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Monitoring Oscillatory Plant Dynamics with Automated Vision Systems
No full textModern precision agriculture faces numerous complex challenges that have traditionally been addressed through highly skilled human expertise and extensive manual labour. Key tasks include high-throughput phenotyping, monitoring of plant health, and yield forecasting. In recent years, state-of-the-art solutions using computer vision, robotics, and machine learning have been introduced, aiming to solve these agricultural challenges. In most cases, however, these approaches assume plants to be of static structure and appearance, ignoring the fact that plants exhibit all kinds of dynamic motion patterns which are typically oscillatory in nature. In this thesis, we present an approach bridging the gaps in current research on computer vision, plant biomechanics, and the needs presented by modern agriculture. We utilise a combined approach of vision-based detection and tracking algorithms, oscillatory signal analysis, and classical mechanics to infer the basic parameters constituting dynamic systems representing the plant structures in question. Dynamic plant parameters hold significant potential for enhancing various agricultural applications, as evidenced by prior research. This work contributes several advancements to the state-of-the-art. We demonstrate how oscillatory plant dynamics can be leveraged to identify image regions exhibiting similar motion patterns, even when spatially disconnected. Additionally, we evaluate existing methods for extracting dynamic parameters and highlight the relatively novel technique of Harmonic Inversion as particularly effective for analysing oscillatory plant motion. By integrating signal analysis and classical mechanics with a custom dataset of approximately 300 samples of plant motion, we propose a novel, non-destructive approach to infer the mass of fruit based solely on their dynamic motion. In summary, monitoring oscillatory plant motion offers significant potential for modern agriculture, providing previously untapped insights into plant structure, health, and overall condition.</p
Slow learners: Body pedagogics and learning slow ways in sport and physical cultures
No full textThis article addresses recent calls for sociological investigation into the embodied incorporation of non-normative cultures, employing the emergent conceptualization of ‘slow’ in sports and physical cultures. In contrast to sports that valorize quantification and maximization of performance via speed, skill, and/or endurance, the concept of slow helps analytically explore the pleasures and benefits of slower ways of engagement with sport and physical cultures. Drawing on original findings from three auto/ethnographic research projects, here we investigate the sensory dimension of learning slow in two distinctive sports/physical activities that were found to share many sensory pleasures (and some corporeal challenges): countryside walking in England and coastal sea walking (longe-côte) in northern France. Employing conceptual insights drawn from Chris Shilling’s work on body pedagogics, we highlight the importance of learning to ‘do slow’, which often requires considerable somatic and sensory (re)learning to reconceptualize and transform our experiences of ‘fast’ sporting embodiment.</p
Leveraging port state measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
No full textIllegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens the sustainability of fisheries and communities dependent on them. The Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) is a key tool for combatting IUU fishing by foreign fleets, requiring standardized inspections, information sharing, and port denial. Using satellite data, we characterized how PSMA has affected high seas vessel behavior and identify opportunities to strengthen its impact. PSMA adoption has increased travel distances to the nearest ports in States not Party to PSMA and channeled more fishing effort to domestic and PSMA Party ports. However, domestic fishing fleets need greater attention because they constituted 66% of port visits in 2021. Among reflagged vessels, we also found a 30% increase in visits to PSMA ports by vessels shifting to domestic flags after PSMA entered into force, allowing them to avoid PSMA requirements for foreign vessels. Our results highlight the centrality of implementing consistent, effective port State measures across foreign and domestic fleets to address IUU fishing risks.</p
Block Copolymer Nanocomposites under Soft Confinement
No full text Block copolymer (BCP) melts can be blended with solvents to self-assemble into complex droplets with internal structures. Controlling the morphology of these softly confined structures is crucial for various applications, including drug delivery. The addition of nanoparticles (NPs) to BCP droplets produces hierarchical co-assembly with intricate structures, where BCPs act as scaffolds. However, incorporating NPs can significantly alter the BCP droplet structure, leading to emergent behavior. Computer simulations reveal that confinement-induced frustration leads to a Janus-like morphology, with spatially segregated hexagonal and lamellar structures within the droplet bulk. Systematic exploration of NP loading and chemical interactions demonstrates various phase transitions, which are rationalized based on changes in the effective composition and solubility of the BCP droplet. A time-dependent model enables the study of the kinetics of several NP-induced layered morphologies, indicating that changes in the effective solubility of the BCP droplet result in a slow progression toward an onion morphology. </p
