguaging are common enough not to be remarkable outside of formal public discourse and mono-ethnolinguistic situations. This study was undertaken in East Malaysia, Sarawak, and takes an ethnographic approach. In order to try and make sense of the ways in which East Malaysian speakers express themselves, participant observation was undertaken in a family and a friendship domain, respectively. Speech events were informal and naturally occurring, during which family members and, separately, a group of friends interact in a variety of languages, illustrating the rich multilingual repertoires that participants can draw on. The findings reveal six language tendencies, namely habit, cause and effect, convenience, efficiency, accommodation and affiliation. As for the various circumstances in which language use occurs, most of them are the same for the two social groups. In addition, it could be seen that bilinguals use varied ways to connect closely with each other, and it is done by using a certain language to exclude others from the conversation or to keep the conversation flow, and it could also take place as a result of the trigger effect and external influence. Moreover, it has been shown that bilinguals associate with their interlocutors by code-switching for clarity, adaptability, and solidarity. As for the implications of affiliation, it is found that language practices serve as an important identity marker as a Malaysian, East Malaysian, and member of an ethnic, social and religious group. In this contribution, the language use patterns that have been identified and reported could subsequently be applied to Malaysians as a whole, and even to some of the previous studies conducted elsewhere

Mechanistic modelling of a recombinase-based two-input temporal logic gate

Site-specific recombinases (SSRs) mediate efficient manipulation of DNA sequences in vitro and in vivo. In particular, serine integrases have been identified as highly effective tools for facilitating DNA inversion, enabling the design of genetic switches that are capable of turning the expression of a gene of interest on or off in the presence of a SSR protein. The functional scope of such circuitry can be extended to biological Boolean logic operations by incorporating two or more distinct integrase inputs. To date, mathematical modelling investigations have captured the dynamical properties of integrase logic gate systems in a purely qualitative manner, and thus such models are of limited utility as tools in the design of novel circuitry. Here, the authors develop a detailed mechanistic model of a two-input temporal logic gate circuit that can detect and encode sequences of input events. Their model demonstrates quantitative agreement with time-course data on the dynamics of the temporal logic gate, and is shown to subsequently predict dynamical responses relating to a series of induction separation intervals. The model can also be used to infer functional variations between distinct integrase inputs, and to examine the effect of reversing the roles of each integrase on logic gate output

Harms and benefits: Collecting ethnicity data in a clinical context

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.02.03

Protective actions of des-acylated ghrelin on brain injury and blood-brain barrier disruption after stroke in mice

The major ghrelin forms, acylated ghrelin and des-acylated ghrelin, are novel gastrointestinal hormones. Moreover, emerging evidence indicates that these peptides may have other functions including neuro- and vaso-protection. Here, we investigated whether post-stroke treatment with acylated ghrelin or des-acylated ghrelin could improve functional and histological endpoints of stroke outcome in mice after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo). We found that des-acylated ghrelin (1 mg/kg) improved neurological and functional performance, reduced infarct and swelling, and decreased apoptosis. In addition, it reduced blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in vivo and attenuated the hyper-permeability of mouse cerebral microvascular endothelial cells after oxygen glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD + RO). By contrast, acylated ghrelin (1 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg) had no significant effect on these endpoints of stroke outcome. Next we found that des-acylated ghrelin's vasoprotective actions were associated with increased expression of tight junction proteins (occludin and claudin-5), and decreased cell death. Moreover, it attenuated superoxide production, Nox activity and expression of 3-nitrotyrosine. Collectively, these results demonstrate that post-stroke treatment with des-acylated ghrelin, but not acylated ghrelin, protects against ischaemia/reperfusion-induced brain injury and swelling, and BBB disruption, by reducing oxidative and/or nitrosative damage

Microbial Anomalies Encountered on the International Space Station

Microorganisms in our living environments are unavoidable. A community of microbes arrived in space with the delivery of the first element of the International Space Station (ISS), attached to hardware and on the bodies of the humans tasked with the initial assembly missions. The risk that microorganisms could cause adverse effects in the health of both the human occupants of the ISS as well as the physical integrity of the station environment and life support systems has been both a driver and a function of engineering and operational controls. Scientists and engineers at NASA have gone to extensive measures to control microbial growth at levels safe for the crewmembers and the spacecraft environment. Many of these measures were initiated with the design of the spacecraft and its systems. Materials used in the ISS were tested for resistance to fungi, such as mold and a paint with a fungus-killing chemical was also used. Controlling the humidity of the air in the Station is also an effective way of discouraging microbe growth. The breathing air is reconditioned by the Environmental Control Life Support System (ECLSS) prior to distribution, utilizing High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration. Requirements restricting the accumulation of water condensate in the air handlers and habitable volume of the ISS were other safeguards added. Water for drinking and food rehydration is disinfected or filtered. A robust in-flight housekeeping regimen for the ISS significantly reduces inappropriate growth of microorganisms and includes a regular cleaning of accessible surfaces with disinfectant wipes. Most of these requirements were suggested by microbiologists to mitigate and possibly prevent many microbiological risks. In addition to these controls, before flight monitoring and analyses of the cabin air, exposed surfaces, water and food, consumables, and crew members are conducted to mitigate microbial risk to the crew and spacecraft. Many microbial risks are much easier to identify and resolve before launch than during space flight. Although the focus has been on prevention of microbiologically related, not all problems can be anticipated. A number of microbial anomalies have occurred on ISS. This paper will discuss the occurrences, root-cause investigations, and mitigation steps taken to remediate the contamination

