Search

Dating and relationship violence (DRV) and gender-based violence (GBV) among children and young people incur a high cost to individuals and society. School-based interventions present an opportunity to prevent DRV and GBV early in individuals' lives. However, with school resources under pressure, policymakers require guidance on the economics of implementing interventions. As part of a large systematic review funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), we searched for economic evaluations and costing studies of school-based interventions for DRV and GBV. No formal economic evaluations were identified. Seven studies reporting costs, cost savings, or resource use for eight interventions were identified. The largest costs of implementing interventions were related to staff training and salaries but savings could be made by implementing interventions on a large scale. The potential cost savings of avoided DRV and GBV far outweighed the costs of implementation.

This study analyses the effect of a change of focus in a traditional mission (teaching) of higher education institutions (HEIs) on the variety and intensity of knowledge exchange (KE) activities. In doing so, it bridges two partially disconnected streams of the literature in science and innovation focusing on HEI missions and heterogeneity in HEI KE activities. The work relies on a longitudinal dataset from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) comprising information on publicly funded research projects over the 2006-2013 period. Our identification strategy exploits the change in tuition fees following a 2012 reform to proxy for the increased attention to the teaching mission of English and Welsh HEIs compared to other HEIs in the UK. Results show a strong negative effect of the increase in tuition fees on the variety and intensity of KE activities by English and Welsh HEIs. Following the reform, applications for competitive research funding by English and Welsh HEIs did not change in terms of grant length, value and the number of collaborating partners.

