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The impact of a secondary cognitive task on variables associated with ACL loading during landing: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textSupplemental material is available online at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14763141.2025.2603396# .This article aimed to perform a meta-analysis and systematic review on the effect of dual-task landing on potential ACL loading. Repeated measures assessments of landings with concurrent, unrelated cognitive tasks were included. Databases were searched (SPORTDiscus, ScienceDirect and PubMed, searched June 2023). Results were synthesised and presented using custom R code. Twenty-five articles were included, 12 eligible for the meta-analysis, involving single or double-leg landings alongside various cognitive tasks. Funnel plots, regression testing and selection modelling detected no publication bias. The systematic review identified most authors concluded dual-task landing potentially increased ACL loading, due to small, inconsistent, biomechanical impacts on the trunk and lower extremity consistent with potentially increased ACL loading. However, robust variance estimation showed no significant effect (g = −0.001, 95% CI [−0.093, 0.09], p = 0.97) on frontal or transverse plane knee loading, only identifying a small decrease in IC knee flexion angles (g = −0.13, p = 0.03). Diverse research methodologies make summarising this research area difficult. While dual-task landings can evoke mechanical changes associated with potentially increased ACL loading, this increased loading is not consistently seen. Further research with consistent methodologies is required to clarify this. This paper was registered (PROSPERO: CRD42023425191).The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article
Impact of Ethanol on Electrostatic Behaviour of Fluorocarbon Pharmaceutical Propellants
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The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.Background/Objectives: Triboelectrification in fluid systems, and specifically in hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-based propellants, used in pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) remains understudied despite its impact on aerosol behaviour and does delivery. This study investigates how ethanol concentration affects charge generation and dissipation in HFC-152a (1,1-difluoroethane; R152a) flowing through low-density polyethylene (LDPE) tubing, a common valve-stem material in pMDIs. Methods: Controlled experiments measured electrical current, charge accumulation, and flow stability for HFC-152a with varying ethanol concentrations in LDPE tubing. Statistical analysis (two-way ANOVA, p < 0.05) assessed the effects of the propellant and material. Comparative tests include R134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) and R227ea (1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane), and the tubing materials are polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyvinyl chloride (VINYL), polyoxymethylene (POM), and LDPE. Results: Increasing ethanol concentration produced larger measured currents, reduced net charge accumulation, and improved flow stability; these effects are attributed to ethanol’s higher dielectric constant and conductivity enhancing charge mobility and dissipation. Significant propellant x material interactions were found (p < 0.05): R152a generated the largest responses with PBT and VINYL (~16 nA and ~5.6 nA, respectively), R227ea showed higher responses with POM and LDPE (~8 nA), and R134a delivered the highest flow rates across materials but exhibited limited electrical responsiveness. Conclusions: Ethanol addition mitigates undesirable electrostatic effects in HFC-based propellants by promoting charge dissipation. The results demonstrate the strong material dependence of triboelectric behaviour and underline the importance of optimising propellant–polymer pairings to minimise the electrostatic adhesion of aerosolised particles and improve pMDI drug delivery performance.The manuscript was written as part of a PhD sponsored financially by Orbia, a division of Advance Corporation S.A.B. de CV (Mexichem, funding number 11270100), and approved by them for publication
Generalized Score Matching: Bridging f-Divergence and Statistical Estimation Under Correlated Noise
Get PDFRelative Fisher information, also known as score matching, is a recently introduced learning method for parameter estimation. Fundamental relations between relative entropy and score matching have been established in the literature for scalar and isotropic Gaussian channels. This paper demonstrates that such relations hold for a much larger class of observation models. We introduce the vector channel where the perturbation is non-isotropic Gaussian noise. For such channels, we derive new representations that connect the f-divergence between two distributions to the estimation loss induced by mismatch at the decoder. This approach not only unifies but also greatly extends existing results from both the isotropic Gaussian and classical relative entropy frameworks. Building on this generalization, we extend De Bruijn's identity to mismatched non-isotropic Gaussian models and demonstrate that the connections to generative models naturally follow as a consequence application of this new result
Experimental Demonstration of Bending Eavesdropping Detection in Optical Communications Using a Physics-Informed Convolutional Network
