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Characterising the expression and function of islet G protein-coupled receptor regulatory proteins
No full textDevelopment and feasibility testing of a multicomponent tailored intervention to address sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity among nursing home residents with, or at risk of, sarcopenia
No full textDevelopment of neuroimaging data pipelines to characterise infant neurodevelopment in rural Gambia
No full textRisk of haemorrhagic strokes in patients with psychiatric disorders:A systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFOBJECTIVES: Strong evidence on the risk of haemorrhagic strokes for those with psychiatric conditions may lead to more effective interventions for mental health patients and inform future studies. This systematic review aimed to identify all the studies that compare the risk of haemorrhagic stroke for patients with and without depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar or personality disorders. It also aimed to provide a summary estimate of the risk, where possible, using meta-analysis.METHODS: Electronic searches were conducted in Embase, PsycINFO, PubMED, Scopus and the Web of Science, from database inception to the 11th of March 2025. A Random-effects model to estimate the pooled effect size with 95% confidence intervals was used.RESULTS: 17,214 references were initially identified. Eleven articles were included. Seven of them, five observational and two mendelian randomisation studies, investigated depression. In the meta-analysis depression showed a significant association with an increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke, with pooled HR: 1.28 (1.19-1.38) when only observational studies were included. When mendelian randomisation studies were added the result was a pooled HR: 1.26 (1.08-1.44). The risk of haemorrhagic stroke was increased in one of the three studies that investigated patients with anxiety disorders and in one of the three that looked at patients with schizophrenia. Two studies of bipolar disorder, and one of personality disorders, reported that patients with these conditions do not have an increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke.CONCLUSION: Patients with depression have an increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke. The association of mental illness with haemorrhagic stroke needs further research.</p
Numerical Simulation of a Bulk Superconductor-Based Millifluidic Magnetic Separation Chip
Get PDFThe separation of magnetic micro- and nanoparticles based on their size and magnetic properties can greatly enhance their potential in chemical, biological, and medical applications. In this work, we propose a millifluidic magnetic separation chip that employs a bulk superconducting magnet to achieve efficient particle separation. The separation performance of the chip is analysed using the finite-element software package COMSOL Multiphysics. The performance of the chip is investigated under different magnetic conditions, including the use of a permanent magnet and bulk superconducting magnets operating at various temperatures. The results demonstrate that at a bulk operating temperature of 60 K, the system can effectively achieve high-throughput separation of magnetic particles within the size range of 0–20 μm. The study also reveals that the chip can be utilised for particle size detection. Overall, this modelling framework provides a theoretical foundation for the design and development of practical, high-efficiency millifluidic magnetic separation systems for future applications.</p
ON THE DESIGN OF HIGHER-ORDER TIME-INTENSITY MICROPHONE ARRAYS FOR PANORAMIC AUDIO RECORDING AND REPRODUCTION
Get PDFThe principles of time-intensity panning and of using non-coincident microphone arrays for recording multichannel audio have been well established. Unlike previous studies which focus on lower-order mi- crophones or assume ideal directivity patterns, this paper presents a practical design of higher-order non-coincident microphone arrays for multichannel recording and reproduction based on time-intensity panning. In this design, higher-order microphones are implemented using linear differential microphone arrays (LDMAs). Furthermore, a comprehensive framework for differential beamformer design and array topology optimization is developed, which minimizes the er- ror between the actual beampattern and the ideal directivity pat- tern while ensuring the beamformer robustness. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed microphone array and the associated differential beamformer
Characteristics of individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds who die by suicide:A systematic review
Get PDFWe aimed to estimate the prevalence of clinical and modifiable sociodemographic characteristics of individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds who died by suicide and, where possible, compare them to the majority population. Databases were searched for studies published between 01/01/2000–19/12/2023. Absolute and relative prevalence estimates of characteristics were reported by minority group (Indigenous; migrant; other ethnic minority) then stratified by continent and, where applicable, migrant sub-type and ethnicity. A narrative synthesis was conducted with moderate-high quality studies. We identified fifty-seven studies across 16 countries; the majority from North America, Europe and Oceania. When examining moderate-high quality evidence, there were generally limited numbers of studies reporting the prevalence of each characteristic by ethnic minority status, especially for social factors. Based on the available data, we found a high prevalence mental health problems among people who died by suicide from Indigenous (20.8–60.7 %), migrant (37.2–42.9 %) and other ethnic minority (29.9–37.3 %) backgrounds. However, people from Asian/Pacific Islander, Black and Hispanic backgrounds were less likely to have mental health problems reported compared to majority populations. Indigenous people and migrants generally had lower contact with mental health services compared to majority groups. We also found evidence of a lower prevalence of depression and higher prevalence of alcohol and substance use problems among Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous individuals, and greater levels of economic disadvantage among migrants compared to non-migrants. Our findings highlight differences in the characteristics of people who die by suicide based on ethnicity and migration status and identify potential targets for research and suicide prevention strategies.</p
Generalized Statistics on Lattices
