192815 research outputs found
Sort by
Towards real-time aquatic monitoring of Strontium-90: performance evaluation of CaF2(Eu) and ZnSe(Al,O) scintillators
Get PDFfirst_pageDownload PDFsettingsOrder Article Reprints
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Open AccessArticle
Towards Real-Time Aquatic Monitoring of Strontium-90: Performance Evaluation of CaF2(Eu) and ZnSe(Al,O) Scintillators
by Arjana Kolnikaj 1ORCID,Kelum A. A. Gamage 1,*ORCID,Olaoluwa Popoola 1,James Graham 2ORCID andAntonio Di Buono 2ORCID
1
James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
2
United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PG, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sensors 2026, 26(3), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26030900
Submission received: 19 December 2025 / Revised: 19 January 2026 / Accepted: 27 January 2026 / Published: 29 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Intelligent Sensors)
Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Versions Notes
Abstract
A compact, in situ beta-spectroscopy approach for real-time monitoring of Strontium-90 (Sr-90) in contaminated groundwater has been investigated. Two inorganic scintillators, CaF2
(Eu) and ZnSe(Al,O), were coupled to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and evaluated experimentally using custom front-end electronics. This was also modelled with Monte Carlo simulations using the Geant4 toolkit. Although simulations correctly predicted ZnSe(Al,O) has an advantage due to its higher light yield and optical transport, experimental measurements additionally revealed practical limitations of the readout electronics which were not captured in the simulation model. ZnSe(Al,O) showed excellent agreement with the simulated detector response (�2≈
0.86; �2
/NDF ≈ 27). It also attains a higher relative detection efficiency (∼61.5%), yielding faithful capture of the composite Sr-90/Y-90 spectrum with only minor suppression at the extreme high-energy tail. CaF2
(Eu) exhibits a deficit at low-mid energies and an apparent enhancement in the high-energy tail. This is consistent with threshold and photon-statistics losses and leads to poorer agreement with simulation (�2
/NDF ≈ 179) and lower overall efficiency (∼22.7%). These findings identify ZnSe(Al,O) as the stronger candidate for an underwater, in situ Sr-90 beta-spectroscopy system and motivate targeted optimisation of SiPM coupling and crystal-edge reflectivity in future designs
Search for nucleon decay via p → ν π+ and n → νπ0 in 0.484 Mton-year of Super-Kamiokande data
Get PDFWe present the results of searches for nucleon decays via p → ν π + and n → ν π 0 using a 0.484 Mt · yr exposure of Super-Kamiokande I-V data covering the entire pure water phase of the experiment. Various improvements on the previous 2014 nucleon decay search [], which used an exposure of 0.173 Mt · yr , are incorporated. The physics models related to pion production and nuclear interaction are refined with external data, and a more comprehensive set of systematic uncertainties, now including those associated with the atmospheric neutrino flux and pion production channels, is considered. Also, the fiducial volume has been expanded by 21%. No significant indication of a nucleon decay signal is found beyond the expected background. Lower bounds on the nucleon partial lifetimes are determined to be 3.5 × 10 32 yr for p → ν π + and 1.4 × 10 33 yr for n → ν π 0 at 90% confidence level
Developing an AI-assisted tool that identifies patients with multimorbidity and complex polypharmacy to improve the process of medication reviews: qualitative interview and focus group study
Get PDFBackground: Structured medication reviews (SMRs) are an essential component of medication optimization, especially for patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. However, the process remains challenging due to the complexities of patient data, time constraints, and the need for coordination among health care professionals (HCPs). This study explores HCPs’ perspectives on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted tools to enhance the SMR process, with a focus on the potential benefits of and barriers to adoption. Objective: This study aims to identify the key user requirements for AI-assisted tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of SMRs, specifically for patients with multimorbidity, complex polypharmacy, and frailty. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted involving focus groups and semistructured interviews with HCPs and patients in the United Kingdom. Participants included physicians, pharmacists, clinical pharmacologists, psychiatrists from primary and secondary care, a policy maker, and patients with multimorbidity. Data were analyzed using a hybrid inductive and deductive thematic analysis approach to identify themes related to AI-assisted tool functionality, workflow integration, user-interface visualization, and usability in the SMR process. Results: Four major themes emerged from the analysis: innovative AI potential, optimizing electronic patient record visualization, functionality of the AI tool for SMRs, and facilitators of and barriers to AI tool implementation. HCPs identified the potential of AI to support patient identification and prioritizing those at risk of medication-related harm. AI-assisted tools were viewed as essential in detecting prescribing gaps, drug interactions, and patient risk trajectories over time. Participants emphasized the importance of