Yes / Beneficial effects have been observed following the transplant of lipoaspirates containing adipose-derived stem cells into chronic wounds caused by oncologic radiotherapy. It is not yet certain whether adipose-derived stem cells are resistant to radiation exposure. Therefore, the aims of this study were to isolate stromal vascular fraction from human breast tissue exposed to radiotherapy and determine the presence of adipose-derived stem cells. Stromal vascular fraction from irradiated donor tissue was compared to commercially sourced pre-adipocytes. Immunocytochemistry was used to determine the presence of adipose-derived stem cell markers. Conditioned media from stromal vascular fraction isolated from irradiated donors was used as a treatment in a scratch wound assay of dermal fibroblasts also isolated from irradiated donors and compared to pre-adipocyte conditioned media and serum free control. This is the first report of human stromal vascular fraction being cultured from previously irradiated breast tissue. Stromal vascular fraction conditioned media from irradiated donors had a similar effect in increasing the migration of dermal fibroblasts from irradiated skin to pre-adipocyte conditioned media from healthy donors. Therefore, the ability of adipose-derived stem cells in the stromal vascular fraction to stimulate dermal fibroblasts in wound healing appears to be preserved following radiotherapy. This study demonstrates that stromal vascular fraction from irradiated patients is viable, functional and may have potential for regenerative medicine techniques following radiotherapy. / This research was funded by a Bradford City FC Supporters Fellowship for L.V.T. administered through the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit, University of Bradford. / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Mar 2023.

Yes / Background: Anticholinergic medicines are associated with adverse outcomes for older people. However, little is known about their use in frailty. The objectives were to (1) investigate the prevalence of anticholinergic prescribing for older patients, and (2) examine anticholinergic burden according to frailty status. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of Welsh primary care data from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) databank including patients aged ≥65 at their first GP consultation between 1st January and 31st December 2018. Frailty was identified using the electronic Frailty Index (eFI) and anticholinergic burden using the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) scale. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were conducted to 1) describe the type and frequency of anticholinergics prescribed; 2) to estimate the association between frailty and cumulative ACB score (ACB-Sum). Results: In this study of 529,095 patients, 47.4% of patients receiving any prescription medications were prescribed at least one anticholinergic medicine. Adjusted regression analysis showed that patients with increasing frailty had higher odds of having an ACB-Sum of >3 compared to patients who were fit (mild frailty, adj OR 1.062 (95%CI 1.061–1.064), moderate frailty, adj OR 1.134 (95%CI 1.131–1.136), severe frailty, adj OR 1.208 (95%CI 1.203–1.213)). Conclusions: Anticholinergic prescribing was high in this older population. Older people with advancing frailty are exposed to the highest anticholinergic burden despite being the most vulnerable to the associated adverse effects. Older people with advancing frailty should be considered for medicines review to prevent overaccumulation of anticholinergic medications given the risks of functional and cognitive decline that frailty presents. / NIHR / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, May 2023.