Get PDFThe statistics of particles and extended excitations, such as loops and membranes, are fundamental to modern condensed matter physics, high-energy physics, and quantum information science, yet a comprehensive lattice-level framework for computing them remains elusive. In this work, we develop a universal microscopic method to determine the generalized statistics of Abelian excitations on lattices of arbitrary dimension and demonstrate it by deriving the statistics of particles, loops, and membranes in up to three spatial dimensions. Our approach constructs a sequence of local unitary operators whose many-body Berry phase encodes the desired statistical invariant. The required sequence is generated automatically from the Smith normal form of locality constraints and therefore needs no extra physical input. We prove that the resulting invariants are quantized, provide an algorithm that computes them efficiently, and show how they unify familiar braiding and fusion data of particles while also uncovering new self- and mutual statistics of loop and membrane excitations. We further demonstrate that each statistical invariant corresponds to an ’t Hooft anomaly of a generalized symmetry; we show that a nontrivial invariant both (i) obstructs gauging that symmetry and (ii) forbids any short-range-entangled (symmetry-preserving) ground state. This establishes a precise connection between microscopic lattice anomalies and many-body dynamics, providing a generalization of the Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorem that constrains a wide class of quantum lattice systems
Beyond geopolitics: Social license and supply chain risks of critical minerals
No full textThis paper interrogates the concept of criticality in critical minerals, particularly as it pertains to the global supply chains essential for renewable energy and clean technologies. It begins by questioning whose interests define mineral criticality, noting that dominant perspectives (i.e., industry, state, and geopolitics) often marginalize sub-national concerns. A fourth dimension, the role of communities and the presence or absence of social license to operate, is widely studied in mining literature but rarely integrated into criticality assessments. Drawing on qualitative data and a case study of Ghana's emerging lithium sector, the paper reframes criticality to include sub-national social dynamics and offers a critical reflection on how social license functions as a risk factor in critical minerals governance. The findings reveal that delays in legal processes, exclusion from decision-making, and inadequate compensation disrupt livelihoods and heighten tensions in lithium-rich communities. These dynamics elevate the risk of social conflict, which in turn increases the cost of conflict for both state and companies. The paper argues that effective risk governance must embed principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent, equitable beneficiation, and sustained community engagement. Social license to operate is not a static condition but a dynamic process that can be withdrawn, with significant implications for project timelines, reputational risk, investor confidence, and supply chains risks. As global competition intensifies over access to strategic minerals, the governance of mining sites in the Global South becomes important for supply chain assurance. The findings underscore the importance of integrating social dimensions into global criticality frameworks
Quantifying the fatal and non-fatal burden of disease associated with child growth failure, 2000–2023: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023
Get PDFBackgroundChild growth failure (CGF), which includes underweight, wasting, and stunting, is among the factors most strongly associated with mortality and morbidity in children younger than 5 years worldwide. Poor height and bodyweight gain arise from a variety of biological and sociodemographic factors and are associated with increased vulnerability to infectious diseases. We used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 to estimate CGF prevalence, the risk of infectious diseases associated with CGF, and the disease mortality, morbidity, and overall burden associated with CGF.MethodsIn this analysis we estimated the all-cause and cause-specific (diarrhoea, lower respiratory tract infections, malaria, and measles) disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost and mortality associated with stunting, wasting, underweight, and CGF in aggregate. We combined the burden associated with mild, moderate, and severe forms of CGF: stunting was defined as height-for-age Z scores (HAZ) less than –1, underweight was defined as weight-for-age Z scores (WAZ) less than –1, and wasting was defined as weight-for-height Z scores (WHZ) less than –1, according to WHO Child Growth Standards. Population-level continuous distributions of HAZ, WAZ, and WHZ were estimated for 2000 to 2023 using data from surveys, literature, and individual-level study data. The risk of incidence of, and mortality due to, diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, malaria, and measles was separately estimated in a meta-regression framework from longitudinal cohort data for Z scores less than –1. Finally, fatal outcomes associated with these diseases were estimated with vital registration, verbal autopsy, and case-fatality data, while non-fatal outcomes were estimated with surveys as well as health-care utilisation and case reporting data. The exposure prevalence and relative risk estimates were from continuous distributions, allowing for direct assessment of the attributable fractions for mild, moderate, and severe stunting, underweight, wasting, and the combined impact of child growth failure within populations. All estimates were age-specific, sex-specific, geography-specific, and year-specific.FindingsWe estimated that, in children younger than 5 years in 2023, CGF was associated with 79·4 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 47·0–106) DALYs lost and 880 000 (517 000–1 170 000) deaths. This represented 17·9% (10·6–23·8) of 444 million (434–457) total under-5 DALYs and 18·8% (11·1–25·0) of all 4·67 million (4·59–4·75) under-5 deaths. Compared to stunting (33·0 million [24·1–42·2] DALYs, 373 000 [272 000–477 000] deaths) and wasting (39·2 million [23·8–53·0] DALYs, 428 000 [256 000–583 000] deaths), childhood underweight was associated with the largest share of CGF-related disease burden: 52·2 million (21·9–75·1) DALYs and 573 000 (236 000–824 000) deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2023.InterpretationCGF remains a leading factor associated with death and disability in children younger than 5 years, despite global attention and focused interventions to reduce the prevalence of associated CGF indicators. Our findings underscore the need for policies, strategies, and interventions that focus on all indicators of CGF to reduce its associated health burden