4,511 results on '"Paul, Robert A."'
Search Results
2. Enhancing Material Screening at Boulby Underground Laboratory with XIA UltraLo-1800 Alpha Particle Detectors
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Maouloud, Sid El Moctar Ahmed, Dobson, James Edward Young, Ghag, Chamkaur, Floch, Léna Le, Liu, XinRan, Meehan, Emma, Murphy, Alexander St. John, Nguyen, Anh, Paling, Sean, Saakyan, Ruben, Scovell, Paul Robert, and Toth, Christopher
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Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors - Abstract
The Boulby UnderGround Screening (BUGS) facility, located at the Boulby Underground Laboratory, has significantly advanced its material screening capabilities by installing two XIA UltraLo-1800 alpha particle detectors. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of one of these detectors, operated 1,100 meters underground at the Boulby Underground Laboratory, which provides significant shielding from cosmic radiation and maintains a low ambient radon activity of 2.30 $\pm$ 0.03 Bq/m$^3$. Our evaluation focuses on energy reconstruction accuracy, background radiation rates, and operational stability. The XIA UltraLo-1800 detector demonstrates remarkable stability in energy reconstruction, with less than 0.1 MeV variation over four years. Moreover, the implementation of a graphite-filled PTFE liner in the sample tray resulted in a significant reduction in background radiation levels compared to measurements with the original stainless steel tray, achieving an average activity of 0.15 $\pm$ 0.01 $\alpha$/cm$^2$/khr. Copper sample assays, performed before and after radon exposure, demonstrated the detector's ability to accurately identify and quantify $^{210}$Po contamination. By implementing the robust cleanliness procedures and protocols described in this article, we observed a reduction in $^{210}$Po activity from 0.504 $\pm$ 0.022 mBq to 0.336 $\pm$ 0.013 mBq, highlighting the crucial role of refined cleaning methods in minimizing background for sensitive experiments. Additionally, observations of elevated background activity levels post-high-activity sample measurements illustrate the need for careful management of assay conditions and environment to maintain low background levels. These results highlight the potential of the XIA UltraLo-1800 in enhancing the precision of material assays essential for reducing background interference in rare event experiments.
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- 2024
3. Teaching Freud’s “Project”
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Paul, Robert A.
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- 2018
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4. Dynamics of peripheral T cell exhaustion and monocyte subpopulations in neurocognitive impairment and brain atrophy in chronic HIV infection
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Mitchell, Brooks I., Yazel Eiser, Isabelle E., Kallianpur, Kalpana J., Gangcuangco, Louie Mar, Chow, Dominic C., Ndhlovu, Lishomwa C., Paul, Robert, and Shikuma, Cecilia M.
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- 2024
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5. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Symptom Management in Older Individuals with HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder
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Moskowitz, Judith T., Sharma, Brijesh, Javandel, Shireen, Moran, Patricia, Paul, Robert, De Gruttola, Victor, Tomov, Dimitre, Azmy, Haleem, Sandoval, Rodrigo, Hillis, Madeline, Chen, Karen P., Tsuei, Torie, Addington, Elizabeth L., Cummings, Peter D., Hellmuth, Joanna, Allen, Isabel Elaine, Ances, Beau M., Valcour, Victor, and Milanini, Benedetta
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- 2024
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6. Unusual imaging findings associated with abdominal pediatric germ cell tumors
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Gagnon, Marie-Helene, Derenoncourt, Paul-Robert, Rayamahi, Sampanna, Taylor, Susan, Parikh, Ashishkumar K., Ponisio, Maria R., and Khanna, Geetika
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- 2024
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7. Metadata-Conditioned Generative Models to Synthesize Anatomically-Plausible 3D Brain MRIs
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Peng, Wei, Bosschieter, Tomas, Ouyang, Jiahong, Paul, Robert, Adeli, Ehsan, Zhao, Qingyu, and Pohl, Kilian M.
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Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Image and Video Processing ,Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition - Abstract
Generative AI models hold great potential in creating synthetic brain MRIs that advance neuroimaging studies by, for example, enriching data diversity. However, the mainstay of AI research only focuses on optimizing the visual quality (such as signal-to-noise ratio) of the synthetic MRIs while lacking insights into their relevance to neuroscience. To gain these insights with respect to T1-weighted MRIs, we first propose a new generative model, BrainSynth, to synthesize metadata-conditioned (e.g., age- and sex-specific) MRIs that achieve state-of-the-art visual quality. We then extend our evaluation with a novel procedure to quantify anatomical plausibility, i.e., how well the synthetic MRIs capture macrostructural properties of brain regions, and how accurately they encode the effects of age and sex. Results indicate that more than half of the brain regions in our synthetic MRIs are anatomically accurate, i.e., with a small effect size between real and synthetic MRIs. Moreover, the anatomical plausibility varies across cortical regions according to their geometric complexity. As is, our synthetic MRIs can significantly improve the training of a Convolutional Neural Network to identify accelerated aging effects in an independent study. These results highlight the opportunities of using generative AI to aid neuroimaging research and point to areas for further improvement.
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- 2023
8. The Knight in Shining Armor and the Pure Fool: The Construction of “Innocence” In Two Wagner Operas
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Paul, Robert A.
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- 2014
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9. Antiretroviral Therapy Intensification for Neurocognitive Impairment in Human Immunodeficiency Virus
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Letendre, Scott L, Chen, Huichao, McKhann, Ashley, Roa, Jhoanna, Vecchio, Alyssa, Daar, Eric S, Berzins, Baiba, Hunt, Peter W, Marra, Christina M, Campbell, Thomas B, Coombs, Robert W, Ma, Qing, Swaminathan, Shobha, Macatangay, Bernard JC, Morse, Gene D, Miller, Thomas, Rusin, David, Greninger, Alexander L, Ha, Belinda, Alston-Smith, Beverly, Robertson, Kevin, Paul, Robert, Spudich, Serena, and Team, the A5324 Study
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Medical Microbiology ,Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Clinical Research ,Infectious Diseases ,Behavioral and Social Science ,HIV/AIDS ,Neurosciences ,Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities ,Mental Health ,Brain Disorders ,Prevention ,6.1 Pharmaceuticals ,Evaluation of treatments and therapeutic interventions ,Infection ,Good Health and Well Being ,Humans ,Male ,Middle Aged ,Female ,Antiretroviral Therapy ,Highly Active ,HIV-1 ,HIV Infections ,Anti-HIV Agents ,CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ,Viral Load ,HIV ,cognition ,brain ,antiretroviral therapy ,A5324 Study Team ,Biological Sciences ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Microbiology ,Clinical sciences - Abstract
BackgroundNeurocognitive impairment (NCI) in people with HIV (PWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is common and may result from persistent HIV replication in the central nervous system.MethodsA5324 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 96-week trial of ART intensification with dolutegravir (DTG) + MVC, DTG + Placebo, or Dual - Placebo in PWH with plasma HIV RNA .10).ConclusionsThis is the largest, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of ART intensification for NCI in PWH. The findings do not support empiric ART intensification as a treatment for NCI in PWH on suppressive ART. They also do not support that DTG adversely affects cognition, mood, or weight.
