17390 research outputs found
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The evolution of targeted intra operative radiotherapy in early breast cancer
No full textTargeted intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) delivers a single dose of radiation to a fresh tumour bed immediately after lumpectomy, commonly used to treat early breast cancer (EBC). It is delivered during the same sitting, with improved patient compliance and better sparing of adjacent healthy tissue, compared to conventional adjuvant radiotherapy to the whole breast. The recently published 12-year results (median follow up of 8.6 years) of the TARGIT-A trial offers reliable conclusions, of comparable oncological outcomes with a reduced toxicity profile supporting IORT as a replacement for whole breast external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for suitable patients with EBC. Reduced need of multiple hospital visits is an added logistic advantage which makes IORT a cost-effective, less painful and cosmetically favourable alternative to standard EBRT, now included in several international guidelines with growing popularity among clinicians worldwide
The benefits of collective learning through a decolonising occupational therapy special interest group
No full textOral paper presentation (15 mins
Feedstocks for thrivable bioeconomies
No full textWhen managed responsibly, renewable feedstocks offer a promising path to mitigate climate change while improving quality of life worldwide. Feedstocks such as biomass, water and carbon dioxide are commonly used in biorefineries for producing energy and chemicals and delivering services. Biomass is the most widely used. However, its mismanagement across its value chain—from farming to transformation to waste management—has sparked controversies, including the ‘Food for Fuels’ and ‘Land Use Change’ debates, making some agrobiorefinery products like bioenergy contentious. Sustainable biomass is often seen as a key solution, but it faces a fundamental challenge: common biomasses rely on sunlight, and since half the planet is always in darkness, this limits their future. Since sustainability often implies maintaining current systems, regeneration would seem a better approach for restoring and renewing systems. However, if the goal is to achieve rational economic or ecological surplus, sustainability and regeneration are insufficient to meet these expectations. Therefore, the world needs models that enable systems to thrive, not just survive. The thrivable integration of agrobiorefineries, ecosystems and societies could help. One promising example is the use of arid plants that convert carbon into biomass at night, unlike most crops. This Fifth Generation Feedstocks are gaining attention for energy transition, food security and water conservation (5Gen Feedstocks). To succeed, such innovations must be embedded in thrivable integrated systems from the early stages of process design. This approach has already delivered a cleaner and energy-efficient agrobiorefinery in underserved rural areas, producing ethanol fuel using just one-third the energy per unit compared to classic biorefinery. Thrivable agrobiorefineries, communities and ecosystems could survive and flourish. They could form a foundation of a thrivable bioeconomy focusing on ecological regeneration and long-term prosperity, by producing renewable bioproducts and bioenergy, while supporting carbon neutrality, climate risk mitigation and SDG
The effects of traumatic pain memories on current pain experience in men with hemophilia.
No full textHemophilia is a bleeding disorder characterized by recurrent bleeding into muscles and joints. Many people with hemophilia experience multiple traumatic painful bleeding episodes, meaning that pain is often a significant problem for people with hemophilia, with a potentially high prevalence of posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Current pain treatments are often ineffective and do not consider pain memories, which are experienced by almost half of people with posttraumatic stress disorder and which has not been explored in people with hemophilia. To fill this gap, 14 semistructured interviews with men with hemophilia were completed between November 2022 and January 2023 to explore their lived experiences of pain relating to their hemophilia. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were constructed from the data: "trauma histories," "pain management," and "impact on the present." Findings show that pain experienced by people with hemophilia is complex and does include a memory element for many individuals. Pain memories are clear and vivid and include visual, somatic, and emotional elements in intricate detail. Pain can also be experienced in the present when experiencing a pain flashback, and pain in the present can be a trigger to recalling and re-experiencing pain memories from the past. Self-taught active dissociation from pain, imagery, and distraction were described as useful pain management strategies. Findings from this study have implications for clinicians and service providers because current pharmacological and physical pain management techniques may be ineffective when pain memory is involved. Future interventions should consider how pain management is advanced for people with hemophilia and how hemophilia services become trauma informed
