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Policy brief on how to foster Ecosystem-Based Marine Spatial Planning in the Southern North Sea
No full textAs part of the MarinePlan project, we have created policy briefs on how to foster Ecosystem-Based Marine Spatial Planning in each of the project's study sites. This policy brief is for the Southern North Se
Policy brief on how to foster Ecosystem-Based Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Mediterranean Sea
No full textAs part of the MarinePlan project, we have created policy briefs on how to foster Ecosystem-Based Marine Spatial Planning in each of the project's study sites. This policy brief is for the the Western Mediterranean Sea
Little fish in big ponds: the pathways to inclusion for micro-minorities in power-sharing societies
No full textEmergent critique of consociations has focused on how micro-minority ‘others’ are frequently excluded from the opportunities presented by power-sharing systems, with dominant elites shutting them out. Therefore, a key question is: how do the political elites of micro-minorities gain more meaningful inclusion by adopting or navigating the formal and informal institutions? Based on interviews, the paper compares micro-minorities in four consociations – Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Lebanon and Northern Ireland – which differ regarding two variables: the presence of informal institutions and the position on the corporate-liberal axis. We argue that while liberal rules put micro-minority ‘others’ in a ‘better’ position on paper, the liberal-corporate distinction is not enough to explain their ‘exclusion amid inclusion’. Only by understanding the relative formality-informality of the consociational systems can a full picture be painted.<br/
The NEuroCOUGH chronic cough registry: a protocol for a pan-European observational study
No full textChronic cough is a common clinical problem which is burdensome for patients and can be difficult to treat. Individual centres of cough expertise have been set up in countries across Europe but to date there has been no means to collate and analyse clinical data from such sites to gain a more comprehensive understanding of cough phenotypes, disease burden and the natural history of this condition. The NEw Understanding in the tReatment Of COUGH (NEuroCOUGH) registry is the first pan-European prospective observational study of adult patients referred for evaluation of chronic cough. Patients (≥18 years old) with a cough lasting more than 8 weeks with no chest radiology findings to explain the cough will be recruited. Key exclusion criteria include current or recent (<12 months) smoking, significant smoking history (≥20 pack-years) and obstructive spirometry (forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ratio <0.6). The study aims to recruit 2500 patients across 13 European sites by 2026 and participants will be followed up at 12-monthly intervals for 36 months. The registry comprises comprehensive clinical, physiological and biological data on chronic cough, along with data on the impact and longitudinal outcome of chronic cough. The NEuroCOUGH registry has been established at a time of considerable advance in the field of cough. It will serve as a valuable clinical and research resource which will extend our current understanding of this difficult to treat condition. The initiative is also intended to encourage the establishment of new specialist cough clinics, thus creating much needed clinical trial infrastructure throughout Europe to ultimately improve patient care.<br/
UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC): the national Trusted Research Environment for longitudinal research
No full textIntroduction The UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC) is the national Trusted Research Environment (TRE) for the UK's longitudinal research community, supporting the UK's unparalleled collection of Longitudinal Population Studies (LPS). Initially set up as a COVID-19 research resource, UK LLC is now a generic database for any research for the public good. Objectives UK LLC supports longitudinal research by providing record linkage and TRE services.Methods The UK LLC partnership provides a secure analytics environment, a trusted third-party linkage processor and a comprehensive governance framework to minimise risks to participant confidentiality. UK LLC is ISO 27001 certified and accredited by the UK Statistics Authority as a processor under the Digital Economy Act. The active involvement by members of UK LLC's public involvement programme ensures UK LLC is acceptable to LPS participants and the wider public. All UK LPS are eligible for inclusion. Researchers can apply to access the TRE via an approach that fulfils the needs of the LPS, the linked data owners and includes a review by public contributors. Results Twenty-two LPS have so far joined UK LLC. Where permissions allow, participants are linked to their National Health Service (NHS) England, NHS Wales and place-based records, with work ongoing to link to NHS Scotland and non-health administrative records, including Department for Work and Pensions and His Majesty's (HM) Revenue and Customs. UK LLC Explore allows potential researchers to discover the breadth of data available in the TRE. All applications are listed on UK LLC's publicly accessible Data Access Register. Conclusions UK LLC enables researchers to interrogate pooled LPS participant data that are systematically linked to diverse records. UK LLC remains open to additional LPS joining the partnership and will increase the breadth of data to support the longitudinal research community and attract increasing numbers of researchers across multiple disciplines, government departments and industry.</p
