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Sampling for non-destructive spectroscopy with a particular focus on agriculture, food and feed
No full textSampling plays a pivotal role in the analytical process, particularly when employing non-destructive spectroscopic sensors (NDSS). This review bridges Theory of Sampling (ToS) and Design of Experiments (DoE) to address sampling challenges in NDSS agri-food applications. Sampling quality is the primary driver of overall uncertainty, often significantly surpassing laboratory and instrumental errors. Non-destructive spectroscopic setups inherently sample through their optical configurations. We highlight the importance of replication methods to determine sources of variance, particularly in physical sampling procedures, and provide practical guidelines for achieving representative sampling. Additionally, the review briefly discusses computational augmentation and resampling techniques. Practical considerations and case studies from food and feed applications illustrate the constraints and solutions for effective sampling, providing insights for researchers and industry aiming to optimize NDSS measurements.</p
Economic evaluation of participation in community led organisations for individuals living in disadvantaged areas in the UK
No full textThis paper presents an economic evaluation of community-led and -owned organisations that deliver activities to support health and wellbeing. Because community-led organisations (CLOs) are a vital part of the social and solidarity economy, they increasingly feature in public health policies targeting disadvantaged populations. However, little is known about the value CLOs generate as few economic evaluations of them exist and those available focus on isolated activities (such as exercise classes) and/or specific populations (e.g., men-only collectives). The novelty of our work lies in the inclusion of multiple CLOs, comprehensive coverage of their activities, breadth of participants studied, and control group methodology applied in creating new knowledge of the health and wellbeing outcomes of CLOs and resources consumed to achieve them. We conducted cost-effectiveness and cost-consequence analyses of data collected via a 12-month longitudinal study. We compared 331 CLO participants in 14 UK-based CLOs to a 'do nothing' synthetic control group (n = 100). Health and wellbeing were measured using the ICECAP-A capability measure for adults, EuroQol EQ-5D-5L, Short-form Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and the Revised Social Connectedness Scale. Resource use data included health, social care, and other community sector resources. Data collection occurred at four-points over the study period supported by publicly available accounts and data provided by each CLO. We found an incremental cost per year in full capability of £35,813 and an incremental cost per quality adjusted life year of £29,827. Statistically significant improvement in both social connectedness, and mental wellbeing were observed over the 12 month follow up. This work supports CLOs as an intervention to improve health and wellbeing in disadvantaged communities and identifies challenges for traditional evaluation methodology with regards to costing and comparator groups
Anti-malicious ISAC: How to jointly monitor and disrupt your foes?
No full textIntegrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems are key enablers of future networks but raise significant security concerns. In this realm, the emergence of malicious ISAC systems has amplified the need for authorized parties to legitimately monitor suspicious communication links and protect legitimate targets from potential detection or exploitation by malicious foes. In this paper, we propose a new wireless proactive monitoring paradigm, where a legitimate monitor intercepts a suspicious communication link while performing cognitive jamming to enhance the monitoring success probability (MSP) and simultaneously safeguard the target. To this end, we derive closed-form expressions of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) at the user (UE), sensing access points (S-APs), and an approximating expression of the SINR at the proactive monitor. Moreover, we propose an optimization technique under which the legitimate monitor minimizes the success detection probability (SDP) of the legitimate target, by optimizing the jamming power allocation over both communication and sensing channels subject to total power constraints and monitoring performance requirement. To enhance the monitor’s longevity and reduce the risk of detection by malicious ISAC systems, we further propose an adaptive power allocation scheme aimed at minimizing the total transmit power at the monitor while meeting a pre-selected sensing SINR threshold and ensuring successful monitoring. Our numerical results show that the proposed algorithm significantly compromises the sensing and communication performance of malicious ISAC
Multiphysics modelling and experimental validation of road tanker dynamics: stress analysis and material characterization
No full textCrossland Tankers is a leading manufacturer of bulk-load road tankers in Northern Ireland. These tankers transport up to forty thousand litres of liquid over long distances across diverse road conditions. Liquid sloshing within the tank has a significant impact on driveability and the tanker’s lifespan. This study introduces a novel Multiphysics model combining Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to simulate fluid–structure interactions in a full-scale road tanker, validated with real-world road test data. The model reveals high-stress zones under braking and turning, with peak stresses at critical chassis locations, offering design insights for weight reduction and enhanced safety. Results demonstrate the approach’s effectiveness in optimising tanker design, reducing prototyping costs, and improving longevity, providing a valuable computational tool for industry applications
The impact of self‐directed aftercare following breast cancer surgery: a scoping review
No full textPurposeWith over 56,000 new cases of breast cancer a year in the UK and 76% of these expected to live beyond 10 years, managing long-term care and support is an urgent challenge. This scoping review aims to map the current literature on outcomes and lived experience of Self-Directed Aftercare (SDA) pathways following breast cancer surgery. We aim to assess what evidence exists to support the current delivery of this approach.MethodsA scoping review in line with the PRISMA-ScR template was undertaken across 3 databases (Web of Science, PubMED and OVID Medline) using an iteratively developed search strategy based on concepts of “breast cancer”, “self-directed” and “aftercare”. Screening was undertaken by all authors and disagreements settled by team discussion. Key data were extracted from qualitative and quantitative studies, with descriptive statistical and thematic analysis conducted.ConclusionsAvailable literature is sparse and of variable quality. While reductions in clinic attendance are reported, there is a wide range of patient lived experience. There are positive reports of the convenience of SDA, while negative aspects included unmet psychological and information needs, which also changed over time. Ease of access to speciality breast advice varied across studies.Implications for Cancer SurvivorsGlobally more patients are being managed via SDA, but this review demonstrates the lack of research assessing the safety, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of this approach. It is imperative that services address the evolving needs of breast cancer survivors and integrate feedback from patients with lived experience of breast cancer aftercare.Trail RegistrationThis project has been publicly registered with the Open Science Framework (July 2024). It can be found under the project “Exploring oncological outcomes and lived experiences of patients and their carers managed via self-directed aftercare pathways following breast cancer surgery” available at https://osf.io/b56vq/.<br/
