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Minoritised ethnic groups and modifiable dementia risk:a scoping review of UK-based evidence
Get PDFBackground People from minoritised ethnic groups are more likely to be impacted by dementia. In the general population, dementia may be prevented or delayed by up to 40% by reducing risk in 12 modifiable risk factors (MRF). However, minoritised ethnic groups are not systematically included.Objectives We conducted a scoping review following Joanna Briggs Institute guidance to map: (1) which minoritised ethnic groups have been included in UK research on dementia MRF, (2) for which MRF and (3) using which research methods.Eligibility criteria Eligible studies analysed one or more of the 12 MRFs among minoritised ethnic groups.Evidence sources Medline, Embase Classic+Embase, PsycInfo, Web of Science, CINAHL and grey literature were searched.Charting methods Patient and public involvement with minoritised ethnic groups and professionals informed the data extraction tool. We use frequencies and graphs in data description.Results We screened 7748 records, assessed 122 full text records and included 14 studies, which mostly used broad ethnic groups. Hypertension, diabetes and depression were studied as predictors of dementia in 10, eight and six studies, respectively, compared with low social contact and air pollution in just two each. Measures of MRF lacked consistency, and data per ethnic group were not reported in several studies. Research examining interactions in combinations of MRFs was lacking.Conclusions More research is needed with specific ethnic groups, consistent measures and focusing on discrimination and MRF interaction and severity. This will be key to personalised risk reduction with diverse communities
Structural Performance of Steel Automated Rack-Supported Warehouses Under Fire
Get PDFThis work focusses on the fire modelling and structural thermo-mechanical assessment of Automated Rack Supported Warehouses (ARSWs), a special steel racking system that combines the benefits of steel constructions with automated handling of stored products. The study consists of two phases with the first phase being related to the development of a fire model for multi-depth ARSW structures, by adopting simplified and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models. A fire model capable of simulating vertical and horizontal fire propagation, starting from a localized fire is proposed and validated on experimental results available in literature. The second phase of the paper analyses the structural collapse mechanisms and examines the methodologies for efficient analysis to interpret collapse mechanisms. Computational modelling has been conducted through several subsequent implicit analyses carried out with SAFIR software and the results are compared with the detailed modelling using ABAQUS, which enables a combination of implicit and explicit analyses. The study shows insights into the response of ARSWs in fire and provides knowledge for the safer and reliable fire designs of such structures
EvoWeight: Sponge Poisoning of FPGA-Based DNN Accelerators in Differential Private Secure Federated Learning
Get PDFDifferential Private Secure Federated Learning (DPSecure FL) ensures secure, privacy-preserving collaborative training by transmitting encrypted updates instead of raw data, addressing data-sharing constraints in critical real-time applications. Integrating FPGAs into DP-Secure FL benefits from their parallelism, low power consumption, and reconfigurability to overcome edge device resource limitations while improving efficiency, scalability, and adaptability in privacysensitive, resource-constrained environments. This integration enhances latency, scalability, reduced energy consumption, and computational efficiency while reducing cloud dependency and optimizing training processes. These combined benefits make FPGA-enabled DP-Secure FL an ideal solution for privacysensitive and resource-constrained environments, enabling robust scalability and adaptability for real-time applications, delivering robust privacy and security, and effectively protecting against external data leaks. This study reveals a significant vulnerability in FPGA-based DP-Secure FL, where the privacy-preserving setup hinders the detection of internal threats, such as freerider attacks. These attacks enable malicious users to exploit the system by contributing crafted gradients, such as through sponge poisoning, to increase the power consumption of honest users without impacting model accuracy. By introducing “innovative EvoWeight techniques”, we show how the power consumption of DNN-FPGA accelerators can be increased by up to 17.41 %. In addition to power consumption, the EvoWeight attack negatively affects other performance metrics, causing a 2.31 % rise in inference time, a 4.99 % increase in runtime, and a 4.75 % reduction in throughput. The study also highlights that when the fine-tuning is enabled on both the server and user ends in DP-Secure FL, the power consumption consistently increases in nearly all global rounds, with the maximum power consumption reaching 15.4 %. This increase in power consumption results in higher temperatures, leading to potential denial of service, system crashes, and a reduction in device lifetime
Substitution of a proline residue in the frog skin host-defense peptide, figainin-2PL by D-lysine generates an analog with potent activity against antibiotic-resistant ESKAPE pathogens
