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Numerical Simulation of Magnetic Nano-Drug Delivery on Unsteady Herschel-Bulkley Blood Flow in a Stenotic Artery with a Saccular Aneurysm
No full textA two-dimensional mathematical model for electrically conducting rheological hemodynamic transport through a fibromuscular dysplasia artery featuring a contraction (stenosis) and saccular aneurysm under transverse (radial) magnetic field is developed. The Herschel-Bulkley fluid model has been employed to characterize rheological behavior, and the Tiwari-Das model has been utilized to evaluate the effects of nanoscale volume fraction. The normalized governing equations are solved numerically with physically appropriate boundary conditions using the finite element method, employing the variational formulation framework provided by the FreeFEM++ software. A comprehensive mesh-independence study is included. An excellent correlation is observed between the FreeFEM++ computations and the existing results. The influence of selected parameters on velocity, temperature, and wall shear stress has been analyzed for two clinically significant cases of arteries with a stenosis and a saccular aneurysm. Color contours and graphical representations are utilized to illustrate the characteristics of the simulated blood flow. The simulations are highly relevant to transport phenomena in pharmacology and the targeted delivery of nanodrugs in vascular science
Unified image restoration and enhancement: Degradation calibrated cycle reconstruction diffusion model
No full textImage restoration and enhancement are pivotal for numerous computer vision appli-cations, yet unifying these tasks efficiently remains a significant challenge. Inspiredby the iterative refinement capabilities of diffusion models, we propose CycleRDM, anovel framework designed to unify restoration and enhancement tasks while achiev-ing high-quality mapping. Specifically, CycleRDM first learns the mapping relation-ships among the degraded domain, the rough normal domain, and the normal domainthrough a two-stage diffusion inference process. Subsequently, we transfer the finalcalibration process to the wavelet low-frequency domain using discrete wavelet trans-form, performing fine-grained calibration from a frequency domain perspective byleveraging task-specific frequency spaces. To improve restoration quality, we designa feature gain module for the decomposed wavelet high-frequency domain to elim-inate redundant features. Additionally, we employ multimodal textual prompts andFourier transform to drive stable denoising and reduce randomness during the infer-ence process. After extensive validation, CycleRDM can be effectively generalizedto a wide range of image restoration and enhancement tasks while requiring only asmall number of training samples to be significantly superior on various benchmarksof reconstruction quality and perceptual quality. The source code will be available athttps://github.com/hejh8/CycleRDM
The Complexities of Mega-Projects Execution in Nigeria
Full text linkMega-projects are large scale construction projects that involve significant financialresources. Despite increased investment in African mega-projects over recent years,several factors have resulted in a series of mega-project failures. This is often due tothe complex nature of mega-projects with factors such as workforce shortages, skillsgaps, and funding issues all resulting in project failure. The impact of such failuresoften prolongs and exacerbate issues for Africa’s population such as poor access topotable water supplies, a lack of decent and affordable housing and health care, poortransportation, and worsening educational disparity. However, to date there exists agap in research pertaining to the relationship between the complexities of mega-projects and their failure. This doctoral research study seeks to address this gap andhelp improve the performance of mega-project execution in Africa, with the followingobjectives in mind, explore the current context of the Nigerian and African constructionindustry and examine what current conditions exist, understanding the makeup andcharacter of successful mega-projects, identifying the risks, complexities, socio-economic, and political factors involved in mega project delivery, investigating theimplementation of potential mitigation measures in mega project delivery, anddevelopment of a model to support mega project best practice to aid the futuresuccess of mega project delivery.Utilising a multi question type questionnaire completed by multiple Nigerian megaproject stakeholders, as a first stage of data collection, the questionnaire has beenresponded to by respondents in a total of four Countries and by Project Stakeholdersin a total of ten job functions or categories and with four bands or ranges of years ofprofessional experience. The questionnaire design is a hybrid one, with three‘categorization’ questions to determine geographical setting, job function andapproximate level of experience of the respondents. There are a further twenty-twoLikert scale type questions which seek validation or otherwise on the risks andcomplexities and the other factors and challenges which could possibly impact on