| 1. |
- Zhang, X., et al.
(author)
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Human total, basal and activity energy expenditures are independent of ambient environmental temperature
- 2022
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In: iScience. - : Elsevier Inc.. - 2589-0042. ; 25:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lower ambient temperature (Ta) requires greater energy expenditure to sustain body temperature. However, effects of Ta on human energetics may be buffered by environmental modification and behavioral compensation. We used the IAEA DLW database for adults in the USA (n = 3213) to determine the effect of Ta (−10 to +30°C) on TEE, basal (BEE) and activity energy expenditure (AEE) and physical activity level (PAL). There were no significant relationships (p > 0.05) between maximum, minimum and average Ta and TEE, BEE, AEE and PAL. After adjustment for fat-free mass, fat mass and age, statistically significant (p < 0.01) relationships between TEE, BEE and Ta emerged in females but the effect sizes were not biologically meaningful. Temperatures inside buildings are regulated at 18–25°C independent of latitude. Hence, adults in the US modify their environments to keep TEE constant across a wide range of external ambient temperatures.
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| 2. |
- Stock, N. M., et al.
(author)
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Opportunities and challenges in establishing a cohort study : an example from cleft lip/palate research in the United Kingdom
- 2016
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In: Cleft Palate Craniofac J. - 1545-1569 (Electronic) 1055-6656 (Linking) ; 53:3, s. 317-25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) is one of the most common birth conditions in the world, but little is known about its causes. Professional opinion remains divided as to which treatments may be the most beneficial for patients with CL/P, and the factors that contribute to psychological adjustment are poorly understood. The use of different methodological approaches and tools plays a key role in hampering efforts to address discrepancies within the evidence base. A new UK-wide program of research, The Cleft Collective, was established to combat many of these methodological challenges and to address some of the key research questions important to all CL/P stakeholders. OBJECTIVE: To describe the establishment of CL/P cohort studies in the United Kingdom and to consider the many opportunities this resource will generate. RESULTS: To date, protocols have been developed and implemented within most UK cleft teams. Biological samples, environmental information, and data pertaining to parental psychological well-being and child development are being collected successfully. Recruitment is currently on track to meet the ambitious target of approximately 9800 individuals from just more than 3000 families. CONCLUSIONS: The Cleft Collective cohort studies represent a significant step forward for research in the field of CL/P. The data collected will form a comprehensive resource of information about individuals with CL/P and their families. This resource will provide the basis for many future projects and collaborations, both in the United Kingdom and around the world.
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| 3. |
- Ness, A. R., et al.
(author)
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Centralization of cleft care in the UK. Part 6 : a tale of two studies
- 2015
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In: Orthod Craniofac Res. - 1601-6343 (Electronic) 1601-6335 (Linking) ; 18 Suppl 2, s. 56-62
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: We summarize and critique the methodology and outcomes from a substantial study which has investigated the impact of reconfigured cleft care in the United Kingdom (UK) 15 years after the UK government started to implement the centralization of cleft care in response to an earlier survey in 1998, the Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG). SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION: A UK multicentre cross-sectional study of 5-year-olds born with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate. Data were collected from children born in the UK with a unilateral cleft lip and palate between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2007. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We discuss and contextualize the outcomes from speech recordings, hearing, photographs, models, oral health and psychosocial factors in the current study. We refer to the earlier survey and other relevant studies. RESULTS: We present arguments for centralization of cleft care in healthcare systems, and we evidence this with improvements seen over a period of 15 years in the UK. We also make recommendations on how future audit and research may configure. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes for children with a unilateral cleft lip and palate have improved after the introduction of a centralized multidisciplinary service, and other countries may benefit from this model. Predictors of early outcomes are still needed, and repeated cross-sectional studies, larger longitudinal studies and adequately powered trials are required to create a research-led evidence-based (centralized) service.
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| 4. |
- Oppong Bekoe, Samuel, et al.
(author)
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Determination of thirteen antibiotics in drug products : a new LC-MS/MS tool for screening drug product quality
- 2014
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In: Analytical Methods. - 1759-9660 .- 1759-9679. ; 6, s. 5847-5855
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Poor quality antibiotic medicines in circulation in Sub-Saharan Africa continue to be a burden. Pharmaceutical trade in substandard and counterfeit medicines is on the rise. The chemical quality of antibiotics dispensed in health facilities and recognised drug outlets in Ghana, when compromised, could be a major drawback to efforts made in fighting antibiotic resistance globally. To improve on antibiotic drug quality monitoring, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methodology, which is capable of quantifying thirteen antibiotics in drug products, was developed and validated in present work. The methodology was applied to various drug products including tablets, capsules, suspensions, syrups, intravenous and injection solutions as well as ear and eye droplets used as essential medicines in a Sub-Saharan country, Ghana.