The Vaginal Speculum: A Review of Literature Focusing On Specula Redesigns and Improvements to the Pelvic Exam

We reviewed scientific literature relating to the vaginal speculum considering the widespread use of this tool within women’s health. Through a literature review, it is clear that the speculum is not specialized enough to be used for all populations who require the procedure. Despite the fact that the current standard of care is not sufficient for all patients, evaluations of industry solutions are not evident in the current literature, explaining physician hesitancy to adopt these new devices. Additionally, while scholarly literature exists regarding overviews of the topic, novel designs, and general improvements for speculum usage in pelvic examinations, there are noticeable gaps in the scholarship regarding frequency of scholarly output and a blatant disregard for obese populations in vaginal speculum research. More scholarly literature must be published in order to improve awareness of the vaginal speculum and pelvic examinations so that women receive the best care possible. More specifically, novel designs must be evaluated for efficacy and comfort, and more research should be conducted on the pelvic examination procedure and its use on obese patients

Graft Suturing for Lenticule Dislocation after Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty

Purpose: To report the mid-term outcomes of graft suturing in a patient with lenticule dislocation after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). Case Report: A 78-year old woman was found to have graft dislocation involving the nasal half of the cornea after uneventful DSAEK. Graft repositioning, refilling the anterior chamber with air, and placement of four full-thickness 10/0 nylon sutures over the detached area were performed two weeks after the initial surgery. The sutures were removed 6 weeks later. Serial specular microscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography were performed. At 18 months, there was good lenticule apposition and a clear graft. Conclusion: Anchoring sutures seem to be effective for management of graft detachment following DSAEK

Preferences for Support Resources Among Loved Ones of Adults Prescribed Opioid Medications

The opioid epidemic continues to be a leading cause of overdose and related deaths in America. While most interventions are focused on the individuals with opioid and substance use disorder (OUD/SUD); the impact caregivers and family can have on the treatment of patients with OUD is non-existent. The purpose of this study is to collect pilot data on peers, friends, and family members of patients with SUD/OUD to understand the barriers in psychosocial support and maintaining treatment retention; barriers to accessing medication assisted therapy (MAT) and naloxone; and caregiver fatigue and barriers for caregivers. The collected data will be used to develop a digital health intervention (DHI) in the form of a mobile application/web page. To develop the survey, a review of the current literature on PubMed relating to OUD/SUD and stigma, caregiver fatigue, efficacy of DHIs, readiness to change, and promoting naloxone use was conducted. The results of the review support the fact that caregivers of patients with OUD/SUD experience fatigue and often do not have accurate knowledge of how to help patients. Furthermore, DHIs were found to improve access to treatment and reduce stigma and associated barriers. The next step of the study will be to recruit caregivers, peers, and family members of individuals with OUD to conduct surveys and development of the DHI

The person-based development and realist evaluation of a summary report for GP consultations

Background: Use of telephone, video and e-consultations is increasing. These can make consultations more transactional. This study aimed to develop a complex intervention to address patients’ concerns more comprehensively in general practice and test the feasibility of this in a cluster-randomised framework. The complex intervention used two technologies: a patient-completed pre-consultation form used at consultation opening and a doctor-provided summary report provided at consultation closure. This paper reports on the development and realist evaluation of the summary report. Methods: A person-based approach was used to develop the summary report. An electronic protocol was designed to automatically generate the report after GPs complete a clinical template in the patient record. This was tested with 45 patients in 3 rounds each, with iterative adjustments made based on feedback after each round. Subsequently, an intervention incorporating the pre-consultation form with the summary report was then tested in a cluster-randomised framework with 30 patients per practice in six practices: four randomised to intervention, and two to control. An embedded realist evaluation was carried out. The main feasibility study results are reported elsewhere. Results: Intervention Development: 15 patients were recruited per practice. Eight patients and six GPs were interviewed and 18 changes made. The summary report improved substantially; GPs and patients in the final practice were more satisfied with the report than the first practice. Realist evaluation: The summary was most useful for consultations when safety-netting advice was important or with multiple complex follow-up steps in patients who have difficulty remembering or communicating. It generated greater clarity on the follow-up and greater patient empowerment and reassurance. Conclusions: The person-based approach was successful. The summary report creates clarity, empowerment and reassurance in certain consultations and patients. As it takes a few minutes per patient, GPs prefer to select patients who will benefit most