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Improving Multi-Sensor Non-Invasive Glucose Detection through AI:A Domain Generalization Approach
No full textAccurate glucose level monitoring is crucial in diabetes management, aiming to ensure glucose levels are within a safe range and reduce the risk of complications. Inter-patient heterogeneity is one of the most important challenges to achieving accurate non-invasive glucose monitoring. This study employs meta-forests, a novel ensemble-based domain generalization approach designed to address this challenge. Our technique is applied to a dataset of 54,280 data points, collected from five subjects over 10 days, using a non-invasive system that integrates near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, millimeterwave (mm-wave) sensing, and temperature measurements. Moreover, we significantly enhance model interpretability by incorporating Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) analyses. Importantly, our approach leads to an accuracy for the non-invasive glucose detection system that is comparable to state-of-the-art methods, achieving an average root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.07 mmol/L and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 9.80% in domainspecificexperiments
The Impact of Columnar and Equiaxed β -Grain Structures on Mechanical Anisotropy in High-Deposition-Rate Additively Manufactured α + β Titanium Alloys
Get PDFThere is growing interest to produce α + β titanium alloys with high-deposition-rate additive manufacturing (DED-AM) processes for aerospace applications. However, there are still important aspects of their microstructure-mechanical property relationships that are not well understood, which are linked to the macro and microstructure heterogeneities generated by the AM processes and intrinsic titanium metallurgy that produce columnar β-grain structures. Trends in the literature, which are based primarily on Ti-6Al-4V data, have shown mechanical anisotropy is often present when samples exhibit coarse and columnar β-grain structures. This includes yield-stress and elongation anisotropy arising during uniaxial tensile testing, and crack growth rate anisotropy with high scatter recorded during fatigue testing, both of which are generally only tested in orientations parallel and perpendicular to the AM build direction. In this work, this mechanical anisotropy in α + β titanium alloys is investigated in more detail with Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo-0.1Si wire-arc additively manufactured test samples, comparing columnar parent β-grain structures to equiaxed grain structures. In particular, highlighting that the true yield-stress anisotropy in columnar grain samples is only revealed when testing the material at a 45 deg orientation away from the AM build direction. It is also shown that the large grain boundary α colonies that form on parent columnar β-grain boundaries have a significant impact on the fatigue crack growth rate data scatter. Refining the parent β-grain structures is demonstrated to resolve these issues and the related microstructure mechanisms were investigated in detail, using both experimental and crystal plasticity simulation methods. Finally, the formation and three dimensionality of the detrimental grain boundary α colonies that nucleate on columnar β-grain boundaries were investigated for the first time using in-situ SEM heating and 3D-EBSD techniques
HLA-DR Matching in Kidney Transplantation:Ethnic Disparities in Clinical Benefit and Policy Implications From a UK Registry Analysis
Get PDFBackgroundThe UK Kidney Allocation Scheme (KAS) prioritizes organ allocation based on HLA mismatches, assigning the greatest weight to HLA-DR compatibility. However, the clinical relevance of this approach across different ethnicities in the era of modern immunosuppression remains uncertain.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of 25 094 adult deceased donor kidney transplants in the United Kingdom between 2008 and 2020. Using competing risk Cox regression, we evaluated the impact of individual HLA locus mismatches and grouped mismatch levels (as defined by UK-KAS) on graft survival. Subgroup analyses by ethnicity were performed, and the relationship between HLA mismatches and acute rejection was assessed using logistic regression.ResultsA single HLA-DR mismatch was significantly associated with graft failure (SHR 1.119, 95% CI 1.035-1.211, p = 0.005), while mismatches at the A, B, and DQ loci were not. In subgroup analyses, HLA-DR mismatching was predictive of graft failure in Asian recipients but not in Black recipients. Black patients also exhibited higher rates of mismatching at all loci. DQ mismatches were associated with early acute rejection but did not predict long-term graft failure. Ten-year graft survival was 13% less with one HLA DR mismatch, and 17% less with 2 HLA DR mismatch, in comparison to zero DR mismatch. The four-level HLA mismatch grouping used by UK-KAS stratified risk incrementally, with levels 3 and 4 associated with 13% and 19% higher failure risk, respectively.ConclusionsHLA-DR matching improves graft survival overall but offers limited benefit in Black recipients, likely due to low-resolution typing inadequately capturing immunological compatibility across ethnic lines. The current UK-KAS scoring system may inadvertently disadvantage ethnic minorities by delaying transplantation for matches that confer minimal benefit. Our findings support incorporating ethnicity-specific considerations into kidney allocation policy to promote equity and optimize outcomes
The effects of isothermic heat acclimation on simple and complex cognitive performance in the heat