Get PDFThis paper proposes a physics-informed convolutional network (PICN) scheme to detect bending eavesdropping attacks in dual-polarization coherent optical communication systems. We present a theoretical model for optical signal transmission under bending eavesdropping, analyzing the impact of bending eavesdropping on fiber physical characteristics such as dispersion and nonlinear effect. These physical characteristics are embedded into a convolutional neural network (CNN) to construct PICN, which automatically captures subtle variations of the signal features under bending eavesdropping. To validate the effectiveness of the scheme, we first develop an eavesdropping experimental platform in an 80-km 168 Gbps dual-polarization quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) coherent optical communication system. Polarization data are then collected under normal transmission, 10.8 mm and 15 mm bending radius. Finally, the detection performance of four classifiers including PICN, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) are evaluated at single and mixed bending radii. Experimental results demonstrate that PICN achieves detection accuracies of 100%, 98.53%, and 99.02% under 10.8 mm, 15 mm, and mixed bending radii, respectively. Our work provides novel theoretical foundations and innovative perspectives for bending eavesdropping detection in optical fiber communication systems
Quality of life and multiple long-term conditions in Southeast Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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The data informing from this review are extracted from previously published studies in the public domain. The dataset generated and analysed during the review is available on Figshare repository (https://doi.org/10.25392/leicester.data.30156316.v1)."We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply."Supplementary information is available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-68197-z#Sec16 .This review systematically synthesised the evidence on quality of life measures and outcomes for people living with multiple long-term conditions in the Southeast Asia region. Results were analysed using a combination of methods, meta-analysis for studies where the same quality of life score was reported across three or more cohorts, and descriptive narrative synthesis. In total, 34 studies comprising 11,876 participants were included in the narrative synthesis and 14 of these were included in meta-analysis. The most common quality of life tools used included WHOQOL-BREF ( n = 8) and EQ-5D-5L ( n = 3) with pooled mean values of 70.47 (95% CI: 62.71 to 78.24) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.67 to 0.84) respectively, indicating reduced but good quality of life. As healthcare systems adapt to the evolving challenges associated with multiple long-term conditions, understanding the tools and measures used to assess quality of life in different contexts becomes imperative to account for disease combinations and cultural nuances.This research was funded by the NIHR Global Health Research Centre for Multiple Long-Term Conditions using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research (NIHR203257). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK government. K.K. is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration East Midlands (ARC EM), NIHR Global Research Centre for Multiple Long-Term Conditions, NIHR Cross NIHR Collaboration for Multiple Long-Term Conditions, NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Centre of Excellence. M.P.F., D.I., S.C., S.J. and A.P. are supported by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East Midlands (ARC EM). P.H. and R.A. are supported by an Advanced Research Fellowship award from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR303176). S.C. is supported by the supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Group for Cardiometabolic Disease Research in Africa Partnership (CREATE) (NIHR132995)
Theoretical and experimental results on time-series representations of polynomials
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The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.This study considers time-series representations of polynomials. Often in data modelling and many other applications, accurate estimations of the degree of a polynomial, of the noise standard deviation, and of the coefficient of the highest degree of a polynomial are useful in detection, estimation, and prediction. The major contributions of this paper can be found in the original research offering novel theoretical and experimental results. The theoretical results include an alternative proof of the qth order AR time-series representation, with a constant, of a polynomial of degree q, an alternative proof of the (q + 1)-th order AR time-series representation, without a constant, of a polynomial of degree q, as well as generalized equations (valid for a polynomial of an arbitrary degree) for reduced variance estimation of the polynomial coefficient corresponding to the highest degree. The experimental investigations are the most comprehensive so far, in that they use well over 35 times more realisations than before, use a greater variety of noisy data (Gaussian, Uniform, and Exponential noise), and use a larger range of polynomial degrees as well as of noise standard deviations than before. Experimental results on estimations of the degree of a polynomial, of the noise standard deviation, and of the polynomial coefficient corresponding to the highest degree using seven methods (AIC, AICc, GIC, BIC, Chi-square, F-distribution, and PTS2) are presented. Results indicate clearly that PTS2 performs the best
Space Matters: The Effect of Product Spacing on Consumer Variety-Seeking
