266 results match your criteria: "Cardiff University Cardiff[Affiliation]"

Atomic-scale changes can significantly impact heterogeneous catalysis, yet their atomic mechanisms are challenging to establish using conventional analysis methods. By using identical location scanning transmission electron microscopy (IL-STEM), which provides quantitative information at the single-particle level, we investigated the mechanisms of atomic evolution of Ru nanoclusters during the ammonia decomposition reaction. Nanometre-sized disordered nanoclusters transform into truncated nano-pyramids with stepped edges, leading to increased hydrogen production from ammonia.

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The T cell antigen presentation platform MR1 consists of 6 allomorphs in humans that differ by no more than 5 amino acids. The principal function of this highly conserved molecule involves presenting microbial metabolites to the abundant mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cell subset. Recent developments suggest that the role of MR1 extends to presenting antigens from cancer cells, a function dependent on the K43 residue in the MR1 antigen binding cleft.

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Effective population size () is one of the most important parameters in evolutionary biology, as it is linked to the long-term survival capability of species. Therefore, greatly interests conservation geneticists, but it is also very relevant to policymakers, managers, and conservation practitioners. Molecular methods to estimate rely on various assumptions, including no immigration, panmixia, random sampling, absence of spatial genetic structure, and/or mutation-drift equilibrium.

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  • This text discusses the role of social prescribing in connecting older people from ethnic minority groups to cultural offerings that can help address issues like loneliness and poor mental health.
  • A scoping review was conducted to analyze existing literature on how cultural activities are tailored for these older populations in the UK, resulting in six key sources that highlight both opportunities and barriers to engagement.
  • The findings suggest that consulting with the target groups is crucial for creating inclusive activities and emphasize the need for more research in this area, as cultural providers currently lack sufficient evidence to effectively develop their offerings.
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Background: Emergency medicine (EM) is a uniquely stressful environment in which leadership training could improve individual and team performance, patient outcomes, well-being, and EM career intentions. The primary aim was to evaluate EM-specific leadership training (EMLeaders) compared to no leadership training. A secondary comparison was with other forms of leadership training.

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Background: Restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour (RRBs) serve an adaptive role in development. Elevated levels of RRBs beyond the early years, however, are associated with poorer outcome in language, cognition, and wellbeing, and are seen across a range of neurodevelopmental conditions. This study aimed to characterize the association of distinct RRB subtypes at two and six years of age, with internalising and externalising difficulties in a community sample of children.

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Background: Several protective factors have been identified for mental health (MH) resilience in adolescent offspring of depressed parents. However, it is unclear if these effects persist into adulthood.

Methods: Depressed parents and their offspring ( = 188) from the Early Prediction of Adolescent Depression study were assessed four times (mean offspring ages 12.

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  • RASopathies, like neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), lead to continuous activation of the Ras/MAPK pathway and often feature multiple Café au Lait Macules (CALMs).
  • The study aimed to identify genes related to melanocyte growth and movement by analyzing skin samples from both CALM and unaffected areas in NF1 patients, revealing the impact of specific genetic variations.
  • Findings indicated that the formation of CALMs is linked to genetic losses that enhance Ras/MAPK and Wnt signaling, coupled with decreased levels of a protective protein (PEDF), which promotes cell growth and movement in NF1-associated melanoma.
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This study examines the complex relationships necessary for a sustainable economic recovery, focusing on the interplay between contracts for renewable energy, natural resource use, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and rights frameworks. Motivated by the increasing scrutiny of environmental practices, this research aims to highlight the need for sustainable business models during the transition to a more environmentally sensitive economy. The study area encompasses diverse sectors where CSR goals can be aligned with renewable energy project frameworks through natural resource utilization.

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Background: Skin conditions can have a psychological impact on a child and their caregivers, however, support is not equally distributed between geographical regions in the United Kingdom (UK).

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the experience of National Health Service (NHS) healthcare professionals (HCPs) of addressing the psychological needs of children with skin conditions and their families, and gain expert opinion as to how services need to further develop.

Design: HCPs were recruited to a qualitative study with an advert posted on social media.

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The phosphoantigen ()-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP) is an established activator of Vγ9/Vδ2 T cells and stimulates downstream effector functions including cytotoxicity and cytokine production. In order to improve its drug-like properties, we herein report the design, synthesis, serum stability, metabolism, and biological evaluation of a new class of symmetrical phosphonodiamidate prodrugs of methylene and difluoromethylene monophosphonate derivatives of HMBPP. These prodrugs, termed phosphonodiamidate ProPAgens, were synthesized in good yields, exhibited excellent serum stability (>7 h), and their metabolism was shown to be initiated by carboxypeptidase Y.

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The experiences of individuals with body dysmorphic disorder: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research.

Body Image

September 2024

Clinical Psychology Training, School of Psychology, Cardiff University/Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, 11th Floor, Tower Building, 70 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK. Electronic address:

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a distressing psychological condition where an individual is preoccupied by a perceived issue with their appearance. Qualitative studies enable nuanced aspects of BDD phenomenology to be investigated. The current systematic review used thematic synthesis to integrate the findings from the extant qualitative studies.

