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Mapping Bristol through the intermediality of the protesting crowd
Full text linkThrough a series of exploratory cartographies, this article revisits the historical relationship between the crowd and the mass media to offer a critical reflection of the digital and physical condition of the protesting crowd today. Using design-led research, this study works through the photographic and video representation of the ‘Kill the Bill’ movement as it took place between March and April 2021 in the city of Bristol, UK. The cartographies that emerge from this process reinforce the formulation of the crowd as intermedia — as bodies, space, and media act upon each other at the time of protest, the conventional representation of the city is disturbed by the performativity of the crowd and the (moving and still) images that capture it
Micromagnetic Constraints on the Grain Size Dependence and Magnetic Stability of Sub-Micron Monoclinic Pyrrhotite (Fe7S8)
No full textWe present the first micromagnetic simulations for sub-micron monoclinic 4C pyrrhotite ((Formula presented.)), a common mineral in rocks and sediments and an important mineral in paleomagnetic studies. Previous experimental studies on the magnetic properties of pyrrhotite had limited control over granulometry and focused primarily on larger, micron-scale grain sizes. We model (Formula presented.) particles here with a hexagonal prismatic habit and uniaxial and triaxial basal plane anisotropy in the 5 nm to (Formula presented.) range. Single domain (SD) structures remain the lowest energy state for particles up to ≈2 μm in size, although it is possible to nucleate multidomain (MD) states in particles as small as 100 nm. MD structures consist of domains aligned within the basal plane separated by Néel walls, often with internal Néel lines; no vortex states are observed. In hysteresis and first-order reversal curve simulations, sub-micron pyrrhotite particle magnetizations switch coherently, giving rise to uniaxial-SD signatures within the basal (001) plane; triaxial switching is not observed because the field step used in our models is too large to visualize the expected signals. Estimated relaxation times predict that hexagonal monoclinic pyrrhotite prisms have a ≈15 nm superparamagnetic threshold size and are geologically stable at sizes above≈20 nm. We find generally good agreement between experimental data and numerical predictions that assume uniaxial basal plane anisotropy, although there is little grain-size overlap between the two data types, and questions remain regarding the accuracy of experimentally observed material parameters for pyrrhotite
Increasing community vulnerability to gastrointestinal infections in austerity's shadow: a comparative study of two English local authorities.
Full text linkBackgroundGastrointestinal (GI) infections are spread through food, water and the environment. They cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and are a UK public health priority. In England, local authority (local government) Environmental and Regulatory Services (ERS) play a crucial role in GI infection services. During the period of UK government ‘austerity’ policies in the 2010s there were significant cuts to national spending, including reductions to ERS budgets which may have compromised GI infection prevention and control. In this paper, we examine how reductions in ERS spending across contrasting local authorities in England have shaped the lived experience of staff providing GI infection work, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsData were collected between June 2021—March 2022 from staff linked to ERS across two urban English local authorities with contrasting ERS budget cuts, contrasting socio-economic deprivation and different local authority structures. Data consisted of observations (14 h) and semi-structured interviews (n = 17) collected from staff from the following teams: regional UK Health Security Agency teams (n = 6); local authority public health teams (n = 2); public protection teams (including Environmental Health Officers (EHOs)) (n = 6); and local authority-commissioned infection prevention and control teams (n = 2). Data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsOur analysis showed more significant impacts on GI infection prevention and control in our socio-economically ‘disadvantaged’ local authority, underpinned by a greater loss of EHO staff. Budget cuts in our ‘disadvantaged’ area have reduced the capacity for on-the-ground GI infection work in communities, hampered collaborative working across local health protection systems, and forced staff to ration and prioritise their work according to risk, reducing or discontinuing crucial preventative functions. Our ‘advantaged’ area was less affected.ConclusionContrasting levels of cuts have created socio-spatial inequalities in the experience of delivering GI infection prevention and control. Austerity may therefore be contributing to geographical inequalities in community vulnerability to GI infections. Staff should be supported in using risk assessment tools as they adapt their work practices to accommodate the impact of cuts. Illuminating these inequalities allows community vulnerability to GI infections to be more effectively targeted through policy measures
The BUTTON-30 detector at Boulby
No full textAbstract
The BUTTON-30 detector is a 30-tonne technology demonstrator
designed to evaluate the potential of hybrid event detection,
simultaneously exploiting both Cherenkov and scintillation light to
detect particles produced in neutrino interactions. The detector is
installed at a depth of 1.1 km in the Boulby Underground Laboratory
allowing to test the performance of this new technology underground
in a low background environment. This paper describes the design and
construction of the experiment.</jats:p
“We’ve managed to find our own path of how we do it”: exploring parental perceptions of using age-inappropriate formulations at home—a qualitative study
No full text
Introduction
The administration of medicines to children poses distinct challenges, largely due to the limited availability of authorised, commercially available, age-appropriate formulations (AaFs). In the absence of suitable options, parents and carers are often required to manipulate age-inappropriate formulations (AiFs) to facilitate administration. However, little is known about their perceptions and experiences when administering AiFs to children at home.
