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Global Hydrogen Export Business Index: An AI-Enhanced Multicriteria Decision Analysis Framework for Assessing Hydrogen Export Potential
No full textGlobal hydrogen trade is emerging as a central pillar of net-zero strategies, yet there is no unified analytical framework for comparing countries' readiness to export hydrogen. This study develops the Global Hydrogen Export Business Index (GHEBI), an AI-enhanced multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework that evaluates hydrogen export potential across 31 countries. The framework assesses six dimensions that policymakers and investors must consider when designing hydrogen export strategies: (1) resource availability, (2) infrastructure and technology readiness, (3) economic viability, (4) policy and regulatory environment, (5) environmental and social suitability, and (6) geopolitical and geological risk. These dimensions incorporate indicators derived from international datasets and expert consultation. Five established MCDA methods (AHP, TOPSIS, PROMETHEE II, VIKOR, and SAW) are integrated to generate a composite score, while machine-learning models are used to validate ranking stability and identify the most influential determinants. Results show substantial regional disparities: Australia, the United States, and selected Gulf countries lead due to strong renewable resources, port infrastructure, and policy support, whereas Africa and South America score lower because of infrastructure gaps, policy uncertainty, and geohazard exposure. Sensitivity analysis confirms the robustness of rankings to changes in indicator weights. The GHEBI framework offers a transparent, multidimensional tool to guide hydrogen export planning, identify investment priorities, and support the development of resilient and geologically informed hydrogen export pathways
Generative Spatio-Temporal Graph Network for Long-Range Urban Mobility Prediction
No full textThe integration of intelligent transportation systems with next-generation consumer electronics, ranging from electric vehicles to autonomous navigation tools, has created an urgent need for reliable, long-range urban mobility prediction. However, the accuracy of existing models degrades over extended horizons due to compounding errors and an inability to adapt to dynamic, evolving traffic patterns. To address this, we propose the Generative Spatio-Temporal Graph Network (G-STGN), a novel deep learning framework that synergistically integrates learnable temporal decomposition with conditional generative adversarial networks (cGAN) for stable, long-horizon forecasting. Our architecture first purifies complex traffic signals using a learnable multi-scale temporal decomposition mechanism, which adaptively separates flow data into interpretable trend, periodic, and residual components. A dynamic graph spatio-temporal encoder then models each component with tailored, evolving graph structures to capture nuanced network dependences. The core innovation is a generative prediction enhancement framework, where a cGAN learns the macroscopic distribution of future states. This provides a forward-looking guidance signal to proactively correct the step-by-step prediction process, effectively suppressing error propagation. Extensive experiments on major highway and urban mobility datasets confirm that G-STGN significantly outperforms five state-of-the-art baseline models. It achieves superior prediction accuracy, evidenced by substantially lower Mean Absolute Error and Root Mean Square Error, alongside faster and more stable convergence. This demonstrates the framework’s strong potential for reliable deployment in time-critical consumer electronics applications, paving the way for more efficient routing, improved energy management, and safer autonomous navigation systems
Oceanic heat transport along the Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current and the role of eddies
No full textThe poleward warm Atlantic Water and returning cold water in the Nordic Seas play a crucial role in regulating the Northern Hemisphere climate. While previous studies have recognized the importance of mesoscale dynamics, a quantitative assessment of the role of mesoscale eddies in poleward heat transport is lacking. Our study investigates the role of eddies in poleward oceanic heat transport in the Nordic Seas using an ocean model where eddies are well represented. Using a novel configuration of the MITgcm ocean‐ice model, we analyze 21 years of simulation. We show that eddy heat flux divergence offsets more than 70% of heat flux convergence induced by the mean flow along the Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current. Eddy heat flux divergence peaks at a depth of about 400 m near the thermocline and reaches a maximum near the steep Lofoten Escarpment. A temporal decomposition reveals that eddy heat flux divergence is stable on interannual timescales, although there is strong seasonality. Our study emphasizes the significant role of eddies in reducing poleward heat transport by diverting heat out of the Norwegian Atlantic Current into the Nordic Seas