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- 2023
10. HIV, Social Networks, and Loneliness among Older Adults in Uganda
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Quach, Lien T., Ritchie, Christine S., Reynolds, Zahra, Paul, Robert, Seeley, Janet, Tong, Yao, Hoeppner, Susanne, Okello, Samson, Nakasujja, Noeline, Olivieri-Mui, Brianne, Saylor, Deanna, Greene, Meredith, Asiimwe, Stephen, Tindimwebwa, Edna, Atwiine, Flavia, Sentongo, Ruth, Siedner, Mark J., and Tsai, Alexander C.
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- 2024
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11. Overamped: Stimulant Use and HIV Pathogenesis
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Ross, Emily J., Williams, Renessa S., Viamonte, Michael, Reynolds, John M., Duncan, Dustin T., Paul, Robert H., and Carrico, Adam W.
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- 2023
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12. Solitude in Buddhism and in Psychoanalysis: The Case of the Great Tibetan Yogi Milarepa
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Paul, Robert A.
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- 2011
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13. Machine Learning Approaches to Understand Cognitive Phenotypes in People With HIV
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Mukerji, Shibani S, Petersen, Kalen J, Pohl, Kilian M, Dastgheyb, Raha M, Fox, Howard S, Bilder, Robert M, Brouillette, Marie-Josée, Gross, Alden L, Scott-Sheldon, Lori AJ, Paul, Robert H, and Gabuzda, Dana
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Mental Health ,HIV/AIDS ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Neurosciences ,2.1 Biological and endogenous factors ,Aetiology ,Mental health ,Good Health and Well Being ,Humans ,Cognition Disorders ,Cognitive Dysfunction ,Machine Learning ,Phenotype ,Cognition ,HIV Infections ,HIV ,cognitive impairment ,HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders ,machine learning ,deep learning ,Biological Sciences ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Microbiology - Abstract
Cognitive disorders are prevalent in people with HIV (PWH) despite antiretroviral therapy. Given the heterogeneity of cognitive disorders in PWH in the current era and evidence that these disorders have different etiologies and risk factors, scientific rationale is growing for using data-driven models to identify biologically defined subtypes (biotypes) of these disorders. Here, we discuss the state of science using machine learning to understand cognitive phenotypes in PWH and their associated comorbidities, biological mechanisms, and risk factors. We also discuss methods, example applications, challenges, and what will be required from the field to successfully incorporate machine learning in research on cognitive disorders in PWH. These topics were discussed at the National Institute of Mental Health meeting on "Biotypes of CNS Complications in People Living with HIV" held in October 2021. These ongoing research initiatives seek to explain the heterogeneity of cognitive phenotypes in PWH and their associated biological mechanisms to facilitate clinical management and tailored interventions.
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- 2023
14. Disorders of attention.
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Cohen, Ronald A., primary, Jenkins, Melissa, additional, and Paul, Robert, additional
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- 2024
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15. Plate-Based Assays for the Characterization of Mitochondrial and Cellular Phenotypes
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Arnold, Benjamin Henry, primary, Sanislav, Oana, additional, Fisher, Paul Robert, additional, and Annesley, Sarah Jane, additional
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- 2023
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16. A Novel Fluorogenic Probe Reveals Lipid Droplet Dynamics in ME/CFS Fibroblasts
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Siyang Ding, Oana Sanislav, Daniel Missailidis, Claire Yvonne Allan, Tze Cin Owyong, Ming‐Yu Wu, Sijie Chen, Paul Robert Fisher, Sarah Jane Annesley, and Yuning Hong
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cell imaging ,fluorogenic probe ,lipid droplets (LDs) ,myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) ,Technology (General) ,T1-995 ,Science - Abstract
Abstract Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic cellular organelles that play an essential role in lipid metabolism and storage. LD dysregulation has been implicated in various diseases. However, investigations into the cellular LD dynamics under disease conditions have been rarely reported, possibly due to the absence of high performing LD imaging agents. Here a novel fluorogenic probe, AM‐QTPA, is reported for specific LD imaging. AM‐QTPA demonstrates viscosity sensitivity and aggregation‐induced emission enhancement characteristics. It is live cell permeable and can specifically light up LDs in cells, with low background noise and superior signals that can be quantified. After validation in cell model with LD accumulation induced by oleic acid treatment, AM‐QTPA is applied in a small proof‐of‐concept number of human fibroblast samples derived from people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a complex and debilitating disease with unknown cause. The results indicate the presence of larger but fewer LDs in ME/CFS fibroblasts compared to the healthy counterparts, accompanying with frequent LD‐mitochondria contacts, suggesting potential upregulation of lipolysis in ME/CFS connective tissue like fibroblasts. Overall, AM‐QTPA provides new understanding of the anomalous LD dynamics in disease status, which, potentially, will facilitate in‐depth investigation of the pathogenesis of ME/CFS.
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- 2024
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17. Recent advances in the development of antimicrobial peptides against ESKAPE pathogens
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Cesar Augusto Roque-Borda, Laura Maria Duran Gleriani Primo, Henrik Franzyk, Paul Robert Hansen, and Fernando Rogério Pavan
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Science (General) ,Q1-390 ,Social sciences (General) ,H1-99 - Abstract
Multi-drug resistant ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) are a global health threat. The severity of the problem lies in its impact on mortality, therapeutic limitations, the threat to public health, and the costs associated with managing infections caused by these resistant strains. Effectively addressing this challenge requires innovative approaches to research, the development of new antimicrobials, and more responsible antibiotic use practices globally. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a part of the innate immune system of all higher organisms. They are short, cationic and amphipathic molecules with broad-spectrum activity. AMPs interact with the negatively charged bacterial membrane. In recent years, AMPs have attracted considerable interest as potential antibiotics. However, AMPs have low bioavailability and short half-lives, which may be circumvented by chemical modification. This review presents recent in vitro and in silico strategies for the modification of AMPs to improve their stability and application in preclinical experiments.
