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Evaluating approaches to violence against sex workers in Gwent: Exploring the dynamics of trust and disclosure, investigative approaches, identification of risk and implications for safeguarding
Get PDFThis research represents a collaboration between Gwent Police, Cyfannol Women’s Aid, and academics at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Funded by the Police STAR Fund – an innovation initiative led by the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Advisor (OPSCA) – the study explores the nature of violence committed against (predominantly cis-female on-street) sex workers in Gwent, with a particular focus on trust and disclosure, investigative practices, risk identification, and safeguarding. Drawing on a data set comprised of police case file data, interviews with police officers, support agency staff and sex workers themselves, the findings of this study reveal both persistent barriers to reporting and investigation, alongside promising innovations, particularly the Sex Work Liaison Officer (SWLO) model and multi-agency collaboration. The findings underscore the need for sustained investment in trust-building, trauma informed practice, and ensuring that sex workers are recognised as victims and survivors deserving of justice and protection
Application of a fully 3D printed carbon electrode for the double potential step Chronoamperometric determination of 2,4-dinitrophenol in environmental water samples
Get PDFIntroduction: The detection of nitrophenolic compounds in environmental water sources is critical due to their toxicity and persistence. This study presents the first reported application of a fully 3D printed carbon nanofiber-graphite-polystyrene working electrode for the electrochemical determination of 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP), offering a novel and potentially cost-effective alternative to traditionally fabricated electrodes.Methods: Initial characterisation of 2,4-DNP was performed using cyclic voltammetry across a pH range of 2-8 to investigate its redox behaviour. A double potential step chronoamperometric technique was then employed, with step potentials set at −1.4 V and +0.8 V. Calibration was conducted using standard solutions of 2,4-DNP, and the method was validated using both fortified and unfortified environmental pond water samples.Results: Cyclic voltammetry revealed two reduction peaks during the initial negative scan, attributed to the reduction of the nitro groups to hydroxylamines, followed by two oxidation peaks on the positive scan corresponding to the re-oxidation of these hydroxylamines. All peaks exhibited pH dependence. The chronoamperometric calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 50 μM to 1.0 mM (R2 = 0.9978), with a detection limit of 7.8 μM (S/N = 3). Analysis of pond water samples yielded a mean recovery of 106% with a coefficient of variation of 3.6% at 50 μM.Discussion: The results demonstrate that 3D printed carbon nanofiber-graphite-polystyrene electrodes are effective for the determination of 2,4-DNP in environmental water samples. The method provides reliable quantification with good sensitivity and reproducibility, highlighting the potential of additive manufacturing in the development of electrochemical sensors for environmental monitoring
Enhancing deepfake content detection through blockchain technology
Get PDFDeepfake technology poses a growing threat to the authenticity and trustworthiness of digital media, necessitating the development of advanced detection mechanisms. While AI-based methods have shown promise, they generally face limitations in terms of generalization and scalability. We present a blockchain-enabled watermarking technique, characterized by its immutable, transparent, and decentralized nature, which offers a robust complementary approach for enhancing media authentication through methods such as cryptographic watermarking, decentralized identity, and content provenance tracking. To train and evaluate blockchain-based watermarking and deepfake detection systems, a variety of large-scale datasets are utilized. Video datasets include UADFV (49 real, 49 fake), Deepfake-TIMIT (320 real, 640 fake), DFFD (1000 real, 3000 fake), Celeb-DF v2 (590 real, 5639 fake), DFDC (23,564 real, 104,500 fake), DeeperForensics-1.0 (50,000 real, 10,000 fake), FaceForensics++ (1000 real, 5000 fake), and ForgeryNet (99,630 real, 121,617 fake). Image datasets include DFFD (58,703 real, 240,336 fake), FFHQ (70,000 GAN-generated), iFakeFaceDB (87,000 fake), 100k AI Faces, and over 2.8 million samples in ForgeryNet. Despite integration challenges such as scalability, computational cost, and standardization, blockchain-based solutions show promise in tracking content origin and enhancing verification. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed blockchain-enabled watermarking achieves a higher accuracy in detecting fake content compared to existing machine learning methods. Keywords-Blockchain; deep fake; convolutional neural network (CNN); long short-term memory (LSTM); RNN (recurrent neural network); video and imag
Public involvement in a systematic review project: Reporting our approach using the ACTIVE framework
