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Estimation of cardiac output based on PRAM algorithm and ARX model from noninvasive radial pressure wave
Full text linkThere is an increasing need for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Reduced cardiac output (CO) is frequently associated with CVD. Thus, accurate measurement of CO aids its diagnosis and helps to guide treatment. A convenient, real-time, noninvasive way to estimate CO is the Pressure Recording Analytic Method (PRAM). It is based on the non-invasive detection of the pressure wave in a peripheral artery and does not require invasive measurements to calibrate the model parameters. Unfortunately, its accuracy is limited due to its dependence on the patient's height, weight, heart rate, and the mechanical properties of each individual's arteries. Furthermore, compared to the peripheral arterial pressure wave, the aortic pressure wave provides a more accurate and efficient means of estimating CO. Therefore, to improve the accuracy of the original PRAM method, this study incorporates height, weight, and heart rate measurements, as well as an Auto-Regressive with eXogenous input (ARX) model, enabling adaptive estimation of the aortic pressure waveform from radial artery pressure wave measurement. The CO estimations of the original peripheral PRAM (COPRAMper), the improved peripheral PRAM (COIPRAMper) and the improved central PRAM (COIPRAMcen) were compared to MRI results (COMRI), as the ground truth. The correlation coefficients (R2) between the CO estimates using the 3 algorithms and COMRI were 0.271, 0.548 and 0.757, respectively. These R2 values were statistically significant and showed that COIPRAMcen performed best. The mean difference between the CO estimates using the 3 algorithms and COMRI were −0.15 ± 0.44, −0.07 ± 0.24 and −0.04 ± 0.17 L/min, respectively.</p
Reconstructing prehistoric land cover and landuse in complex 'blue-green' landscapes
Full text linkEnvironmental context is vital when analysing archaeological sites and interpreting past human activity. Pollen, being widely dispersed and readily preserved in wetland sediments, is frequently used to investigate past land cover, especially in wetland-rich ‘blue-green’ lowland landscapes (landscapes formed in locations where hydrology is an important determinant of natural vegetation, geomorphology and land use, such as river valleys and estuaries; landscapes which are transitional between aquatic-dominated and terrestrial-dominated). Recent developments in quantitative landcover reconstruction from pollen diagrams, such as the Multiple Scenario Approach (MSA), improve interpretations by taking into account variations in pollen production, dispersal, and sedimentary basin properties. We apply the MSA to derive quantitative, spatially-informed land cover reconstructions for four prehistoric periods in a major UK blue-green lowland landscape, the Humberhead Levels. Reconstructed quantified land cover broadly confirms inferences from previous studies, showing the spread of wet woodland and development of raised mires in the middle Holocene, whilst highlighting the spatial complexity of this dynamic blue-green landscape. The reconstruction process highlights gaps in available data and shows, for example, that the complex interplay of freshwater and marine systems in the later Holocene is only partially understood; thus reconstructions can inform the development of future research agendas in this and other blue-green landscapes. The spatially referenced MSA outputs offer a powerful means of enhancing the integration of pollen analysis with other disciplines, including archaeology, and for developing clear hypotheses for future research
The Collingridge Dilemma and Its Implications for Regulating Financial and Economic Crime (FEC) in the United Kingdom:Navigating the Tension Between Innovation and Control
Full text linkThe capacity of the United Kingdom (UK) to prosecute technology-enabled financial and economic crime (FEC) is increasingly shaped by the Collingridge dilemma. Even though the dilemma was broadly conceptualized in technology governance, its application to prosecutorial and enforcement practice, evidentiary standards, and criminal liability attribution represents uncharted scholarly territory. Through socio-legal mixed methods combining doctrinal analysis, case studies, and comparative analysis, the paper shows how the dilemma’s two horns or pillars (i.e., early epistemic uncertainty and late institutional inertia) manifest in criminal law and regulatory contexts. The paper finds that just like the European Union and United States, the UK criminal enforcement ecosystem exhibits both horns across cryptocurrency, algorithmic trading, artificial intelligence (AI), and fintech domains. By integrating supplementary theories such as responsive regulation, precautionary principles and technological momentum, the study advances a socio-legal framework that explains enforcement inertia and doctrinal gaps in liability attribution for emerging technologies. The paper demonstrates how epistemic uncertainty and institutional entrenchment shape enforcement outcomes and proposes adaptive strategies for anticipatory governance including technology-literate capacity building, anticipatory legal reform, and data-driven public-private coordination. These recommendations balance ex-ante legal clarity (reducing uncertainty) with ex-post enforcement agility (overcoming entrenchment) to provide a normative framework for navigating the Collingridge dilemma in FEC prosecution
Comparative efficacy of two kangaroo care scheduling methods on depressed mood and mental health in birthing parents of preterm infants:a randomized clinical trial