Le domaine des énergies est au cœur des préoccupations technologiques, politiques et économiques de notre société moderne. Ce domaine nécessite une compréhension minimale du concept scientifique de l’énergie. Elle est selon nous essentielle à toute formation citoyenne. Nous avons dans un premier temps, à partir de considérations théoriques et pratiques, examiné pourquoi ce domaine si important dans notre société technologique est si peu abordé dans le cursus scolaire québécois? Pourquoi se contente-t-on d’un enseignement théorique et discursif de ce concept? Pourquoi, au contraire de tout enseignement scientifique, n’a-t-on pas envisagé de situations d’apprentissages en laboratoire pour l’étude des énergies? Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons proposé une idée de solution concrète et réaliste pour répondre à l’ensemble de ces questions. Une solution qui invite les élèves à s’investir de manière constructive dans des activités de laboratoire afin de s’approprier ces concepts. Pour ce faire, nous avons conçu des variables globales énergies qui ont permis aux élèves de les mesurer et d’expérimenter facilement des transformations énergétiques. Cette recherche de développement technologique en éducation consiste donc à profiter des nouveaux développements technologiques de l’informatique et de la micro-électronique pour concevoir, réaliser et mettre à l’essai un environnement informatisé d’apprentissage en laboratoire pour les sciences et la technologie. Par ce que l’énergie est au confluent de trois domaines, cet environnement a été conçu pour supporter dans une même activité l’apprentissage des mathématiques, des sciences et de la technologie. Cette intégration recommandée par les nouveaux programmes est, selon nous, essentielle à la compréhension des concepts liés à l’énergie et à ses transformations. Par cette activité d’apprentissage multidisciplinaire, nous voulons, via une approche empirique et concrète, aborder ces problèmes de transformations énergétiques afin de donner aux élèves la capacité de perfectionner les prototypes qu’ils construisent en technologie de manière à améliorer leurs performances. Nous avons montré que cette démarche technoscientifique, assimilable à la conception d’un schème expérimental en sciences, favorise la compréhension des concepts liés aux énergies et à leurs transformations. Ce développement, ouvert à l’investigation scientifique, apporte un bénéfice didactique, non seulement, pour des enseignants en exercices et des étudiants-maîtres, mais aussi pour des élèves de 5ème année du niveau secondaire, ce que nous avons démontré dans une mise à l’essai empirique. / The energy sector is at the heart of the concerns technological, political and economic modern society. This area requires a basic understanding of the scientific concept of energy. It is our opinion essential to any citizen training. We initially, from theoretical and practical considerations, examined why this area is so important in our technological society is so little discussed in the Quebec curriculum? Why do we merely a theoretical and discursive concept? Why, contrary to all scientific education, have we not considered learning situations in the laboratory for the study of energy? In a second step, we proposed an idea of practical and realistic solution to address all these questions. A solution that invites students to engage constructively in laboratory activities to appropriate these concepts. To do this, we have developed global variables energies that allowed students to experiment and measure energy transformations easily. This quest for technological development in education is therefore to take advantage of new technological developments in computing and microelectronics to design, build and test a computerized environment learning laboratory for science and technology. With this energy is at the confluence of three domains, this environment has been designed to support the same activity in the learning of mathematics, science and technology. This integration recommended by the new programs we believe is essential to the understanding of concepts related to energy and its transformations. For this learning activity multidisciplinary, we want, via an empirical and practical address these issues of energy transformations in order to give students the ability to develop the prototypes they build technology to improve their performance. We have shown that this approach techno, similar to the design of an experimental design in science, promotes understanding of concepts related to energy and their transformations. This educational development, open to scientific investigation, provides educational benefit, not only for practicing teachers and student teachers, but also for students from the fifth year of high school, we have shown in a setting tested empirically.

Le domaine des énergies est au cœur des préoccupations technologiques, politiques et économiques de notre société moderne. Ce domaine nécessite une compréhension minimale du concept scientifique de l’énergie. Elle est selon nous essentielle à toute formation citoyenne. Nous avons dans un premier temps, à partir de considérations théoriques et pratiques, examiné pourquoi ce domaine si important dans notre société technologique est si peu abordé dans le cursus scolaire québécois? Pourquoi se contente-t-on d’un enseignement théorique et discursif de ce concept? Pourquoi, au contraire de tout enseignement scientifique, n’a-t-on pas envisagé de situations d’apprentissages en laboratoire pour l’étude des énergies? Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons proposé une idée de solution concrète et réaliste pour répondre à l’ensemble de ces questions. Une solution qui invite les élèves à s’investir de manière constructive dans des activités de laboratoire afin de s’approprier ces concepts. Pour ce faire, nous avons conçu des variables globales énergies qui ont permis aux élèves de les mesurer et d’expérimenter facilement des transformations énergétiques. Cette recherche de développement technologique en éducation consiste donc à profiter des nouveaux développements technologiques de l’informatique et de la micro-électronique pour concevoir, réaliser et mettre à l’essai un environnement informatisé d’apprentissage en laboratoire pour les sciences et la technologie. Par ce que l’énergie est au confluent de trois domaines, cet environnement a été conçu pour supporter dans une même activité l’apprentissage des mathématiques, des sciences et de la technologie. Cette intégration recommandée par les nouveaux programmes est, selon nous, essentielle à la compréhension des concepts liés à l’énergie et à ses transformations. Par cette activité d’apprentissage multidisciplinaire, nous voulons, via une approche empirique et concrète, aborder ces problèmes de transformations énergétiques afin de donner aux élèves la capacité de perfectionner les prototypes qu’ils construisent en technologie de manière à améliorer leurs performances. Nous avons montré que cette démarche technoscientifique, assimilable à la conception d’un schème expérimental en sciences, favorise la compréhension des concepts liés aux énergies et à leurs transformations. Ce développement, ouvert à l’investigation scientifique, apporte un bénéfice didactique, non seulement, pour des enseignants en exercices et des étudiants-maîtres, mais aussi pour des élèves de 5ème année du niveau secondaire, ce que nous avons démontré dans une mise à l’essai empirique. / The energy sector is at the heart of the concerns technological, political and economic modern society. This area requires a basic understanding of the scientific concept of energy. It is our opinion essential to any citizen training. We initially, from theoretical and practical considerations, examined why this area is so important in our technological society is so little discussed in the Quebec curriculum? Why do we merely a theoretical and discursive concept? Why, contrary to all scientific education, have we not considered learning situations in the laboratory for the study of energy? In a second step, we proposed an idea of practical and realistic solution to address all these questions. A solution that invites students to engage constructively in laboratory activities to appropriate these concepts. To do this, we have developed global variables energies that allowed students to experiment and measure energy transformations easily. This quest for technological development in education is therefore to take advantage of new technological developments in computing and microelectronics to design, build and test a computerized environment learning laboratory for science and technology. With this energy is at the confluence of three domains, this environment has been designed to support the same activity in the learning of mathematics, science and technology. This integration recommended by the new programs we believe is essential to the understanding of concepts related to energy and its transformations. For this learning activity multidisciplinary, we want, via an empirical and practical address these issues of energy transformations in order to give students the ability to develop the prototypes they build technology to improve their performance. We have shown that this approach techno, similar to the design of an experimental design in science, promotes understanding of concepts related to energy and their transformations. This educational development, open to scientific investigation, provides educational benefit, not only for practicing teachers and student teachers, but also for students from the fifth year of high school, we have shown in a setting tested empirically.