Get PDFIntroduction: Public involvement in research improves its relevance and accessibility to ensure it reflects the population it serves. However, there is a lack of information about how patients and the public are involved in shaping systematic reviews. There is also a need to address the lack of diversity in public involvement, particularly around the inclusion of underserved communities. This paper outlines the practical approaches taken to involve a diverse group of public contributors in a systematic review process and offers recommendations to support future practices. Methods: This paper uses the ACTIVE framework developed by Pollock et al. (2019) to structure our reflections on public involvement in an NIHR‐funded systematic review project on the effectiveness of interventions used to increase vaccination uptake. Results: We present the practical approaches used to recruit and engage a diverse group of public contributors in a systematic review project. They had continuous, hands‐on involvement in various aspects of the systematic review process. Our approach enabled the public involvement group to play an integral role in adapting and refining a coding framework, contributing to the development and refining of codes and categories used for the analysis. Discussion: Our paper highlights the importance of involving public contributors who have a range of experiences and backgrounds in the systematic review process. By investing time in relationship‐building, creating a safe environment and recruiting a diverse group of contributors, we gained richer insights that enhanced the coding framework. The complexity and nature of the methodology could make it challenging to identify where public contributors can make a real difference to research. Our experiences demonstrate that such involvement is possible and generates mutual benefits, including research that is better designed to reflect the diversity of the population. Conclusion: This paper outlines the steps undertaken to involve public contributors in the systematic review process. Key suggestions include investing time to build relationships, providing ongoing feedback, incorporating creative activities and developing strategies for disseminating research findings to wider audiences. These recommendations build on existing guidance and aim to support researchers in effectively involving public contributors in the systematic review process. Patient or Public Contribution: All public contributors working on the vaccination uptake project have been involved in reviewing this paper. Two public contributors P.D. and B.D. are also co‐authors and have provided input to the writing and review of this manuscript
Critical Pedagogies of Discomfort in Practice and Professional Education
No full textThis book explores the scope for discomforting pedagogies within practice and professional education contexts in order to consider the ethical challenges associated with exploring complex and sensitive areas of practice and everyday life.Questions explored include: · How is discomfort handled within professional training? · What spaces remain for critical reflection, dialogue and compassionate challenge within practice and professional education spaces? · What are the ethical implications of critical pedagogic practice in University-based professional education and other training settings? · How does compassion and care intersect with developing critical pedagogical approaches on thorny and sensitive issues? · How do identities and investments play out in education and training spaces, and to what effect? · What are the limits of ‘safe’ space within professional education contexts?Bringing together scholars, practitioners and students who draw on themes of social justice in their pedagogical practice, the contributors unpack the debates around how to reflect on, challenge and explore critical and sensitive issues in social justice education in professional contexts. Consideration is given to how decisions in relation to notions of safety and discomfort should be made, and who is empowered to make these decisions
Master protocol for a series of cohort-based randomized controlled trials to test tools to communicate research results to study participants and others with relevant lived experience: The SPIN-CLEAR Trials
Get PDFBackgroundResearch results are often not communicated to study participants or others with relevant lived experience. Effective communication of research results would help study participants understand their contribution to research and could improve trust in research and likelihood of research participation. Few randomized controlled trials (RCTs), however, have compared the effectiveness of research communication tools, and it is not known which tools work best for different people. We will conduct the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network—Communicating Latest Evidence and Results (SPIN-CLEAR) trial series via the multi-national SPIN Cohort to compare tool effectiveness. Primary objectives of each RCT will be to compare tools based on (1) information completeness, (2) understandability, and (3) ease of use. We will additionally evaluate comprehension of key aspects of disseminated research; likelihood that participants would enroll in a similar future study; and, for all primary and secondary outcomes, outcomes by participant characteristics (gender, age, race or ethnicity, country, language, education level, health literacy).MethodsAn advisory team of people with systemic sclerosis (SSc, also known as scleroderma) participated in developing research questions, selecting outcomes, and designing the series of parallel-arm RCTs that will each compare two or more tools or tool variations to a plain-language summary comparator; the common comparator will facilitate across-trial comparisons. In each RCT, people with SSc and researchers will select a recent SSc research study to disseminate. Tools will be developed by experienced tool developers and people with SSc. SPIN Cohort participants (current N eligible = 1522 from 50 SPIN sites in Australia, Canada, France, UK, USA) and additional participants recruited via social media and patient organization partners who consent to participate will be randomized to a dissemination tool or plain-language summary comparator and complete outcomes. Analyses will be intent-to-treat and use linear regression models.DiscussionEach trial in the planned series of trials will build upon knowledge from previous trials. Results will contribute to the evidence base on how to best disseminate results to study participants and others with relevant lived experience.