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- 2024
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18. Associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with quality of life: A cross-sectional study of older-age people with and without HIV in rural Uganda
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Olivieri-Mui, Brianne, Hoeppner, Susanne S, Tong, Yao, Kohrt, Emma, Quach, Lien T, Saylor, Deanna, Seeley, Janet, Tsai, Alexander C, Reynolds, Zahra, Okello, Samson, Asiimwe, Stephen, Flavia, Atwiine, Sentongo, Ruth, Tindimwebwa, Edna, Meyer, Ana-Claire, Nakasujja, Noeline, Paul, Robert, Ritchie, Christine, Greene, Meredith, and Siedner, Mark J
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Health Services and Systems ,Public Health ,Health Sciences ,HIV/AIDS ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Clinical Research ,Infectious Diseases ,Aging ,Infection ,Good Health and Well Being ,Humans ,Female ,Aged ,Middle Aged ,Male ,Quality of Life ,HIV ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Uganda ,Pandemics ,HIV Infections ,COVID-19 ,Communicable Disease Control ,Public Health and Health Services ,Public health - Abstract
BackgroundCOVID-19-related lockdowns and other public health measures may have differentially affected the quality of life (QOL) of older people with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in rural Uganda.MethodsThe Quality of Life and Aging with HIV in Rural Uganda study enrolled people with and without HIV aged over 49 from October 2020 to October 2021. We collected data on COVID-19-related stressors (behavior changes, concerns, interruptions in health care, income, and food) and the participants' QOL. We used linear regression to estimate the associations between COVID-19-related stressors and QOL, adjusting for demographic characteristics, mental and physical health, and time before vs after the lockdown during the second COVID-19 wave in Uganda. Interaction between HIV and COVID-19-related stressors evaluated effect modification.ResultsWe analyzed complete data from 562 participants. Mean age was 58 (standard deviation (SD) = 7); 265 (47%) participants were female, 386 (69%) were married, 279 (50%) had HIV, and 400 (71%) were farmers. Those making ≥5 COVID-19-related behavior changes compared to those making ≤2 had worse general QOL (estimated linear regression coefficient (b) = - 4.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -6.61, -2.94) and health-related QOL (b = -4.60; 95% CI = -8.69, -0.51). Having access to sufficient food after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (b = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.54, 4.66) and being interviewed after the start of the second lockdown (b = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.30, 4.28) were associated with better general QOL. Having HIV was associated with better health-related QOL (b = 5.67, 95% CI = 2.91,8.42). HIV was not associated with, nor did it modify the association of COVID-19-related stressors with general QOL.ConclusionsIn the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in an HIV-endemic, low-resource setting, there was reduced QOL among older Ugandans making multiple COVID-19 related behavioral changes. Nonetheless, good QOL during the second COVID-19 wave may suggest resilience among older Ugandans.
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- 2023
19. A Penalty Approach for Normalizing Feature Distributions to Build Confounder-Free Models
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Vento, Anthony, Zhao, Qingyu, Paul, Robert, Pohl, Kilian M., and Adeli, Ehsan
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Computer Science - Machine Learning ,Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition - Abstract
Translating machine learning algorithms into clinical applications requires addressing challenges related to interpretability, such as accounting for the effect of confounding variables (or metadata). Confounding variables affect the relationship between input training data and target outputs. When we train a model on such data, confounding variables will bias the distribution of the learned features. A recent promising solution, MetaData Normalization (MDN), estimates the linear relationship between the metadata and each feature based on a non-trainable closed-form solution. However, this estimation is confined by the sample size of a mini-batch and thereby may cause the approach to be unstable during training. In this paper, we extend the MDN method by applying a Penalty approach (referred to as PDMN). We cast the problem into a bi-level nested optimization problem. We then approximate this optimization problem using a penalty method so that the linear parameters within the MDN layer are trainable and learned on all samples. This enables PMDN to be plugged into any architectures, even those unfit to run batch-level operations, such as transformers and recurrent models. We show improvement in model accuracy and greater independence from confounders using PMDN over MDN in a synthetic experiment and a multi-label, multi-site dataset of magnetic resonance images (MRIs).
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- 2022
20. Plasma Galectin-9 relates to cognitive performance and inflammation among adolescents with vertically acquired HIV
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Moar, Preeti, Linn, Kyaw, Premeaux, Thomas A., Bowler, Scott, Sardarni, Urvinder Kaur, Gopalan, Bindu Parachalil, Shwe, Ei E., San, Thidar, Han, Haymar, Clements, Danielle, Hlaing, Chaw S., Kyu, Ei H., Thair, Cho, Mar, Yi Y., Nway, Nway, Mannarino, Julie, Bolzenius, Jacob, Mar, Soe, Aye, Aye Mya M., Tandon, Ravi, Paul, Robert, and Ndhlovu, Lishomwa C.
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- 2024
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21. Correction: HIV, Social Networks, and Loneliness Among Older Adults in Uganda
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Quach, Lien T., Ritchie, Christine S., Reynolds, Zahra, Paul, Robert, Seeley, Janet, Tong, Yao, Hoeppner, Susanne, Okello, Samson, Nakasujja, Noeline, Olivieri-Mui, Brianne, Saylor, Deanna, Greene, Meredith, Asiimwe, Stephen, Tindimwebwa, Edna, Atwiine, Flavia, Sentongo, Ruth, Siedner, Mark J., and Tsai, Alexander C.
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- 2024
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22. A positive affect intervention alters leukocyte DNA methylation in sexual minority men with HIV who use methamphetamine
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Carrico, Adam W., Cherenack, Emily M., Flentje, Annesa, Moskowitz, Judith T., Asam, Kesava, Ghanooni, Delaram, Chavez, Jennifer V., Neilands, Torsten B., Dilworth, Samantha E., Rubin, Leah H., Gouse, Hetta, Fuchs, Dietmar, Paul, Robert H., and Aouizerat, Bradley E.
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- 2024
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23. Recent advances in the development of antimicrobial peptides against ESKAPE pathogens
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Roque-Borda, Cesar Augusto, Primo, Laura Maria Duran Gleriani, Franzyk, Henrik, Hansen, Paul Robert, and Pavan, Fernando Rogério
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- 2024
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24. The Y-ome Conundrum: Insights into Uncharacterized Genes and Approaches for Functional Annotation
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Sajid, Salvia, Mashkoor, Maliha, Jørgensen, Mikkel Girke, Christensen, Lars Porskjær, Hansen, Paul Robert, Franzyk, Henrik, Mirza, Osman, and Prabhala, Bala Krishna
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- 2023
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25. Microstructure and crystal order during freezing of supercooled water drops
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Kalita, Armin, Mrozek-McCourt, Maximillian, Kaldawi, Thomas F., Willmott, Philip R., Loh, N. Duane, Marte, Sebastian, Sierra, Raymond G., Laksmono, Hartawan, Koglin, Jason E., Hayes, Matt J., Paul, Robert H., Guillet, Serge A. H., Aquila, Andrew L., Liang, Mengning, Boutet, Sébastien, and Stan, Claudiu A.