theperformance of mega construction projects as gathered from the Literature searchand review. There are a further five open-ended questions which are less restrictive,3 | P a g eand allow the respondents explain in more details what they think are the issuesnegatively impacting on mega construction projects performance and execution, andmeasures which could be taken to address these issues or improve the performanceof these projects.A preliminary analysis or coding of the results employing aspects of the groundedtheory methodology revealed a number of the factors identified as being responsiblefor poor performance of mega projects, which are Sustainability Factors -Environmental and Community considerations but with peculiar trends considering thesample population and geographical context. Others include economic and financialfactors, social and cultural factors, and political challenges amongst others. Thissupports and broadens understanding and inferences gained from the Literaturereview. A categorization analyses has also been carried out on the open-endedquestions and a second stage – focus group discussions, a third stage – structuredinterviews, and also a fourth stage – final presentation/validation of findings surveyshave been carried out to further interrogate the factors which have been identified ashaving a negative impact on mega project execution.After a deeper examination of the top factors impacting negatively upon theperformance of mega-projects execution in Africa and Nigeria, and after data validationhas been reached, the actual main factors responsible for this have been identifiedwith a high degree of certainty along with the mitigation measures which can beundertaken to improve the delivery and implementation of these mega projects – themajor objectives of this study.It has also provided valuable insights into the character and make-up of mega-projects,the effects on performance, appropriate processes and practices and how these cancontribute to improving upon the current practices and approaches to projectmanagement.As a result, it has been necessary for a research study such as this one to clearlyidentify the factors responsible for the poor project performance and to recommendappropriate mitigation measures, with the aim of improving on the performance ofmega-projects and at the end of the day to have the development benefits potentiallyarising from these to be maximized.4 | P a g eFor future studies, a further interrogation and deep dive into the identified five top mostpre-dominant factors impacting mega projects and with particular emphasis on thesub-categories beneath these may be looked into
A case analysis of the perpetrator of the Arapahoe High School attack in 2013: Application of the Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol (TRAP-18).
Full text linkPurpose. This paper presents a case study examining the pathway to violence of the perpetrator of the December 13, 2013 Arapahoe High School shooting in Centennial, Colorado, United States. The analysis focused on identifying which proximal and distal indicators were present in the case and assessing whether the configuration of the perpetrator would have prompted active management under Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol–18 (TRAP-18) guidelines. The purpose was not to evaluate the “preventability” of the attack but rather to examine whether TRAP-18 indicators meaningfully captured relevant risk factors in a non-terrorism context.Method. A retroactive application of the TRAP-18 was completed. Findings. Based on open-sourced data, the analysis using the TRAP-18 identified six proximal warning behaviors (Pathway; Fixation; Identification; Energy Burst; Leakage and Last Resort) and four distal characteristics (Personal Grievance and Moral Outrage; Thwarting of Occupational Goals; Changes in Thinking and Emotion and Failure of Sexually Intimate Pair Bonding) that were present. Results suggest that the TRAP-18, although originally developed for lone-actor terrorism, may demonstrate utility in cases without a terroristic nexus, such as school-based targeted violence.Originality. By applying the TRAP-18 outside its intended domain, this study explores the potential broader applicability of structured professional judgment (SPJ) tools in behavioral threat assessment.Implications. The case highlights practical and clinical implications for integrating SPJ tools into multidisciplinary threat assessment processes to enhance consistency and decision-making
Housing Retrofit at Scale: A Diffusion of Innovations Perspective for Planetary Health and Human Well-Being