presenting patient data in an intuitive format, with a patient interface for shared decision-making. Suggestions included color-coding blood results, highlighting critical medication reviews, and providing timelines of patient medical histories. HCPs stressed the need for AI tools to integrate seamlessly with existing electronic patient record systems and provide actionable insights without overwhelming users with excessive notifications or “pop-up” alerts. Factors influencing the uptake of AI-assisted tools included the need for user-friendly design, evidence of tool effectiveness (though some were skeptical about the predictive accuracy of AI models), and addressing concerns around digital exclusion. Conclusions: The findings highlight the potential for AI-assisted tools to streamline and optimize the SMR process, particularly for patients with multimorbidity and complex polypharmacy. However, successful implementation depends on addressing concerns related to workflow integration, user acceptance, and evidence of effectiveness. User-centered design is crucial to ensure that AI-assisted tools support HCPs in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care while minimizing cognitive overload and alert fatigue
Sequential BCR::ABL1 evaluation during dose de-escalation in peripheral blood is more predictive of TFR success than single assessment at dose de-escalation in either peripheral blood or bone marrow
Get PDFNo abstract available
The role of IMF programs in aligning national economic policy with domestic preferences
No full textThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) promotes reforms emphasizing individual economic freedom and market competition. However, IMF loan conditions face criticism for potentially undermining democracy by encouraging policy shifts that may not reflect citizens’ preferences. We examine how IMF lending impacts economic congruence—the alignment between government policies and public preferences for economic freedom and market competition. Lack of congruence can weaken government legitimacy and hinder development. We find that participation in IMF programs is associated with more liberal economic policies across all countries: greater economic congruence in autocracies but reduced congruence in democracies. These findings help explain the unpopularity of IMF programs, especially in democracies
“My stomach was the mirror of the earth”: An Ecofeminist Reading of Leonora Carrington’s Memoir of Illness, Down Below
No full text
"I recognize myself in an identification elsewhere”: Disentangling Carla Lonzi from the thought of sexual difference
No full textThis article confronts the idea—especially widespread in the field of political philosophy, amongst Italian philosophers associated with feminism of difference, and in general narratives of 1970s Italian feminism—that Carla Lonzi was an anticipator of the Italian thought of sexual difference. Contra seminal texts like Non credere di avere dei diritti (1987) and scholars affiliated with the Libreria delle Donne di Milano and the Diotima philosophical collective, I illustrate how Lonzi was extraneous to the theoretical foundations and practices of “femminismo della differenza.” Notions of the symbolic mother, practices of disparity and ‘entrustment’, concerns with bringing into existence a female symbolic order—which would ground the development of the thought of sexual difference—were either absent in Lonzi’s writings or contested by her. While Lonzi’s work has increasingly been used to advance essentialist, gender-critical arguments by philosophers close to feminism of difference (for whom her work seemingly provides support against the very existence of non-binary, queer, and trans lives), I show how her approach to sexual difference departed significantly from such interpretations and can rather be more convincingly understood through Simone de Beauvoir
Walking a tightrope? Independent sexual violence advisors and their relationship with the police
No full textInternational research consistently confirms that collaboration between the police and independent sexual violence advisors (ISVAs)/advocates can facilitate much-needed improvements to criminal justice responses and outcomes for victim-survivors in the aftermath of sexual violence. The relationship between ISVAs and the criminal justice system, however, is contentious and evolving. Drawing upon qualitative data from police and ISVA interviews and focus groups, undertaken as part of a large government-funded project in England and Wales, this paper critically examines the police–ISVA relationship. Grounding our analysis within wider debates about collaboration between independent violence against women organisations and the criminal justice system, the findings reveal the complex, gendered and hierarchical nature of the police–ISVA relationship. It is argued that in working critically and collaboratively with the police to improve victim-survivor experiences, ISVAs ‘walk a tightrope’ at individual and institutional levels. To ameliorate these challenges and achieve the best outcomes for victim-survivors, a more meaningful and explicit understanding of ISVA independence from the criminal justice system, rather than just its processes, is urgently required. We offer recommendations for how this can be achieved at symbolic, policy and practice levels
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Open Research Online? Become a CORE Member to access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard! 👇