Methods
Qualitative exploratory study. Participants were recruited from a UK paediatric hospital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted either in participants’ homes or at the hospital. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed using NVivo v10. Topics explored included formulation types, dosage form manipulation, medicine supply, and administration practices.
Results
Over sixty outpatient clinics were screened; 34 families expressed interest, and 13 completed interviews between September 2016 to February 2017 (mean duration: 35 min). Eleven interviews were conducted at home and two in hospital; 12 participants were mothers, and 8 of the 13 children discussed were female. Thematic analysis identified five key themes: (1) inappropriate formulations; (2) unlicensed medicine and off-label prescribing; (3) framework of appropriateness; (4) knowledge, training, communication, and relationships; and (5) patient and family experience. Parents often relied on prescriber instructions without fully understanding the implications of manipulating medicines, indicating a gap in support and knowledge transfer.
Discussion
These findings highlight the emotional and practical burdens families face when administering age-inappropriate medicines, including the time and effort required to ensure accurate dosing and safe administration. The study emphasises the need for increased access to child-appropriate formulations of essential medicines and more child-centred prescribing practices. Where legacy medicines remain the only option, healthcare professionals can support children to safely swallow solid oral dosage forms, such as tablets, and educate families on safe medicine manipulation. Further research is needed to better understand the magnitude of these burdens and guide future paediatric formulation development.
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The consequences of rising temperatures for animal fertility
Full text linkThermal stress reduces fertility and fecundity in animals at temperatures below lethal. Reproductive output is impaired across taxa under diverse heat-exposure regimes, with consequences for individual fitness, population persistence and ecosystem dynamics. This pattern holds across terrestrial and aquatic systems, with implications for conservation, livestock, aquaculture and human health. Yet these sublethal effects remain underrepresented in biodiversity forecasts. In this Review, we synthesize evidence for the biological mechanisms associated with thermally induced declines in fertility and fecundity, and assess how life history and exposure regime can shape thermal sensitivity. Fertility-based thermal limits can predict species distributions and extinction risk better than survival-based measures, albeit tested across a limited taxonomic range. Evolutionary responses to fertility loss under warming seem constrained but increased mutational variation, local adaptation and hybridization might increase fertility resilience. Key research priorities include broader taxonomic evaluation of both evolutionary potential and ecological outcomes under more sophisticated conditions, assessing how fertility is affected when different environmental stressors interact, and understanding how community and ecosystem dynamics will change if fertility-sensitive taxa either shift distributions or go extinct. Recognizing and addressing fertility-based vulnerability is essential for anticipating biodiversity change and designing more effective responses to climate impacts
Cu<sub>7.62</sub>Bi<sub>6</sub>Se<sub>12</sub>Cl<sub>6</sub>I: Discovery of a Low Band Gap, Low Thermal Conductivity Mixed-Anion Material
Full text linkThe exploration of higher-dimensional chemical phase spaces and the synthesis of novel compounds can be achieved by applying a multiple-anion approach to materials discovery. The ability to combine and tune the stoichiometry of anions in a material can enable enhanced control of both the physical and electronic structures, providing a strategy for the modification of the properties of new materials being developed for a variety of applications, including solar absorbers and thermoelectrics. Here, we report the synthesis of Cu7.62Bi6Se12Cl6I, a quadruple-anion (Se2–, (Se2)2–, Cl–, I–) material within the Cu–Bi–Se–Cl–I phase space. Crystal growth reactions yield black, needle-like crystals, which exhibit a highly anisotropic and complex structure containing the four distinct anion types, solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Compositional analysis confirms the complex material stoichiometry, and a low band gap of 0.94(5) eV is measured to understand the potential for solar-absorbing applications. Cu7.62Bi6Se12Cl6I has a low thermal conductivity of 0.25(2) W K–1 m–1, which is attributed to multiple structural features via analysis of experimental heat capacity data and is achieved through the diversity in bonding that is accessed through the combination of four different types of anion
Hospital and environmental transmission of XDR Salmonella Isangi revealed by genomic Surveillance in Malawi and South Africa
Full text linkABSTRACT
Background
Salmonella Isangi is an under-characterised serovar repeatedly associated with antimicrobial resistant hospital infections. Outbreaks of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella Isangi occurred in close succession within hospitals in Malawi and South Africa, prompting us to characterise the serovar using epidemiologic, phenotypic, and genomic perspectives.
