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Motion-onset visual evoked potentials (MO VEPs) are robust to dioptric blur when low contrast and low spatial frequency patterns are used for stimulation. To reveal mechanisms of MO VEPs robustness, we studied whether the resistance to defocus persists even when using a high-contrast checkerboard using digital defocus in the emmetropic eyes of 13 subjects (males 20-60 years). We compared the dominant components of MO VEPs to pattern-reversal VEPs (PR VEP), which are sensitive to the blur. For stimulation, we used checkerboard patterns with 15´ and 60´ checks. To defocus the checkerboard, we rendered it with a second-order Zernike polynomial ( Z 2 0 ) with an equivalent defocus of 0, 2, or 4 D. For PR VEP, the checkerboards were reversed in terms of their contrast. To evoke MO VEP, the checkerboard of 60´ checks moved for 200 ms with a speed of 5 or 10 deg/s in the cardinal directions. The MO VEP did not change in peak time (P ≥ 0.0747) or interpeak amplitude (P > 0.0772) with digital blur. In contrast, for PR VEP, the results showed a decrease in interpeak amplitude (P ≤ 6.65ˑ10-4) and an increase in peak time (P ≤ 0.0385). Thus, we demonstrated that MO VEPs evoked by checkerboard, structure containing high spatial content, can be robust to defocus., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants accumulate as humans age, particularly in the stem-cell compartments, and are an important contributor to age-related disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been observed in osteoporosis and somatic mtDNA pathogenic variants have been observed in animal models of osteoporosis. However, this has never been assessed in the relevant human tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the progenitors to many cells of the musculoskeletal system and are critical to skeletal tissues and bone vitality. Investigating mtDNA in MSCs could provide novel insights into the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in osteoporosis. To determine if this is possible, we investigated the landscape of somatic mtDNA variation in MSCs through a combination of fluorescence-activated cell sorting and single-cell next-generation sequencing. Our data show that somatic heteroplasmic variants are present in individual patient-derived MSCs, can reach high heteroplasmic fractions and have the potential to be pathogenic. The identification of somatic heteroplasmic variants in MSCs of patients highlights the potential for mitochondrial dysfunction to contribute to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Progressive gait impairment is common among aging adults. Remote phenotyping of gait during daily living has the potential to quantify gait alterations and evaluate the effects of interventions that may prevent disability in the aging population. Here, we developed ElderNet, a self-supervised learning model for gait detection from wrist-worn accelerometer data. Validation involved two diverse cohorts, including over 1000 participants without gait labels, as well as 83 participants with labeled data: older adults with Parkinson's disease, proximal femoral fracture, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and healthy adults. ElderNet presented high accuracy (96.43 ± 2.27), specificity (98.87 ± 2.15), recall (82.32 ± 11.37), precision (86.69 ± 17.61), and F1 score (82.92 ± 13.39). The suggested method yielded superior performance compared to two state-of-the-art gait detection algorithms, with improved accuracy and F1 score (p < 0.05). In an initial evaluation of construct validity, ElderNet identified differences in estimated daily walking durations across cohorts with different clinical characteristics, such as mobility disability (p < 0.001) and parkinsonism (p < 0.001). The proposed self-supervised method has the potential to serve as a valuable tool for remote phenotyping of gait function during daily living in aging adults, even among those with gait impairments., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Chronic wounds represent a significant global health concern, statistically impacting 1-2% of the population in developed countries throughout their lifetimes. These wounds cause considerable discomfort for patients and necessitate substantial expenditures of time and resources for treatment. Among the emerging therapeutic approaches, medicated dressings incorporating bioactive molecules, including natural compounds, are particularly promising. Hence, the objective of this study was to develop novel antimicrobial dressings for wound treatment. Specifically, polycaprolactone membranes were manufactured using the electrospinning technique and subsequently coated with natural polyelectrolytes (chitosan as a polycation and a mixture of manuka honey with essential oils nanoemulsions as a polyanion) employing the Layer-by-Layer assembly technique. Physico-chemical and morphological characterization was conducted through QCM-D, FTIR-ATR, XPS, and SEM analyses. The results from SEM and QCM-D demonstrated successful layer deposition and coating formation. Furthermore, FTIR-ATR and XPS analyses distinguished among different coating compositions. The coated membranes were tested in the presence of fibroblast cells, demonstrating biocompatibility and