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| 5. |
- Oppong Bekoe, Samuel, et al.
(author)
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Determination of thirteen antibiotics in drug products : a new LC-MS/MS tool for screening drug product quality
- 2014
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In: Analytical Methods. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 1759-9660 .- 1759-9679. ; 6, s. 5847-5855
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Poor quality antibiotic medicines in circulation in Sub-Saharan Africa continue to be a burden. Pharmaceutical trade in substandard and counterfeit medicines is on the rise. The chemical quality of antibiotics dispensed in health facilities and recognised drug outlets in Ghana, when compromised, could be a major drawback to efforts made in fighting antibiotic resistance globally. To improve on antibiotic drug quality monitoring, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methodology, which is capable of quantifying thirteen antibiotics in drug products, was developed and validated in present work. The methodology was applied to various drug products including tablets, capsules, suspensions, syrups, intravenous and injection solutions as well as ear and eye droplets used as essential medicines in a Sub-Saharan country, Ghana.
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| 6. |
- Persson, Martin, 1971-, et al.
(author)
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A cross-sectional survey of 5-year-old children with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate : the Cleft Care UK study. Part 1
- 2015
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In: Orthod Craniofac Res. - 1601-6343 (Electronic) 1601-6335 (Linking) ; 18 Suppl 2, s. 1-13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: We describe the methodology for a major study investigating the impact of reconfigured cleft care in the United Kingdom (UK) 15 years after an initial survey, detailed in the Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG) report in 1998, had informed government recommendations on centralization. SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION: This is a UK multicentre cross-sectional study of 5-year-olds born with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate. Children born between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2007 were seen in cleft centre audit clinics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consent was obtained for the collection of routine clinical measures (speech recordings, hearing, photographs, models, oral health, psychosocial factors) and anthropometric measures (height, weight, head circumference). The methodology for each clinical measure followed those of the earlier survey as closely as possible. RESULTS: We identified 359 eligible children and recruited 268 (74.7%) to the study. Eleven separate records for each child were collected at the audit clinics. In total, 2666 (90.4%) were collected from a potential 2948 records. The response rates for the self-reported questionnaires, completed at home, were 52.6% for the Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire and 52.2% for the Satisfaction with Service Questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: Response rates and measures were similar to those achieved in the previous survey. There are practical, administrative and methodological challenges in repeating cross-sectional surveys 15 years apart and producing comparable data.
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| 7. |
- Schill, Ralph O., et al.
(author)
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Food of tardigrades : a case study to understand food choice, intake and digestion
- 2011
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In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 49:Suppl. 1, s. 66-70
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mosses are an excellent habitat for tardigrades because of their ability to ensure a high humidity and to provide a rich food supply for both carnivorous and herbivorous species. Food choice can be correlated with the morphology of the buccal apparatus, and consequentially, their distribution is sometimes linked to food availability (nematodes, rotifers, plant cells, algae, yeast and bacteria). In many species, material containing chlorophyll is often observed in the midgut. However, little information has been available until now on the actual food preference of tardigrades. Since trophic interactions within soil food webs are difficult to study, here we use a polymerase chain reaction–based approach as a highly sensitive detection method. The study was carried out to investigate the presence of chlorophyll matter in the gut of active specimens, based on sequence analyses of the chloroplast ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) gene from mosses and algae. The sequences found in the gut of Macrobiotus sapiens were derived from the moss families Pottiaceae and Erpodiaceae, in Macrobiotus persimilis and Echiniscus granulatus from the moss family Grimmiaceae, and in Richtersius coronifer from the green algae genus Trebouxia. Furthermore, we show the emission of green autofluorescence from the chloroplasts in the algae within the gut of tardigrades and followed the progress of digestion over a 48-h period. The autofluorescent emission level declined significantly, and after 2 days, the signal level was similar to the level of the starved control.
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| 8. |
- Schill, Ralph O., et al.