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The emPHasis-10 is a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) unidimensional measure developed specifically for adults with pulmonary hypertension. The tool has excellent psychometric properties and is well used in research and clinical settings. Its factor structure has not been examined, which may help to identity a complimentary approach to using the measure to examine patient functioning.

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We conducted a prospective observational service evaluation across the United Kingdom on the use of total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) for obstetric surgery between November 2022 and June 2023. The primary aim was to describe the incidence of TIVA for obstetric surgery within participating units, with secondary aims to describe maternal and neonatal postoperative recovery indicators. Of 184 maternity units in the United Kingdom, 30 (16%) contributed data to the service evaluation.

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  • Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are increasingly viewed as part of the same disease continuum, with Ischaemia Reperfusion Injury (IRI) being the leading cause of AKI, often linked to conditions like sepsis.
  • The study demonstrated a rat model of kidney IRI, utilizing Ischaemic Preconditioning (IPC) to investigate its protective effects against AKI and renal fibrosis.
  • Results showed that IPC significantly reduced renal fibrosis by 66% compared to IRI alone, highlighting a possible transitional point at 14 days when kidneys may either recover or progress to fibrosis, suggesting new targets for treatment.
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The acute kidney injury (AKI) and dose-limiting nephrotoxicity, which occurs in 20-60% of patients following systemic administration of colistin, represents a challenge in the effective treatment of multi-drug resistant Gram-negative infections. To reduce clinical toxicity of colistin and improve targeting to infected/inflamed tissues, we previously developed dextrin-colistin conjugates, whereby colistin is designed to be released by amylase-triggered degradation of dextrin in infected and inflamed tissues, after passive targeting by the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Whilst it was evident that polymer conjugation can reduce toxicity and prolong plasma half-life, without significant reduction in antimicrobial activity of colistin, it was unclear how dextrin conjugation would alter cellular uptake and localisation of colistin in renal tubular cells .

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Non-native ants can cause ecosystem-wide ecological change, and these changes are generally assumed to be negative. Despite this, the evidence base has never been holistically synthesised to quantify whether and to what degree non-native ants impact native species diversity.In this study, we performed a meta-analysis of the effects of ant invasion on animal communities.

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Smart robotic devices remotely powered by magnetic field have emerged as versatile tools for wide biomedical applications. Soft magnetic elastomer (ME) composite membranes with high flexibility and responsiveness are frequently incorporated to enable local actuation for wireless sensing or cargo delivery. However, the fabrication of thin ME membranes with good control in geometry and uniformity remains challenging, as well as the optimization of their actuating performances under low fields (milli-Tesla).

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Endocytosis is a key cellular pathway required for the internalization of cellular nutrients, lipids and receptor-bound cargoes. It is also critical for the recycling of cellular components, cellular trafficking and membrane dynamics. The endocytic pathway has been consistently implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) through repeated genome-wide association studies and the existence of rare coding mutations in endocytic genes.

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Body condition in pelagic seabirds impacts key fitness-related traits such as reproductive performance and breeding frequency. Regulation of body condition can be especially important for species with long incubation periods and long individual incubation shifts between foraging trips. Here, we show that body condition of adult Red-billed Tropicbirds () at St Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean, exhibited considerable variation between years (2013-2017) and between different stages of the breeding cycle.

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This study delves into the advanced integration of a ternary heterogeneous Z-scheme photocatalyst, TiO/CuInS/OCN (OCN: O-g-CN), with carbon quantum dot (CQD) to improve the degradation efficiency of reactive yellow 145 (RY145) dye in water. Through a systematic examination, we elucidated the photocatalytic mechanisms and the role of radicals, electrons, and holes in the treatment process. Our findings revealed that this novel catalyst integration significantly boosted RY145 degradation efficiency, achieving 98.

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Lignin is the most abundant renewable feedstock to produce aromatic chemicals, however its depolymerisation involves the breaking of several C-O and C-C inter-unit linkages that connect smaller aromatic units that are present in lignin. Several strategies have been reported for the cleavage of the C-O inter-unit linkages in lignin. However, till today, only a few methodologies have been reported for the effective breaking or the conversion of the recalcitrant C-C inter unit linkages in lignin.

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Background: Young people in care are much more likely to experience mental health difficulties than the general population, yet little is known about the provision of mental health support for this group in the United Kingdom.

Methods: Using routinely collected social care data, we explored the provision of mental health support for 112 young people in care in the UK. We identified young people experiencing elevated internalising or externalising difficulties in their first year in care (based on strengths and difficulties questionnaire scores) and extracted data on mental health referrals and provision.

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Background: Individuals with 22q11.2 deletion are at considerably increased risk of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions. There have been very few studies investigating how this risk manifests in early childhood and what factors may underlie developmental variability.

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The Sunda pangolin () is the most widely distributed Asian pangolin species, occurring across much of Southeast Asia and in southern China. It is classified as Critically Endangered and is one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, which not only negatively impacts wild Sunda pangolin populations but also poses a potential disease risk to other species, including humans and livestock. Here, we aimed to investigate the species' phylogeography across its distribution to improve our understanding of the species' evolutionary history, elucidate any taxonomic uncertainties and enhance the species' conservation genetic management and potential wildlife forensics applications.

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