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Anatomical variations of the extra-hepatic biliary system and their clinical application
No full textNovel synthetic strategies towards analogues of cadaside and malacidin antibiotic peptides
No full textWith antibiotic resistance becoming an increasingly pressing issue, the search for novel antimicrobial drugs is more important than ever before. The recently discovered calcium-dependent lipopeptides cadaside A/B and malacidin A/B have promising activity against resistant Gram-positive bacteria. With limited reports of synthetic routes towards these peptides available in the literature, especially for cadasides, we herein report a novel on-resin synthesis strategy. We used this strategy to produce fifteen simplified malacidin and cadaside analogues. In addition, both minimum inhibitory concentration and thin layer chromatography assays were conducted to determine antimicrobial activity and advance our understanding of these peptides’ structure–activity relationships
Optimizing video analytics inference pipelines: a case study
No full textCost-effective and scalable video analytics are essential for precision livestock monitoring, where high-resolution footage and near-real-time monitoring needs from commercial farms generates substantial computational workloads. This paper presents a comprehensive case study on optimizing a poultry welfare monitoring system through system-level improvements across detection, tracking, clustering, and behavioral analysis modules. We introduce a set of optimizations, including multi-level parallelization, Optimizing code with substituting CPU code with GPU-accelerated code, vectorized clustering, and memory-efficient post-processing. Evaluated on real-world farm video footage, these changes deliver up to a 2 × speedup across pipelines without compromising model accuracy. Our findings highlight practical strategies for building high-throughput, low-latency video inference systems that reduce infrastructure demands in agricultural and smart sensing deployments as well as other large-scale video analytics applications
Basmati saga continues as New Zealand upholds rejection of certification mark
No full textOn the 30th of October, the High Court of New Zealand handed down its judgment in the case APEDA v Commissioner of Trade Marks [2025] NZHC 3264, confirming that BASMATI can't be registered as a certification mark if it excludes producers outside of India
Consequences of arginine and methionine supplementation on growth performance, intestinal health, and immune response in broiler chickens under concurrent heat stress and coccidia challenge
No full textWe investigated the effects of arginine and methionine supplementation in reduced protein diets on performance of broilers under concurrent heat stress (HS) and coccidia challenge. From d9 to 28, the experimental grower diets: positive control (PC) with 20.0% crude protein (CP); negative control (NC) with 17.5% CP; NC + 50% arginine or methionine (ARG/MET) were fed to the chickens. From d14, chickens in the thermoneutral (NT) groups were raised under recommended temperature, and chickens in HS group were exposed to cyclic HS at 35°C for 8h/day. All chickens were oral challenged with mixed Eimeria spp. on d 14. From d4 to 7-day post inoculation (DPI), the HS group had decreased BWG compared to the NT group, and the ARG group had higher BWG compared to the PC and MET group (P < 0.05). From d0 to 7 DPI, the PC group in HS had decreased BWG and FI compared to the PC group in NT (P < 0.05). On 7 DPI, the NC group in HS had higher AA digestibility compared to the PC group in NT (P < 0.05). On 7 and 14 DPI, HS increased the expression of AA transporters and tight junction protein genes (P < 0.05). The ARG group had the highest OCLN and ZO1 gene expression levels among the groups in 7 and 14 DPI (P < 0.05). On 14 DPI,the ARG group in HS increased the expression of protein metabolism genes in the breast muscle compared to the ARG group in NT (P < 0.05). On 7 DPI, the NC group in HS had higher CD8+ cell percentage and CD8+ :CD4+ ratio compared to the NC group in NT (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our study revealed the intricate interactions between HS and the dietary treatments in broilers challenged with Eimeria on growth performance, intestinal health, and immune responses, with overall performance improvement observed with arginine supplementation due to its positive effects on immune responses and intestinal health
Outsourcing trouble: a home international comparison of alternative provision across the UK
No full textThis paper explores the complex landscape of alternative provision across the UK and its implications for school exclusion. Drawing on interviews with over 400 professionals, parents, and pupils in ten selected local authorities in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, we find marked differences in the scale and nature of provision. These differences reflect the UK's diverging political economies of education. England's provision reflects its preference for quasi-market mechanisms. Scotland's reflects a commitment to inclusive education. Wales supports public provision but bears the legacy of historic control by England, while Northern Ireland's landscape is almost entirely publicly provided. The data suggest that the scale and diversity of alternative provision does not reduce school exclusions. England has the highest rates of exclusion and the greater number and diversity of providers. Scotland has lower rates of exclusions and fewer providers. It may even be that the availability of alternative provision creates its own demand. However, the relationship between exclusion rates and alternative provision is not straightforward, nor are its implications for educational parity. The paper concludes by arguing there is a pressing need for research on the opportunity costs of alternative provision for young people and the public sector
The metaverse marketplace: exploring the drivers of consumer purchase behavior in metaverse
No full textThis research explores factors influencing consumer intention to shop in Metaverse E-commerce, an area with limited existing research despite its potential for novel consumer experiences. A quantitative study involving 1,070 respondents used PLS-SEM to analyze a model based on technology readiness dimensions and Metaverse-specific variables. Key findings indicate that optimism and innovativeness are positively associated with consumer shopping intention in Metaverse E-commerce. Conversely, discomfort and insecurity show a negative association. Additionally, a sense of immersion, perceived interactivity, perceived personalization, perceived enjoyment, and perceived serendipity were found to significantly influence shopping intention within Metaverse E-commerce. This study enhances the academic literature on Metaverse shopping by integrating technology readiness dimensions and Metaverse-related constructs. The findings also offer practical insights for managers and marketers in developing effective Metaverse E-commerce strategies
Written evidence to Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on new ways of approaching the legacy of the past
No full textRevamping engineering education: a case study of the evolution of an introduction to engineering module
No full textUndergraduate students in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast (SMAE) undertake a compulsory Introduction to Engineering module, originally introduced into stage 1 in the 2006-2007 academic year as part of the restructuring of the curriculum in line with the CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) syllabus and standards (CDIO Standards 2.0). The module was designed to enthuse students about engineering and interweave practical and theoretical elements, along with developing transferable skills within an integrated curriculum. It is a key module in enabling success throughout the degree programme, developing skills in knowledge application, problem solving, and team working and acting as a cornerstone module to complement and support the capstone modules in final year. This paper presents a case study of the history of the module and explores the impact of this hands-on, practical approach to learning. A recent revamp of the module will be discussed, describing the teaching and assessment practices used, and analysing the influence on students' engagement, outcomes, and overall educational experience.<br/