Wildfire protection in indigenous lands of Brazil: the role of fire brigades programs
No full textBrazil’s indigenous lands (ILs) are important for global environmental sustainability. Despite this, ILs are increasingly threatened by wildfires, largely driven by climate change. The main public policy implemented by the Brazilian government to protect ILs has been the Federal Brigades Program (BRIFs), created in 2013 within the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama). Coordinated by the National Center for Prevention and Suppression of Wildfires (Prevfogo), with the support of the National Indigenous Peoples Foundation (Funai), the BRIFs are the result of a long learning process, which led to the integrated fire management (IFM). Since then, protection strategies have begun to value social participation, traditional knowledge, and landscape management with prescribed burning. After a decade of operation, now is an opportune moment to evaluate the results of the BRIFs and the paradigm shift it represented. This study evaluated 42 ILs encompassing 25,355,413.6 hectares. Active fire satellite data, captured from outside the prescribed burning season, allowed estimation of wildfire occurrences. Using a before–after-control-intervention approach, ILs covered and not covered by BRIFs were compared before (2003–2012) and after (2014–2023) the program’s implementation. These treatments were evaluated both collectively and separately by ecosystems: fire-prone savannas (Cerrado biome) and fire-sensitive forests (Amazon biome). The data was analyzed using the Chi-Square Adherence test, graphs, and trend lines. Results show that ILs covered by BRIFs presented a significant reduction of 22.7% in the number of active fires following program implementation, whilst those not covered showed an increase of 12.3%. In the Cerrado biome, the reduction in the ILs covered by BRIFs was evident soon after program implementation. In the Amazon biome, this reduction took longer, but the differences are highlighted by the trend curves. These results were achieved with an annual investment of USD 1.02 per hectare protected. We conclude that BRIFs have been effective in protecting Brazil’s ILs from wildfires. Due to its efficiency, combined with low financial cost and equitable gains, the BRIFs Program offers a model for the protection of regions with ecological and social similarities, such as many tropical countries
“It all seems too real”: Herschell Gordon Lewis and Theatres of Horror
No full textThe prolific Herschell Gordon Lewis is best-known for his horror films but apart from filmmaking he also had a career in writing, penning numerous books on advertising and business. For a period in 1968, he also ran a theatre. Lewis’s short-lived but nonetheless popular Blood Shed Theater in Chicago featured screenings of films – old horror movies or his own – but was framed and interpolated with ingredients of live horror theatre: there were suitably Gothic character-hosts and set pieces of throat-slitting, tongue-ripping and playful interaction with the audience. This overt theatricality will go on to inform Lewis’s most consciously ‘performative’ film The Wizard of Gore (1970). However, Lewis was also drawing on the traditions of the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol (1897-1962), the legendary ‘theatre of horror’ which, with its mischievous gimmickry, gruesome effects and nihilistic repertoire, provides a template for Lewis from Blood Feast (1963) onwards. Although based in Paris, the Grand-Guignol had an enormous impact on the popular American imagination in the 1930-50s through golden age horror radio and pre-Code comics and, emerging in the 1960s, the films of Lewis are an evident successor to this. This essay will explore the parallels between Lewis’s oeuvre and the original Grand-Guignol and its progeny. In addition, the chapter will look at contemporaneous theatre: although Lewis’s cinema of exploitation seems a world away from 1960-70s political or avantgarde theatre in the UK and US, the depiction of alienated young people in Edward Bond’s Saved (1965) finds a curious echo in Lewis’s film Just for the Hell of It (1968) just as the violence and destruction in the plays of Jean-Claude van Itallie and other counterculture artists chimes with the comic yet terrifying evisceration of the familiar world that permeates Lewis’s universe
Child and school staff perceptions and experiences of universal social and emotional learning curricula in context: A qualitative case study registered report examining ‘Passport Skills for Life’
