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Asymmetric Addition of Cyanide to β-Nitroalkenes Catalysed by Chiral Salen Complexes of Titanium(IV) and Vanadium(V)
Full text linkThe Adoption of Lean Six Sigma in the UK ‘Third Sector’ to Reduce and Control Waste to Promote Good Practice in Supply to overcome Food Insecurity Amongst the Urban Poor
No full textPurpose: To introduce lean six sigma to a warehousing operation of a UK ‘third sector’ charity to reduce and control food waste during storage and distribution.Research Approach: This research takes an action research approach, with the principal investigator adopting a reasearcher / facilitator role in the analysis receipt, initial storage, put away, layout flows, picking, loading and pre-despatch, as well as rudimentary data communication flows. Interviews are also being undertaken to allow for the creation of narratives for consideration in juxtaposition to our DMAIC outputs.Findings: Our ongoing research is revealing that this rapidly growing sector has by its genesis, led to the development of largely ‘ad hoc’ unbalanced structures and flows. At a functional level, once organisational readiness has been established, there are a number of lean six sigma measures where potential benefits extend both up and downstream from the case organisation itself.Practical Impact: The aim of our research has not been to arbitrarily create specifications for operational efficiencies; rather it has been to work with a third sector organisation to assess operational standards utilising a more engageable RUMBA (Reasonable, Understandable, Measurable, Believeable, Achievable) system to evaluate the operational appropriateness of current measures, alloyed with DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Implement, Control) to develop and facilitate system change to create a model appropriate to the sector and its limitations. To date we have found little evidence against gerneralisability, which also indicates that our final models may have a place in legacy phases of humanitarian logistics. Originality: The research presented provides a unique and novel analysis of operational efficiencies in the ‘third sector’ and its rolein established flows and in serving an increasing demand for food banks , through the acceptance of process controls, metrics and management techniques to minimise food waste and increase efficiencies
The Attitude-Behaviour Gap in Renewable Energy Conflicts: A Theoretical and Methodological Review
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Application of a novel molecular diagnostic method to examine the spatio-temporal trends of Carcelia iliaca, a larval parasitoid of oak processionary moth (Thaumetopoea processionea)
Full text link\ua9 2026 The Author(s). Agricultural and Forest Entomology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Entomological Society.The oak processionary moth (OPM; Thaumetopoea processionea) (Linnaeus, 1778) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) is an invasive pest across northern Europe. In the United Kingdom, it threatens biodiversity and public health through defoliation caused by numerical dominance of infested trees and the shedding of harmful urticating hairs. Its spread from the current established zone in and around Greater London combined with the rising cost of chemical control show an urgent need for alternative sustainable management. Current alternative strategies revolve around conservation biocontrol using the larval parasitoid Carcelia iliaca (Ratzeburg, 1840) (Diptera: Tachinidae), which is a successful parasitoid reaching parasitism rates of ~80%. However, fundamental biological information regarding C. iliaca is still missing, meaning that creating evidence-based policies is impossible. Here, we apply a recently developed diagnostic assay to detect C. iliaca from OPM larval tissue to assess parasitism rates across the Greater London area. Samples were collected from 12 sites across two field seasons with 1624 caterpillars collected in 2021 and 2239 caterpillars collected in 2022. Parasitism rates showed a higher average in Year 1 (60.8% [\ub12]) than Year 2 (34.0% [\ub12%]), with wide range across sites in both years (Year 1, 50%–69%, Year 2, 26%–53%). However, these data show no spatial trend in parasitism rate despite the sites surveyed being composed of a range of habitat types. We evaluate the effectiveness of the diagnostic assay and discuss the wider implications of long-term monitoring of parasitoids and the need to identify interactions to better inform conservation biocontrol management strategies
Conservative versus liberal oxygenation targets in critically ill children: the Oxy-PICU RCT