Methods
In Malawi, we integrated hospital blood culture surveillance with environmental sampling from neonatal wards and urban waterways. In South Africa, we analysed isolates from five hospitals involved in a regional outbreak. We used whole genome sequencing (Illumina and MinION) to characterise AMR genes and plasmids, assessed biofilm formation, disinfectant susceptibility, in vivo virulence, and analysed all publicly available Salmonella Isangi genomes.
Findings
224 / 345 (65%) of genomes in the global collection belonged to Salmonella Isangi sequence type (ST) 335. Of these, 221 (99%) originated from Malawi and South Africa, including the isolates recovered from both outbreaks. 199 (89%) ST335 genomes carried determinants of resistance to fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins, consistent with an XDR profile.
In Malawi, a single ST335 clade caused the outbreak and was simultaneously present in both the hospital environment and nearby rivers. Inter-hospital transmission of a separate ST335 clade sustained the outbreak in South Africa. Closely related Malawian and South African isolates carried distinct plasmids encoding similar resistance determinants; evidence from our study and public databases suggests gene transfer via a cointegrate intermediate Five non-outbreak South African ST335 isolates harboured additional carbapenem and macrolide resistance genes. Phenotypically, Salmonella Isangi ST335 resembled Salmonella Typhimurium in biofilm formation and disinfectant tolerance but was less virulent in mice.
Interpretation
Salmonella Isangi ST335 combines a locally untreatable XDR profile with nosocomial transmission and environmental persistence, suggesting a high potential for future outbreaks. A distinct and potentially greater threat lies in the horizontal spread of its resistance determinants to Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis, the two dominant invasive serovars in the region. Strengthened surveillance, integrating phenotypic testing with targeted genomics, is urgently needed. Its absence in Malawi, in contrast to South Africa, underscores inequities in preparedness for emerging AMR threats.</jats:p
No evidence lithium supplementation extends lifespan in male Drosophila melanogaster.
Full text linkPharmacological modulation of ageing is viewed as a viable route to extending lifespan and healthspan, yet the efficacy of putative geroprotectors may depend strongly on physiological and environmental context. Lithium chloride (LiCl) has been reported to extend lifespan in several model organisms, but evidence remains inconsistent and the role of reproductive investment-an energetically costly and often lifespan-correlated process-has rarely been examined. We tested the effects of dietary LiCl on survival and reproductive performance in male Drosophila melanogaster, comparing unmated (UM) and frequently-mated (FM) males. Contrary to previous work, both a concentration previously reported as beneficial (25 mM), and a lower concentration (10 mM) reduced survival, with effects driven exclusively by UM males. FM males were comparatively protected, revealing a strong mating-dependent interaction. LiCl had no detectable effect on male late-life mating latency, sterility, or paternity share, but reduced some post-copulatory performance in FM males by increasing female remating, indicating that somatic and reproductive responses to LiCl can be decoupled. These results demonstrate that lithium's effects on survival are strongly dependent on reproductive environment, highlighting the importance of reproductive context when evaluating its impact on lifespan
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