No full textBackground: There is increasing interest in the circumstances under which universal school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions can be most effective, and how implementation moderates intervention outcomes. We focus on the implementation of ‘Passport Skills for Life’, an SEL intervention that has been introduced into over 100 schools in England to date. Aim: We examined the experiences and perceptions of both school staff and children in delivering and engaging with Passport. Method: We report on the implementation and process evaluation of a large cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in mainstream primary schools across Greater Manchester and surrounding areas. We used a qualitative longitudinal design, engaging with children, teachers and senior leaders in five case study schools via focus groups and interviews. We used reflexive thematic analysis to build an integrated picture, guided by relevant implementation theory on dimensions of, and factors affecting, implementation. We triangulated and examined differences in thematic representation among participant groups to understand differences in perspectives. Findings: Teachers generally reported high fidelity, but commonly made adaptations. The comic book format, emotional reflection opportunities and sensitive content of Passport were considered distinctive and valuable, though implementation was shaped by factors including school context and limited programme differentiation for children with SEND. Children, teachers and SLT were generally aligned in perspectives, with greater within-group divergence. Conclusions: Findings highlight the need for inclusive, sensitive and context-responsive SEL design, alongside guidance and support to ensure fidelity without compromising accessibility, impact or flexibility
A novel Mediterranean diet-inspired supplement reduces hippocampal amyloid deposits and microglial activation through the modulation of the microbiota gut-brain axis in 5xFAD mice
No full textBackground: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is projected to increase in prevalence, heightening the need for strategies to alleviate its neuropathological burden. The bioactive constituents of a Mediterranean-style diet are well-recognised for their neuroprotective properties. Due to their capacity to alter the gut microbiome composition, these benefits may involve modulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. In this study, we investigated whether a novel supplement enriched with key Mediterranean diet-derived bioactives (Neurosyn240) could reduce amyloid deposition and microglial activation in 5xFAD mice, a transgenic model of AD, through microbiota-mediated mechanisms. Methods: Male and female 5xFAD transgenic mice (n = 16 per sex) were randomly assigned to receive either a standard control diet or a diet supplemented with Neurosyn240 for 12 weeks. Employing a multi-omics approach, gut microbiota composition was profiled using 16S rRNA ampliconsequencing, serum metabolites were quantified via targeted metabolomics, and hippocampal gene expression was analysed through qPCR and RNA sequencing. Neuropathological markers, including amyloid-β deposition and microglial activation, were evaluated using immunofluorescence staining. Statistical analyses were performed using two-way ANOVA to examine the main effects of diet and sex and their interaction. Results: Neurosyn240 significantly shifted the gut microbiome composition, which was associated with increased circulatory serotonin levels and decreased kynurenine and bile acids (TCA, HDCA, TDCA, CDCA and LCA) concentrations. In the brain, Neurosyn240 consumption led to a significant reduction in hippocampal amyloid deposits and Iba-1 positive microglia (p<0.05), which were associated with decreased LCA and increased serotonin, respectively. Hippocampal RNA sequencing further highlighted the upregulation of genes involved in promoting amyloid beta clearance mechanisms. Conclusions: Together, these findings highlight novel neuroprotective effects of Neurosyn240 in modulating metabolite-mediated pathways of the microbiota-gut-brain axis, accentuating its therapeutic potential against AD progression
Sound asleep: Sensory decoupling during sleep depends on an infant’s sensory profile
Get PDFInitiating and maintaining sleep requires gating of sensory input. Sensory processing differences, such as elevated sensory reactivity, have emerged as a potential driver of sleep difficulties in autism. Both sensory and sleep difficulties are prevalent in autistic individuals and emerge early in development. Here, we use polysomnography to understand how infant sensory reactivity affects the ability to maintain sleep in a quiet or noisy environment. Forty-four 8- to 11-month-old infants at typical and elevated likelihood for autism participated in a lab-based nap study consisting of two counterbalanced visits, a baseline and an auditory stimulation condition. In the stimulation condition, 60dB pure tones were played during sleep. We measured slow waves and sleep spindles, EEG features previously linked to the ability to protect sleep from sensory disturbance. We show that higher caregiver-reported sensory reactivity was significantly associated with lower slow wave activity and density, across both nap conditions. In the stimulation condition, infants with elevated sensory reactivity had even further decreased slow wave density and lower sleep spindle density. Comparisons of pre- and post-stimulus windows showed that, rather than triggering immediate event-related disruptions, auditory input and sensory reactivity alter sleep micro-structure across the longer timescale of the entire nap. Thus, highly reactive infants experience disruptions in their ability to enter or maintain periods of sensory disconnection, accentuated by the presence of auditory noise
