New Spaces: Safeguarding Students from Violence and Hate

Full report of the HEFCE Catalyst funded projectSexual assault, harassment, violence and hate crime on university campuses is a prevalent and pressing concern. A recent Universities UK taskforce report recommended that urgent action in this area is needed. Universities are significant sites for implementing a joined-up approach and tackling these issues. As a campus of Changemakers, students, inter-disciplinary researchers, professional and support staff at The University of Northampton decided to take action to address these significant and important issues, in particular within the context of a major campus move to a town centre location. As one of only 60 institutions across the country to be awarded funding from HEFCE’s Catalyst fund, this ‘New Spaces: Safeguarding Students from Violence and Hate’ cross collaborative project aimed to create vital partnerships in tackling sexual violence and hate crime on campus. The aims of the project were to evaluate existing policies and develop a student-led collaborative approach to identify what currently happens when disclosures are made; staff and student perceptions, knowledge and experiences within the campus transition; as well as providing recommendations for new institutional policies, strategies and recommendations to support students in reporting harassment, sexual abuse, sexual violence and hate crime. This project also contributes to HEFCE’s wider work in creating guidelines and recommendations for HEIs for addressing these issues. A survey of the published literature, as well as an evaluation of existing processes and policies at The University of Northampton were carried out within this project. Data collection involved 2 Staff and 2 student focus groups, as well as 11 interviews with members of the university management team. These were conducted to discuss staff and student experiences, what support was in place for disclosures and recommendations for future practice within the transition to the new campus. One of the student focus groups utilised photo-elicitation methods to allow students to visually conceptualise and create a new, safe campus space. Recommendations are provided for understanding the prevalence of these issues within a campus context; tackle normative beliefs which may influence how they are perceived; increasing knowledge and awareness of sexual violence and hate crime; implementing mechanisms for disclosure and reporting; addressing issues related to security measures and procedures; enhancing partnership working within the local community. These recommendations have local impact and are being used to inform institutional policies and procedures at The University. Project findings are also being implemented into HEFCE’s wider work and national action around these issues. Internationally, the dissemination of these findings is contributing to the limited research in this area

Pattern and Rate of Cognitive Decline in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive impairment, predominantly affecting processing speed and executive function, is an important consequence of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). To date, few longitudinal studies of cognition in SVD have been conducted. We determined the pattern and rate of cognitive decline in SVD and used the results to determine sample size calculations for clinical trials of interventions reducing cognitive decline. METHODS: 121 patients with MRI confirmed lacunar stroke and leukoaraiosis were enrolled into the prospective St George's Cognition And Neuroimaging in Stroke (SCANS) study. Patients attended one baseline and three annual cognitive assessments providing 36 month follow-up data. Neuropsychological assessment comprised a battery of tests assessing working memory, long-term (episodic) memory, processing speed and executive function. We calculated annualized change in cognition for the 98 patients who completed at least two time-points. RESULTS: Task performance was heterogeneous, but significant cognitive decline was found for the executive function index (p<0.007). Working memory and processing speed decreased numerically, but not significantly. The executive function composite score would require the smallest samples sizes for a treatment trial with an aim of halting decline, but this would still require over 2,000 patients per arm to detect a 30% difference with power of 0.8 over a three year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of cognitive decline seen in SVD over three years is consistent with the pattern of impairments at baseline. Rates of decline were slow and sample sizes would need to be large for clinical trials aimed at halting decline beyond initial diagnosis using cognitive scores as an outcome measure. This emphasizes the importance of more sensitive surrogate markers in this disease.This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust [grant number 081589] and Alzheimer's Research UK [grant number ARUK-PG2013-2].This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from PLOS via http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.013552

Predicting Dementia in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Using an Automatic Diffusion Tensor Image Segmentation Technique.

Background and Purpose- Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is the most common cause of vascular cognitive impairment, with a significant proportion of cases going on to develop dementia. We explore the extent to which diffusion tensor image segmentation technique (DSEG; which characterizes microstructural damage across the cerebrum) predicts both degree of cognitive decline and conversion to dementia, and hence may provide a useful prognostic procedure. Methods- Ninety-nine SVD patients (aged 43-89 years) underwent annual magnetic resonance imaging scanning (for 3 years) and cognitive assessment (for 5 years). DSEG-θ was used as a whole-cerebrum measure of SVD severity. Dementia diagnosis was based Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V criteria. Cox regression identified which DSEG measures and vascular risk factors were related to increased risk of dementia. Linear discriminant analysis was used to classify groups of stable versus subsequent dementia diagnosis individuals. Results- DSEG-θ was significantly related to decline in executive function and global cognition (P<0.001). Eighteen (18.2%) patients converted to dementia. Baseline DSEG-θ predicted dementia with a balanced classification rate=75.95% and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.839. The best classification model included baseline DSEG-θ, change in DSEG-θ, age, sex, and premorbid intelligence quotient (balanced classification rate of 79.65%; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.903). Conclusions- DSEG is a fully automatic technique that provides an accurate method for assessing brain microstructural damage in SVD from a single imaging modality (diffusion tensor imaging). DSEG-θ is an important tool in identifying SVD patients at increased risk of developing dementia and has potential as a clinical marker of SVD severity