expression of genes coding for VEGF, COL1, and TGF-β1, which are associated with the healing process (assessed through RT-qPCR analysis). Finally, the membranes exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with higher bacterial strain inhibition observed when cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsion was incorporated. Taken together, these results demonstrate the potential application of nanocoated membranes for biomedical applications, such as wound healing., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The addition of metastasis-directed radiotherapy (MDRT) to immunotherapy in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC) has shown promising results. We report the real-world data from the ARON-2 study (NCT05290038) on the impact of conventional (CRT) or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) on the outcome of aUC patients receiving pembrolizumab after platinum-based-chemotherapy. Medical records of 837 patients were reviewed from 60 institutions in 20 countries. Two hundred and sixty-two patients (31%) received radiotherapy (cohort A), of whom 193 (23%) received CRT and 69 (8%) received SBRT. Patients were assessed for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall response rate (ORR). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore the association of variables of interest with OS and PFS. With a median follow-up of 22.7 months, the median OS was 10.2 months, 6.8 months and 16.0 months in no RT, CRT and SBRT subgroups (p = 0.005), with an 1y-OS rates of 47%, 34% and 61%, respectively (p < 0.001). The 1y-OS rate in the SBRT subgroup were significantly higher for both lower (63%) and upper tract UC (68%), for pure urothelial histology (63%) and variant histologies (58%), and for patients with bone (40%) and lymph-node metastases (61%). Median PFS was 4.8 months, 9.6 months and 5.8 months in the CRT, SBRT and no RT subgroups, respectively (p = 0.060). The 1y-PFS rate was significantly higher (48%) in the SBRT population and was confirmed in all patient subsets. The difference in terms of ORR was in favour of SBRT. Our real-world analysis showed that the use of SBRT/pembrolizumab combination may play a role in a subset of aUC patients to increase disease control and possibly overall survival., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted people's lives and caused significant economic damage around the world, but its impact on people's mental health has not been paid due attention by the research community. According to anecdotal data, the pandemic has raised serious concerns related to mental health among the masses. However, no systematic investigations have been conducted previously on mental health monitoring and, in particular, detection of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The goal of this study is to use classical machine learning approaches to classify tweets into COVID-PTSD positive or negative categories. To this end, we employed various Machine Learning (ML) classifiers, to segregate the psychotic difficulties with the user's PTSD in the context of COVID-19, including Random Forest Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, and K-Nearest Neighbor. ML models are trained and tested using various combinations of feature selection strategies to get the best possible combination. Based on our experimentation on real-world dataset, we demonstrate our model's effectiveness to perform classification with an accuracy of 83.29% using Support Vector Machine as classifier and unigram as a feature pattern., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study utilises computational fluid dynamics simulations with the OpenFOAM computational framework to investigate and compare the in-plane and through-plane permeability properties of four different gas diffusion layers (GDLs). Also the through-plane water and air relative permeability values and water saturations at different rates were simulated. Permeability analysis enhances our understanding of fluid flow, ways to decrease pressure loss in the GDL, and methods to enhance oxygen concentration at the catalyst layer interface through convection. The analysis reveals that the investigated GDL materials have spatial heterogeneity of porosity and permeability, especially in the Sigracet SGL 25 BA GDL. However, the porosity and permeability of the Toray TGP-H 060 and AvCarb 370 MGL GDLs exhibit less variations. The two-phase flow studies on GDL saturation show that at the same water injection flowrate, the AvCarb 370 MGL GDL has the largest remaining water saturation, with Sigracet SGL 25 BA GDL being the less saturated GDL among the four investigated GDLs. The compression from the ribs significantly affected the in-plane permeabilities of both Toray TGP-H 060 and especially impacted Sigracet SGL 25 BA GDL. This impact was expected as the pore size distribution varied significantly in the areas under the ribs versus the channel., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The broad spread of cooperative robots into many application domains has resulted in a demand for intuitive and effective solutions for teleoperated control. A relevant role in teleoperation has been assumed by impedance controllers, that allow the increase of stability and accuracy during interaction. This