Patient satisfaction and experiences with menopause care for people with autoimmune diseases: an international mixed-methods study from the Menopause MATTERs Project
Get PDFObjectives: To understand the experiences and satisfaction with menopause care for women with autoimmune diseases. Study design: Exploratory, mixed-methods study (between December 2024 and March 2025) using an online survey for peri-, menopausal, and postmenopausal individuals (≥18 years), with and without confirmed autoimmune diagnoses. Survey participants were purposively selected for semi-structured interviews. Main outcome measures: Satisfaction with menopause care as measured across nine (co-designed) domains of: availability and access to clinicians, clinicians' knowledge, involvement in decision-making, consideration of primary disease, clinicians' empathy for physical and mental health symptoms, continuity and follow-up support, information received, flexibility in treatment. Other outcomes included qualitative themes from interviews with patients, types of clinicians consulted for menopause and reasons for seeking private menopause care and process measures of access to care. Results: Satisfaction was significantly lower amongst women with autoimmune diseases (n = 3754) than those without autoimmune diseases (n = 480) across the nine metrics studied (p < 0·001). Qualitative analysis identified three themes: (1) menopause care was reactive and dependent on patients advocating for themselves; (2) there was fragmented and siloed care between specialties, with limited integration of the intersection between autoimmune diseases and menopause; and (3) mental health concerns often overshadowed menopause and autoimmune disease symptoms. Conclusion: The menopausal transition must be recognised as a unique stage in the management of autoimmune diseases. Our study suggests that menopause advice and care would benefit from increased clinician proactivity, empathy and knowledge. Greater evidence to inform clinical guidance and interdisciplinary training and integration is required
Molecular and Genetic Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer Active Surveillance: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives
Get PDFBackground/Objectives: Active surveillance (AS) has become the standard of care for many men with localised prostate cancer, aiming to avoid the overtreatment of indolent disease while maintaining oncological safety. Despite improvements in diagnostic techniques, misclassification at diagnosis and the limited ability to predict disease progression remain major challenges in AS. Novel molecular and genetic biomarkers, assessed through liquid biopsy approaches, offer the potential to refine patient selection and support risk-adapted monitoring in AS. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of biomarkers in the context of AS for prostate cancer, framing the discussion in terms of the challenges in AS and how biomarkers may address these. PubMed and Embase were searched for English-language peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2025. International guidelines (AUA, EAU, NCCN, NICE) and reference lists were reviewed manually. Priority was given to large prospective cohorts, meta-analyses, and high-impact publications. Results: Blood-based assays such as PHI and the 4K score, urinary tests including ExoDx and SelectMDx, and the Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) signatures have all shown associations with disease progression or decisions to undergo earlier treatment. However, studies are often small, use surrogate endpoints, and lack validation in MRI-integrated cohorts. Biomarkers appear most informative in men with Gleason Grade 1 (GG1) disease, while evidence in GG2 cohorts is limited. Cost-effectiveness, heterogeneity of endpoints, and uncertainty in managing discordant biomarker and MRI results remain barriers to clinical adoption. Conclusions: Molecular and genetic biomarkers show promise for improving AS by reducing diagnostic misclassification and enhancing prediction of progression. Future research should define clinically relevant cut-offs, clarify integration with MRI, and evaluate longitudinal use. Demonstrating utility in contemporary cohorts could enable the development of biomarker-guided, personalised AS that maintains safety while minimising harm