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Data is available from the author on request.Supplementary Information is available online at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11002-025-09777-3#Sec28 .Across four studies spanning various product categories and involving both hypothetical and real choices with monetary incentives, we demonstrate that consumers tend to seek greater variety when products are spaced closely together rather than farther apart. This effect arises from shifts in attentional focus: close spacing promotes a holistic view, diverting attention from individual options and leading to less defined preferences. Consequently, consumers rely more on variety-seeking heuristics. We validate this mechanism through product memory tests, preference certainty assessments, and the direct manipulation of participants’ attention. Specifically, participants exposed to closely spaced products better recalled the overall arrangement of the choice set, while those viewing widely spaced products remembered individual options more accurately. Additionally, expressed preferences were less distinct and less predictive of choices in the close- versus wide-spacing condition. Notably, directing attention to individual products mitigated this effect. Our findings offer practical implications for consumers seeking to manage excessive variety-seeking, while providing valuable insights for practitioners on how to strategically use product spacing to influence consumer choices and enhance profitability.This research was supported by the Korea University Business School Research Grant and the Insung Research Grant
‘Memories we treasure’: Evaluating the impact on co-designers and audiences of a photographic exhibition by participants with memory problems
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Data is available from the corresponding author on receipt of a reasonable request.Visual research, including photovoice methods are increasingly used to elicit the experiences of people living with memory loss, though few such studies have investigated the impact of produced images on audiences. Drawing on Freire’s empowerment pedagogy, we aimed to explore how a photography exhibition, created by individuals with memory concerns participating in the APPLE-Tree (Active Prevention in People at risk of dementia through Lifestyle, bEhaviour change and Technology to build REsiliEnce) dementia prevention programme contributed to an understanding on life with memory loss, and whether it reduced any stigma, among its co-producers and audience. Approximately 200 people attended the exhibition launch, of whom 97 completed a survey. We interviewed two co-producers with lived experience of memory problems and seven academic co-producers. In our thematic analysis of survey responses and interview transcripts, we developed three themes: (1) Increasing understanding by giving voice to participants: seeing unique individuals behind the work; (2) The power of visual methods to communicate research findings: interviewees described how the quality of the works and exhibition created an atmosphere that honoured participants as artists, valuing and respecting their messages; (3) Evoking emotions: fear and hope: The audience described the exhibition’s power to evoke strong emotions of fear at the risk of losing “treasured memories” and hope of living successfully with memory loss. Some attendees and study team members felt motivated to try to reduce their future dementia risk. We consider the value of public engagement using arts-based co-production, and the impact of the exhibition in this field. We explore how our findings reflect notions of empowerment in two juxtaposing ways: empowerment to express how living with memory loss feels as a means of activism to reduce associated stigma, and empowerment to change future dementia risk through lifestyle changes.This work is funded by an Economic and Social Research Council/National Institute for Health Research programme grant (ES/S010408/1). Claudia Cooper is funded by an NIHR Senior Investigator award (NIHR205009)
Exclusion Rates among Disabled and Older Users of Virtual and Augmented Reality
Get PDFThis paper examines the levels of exclusion encountered by disabled and older users of consumer-level VR and AR technology and identifies methods formed by people with diverse access needs to circumvent encountered barriers to use. First, we estimate exclusion rates for a selection of nine immersive experiences of VR and AR, computed using population statistics data for the United Kingdom (UK). We then present an empirical lab-based study evaluating the usability of the same VR and AR experiences. The study involved 60 UK-based participants with varying access needs and the study results were used to calculate the empirical exclusion rates. Both the estimated and empirical exclusion rates display high levels of exclusion, which for the more complex experiences in the study reached 100 %. However, multiple participants overcame usability barriers and completed experiences through provided assistance and self-initiated adaptations, suggesting that future VR and AR can become more inclusive if designed to counter these barriers.This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, grants EP/S027637/1, EP/S027432/1, EP/W025698/1, EP/W02456X/1)
A review of faithfulness metrics for hallucination assessment in Large Language Models
Get PDFThis article has been accepted for publication in IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing. This is the author's version which has not been fully edited and content may change prior to final publication. Citation information: DOI 10.1109/JSTSP.2025.3579203 .This review examines the means with which faithfulness has been evaluated across open-ended summarization, question answering and machine translation tasks. We find that the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) as a faithfulness evaluator is commonly the metric that is most highly correlated with human judgement. The means with which other studies have mitigated hallucinations is discussed, with both retrieval augmented generation (RAG) and prompting framework approaches having been linked with superior faithfulness, whilst other recommendations for mitigation are provided. Research into faithfulness is integral to the continued widespread use of LLMs, as unfaithful responses can pose major risks to many areas whereby LLMs would otherwise be suitable. Furthermore, evaluating open-ended generation provides a more comprehensive measure of LLM performance than commonly used multiplechoice benchmarking, which can help in advancing the trust that can be placed within LLMs.10.13039/501100000780-European Commission
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