(author)
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Food of tardigrades : a case study to understand food choice, intake and digestion
- 2011
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In: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. - 0947-5745 .- 1439-0469. ; 49:Suppl. 1, s. 66-70
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mosses are an excellent habitat for tardigrades because of their ability to ensure a high humidity and to provide a rich food supply for both carnivorous and herbivorous species. Food choice can be correlated with the morphology of the buccal apparatus, and consequentially, their distribution is sometimes linked to food availability (nematodes, rotifers, plant cells, algae, yeast and bacteria). In many species, material containing chlorophyll is often observed in the midgut. However, little information has been available until now on the actual food preference of tardigrades. Since trophic interactions within soil food webs are difficult to study, here we use a polymerase chain reaction–based approach as a highly sensitive detection method. The study was carried out to investigate the presence of chlorophyll matter in the gut of active specimens, based on sequence analyses of the chloroplast ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) gene from mosses and algae. The sequences found inthe gut of Macrobiotus sapiens were derived from the moss families Pottiaceae and Erpodiaceae, in Macrobiotus persimilis and Echiniscus granulatus from the moss family Grimmiaceae, and in Richtersius coronifer from the green algae genus Trebouxia. Furthermore, we show the emission of green autofluorescence from the chloroplasts in the algae within the gut of tardigrades and followed the progress of digestion over a 48-h period. The autofluorescent emission level declined significantly, and after 2 days, the signal level was similar to the level of the starved control.
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| 9. |
- Scott, J. K., et al.
(author)
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Centralization of services for children born with orofacial clefts in the United kingdom : a cross-sectional survey
- 2014
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In: Cleft Palate Craniofac J. - 1545-1569 (Electronic) 1055-6656 (Linking) ; 51:5, s. e102-9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective : To examine current provision of cleft lip and/or palate services in the U.K. and compliance with recommendations made by the Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG) in 1998. Design : Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Setting : All 11 services within the U.K. providing care for children born with a cleft lip and palate. Participants : Members from each healthcare specialty in each U.K. cleft team. Interventions : Self-administered postal questionnaires enquired about the provision of cleft services. Data were collected about the overall cleft service, team coordination, hearing, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, primary cleft surgery, psychology, restorative dentistry, secondary surgery, specialist cleft nursing, and speech and language therapy. Results : Questionnaires were returned from members of 130/150 cleft teams (87%) and these showed that U.K. cleft services have been restructured to 11 centralized services with 17 primary operative sites and 61 peripheral sites. All services provide care through a multidisciplinary (MDT) model, but the composition of each team varies. Primary cleft surgery and orthodontics were the only specialties that were represented in all cleft teams. Specialties may be represented in a team but their attendance at MDT clinics is variable. Only one team met all of the CSAG recommendations. Conclusions : Our survey shows that cleft services have centralized over the last 10 years, and an MDT model of care has been adopted. Further research is needed to show how this has influenced outcomes and to see whether some models of centralized care are associated with better outcomes.
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| 10. |
- Scott, J. K., et al.
(author)
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Perceptions of team members working in cleft services in the United Kingdom : a pilot study
- 2015
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In: Cleft Palate Craniofac J. - 1545-1569 (Electronic) 1055-6656 (Linking) ; 52:1, s. e1-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Cleft care provision in the United Kingdom has been centralized over the past 15 years to improve outcomes for children born with cleft lip and palate. However, to date, there have been no investigations to examine how well these multidisciplinary teams are performing. METHODS: In this pilot study, a cross-sectional questionnaire surveyed members of all health care specialties working to provide cleft care in 11 services across the United Kingdom. Team members were asked to complete the Team Work Assessment (TWA) to investigate perceptions of team working in cleft services. The TWA comprises 55 items measuring seven constructs: team foundation, function, performance and skills, team climate and atmosphere, team leadership, and team identity; individual constructs were also aggregated to provide an overall TWA score. Items were measured using five-point Likert-type scales and were converted into percentage agreement for analysis. RESULTS: Responses were received from members of every cleft team. Ninety-nine of 138 cleft team questionnaires (71.7%) were returned and analyzed. The median (interquartile range) percentage of maximum possible score across teams was 75.5% (70.8, 88.2) for the sum of all items. Team performance and team identity were viewed most positively, with 82.0% (75.0, 88.2) and 88.4% (82.2, 91.4), respectively. Team foundation and leadership were viewed least positively with 79.0% (72.6, 84.6) and 76.6% (70.6, 85.4), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Cleft team members perceive that their teams work well, but there are variations in response according to construct.
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