paper aims to test a teleoperation method based on an impedance controller, namely tele-impedance control, that is usable in unstructured environments since it relies only on wearable sensors. The proposed solution maps the joint stiffness and position of the human user, computed through six EMG and two M-IMU sensors, into the remote system to be teleoperated. We developed a 2-DoFs virtual task involving virtual physical interactions to compare the performance of our solution with the one of a traditional position-based controller. The study has been conducted on five healthy participants, who experienced both controllers in two different sessions. The tele-impedance approach has proved to be less physically demanding and more intuitive than the position-based one. Experimental data also allow us to investigate the strategy employed by the volunteers in the case of remote interactions, while using the two controllers. Of note, even though with the position controller the variation of subject impedance has no effect on the virtual arm, participants still tend to regulate both impedance and position of their own arm., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In designing control systems, it is known that fractional-order proportional integral derivative (FOPID) controllers often provide greater flexibility than conventional proportional integral derivative (PID) controllers. This higher level of flexibility has proven to be extremely valuable for various applications such as vibration suppression in structural engineering. In this paper, we study the optimization of FOPID controllers using twelve well-established algorithms to minimize structural responses under seismic excitations. The algorithms include crystal structure algorithm (CryStAl), stochastic paint optimizer, particle swarm optimization, krill herd, harmony search, ant colony optimization, genetic algorithm, grey wolf optimizer, Harris hawks optimization, sparrow search algorithm, hippopotamus optimization algorithm, and duck swarm algorithm. In addition to highlighting the benefits of fractional calculus in structural control, this study provides a detailed analysis of FOPID controllers as well as a brief description of the algorithms used to optimize them. To evaluate the efficiency of the proposed techniques, two building models with different numbers of stories are examined. FOPID controllers are designed based on oustaloup's approximation and the El Centro earthquake data. Using five well-known metrics, the performances of the developed methods are evaluated against five earthquake scenarios, including the recent earthquake in Turkey. A non-parametric (Friedman) test is also employed to compare the algorithms based on their corresponding vibration reduction. The findings of this analysis show that CryStAl consistently performs better than the other algorithms for both building models, thus resulting in superior vibration suppression., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Stroke is a global public health concern, contributing to high rates of morbidity and mortality. In Syria, the current conflict and associated challenges have had a profound impact on healthcare infrastructure, including education and awareness programs related to stroke. An essential aspect of preventing stroke is the awareness of individuals. The study aimed to investigate factors associated with knowledge and awareness of stroke among Syrian people. A cross-sectional national representative study was conducted in Syria. The questionnaire was created on Google form and disseminated as a link through online platform social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. The population of the study was divided using proportionate random sampling into the 14 governorates. A random sample was selected from each area. The STROBE reporting guideline for cross-sectional studies was followed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with poor knowledge of stroke. A total of 1013 Syrian adults participated in the study. With more than half of them were females (53.5%) and employed (55.6%). Significant associations were found between ability to identify at least one correct risk factor and employability status (p = 0.029), single group (p = 0.036) and smokers (p < 0.001). In addition, significant associations were found between identifying at least one correct stroke symptom and smokers (p < 0.001) and no-obese people (p = 0.048). Furthermore, younger age group (below 30 years) were significantly able to list at least one correct stroke consequence compared to the older age groups (p = 0.025). Moreover, a significantly higher number of smokers compared to non-smokers correctly identified at least one stroke consequence (p = 0.019). The study revealed that there is a relatively weak understanding of the preventable nature of stroke among Syrian population. The overall awareness is still inadequate and varies depending on lifestyle factors and employment status., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Circulating amyloid-beta 1-40 (Αb40) has pro-atherogenic properties and could serve as a biomarker in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, the association of Ab40 levels with morphological characteristics reflecting atherosclerotic plaque