Exploring adolescents’ perceptions of graphic health warning labels: a cross-cultural qualitative study from the United Kingdom and the State of Qatar

Introduction: Despite the progress in tobacco control efforts, smoking remains the leading reason of preventable morbidity and mortality. Alarmingly, adolescents are the most prone to experiment with smoking and become addicted. As part of deterring and reducing smoking, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends the implementation of Graphic Health Warnings (GHWs) on cigarette packages. This thesis examines whether GHWs are perceived as an effective approach to reducing smoking among adolescents. It also investigates the under- researched area of whether fear appeal associated with GHWs increases stigma and how adolescents engage with and create meaning from GHWs. As yet, no research has specified the social and cultural dimensions that may be important factors to the effectiveness of GHWs among adolescents. Aim: The study takes a social marketing approach to examine the effectiveness of a public health policy, GHWs. The study follows an audience-centred approach to explore, through the lens of semiotics theory, the factors related to adolescents’ perception of GHWs in a cross-cultural context. This empirical study aims to offer an original contribution to the literature by establishing the communication relationship between context-specific and cross-cultural public health and social marketing communication in tobacco control. The study also explores adolescents’ suggestions for alternative messages and ways that could be more persuasive to change adolescents’ smoking attitudes. Method: The study followed a multi-site qualitative research method of focus groups and interviews among adolescents (13–18 years) in the UK and in Qatar. Twenty-six focus group discussions were conducted with adolescents in Qatar and a total of 9 focus groups and 6 individual interviews were conducted with adolescents in the UK. In total, 141 adolescents from both countries participated in the study. Interviews and focus groups were based on a semi-structured topic guide. The focus groups and interviews entailed an interactive methodological technique which is known as a projective technique. The technique involved three main activities for participants: ranking GHWs on a matrix of least to most persuasive for adolescents; designing their own understanding of a relevant and persuasive health message; and creating a mood board of the messages they perceive as persuasive to adolescents. Findings: The data were thematically analysed drawing on the theory of semiotics. Analysis of the data revealed three main themes and eight sub-themes. The study reveals that fear appeal is not always effective among adolescents and that it might create unintended consequences such as disengagement with the message, ethical considerations and reduced self-efficacy. The data suggest factors that are important message characteristics to account for during the development and evaluation of GHWs. Moreover, the study findings identify certain social and cultural factors that influence perceptions of GHWs. Adolescents in the study suggested alternative ways of communicating GHWs such as incorporating positively framed messages and other novel ways of communicating the anti-smoking message. Discussion: This thesis makes a theoretical contribution by adding concepts to the theory of semiotics, such as proximity and authenticity that can enhance the relevance and effectiveness of health messages. This contribution adds to the understanding of the meaning of signs and the dimensions deemed relevant in meaning creation. The study offers early insights into adolescents’ perceptions of GHWs in the Middle Eastern region and provides a comparative insight to adolescents’ perceptions in the UK. The thesis contributes original insights to the health communication and social marketing field, by raising awareness of the importance of specific message characteristics and social and cultural dimensions in influencing the perceptions of the target group. It also provides informed perspectives on the potential of positively framed messages and other novel approaches that could reduce unintended consequences. Furthermore, the study connects social marketing and health promotion principles to elevate a public health policy. By following an audience centred approach, the study explores the perspective of adolescents on GHWs and for the first time explores their suggestions for alternative messages and ways to communicate the antismoking message. Conclusion: The study highlights concepts and dimensions to be considered in tobacco control policy that could also be transferable to other health products. The study accentuates the importance of targeting and tailoring health communication through contextualised messages that engage the target audience. This perspective suggests a participatory approach of health communication messages

Development of transgenic Alzheimer's disease mouse model to evaluate therapeutic approaches using Adeno-Associated virus (AAV)

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects million of Americans every year for which no cure exists. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology involves the accumulation of tau protein isoforms and amyloid-β (Aβ) in brain tissue leading to degradation of cortical brain regions such as the hippocampus. It is hypothesized that an imbalance between the production and clearance of tau and Aβ leads to plaque accumulation and neuronal cell death. Clearance is achieved via glymphatic circulation which is facilitated by aquaporin 4 (Aqp4) water channel proteins, and it is believed that diminished ISF bulk flow leads to accumulation of tau and Aβ. Here, a new mouse model was generated utilizing strategy crosses between an existing AD mouse model (3xTg-AD) and a Aqp4 KO mouse model, predicting that this new model would show an accelerated AD phenotype characterized by increased tau deposits in mouse cortical regions. In parallel, gene therapy using an AAV9-GFAP-Aqp4 construct was used to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Aqp4 expression on tau levels. The double transgenic mouse (3xTg-AD;Aqp4 KO) was genotyped and characterized via western blot. We observed that the 3xTg-AD;Aqp4 KO mice exhibit significantly more tau protein levels at a younger age compared with older 3xTg-AD mice. We also observed greater total tau levels in the hippocampus compared to whole brain tissue. Gene therapy on 3xTg-AD;Aqp4 KO mice treated with an AAV9-GFAP-Aqp4 construct resulted in a reduction of tau specifically in the hippocampus. Further characterization using immunohistochemistry, staining for different proteins and metabolites, and comparison of charactersitic neurodegenerative pathology with other AD mouse models is necessary to fully understand the pathology of this new (3xTg-AD;Aqp4 KO) mouse model. These findings provide evidence that clearance of interstitial fluid/metabolic waste including tau protein is impacted by the aquaporin 4 water channel, and that Aqp4 may serve as a thereputic candidate for future trials investigating treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.Bachelor of Scienc