This dissertation explores the University of Kentucky’s efforts to develop and implement an “action program” in eastern Kentucky in the 1960s. By the late 1950s, Kentucky’s political, business, and academic leaders had identified eastern Kentucky as the state’s problem area, and they sought strategies to bring the region into the economic and cultural mainstream. This generation of post-war leaders had an uncompromising faith in the power of knowledge, technology, and planning, and University leaders saw their action program as a university-wide effort to address what most would argue was Kentucky’s ugliest problem. This study begins with an examination of the rushed and disorganized Kellogg Foundation-funded Eastern Kentucky Resource Development Project (EKRDP) in 1960. With the national “rediscovery” of Appalachia in the early 1960s and the passage of the Equal Opportunity Act (EOA) and the Appalachian Regional Development Act (ARDA) in 1964 and 1965, University leaders reframed their thinking about how to engage eastern Kentucky in the midst of a War on Poverty. Institutional support for the EKRDP dwindled, and administrators tried to shift the responsibility of the eastern Kentucky program to the newly developed Center for Developmental Change (CDC). However, the leadership of the CDC lacked stability, the faculty who had been the driving force behind the Center did not want to be tied down to Appalachian projects, and the changing expectations for faculty ushered in by the “Oswald Revolution” did not reward interdisciplinary work.

Actividad formativa equivalente a tesis para optar al título de Magíster en Estrategia Internacional y Política Comercial. / El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el estado actual de los centros de excelencia internacional (CEI) en Chile y su potencial impacto para la economía chilena. Los CEI han sido implementados en nuestro país dentro del programa para la “Atracción de Centros de Excelencia Internacional” (CEI) de CORFO desde el año 2009, con el propósito de incorporar en Chile procesos de innovación que permitan generar una transformación productiva en nuestra economía. Por esta razón, el autor decidió analizar las características, objetivos y procesos de implementación de los centros bajo un modelo cualitativo de entrevistas. Primeramente, se determina un marco teórico de los conceptos investigación, desarrollo e innovación. En una segunda etapa, se presentan los criterios de evaluación utilizados por estos centros desde un formato de entrevistas con los directores de los centros de investigación. Los resultados obtenidos permiten realizar dos verificaciones: a) existe una positiva evaluación de la labor desarrollada por estos centros; b) los principales problemas identificados están relacionados con un alto nivel de burocracia, una elevada carga administrativa de rendiciones de gastos e indicadores requeridos y, finalmente, la falta de cultura de innovación en el país. En base a estas conclusiones, el autor del estudio sugiere como conveniente: a) extender el plazo de financiamiento del programa; b) implementar mecanismos que promuevan una mayor coordinación entre los centros, entre otras. / The aim of this research is to analyze the current state of these CoEs and their impact in Chilean economy. These CoEs have been implemented within the CORFO program “Atracción de Centros de Excelencia Internacional” (CEI) since 2009. The author decided to analyze the centers characteristics, objectives and implementation processes using a qualitative model of interviews. Firstly, a theoretical framework is described considering research, development and innovation concepts. Secondly, assessment criteria used by these centers are described after interviewing the directors of the centers. Finally, the results showed that the centers are evaluated: a) as successful and that the main problems or challenges are b) high level of bureaucracy, c) high administrative demand, expenses reports and indicators required by the program, and finally, the lack of innovation culture in the country. Some recommendations proposed include to extend the funding deadline in the program and to implement mechanisms that encourage a stronger coordination between the centers, among others.