echolucency and composition is not available. Carotid atherosclerosis was assessed in consecutively recruited individuals without ASCVD (n = 342) by ultrasonography. The primary endpoint was grey scale median (GSM) of intima-media complex (IMC) and plaques, analysed using dedicated software. Vascular markers were assessed at two time-points (median follow-up 35.5 months). In n = 56 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, histological plaque features were analysed. Plasma Αb40 levels were measured at baseline. Ab40 was associated with lower IMC GSM and plaque GSM and higher plaque area at baseline after multivariable adjustment. Increased Ab40 levels were also longitudinally associated with decreasing or persistently low IMC and plaque GSM after multivariable adjustment (p < 0.05). In the histological analysis, Ab40 levels were associated with lower incidence of calcified plaques and plaques without high-risk features. Ab40 levels are associated with ultrasonographic and histological markers of carotid wall composition both in the non-stenotic arterial wall and in severely stenotic plaques. These findings support experimental evidence linking Ab40 with plaque vulnerability, possibly mediating its established association with major adverse cardiovascular events., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Mitochondrial function is critical to continued cellular vitality and is an important contributor to a growing number of human diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunction is typically heterogeneous, mediated through the clonal expansion of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants in a subset of cells in a given tissue. To date, our understanding of the dynamics of clonal expansion of mtDNA variants has been technically limited to the single cell-level. Here, we report the use of nanobiopsy for subcellular sampling from human tissues, combined with next-generation sequencing to assess subcellular mtDNA mutation load in human tissue from mitochondrial disease patients. The ability to map mitochondrial mutation loads within individual cells of diseased tissue samples will further our understanding of mitochondrial genetic diseases., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

When weaning offspring, female mammals limit nursing opportunities. This study aimed to investigate whether imposing a gradual reduction in daily contact time, by separating cows from their calves as an attempt to stimulate weaning, reduced dairy cows' motivation to nurse their calves. For seven weeks, 84 Holstein-Friesian cow-calf pairs were housed with either full-time (23 h contact/d), part-time (10 h contact/d), or no contact. In the following two weeks, half of full- and part-time pairs were subjected to reduced contact (50% of initial contact in week 8, 25% of initial contact in week 9), while the other half continued with unchanged contact. In weeks 8 and 9, cows' motivation to obtain full contact to and opportunity to nurse their calves was measured using weighted push gates using a novel maximum price paid method providing an alternative choice to the cows to reduce frustration. Cows with reduced calf contact were more motivated than cows with unchanged contact; however, cows used the alternative choice less than expected. The results show that cows' motivation for full calf contact and opportunity to nurse increases when daily calf contact is reduced, illustrating that dairy cows are motivated to continue nursing their 9- to 10-week-old calves., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) allows to alter brain functioning with a high spatial resolution and to reach deep targets. However, the time-course of TUS effects remains largely unknown. We applied TUS on three brain targets for three different monkeys: the anterior medial prefrontal cortex, the supplementary motor area and the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex. For each, one resting-state fMRI was acquired between 30 and 150 min after TUS as well as one without stimulation (control). We captured seed-based brain connectivity changes dynamically and on an individual basis. We also assessed between individuals and between targets homogeneity and brain features that predicted TUS changes. We found that TUS prompts heterogenous functional connectivity alterations yet retain certain consistent changes; we identified 6 time-courses of changes including transient and long duration alterations; with a notable degree of accuracy we found that brain alterations could partially be predicted. Altogether, our results highlight that TUS induces heterogeneous functional connectivity alterations. On a more technical point, we also emphasize the need to consider brain changes over-time rather than just observed during a snapshot; to consider inter-individual variability since changes could be highly different from one individual to another., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The areal extent of seagrass meadows is in rapid global decline, yet they provide highly valuable societal benefits. However, their conservation is hindered by data gaps on current and historic spatial extents. Here, we outline an approach for national-scale seagrass mapping and monitoring using an open-source platform (Google Earth