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06373263. Registered on April 17, 2024 (first trial in series)
Characteristics and predictors of clinical outcome in patients with pleural effusions caused by heart, liver and renal failure: Results from the ERS International Multicentre Pleural Research Collaborative (IMPACT) registry
Get PDFIntroductionPleural effusions caused by organ dysfunction are the commonest pleural disease and account for a huge healthcare burden. Previous work has demonstrated poor survival rates, but there is still uncertainty about the determinants of prognosis. This study describes the characteristics and risk factors for poor outcomes in patients with pleural effusion secondary to organ failure in an international cohort.Methods:The ERS International Multicentre Pleural Research Collaborative(IMPACT) registry includes an international retrospective study of patients with effusions secondary to heart, liver or renal failure, collected from 10 countries in Europe, North and South America between 2019 and 2021.The data were analysed for associations between baseline patientcharacteristics and key clinical outcomes. Descriptive data was collected on treatments and complications.Results:Results from 755 patients were analysed. One-year mortality rates were 46% in renal, 35% in hepatic, and 33% in cardiac effusions. Overall, 85.2% of effusions were classified as transudates by Light’s criteria. Effusions with a neutrophil predominance were associated with increased mortality (HR 2.001, 95% CI 1.202-3.349, p=0.008). In patients with cardiac failure, age (HR 1.013, 95 CI 1.002-1.024, p=0.02) and NT-proBNP >450 pg/mL (HR 1.508, 95% CI 1.191-1.911) were associated with poor prognosis. Therapeutic thoracentesis was the most frequently employed pleural intervention; indwelling pleural catheter use was rare and associated with higher pleural infection rates than thoracentesis.Conclusion:This study identifies prognostic factors in an international cohort ofpatients with transudative pleural effusions. Identification of these risk factors may support treatment approaches in a global population
Understanding the dynamics of strategic renewal across domains: A work–home resources model perspective
No full textThis weekly diary study advances research on strategic renewal by extending its scope into the home domain and integrating the Work–Home Resources (W-HR) model. Drawing on six weeks of multilevel data from 147 matched dual-earner couples in the United States, we examine how employees’ strategic renewal at home fosters strategic renewal at work through the mediating effects of weekly flow at home and self-efficacy. We also test the moderating roles of family and organizational climates for creativity. Our findings revealed that proactive home-based renewal behaviors initiate gain spirals of personal resources, enhancing work outcomes and partner perceptions of work-family balance. This study contributes to theory by conceptualizing strategic renewal as a cross-domain behavior and identifying flow and self-efficacy as dynamic mediators, while highlighting the amplifying effects of contextual climates in both domains
Suppression of self-excited vibrations using tuned mass damper or nonlinear energy sink
No full textThis study investigates the vibration suppression of a self-excited system (SES) featured by limit cycle oscillation (LCO) even when there is no external harmonic loading. Such system with and without external harmonic forcing equipped with a tuned mass damper (TMD) or a nonlinear energy sink (NES) as vibration absorber is investigated. Analytical, semi-analytical harmonic balance with alternating frequency/time (HB-AFT) scheme, and Runge–Kutta (RK) based numerical integration methods are employed to obtain the dynamic response. The vibration suppression performance of the TMD and the NES is evaluated from the perspective of the displacement and vibration power flow. The dynamic response of the primary mass and the power absorption by the absorber are used as performance indices. It is shown that the nonlinear system can exhibit complex nonlinear energy flow phenomena. The optimal stiffness coefficient and damping ratio designs of the TMD for unforced SES are obtained. For the forced SES, an optimization design strategy based on the equal peak method for the TMD is proposed based on the equal-peak method. It is shown that TMD can provide good performance in vibration suppression. Optimization design of the NES is carried out, and the results show that NES could expand the range of effective suppression. In the forced system, the NES shows good robustness and nonlinear dominant energy distribution. The research findings provide valuable insights for designing high performance vibration suppression devices for self-excited systems