Progress in the production of nanocrystals through miniaturized milling methods
No full textObjectivesThe pharmaceutical industry continually seeks efficient strategies to translate research into clinical applications, particularly for poorly water-soluble drugs that present formulation challenges. Nanocrystals (NCs) technology has emerged as a promising solution to enhance bioavailability, with top-down nanomilling playing a central role. However, traditional methods often require large quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), limiting their practicality in early stage development. This review aims to highlight miniaturized nanomilling approaches capable of producing NCs using <5 g of API to support cost-effective formulation screening and scalability.MethodsRelevant research articles were selected from Scopus and PubMed, focusing on top-down NCs synthesis using minimal drug quantities. Special attention was given to studies employing modifications of conventional technologies and novel methods aimed at reducing material use and improving throughput.Key findingsTechniques such as 96-well plate milling, dual asymmetric centrifugation, and miniaturized vial-based systems were identified as effective small-scale strategies. These methods demonstrated reproducibility, high-throughput capabilities, and potential for scale-up. Some studies successfully produced NCs using as little as 0.7 mg of API. Temperature-controlled milling further enhanced performance by maintaining consistency and reducing material waste.ConclusionsMiniaturized nanomilling, combined with stabilizer optimization, offers a scalable and cost-effective route for NCs production. These innovations hold strong potential for accelerating pharmaceutical development, though further refinement is needed to enable widespread industrial application.<br/
Long-acting drug delivery systems: current landscape and future prospects
No full textConventional drug delivery often leads to fluctuating drug levels and reduced efficacy, especially in chronic conditions requiring sustained treatment. Long-acting drug delivery systems (LADDS) offer controlled, extended release, improving efficacy, safety, and patient adherence. This mini review outlines current injectable and implantable LADDS, including approved formulations like nanosuspensions, PLGA microspheres, oil-based injections, in situ-forming and preformed implants. Future directions explore thermoresponsive gels, polymer-drug conjugates, prodrugs, 3D printing, and reservoir-type implants using semipermeable membranes. These innovations highlight the need for continued multidisciplinary collaboration to advance next-generation long-acting therapies.<br/
Repository: 'Sounding the Anthropocene: Site-Based Realisations of Ecocritical Aurality in the Wetlands and the Drylands'
No full textSummary: This PhD project investigates the capacity of sound to measure and give voice to two contrasting terrestrial environments: the marshy bogs of the Northern Irish peatlands and the dune seas of the Rub’ al-Khali (Empty Quarter) desert in the United Arab Emirates. The subjects of focus are the sonics of two under-heard geophysical processes: peatland ebullition (subsurface bog bubbling of carbon dioxide and methane gas) and ‘singing' sand (a resonance effect in large sand dunes, caused by granular shear flow). Through methods of field recording, ethnography, direct, embodied engagement with the sites, and creative compositional practice, my thesis proposes strategies for the ‘doing’ of sound, (or cultivating particular modes of sounding through practice), though which I produce new understandings on these two phenomena, examine audible relationalities between humans and their more-than-human environments, and reflect on how both sounding and refusing to sound environments shape relations of power, difference, and resistance. This thesis contributes directly to studies of ebullition and singing sand, and also speaks to a growing interest in the use of sonic methods to investigate environmental phenomena, as well as emerging discourse that assesses the interaction of music and sound with the ecological dilemmas of contemporary climate change. Repository: The doctoral submission consists of a written dissertation and a portfolio of original project materials, which are enclosed in this repository. The repository includes forty-six audio listening examples derived from my field recordings and ethnographic work, and four examples of my compositional practice in electroacoustic and acoustic mediums. Creative compositions are submitted as audio files, musical scores, and accompanying performance materials. The audio materials in this repository follow the sequential order by which they feature in the written thesis, and are organised in folders according to the three thesis chapters in which they are discussed: Chapter 1: Sonic Encounters in the Peatlands (Northern Ireland) 18 audio listening examples derived from fieldwork, and the electroacoustic work ‘UNEARTHED’ Chapter 2: Sonic Encounters in the Desert (United Arab Emirates) 19 audio listening examples derived from fieldwork, and the electroacoustic work ‘Dune Song’ Chapter 3: Sounding Stratigraphy (Compositional practice); and Coda 6 audio listening examples derived from fieldwork and creative practice, and recordings of two compositions for acoustic ensembles and electronics: Soft Ground, for the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble and The Sands, for the Crash Ensemble. Sub-folder: Scores and performance materials for Soft Ground and The Sand
