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Talent hotspots and the role of community density in youth soccer: The unique case of Athletic Club de Bilbao situated in the Basque Country, Spain
No full textBirthplace and the location of residence can impact young players’ opportunities to engage in youth soccer developmental activities, varying considerably based on contextual influences. This study aimed to identify the ‘talent hotspots’ contributing the most players to the selection phases of Athletic Club de Bilbao—a unique professional soccer club in the Basque Country, Spain. To achieve this, we analyzed whether contextual variables—such as population density, proximity to the academy, family income, and the number of clubs within players’ municipalities—significantly influenced player selection. Using logistic regression on data from 1411 male players (aged 9 to 35), we identified Bizkaia, the largest province in the Basque Country, as a statistically significant talent hotspot (p < 0.05). The Odds Ratio revealed that regions with an average population density between 150 and 650 male inhabitants aged 0–19 per km² were especially relevant during the selection process, showing statistically significant results in multiple incorporation stages. The findings suggest that scouting efforts should prioritize these densely populated areas, while also ensuring equitable access to organized youth soccer across all regions. Finally, the study highlights the role of the concept of ‘sporting development’ defined as the conditions and environments in which players develop their skills—as a critical variable in the talent selection process
Electrical analytical approach for hydrogen sensing of Al0.43Ga0.57As/La2O3: Pt-based CSDG MOSFET
No full textNanotechnology has enabled novel sensing approaches with significant potential for environmental monitoring and technological advancements. This research explores the integration of nano-materials in hydrogen sensing, leveraging advanced fabrication techniques to analyze the electrical characteristics of Al 0.43 Ga 0.57 As Cylindrical Surrounding Double-Gate (CSDG) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). The incorporation of nano-materials enhances sensitivity and selectivity, enabling hydrogen gas detection at extremely low concentrations. The sensor maintains a robust response even at elevated temperatures, such as 393 K. The results indicate peak frequencies of 57.36 GHz at 1.105 mA, 56.95 GHz at 1.161 mA, and 56.54 GHz at 1.222 mA for InGaAs (4.6 V), InGaAs (5.0 V), and AlGaAs (1.3 V) configurations, respectively. Thermodynamic analysis reveals hydrogen adsorption enthalpies of approximately − 0.58 and − 0.19 kJ/mol for DG and CSDG MOSFET devices. This interdisciplinary approach highlights the synergy between nano-material-based hydrogen sensing and fabrication technology, offering a transformative solution for hydrogen detection in industrial processes and emerging energy applications. Furthermore, the strategic implementation of fabrication techniques enhances the precision and reproducibility of sensor devices, ensuring consistent and reliable performance
Current Advances and Future Prospects in the Use of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet in Managing People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials
No full textBackground: There is a worldwide increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, and strategies for managing this condition include dietary interventions. These interventions include the use of a low-glycaemic index diet, high-fibre and prebiotic diets, and low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs), which improve glycaemic control, reduce the risk of diabetic complications, and promote health. However, the definition of LCDs varies across the literature, and the use of LCDs in managing people with diabetes is often seen as controversial. Therefore, the aim of this review is to examine current advances and future prospects in the use of LCDs in managing people with type 2 diabetes. Method: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials, which applied both the PRISMA and PICOS frameworks. Databases including MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, APA PsycArticles, and Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection were searched through EBSCOHost. The EMBASE database and reference list of articles were also searched for articles of interest. Two researchers conducted the searches independently from database inception to 28 August 2025. However, based on the inclusion criteria, the year of publication of studies was restricted to articles published from 2021. The search terms were combined using Boolean operators (AND/OR), and duplicates were removed in EndNote. The articles were screened for eligibility based on inclusion and exclusion criteria by two researchers. Results: The findings identified that an LCD is significantly (p 0.05) effect on lipid parameters compared to a control diet. Conclusion: This systematic review found that LCDs are significantly (p 0.05) effect on lipid parameters compared to a control diet
PGMTKD: A Physics-Guided Multi-Teacher Knowledge Distillation Network for External Gear Pump Onboard Fault Diagnosis with Missing Modality
No full textFlight safety and engine performance are directly impacted by the status of the external gear pump, which is an important part of the engine’s fuel system. However, diagnosing faults in external gear pumps still faces many chanllenges in practical applications. First, compared to the controlled conditions of a ground laboratory, the onboard flight environment has limited number of sensors, rendering it a situation with missing modalities. Second, due to constraints in aircraft computing resources, it is difficult to achieve the same level of fault diagnosis capabilities as in laboratory settings. To overcome the identified problems, this study introduces a Physics-Guided Multi-Teacher Knowledge Distillation Network (PGMTKD). To deal with missing modalities during flight, three different teacher networks were developed in this research. Among these, we implemented one physics-informed network that incorporates a pressure reconstruction model based on a spectral method in fluid dynamics, which serves as a physical constraint. The second teacher network using a GPT-based structure is designed to learn temporal relationships in the data. The third teacher network adopts an ResNet structure to extract spatial fault features. Through knowledge distillation, the fault-related knowledge is efficiently learned by a smaller 1D-CNN student model. The student network is a more practical choice for an onboard environment where computing power is limited. Lastly, the PGMTKD model outperformed several baseline methods using our laboratory established experimental test rig, showcasing improvements in diagnosis performance. Experimental results demonstrate that PGMTKD achieves higher diagnostic accuracy under conditions of limited modality data. The code is available at https://github.com/tsed563/PGMTKD
Faith, fear, and disclosure: Exploring serodiscordant relationships in Indonesia’s Muslim society
No full textBackground: In Indonesia’s Muslim society, serodiscordant couples navigate a complex web of faith, fear, and stigma. While HIV care efforts have advanced, understanding how religious beliefs and emotional responses shape disclosure remains limited.
