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What is the Lived Experience of People Affected by Cancer, Family Members, and Their Treatment Team Engaged in Patient Initiated Follow-Up and Preferences in Cancer Care:A Qualitative Systematic Review
No full textObjectives: This qualitative systematic review aimed to explore the lived experiences of people affected by cancer, their families, and health care professionals involved in patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU). It sought to understand how PIFU is experienced in practice and what factors support or hinder its use. Methods: A qualitative systematic review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute meta-aggregation approach. Six databases were searched in July 2025. Studies were included if they reported qualitative data on the experiences of PIFU in cancer care. The findings were synthesized into overall findings and reviewed by multiple authors. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251103470). Results: Eight studies (all UK-based) were included, involving 120 cancer survivors, 63 health care professionals, and 3 family members. Four synthesized findings emerged: (1) PIFU empowers patients but requires risk-based and personalized implementation; (2) PIFU supports self-management, but disparities in education, support, and communication exist; (3) PIFU is valued for cost-efficiency, convenience, and emotional relief; and (4) some patients still require face-to-face reassurance. PIFU was considered more suitable after a period of adjustment post-treatment and less suited for patients with high anxiety, limited health literacy, culturally and linguistically diverse, or psychosocial vulnerabilities. Conclusions: PIFU can be a valuable follow-up option when aligned with individual capability and support needs. Implementation must consider psychosocial readiness, access to care, and preferences for reassurance. Implications for Nursing Practice: Cancer nurses play a key role in preparing patients for PIFU by providing tailored education, supporting self-management, assessing readiness, and offering ongoing support. A nurse-led, flexible approach can ensure that follow-up care is both safe and person-centered.</p
Identifying distinct profiles of social anxiety: Exploring differences in alcohol use and related problems
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Decoding Biomass Smoke in Rural India: A Multi-Technique Analysis of Particulate Matter and Ash from Cooking Fuels
No full textThe use of solid biomass fuels for cooking in rural Indian households produces significant particulate emissions with implications for indoor air quality and human exposure. This study characterises the physico-chemical properties of particulate matter (PM) and combustion ash emitted from commonly used biomass fuels to provide a detailed understanding of their composition, morphology, and elemental profiles.Particulate and ash samples were collected from real-world kitchens and controlled combustion of biomass fuel under simulated household conditions. The average particle size distribution of emitted PM was dominated by fine and ultrafine fractions, with a large proportion below 2.5 µm.The samples were analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy to identify surface morphology, elemental composition, crystalline phases, and carbon structure. Morphological analysis showed that PM from biomass combustion formed irregular, porous agglomerates, as well as soot-like formations with branches or chain-like structures. EDX analysis indicated that potassium, calcium, silicon, and iron were the major elements, with trace amounts of sodium, zinc, aluminium, and magnesium also detected. Elemental analysis revealed presence of heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and zinc from biomass burning. Mercury was found only in PM samples from cooking. Raman spectra of PM and ash samples exhibited distinct D and G bands, indicating the presence of amorphous carbon structures, with higher ID/IG ratios, suggesting incomplete combustion. Carbonaceous analysis revealed that around 80% of the carbon in PM was organic carbon (OC), while only 30% of the carbon in ash was OC. The predominance of elemental carbon (EC) in the remaining 70% suggests substantial formation of black carbon or soot due to incomplete combustion of biomass fuels. Volatile analysis was carried out for both particle-bound and gaseous phase samples, where benzene-derivatives were found to be the highest. Common compounds found in the samples include naphthalene derivatives as well as long-chain and cyclic silanes and siloxanes, which cause chronic health effects in addition to being classed as carcinogenic compounds or developmental toxins.This study demonstrates a replicable approach that combines personal exposure monitoring with a six-stage Andersen cascade impactor to collect particulate samples representative of their deposition potential in the human respiratory tract, followed by detailed physico-chemical characterisation. These findings contribute to understanding source-specific emission profiles from rural cooking practices and can support emission inventory development, exposure assessment, and mitigation strategies targeting household biomass combustion
The economic and environmental sustainability of digital commons:Lessons from the 2023 Debian project survey