Full text linkHousing stock is observed to be associated with high carbon emissions, high fuel poverty and low comfort levels in the UK. Retrofitting the housing stock is one of the best solutions to address these problems. This paper directly corresponds with human and planetary health in terms of climate change, human health and mental health by addressing the challenges of housing retrofit at scale. Retrofitting houses can also contribute to social equity, reduced use of planetary resources and better financial and physical comfort. Despite the availability of the right technology, government grants and the potential to acquire supply chain and skilled labour, the progress of retrofit is extremely poor. Importantly, the UK is off track to achieve net zero by 2050, and the housing stock contributes 18.72% of the total emissions. The problem is further exacerbated by the 30.4 million units of housing stock. Robust strategies are required to retrofit the housing stock at scale. The study uses a qualitative modelling method under the diffusion of innovations theory to formulate a retrofit-at-scale strategy for the UK. Findings recommend focusing on skill development, show homes, research and innovation, supply chain development, business models, government grants and regulatory tools in a trajectory from 2025 to 2050. The proposed strategy is aligned with the segments of the diffusion of innovation theory. Although the analysis was performed with reference to the UK, the findings are transferable, considering the broader and urgent concerns related to human and planetary health
Ethnic Representation, Deprivation and Seizure Outcomes in a UK Tertiary Epilepsy Clinic
Full text linkBackground Ethnic disparities in healthcare access are well-documented, but their impact on epilepsy outcomes in the UK remains unclear. We examined ethnic representation and seizure outcomes in a tertiary epilepsy clinic. Methods Retrospective analysis of 1,609 adults attending Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences (2020–2024). Ethnic distribution was compared with census data. Logistic regression assessed associations between ethnicity and seizure freedom, adjusting for age, sex, and deprivation. Results Asian (6.4%), Black (1.4%), and Mixed (1.7%) patients were underrepresented compared to Greater Manchester demographics (13.6%, 4.0%, 3.0% respectively; all p Conclusions Ethnic minorities are underrepresented in this tertiary epilepsy clinic yet achieve comparable outcomes once engaged in care, indicating disparities in access rather than treatment quality. Culturally competent care delivery, community outreach, and systematic review of referral pathways are needed to ensure equitable access to specialist services
Energy house 2.0: The design, build, commissioning, performance & early findings of a large-scale building physics test facility
Full text linkThe global issue of climate change is now readily accepted by most. Buildings contribute 40% of EU emissions, so the need to address mitigation is clear, but changing climate also creates a need for adaptation in buildings. Modelling is an accepted way of estimating the performance of buildings, but issues exist with accuracy and assumptions. This calls for measurements to be made on new build and retrofit homes. However, field measurements can have issues; they are time consuming, expensive, and can also be intrusive. It is for these reasons that the facilities “Salford Energy House” and “Energy House 2.0” were constructed at the University of Salford in the UK. These globally unique facilities allow for full scale homes to be built inside climatic chambers where variables such as temperature, wind, rain, solar radiation, and snow can be replicated, meaning weather conditions experienced by 95% of the worlds populated land mass can be simulated. The chambers are currently home to five structures in total; examining future housing systems, conservatories, window treatments and whole house retrofit scenarios. In this paper we will discuss the design, construction, benefits, limitations, and an overview of research findings from these facilities. Practical application This paper provides insights and learnings as to how environmental chambers shall be designed, specified, constructed and commissioned to lead to successful facilities, it gives details on some of the issues that were encountered around the energy performance gap. Also, some key learnings are delivered from the initial rounds of research on ASHP and building fabric that are useful for domestic design engineers
Association and Agreement of Contact-Based Smartphone Photoplethysmography Compared With Electrocardiography: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Full text linkBackgroundMobile health (mHealth), leveraging mobile devices for health measurement and promotion, is rapidly growing. Smartphone cameras can perform photoplethysmography (PPG) to estimate pulse rate (PR) and other features of the cardiac cycle. However, establishing the validity of PR-PPG is essential before it can be adopted for health care applications. There is a pervasive belief that PR-PPG is analogous to heart rate (HR) derived from electrocardiograms (ECGs), and we will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to support or challenge this supposition.ObjectiveThis study aims to synthesize quantitative evidence on the validity of PPG derived from mobile devices (ie, smartphones) for the assessment of HR compared with the gold standard ECG assessment.MethodsA comprehensive literature search will be performed on CINAHL Ultimate, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and Scopus using a predefined search strategy. All retrieved citations will be imported into Rayyan for screening and data management. A minimum of 2 independent reviewers will conduct the title and abstract screening, followed