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Exploring the links between sonochemistry and sonomechanobiology
Full text linkSonomechanobiology concerns the ways in which vibrational energy can stimulate biological cells. It is a multi-disciplinary subject involving contributions from fields including chemistry, food science, microbiology, medicine and physics. Early studies of the effects of ultrasound on living tissue can be traced back to the 1920's but in those days, without the aid of modern specialised equipment, detailed explanations were not possible. The more recent work on the stimulation of cells has been of particular interest to microbiologists and medical physicists while sonochemists have not really been involved. But sonochemistry has an important part to play in the developing subject of sonomechanobiology and this opinion paper will re-examine those early studies which can be considered to be precursors to both sonomechanobiology and sonochemistry.</p
EU AI Act regulation: a study of non-European Union manufacturers' compliance preparedness
Full text linkPurpose – This study investigates the preparedness of manufacturing companies in the UK and Brazil to comply with the European Union’s artificial intelligence (AI) Act of 2024. It aims to assess these companies’ ability to identify AI-related risks, implement necessary compliance measures and evaluate a newly developed compliance framework designed to enhance regulatory compliance. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-methods approach was adopted. First, 10 AI use case scenarios were identified from the literature related to production processes and products. A survey of 152 members from 87 companies in the UK and Brazil was conducted to gauge baseline readiness. Subsequently, a novel compliance framework was piloted with 11 of these companies. Pre- and post-pilot assessments were analysed to evaluate improvements in risk identification, regulatory knowledge and organisational confidence.Findings – The results reveal a significant gap in compliance readiness at baseline and substantial improvements post-intervention. Prior to the pilot, participants on average identified correctly the risk levels in only 40% of scenarios and just 42% demonstrated adequate knowledge of the Act’s provisions. After implementing the compliance framework, average risk identification accuracy rose to 86% and regulatory comprehension to 81%, indicating a marked improvement (p < 0.01). Participants’ self-reported confidence in managing AI compliance also increased correspondingly.Originality/value – This study is among the first to empirically examine AI Act compliance readiness in nonEU manufacturing companies. It provides a novel compliance framework to improve the capacity to manage AI related regulatory requirements. The study offers valuable insights for manufacturing managers and regulators navigating the interface of technological innovation and regulatory compliance. Keywords Artificial intelligence in manufacturing, Compliance framework, Artificial intelligence act, Non-European Union manufacturers, Risk-based regulation, Industry 4.0 Paper type Research articl
Collectively Committing to ‘What Is Interesting’ in Qualitative Research:A methodological application of interactional sociolinguistics
Full text linkSelecting which aspects of empirical phenomena to investigate is a fundamental yet underexplored challenge in qualitative research. This paper introduces an interactional sociolinguistic methodology to examine how a qualitative research team navigated this challenge during a three-year project. By analysing real-life team discussions, we identify four types of interactionally co-constructed commitments—straightforward, uncertain, repeated and withheld commitments—that enable teams to balance exploratory openness with the need to narrow their focus within the interplay between the observed empirical field and academic discourse. Building on these insights, we propose an interactional sociolinguistic model of collective commitments to ‘what is interesting’ in qualitative research. Our study contributes to methodological scholarship by revealing how linguistic interaction shapes shared direction and methodological decision-making in team-based qualitative inquiries
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
A Novel OCPP-Centric Hybrid Testbed and Dataset for EV Charging Infrastructure Security Threats Feasibility Testing
Full text linkThe rapid adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has intensified demands on the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI), where operational security is critical to ensuring confidentiality, availability, integrity, and consumer trust. The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) 1.6, central to EVCI interoperability, remains vulnerable to authentication spoofing, man-in-the-middle (MiTM) interception, and protocol manipulation attacks when deployed without robust security extensions. However, there is a notable lack of publicly available protocolcentric datasets that capture realistic EVCI traffic under benign and adversarial conditions. Therefore, this paper addresses this gap through the design of a novel hybrid testbed that combines virtual and physical components, including real OCPP-compliant chargers, EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) testers, and simulated EVs, to produce a semantically rich and attack-inclusive dataset. The dataset contains over 55 features spanning semantic message fields, finite-state machine (FSM) transitions, timing metrics, payload complexity, and network-level characteristics, derived from the official OCPP 1.6 and 2.0 specification. Comparative analysis with the important and widely used internet of things (IoT) and EVCI datasets highlights the superior semantic depth, FSM structure, and realistic stealth attack representation of our dataset. This work provides a reproducible foundation for developing protocol-centric intrusion detection and prevention systems to detect sophisticated and context-driven anomalies in EV charging ecosystems
Material circularity in the UK’s foundation industries
Full text linkAs the UK advances toward its 2050 net-zero target, moving beyond energy efficiency to comprehensive resource management is essential. This study evaluates how circular economy principles can reshape the use of aluminium, lead, steel, glass, and paper in the UK's foundation industries. Using a circularity index, we assess current performance and identify improvement pathways, quantifying the potential of enhanced recycling and material reuse. Results show that circularity strategies alone could reduce emissions by 42% and energy use by 17%, with reductions rising to 69% and 56% respectively, when combined with best-practice energy intensities. While aluminium and steel offer the largest gains, barriers remain for lead, glass, and paper due to technical and quality constraints. These findings highlight the opportunities and the complexities of industrial circularity, providing evidence to guide policymakers and industry leaders in accelerating the transition to a more sustainable and resource-efficient economy.</p
In vivo functional profiling and structural characterization of the human GLP1R A316T variant.
Full text linkGlucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are effective therapies for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, yet patient responses are variable, with GLP1R gene variation potentially linked to therapeutic outcomes. A GLP1R natural missense variant, A316T, protects against T2D and cardiovascular disease. Here, we generated and characterized a human GLP1R A316T mouse model. Human GLP1R A316T/A316T mice displayed lower fasting blood glucose versus wild-type littermates even under metabolic stress, as well as slower weight gain and alterations in islet cytoarchitecture, glucagon secretion, and liver metabolism under a high-fat, high-sucrose diet. This was however associated with blunted responses to pharmacological GLP-1RAs in vivo. Further investigations in β cell models demonstrated that human GLP1R A316T exhibits characteristics of constitutive activation but dampened GLP-1RA responses. Results are further supported by cryo-EM analyses and molecular dynamics simulations of GLP-1R A316T structure, collectively demonstrating that the A316T variant governs basal GLP-1R activity and pharmacological responses to GLP-1R-targeting therapies. </p