Full text linkPreterm birth is a significant public health issue which has a substantial effect upon postpartum mental health. The implementation of kangaroo care (KC) can have positive effects for both infants and birthing parents. Yet optimal scheduling methods for KC are not yet confirmed and current recommendations may be impractical, and thus not sustainable in this context. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of delivering two different scheduling methods of KC upon the mood (depressed mood) and mental health of birthing parents with preterm infants discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A single-blind, randomized, clinical trial with three parallel groups (two intervention and one control) was conducted. The study samples were birthing parent- preterm infant pairs who were discharged from the NICU. Continuous sampling was conducted using six blocks, with 65 pairs allocated to each of the three groups: the scheduled KC group (KC three times daily for a minimum of 30 min per session), the unscheduled KC group (KC as often as desired during the day for a minimum of 30 min per session), and the control group. The intervention spanned four weeks and was executed exclusively in the home setting. The Profile of Mood States Questionnaire (POMS) (depressed mood) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were completed by participants pre and post intervention. Post intervention, the mean score of participants' depressed mood as well as the total score and subscale of GHQ-28 in the two intervention groups was statistically and significantly lower than scores in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference identified between the two intervention groups. This is the first study of its kind to compare the effectiveness of two different KC methods delivered to preterm infants. This study was also unique in terms of its time comparisons. Both scheduled and unscheduled KC can be used to improve the mental health of birthing parents with preterm infants. Yet as there is no statistically significant difference in terms of their effectiveness, the promotion of unscheduled KC may be more practical and thus more sustainable in this context. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) URL https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/61164 Trial ID IRCT20090810002324N19 Date of first registration 10/05/2022. [Abstract copyright: © 2026. The Author(s).
Comparative efficacy of two kangaroo care scheduling methods on depressed mood and mental health in birthing parents of preterm infants:a randomized clinical trial
Full text linkPreterm birth is a significant public health issue which has a substantial effect upon postpartum mental health. The implementation of kangaroo care (KC) can have positive effects for both infants and birthing parents. Yet optimal scheduling methods for KC are not yet confirmed and current recommendations may be impractical, and thus not sustainable in this context. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of delivering two different scheduling methods of KC upon the mood (depressed mood) and mental health of birthing parents with preterm infants discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A single-blind, randomized, clinical trial with three parallel groups (two intervention and one control) was conducted. The study samples were birthing parent- preterm infant pairs who were discharged from the NICU. Continuous sampling was conducted using six blocks, with 65 pairs allocated to each of the three groups: the scheduled KC group (KC three times daily for a minimum of 30 min per session), the unscheduled KC group (KC as often as desired during the day for a minimum of 30 min per session), and the control group. The intervention spanned four weeks and was executed exclusively in the home setting. The Profile of Mood States Questionnaire (POMS) (depressed mood) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were completed by participants pre and post intervention. Post intervention, the mean score of participants' depressed mood as well as the total score and subscale of GHQ-28 in the two intervention groups was statistically and significantly lower than scores in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference identified between the two intervention groups. This is the first study of its kind to compare the effectiveness of two different KC methods delivered to preterm infants. This study was also unique in terms of its time comparisons. Both scheduled and unscheduled KC can be used to improve the mental health of birthing parents with preterm infants. Yet as there is no statistically significant difference in terms of their effectiveness, the promotion of unscheduled KC may be more practical and thus more sustainable in this context. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) URL https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/61164 Trial ID IRCT20090810002324N19 Date of first registration 10/05/2022. [Abstract copyright: © 2026. The Author(s).
UK audit of the interoperability of ordered-subset expectation-maximisation reconstruction algorithms
No full textObjective In 2002 a UK audit was performed by the Nuclear Medicine Software Quality Group of filtered back projection (FBP) software, designed to evaluate the quantitative characteristics of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Subsequently, the use of FBP has reduced in common practice, with most guidelines now recommending and using iterative reconstruction. This study aimed to audit ordered-subset expectation-maximisation (OSEM) algorithms in clinical use, acting on the same input data. Methods A computational phantom was devised to evaluate the effect of sphere diameter, position and activity concentration along with an assessment of uniformity and resolution. Additional sections were implemented to evaluate the recovery in photopoenic areas and of small lesions adjacent to active structures. SPECT projections were created from the phantom and placed in the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine structures of acquired data from three SPECT camera manufacturers. Resultant projections were reconstructed via six commercial reconstruction platforms and quantitative measures from the above sections compared. Results Across all measures it was found that there was excellent agreement among platforms offering similar reconstruction methods. One platform was found to not offer the ability to perform a true ‘pencil-beam’ OSEM reconstruction and results varied with different manufacturer data supplied. Conclusion While there are differences in how reconstruction platforms process data from different manufacturers, these differences were generally small, with results from the one wide-beam reconstruction method having the largest variation. It would be advisable that users implementing sensitivity-based quantitative SPECT should derive factors for the various combinations of acquisition and reconstruction platforms at their disposal