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- 2023
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26. The Multifaceted Interactions of Dictyostelium Atg1 with Mitochondrial Function, Endocytosis, Growth, and Development
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Melodi Gizem Sen, Oana Sanislav, Paul Robert Fisher, and Sarah Jane Annesley
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Dictyostelium ,autophagy ,Atg1 ,mitochondrial signalling ,development ,Cytology ,QH573-671 - Abstract
Autophagy is a degradative recycling process central to the maintenance of homeostasis in all eukaryotes. By ensuring the degradation of damaged mitochondria, it plays a key role in maintaining mitochondrial health and function. Of the highly conserved autophagy proteins, autophagy-related protein 1 (Atg1) is essential to the process. The involvement of these proteins in intracellular signalling pathways, including those involving mitochondrial function, are still being elucidated. Here the role of Atg1 was investigated in the simple model organism Dictyostelium discoideum using an atg1 null mutant and mutants overexpressing or antisense-inhibiting atg1. When evaluated against the well-characterised outcomes of mitochondrial dysfunction in this model, altered atg1 expression resulted in an unconventional set of phenotypic outcomes in growth, endocytosis, multicellular development, and mitochondrial homeostasis. The findings here show that Atg1 is involved in a tightly regulated signal transduction pathway coordinating energy-consuming processes such as cell growth and multicellular development, along with nutrient status and energy production. Furthermore, Atg1’s effects on energy homeostasis indicate a peripheral ancillary role in the mitochondrial signalling network, with effects on energy balance rather than direct effects on electron transport chain function. Further research is required to tease out these complex networks. Nevertheless, this study adds further evidence to the theory that autophagy and mitochondrial signalling are not opposing but rather linked, yet strictly controlled, homeostatic mechanisms.
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- 2024
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27. Secular Religiosity: Heretical Imperative, Jewish Imponderables
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Paul Robert Mendes-Flohr
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secular religiosity ,post-traditional Judaism ,heretical imperative ,Peter Berger ,Martin Buber ,Franz Rosenzweig ,Religions. Mythology. Rationalism ,BL1-2790 - Abstract
The article develops a concept of “secular religiosity” to characterize “post-traditional” Jewish affiliation as an individual and private matter, which the sociologist Peter Berger casts as a “heretical imperative” to make autonomous, individual choices. The waning of the heteronomous authority of rabbinic Judaism, yielded theological and hermeneutic strategies to address the “secular religiosity” of individuals who sought to affirm distinctive Jewish spiritual and devotional practices. The article concludes by adumbrating two contrasting paradigmatic strategies exemplified by Franz Rosenzweig and Martin Buber respectively.
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- 2024
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28. Effects of Framingham 10-Year Cardiovascular Risk Score and Viral Load on Brain Integrity in Persons With HIV
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Glans, Michelle, Cooley, Sarah A, Vaida, Florin, Boerwinkle, Anna, Tomov, Dimitre, Petersen, Kalen J, Rosenow, Alexander, Paul, Robert H, and Ances, Beau M
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Neurosciences ,Mental Health ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Infectious Diseases ,Aging ,Clinical Research ,Brain Disorders ,HIV/AIDS ,Cardiovascular ,Neurological ,Good Health and Well Being ,Brain ,Cardiovascular Diseases ,HIV Infections ,Heart Disease Risk Factors ,Humans ,Risk Factors ,Viral Load ,cardiovascular ,viral load ,cognition ,neuroimaging ,cerebral blood flow ,Clinical Sciences ,Public Health and Health Services ,Virology - Abstract
BackgroundCombination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has allowed for viral load (VL) suppression and increased life expectancy for persons with HIV (PWH). Altered brain integrity, measured by neuropsychological (NP) performance and neuroimaging, is still prevalent among virally suppressed PWH. Age-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease may also affect brain integrity. This study investigated the effects of cardiovascular risk, VL, and HIV serostatus on cerebral blood flow (CBF), brain volumetrics, and cognitive function in PWH and persons without HIV (PWoH).MethodsTen-year cardiovascular risk, using the Framingham Heart Study criteria, was calculated in PWH (n = 164) on cART with undetectable (≤20 copies/mL; n = 134) or detectable (>20 copies/mL; n = 30) VL and PWoH (n = 66). The effects of cardiovascular risk on brain integrity (CBF, volume, and cognition) were compared for PWH (undetectable and detectable VL) and PWoH.ResultsPWH had smaller brain volumes and worse NP scores than PWoH. PWH with detectable and undetectable VL had similar brain integrity measures. Higher cardiovascular risk was associated with smaller volumes and lower CBF in multiple brain regions for PWH and PWoH. Significant interactions between HIV serostatus and cardiovascular risk on brain volumes were observed in frontal, orbitofrontal, and motor regions. Cardiovascular risk was not associated with cognition for PWH or PWoH.ConclusionsNeuroimaging, but not cognitive measures, was associated with elevated cardiovascular risk. HIV serostatus was associated with diminished brain volumes and worse cognition while CBF remained unchanged, reflecting potential protective effects of cART. Neuroimaging measures of structure (volume) and function (CBF) may identify contributions of comorbidities, but future longitudinal studies are needed.