Studio as Teacher: Bodily Encounters in the Fine Art Studio A 'Spaces of Artist Education' Special Interest Group presentation and workshop
No full textSociety of Artistic Research Special Interest Group: Artist Pedagogy Research GroupSub-group: Spaces of Artist EducationWorkshop delivered at the Society of Artistic Research Conference, University of Porto, 7 May 2025Studio as Teacher: Bodily Encounters in the Fine Art StudioThe subgroup Spaces of Artist Education investigates how different environments shape, enable, and regulate interaction, communication, and pedagogical practices—both within universities and in non-institutional settings. Drawing on her reflective research project Studio as Teacher, Ruocco presents pedagogical approaches that challenge dominant, individualised models of artistic labour. Her work opens space for more relational, situated, and ecologically aware forms of learning by reimagining the studio as an active, material “teacher” that shapes creative processes and social interactions.Workshop:Building on alumni reflections from the first-year Fine Art module Bodily Encounters, this participatory session invites attendees to consider how studio environments—including their maintenance, design, and material care—contribute to or inhibit creative learning. Inspired by Mierle Laderman Ukeles’s Manifesto for Maintenance Art (1969!), we’ll reflect on the role of infrastructure and invisible labour in shaping sustainable creative practices.Together, we’ll explore how spatial and material ecologies influence pedagogy and how design—of furniture, storage, and display—might better support collective care and embodied inquiry in the studio.</p
Oocyte Exposure to Low Levels of Triclosan Has a Significant Impact on Subsequent Embryo Physiology
No full textTriclosan (TCS) is an antimicrobial agent in a wide range of health care products. It has been found in various human bodily fluids and is a potential reproductive toxicant. How-ever, the effect of TCS on early embryo development in mammalian species is limited. We therefore asked whether exposure to TCS affects mammalian cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs), and if so, whether the effects persist into the early embryo. COCs, isolated from abattoir-derived bovine ovaries, were exposed to two environmentally relevant doses of TCS (1 and 10 nM) during in vitro maturation. When exposed to 1 nM TCS during in vitro maturation, progesterone release from bovine oocytes was elevated. Furthermore, altered pyruvate metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction were also observed; specifically, O2 consumption coupled to ATP production was significantly decreased in COCs after acute exposure to TCS prior to maturation, whereas proton leak from the respiratory chain was increased. Subsequently, TCS-exposed COCs were fertilised. Fewer oocytes were able to develop to blastocyst when exposed to 1 nM TCS during maturation compared to the Control group, and those that did reach the blastocyst displayed impaired glycolytic and amino acid metabolic activity. These findings indicate for the first time that oocytes ex-posed to TCS during the final stages of maturation give rise to embryos with impaired mitochondrial function, altered steroidogenesis, and disrupted metabolic activity. </p
Exploring Y-DNA haplogroup diversity in the British Isles
No full textThe Yfiler™ Plus PCR Amplification Kit is a Y-chromosome STR kit designed for the specific amplification of male DNA samples. This makes it particularly useful in sexual assault cases and paternal lineage studies. Additionally, the high inter-population variability of Y-STRs makes the kit ideal for investigating biogeographical differences and migration patterns. The aim of this study was to investigate the haplogroups of the English, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish populations to support the development of population-specific Y-STR databases and advance our understanding of the genetics of the British Isles. Buccal swabs were collected from 888 unrelated male individuals: 461 English, 191 Irish, 124 Welsh, and 112 Scottish. DNA was extracted using Prep-n-Go™ Buffer and amplified with the Yfiler™ Plus kit. The resulting data passed the Y Chromosome Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD) quality checks and were uploaded to the database. Haplogroups were identified using the Y-DNA Haplogroup Predictor - NevGen online tool, and haplogroup diversity was calculated. A total of 46 haplogroups were observed, with R1b M269 being the most common haplogroup across all populations (64% in English, 85% in Irish, 92% in Welsh, and 73% in Scottish). I1 was the second most common haplogroup in both the English (13%) and Scottish (6%) populations, while I2a2a M223 was the second most common in the Welsh (2%) and Irish (6%) populations. R1a M198 and E1b1b > V13 were the other two most frequently observed haplogroups, while the remaining 41 haplogroups were found five or fewer times across all populations. Although the Scottish population showed a higher number of haplogroups relative to the sample size tested, greater diversity was observed in the English (0.57) and Scottish (0.46) populations compared to the Irish (0.28) and Welsh (0.14) populations. This study highlights genetic differences between the four populations, with the distribution of haplogroups supporting previous findings. However, further studies with more markers and larger sample sizes are needed to continue populating Y-marker databases. </p
