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Responsible Generative AI for SMEs in UK and Africa (RAISE) - A Platform AI Case Study
Get PDFThis report presents a series of case studies developed under the Responsible Generative AI for SMEs in the UK and Africa (RAISE) project, examining how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) understand, adopt, and operationalise generative AI in practice. Drawing on in-depth qualitative engagement with participating organisations across diverse sectors, the case studies explore anticipated benefits, technical and organisational challenges, and the ethical, legal, and social considerations shaping AI integration. The RAISE case studies demonstrate how responsible AI principles are interpreted pragmatically by SMEs and illustrate the value of context-sensitive, actionable guidance in supporting responsible adoption. Collectively, the cases provide empirical insight into the realities of generative AI use in resource-constrained environments and inform the development of practical frameworks for responsible AI implementation in SMEs
Normalization of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Adults With Constipation With Daily Green Kiwifruit Consumption: Protocol for an Open-Label Intervention Study
Get PDFBackground:Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and functional constipation (FC) have significant personal, health care, and social impacts, affecting patients’ quality of life. Treatment of these conditions is challenging. While green kiwifruit is a promising natural alternative to laxatives, its effectiveness in managing abdominal pain and the underlying mechanism of action is yet to be substantiated.Objective:This study investigates the effect of consuming 2 green kiwifruit daily for 4 weeks (the habitual serving) on abdominal pain and discomfort in individuals with IBS-C and FC.Methods:This study is a 2-arm parallel, open-label, placebo-controlled randomized study. This study’s duration was 9 weeks, with a 3-week lead-in phase, a 4-week intervention phase, and a 2-week follow-up phase. A total of 60 participants with IBS-C and FC were randomized to consume either 2 Zespri green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa “Hayward,” ~150 g per serving, ~90 kcal) or maltodextrin (calorie-matched to the fruit, ~25 g per serving, ~90 kcal) per day for 4 weeks. The participants completed validated questionnaires assessing digestive and general health and well-being parameters, underwent magnetic resonance imaging to determine colon physiological measures, ingested a blue food dye, provided blood and fecal samples to measure microbial, immunological, and biochemical parameters, and ingested wireless motility devices (selected participants only) to assess physiological processes.Results:Recruitment for this study began in May 2021 and was completed in May 2022. A total of 63 participants were randomized, and 57 were analyzed using intention-to-treat analysis. Data analysis is complete, and full results are expected to be published in a peer-reviewed journal by April 2026.Conclusions:This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of green kiwifruit consumption in managing abdominal pain in individuals with IBS-C and FC. It will provide new insights into the mechanisms behind the habitual consumption of green kiwifruit for digestive comfort in this population.Trial Registration:Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12621000621819; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=38172
DNA methylation analysis of NOTCH1 variants reveals the first episignature for non-syndromic congenital heart defects
Get PDFBackground: Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common malformation amongst newborns, with a prevalence of approximately 0.8–2%. The etiology of CHD is highly complex and can be linked to genetic and nongenetic factors. The molecular basis remains partially unclear, and only a minority of patients can be assigned to clear monogenic causes. Methods: Here we analyzed a cohort of 3907 CHD cases and population-matched controls using exome sequencing. In addition, we employed epigenetic profiling on a subset of cases that harbored rare NOTCH1 variants. Results: We identified 24 pathogenic or likely pathogenic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in NOTCH1 in our exome cohort, as well as a further 15 variants of uncertain significance (VUS) likely to have a deleterious effect. Although the cardiac phenotypes showed some heterogeneity, non-syndromic Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) and related malformations were the most frequent finding in 56% (22/39). In particular, missense variants altering cysteine residues involved in forming disulfide bridges were identified, specifically in TOF patients. Altogether, NOTCH1-haploinsufficiency represented the most common monogenic cause in our cohort and accounted for an estimated 1% of CHD cases. Combined with additional cases assembled through collaborations, we present 67 individuals with ultrarare variants affecting NOTCH1. This prominent role of NOTCH1 calls for an accurate and accessible evaluation of variants. To this end we explored DNA methylation testing and successfully established a NOTCH1-specific episignature. This signature also displays a robust specificity in relation to 99 other episignatures. Taken together, we found that truncating, splice-altering, as well as missense NOTCH1 variants, can generate a distinct DNAm episignature. Conclusions: We identified that NOTCH1-haploinsufficiency variants represented the most common monogenic cause in our cohort and accounted for an estimated 1% of CHD cases. Furthermore, we conclude that methylation profiling can contribute to (NOTCH1) variant interpretation and improve the diagnostic management of CHD patients. Lastly, we established a NOTCH1-specific episignature, which represents the first non-syndromic signature, significantly extending the scope of patients that can benefit from methylation analysis
In Operando Synthesis of an Ultrathin Dielectric based on Crystalline Gallium Oxide
No full textDielectric materials are essential in modern science and technology, but their miniaturization represents a challenge. Herein, we synthesize a dielectric based on atomically thin crystalline gallium oxide (Ga2O3) on conducting graphene. The oxide is obtained via the direct oxidation of a two-dimensional semiconductor (gallium selenide, GaSe) grown by molecular beam epitaxy on graphene and is probed in real time during the oxidation by near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The oxide possesses (i) a clean, atomically abrupt interface with graphene; (ii) a wide band gap (4.5 eV) with a weakly dispersed valence band; (iii) large conduction and valence band offsets ( >1.5 eV) relative to the Dirac cone of graphene; and (iv) a large break down electric field, as probed locally by conductive atomic force microscopy. The direct oxidation of the semiconductor enables the integration of conducting and insulating building blocks for scalable nanoelectronics. Also, it provides a general route for synthesizing oxides from a variety of metal-based two-dimensional semiconductors