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- 2022
29. Strategies to delay progression of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency related lung disease
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Ellis, Paul Robert
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R Medicine (General) - Abstract
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and specifically development of pulmonary emphysema at an accelerated rate. The strong emphysema phenotype associated with AATD related lung disease would suggest that interventions which reduce emphysema decline are logical approaches. Such therapies are much needed with a paucity of new treatments in the last three decades. This thesis explores interventions that target two models of emphysema progression; 1) accelerated lung destruction from pulmonary exacerbations and 2) overall basal elastin degradation rate. As with usual COPD, individuals with AATD often suffer with periodic worsening of symptoms known as exacerbations. Exacerbations contribute to reduced quality of life (QOL) for individual patients and are a significant financial and resource burden. They also accelerate emphysema decline. Most exacerbations present with a combination of breathlessness, increased sputum production and increased sputum purulence but it is not understood which exacerbation phenotypes lead to lung damage. Symptoms alone are unlikely to make this distinction. The discovery of a specific biomarker that detects the start and recovery from an exacerbation, in combination with symptoms, would not only guide management options but identify pathophysiological pathways with potential discovery of novel drug targets. The first intervention involves the use of both detailed symptom monitoring and point of care (POC) biomarker tracking for the early detection and treatment of exacerbations. These interventions were assessed via the 'Elastin degradation in exacerbations of AATD related lung disease' study, an 18-month prospective cohort of 55 AATD patients with frequent exacerbations. The hypothesis was that prompt and appropriate treatment of exacerbations could limit their destructive effects and therefore slow emphysema progression. Since an enhanced monitoring approach is fairly novel, the main aim of this study was to assess feasibility and efficacy of an electronic symptom diary (eDiary) and POC urine lateral flow immune assay alongside identification of a suitable urinary biomarker. Promising results would then prompt assessment of whether emphysema progression is improved with such interventions. Results showed that the use of an eDiary was feasible and was able to predict exacerbations, though not accurately enough to be used alone. The addition of urinary biomarkers was unable to improve the predictive algorithm. There were mean changes in CRP and TIMP1 across the time course of an exacerbation. The pilot data from the urine device has pioneered alterations to its design to improve its accuracy and reliability. The second model of emphysema progression, basal elastin degradation rate, already has an established therapy. Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) augmentation therapy has been shown to slow the rate of decline in CT lung density and is currently the only approved disease modifying therapy for AATD patients. The effect of augmentation therapy on more conventional outcomes such as mortality and QOL have not yet been established which has delayed approval of augmentation therapy in the UK. This thesis explored the efficacy of AAT augmentation therapy via a large prospective study comparing two separate cohorts of AATD patients; one receiving AAT augmentation therapy and one standard COPD care alone. This was designed to investigate conventional outcomes that have not been addressed through randomised controlled trials. Results showed that the mortality benefit of AAT augmentation therapy remains uncertain, though there appears to be a reduction in rate of decline in QOL in the augmentation group compared to control. The cost effectiveness of augmentation therapy is also discussed.
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- 2022
30. Штука меджевоєнной Підкарпатской Руси
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Paul Robert Magocsi
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History of Central Europe ,DAW1001-1051 ,Social Sciences ,History of Eastern Europe ,DJK1-77 - Published
- 2023
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31. Gain Adapted Quantization in HEVC Coding Applied to Drone Remote Sensing.
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Ulrike Pestel-Schiller, Paul-Robert Meinicke, Jörn Ostermann, and Johannes Busch
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- 2023
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32. Antimicrobial peptides grafted onto the surface of N-acetylcysteine-chitosan nanoparticles can revitalize drugs against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
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Primo, Laura Maria Duran Gleriani, Roque-Borda, Cesar Augusto, Carnero Canales, Christian Shleider, Caruso, Icaro Putinhon, de Lourenço, Isabella Ottenio, Colturato, Vitória Maria Medalha, Sábio, Rafael Miguel, de Melo, Fernando Alves, Vicente, Eduardo Festozo, Chorilli, Marlus, da Silva Barud, Hernane, Barbugli, Paula Aboud, Franzyk, Henrik, Hansen, Paul Robert, and Pavan, Fernando Rogério
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- 2024
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33. Accelerated Brain Aging and Cerebral Blood Flow Reduction in Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus
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Petersen, Kalen J, Metcalf, Nicholas, Cooley, Sarah, Tomov, Dimitre, Vaida, Florin, Paul, Robert, and Ances, Beau M
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Clinical Research ,Mental Health ,Neurosciences ,HIV/AIDS ,Infectious Diseases ,Aging ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Infection ,Brain ,Cerebrovascular Circulation ,HIV ,HIV Infections ,Humans ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,aging ,cerebral blood flow ,brain-predicted age ,arterial spin labeling ,Biological Sciences ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Microbiology - Abstract
BackgroundPersons with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) are characterized by altered brain structure and function. As they attain normal lifespans, it has become crucial to understand potential interactions between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and aging. However, it remains unclear how brain aging varies with viral load (VL).MethodsIn this study, we compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers among PWH with undetectable VL (UVL; ≤50 genomic copies/mL; n = 230), PWH with detectable VL (DVL; >50 copies/mL; n = 93), and HIV-uninfected (HIV-) controls (n = 206). To quantify gray matter cerebral blood flow (CBF), we utilized arterial spin labeling. To measure structural aging, we used a publicly available deep learning algorithm to estimate brain age from T1-weighted MRI. Cognitive performance was measured using a neuropsychological battery covering 5 domains.ResultsAssociations between age and CBF varied with VL. Older PWH with DVL had reduced CBF vs PWH with UVL (P = .02). Structurally predicted brain aging was accelerated in PWH vs HIV- controls regardless of VL (P < .001). Overall, PWH had impaired learning, executive function, psychomotor speed, and language compared to HIV- controls. Structural brain aging was associated with reduced psychomotor speed (P < .001).ConclusionsBrain aging in HIV is multifaceted. CBF depends on age and current VL and is improved by medication adherence. By contrast, structural aging is an indicator of cognitive function and reflects serostatus rather than current VL.
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- 2021
34. Quantum Machine Learning for Credit Scoring
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Nikolaos Schetakis, Davit Aghamalyan, Michael Boguslavsky, Agnieszka Rees, Marc Rakotomalala, and Paul Robert Griffin
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quantum machine learning ,quantum classifiers ,quantum credit scoring ,quantum algorithms ,Mathematics ,QA1-939 - Abstract
This study investigates the integration of quantum circuits with classical neural networks for enhancing credit scoring for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We introduce a hybrid quantum–classical model, focusing on the synergy between quantum and classical rather than comparing the performance of separate quantum and classical models. Our model incorporates a quantum layer into a traditional neural network, achieving notable reductions in training time. We apply this innovative framework to a binary classification task with a proprietary real-world classical credit default dataset for SMEs in Singapore. The results indicate that our hybrid model achieves efficient training, requiring significantly fewer epochs (350) compared to its classical counterpart (3500) for a similar predictive accuracy. However, we observed a decrease in performance when expanding the model beyond 12 qubits or when adding additional quantum classifier blocks. This paper also considers practical challenges faced when deploying such models on quantum simulators and actual quantum computers. Overall, our quantum–classical hybrid model for credit scoring reveals its potential in industry, despite encountering certain scalability limitations and practical challenges.