Get PDFLonger heat acclimation (HA) protocols more effectively improve physical performance than shorter ones, but the effect of HA duration on cognitive performance remains unclear. Twelve participants performed a 45-min cycling heat stress test [(HST) 40%W max; 40°C; 50% RH] on the first (HST 1), seventh (HST 7), and thirteenth (HST 13) day of testing with five consecutive days of isothermic HA (60-min; rectal temperature ~38.5°C) between each HST. Simple (five-choice reaction time [RT]) and complex (spatial working memory [SWM]) tests were completed before and after each HST. Reaction and Movement times were slower before HST 13 than HST 1. Fewer errors were made in the SWM test before HST 13 in the 6- (0.0v2.7), 8- (1.8v7.6) and 12- (18v31) box tests and before HST 7 in the 6- and 8-box tests (1.9v7.6) compared to HST 1. Search strategy was improved before HST 7 (4.5v6.8) and HST 13 (4.3v6.8). Fewer errors were made in the 8-box test after HST 7 (1.6v8.8) and HST 13 (1.1v8.6). No other differences were observed (p > 0.05). HA improved performance in some of the more challenging tasks but had no effect on the most complex task (12-box) when physiological strain was highest. 10-days of HA was more effective than 5-days at improving some aspects of cognitive performance.</p
Exploring moral disengagement in meat consumption among Malaysian youth - A cross-sectional study
Get PDFThis study explores the moral disengagement with its five sub-dimensions and investigate the influence of animal ethics and environmental concern on moral disengagement in the context of adoption of plant-based diet among Malaysian youth. A cross-sectional survey involving 341 students from ten Malaysian universities was conducted using a structured questionnaire based on established scales for animal ethics, environmental awareness, intention to adopt plant-based diet and the five dimensions of moral disengagement, i.e. means-ends justifications, desensitization, denial of negative consequences, diffused responsibility, and reduced perceived choice. The findings indicate relatively low ethical concern regarding animal ethics and low-to-moderate environmental awareness concerning meat consumption as well as intention to adopt a plant-based diet. Moral disengagement was indicated as moderate-to-high with means-ends justification reported as the highest dimension, followed by diffused responsibility and desensitization. Animal ethics and environmental concerns are negatively related with moral disengagement and there is a significant negative relationship between moral disengagement with the intention to adopt plant-based diet. By identifying the psychological barriers to dietary change, this study helps design more effective strategies to promote plant-based diets and sustainability, thereby contributing to ethical food consumption and environmental protection. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Academy primary teachers’ perceptions of wellbeing via self-determination theory
Get PDFThis study explores how academy primary school teachers in England view their autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and whether the academy environment supports these wellbeing-related needs better than maintained schools. Five primary educators from academy schools, aged 25 to 53, responded to an online advert and took part in semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, revealing four themes: Fading autonomy, Empowering growth, Isolated practice, and Trust me, I know my class. Teachers reported positive views on professional development, with academy schools providing chances for teacher growth and leadership. Educators felt restrictions on independence appeared due to strict adherence to schemes which overlook the creativity of teachers and the needs of learners: factors presumed to influence teachers’ happiness and contentment. Academy trusts’ lack of shared practice was regarded as a failure to support relatedness and minimise workload pressures. The implications of these findings are that academies need to create more opportunities for collaboration to improve the welfare of teachers by creating supportive systems. Classrooms need to be places where autonomy and trust are encouraged. Teachers should be able to use their professional judgement, where an atmosphere is created that meets the needs of educators and students alike
Integration of Telecollaboration in the Language Teacher Education Curriculum:Critical Insights from Teacher Educators from Türkiye, Brazil, and the UK
No full textVirtual Exchange (VE) has been acknowledged as a postmodern approach to second language teacher education and a transformative - albeit challenging - learning experience that can help with acquiring new competences and rethinking language teachers’ beliefs through a local and global lens. As VE has a long history, O’Dowd (2014) states that its origin can be traced back to pre-Internet exchanges set up by Freinet in France in the 1920s and by Lodi in Italy in the 1960s (2014, p. 132). At the heart of a VE, both then and now, was/is a drive towards cooperative communication (Sadler & Dooly, 2022, p. 245) and co-construction of knowledge. VE is an ideal approach to foreign language teaching and learning as it adheres to the core principles inherent to both communicative competence and intercultural communicative competence (O’Dowd & Dooly, 2020) while providing opportunities to develop transversal and professional competences (Orsini-Jones & Lee, 2018). The increased use of VE for teacher education, especially after the pandemic (e.g. Finardi & Guimarães, 2020) that has somewhat normalized online and remote learning, has opened up more dynamic and interactive ways to integrate telecollaboration in ELT curricula and practice. The integration of VE in English language teacher education is also giving the opportunity to explore interesting decolonised horizons in the ELT field. Research on VE suggests that different modes of integration of VE into higher education exist e.g.: (a) classroom independent: (b) classroom integrated (c) institutional integrated (Lewis & O’Dowd, 2016). This chapter aims to explore the integration of VE in the teacher education curricula in three different Higher Education contexts: Turkey, Brazil, and the UK. The analysis of the integration of VE in these ELT contexts will address and discuss modes of integration, tasks and technologies, institutional support, challenges, and solutions, the effect of contextual factors, the pedagogical mentoring issues encountered, educators’ motivation and institutional support for the implementation of the VE projects discussed here and share the lessons from them. <br/