Engine) and freely available satellite data (Landsat, Sentinel-2) that can be readily applied in other countries globally. Specifically, we map contemporary (2021) and historical (2000-2021; n = 10 maps) shallow water seagrass extent across the Maldives. We found contemporary Maldivian seagrass extent was ~ 105 km 2 (overall accuracy = 82.04%) and, notably, that seagrass area increased threefold between 2000 and 2021 (linear model, + 4.6 km 2  year -1 , r 2  = 0.93, p < 0.001). There was a strongly significant association between seagrass and anthropogenic activity (p < 0.001) that we hypothesize to be driven by nutrient loading and/or altered sediment dynamics (from large scale land reclamation), which would represent a beneficial anthropogenic influence on Maldivian seagrass meadows. National-scale tropical seagrass expansion is unique against the backdrop of global seagrass decline and we therefore highlight the Maldives as a rare global seagrass 'bright spot' highly worthy of increased attention across scientific, commercial, and conservation policy contexts., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

One of the major consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the significant incidence of persistent fatigue following resolution of an acute infection (i.e. post-COVID fatigue). We have shown previously that, in comparison to healthy controls, those suffering from post-COVID fatigue exhibit changes in muscle physiology, cortical circuitry, and autonomic function. Whether these changes preceded infection, potentially predisposing people to developing post-COVID fatigue, or whether the changes were a consequence of infection was unclear. Here we present results of a 12-month longitudinal study of 18 participants from the same cohort of post-COVID fatigue sufferers to investigate these correlates of fatigue over time. We report improvements in self-perception of the impact of fatigue via questionnaires, as well as significant improvements in objective measures of peripheral muscle fatigue and autonomic function, bringing them closer to healthy controls. Additionally, we found reductions in muscle twitch tension rise times, becoming faster than controls, suggesting that the improvement in muscle fatigability might be due to a process of adaptation rather than simply a return to baseline function., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

People living in coastal areas are frequently affected by natural disasters, such as floods and storms. This study aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) of people living in disadvantaged coastal communes (subdivision of Vietnam) and identify their associated factors by using the World Health Organization's quality of life instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). To achieve this, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 595 individuals aged 18 years and above living in the coastal communes in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam, from October 2022 to February 2023. The results showed that the mean overall QoL (mean ± SD) was 61.1 ± 10.8. Among the four domains of QoL, the physical health (57.2 ± 12.3) domain had a lower score than the psychological health (61.9 ± 13.0), social relations (63.4 ± 13.4), and environment (61.9 ± 13.3) domains. The QoL score of the domains for participants affected by flooding was significantly lower than that of those not affected, except for social relations. Multivariable logistic regression showed that subjects with not good QoL had the educational background with no formal education (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.63, 95% CI 1.19-5.83), fairly poor/poor households (OR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.48-5.12), suffered Musculoskeletal diseases (OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.02-2.56), unsatisfaction with health status (OR = 5.27, 95% CI 2.44-11.37), family conflicts (OR = 4.51, 95%CI 2.10-9.69), and low levels of social support (OR = 2.62; 95% CI 1.14-6.02). The analysis also revealed that workers (OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.04-0.66) had a better QoL than farmer-fisherman. QoL in disadvantaged coastal communes was low, with the lowest scores in the physical health domain. Based on the socioeconomic factors associated with not good QoL identified here, it is recommended that local authorities take more appropriate and practical measures to increase support, including measures for all aspects of physical health, psychological health, social relations, and the living environment, especially for people affected by floods., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Investigating the mineralogical compositions of soils under different geological formations becomes imperative for maximizing agricultural productivity and ensuring the long-term viability of agricultural practices. Therefore, studies were carried out on mineral compositions and diversities of soils developed over the Basement complex rock, Coastal plain sands and Ewekoro formations in Ogun state Nigeria. A total of nine profile pits (three per location) of 2 m × 1 m × 2 m size were dug in all the three locations. Soil samples were collected from the pedogenic horizons of each profile pits in replicates into a well