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- 2024
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35. Wind turbine nacelle testing: State-of-the-art and development trends
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Siddiqui, Muhammad Omer, Feja, Paul Robert, Borowski, Philipp, Kyling, Hans, Nejad, Amir R., and Wenske, Jan
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- 2023
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36. Cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis is associated with HIV-1 neuroinvasion during acute infection
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Chan, Phillip, Moreland, Sarah, Sacdalan, Carlo, Kroon, Eugene, Colby, Donn, Sriplienchan, Somchai, Pinyakorn, Suteeraporn, Phanuphak, Nittaya, Jagodzinski, Linda, Valcour, Victor, Vasan, Sandhya, Paul, Robert, Trautmann, Lydie, and Spudich, Serena
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- 2023
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37. A Bayesian approach to tissue-fraction estimation for oncological PET segmentation
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Liu, Ziping, Mhlanga, Joyce C., Laforest, Richard, Derenoncourt, Paul-Robert, Siegel, Barry A., and Jha, Abhinav K.
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Physics - Medical Physics ,Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence ,Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Image and Video Processing - Abstract
Tumor segmentation in oncological PET is challenging, a major reason being the partial-volume effects that arise due to low system resolution and finite voxel size. The latter results in tissue-fraction effects, i.e. voxels contain a mixture of tissue classes. Conventional segmentation methods are typically designed to assign each voxel in the image as belonging to a certain tissue class. Thus, these methods are inherently limited in modeling tissue-fraction effects. To address the challenge of accounting for partial-volume effects, and in particular, tissue-fraction effects, we propose a Bayesian approach to tissue-fraction estimation for oncological PET segmentation. Specifically, this Bayesian approach estimates the posterior mean of fractional volume that the tumor occupies within each voxel of the image. The proposed method, implemented using a deep-learning-based technique, was first evaluated using clinically realistic 2-D simulation studies with known ground truth, in the context of segmenting the primary tumor in PET images of patients with lung cancer. The evaluation studies demonstrated that the method accurately estimated the tumor-fraction areas and significantly outperformed widely used conventional PET segmentation methods, including a U-net-based method, on the task of segmenting the tumor. In addition, the proposed method was relatively insensitive to partial-volume effects and yielded reliable tumor segmentation for different clinical-scanner configurations. The method was then evaluated using clinical images of patients with stage IIB/III non-small cell lung cancer from ACRIN 6668/RTOG 0235 multi-center clinical trial. Here, the results showed that the proposed method significantly outperformed all other considered methods and yielded accurate tumor segmentation on patient images with Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.82 (95 % CI: [0.78, 0.86]).
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- 2020
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38. Cognitive Phenotypes of HIV Defined Using a Novel Data-driven Approach
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Paul, Robert H., Cho, Kyu, Belden, Andrew, Carrico, Adam W., Martin, Eileen, Bolzenius, Jacob, Luckett, Patrick, Cooley, Sarah A., Mannarino, Julie, Gilman, Jodi M., Miano, Mariah, and Ances, Beau M.
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- 2022
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39. Measuring infrastructure projects sustainable development goals impact (MISI)
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Mansell, Paul Robert, Philbin, S., Bhamidimarri, R., and Konstantinou, E.
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The research captured in this thesis has led to the development of a range of models, tools and processes for government and industry that provide a forwardlooking approach to the measurement of impact on infrastructure projects. This approach enables measurement of United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) at the project level to ensure investments are made equitably across economic, environment and social objectives. Application of the results from this research are already being actively used by the Environment Agency to manage impact assessment across its £5.2Bn portfolio of projects and by the Thames Tideway Project (£4.9Bn). Background. Achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the year 2030 is of paramount importance and the construction industry has a major role in achieving a measurable impact against the SDG targets. However, linking of 'local' infrastructure project success to 'global' SDG targets is problematic because the targets were designed at the national level and not at the project or programme level (Mansell, et al., 2020a). Furthermore, while the so called 'triple bottom line' (i.e. economy, environment and society) approach to understanding sustainability remains important, there is a need to understand how this can be related to the full project lifecycle as well as a need for improved project governance. This is consistent with the findings of a key UN investigation's Fourth Report (Global Task Force, 2020) which calls for localization of SDGs as well as the need for cooperative governance to establish shared priorities. Research description. The research was based on two main stages. The first stage, informed by a systematic literature review, comprised a mixed method that involved a survey of 325 engineers to derive quantitative data (Mansell et al., 2020b) along with interviews with 40 CEOs and corporate Heads of Sustainability to capture qualitative data (Mansell et al., 2020c). The second stage involved the development of a prototype that was tested through two further exploratory investigations at two levels: (1) Test 1: is there a Golden Thread from global SDGs, through the organisational level, down to project level SDG impact measurement?; (2) Test 2: does the prototype model, the Impact Value Chain, have practical coherence when PhD: Measuring Infrastructure Projects' SDG Impact (MISI) v assessed in a brief case study of a Water Utility Company (Anglian Water) (Mansell et al., 2020d). Subsequently, and not part of this thesis, the research led to a collaborative partnership to test the prototype model and its approach across the Environment Agency's full portfolio of projects and also, the megaproject of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. Findings. The survey of 325 engineers (Mansell et al., 2020b) indicated four primary shortfalls for measuring SDGs on infrastructure projects, namely leadership, tools and methods, engineers' business skills in measuring SDG impact, and how project success is too narrowly defined as outputs (such as time, cost and scope) and not outcomes (longer-term local impacts and stakeholder value). Moreover, the interviews with 40 senior executives (Mansell et al., 2020c) from the UK identified that SDG measurement practices are currently 'more talk less walk' and indicated a number of contextual and mechanistic opportunities to increase the outcome success. Therefore, using empirical evidence the researcher identified a 'golden thread' between best practice sustainability-reporting frameworks at the 'local' project level and those at the organisational and supra-national-levels (Mansell et al., 2020a). In doing so, the research identified that there is sufficient linkage to embed SDG impact targets into the design stage of an infrastructure project. Furthermore, the innovative process model, called the 'Infrastructure SDG Impact-Value Chain' (IVC) to link project delivery with strategic SDG impacts, builds on the concept of creating shared value and creates a practical mechanism to turn theory into meaningful impact in project selection and delivery. The utility of the IVC process model was initially investigated as part of the case study investigation of Anglian Water (Mansell et al., 2020d) and its application has been further demonstrated in the MISI Project (not included in this thesis). Research Impact. The research produced twelve peer-reviewed papers including being published in seven internationally recognised academic journals, such as: Sustainability (2 articles), Administrative Sciences, and the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Engineering Sustainability. The MISI research outputs have been taken forward by the government and industry partners, specifically the Environment Agency and Thames Tideway Project, working together to establish this new approach for measuring sustainability on infrastructure projects.