Map Room Conversations
Get PDFIn this introduction to the Special Section entitled 'Map Room Conversations' we explain the origins of the collection in a set of sessions co-organised by the authors at the 2024 Annual International Conference of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). These sessions paired presenters working on similar topics from different perspectives, who briefly introduced a selection of maps or mapping objects to participants and then engaged in discussion and dialogue with attendees. The co-authored papers in this collection reflect on these conversations, and the process of selecting and presenting maps from the Society's collection. We frame these papers by introducing debates from cartography and geography regarding the nature of maps (ontology) and the process of mapping (ontogenesis). We show that technological developments prompted the focus on mapping, but then argue that traditional map collections can also be sites for map formation, contestation and reinterpretation
Dynamic Radiative Cooling: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Applications for Smart Thermal Management
Get PDFThis review systematically summarizes recent advances in dynamic radiative cooling (DRC), spanning from fundamental physical principles to intrinsic molecular and electronic mechanisms, and further to representative material systems. This study deeply explored the innovative design of DRC technology in active response materials, passive response materials, and multi-stimuli response materials. The current challenges and development trends of DRC technology are comprehensively analyzed, providing reference and guidance for further research in this field
Tangential-Rib-free SynRel Machine with Improved Torque Density and Manufacturability for an Electric Assist Turbocharger
Get PDFThe Synchronous Reluctance Machine (SynRel) designed for any high-speed application is found to exhibit an inferior saliency ratio due to the increased total rib thickness for handling the centrifugal force. Therefore, this paper aims to identify a new rotor topology which offers an improved saliency ratio for high-speed SynRel machines. Based on this, a tangential rib-free SynRel rotor is recognized as the peerless SynRel configuration for all high-speed operations. A 3.5 kW, 60 krpm SynRel machine is designed for an electric assist turbocharger (EAT) to ascertain the superior performance of the tangential rib-free rotor over its conventional counterparts. The Tangential rib-free SynRel machine is found to achieve a minimum improvement of 16% in the electromagnetic torque performance compared to other conventional rotor topologies. In addition, the tangential rib-free SynRel machine is subjected to static structural, rotordynamic, and thermal analysis to validate its rigidity during high-speed operation. Finally, the tangential-rib-free SynRel machine is fabricated and its performance is experimentally validated
Spatial Distribution of European Grayling Reflects Longitudinal Temperature Patterns in a Swiss River
Get PDFMost salmonid populations are declining across their entire habitat range, partly because of large-scale loss of crucial physical habitats. Alterations in river flow and temperature resulting from climate change are likely to further degrade habitat quality, particularly summer thermal conditions experienced by temperature-sensitive fish species. Understanding how summer thermal conditions control the spatial distribution of ectotherms is thus central to helping project the consequences of climate change and develop management solutions. This study uses snorkelling fish surveys collected over 10 years and airborne thermal infrared (TIR) mapping of surface temperature acquired in 2022 to assess the relationship between European grayling distribution and thermal habitats along a 9-km long reach of the Allondon River, Switzerland. Results show that all 3 grayling life stages (adults, sub-adults and juveniles) respond negatively to elevated summer temperature, with distribution patterns highlighting thermal structuring effects on fish populations. The presence of two cooler reaches appears critical to the survival of the Allondon's declining grayling population, while the warmest reach that separates these habitats potentially acts as a thermal barrier during critical summer conditions. These results were used to guide local stakeholders towards short-term and longer-term actions to be taken on the river, which include: concerted trans-national management to protect key upstream tributaries, tree planting to limit summer peak temperature and strategic protection of cold-water patches that may act as thermal refuges during critical periods
Weakly strongly regular uniform algebras
Get PDFGiven a uniform algebra A on a compact Hausdorff space X and a point x in X, denote by Mx the ideal of functions in A that vanish at x and by Jx the ideal of functions in A that vanish on a neighborhood of x. It is shown that for each integer m ≥ 2, there exists a compact plane set K containing the origin such that in R(K) we have Jx ⊃ Mx for every x ∈ K \ {0} and J0 ⊃ M m 0 but J0 ̸ ⊃ M m−1 0. This result establishes a recent conjecture of Alexander Izzo. For the proof we introduce a construction that could be described as taking square roots of Swiss cheeses. Dedicated to Stuart Sidne
Soft Micromanipulation Robot for Real‐Time Adaptive Multimodal Operation
Get PDFMicromanipulation robots hold immense promise for biomedical applications, yet they remain fundamentally limited by three persistent challenges: cross-scale target heterogeneity, spatially constrained workspaces, and integrated multimodal operation requirements. Here, a soft micromanipulation robot (SMR) capable of omnidirectional, micrometer-precision manipulation via a hollow multi-notch agonist-antagonist mechanism is presented. Combining ± 180° bending and 360° rotation for full-angle operation, this bio-inspired design achieves 14 µm positioning accuracy, enabling reliable handling of single-cell-sized objects. The SMR adapts in situ to sensitive biosamples and limited workspaces, supporting diverse manipulation modes including aspiration, transfer, programmable assembly, targeted microinjection, and localized cutting of biospecimens. To evaluate biomedical applicability, an assembly experiment with human kidney cell spheres, which is essential for establishing co-culture models in new drug development is designed. The SMR successfully aspirated, transferred, and precisely positioned multiple assembloids onto ring-shaped biochips, achieving programmable assembly within limited workspaces. The SMR has the potential to be a flexible and adaptable platform for performing delicate operations in various biomedical scenarios, such as in vitro modeling, drug testing, and microscale surgery
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