A lightweight learning-based approach for online edge-to-cloud service placement
No full textThe integration of edge and cloud computing is critical for resource-intensive applications which require low-latency communication, high reliability, and efficient resource utilisation. The service placement problem in these environments poses significant challenges owing to dynamic network conditions, heterogeneous resource availability, and the necessity for real-time decision-making. Because determining an optimal service placement in such networks is an NP-complete problem, the existing solutions rely on fast but suboptimal heuristics or computationally intensive metaheuristics. Neither approach meets the real-time demands of online scenarios, owing to its inefficiency or high computational overhead. In this study, we propose a lightweight learning-based approach for the online placement of services with multi-version components in edge-to-cloud computing. The proposed approach utilises a Shallow Neural Network (SNN) with both weight and power coefficients optimised using a Genetic Algorithm (GA). The use of an SNN ensures low computational overhead during the training phase and almost instant inference when deployed, making it well suited for real-time and online service placement in edge-to-cloud environments where rapid decision-making is crucial. The proposed method (SNN-GA) is specifically evaluated in AR/VR-based remote repair and maintenance scenarios, developed in collaboration with our industrial partner, and demonstrated robust performance and scalability across a wide range of problem sizes. The experimental results show that SNN-GA reduces the service response time by up to 27% compared to metaheuristics and 55% compared to heuristics at larger scales. It also achieves over 95% platform reliability, outperforming heuristics (which remain below 85%) and metaheuristics (which decrease to 90% at larger scales)
Longitudinal analysis of male fertility using an Acr-Luc knock-in mouse model: a preclinical platform for reproductive toxicity testing
No full textReproductive toxicity testing is essential for evaluating whether xenobiotics, including pharmaceuticals, environmental chemicals, or ionizing radiation, adversely affect reproductive function. However, conventional assessments rely on mating outcomes or histopathology, which are labor‐intensive, variable, and require large numbers of animals. Acrosin, a serine protease encoded by the Acr gene and localized in the acrosome of spermatozoa, plays a critical role in sperm penetration of the zona pellucida. To exploit this germ cell‐specific expression, we generated a genetically engineered mouse model in which the Luciferase (Luc) reporter gene is driven by the Acr promoter. This Acr‐Luc knock‐in (KI) model enables longitudinal and quantitative imaging of spermatogenesis using bioluminescence. We demonstrate that this platform captures radiation‐induced impairments in male fertility in real time, eliminating the need for terminal analyses. By allowing repeated evaluation within the same individuals, our approach reduces interindividual variability and enables a substantial reduction in animal use, aligning with the “Reduction” principle of the 3Rs. Moreover, it reveals both the onset and recovery phases of spermatogenic disruption with high temporal resolution. The Acr‐Luc KI model provides a reliable preclinical platform for reproductive toxicity testing and offers broad utility for studies in reproductive biology, toxicology, and oncofertility research
Prognostic significance of beta‐adrenergic receptor expression in oesophageal adenocarcinoma
No full textExpression of the β‐adrenergic receptors' family has been associated with survival outcomes in multiple different cancer types, showing their potential to act as prognostic factors. No previous work has evaluated these receptors in relation to survival in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. We sought to analyse the expression of β1 and β2 adrenergic receptors in oesophageal adenocarcinoma and their association with survival outcomes. The expression of β1 and β2 adrenergic receptors was evaluated in a cohort of oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients treated with neo‐adjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgical resection at the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre between 2004 and 2012. Immunohistochemical staining for was assessed using a Tissue Microarray with triplicate tumour cores. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to investigate the association of β1 and β2 adrenergic receptor expression with survival outcomes, including adjustment for clinical factors. In total, 115 and 122 patients were assessed for β1 and β2 adrenergic receptor expression, respectively. In adjusted analysis, high β2 adrenergic receptor expression was associated with improved recurrence‐free [hazard ratio [HR] 0.57, 95% CI 0.33–0.97] and overall survival (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.30–0.94) with restriction to gastro‐oesophageal junction tumours showing a stronger association with improved overall survival (HR 0.27, 95% CI 0.13–0.59). No significant association was observed for β1 adrenergic receptor expression and any survival outcome. In summary, we found that higher expression of the β2 adrenergic receptor was associated with a significant improvement in survival in oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients, and gastro‐oesophageal junction tumours in particular, treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical resection.<br/
EUthyroid2: The next step towards the elimination of iodine deficiency and preventable iodine-related disorders in Europe and beyond
No full textEuropean iodine fortification programmes are heterogeneous and in some countries ineffective. A key problem with iodine nutrition is the low awareness of iodine deficiency-related risks common in the general population and among women of reproductive age. The major objective of EUthyroid2 is to improve the low awareness of IDD risks in adolescents and young women. The aim is to identify best practice models for accessing and disseminating information to increase awareness and improve iodine status, thereby establishing a foundation for young women to improve their own thyroid function, their general health and that of their offspring. To achieve this, EUthyroid2 will build on existing infrastructures and expertise established by the consortium during the initial EUthyroid project. All interventions tested will be tailored to specific regions and populations. EUthyroid2, by identifying the most effective intervention tools, will establish a solid foundation for paving the way for future national awareness campaigns.</p