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- 2021
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40. Stimulant use, HIV, and immune dysregulation among sexual minority men
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Cherenack, Emily M., Chavez, Jennifer V., Martinez, Claudia, Hirshfield, Sabina, Balise, Raymond, Horvath, Keith J., Viamonte, Michael, Jimenez, Daniel E., Paul, Robert, Dilworth, Samantha E., DeVries, Britt, Pallikkuth, Suresh, Stevenson, Mario, Alvarado, Thaissa Cordeiro, Pahwa, Savita, and Carrico, Adam W.
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- 2023
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41. Localised Cdr1as activity is required for fear extinction memory
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Zajaczkowski, Esmi Lau, Zhao, Qiongyi, Liau, Wei-Siang, Gong, Hao, Madugalle, Sachithrani Umanda, Periyakaruppiah, Ambika, Leighton, Laura Jane, Musgrove, Mason, Ren, Haobin, Davies, Joshua, Marshall, Paul Robert, and Bredy, Timothy William
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- 2023
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42. Protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Cambodian individuals with PTSD: Trauma-Informed Treatment Algorithms for Advancing Novel Outcomes (Project TITAN)
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Mannarino, Julie A., Carrico, Adam W., Ean, Nil, Bruce, Steven, Vandermause, Roxanne, Kryah, Rachel, Stein, Ellen, Bertram, Julie, Shom, Vireak, and Paul, Robert H.
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- 2023
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43. Impact of antiretroviral therapy intensification with C-C motif chemokine receptor 5 antagonist maraviroc on HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment
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Shikuma, Cecilia M., Wojna, Valerie, De Gruttola, Victor, Siriwardhana, Chathura, Souza, Scott A., Rodriguez-Benitez, Rosa J., Turner, Emilee H., Kallianpur, Kalpana, Bolzenius, Jacob, Chow, Dominic, Matos, Miriam, Shiramizu, Bruce, Clements, Danielle M., Premeaux, Thomas A., Ndhlovu, Lishomwa C., and Paul, Robert
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- 2023
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44. The leadership of innovation in British small to medium sized software enterprises
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Stanley, Paul Robert
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HF Commerce - Abstract
This thesis describes qualitative research into the experience of executive leaders and software engineers engaged in innovation in British small- and medium-sized software enterprises (SMSE). It asks, "How are executive leaders of British SMSE perceived to influence the innovative work behaviour of software engineers?". Executive leaders, software engineers, and private equity (PE) investors were interviewed, and the data transcribed and coded using constructivist grounded theory methodology (CGTM) (Charmaz 2014). Coding revealed new insights into innovation leadership in SMSE. Theory suggests innovation is important to firm survival and success (Pisano 2019). Leader support for creativity and innovation in software firms is considered strategic (Florida and Goodnight 2005). However, executive leaders in this study were concerned with cash generation, primarily focusing on customers and funders. Once firms established product market fit, innovation became incremental, focused on features, functions and processes. Leaders were transactional (Bass 1985) and instrumental (Antonakis and House 2014) in their interaction with engineers and did not try to influence creative climate (Amabile 1996; Ekvall 1996), pursuing exploitative incremental innovation and rarely considering exploratory innovation (Tushman and O'Reilly 1996). Software engineers had little interest in commercial matters, but favoured innovation, particularly if it allowed them to use new tools, techniques, and languages. They embraced technical change but were less comfortable with cultural change. They did not establish close relationships with their leaders and saw them as being responsible for providing resources to enable objectives to be achieved. PE investors aspired to invest in firms that had established product market fit and were focused on growth and margin improvement. They rarely supported innovation requiring additional funding or not focused on improving short-term competitive advantage or margin. They preferred working with executives focused on delivering the original investment thesis and so tolerated incremental innovation but were less supportive of explorative innovation.
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- 2020
45. The decisive reset : attainable governance for revitalising democracy
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Honeybone, Paul Robert
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321.8 - Abstract
To improve democratic legitimacy, successful resolution of public policy challenges has to emerge from highly pressurised political predicaments. Increasing civic functionality requires integrative Civil Service practice, building trust in adaptive oversight. With the task of effective governance stretching out-of-reach in straining institutional arrangements, a proposition is developed for an “Attainable Governance” reset to revitalise democracy. Motivated by the need for progress that is sensitive to the reality and risks of the present and embodying requirements to hold open unforeseen possibilities for future action, the groundwork is laid for a new “decision architecture” that improves policy-framing and decision-making. With a mission to compose a conceptual framework for “facing the future” in the United Kingdom, I make the case for refreshing democratic arrangements, including a proposed structural intervention to the policy-making system with a correlative cultural step-change in leadership. Laying out a novel framework, the analysis draws widely on strands of thinking in social theory and political philosophy, public administration and policy-making, systems thinking and design, planning and strategic management, anticipation and futures, economics, and sociology. Taking an “integral” methodological orientation, in three parts I: (1) diagnose the converging Predicament, (2) develop a conceptual Proposition, and 3) sketch-out an approach to leadership that facilitates operational adaption in Procedures for applied practice. Positing that we have to deal with systems-of-problems (“messes”) and system-of-systems (“systemic messes”) with an analytic primacy on expanding temporal considerations to factor in more anticipative insights, I take a Complex Adaptive Systems-informed stance. The need for a “Decisive Reset” to refresh democracy, featuring phased systemic reordering and tactical modularity to produce better public decision-making that is responsive and agile in the short-run, while actively gauging medium-term realities and future-proofing for long-run uncertainties, results in a new decision architecture and methodology.