Wall Shear Stress Distribution in Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease and Associations With Vessel and Plaque Morphology
Full text linkBackground and Aims: Wall shear stress (WSS) may govern the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. We aimed to depict WSS distribution in symptomatic, atherosclerotic M1 middle cerebral artery (MCA‐M1) stenosis, and its associations with adjacent vessel and plaque geometry. Methods: Patients with symptomatic, atherosclerotic, 50%–99% MCA‐M1 stenosis were analyzed. MCA‐M1 vessel curve orientation and tortuosity, luminal stenosis, plaque length and longitudinal asymmetry were assessed on CT angiography (CTA). Relative WSS (rWSS) was calculated by the absolute WSS divided by mean WSS at the proximal, normal vessel segment, in a CTA‐based computational fluid dynamics model. rWSS < 1.0, 1.0–3.0, and > 3.0 were respectively defined as low, normal, and high WSS; low‐ and high‐WSS areas were measured. The vessel and plaque geometry was associated with the rWSS measures, across a plaque as a whole, and separately in upstream and downstream plaque segments divided at the stenotic throat. Results: In 176 patients, rWSS increased progressively along the upstream plaque segment but highly varied downstream. rWSS was lower on the inner than on the outer wall of the MCA‐M1 vessel curve. Patients with ventrally (than dorsally), inferiorly (than superiorly) oriented MCA‐M1 vessel curves and higher tortuosity of the affected vessel segment exhibited lower rWSS and larger low‐WSS areas at the downstream plaque segment. More severe luminal stenosis and upstream dominance in the plaque were associated with higher rWSS and larger high‐WSS areas in the upstream and downstream plaque segments. Conclusions: Wall shear stress (WSS) distribution across symptomatic MCA‐M1 stenosis was variable and strongly associated with adjacent vessel and plaque geometry, independent of systemic factors
Effectiveness of Mandated Approaches to Increasing Board Independence in Achieving Intended Governance Outcomes:Professional Investors’ Perspective
Full text linkDrawing on interviews with 27 professional investors and proceeding from a resource dependence theoretical lens, this study investigates how professional investors perceive the effectiveness of mandated approaches to increasing board independence in achieving intended governance goals in the Nigerian banking sector. We inductively identify three distinct effectiveness categories for board independence approaches: quixotic, symbolic, and practical. We further unpack seven contextual factors that influence these perceptions, namely person-specific utility; board cronyism; loss of independence over time; disconnection with business realities despite their technical competence; non-executive directors’ (NEDs’) concern for business survival; NEDs’ subservience to the major shareholder; and NEDs’ reputational standing. We provide insights that demonstrate that the mandated approaches to increasing board independence are not universally effective in achieving intended governance goals and must instead be evaluated within their institutional and contextual realities
Acute resistance exercise load modulates brain haemodynamics, working memory, and inhibitory performance
Full text linkBackground: Acute resistance exercise (RE) has been shown to improve executive function (EF), but its effects at different intensities on specific EF domains (e.g., inhibition, working memory) and underlying brain mechanisms (i.e., brain hemodynamics) remain unclear. Methods: Forty-two young, active, and healthy adults (mean age = 26.9 ± 0.8 years; 24 men) were randomly allocated to one of three experimental groups: 1) RE at high load (HRE) (75 % of 1RM), 2) RE at moderate load (MRE) (50 % of estimated of 1RM) and 3) a resting control condition (CON). Participants completed Stroop and N-back tasks (i.e., measuring inhibition and working memory) to assess EF at three time points: pre-exercise, post-exercise (Post), and 45 min post-exercise (Post45). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to determine changes in brain hemodynamics during cognitive testing. Results: HRE produced small to moderate improvements in Stroop incongruent trial performance (d=0.40) and moderate gains on the 2-back working memory task (d=0.80 post), with smaller improvements on the 1-back task. In comparison, MRE showed weaker effects on Stroop performance but moderate improvements on the 2-back task (d=0.65). HRE showed increases in right hemisphere oxygenated haemoglobin (O 2Hb) across tasks, particularly under higher cognitive load (d = 0.65 in congruent Stroop trials). MRE induced smaller but notable O 2Hb increases (d=0.35–0.54), whereas CON showed little or declining O 2Hb levels. Conclusion: HRE was associated with greater improvements in EF, particularly inhibition and working memory, and was associated with stronger and more sustained functional brain hemodynamics changes compared to MRE.</p
Pathways to pedagogical diversity:dance and disability in education
No full textAn inclusive educational environment is something that all educators and students strive for. However, students who identify as disabled still find barriers that prevent their full inclusion despite progress towards rethinking curriculum content, teaching methods and ensuring that the physical environment is accessible. This chapter examines what progress has been made and where normative structures persist and thus continue to inhibit progress towards pedagogical diversity. With reference to the pathways into different stages of education for disabled students, and by drawing on the lived experience of disabled students who have navigated these pathways, the chapter will point to where work is still needed. The primary focus is on the UK context, but discussion draws on wider examples to examine the underlying principles that will support inclusion for disabled dancers in education