labeled polyethylene bag. Using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) the mineral contents and their relative abundance, elemental compositions and morphologies of the fine sand, coarse silt and clay fractions of the soils at different topographic positions were identified, described and compared. Results obtained from XRD and SEM analyses exhibited similarities. The most abundant elements in the basement complex and Ewekoro pedon were oxygen, carbon and silicon whereas in the coastal plain sand pedon, oxygen, carbon and aluminum were the most abundant element. The presence of mixed-layer illite, mica, kaolinite, quartz, hematite, anatase, goethite, and chlorite at varying degrees was observed in the pedons developed on these geological formations, although kaolinite and quartz dominated the soil matrix. The mineralogical complexity of the pedons followed the order of basement complex > coastal plain sand > Ewekoro formation. Profiles developed on the Ewekoro formation exhibited the highest degree of weathering, as evidenced by their chemical properties and mineralogical compositions. The petrographic evaluation of the three geological formations revealed that all pedons were rich in quartz and exhibited varying degrees of mineral complexity and maturation. The overlapping and distinct characteristics among the geologies indicated different stages of weathering. By using the mineral maturity index, profiles developed over the basement complex rock and the coastal plain sand could be regarded as sub-matured and this could have contributed significantly to the native fertility of these soils and profiles from the Ewekoro formation were the most weathered. The use of Ewekoro formation for agriculture would necessitate significant investments in agro-inputs and sound principles of soil management through integrated soil fertility management., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Long-term demographic studies at biogeographic transition zones can elucidate how body size mediates disturbance responses. Focusing on subtropical reefs in eastern Australia, we examine trends in the size-structure of corals with contrasting life-histories and zoogeographies surrounding the 2016 coral bleaching event (2010-2019) to determine their resilience and recovery capacity. We document demographic shifts, with disproportionate declines in the number of small corals and long-term persistence of larger corals. The incidence of bleaching (Pocillopora, Turbinaria) and partial mortality (Acropora, Pocillopora) increased with coral size, and bleached corals had greater risk of partial mortality. While endemic Pocillopora experienced marked declines, decadal stability of Turbinaria despite bleaching, coupled with abundance increase and bleaching resistance in Acropora indicate remarkable resilience of these taxa in the subtropics. Declines in the number of small corals and variable associations with environmental drivers indicate bottlenecks to recovery mediated by inhibitory effects of thermal extremes for Pocillopora (heat stress) and Acropora (heat and cold stress), and stimulatory effects of chlorophyll-a for Turbinaria. Although our study reveals signs of resilience, it foreshadows the vulnerability of subtropical corals to changing disturbance regimes that include marine heatwaves. Disparity in population dynamics suggest that subtropical reefs are ecologically distinct from tropical coral reefs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Although retirement ages are rising in the United Kingdom and other countries, the average number of years people in England can expect to spend both healthy and work from age 50 (Healthy Working Life Expectancy; HWLE) is less than the number of years to the State Pension age. This study aimed to estimate HWLE with the presence and absence of selected health, socio-demographic, physical activity, and workplace factors relevant to stakeholders focusing on improving work participation. Data from 11,540 adults in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing were analysed using a continuous time 3-state multi-state model. Age-adjusted hazard rate ratios (aHRR) were estimated for transitions between health and work states associated with individual and combinations of health, socio-demographic, and workplace factors. HWLE from age 50 was 3.3 years fewer on average for people with pain interference (6.54 years with 95% confidence interval [6.07, 7.01]) compared to those without (9.79 [9.50, 10.08]). Osteoarthritis and mental health problems were associated with 2.2 and 2.9 fewer healthy working years respectively (HWLE for people without osteoarthritis: 9.50 years [9.22, 9.79]; HWLE with osteoarthritis: 7.29 years [6.20, 8.39]; HWLE without mental health problems: 9.76 years [9.48, 10.05]; HWLE with mental health problems: 6.87 years [1.58, 12.15]). Obesity and physical inactivity were associated with 0.9 and 2.0 fewer healthy working years respectively (HWLE without obesity: 9.31 years [9.01, 9.62]; HWLE with obesity: 8.44 years [8.02, 8.86]; HWLE without physical inactivity: 9.62 years [9.32, 9.91]; HWLE with physical inactivity: 7.67 years [7.23, 8.12]). Workers without autonomy at work or with inadequate support at work were expected to lose 1.8 and 1.7 years respectively in