by 2 independent reviewers who will perform full-text screening and data extraction. All stages will be guided by predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, which will be pilot-tested to ensure consistency and reliability. Any discrepancies will be resolved through discussion with a third reviewer or during a research team meeting. Intrarater reliability will be quantified at the title and abstract stage and the full-text review stage using Cohen κ. To ensure clarity and consistency in the presentation of study characteristics and findings, both narrative synthesis and tabular formats will be used. This review will include studies that report the association and agreement between resting HR and PR from PPG using contact-based smartphone devices versus ECG as the gold standard. PPG signals will be obtained using a contact-based approach, defined as finger-on-camera measurements with the smartphone's built-in camera and flash. Studies will be excluded if they (1) do not use PPG using contact-based smartphone devices, (2) compare PPG to another collection method other than ECG, or (3) are review articles or case studies.ResultsTo inform clinical procedures and future studies, the results will contain data on PR-PPG and HR-ECG association (correlations) and agreement (Bland-Altman analysis), sampling devices, and operating systems. This project is unfunded, and the initial screening is expected to start in the first quarter of 2026, with results anticipated to be published in the first quarter of 2027. The projected timeline for the study includes title and abstract screening from the first quarter of 2026, followed by full-text screening in the second quarter of 2026. Results are anticipated by the third quarter of 2026, with publication expected in the first quarter of 2027. Throughout this period, database searches will be regularly updated to capture any newly published studies meeting the inclusion criteria.ConclusionsThis review will provide a comprehensive understanding of the association and agreement between PR-PPG and HR-ECG. The findings may inform future adoption of PR-PPG and HR-ECG with insights into device or setting characteristics for best agreement or association
Systems-level modelling of DNA damage, senescence, and stem cell dynamics in ageing
Full text linkAgeing entails a variety of cellular and physiological changes that increase susceptibility to disease and death. A significant contributor to ageing is cellular senescence, a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest triggered by stressors such as DNA damage, telomere shortening, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. It is challenging to understand the nonlinear interactions between these complex mechanisms using conventional laboratory approaches. Mathematical modelling is capable of representing this complexity. In this study we introduce a mathematical model that captures the dynamics of cellular ageing within a population of cells. The model integrates key processes including DNA damage repair, senescence, quiescence, apoptosis, and cell division. The model was used to simulate the effects of ageing and to evaluate the efficacy of several interventions, including senolytics, telomere length preservation, and stem cell therapy. Deterministic and stochastic simulations reproduce core ageing features: progressive accumulation of senescent cells, a generation distribution centred near experimentally observed Hayflick limits, and an exponential-like age distribution of non-senescent cells. This model captures the long-lasting effects of interventions such as telomere lengthening and stem-cell therapy. It offers a quantitative, extendable platform that supports hypothesis testing and helps identify which ageing interventions warrant experimental validation. Overall, it provides a predictive framework for interpreting cellular ageing and for guiding future experimental work
Nigerian Journalism and the Digital Age - Crisis, Conflict and the Road to a Better Future
No full textIn Nigerian Journalism and the Digital Age, Adeyanju Apejoye, Andrew Danjuma Dewan, and Seamus Simpson explore the extent to which a globally-accessible online communication environment may be poised to provide the conditions for Nigeria to adopt, strategically, elements of 21st-century online mass communication with the potential for significant political and social development. Through critical exposition of the history and character of Nigeria’s journey to the digital age the authors demonstrate how provision and consumption of both traditional and digital news has emerged and evolved as a topic of interest within decades of significant change within the Nigerian news media system. Underpinning the volume’s analysis, is the core contention that the most productive, innovative, and effective media systems are those that position accountability to the public interest as a crucial factor in the functioning of news production and consumption. Apejoye, Dewan, and Simpson’s volume constitutes a significant contribution to understanding the Nigerian news media environment in the era of expanding digital information networks and services
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