Get PDFFigainin-2PL (FLGTVLKLGKAIAKTVVPMLTNAMQPKQ.NH 2) is active against a range of antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well as human tumor-derived cells. The study aimed to determine the effects of a proline-substitution on the biological potency of the peptide. Secondary structure predictions indicate that figainin-2PL can adopt a helix-turn-helix conformation in membrane-mimetic environments. Circular dichroism spectra are consistent with these predictions. Replacement of the Pro 18 residue by either L-Ala, L-Lys or D-Lys increased the extent and stability of the helical domains. All substitutions increased cytotoxic activity against a range of human tumor-derived cells (between 1.5- and 3-fold) but major (between 4- and 10-fold) increases in hemolytic activity against mouse erythrocytes were also observed. While the substitutions Pro 18 → L-Ala and Pro 18 → L-Ala produced only minor and inconsistent changes in antibacterial activity, the [P18k] analog displayed a 2- to 4-fold greater (MIC and MBC in the range 1–8 µM) against the ESKAPE pathogens Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared with figainin-2PL and the peptide retained high potency against Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile (MIC and MBC = 2 µM). Consequently, the [P18k] peptide shows therapeutic potential for development into a broad-spectrum, topical antimicrobial agent.</p
Parent Focus Group 1: Engagement in Child Development Research:Conducted by Parenting Focus on behalf of the Ulster University Child Studies Consortium & the Ulster Centre on Multilingualism
Get PDFResolving Nanoslip, Solvation Inertia, and Charge Dynamics at Vibrating Solid–Liquid Interface
Get PDFWhen a liquid contacts a charged solid surface, counterions in the liquid accumulate near the interface—a process traditionally described by models such as Helmholtz, Stern, and Debye‐Hückel. However, these frameworks overlook the complex interplay between inertia and surface charge, and they simplify ions as mere point charges. This study employs vibrating solid surfaces to decouple and investigate the effects of inertia, ion‐slipping, and electrostatic interactions at the molecular scale. This approach reveals “inertial layer” in the initial liquid strata, which plays a critical role in governing interface dynamics. Within this layer, a tunable Helmholtz zone is identified, where mechanical stiffness and electrostatic forces adjust in response to ion concentration. Beyond this lies a Debye screening region characterized by repulsive forces and electrostatic decoupling from the double‐layer capacitor model. Using phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) as a model electrolyte, it is demonstrated that low ionic strength enhances interfacial stability, while high concentrations increase electrostatic repulsion, influencing nanoscale mechanical behavior. These insights refine the understanding of interfacial phenomena and hold significant implications for biosensing, catalysis, and energy storage technologies
Bitcoin and crypto-mining stocks: A quantile connectedness approach
Get PDFIn this paper, we studied the extreme connectedness between Bitcoin and crypto-mining stocks using the quantile connectedness approach of Ando et al. (2022). We estimated the connectedness (i.e., the direction and strength of spillover effects) at the median, extreme lower, and extreme upper quantiles. Our results revealed a highly interconnected system, with Bitcoin identified as a net transmitter of shocks. RIOT and MARA also emerged as major net transmitters in the system, while GREE and NILE were net receivers. The spillover effects were more pronounced during extreme market conditions compared to normal conditions. Moreover, the connectedness of the system progressively increased, peaking in 2021 when China banned crypto-mining. The extreme and dynamic connectedness identified in this study offers valuable insights for investors regarding hedging strategies and portfolio allocation, as well as for regulators focused on financial stability and systemic risk
Identifying and overcoming barriers to referral in advanced heart failure. A scientific statement of the Heart Failure Association ( HFA ) of the ESC
Get PDFThe identification of patients with advanced heart failure (HF) remains challenging, often leading to delayed referrals and suboptimal use of advanced therapies such as long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS) or heart transplantation (HT). This delay contributes to worse outcomes and missed opportunities for timely intervention. Many eligible patients are not recognized early enough in their clinical trajectory, either due to the complexity of the condition, overlapping HF phenotypes, or limited awareness of referral criteria among non-specialist clinicians. In this context, the aim of this scientific statement from the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC is to systematically identify and address the multifaceted barriers that hinder early recognition and referral for advanced HF care. These barriers span across different stakeholders—patients, caregivers, referring physicians, HF specialists, the academic community, and health authorities. The document proposes practical, stakeholder-specific solutions to improve awareness, standardize referral criteria, integrate digital decision-support tools, and structure care networks. Ultimately, the goal is to enable earlier access to specialized evaluation, ensure equitable use of HT and MCS when appropriate, and improve both survival and quality of life for patients living with advanced HF