Background: Currently, there is a lack of data relating to dental practitioners' habits with clinical occlusal assessment and the application of practical techniques in occlusion. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate habits with clinical occlusal assessment and the practical application of established concepts in occlusion amongst a cohort of international dentists. Methods: A piloted questionnaire with 20 statements was distributed by 5 recruiters. The recruiters were based in Malta (1), South Africa (1), Malaysia (1) and the UK (2). Outcomes were analysed using descriptives, chi‐squared and Fisher's exact test. All the analyses were carried out in Stata, Version 12. Significance was inferred at p <.05. Results: Four hundred thirty‐five completed responses were included in the sample (response rate, 70.7%). Overall, high levels of agreement were reported with the provision of single‐unit crown and onlay restorations (78.8%) and bridge prostheses (up to 3 units, 77.9%), respectively. One‐third (33.6%) agreed to observing dynamic occlusal relationships during an adult patient dental examination, 40.7% reported using articulators for crown and bridge cases, and 25.1% agreed to taking facebow records. Under half (47.3%) of the dentists expressed dissatisfaction with their undergraduate training in occlusion, with no significant association with the variables of the number of years of experience, the country of practice or being in general practice (p ≥.226). Conclusion: The results indicate a disparity between traditionally taught and applied concepts in clinical occlusion and the undertaking of occlusal assessments and the management of occlusion in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of the new "borderline" hemodynamic class for pulmonary hypertension (PH) (mean pulmonary artery pressure [mPAP], 21–24 mm Hg and pulmonary vascular resistance, [PVR], ≥3 wood units, [WU]) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) is unclear. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of borderline PH (BLPH) on survival in COPD and ILD patients. Method: Survival was analyzed from retrospective data from 317 patients in 12 centers (Italy, Spain, UK) comparing four hemodynamic groups: the absence of PH (NoPH; mPAP <21 mm Hg or 21–24 mm Hg and PVR <3 WU), BLPH (mPAP 21–24 mm Hg and PVR ≥3 WU), mild-moderate PH (MPH; mPAP 25–35 mm Hg and cardiac index [CI] ≥2 L/min/m2), and severe PH (SPH; mPAP ≥35 mm Hg or mPAP ≥25 mm Hg and CI <2 L/min/m2). Results: BLPH affected 14% of patients; hemodynamic severity did not predict survival when COPD and ILD patients were analyzed together. However, survival in the ILD cohort for any PH level was worse than in NoPH (3-year survival: NoPH 58%, BLPH 32%, MPH 28%, SPH 33%, p = 0.002). In the COPD cohort, only SPH had reduced survival compared to the other groups (3-year survival: NoPH 82%, BLPH 86%, MPH 87%, SPH 57%, p = 0.005). The mortality risk correlated significantly with mPAP in ILD (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.776, 95% CI: 2.057–3.748, p < 0.001) and notably less in COPD patients (HR: 1.015, 95% CI: 1.003–1.027, p = 0.0146). Conclusions: In ILD, any level of PH portends worse survival, while in COPD, only SPH presents a worse outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Understanding the influences of marginalized cultural and social identities as experienced by the African Caribbean diaspora within the context of dementia care is essential to minimize the gaps in current practice and policy in the health care setting. This study explores the impact of marginalized identities upon the meaning-making process, access to services and experience of care provisions through a scoping review and consultancy exercises with key stakeholders. Research Design Fourteen databases were searched using key terms. Primary studies in English, any year, study design, and country of origin were eligible. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened for inclusion and data were extracted in stages. Thematic analysis was performed and the findings were discussed in a series of consultation meetings with people with dementia, carers, and health care professionals in Manchester (United Kingdom) and Jamaica. Results The scoping review retrieved n = 1,989 research articles. Nineteen were included, most were qualitative (n = 14), 3 quantitative, and 2 mixed-method. The findings revealed limited insight into cultural and multiple individual identities in explaining conceptualization and service access. Consultation meetings confirmed these findings and highlighted differences in health care services and systems in the United Kingdom and Jamaica. Discussion and Implications This study suggests there is a complex interaction of sociocultural processes that marginalize African Caribbean persons in and across various national settings within the context of dementia care. The study highlights the importance of acknowledging and addressing how prevalent racialized- and class-based divides and related marginalized social locations are reflected in inequities in access to and use of dementia services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the relationship between public research and radical technological development. This study draws on the theory of recombinant innovation and builds on two newly developed indicators of novelty that proxy different forms of radicalness, to analyse UK patents filed at the European Patent Office. It assesses whether the proximity of the invention to public research is related to a higher probability of the invention being radical. The results show that, depending on the type of novelty embodied by the radical invention (novelty in recombination or novelty in technological origin), different forms of public research output (proprietary output or open science) relate to the radicalness of invention in different ways. Moreover, these relationships are highly heterogeneous among technological sectors, and most of the proximity between codified public research and radical inventions occurs in the chemistry technology field. We provide some implications for policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive lung disease with poor prognosis and a significant unmet medical need. This study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and target engagement in the lungs, of GSK3008348, a novel inhaled alpha-v beta-6 (αvβ6) integrin inhibitor, in participants with IPF.Methods: This was a phase 1b, randomised, double-blind (sponsor unblind) study, conducted in the UK (two clinical sites, one imaging unit) between June 2017 and July 2018 (NCT03069989). Participants with a definite or probable diagnosis of IPF received a single nebulised dose of 1000 mcg GSK3008348 or placebo (ratio 5:2) in two dosing periods. In period 1, safety and PK assessments were performed up to 24 h post-dose; in period 2, after a 7-day to 28-day washout, participants underwent a total of three positron emission tomography (PET) scans: baseline, Day 1 (~ 30 min post-dosing) and Day 2 (~ 24 h post-dosing), using a radiolabelled αvβ6-specific ligand, [18F]FB-A20FMDV2. The primary endpoint was whole lung volume of distribution (VT), not corrected for air volume, at ~ 30 min post-dose compared with pre-dose. The study success criterion, determined using Bayesian analysis, was a posterior probability (true % reduction in VT > 0%) of ≥80%.Results: Eight participants with IPF were enrolled and seven completed the study. Adjusted posterior median reduction in uncorrected VT at ~ 30 min after GSK3008348 inhalation was 20% (95% CrI: - 9 to 42%). The posterior probability that the true % reduction in VT > 0% was 93%. GSK3008348 was well tolerated with no reports of serious adverse events or clinically significant abnormalities that were attributable to study treatment. PK was successfully characterised showing rapid absorption followed by a multiphasic elimination.Conclusions: This study demonstrated engagement of the αvβ6 integrin target in the lung following nebulised dosing with GSK3008348 to participants with IPF. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time a target-specific PET radioligand has been used to assess target engagement in the lung, not least for an inhaled drug.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03069989; date of registration: 3 March 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Warthin's tumor (WT) is a common benign salivary gland neoplasm with a negligible risk of malignant transformation. However, there is a risk of malignant tumors being misdiagnosed as WT on cytology and inappropriately managed conservatively. Methods: Patients from nine centers in Italy and the United Kingdom undergoing parotid surgery for cytologically diagnosed WT were included in this multicenter retrospective series. Definitive histology was compared with preoperative cytological diagnoses. Surgical complications were recorded. Results: A total of 496 tumors were identified. In 88.9%, the final histological diagnosis was WT. In 21 cases (4.2%) a malignant neoplasm was diagnosed, which had been incorrectly labeled as WT on cytology. Conclusions: The risk of undiagnosed malignancy should be balanced against surgical risks when considering the management of WT. Although nonsurgical management remains an appropriate option, there may be a rationale for serial clinical or radiological evaluation if surgical excision is not performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study looks at travel as a search for identity, where the act of movement represents the ideal sum of motion and emotion. Taking as its starting point recent critical studies on travel writing, postcolonial and translation studies, and migration theories, the analysis aims to cast light on Leila Aboulela's novel Lyrics Alley, investigating the relationship between travel and migration as dynamic concepts which are dependent upon the mechanism of cultural translation. The article scrutinises the theoretical and practical modalities which make Aboulela's text a site of intersection between fluctuating territories. Lyrics Alley testifies to the way in which the experiences of travelling and translating act as contemporary metaphors for Muslim subjects, and also surveys the procedures by which Sudan, Egypt and Britain become non-permanent geographical spaces. Migrant characters who traverse Sudanese alleyways, Egyptian metropolitan streets and British routes act as translators as well as travellers, whose journeys towards in-between places lead them to cross boundaries, entering new territories and creating new subjectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of English Studies is the property of Universidad de la Rioja, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Because sporulation of Phytophthora ramorum and P kernoviae on Rhododendron ponticum, an invasive plant, serves as primary inoculum for trunk infections on trees, R. ponticum clearance from pathogeninfested woodlands is pivotal to inoculum management. The efficacy of clearance for long-term disease management is unknown, in part due to lack of knowledge of pathogen persistence in roots and emerging seedlings. The main objectives of this work were to (i) investigate whether both pathogens infect R. ponticum roots, (ii) determine the potential for residual inoculum of P kernoviae to infect R. ponticum seedlings in cleared woodlands, and (iii) assess potential for R. ponticum roots to support survival and transmission of P kernoviae. Roots of R. ponticum were collected from both unmanaged and cleared woodlands and assessed for pathogen recovery. Both P ramorum and P kernoviae were recovered from asymptomatic roots of R. ponticum in unmanaged woodlands, and P kernoviae was recovered from asymptomatic roots from seedlings in cleared woodland. Oospore production of P kernoviae was observed in naturally infected R. ponticum foliage and in inoculated roots. Roots also supported P kernoviae sporangia production. The results of this study suggest that post-clearance management of R. ponticum regrowth is necessary for long-term inoculum management in invaded woodlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the outcomes in cancer patients during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 in Europe from the retrospective, multi-center observational OnCovid study. We identified 204 cancer patients from eight centers in the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain aged >18 (mean = 69) and diagnosed with COVID-19 between 26 February and 1 April 2020. A total of 127 (62%) were male, 184 (91%) had a diagnosis of solid malignancy, and 103 (51%) had non-metastatic disease. A total of 161 (79%) had >1 co-morbidity. A total of 141 (69%) patients had >1 COVID-19 complication. A total of 36 (19%) were escalated to high-dependency or intensive care. A total of 59 (29%) died, 53 (26%) were discharged, and 92 (45%) were in-hospital survivors. Mortality was higher in patients aged >65 (36% vs. 16%), in those with >2 co-morbidities (40% vs. 18%) and developing >1 complication from COVID-19 (38% vs. 4%, p = 0.004). Multi-variable analyses confirmed age > 65 and >2 co-morbidities to predict for patient mortality independent of tumor stage, active malignancy, or anticancer therapy. During the early outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Europe co-morbid burden and advancing age predicted for adverse disease course in cancer patients. The ongoing OnCovid study will allow us to compare risks and outcomes in cancer patients between the initial and later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing awareness of the high prevalence of hemostatic disorders in women has led to an increase in clinical research on the mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of bleeding disorders in women. This article discusses emerging areas of research on hemostatic disorders in women and their potential clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the several researches on the impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that were reviewed at the European League Against Rheumatism Congress 2012. According to Stevens and colleagues that the deaths related to CVD in RA patients are induced by ischemia. John and colleagues states that the treatment of RA is affected by CVD risk factors. Moreover, Anne Meadows of Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals discussed the national recommendations and guidelines for the reduction of CVD risk in patients with inflammatory arthritis in Great Britain.