No full textDigital commons are shared information and knowledge resources such as data, software and cultural content. They are produced and managed for collective use, and to be modified and redistributed as needed. Using results from a 2023 survey of the Debian community, this new DCPC report addresses question such as: Is the free, libre and open source software or FLOSS development model economically sustainable? What role can FLOSS play in the transition to more environmentally sustainable production and consumption? With the benefit of hindsight, the first survey of the Debian community, carried out in 2016, whose preliminary results were published in 2017 in the Journal of Peer Production, represented the first manifestation of a core DCPC program of work: to empirically map which categories of workers (e.g., firm employees, foundation employees, researchers, volunteers, etc) were performing which duties in the digital commons production process, with a view to increasing the recognition of these commons and these voluntary workers by industry and society.The 2023 edition had a more clearly militant intent than its predecessor, as it also sought to investigate community opinion about the predatory practices and environmental sustainability of large IT firms as well as about alternative models. A key finding is the rejection by the community of the use of restrictive licences to incentivise environmental action (e.g., preventing entities that engage in unsustainable environmental practices from using Debian). Other interesting findings can be drawn from comments responding to the question ‘Are the main obstacles to reducing environmental impacts in your workplace economic (for example, their cost), organisational (for example, lack of support from management), technical (for example, difficulty of implementation)?’ These detailed responses allow us to understand the extent and ramifications of the obstacles
Addressing Barriers and Advancing Practice: Innovations in Student Experience Feedback
No full textEffective feedback practices – including constructive comments that justify grades and identify strengths and weaknesses - play a critical role in higher education. This study investigates barriers to student engagement with feedback at an Australian university, focusing on differences between postgraduate (PG) international and undergraduate (UG) domestic students. Employing a mixed methods research design, it combines quantitative survey analysis with qualitative thematic coding to gain comprehensive insights into students’ perceptions of the Student Experience Questionnaire (SEQ) process.Data were collected through an anonymous online survey comprising 25 questions, including scaled-response items designed to capture quantitative insights and open-ended prompts to gather qualitative feedback. Thematic analysis revealed key emotional and structural barriers, such as anxiety when receiving feedback, perceived staff defensiveness, and a lack of visible outcomes from previous SEQ responses. Statistical analysis identified notable distinctions between PG international and UG domestic students: while both groups acknowledged communication challenges, they differed in how these were perceived and prioritised. PG international students expressed stronger support for strategies to enhance engagement with the SEQ (e.g., in-class time, reminders), whereas UG domestic students were more sceptical about its value and effectiveness.Findings underscore the need to address both emotional and practical dimensions of feedback. Students advocated for more transparent communication, independent feedback channels, and greater visibility of how feedback is acted upon. These recommendations align with broader literature on student voice and engagement, highlighting the importance of co-designed solutions that foster mutual trust and accountability between students and educators.By centring student perspectives and offering actionable insights, this study contributes to advancing feedback practices and student engagement. The results have implications for institutional policy, particularly in designing more inclusive, transparent, and responsive feedback systems that reflect the diverse needs of contemporary university cohorts.<br/
Promoting Research Dissemination among Undergraduate Students: A Pilot Internal Conference
No full textA strong and functional teaching-research nexus brings significant benefits to students and academic institutions. Although tertiary institutions are increasingly integrating research into their courses, most undergraduate students refrain from publishing research derived from their coursework. Research dissemination is vital for boosting students’ confidence in their research skills which can contribute to their decision to pursue a higher research degree or a research career. Furthermore, successful publications reinforce the research culture and elevate the profiles of institutions. To promote research dissemination among undergraduate IT and engineering students in our university, we organised a faculty-level research conference. The aim was to provide a low-barrier avenue for students to present their work and engage in scientific discussions with a wider audience than in the classroom, all in a less stressful setting than external conferences. Our initial findings align with previous studies in that students who participated in the conference found the experience fulfilling, with some expressing their willingness to develop their research further and disseminate it wider. However, many students showed reluctance to participate in the conference, despite several incentives that were announced. Our next steps will involve better integration of the conference into our course offerings and conducting a student survey to understand the key factors behind students’ low participation rates