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- 2020
46. Comparison of [11C]-PBR28 Binding Between Persons Living With HIV and HIV-Uninfected Individuals.
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Boerwinkle, Anna H, Strain, Jeremy F, Burdo, Tricia, Doyle, John, Christensen, Jon, Su, Yi, Wisch, Julie K, Cooley, Sarah A, Vaida, Florin, Smith, Mandy D, Jafri, Hussain, Paul, Robert H, Benzinger, Tammie LS, and Ances, Beau M
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Neurosciences ,Mental Health ,Brain Disorders ,Acquired Cognitive Impairment ,Infectious Diseases ,Clinical Research ,HIV/AIDS ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Biomedical Imaging ,Acetamides ,Aged ,Anti-Retroviral Agents ,Carbon Radioisotopes ,Cognition Disorders ,Female ,HIV Infections ,Humans ,Inflammation ,Male ,Middle Aged ,Positron-Emission Tomography ,Pyridines ,Receptors ,GABA ,HIV ,neuroinflammation ,positron emission tomography ,kDa translocator protein ,cognition ,Clinical Sciences ,Public Health and Health Services ,Virology - Abstract
ObjectiveDespite combined antiretroviral therapy, neuroinflammation may persist in persons living with HIV (PLWH) and contribute to cognitive impairment in this population. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging targeting 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) has been used to localize neuroinflammation. We aimed to use TSPO-PET imaging to evaluate neuroinflammation in PLWH.DesignTwenty-four virologically suppressed PLWH on combined antiretroviral therapy and 13 HIV-negative (HIV-) controls completed TSPO-PET imaging using the radiotracer [C]PBR28. Because of tracer complexity and differing procedures used in previous studies, we employed an expansive methodological approach, using binding potential (BP) and standard uptake value ratio and multiple different reference regions to estimate [C]PBR28 binding.Methods[C]PBR28 binding was measured in 30 cortical and subcortical regions and compared between PLWH and HIV- controls. Pearson correlation evaluated the association between [C]PBR28 binding and cognition and clinical measures of HIV.ResultsAnalyses conducted using multiple reference regions and measures of tracer uptake revealed no significant differences between [C]PBR28 binding in PLWH compared with HIV- controls. In addition, [C]PBR28 binding in PLWH was not significantly associated with clinical measures of HIV or plasma biomarkers of inflammation. [C]PBR28 binding was not significantly elevated in cognitively impaired PLWH compared with unimpaired PLWH, but there were inverse relationships between cognitive performance (executive and global function) and [C]PBR28 binding in PLWH.ConclusionsOur results suggest that neuroinflammation may play a role in cognitive deficits, but overall neuroinflammatory levels as measured by TSPO-PET imaging in PLWH are not significantly different from those seen in HIV- controls.
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- 2020
47. Models and simulation
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Feja, Paul Robert, primary, Leimeister, Mareike, additional, and Siddiqui, Muhammad Omer, additional
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- 2022
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48. National Resources, Resistance, and the Afterlives of the New International Economic Order in Bangladesh
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Paul Robert Gilbert
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natural gas ,compensation ,dispossession of land ,resistance ,resource nationalism ,social movements ,Political science ,Economic growth, development, planning ,HD72-88 - Abstract
Over the last two decades in Bangladesh, a well-organised resistance to coal mining in the north-west, and to onshore and offshore gas exploration, has been animated by concerns over dispossession of land, and plans to export much of the coal and gas to be extracted in the name of financial viability. As such, these movements might be read as resistance to ‘extractivism’ in a ‘literal sense’. In scholarship on resistance to resource extraction in Bangladesh, significant attention has been given to the tensions that appear to arise between ‘resource nationalist’ opposition to foreign-owned or export-oriented extractive operations, and (some) supposed resource nationalists’ accommodation of fossil fuel extraction in the name of energy sovereignty and development. In this chapter, I argue that this apparent tension in understanding resistance to extractivism dissolves when the New International Economic Order (NIEO)―which centred on attempts to assert permanent sovereignty over natural resources and empower postcolonial states to negotiate with extractive corporations―is foregrounded. In Bangladesh, sovereignty over natural resources and the primacy of domestic courts in disputes over resource extraction are frequently enacted, much to the displeasure of international extractive industry corporations. Focusing on attempts to enact the spirit of the NIEO by Bangladeshi courts, and arbitrators locking horns with extractive industry corporations, I suggest that ‘resource nationalist’ mobilisation against unjust forms of resource extraction can at times be understood as resistance to the international legal architecture that frames extractive corporations’ relationships with postcolonial states, rather than to extractivism in the ‘literal sense’.
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- 2023
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49. ‘The hole in the ground that cannot be moved’: Political risk as a racial vernacular of extractive industry development
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Styve, Maria Dyveke and Gilbert, Paul Robert
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- 2023
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50. Frequency and Predictors of HIV-Related Cognitive Impairment in East Africa: The Africa Cohort Study (AFRICOS).
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Milanini, Benedetta, Allen, Isabel, Paul, Robert, Bahemana, Emmanuel, Kiweewa, Francis, Nambuya, Alice, Maswai, Jonah, Langat, Rither, Owuoth, John, Martin, Shayanne, Possin, Katherine, Esber, Allahna, Polyak, Christina, Ake, Julie A, and Valcour, Victor
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Infectious Diseases ,Prevention ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Clinical Research ,HIV/AIDS ,Infection ,Good Health and Well Being ,Adolescent ,Adult ,Aged ,Aged ,80 and over ,Analysis of Variance ,Anti-HIV Agents ,CD4 Lymphocyte Count ,Cognitive Dysfunction ,Cohort Studies ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Female ,HIV Infections ,Humans ,Kenya ,Linear Models ,Logistic Models ,Male ,Middle Aged ,Multivariate Analysis ,Odds Ratio ,Tanzania ,Uganda ,Young Adult ,HIV ,HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders ,neurologic disease ,Africa ,eastern ,AFRICOS study Team ,Clinical Sciences ,Public Health and Health Services ,Virology - Abstract
BackgroundMedication adherence is a critical issue in achieving viral suppression targets, particularly in resource-limited countries. As HIV-related cognitive impairment (CI) impacts adherence, we examined frequency and predictors of CI in the African Cohort Study.SettingCross-sectional examination of enrollment data from President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief supported clinic sites.MethodsIn a 30-minute cognitive assessment, CI was defined as -1SD on 2 tests or -2SD on one, as compared with 429 controls. We performed univariable and multivariable logistic and linear models examining clinical and demographic factors associated with CI and global neuropsychological performance (NP-6).ResultsTwo thousand four hundred seventy-two HIV+ participants from Kenya (n = 1503), Tanzania (n = 469), and Uganda (n = 500). The mean (SD) age was 39.7 (10.7) years, and 1452 (59%) were women. The majority reported completing or partially completing primary school (n = 1584, 64%). Mean (SD) current and nadir CD4 count were 463 (249) and 204 (221) cells/mm, respectively; 1689 (68%) were on combination antiretroviral therapy. Nine hundred thirty-nine (38%) HIV+ versus 113 (26%) HIV- individuals showed CI: (P < 0.001). We found significant effects of literacy [odds ratio (OR): 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2 to 0.4; P < 0.001] and World Health Organization stage 4 (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0 to 2.q; P = 0.046) on CI. Tanzanians (OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 2.4 to 4.3; P < 0.001) and Kenyans (OR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.6 to 2.6; P < 0.001) had higher risk of CI compared with Ugandans. Results were relatively unchanged in predictive models of NP-6, with the only difference being an additional significant effect of current CD4 cell count (coeff: 0.0; 95% CI: 0.0 to 0.0; P = 0.005).ConclusionsLiteracy, country, World Health Organization stage, and current CD4 cell count were associated with increased risk of cognitive dysfunction. Our findings help optimize care practices in Africa, illustrating the importance of strategies for early and effective viral-immunological control.
- Published
- 2020
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