Do deepfake videos undermine our epistemic trust? A thematic analysis of tweets that discuss deepfakes in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Deepfakes are a form of multi-modal media generated using deep-learning technology. Many academics have expressed fears that deepfakes present a severe threat to the veracity of news and political communication, and an epistemic crisis for video evidence. These commentaries have often been hypothetical, with few real-world cases of deepfake's political and epistemological harm.

Language redundancy predicts syllabic duration and the spectral characteristics of vocalic syllable nuclei.

The language redundancy of a syllable, measured by its predictability given its context and inherent frequency, has been shown to have a strong inverse relationship with syllabic duration. This relationship is predicted by the smooth signal redundancy hypothesis, which proposes that robust communication in a noisy environment can be achieved with an inverse relationship between language redundancy and the predictability given acoustic observations (acoustic redundancy). A general version of the hypothesis predicts similar relationships between the spectral characteristics of speech and language redundancy.

The plant P1B-type ATPase AtHMA4 transports Zn and Cd and plays a role in detoxification of transition metals supplied at elevated levels.

The transition metal Zn is essential for many physiological processes in plants, yet at elevated concentrations this, and the related non-essential metal Cd, can be toxic. Arabidopsis thaliana HMA4, belonging to the Type P1B subfamily of P-type ATPases, has recently been implicated in Zn nutrition, having a role in root to shoot Zn translocation. Using Arabidopsis insertional mutants, it is shown here that disruption of AtHMA4 function also results in increased sensitivity to elevated levels of Cd and Zn, suggesting that AtHMA4 serves an important role in metal detoxification at higher metal concentrations.

The smooth signal redundancy hypothesis: a functional explanation for relationships between redundancy, prosodic prominence, and duration in spontaneous speech.

This paper explores two related factors which influence variation in duration, prosodic structure and redundancy in spontaneous speech. We argue that the constraint of producing robust communication while efficiently expending articulatory effort leads to an inverse relationship between language redundancy and duration. The inverse relationship improves communication robustness by spreading information more evenly across the speech signal, yielding a smoother signal redundancy profile.

Evaluation of normal and large sphygmomanometer cuffs using the Omron 705CP.

Sphygmomanometers are usually sold with a single cuff though some are supplied with a short cuff as standard and offer a longer one for larger arms. However, data on the differences in measurements taken with different cuffs applied to different sized arms are conflicting and this study set out to investigate the difference between those taken with 'normal' and 'large' cuffs in arms 28 cm or more in circumference. We avoided observer error by using a semi-automatic digital sphygmomanometer, the Omron 705CP.

Stopping drug treatment of hypertension: experience in 18 British general practices.

Background: Of the many reports published describing the effect of withdrawing antihypertensive medication from patients who have well-controlled blood pressure, none have been major British general practice studies. Studies from other settings have shown that a substantial minority can do so without harm or resulting in the relapse of their hypertension.

Aim: To determine the proportion of hypertensive patients who could have their medication withdrawn without relapse, and to seek factors associated with success at withdrawal.

Home blood pressure monitoring: its effect on the management of hypertension in general practice.

Background: Ambulatory and home blood pressure monitoring have been shown to improve the management of hypertension. Either can be used to diagnose 'white coat hypertension' (WCH), which affects 10% to 20% of hypertensives and usually does not require drug treatment. Home monitoring has been used little in primary care.

Pressure for change: unresolved issues in blood pressure measurement.

The use of mercury is likely to be prohibited within a few years and clinicians have not yet seriously considered what sphygmomanometers they will use, nor is authoritative advice available on alternative instruments. Doubts also surround the thorny question of cuff size. Most blood pressures are taken in assessing cardiovascular health, and serial consulting room measurements may not be the best way of doing this.

Defining hypertension in older people from primary care case notes review.

A method of defining blood pressure (BP) status from a review of primary care patient records was developed and then validated using the case notes of a general practitioner with an interest in hypertension. Data were drawn from the records of the previous 6 years of all 65 to 80-year-old patients in the practice (n = 263). Patients were then categorised as hypertensive, normotensive or 'undetermined' by using a flowchart based on the mean of the three most recent BP measurements, antihypertensive medication and comorbidities of ischaemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, angina, oedema or cardiac failure.

Blood pressure control of drug treated hypertension in 18 general practices.

This study examined the blood pressure (BP) control and number of drugs prescribed for a sample of hypertensive patients from 18 practices in Northeast England. Out of a total of 35,379 registered patients aged 40-69 years, 2995 (8.5%) were on treatment for hypertension.

Use of home blood pressure measurements to diagnose "white coat hypertension' in general practice.

Mercury sphygmomanometers are the gold standard in blood pressure (BP) measurement. However, white coat hypertension can only be diagnosed by using either continuous ambulatory monitoring or home BP recording. Between 10% and 20% of patients under treatment for hypertension have white coat hypertension and most do not need medication.

Ambulatory or self blood pressure measurement? Improving the diagnosis of hypertension.

There are major problems with blood pressure (BP) measurement that must be addressed in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Errors in taking BP are widespread and failure to allow for regression to the norm often leads to premature treatment. 'White coat hypertension', a condition in which raised BP levels in the presence of a doctor or nurse do not regress towards the norm on repeated measurement, may be responsible for between 10-20% of our patients being given medication unnecessarily.

Creating a general practice data set: new role for Northumberland Local Medical Committee.

As a first step in planning primary care services for a whole district, the Northumberland Local Medical Committee undertook a postal survey of all 51 practices in the county. Questionnaires were returned by 154 doctors (95%). Information was collected from every practice on doctors' qualifications and postgraduate training, aspects of professional commitments in addition to patient care, professional appointments outside the practice, and clinical services being offered by the practice.