Exercise in cancer care for people with lung cancer:A narrative synthesis
No full textObjectives: Lung cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed worldwide, resulting in significant physical and psychological consequences. In this narrative review, we explore the role of exercise as an adjunct therapy to counteract health issues experienced by people before, during and after treatment for lung cancer, and offer recommendations for exercise prescription and future research. Design: Narrative cornerstone review. Methods: A narrative review was conducted to explore the role of exercise in cancer care for people diagnosed with lung cancer. Results: Improvements in fitness, strength and quality of life have been demonstrated in people with lung cancer following participation in exercise programmes before, during and post treatment. Whilst combined aerobic (50–100 % heart rate maximum) and resistance (50–85 % of 1 repetition maximum) training, 2–5 times per week across the cancer continuum is typically prescribed, few people with lung cancer currently access exercise services. ‘Optimal’ exercise prescription is unclear, although is likely individual-specific. The immediate priority is to identify a tolerable starting exercise dosage, with the side effects of lung cancer and its treatment on the respiratory system, particularly shortness of breath (dyspnoea), likely driving the initial maximum threshold for session mode, duration and intensity. To date, exercise safety for people with lung cancer has been poorly evaluated and reported — few trials report it, but those that do report small numbers of serious adverse events. Conclusions: Recommendations for health professionals prescribing exercise therapy to people with lung cancer are provided, with consideration of the strengths and limitations of the current evidence base.</p
Acute metabolite responses to swimming exercise of different intensities in highly trained male and female swimmers
No full textWe investigated metabolite responses to different swimming intensities in 16 highly trained swimmers (9 males, 7 females, aged 16–24 years). After determining critical swimming speed (CS) with a 12 × 25 m maximal effort test, participants completed three swimming trials at moderate (below CS), heavy (at CS), and severe (above CS) intensities on separate days. Capillary blood samples (1 mL) were collected before and after each trial for metabolite profiling via mass spectrometry. Orthogonal partial least squares analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed distinct metabolite changes between moderate and severe intensity trials [R2X (cum): 0.56; R2Y(cum): 0.95, pR2Y: 0.02, pQ2: 0.02]. Free fatty acids (FFAs) 18:0, 20:0, 20:4, and 22:4 showed higher log2 fold changes (log2FC) after moderate compared to heavy and severe trials (all p < 0.01). Plasma lactate, pyruvate, alanine, and HDL-4 cholesterol concentrations had greater log2FC after heavy and severe trials than moderate (all p < 0.01). Males tended to show lower log2FC in FFA than females in the severe trial, though this was not significant. These findings demonstrate that swimming intensity influences metabolite profiles, with reduced lipid metabolism and increased TCA cycle activity as intensity rises. A 1 mL capillary blood sample can effectively capture these metabolic shifts.</p
Monte Carlo analysis of energy deposition and X-ray fluence in cylindrical anode systems
No full textBACKGROUND: Cylindrical anode X-ray systems are increasingly used in multisource imaging; however, electron beam interactions with the curved anodes cause geometric distortions that alter energy deposition and X-ray emission. Understanding these effects is key to optimizing system performance.PURPOSE: This study uses Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to examine how electron beam size, anode radius, and polar angle influence energy deposition and X-ray fluence in cylindrical anode setups, and to quantify the distortions and energy redistribution for improved X-ray generation efficiency and beam stability.METHODS: MC simulations were performed with electron beams (0.5 × 0.5 mm and 2 × 2 mm, 120 keV) on cylindrical tungsten anodes with radii from 1 to 5 cm and polar angles from 20.5° to 71.8°. Energy deposition profiles, dimensions, and photon fluence distributions were analyzed using the FLUKA MC package, with mapping in cylindrical coordinates (r-ϕ-z).RESULTS: Energy deposition profiles varied with beam position and anode curvature. The axial full width at half maximum (FWHM) increased by up to 650% at larger polar angles, while the azimuthal FWHM decreased up to 50%. Larger anode radii reduced the azimuthal FWHM by up to 78%, with minimal changes in axial and radial components. Narrower beams (0.5 × 0.5 mm 2) produced smaller, more symmetric energy deposition profiles on anode surface. Overshoot occurred at small radii and large polar angles, leading to incomplete energy deposition. CONCLUSIONS: Larger anode radii and moderate polar angles minimized energy deposition profiles distortion and improved X-ray fluence uniformity and production efficiency. Overshooting at small radii and large angles caused deformation, emphasizing the need for precise beam positioning to balance distortion, uniformity, and efficiency. These results define the geometric limits for effective energy deposition profile formation in cylindrical anode systems.</p