Change in multimodal MRI markers predicts dementia risk in cerebral small vessel disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether MRI markers, including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), can predict cognitive decline and dementia in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). METHODS: In the prospective St George's Cognition and Neuroimaging in Stroke study, multimodal MRI was performed annually for 3 years and cognitive assessments annually for 5 years in a cohort of 99 patients with SVD, defined as symptomatic lacunar stroke and confluent white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Progression to dementia was determined in all patients. Progression of WMH, brain volume, lacunes, cerebral microbleeds, and a DTI measure (the normalized peak height of the mean diffusivity histogram distribution) as a marker of white matter microstructural damage were determined. RESULTS: Over 5 years of follow-up, 18 patients (18.2%) progressed to dementia. A significant change in all MRI markers, representing deterioration, was observed. The presence of new lacunes, and rate of increase in white matter microstructural damage on DTI, correlated with both decline in executive function and global functioning. Growth of WMH and deterioration of white matter microstructure on DTI predicted progression to dementia. A model including change in MRI variables together with their baseline values correctly classified progression to dementia with a C statistic of 0.85. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal prospective study provides evidence that change in MRI measures including DTI, over time durations during which cognitive change is not detectable, predicts cognitive decline and progression to dementia. It supports the use of MRI measures, including DTI, as useful surrogate biomarkers to monitor disease and assess therapeutic interventions

Complete genome sequence of Streptomyces formicae KY5, the formicamycin producer

Here we report the complete genome of the new species Streptomyces formicae KY5 isolated from Tetraponera fungus growing ants. S. formicae was sequenced using the PacBio and 454 platforms to generate a single linear chromosome with terminal inverted repeats. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to correct base changes resulting from the high error rate associated with PacBio. The genome is 9.6 Mbps, has a GC content of 71.38% and contains 8162 protein coding sequences. Predictive analysis shows this strain encodes at least 45 gene clusters for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including a type 2 polyketide synthase encoding cluster for the antibacterial formicamycins. Streptomyces formicae KY5 is a new, taxonomically distinct Streptomyces species and this complete genome sequence provides an important marker in the genus of Streptomyces

Mnemonic function in small vessel disease and associations with white matter tract microstructure.

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is associated with deficits in working memory, with a relative sparing of long-term memory; function may be influenced by white matter microstructure. Working and long-term memory were examined in 106 patients with SVD and 35 healthy controls. Microstructure was measured in the uncinate fasciculi and cingula. Working memory was more impaired than long-term memory in SVD, but both abilities were reduced compared to controls. Regression analyses found that having SVD explained the variance in memory functions, with additional variance explained by the cingula (working memory) and uncinate (long-term memory). Performance can be explained in terms of integrity loss in specific white matter tract associated with mnemonic functions

Apathy is associated with large-scale white matter network disruption in small vessel disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether white matter network disruption underlies the pathogenesis of apathy, but not depression, in cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). METHODS: Three hundred thirty-one patients with SVD from the Radboud University Nijmegen Diffusion Tensor and Magnetic Resonance Cohort (RUN DMC) study completed measures of apathy and depression and underwent structural MRI. Streamlines reflecting underlying white matter fibers were reconstructed with diffusion tensor tractography. First, path analysis was used to determine whether network measures mediated associations between apathy and radiologic markers of SVD. Next, we examined differences in whole-brain network measures between participants with only apathy, only depression, and comorbid apathy and depression and a control group free of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Finally, we examined regional network differences associated with apathy. RESULTS: Path analysis demonstrated that network disruption mediated the relationship between apathy and SVD markers. Patients with apathy, compared to all other groups, were impaired on whole-brain measures of network density and efficiency. Regional network analyses in both the apathy subgroup and the entire sample revealed that apathy was associated with impaired connectivity in premotor and cingulate regions. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that apathy, but not depression, is associated with white matter tract disconnection in SVD. The subnetworks delineated suggest that apathy may be driven by damage to white matter networks underlying action initiation and effort-based decision making

The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer Book 2018

(Abridged) This is the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer 2018 book. It is intended as a concise reference guide to all aspects of the scientific and technical design of MSE, for the international astronomy and engineering communities, and related agencies. The current version is a status report of MSE's science goals and their practical implementation, following the System Conceptual Design Review, held in January 2018. MSE is a planned 10-m class, wide-field, optical and near-infrared facility, designed to enable transformative science, while filling a critical missing gap in the emerging international network of large-scale astronomical facilities. MSE is completely dedicated to multi-object spectroscopy of samples of between thousands and millions of astrophysical objects. It will lead the world in this arena, due to its unique design capabilities: it will boast a large (11.25 m) aperture and wide (1.52 sq. degree) field of view; it will have the capabilities to observe at a wide range of spectral resolutions, from R2500 to R40,000, with massive multiplexing (4332 spectra per exposure, with all spectral resolutions available at all times), and an on-target observing efficiency of more than 80%. MSE will unveil the composition and dynamics of the faint Universe and is designed to excel at precision studies of faint astrophysical phenomena. It will also provide critical follow-up for multi-wavelength imaging surveys, such as those of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Gaia, Euclid, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, the Square Kilometre Array, and the Next Generation Very Large Array.Comment: 5 chapters, 160 pages, 107 figure

The PASTIS trial: testing tadalafil for possible use in vascular cognitive impairment

Introduction: There are few randomized clinical trials in vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). This trial tested the hypothesis that the PDE5 inhibitor tadalafil, a widely used vasodilator, increases cerebral blood flow (CBF) in older people with symptomatic small vessel disease, the main cause of VCI. Methods: In a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over trial, participants received tadalafil (20 mg) and placebo on two visits ≥7 days apart (randomized to order of treatment). The primary endpoint, change in subcortical CBF, was measured by arterial spin labelling. Results: Tadalafil increased CBF non‐significantly in all subcortical areas (N = 55, age: 66.8 (8.6) years) with greatest treatment effect within white matter hyperintensities (+9.8%, P = .0960). There were incidental treatment effects on systolic and diastolic blood pressure (–7.8, –4.9 mmHg; P &lt; .001). No serious adverse events were observed. Discussion: This trial did not identify a significant treatment effect of single‐administration tadalafil on subcortical CBF. To detect treatment effects may require different dosing regimens