Objective: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of serodiscordant couples in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, with a focus on how faith, fear, and gender roles influence HIV understanding and disclosure practices.
Methods: A qualitative, phenomenological approach was employed, involving 34 participants who participated in in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted between February and May 2019. Data were thematically analyzed to capture emotional, cultural, and relational dimensions of HIV disclosure.
Results: Two main themes emerged. (1) Faith and Fear: Navigating HIV Understanding, which includes knowledge of HIV, emotional responses to an HIV diagnosis, the role of religious teachings in shaping health decisions, and the fear of social exclusion; and (2) HIV Status Disclosure and Its Complexities, highlighting motivations for disclosure, barriers to openness, and the personal impact of revealing one’s HIV status to a partner. Disclosure was often delayed or mediated by third parties, driven by fear of rejection, shame, and limited communication skills.
Conclusion: The findings revealed the dual role of faith as both a support and a barrier, and the complex interplay of gender dynamics in disclosure decisions. Community nurses in Indonesia’s primary health care settings should then play a critical role in HIV prevention by providing culturally sensitive, Islamic-faith-based counseling, gender-responsive disclosure support, and collaboration with peer support groups to foster trust, reduce stigma, and improve adherence
A Framework for Action and Reflection: Using Play to Understand the Relationships between Art Practice and Life Science
No full textMy hypothesis asserts that integrating play into art–science research creates an innovative collaborative framework that promotes reflection and multidisciplinary interaction. This thesis investigates play as a research tool to enhance advanced imaging and microscopy in life and natural sciences, cultivating an aesthetic sensibility that enriches both artistic and scientific exploration. I argue that play can elicit technological, ethnographic, dialogic, practice-based and process-led data, by engaging with interpretative and critical aspects of art as research. By focusing on play as a vehicle to explore the intersection of art and science, I aim to enhance creativity and encourage unorthodox problem-solving by subverting scientific protocol. A flexible play-based art practice demonstrates how play can extend traditional scientific methods and facilitate new learning in technology, visualisation and communication through working constructively with scientists. Core themes informing my three imaging-lab art projects include play, digital drawing, pixel granularity, dissemination and the reimagining of scientific image conventions. Each lab was selected for its novel imaging technologies, and the life- and natural- science source data were unique to each facility. Findings emerged from the analysis of distinct data and imaging technologies, and from applying art-practice research methods to three projects, which resulted in digital drawing, data montage and film. The result is the creation of an adaptable framework for art–science collaborations. This framework is designed to foster collaboration through play, leading to a system to create artwork that can be used for dissemination, to encourage critical feedback that deepens understanding of interdisciplinary practices, and fosters ongoing dialogue between art and science.
Art Project One: From 2015 to 2019 I collaborated with scientists at the University of Nottingham’s Centre for Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), adopting a play-based approach to challenge conventional Confocal, Light and Super Resolution Microscopy techniques, revealing aesthetic imaging not previously explored. This led to customised experiments, speculative testing of cell signalling protocols and enhanced data processing to capture material modifications observed in the lab. Artistic outcomes were shared at COMPARE 2017 and 2018, with a framework for action and reflection, enabling artists and scientists to compare responses from pharmacology experiments. I developed an adaptive software experimental model which reframed interdisciplinary understanding and extended imaging protocols.