Full text linkBackground: The optimal target for systemic oxygenation in critically ill children is unknown. Liberal oxygenation is widely practised but is associated with harm in observational studies. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a conservative oxygenation target of peripheral oxygen saturation 88-92% compared with peripheral oxygen saturation > 94% in critically ill children admitted to paediatric intensive care unit as an emergency. Design and setting: A pragmatic, open, multicentre, parallel-group, randomised clinical trial conducted in 15 National Health Service paediatric intensive care units and associated emergency transport services across England and Scotland. Participants: Children aged > 38 weeks corrected gestational age and < 16 years, enrolled within 6 hours of being accepted for admission to paediatric intensive care unit as an emergency; receiving invasive mechanical ventilation with supplemental oxygen; and in face-to-face contact with paediatric intensive care unit or emergency transport services staff. Interventions: Adjustment of ventilator and inspired oxygen settings aiming to achieve peripheral oxygen saturation 88-92% (conservative oxygenation) or peripheral oxygen saturation > 94% (liberal oxygenation) during invasive mechanical ventilation. Main outcome measures: Primary outcomes: duration of organ support at 30 days, with death by day 30 ranked as the worst outcome (clinical effectiveness) and incremental costs, quality-adjusted life-years and net monetary benefit at 12 months (cost-effectiveness). Secondary outcomes: incremental costs at 30 days; mortality at paediatric intensive care unit discharge, 30 days, 90 days and 12 months; time to liberation from ventilation; duration of organ support; length of paediatric intensive care unit and hospital stay; functional status at paediatric intensive care unit discharge; and health-related quality of life at 12 months. Results: Two thousand and forty children were randomised between 1 September 2020 and 15 May 2022. Consent was obtained for 1872 (94%) - 939 to the conservative and 933 to the liberal oxygenation group - who were included in the primary analysis. Duration of organ support or death in the first 30 days was lower in the conservative oxygenation group [probabilistic index 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.50 to 0.55; p = 0.04 Wilcoxon rank-sum test, adjusted odds ratio 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.72 to 0.99)]. Both components of the composite primary outcome and secondary outcomes favoured conservative oxygenation. Average costs at 30 days strongly indicated lower costs with conservative oxygenation. Longer-term estimated incremental costs and quality-adjusted life-years were lower and net monetary benefit marginally favoured conservative oxygenation but with wide uncertainty [incremental costs -\ua3879 (95% confidence interval -9036 to 7278); quality-adjusted life-years 0.001 (-0.010 to 0.011); net monetary benefit \ua3894 (95% confidence interval -7290 to 9078)]. Limitations: Exclusion of two large paediatric intensive care unit populations, due to a lack of equipoise and the number of participants excluded because of not being able to obtain deferred consent. Future work: Future work should focus on identification of the mechanisms underlying the observed benefit; trials of intermediate or lower peripheral oxygen saturation values in individuals at higher risk; and identification of individualised treatment effects in relation to oxygen therapy. Conclusions: A conservative oxygenation target resulted in a greater probability of a better outcome in terms of duration of organ support at 30 days or death. Longer-term survival and health-related quality of life were consistent with the primary outcome. While conservative oxygenation is likely to reduce costs in the short term, longer-term cost-effectiveness was surrounded with wide uncertainty. Funding: This synopsis presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme as award number NIHR127547.Each year around 20,000 children are admitted to paediatric intensive care units in the United Kingdom. Of these, 75% will receive support from a breathing machine (or ventilator) in combination with additional oxygen (PICANet. Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network. 2017:1–5). Oxygen is one of the most common treatments used in paediatric intensive care units. Doctors and nurses adjust oxygen treatment based on how much oxygen the child has in their blood. While we know very low oxygen levels are harmful, research shows that very high levels may also be dangerous for very ill people. The oxygenation in paediatric intensive care unit study aimed to find out whether children in paediatric intensive care unit who are receiving help from a ventilator with additional oxygen should have their oxygen levels kept at a lower level or higher level which is currently used in the National Health Service. Two thousand and forty critically ill children were included from 15 National Health Service paediatric intensive care units. Children were randomly assigned to receive treatment aiming to keep their oxygen levels at a lower level (88–92%, which is still within recommended guidelines) or the higher level (95–100%). Aiming for lower oxygen levels was better and reduced the number of days children spent on machines or died at 30 days. While small, this result could have a large and important impact for patients and their families. More patients treated with lower oxygen levels survived at 12 months. While in the shorter term costs were lower with conservative oxygenation, in the longer term, healthcare costs were similar between the two groups but the results were uncertain. The results of the Oxy-paediatric intensive care unit trial suggest that widespread treatment aiming for lower oxygen levels could help improve outcomes for the sickest children admitted to paediatric intensive care units
The Interaction of Navigation and Music in Shaping Driver Behavior and Cognitive Load: A Simulation Study Under Urban Driving Conditions
