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The impact of teaching strategies on music performance anxiety among piano students in China
No full textAssessing the economic and environmental potential of a regional industrial symbiosis network in the agri-food industry: the case of a Northern Irish dairy processor as a network anchor
No full textA critical evaluation of the admission of sexual history evidence in Northern Ireland trials: prevalence, impact and reform
No full textFirst confirmation of mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from medieval Ireland by aDNA analysis – palaeopathological and microbial findings
No full textEight burials from the multi-period rural settlement site of Ranelagh near Roscommon town, Ireland, with palaeopathological lesions suggestive of skeletal tuberculosis or brucellosis were examined by ancient DNA (aDNA) testing. Tuberculosis infection (MTB complex DNA) was confirmed in five individuals –an 11th-13th CE adolescent female (14.5-17.5 years), two young adults females (18-35 years, 7th-10th CE), one adolescent of unknown sex and one middle-aged adult (35-50 years, medieval in date). In the latter case, the differential diagnosis included brucellosis due to the presence of small multifocal lytic lesions in the lower spinal vertebrae. However, this individual and all cases tested negative for Brucella species DNA. In two positive cases, lineage 4 (Euro-American) Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA was identified in extracts obtained from tooth pulp cavities. These are the first archaeological individuals from Ireland to have had tuberculosis infection confirmed through aDNA analysis.<br/
Late-time growth of an inhomogeneous, turbulent mixing layer subjected to transient compression
No full textRecent engineering models of turbulent mixing layers under strain imply that there may be a permanent modification of important mixing layer physics following a temporary application of strain. This paper presents a set of Implicit Large-Eddy Simulations of a canonical Richtmyer-Meshkov instability to explore the validity of this model result. The well-characterised -group quarter scale case is modified to include a strain rate which halves domain widths in approximately five eddy turnover times. Following the removal of strain, the observed value of the growth rate exponent = 0.112 which is a 2.5 times reduction compared with the unstrained case. Whilst is slowly rising at late time, the actual change in is qualitatively in good agreement with the engineering model but is quantitatively a much greater change than expected. Mixedness also increases significantly, from Θ = 0.8 for the unstrained to Θ = 0.9 following the application of strain. Turbulent kinetic energy substantially rises during strain, but then dissipates more rapidly following the removal of strain due to the decreased turbulent length-scales. Overall these results demonstrate that modifications to engineering models, such as those proposed by Pascoe et al. (Phys. Rev. Fluids 10 (6), 064609, 2025) are needed to capture these significant variations in flow physics which persist even following the removal of strain. The engineering model further predicts more substantial impacts at high overall compression or expansion as expected in typical applications in inertial confinement fusion, supernovae or explosions.<br/
Lipid nanoparticle-based mRNA therapeutics for infectious diseases
No full textInfectious diseases remain one of the most pressing global health challenges, despite decades of therapeutic research. Many existing treatments are constrained by limited efficacy, adverse effects, and reduced adaptability to rapidly evolving pathogens. The COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point in vaccine development, leading to the swift creation of mRNA vaccines delivered via lipid nanoparticles (LNP-mRNA). Developed within a year and deployed globally, these vaccines demonstrated exceptional safety, efficacy, and scalability. Their success has driven significant interest in LNP-mRNA platforms for a broader range of infectious diseases. This manuscript presents a comprehensive overview of recent progress in LNP-mRNA therapeutics targeting Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Zika virus, Rabies virus, and SARS-CoV-2. Key strategies to enhance mRNA stability, improve intracellular delivery, and enable controlled or targeted release are discussed. Advances in lipid nanoparticle formulation and mRNA sequence engineering are also examined, with emphasis on cell-specific and tissue-specific targeting. The manuscript further outlines current translational challenges, including optimization of LNP composition, biocompatibility, immune system interactions, and clinical development hurdles, supported by recent preclinical and clinical findings. Collectively, the findings discussed highlight the transformative potential of LNP-mRNA therapeutics for development of next-generation, personalized treatments for infectious diseases.<br/
Post-traumatic stress disorder and memory function in older adults exposed to civilian conflict: findings from the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA)
No full textResearch with veterans, refugees and other trauma-exposed groups has identified a link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and deficits in memory. This study sought to determine whether similar associations can be observed in a large, population-representative sample of older adults with high levels of exposure to conflict amongst older adults in Northern Ireland (NI). Using data from the Northern Ireland COhort for the Longitudinal study of Ageing (NICOLA), we assessed whether the presence of PTSD was associated with poorer performance on tasks of global cognition, immediate and delayed verbal recall, executive function, verbal fluency and two tests of prospective memory. Participants were 2142 community dwelling adults, resident in NI and aged 50 and over. The NI weighted prevalence of current PTSD was 4.74 %, which is high relative to other international estimates. Nearly 60 % of those with PTSD reported the NI Troubles as their self-reported worst traumatic exposure, despite the height of the conflict occurring decades before, suggesting long-term consequences of the civil conflict. Individuals with PTSD recalled approximately half a word less than those without on tests of verbal recall and scored lower on global cognitive assessments: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), after accounting for sociodemographic characteristics. However, this effect was attenuated after further adjusting for health behaviours and current depression. The findings suggest an effect of trauma on cognitive function at a population level. Future research should explore the nature of this relationship over time.<br/