AI-Native Open RAN for Non-Terrestrial Networks:An Overview
Get PDFNon-terrestrial network (NTN) is envisioned as a critical component of Sixth Generation (6G) networks by enabling ubiquitous services and enhancing network resilience. However, the inherent mobility and high-altitude operation of NTN pose significant challenges throughout the development and operations (DevOps) lifecycle. To address these challenges, integrating NTNs with the Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) is a promising approach, since ORAN can offer disaggregation, openness, virtualization, and embedded intelligence. Despite extensive literature on ORAN and NTN, a holistic view of ORAN-based NTN frameworks is still lacking, particularly regarding how ORAN can effectively address the existing challenges of NTN. Furthermore, although artificial intelligence native (AI-Native) capabilities have the potential to enhance intelligence network control and optimization, their practical realization in NTNs has not yet been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, in this paper, we provide a comprehensive and structured overview of AI-Native ORAN for NTN. This paper commences with an in-depth review of the existing literature and subsequently introduces the necessary background about ORAN, NTN, and AI-Native for communication. After analyzing the DevOps challenges for NTN, we propose the orchestrated AI-Native ORAN-based NTN framework and discuss its key technological enablers. Finally, we present the representative use cases and outline the prospective future research directions of this study
Evaluation of the Professional Nurse Advocate’s Role in Quality Improvement to Understand the Impact on Patient Outcomes and Experience:Mixed Methods
No full textBackground: The Professional Nurse Advocate (PNA) pro-gramme is delivered through the A-EQUIP model, where qual-ity improvement is integral (NHS England 2023). A national evaluation (2023) highlighted a lack of quantifiable evidence of patient care improvements stemming from PNA-led QI work(Anonymised 2023). This issue is particularly critical in intensive care settings, where complex and high-acuity patient care demands targeted QI initiatives to improve outcomes. Aim: This study aims to analyse the impact of PNAs on patient outcomes and experience through QI activities.Method: Using mixed methods, including thematic analysis of PNA interviews, a cross-sectional survey of 105 participants,and case examples, the research was guided by an expert PNA group and Laschinger’s (2001) theoretical framework.Results: Four key themes emerged from interviews: (1) PNA preparedness and project identification; (2) project implementation and collaboration; (3) monitoring and reporting; and(4) impact on patient outcomes, project reach, and sustain-ability. Facilitators for successful QI work included empower-ment via RCS, multidisciplinary teamwork, and supportive infrastructures. Barriers identified included limited protected time, financial constraints, and insufficient QI training. The survey results showed a median impact rating of ‘High’ on patient care outcomes and ‘Moderate’ on patient experience,with PNAs also acknowledging positive effects on their professional growth.Implications for Practice: While explicit measures of patient outcomes and experiences were scarce, a strong implicit association suggests that QI work has the potential to enhance patientcare, particularly in critical care environments where timely,targeted improvements can significantly affect outcomes. We recommend establishing robust data collection and reporting frameworks for QI activities. Enhancing dissemination through the A-EQUIP model could improve individual and organisational empowerment, ultimately translating PNA-led QI into tangible benefits for critically ill patient
Agroecological cashew cultivation increases pollinator abundance, diversity and flower visitation rates, with potential yield benefits
Get PDFAgroecological approaches have the potential to reduce the adverse impacts of agriculture on the environment whilst sustaining productivity, yet rigorous assessments of associated policies’ ability to achieve these dual aims at farm scale remain scarce. Here, we evaluate the impacts of the Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) programme – a large-scale government-led agroecological strategy in South India – on the ecological and productivity performance of an emerging commodity crop associated with high deforestation-risk: cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.). ZBNF increased the abundance and species richness of insects visiting cashew flowers (including known cashew pollinators) by almost 400 % and 250 % respectively, with visitation rates to cashew flowers rising nearly fivefold compared to conventional, agrichemical-based systems. Whilst there was strong support for these positive effects, estimates of their magnitudes were imprecise. Around 40 % of all species were exclusively found at ZBNF orchards. ZBNF's effect on cashew nut yield was uncertain due to high variability in the data, yet our results indicate a positive trend, with yields averaging over 70 % higher under ZBNF. Thus, ZBNF likely enhanced cashew pollination service provisioning and had insect conservation benefits, although more targeted actions may be needed for rare, specialist species. Whilst ZBNF can help shift cashew production towards sustainability, we stress that it must be paired with land-use planning and strengthened conservation efforts to prevent further cashew expansion into natural ecosystems.</p