No full text\ua9 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. The complex demands of modern urban traffic environments often necessitate the use of navigation aids and in-vehicle entertainment systems, which significantly impact driving behavior and cognitive load. This study engaged 63 drivers in a driving simulation to explore how navigation frequency (high, low) and music tempo (none, slow, fast) affect driving behavior and cognitive load in high-risk urban environments like speed-limited areas and intersections. The results revealed that low-frequency navigation led to lower cognitive loads and more stable speed control compared to high-frequency navigation, especially without music. Furthermore, drivers exhibited lower longitudinal deceleration in speed-limited areas and lower lateral acceleration when changing lanes before intersections. High-frequency navigation combined with fast-tempo music increased cognitive load but reduced speed fluctuation. In contrast, low-frequency navigation showed no significant impact from music tempo. These findings suggest guidelines for optimizing navigation systems and music choices to enhance driving performance and reduce cognitive load
Towards a Molecular Computer: Enabling Arithmetic Operations in Molecular Communication
No full text\ua9 2015 IEEE.In current molecular communication (MC) systems, performing computational operations at the nanoscale remains challenging, restricting their applicability in complex scenarios such as adaptive biochemical control and advanced nanoscale sensing. To overcome this challenge, this paper proposes a novel framework that seamlessly integrates computation into the molecular communication process. The system enables arithmetic operations, namely addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, by encoding numerical values into two types of molecules emitted by each transmitter to represent positive and negative values, respectively. Specifically, addition is achieved by transmitting non-reactive molecules, while subtraction employs reactive molecules that interact during propagation. The receiver demodulates molecular counts to directly compute the desired results. Theoretical analysis for an upper bound on the bit error rate (BER), and computational simulations confirm the system’s robustness in performing complex arithmetic tasks. Compared to conventional MC methods, the proposed approach not only enables fundamental computational operations at the nanoscale but also lays the groundwork for intelligent, autonomous molecular networks
Habitat Use by Fish in Mangroves of the Southern Arabian Gulf
Full text link\ua9 2026 by the authors.Mangroves form an integral habitat component for species of the southern Arabian Gulf, yet their role in supporting fish remains limited. This study investigated habitat use by fish in mangroves to determine the diversity, abundance, size, and whether microhabitat complexity and environmental conditions influence fish assemblage. Fish were surveyed using an underwater visual census among mangrove habitat types across seasonal cycles. Results revealed 1137 individuals belonging to eleven families and fourteen species, a majority being juveniles with Gerres longirostris (44.59%) the most abundant. High-commercial-value species were documented, including Lutjanus ehrenbergii (dominance 18.65%) and Lutjanus argentimaculatus (dominance 15.48%). To date, this study reports the first evidence of Epinephelus coioides in the mangroves of this region. Results showed significant variation in fish assemblage among habitat types and seasons, with markedly higher abundance and diversity during the summer and in mangroves close to structural habitats. Seawater temperature emerged as the most influential environmental variable for fish. Together, structurally complex habitat settings and seawater temperatures were the key drivers shaping the fish assemblage in mangroves. Future investigations would benefit from diel and tidal sampling within multiple habitats near mangroves to better understand fish populations. Findings may guide research and conservation strategies by integrating coastal habitats and fish populations
Reducing hyper mirroring in misophonia: A proposal for cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) as a potential intervention for treatment
Full text link\ua9 2025 Elsevier Ltd.Misophonia, a condition characterized by intense emotional and physiological reactions to specific human-generated sounds, was recently proposed as a disorder of hyper mirroring, in which there is an over-representation of the actions of others. A recent study used rTMS to indirectly reduce the hyperactivity in the anterior insula of people with misophonia, leading to a modest reduction in misophonic distress. But further research is needed to optimize TMS for greater efficacy. Recent TMS studies using a paired associative approach have shown that it could be used to reduce automatic mirroring in healthy controls. We propose the use of ccPAS for reducing the aberrant “hyper” connectivity of the motor cortex, suggested to be associated with mirroring, found in misophonia which is directly accessible to TMS. We hope this theoretically driven neuromodulation approach can take advantage of recent advances in brain stimulation and address the need for developing an effective evidence-based treatment for misophonia