An investigation into the effects of various phase change materials on industrial electronic systems' cooling rates through experimentation based on a specific dimensionless number
No full textThe development of electronic equipment depends on the performance of their processors, which themselves require operating at low temperatures. So, solutions that can keep their temperatures low are significant for the advancement of this valuable industry. This study attempts to find an effective solution to this problem in a practical case, which is the ASUS GT 730 silent graphics card. The working condition of this processor's heatsink is simulated by a heat source with 1.7- and 2.1-Watt heat flow rates. To cool down the system, a new experimental setup is proposed, in which the heatsink is placed inside an aluminum box where water flows through a copper pipe. In addition, two phase change materials (PCM), including Lauric Acid and Paraffin wax, with different volume percentages, are separately injected into the box to examine the influence of the properties of these materials on energy storage. Hence, 18 modes are obtained based on heat flux, PCM type, and their volume percentages. To compare the effectiveness, a dimensionless number is introduced as a special measure based on the time duration recorded for each mode, named dimensionless melting time efficiency (DMTE). This number, which adapts to the physics of the process, is defined as the ratio of the total heat input to the total heat capacity of PCM (sensible and latent). This new setup, together with the definition of the dimensionless number, provides an appropriate tool for achieving the best arrangement selection for higher thermal energy absorption. The results show that the presence of phase change materials, regardless of their type, will increase the efficiency of the system. Furthermore, using the maximum volume percentage of the phase change material will maximize the cooling efficiency of the system, where DMTE can be reduced by around 64% for both PCMS and both input heat flow rates from 25% volume percentage to full. Also, it is concluded that the choice of Lauric acid as phase material change for this case can enhance the performance of the system, where DMTE of Lauric acid decreases by 6.25% for an input heat flow rate of 1.7W and 9.68% for 2.1W than paraffin wax when the volume percentage of PCMs is maximum
Forecasting cryptocurrency markets using recurrence and time-frequency analysis-based machine learning algorithms
No full textThis study is the first to integrate recurrence plots, recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) and short-time Fourier Transform (STFT) to predict cryptocurrency market behaviour. Recurrence plots, RQA statistics and STFT spectrograms were calculated from return data and used as input in random forest algorithms as they are optimal tools for identifying non-linear dynamics in market data and analyse their frequency. Our optimised XGBoost algorithm provided a forecasting AUC above 76.7% and accuracy of 70% in predicting increasing or decreasing returns. This highlights the model’s ability to support cryptocurrency investment decision-making within an interpretable machine learning framework
Sustainable food waste management: A phenomenological insight from the UK hospitality and food service sector (HaFS)
No full text33rd Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME) 20-23 May, 2025. University of Essex, UK
Evaluating motivations and outcomes in conservation translocations
No full textConservation practice increasingly employs translocations (the human-mediated movement of living organisms) to address acute biodiversity challenges. While current guidelines for conservation translocations provide robust frameworks for their ecological and technical implementation, when it comes to human and social dimensions, they predominantly focus on stakeholder consultation and impact mitigation. This report proposes a new framework for systematically evaluating the broader human dimensions of conservation translocations, from conception through to evaluation. It identifies how identification of clear motivations – which are predominantly ecological, but often also shaped by other factors – can be linked to specific aims and intended outcomes and holistically evaluated
From guidance to ground: exploring the disjuncture between managed move protocol and professional reality
No full textThis article explores some of the disparities between policy and practice in relation to the use of managed moves in the UK education system. The article interweaves professional reflection as a practitioner, into a review of academic literature and policy in relation to how managed moves could be implemented in order for them to better serve the interests of the child and be more likely to succeed. Specifically, we explore: a) current guidance governing pupil behaviour and how this is implemented on the ground; and b) the centrality of ‘belonging’ and the need for a shared understanding and mutual agreement between the child, the parents/guardians and the school before, during and after a managed move. As such, the article combines a review of literature and policy with a reflection on practitioner experiences within a local authority in England. We argue that, whilst the guidance on managed moves has improved, there needs to be a far more holistic approach to understanding the needs of the child and more consideration needs to be given to the negative impact of the current policy and practice of managed moves