The theses named Subculture of a tattoo, Content analysis of a magazine Inked is primary focused on the nowadays phenomenon of a tattoo, there then the whole development of this social subculture. The aim of this thesis is to sum up and analyse the term of subculture, to see in detail the historical beginnings and development of tattooing, to describe functions, motivations and the reasons of an actual act of a tattoo. The main focus will be set on the American lifestyle magazine Inked. I will try to analyse this printed media, which targets on the tattoo subculture, culture itself, style and art. This thesis will characterise the magazine and will basically follow the Inked in two year time period. Which are the years 2009 and 2010, my interest is focused in this theme agenda and its development during this period of time. The researching method will then be a quantitative content analysis. Key words: Tattoo, tattouage, subculture, history, phenomenon, skin, motif, colour, development, function, analysis, research, Inked, magazine.

Yes / This paper investigates the interaction phenomena of the coupled axons while the mutual coupling factor is presented as a pairwise description. Based on the Hodgkin-Huxley model and the coupling factor matrix, the membrane potentials of the coupled myelinated/unmyelinated axons are quantified which implies that the neural coupling can be characterised by the presented coupling factor. Meanwhile the equivalent electric circuit is supplied to illustrate the physical meaning of this extended model. In order to estimate the coupling factor, a data-based iterative learning identification algorithm is presented where the Rényi entropy of the estimation error has been minimised. The convergence of the presented algorithm is analysed and the learning rate is designed. To verified the presented model and the algorithm, the numerical simulation results indicate the correctness and the effectiveness. Furthermore, the statistical description of the neural coupling, the approximation using ordinary differential equation, the measurement and the conduction of the nerve signals are discussed respectively as advanced topics. The novelties can be summarised as follows: 1) the Hodgkin-Huxley model has been extended considering the mutual interaction between the neural axon membranes, 2) the iterative learning approach has been developed for factor identification using entropy criterion, and 3) the theoretical framework has been established for this class of system identification problems with convergence analysis. / This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant 51807010, and in part by the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan under Grant 1541 and Grant 1734. / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Nov 2020.

Yes / In English hospitals, the patient’s vital signs are monitored and summarised into a National Early Warning Score (NEWS). NEWS is more accurate than the quick sepsis related organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score at identifying patients with sepsis. We investigate the extent to which the accuracy of the NEWS is enhanced by developing computer-aided NEWS (cNEWS) models. We compared three cNEWS models (M0=NEWS alone; M1=M0 + age + sex; M2=M1 + subcomponents of NEWS + diastolic blood pressure) to predict the risk of sepsis. Methods: All adult emergency medical admissions discharged over 24-months from two acute hospitals (YH–York Hospital for model development; NH–Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital for external model validation). We used a validated Canadian method for defining sepsis from administrative hospital data. Findings: The prevalence of sepsis was lower in YH (4.5%=1596/35807) than NH (8.5%=2983/35161). The c-statistic increased across models (YH: M0: 0.705, M1:0.763, M2:0.777; NH:M0: 0.708, M1:0.777, M2:0.791). At NEWS 5+, sensitivity increased (YH: 47.24% vs 50.56% vs 52.69%; NH: 37.91% vs 43.35% vs 48.07%)., the positive likelihood ratio increased (YH: 2.77 vs 2.99 vs 3.06; NH: 3.18 vs 3.32 vs 3.45) and the positive predictive value increased (YH: 11.44% vs 12.24% vs 12.49%; NH: 22.75% vs 23.55% vs 24.21%). Interpretation: From the three cNEWS models, Model M2 is the most accurate. Since it places no additional data collection burden on clinicians and can be automated, it may now be carefully introduced and evaluated in hospitals with sufficient informatics infrastructure. / The Health Foundation, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Yorkshire and Humberside Patient Safety Translational Research Centre / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, April 2019.

Yes / Paramedics play a vital role in the emergency health care of people living with dementia. People with dementia often have complex needs, posing challenges for paramedics. Paramedics often lack the confidence and skills to assess people with dementia appropriately and receive little, if any, dementia education. Aims: To evaluate the impact of dementia education on student paramedics preparedness to care, knowledge, confidence, and attitudes towards dementia. Methods: A 6-hour education programme on dementia was developed, implemented, and evaluated. A pre-test-post-test design using self-completion validated questionnaires was used to evaluate first year undergraduate student paramedics knowledge, confidence, and attitudes, towards dementia, as well as their preparedness to care for people with dementia. Results: Forty-three paramedic students attended the education programme with forty-one fully completed questionnaires being collected pre-training and thirty-two post-training. Students reported feeling significantly more preparedness to care for people with dementia after the education session (p / Funded by College of Paramedics, Research Grant Scheme / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Feb 2023.