The article focuses on the 10-year follow-up results of the UK Standardisation of Breast Radiotherapy (START) trials, which tested 13- and 15-fraction regimens in women with completely excised early breast cancer. The primary and secondary endpoints such as local-regional relapse, normal tissue, and disease-free survival are stated. The effectiveness and safety of the UK START 10-year results treated with a lower total dose with fewer fractions than the standard 50 gray (Gy) fraction is noted.

The UK National Institue of Clinical Excellence development group performed a systematic review to determine the efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for depression in people with depression and chronic physical health problems. The primary outcome of interest was depression.61 studies of antidepressants met our inclusion criteria. Of non-pharmacological RCTs 33 met our inclusion criteria and 21 were meta-analysed. Antidepressants appear to be effective and reasonably well-tolerated in the treatment of depression occurring in the context of chronic physical illness. No particular drug or drug group is preferred, although SSRIs may be better tolerated than TCAs and have a clear benefit on quality of life. Despite clinical concerns over adverse effects and drug interactions, antidepressants should not be withheld in the treatment of depression associated with chronic physical illness. For non-pharmacological treatments, the largest and strongest evidence base supports individual- and group-based cognitive and behavioural interventions (18 trials). The evidence was strongest for those interventions aimed at reducing depression in comparison to those aimed at reducing psychosocial stress. There is also some support for peer (self-help) support and guided self-help interventions based on cognitive and behavioural principles. Overall, the efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for people with depression and chronic physical health problems is comparable to their efficacy in people with depression without chronic physical health problems. They should be used more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]