Evaluation of the Selected Nuproxa Feed Additives for Protection against Lameness and Improving the Wellbeing of Broilers in the Lameness Challenge Model

Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis (BCO) is a form of bacteria that causes lameness in broiler chickens and is a common concern within the poultry industry. This easily transmissible disease can quickly take over entire livestock of chickens leading to an animal welfare issue. Due to this, it is a pressing issue that must be solved in order to protect the wellbeing of broiler chickens and ensure viable livestock. Nuproxa is a company that specializes in chicken feed in which we used to test different amounts of Panbonis, a dietary supplement, in its effectiveness in protecting broiler chickens against BCO lameness. We conducted this experiment for 56 days with seven different treatments including four different diets. Treatments 1 and 2 were our positive and negative controls, respectively. Treatment 1 included the administration of diet 1, with no Panbonis content, as well as wire flooring within the pen. The wire flooring is known to rapidly induce lameness within broiler chickens, therefore acting as our index case in the spread of BCO. Treatment 2 also included the administration of diet 2 but used the same litter flooring as the other pens. Treatments 3 through 7 used varying diets with differing Panbonis concentration and used the basal litter flooring. Each treatment had four pens, except for the positive control (treatment 1) which were placed at the front of the house, leading to a total of 26 pens. After day 35, we began to check all of the pens for incidences of lameness, cull, and necropsy each day to record the progression and spread of BCO lameness for each diet. When completing each necropsy, we checked the left and right femurs as well as the left and right tibias and labeled them with a series of lesions associated with lameness. After day 56 we completed our recordings of lameness per pen. It was found that treatments 1 and 2 had the most cases of lameness with incidences of 81% and 74% respectively. Treatment 4 was found to have the least cases of lameness with an incidence of 34%. Treatment 4 used only diet 3 which consisted of 100 g/ton of Panbonis and is recognized as the best treatment for significantly decreasing the infection rate of BCO lameness in broiler chickens

Challenges Faced by International Medical Students Due to Changes in Canadian Entrance Exam Policy

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Transnasal excerebration surgery in ancient Egypt: Historical vignette

Journal ArticleAncient Egyptians were pioneers in many fields, including medicine and surgery. Our modern knowledge of anatomy, pathology, and surgical techniques stems from discoveries and observations made by Egyptian physicians and embalmers. In the realm of neurosurgery, ancient Egyptians were the first to elucidate cerebral and cranial anatomy, the first to describe evidence for the role of the spinal cord in the transmission of information from the brain to the extremities, and the first to invent surgical techniques such as trepanning and stitching. In addition, the transnasal approach to skull base and intracranial structures was first devised by Egyptian embalmers to excerebrate the cranial vault during mummification. In this historical vignette, the authors examine paleoradiological and other evidence from ancient Egyptian skulls and mummies of all periods, from the Old Kingdom to Greco-Roman Egypt, to shed light on the development of transnasal surgery in this ancient civilization. The authors confirm earlier observations concerning the laterality of this technique, suggesting that ancient Egyptian excerebration techniques penetrated the skull base mostly on the left side. They also suggest that the original technique used to access the skull base in ancient Egypt was a transethmoidal one, which later evolved to follow a transsphenoidal route similar to the one used today to gain access to pituitary lesions

The Calbindin-D28k binding site on inositol monophosphatase may allow inhibition independent of the lithium site of action

Among numerous reported biochemical effects the lithium-inhibitable enzyme inositol-monophosphatase (IMPase) remains a viable target for lithium's therapeutic mechanism of action. Calbindin-D28k (calbindin) interacts with IMPase enhancing its activity. In the present study in silico modeling of IMPase-calbindin binding using the program MolFit indicated that the 55-66 amino acid segment of IMPase anchors calbindin via Lys59 and Lys61 with a glutamate in between (Lys-Glu-Lys motif). The model further suggested that the Lys-Glu-Lys motif interacts with residues Asp24 and Asp26 of calbindin. Indeed, we found that differently from wildtype calbindin, IMPase was not activated by mutated calbindin in which Asp24 and Asp26 were replaced by alanine. Calbindin's effect was significantly reduced by a peptide with the sequence of amino acids 58-63 of IMPase (peptide 1) and by six amino-acid peptides including at least part of the Lys-Glu-Lys motif. The three amino-acid peptide Lys-Glu-Lys or five amino-acid peptides containing this motif were ineffective. Intracerebroventricular administration of peptide 1 resulted in a significant antidepressant-like reduced immobility in the Porsolt forced swim test (FST) compared with mice treated with a scrambled peptide or artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Based on the sequence of peptide 1, and to potentially increase the peptide's stability, cyclic and linear pre-cyclic analog peptides were synthesized. One cyclic and one linear pre-cyclic analog peptides exhibited an inhibitory effect on calbindin-activated brain IMPase activity in vitro. These findings may lead to the development of molecules capable of inhibiting IMPase activity at an alternative site than that of lithium