Building back better through urban blue and green space? A critical review of post-pandemic urban planning and climate governance
No full text Over the past five years, both academic and popular accounts have highlighted commonalities between adaptations that cities are making to become more resilient to infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19, while also addressing sustainable development and climate change indicators and goals. Much of this literature has suggested that a shift towards greater implementation of urban blue and green space – along with other interventions, such as encouraging compact city design, reducing sprawl and encouraging active transit modes – can contribute to healthier and socioenvironmentally friendly cities, while also reducing carbon emissions and achieving urban climate goals. However, this article argues that there have been significant barriers faced in doing so that have hampered their effectiveness and implementation. These include the entrenched ideologies favouring ‘grey’ over ‘green’ infrastructure; political-economic and financial constraints; reactive forms of urban and climate governance; and what we call the temporal politics of urban climate governance vis-a`-vis infectious disease responses </p
Integrating Catchment and Coastal Processes to Increase Flood Protection in Estuaries
No full textEstuaries and surrounding coastal areas worldwide possess high ecological and socio-economic values, while they experience an increasing flood risk due to climate change that needs mitigation. There are a number of studies that examine probabilities and hydrodynamic behaviours of estuarine flooding accounting for sea level rise; however, they often overlook long-term variability in estuarine morphology, which will have a major impact on future flood hazards within estuaries. In order to mitigate flooding, a number of flood management practices have been applied to estuaries and catchments, yet those influence on long-term estuarine morphodynamics is barely assessed, and feedback on future flood hazards needs to be better understood. There is a need for a tool that can assess climate change and human management factors on future flood hazards around estuaries. A novel modelling framework incorporating catchment hydrological (HEC-HMS), estuarine morphodynamic (CAMME), and estuarine hydrodynamic (Delft3D-FLOW) models has been developed and tested using various management and climate scenarios. This offers an integrated approach for the evaluation of a range of management applications at catchments and estuaries along with climate change on long-term estuarine morphodynamics and associated future flood hazards. The following three points are obtained as primary outcome of this research: (i) the influence of catchment management and climate change on estuarine morphodynamics can vary depending on relative hydrodynamic forces of tides and rivers; (ii) the long-term estuarine evolutions under SLR substantially alters future flood conditions within estuaries; and (iii) evolutions of managed realignment (MR) under SLR play a crucial role in determining a flood mitigation function of MR, considering a complex interplay between channel network developments within the realignment sites, remaining structures of breached seaward embankments, and overall estuarine funnelling factors. This research enhances understanding of the plausible system responses to expected changes, such as climate trends and human activities, which will provide a foundation for avoiding unanticipated consequences and guiding alternative policy options.</p
Stakeholder attitudes and perceptions of the new simulated consultation assessment for GP licencing in the United Kingdom: a cross-sectional mixed methods survey
No full textABSTRACTBackground: The Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA) replaced the Recorded Consultation Assessment (RCA) as the summative clinical component of the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) examination for the United Kingdom (UK) general practice licencing assessment in 2023. The SCA consists of 12 online consultations with trained role players, with candidates based in their own surgery. This study aimed to gather views of stakeholders on the new assessment before its introduction.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey. Stakeholders completing the survey included pre-RCA and post-RCA GP trainees and educator/lay stakeholders. The survey questionnaire included Likert scaled responses and free text options. Analysis included descriptive statistics, scale development measuring positivity towards SCA, a multivariable model showing factors related to this, and qualitative assessment of free text responses.Results: There were 3,174 responses from 1,533 pre-RCA trainees, 920 post-RCA trainees, and 721 educator/lay stakeholders. Responders overall were positive about the design of SCA in terms of setting, validity, preparation and fairness. Multivariable analysis showed that International Medical Graduates (IMGs) were significantly more positive compared to UK graduates (B 0.19, 95% con?fidence interval 0.12–0.25, p Conclusion: Stakeholders, while positive overall, expressed suggestions relating to practice setting, the assessment’s acceptability and fairness, its ability to assess consultation skills and the need for further evaluation.</p