Art Project Two: At the Natural History Museum’s Science Infrastructure Platforms Imaging and Analysis Centre (2015, 2024), I used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to push its optical limits, redefining protocols and documenting interdisciplinary interactions. Through two-way collaboration and independent exploration, I produced previously unseen visuals, breaking scientific norms and introducing new techniques. I reimagined versatile imaging as a three-dimensional sketch in Adobe Illustrator, advancing discourse on drawing and technology. Training in SEM fostered innovation and interdisciplinary learning.
Art Project Three: From 2016 to 2019, I collaborated with the Biofilms Research Centre at Malmö University, and the Centre for Cellular Imaging at Gothenburg University, Sweden, using multi-photon microscopy to explore skin as raw data. Immersing myself in experimental preparations, I mirrored scientists’ practices while fostering trust in order to exchange creative ideas. Through two-way collaboration with the Core Imaging Manager, we generated unique datasets, which were presented at the Biofilms Research Centre (2018) and SCANDEM (2019). The images were then presented as part of a performance, Skin/KIN live, at The Lab, Royal Birmingham (2019).
This research uses participatory action-research methodology, integrating cycles of action and reflection to gather primary data and encourage scientists to reassess their technologies, fostering creative autonomy (Dickens and Watkins, 1999). Disrupting empirical protocols constructively provided key insights for me and my collaborators, demonstrating how interdisciplinary communication can lead to novel outcomes. By countering computational data analysis with digital drawing, the research highlights drawing’s potential for discovery, innovation and authorship. My contribution lies in integrating play-based art practices with scientific research, creating a replicable framework that bridges art and science, promotes creative exploration and drives the evolution of interdisciplinary practices. New collaborations, exhibitions, conference presentations and publications will further enrich academic discourse, driving innovation and enhancing the understanding of scientific concepts through artistic methodologies
From Blurs to Birds: Localization and Classification of Hard-to-See Bird Species in Norwegian Wilderness Camera Trap Images
No full textCamera trap imagery datasets present unique challenges, including weather conditions, motion blur, occlusions from vegetation or other animals, and instances where the animal is partially or completely outside the frame due to the camera’s fixed position. This challenge is exacerbated when the target animal species are very small, highly similar in appearance, and fast-moving, such as different species of birds. Although deep learning has been extensively applied to classify and detect animal species, bird species are either captured in static, high-quality images under optimal conditions, with no motion blur or other disturbances, or they are grouped into a single class. Real camera trap images, however, are not optimal nor of high quality. Furthermore, recognizing bird species is more detailed and intricate than identifying larger animals such as deer, moose, or reindeer, making manual annotation more time-consuming and susceptible to errors. This study utilizes state-of-the-art deep-learning neural networks to localize and classify hard-to-see bird species in Norwegian wilderness camera trap images. Experimental results show that our fine-tuned YOLOv8x architecture achieved the highest performance for localization, outperforming YOLOv9, yielding a mAP@50 score of 0.92. For the classification of hard-to-distinguish bird species, EfficientNetB7 achieved the highest accuracy and F1-score of 0.87. Grad-CAM, an explainable AI technique, was employed to identify discriminative regions within the images
Overview of menstrual hygiene management and other risk factors concerning bacterial vaginosis
No full textBackground
Bangladesh is a developing nation where, for a variety of reasons, adequate female reproductive health is not maintained. A variety of health issues, including but not limited to bacterial vaginosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and cervical cancer, plague Bangladeshi women.
Methods
The study employed a one-year cross-sectional design, combining a quantitative participatory approach. It was conducted at two healthcare facilities, AK Memorial Hospital in Maona, Gazipur, and Lubana General Hospital & Uttara Cardiac Centre, involving 244 voluntary participants. Among them, 153 women meeting specific inclusion criteria (reproductive and menopausal age, bacterial vaginosis diagnosis) were selected, while those with a negative bacterial vaginosis (BV) diagnosis were excluded. Data collection primarily occurred in the outpatient department, with participants covering a wide age range and representing diverse socioeconomic and educational backgrounds, ensuring the study's findings were comprehensive and representative.
Results
65.4% of the BV-positive women were married. It was observed that married women were more susceptible to BV than unmarried women. The study also revealed that poor menstrual hygiene was the leading cause of BV. Around 81% of women had poor menstrual hygiene, whereas 68% of them changed their absorbents more than once or twice a day