work with good health from age 50 (HWLE for workers with autonomy: 9.50 years [9.20, 9.79]; HWLE for workers lacking autonomy: 7.67 years [7.22, 8.12]; HWLE for workers with support: 9.52 years [9.22, 9.82]; HWLE for workers with inadequate support: 7.86 years [7.22, 8.12]). This study identified demographic, health, physical activity, and workplace factors associated with lower HWLE and life expectancy at age 50. Identifying the extent of the impact on healthy working life highlights these factors as targets and the potential to mitigate against premature work exit is encouraging to policy-makers seeking to extend working life as well as people with musculoskeletal and mental health conditions and their employers. The HWLE gaps suggest that interventions are needed to promote the health, wellbeing and work outcomes of subpopulations with long-term health conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Flame self-interaction (FSI) events in Moderate or Intense Low-Oxygen Dilution (MILD) combustion of homogeneous and inhomogeneous mixtures of methane and oxidiser have been analysed using three-dimensional Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). The simulations have been conducted at the same global equivalence ratio ( ⟨ ϕ ⟩ = 0.8 ) for different levels of O 2 concentration (dilution) and initial turbulence intensities. It has been reported that both homogeneous and inhomogeneous mixture MILD combustion cases exhibit significant occurrences of FSI events, with the peak frequency of FSI events occurring towards the burned gas side in all cases. Moreover, the frequency of FSI events increases with increasing dilution level and turbulence intensity, but the presence of mixture inhomogeneity leads to a reduction in total FSI events. In all cases, the cylindrical FSI topologies (i.e. tunnel formation and tunnel closure) were found to have a higher likelihood of occurrence compared to spherical FSI topologies (i.e. unburned and burned gas pockets). The geometries of FSI topologies were also analysed using the mean and Gaussian curvatures. It has been shown that the inward propagating spherical FSI topologies (i.e. unburned gas pockets) are associated with negative mean curvature, while outward propagating spherical FSI topologies (i.e. burned gas pockets) are associated with positive mean curvature. Moreover, tunnel formation (tunnel closure) FSI topologies predominantly exhibit either elliptic geometries with positive (negative) mean curvature or hyperbolic saddle geometries with negative (positive) mean curvature. It has been shown for the first time in MILD combustion that the mean values of kinematic restoration and dissipation terms in the transport equation of the magnitude of the reaction progress variable conditional upon the reaction progress variable tend to cancel each other in the vicinity of the critical points associated with cylindrical topologies. Thus, the singular contributions in these terms, which are obtained from analytical descriptions in the vicinity of tunnel formation and tunnel closure topologies, do not affect the balance equation of the magnitude of the gradient of the reaction progress variable. Consequently, there is no need for a separate model treatment for singularities in modelling approaches based on the magnitude of the gradient of the reaction progress variable. The FSI events in the reaction dominated and propagating flame regions of MILD combustion have also been analysed for the first time. It has been found that more FSI events occur in the reaction dominated region, particularly towards the burned gas side. However, the majority of spherical FSI topologies are found in the propagating flame region. The findings from this study indicate that turbulence intensity, dilution level and mixture inhomogeneity effects need to be considered in any attempt to extend flame surface-based modelling approaches to MILD combustion., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Deregulation of lipid composition in adipose tissue adjacent to breast tumour is observed in ex vivo and animal models. Novel non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows rapid lipid mapping of the human whole breast. We set out to elucidate the spatial heterogeneity of peri-tumoural lipid composition in postmenopausal patients with oestrogen receptor positive (ER +) breast cancer. Thirteen participants (mean age, 62 ± [SD] 6 years) with ER + breast cancer and 13 age-matched postmenopausal healthy controls were scanned on MRI. The number of double bonds in triglycerides was computed from MRI images to derive lipid composition maps of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fatty acids (MUFA, PUFA, SFA). The spatial heterogeneity measures (mean, median, skewness, entropy and kurtosis) of lipid composition in the peri-tumoural region and the whole breast of participants and in the whole breast of controls were computed. The Ki-67 proliferative activity marker and CD163 antibody on tumour-associated macrophages were assessed histologically. Mann Whitney U or Wilcoxon tests and Spearman's coefficients were used to assess group differences and correlations, respectively. For comparison against the whole breast in participants, peri-tumoural MUFA had a lower mean (median (IQR), 0.40 (0.02), p < .001), lower median (0.42 (0.02), p < .001), a negative skewness with lower magnitude (- 1.65 (0.77), p = .001), higher entropy (4.35 (0.64), p = .007) and lower kurtosis (5.13 (3.99), p = .001). Peri-tumoural PUFA had a lower mean (p < .001), lower median (p < .001), a positive skewness with higher magnitude (p = .005) and lower entropy (p = .002). Peri-tumoural SFA had a higher mean (p < .001), higher median (p < .001), a positive skewness with lower magnitude (p < .001) and lower entropy (p = .012). For comparison against the whole breast in controls, peri-tumoural MUFA had a negative skewness with lower magnitude (p = .01) and lower kurtosis (p = .009), however there was no difference in PUFA or SFA. CD163 moderately correlated with peri-tumoural MUFA skewness (r s  = - .64), PUFA entropy (r s  = .63) and SFA skewness (r s  = .59). There was a lower MUFA and PUFA while a higher SFA, and a higher heterogeneity of MUFA while a lower heterogeneity of PUFA and SFA, in the peri-tumoural region in comparison with the whole breast tissue. The degree of lipid deregulation was associated with inflammation as indicated by CD163 antibody on macrophages, serving as potential marker for early diagnosis and response to therapy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, lateral flow tests (LFTs) were used to regulate access to work, education, social activities, and travel. However, falsification of home LFT results was a concern. Falsification of test results during an ongoing pandemic is a sensitive issue. Consequently, respondents may not answer truthfully to questions about LFT falsification behaviours (FBs) when asked directly. Indirect questioning techniques such as the Extended Crosswise model (ECWM) can provide more reliable prevalence estimates of sensitive behaviors than direct questioning. Here we report the prevalence of LFT FBs in a representative sample in England (n = 1577) using direct questioning (DQ) and the ECWM. We examine the role of demographic and psychological variables as predictors of LFT FBs. We show that the prevalence estimates of the FBs in the DQ condition were significantly lower than the ECWM estimates, e.g., reporting a negative result without conducting a test: 5.7% DQ vs 18.4% ECWM. Moral norms, subjective norms, anticipated regret, perception of risk to self, and trust in government predicted some of the FBs. Indirect questioning techniques can help provide more realistic and higher quality data about compliance with behavioural regulations to government and public health agencies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is characterised by fiber loss and expansion of fibrotic and adipose tissue. Several cells interact locally in what is known as the degenerative niche. We analysed muscle biopsies of controls and BMD patients at early, moderate and advanced stages of progression using Hyperion imaging mass cytometry (IMC) by labelling single sections with 17 markers identifying different components of the muscle. We developed a software for analysing IMC images and studied changes in the muscle composition and spatial correlations between markers across disease progression. We found a strong correlation between collagen-I and the area of stroma, collagen-VI, adipose tissue, and M2-macrophages number. There was a negative correlation between the area of collagen-I and the number of satellite cells (SCs), fibres and blood vessels. The comparison between fibrotic and non-fibrotic areas allowed to study the disease process in detail. We found structural differences among non-fibrotic areas from control and patients, being these latter characterized by increase in CTGF and in M2-macrophages and decrease in fibers and blood vessels. IMC enables to study of changes in tissue structure along disease progression, spatio-temporal correlations and opening the door to better understand new potential pathogenic pathways in human samples., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to validate a wearable device's walking speed estimation pipeline, considering complexity, speed, and walking bout duration. The goal was to provide recommendations on the use of wearable devices for real-world mobility analysis. Participants with Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Proximal Femoral Fracture, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Congestive Heart Failure, and healthy older adults (n = 97) were monitored in the laboratory and the real-world (2.5 h), using a lower back wearable device. Two walking speed estimation pipelines were validated across 4408/1298 (2.5 h/laboratory) detected walking bouts, compared to 4620/1365 bouts detected by a multi-sensor reference system. In the laboratory, the mean absolute error (MAE) and mean relative error (MRE) for walking speed estimation ranged from 0.06 to 0.12 m/s and - 2.1 to 14.4%, with ICCs (Intraclass correlation coefficients) between good (0.79) and excellent (0.91). Real-world MAE ranged from 0.09 to 0.13, MARE from 1.3 to 22.7%, with ICCs indicating moderate (0.57) to good (0.88) agreement. Lower errors were observed for cohorts without major gait impairments, less complex tasks, and longer walking bouts. The analytical pipelines demonstrated moderate to good accuracy in estimating walking speed. Accuracy depended on confounding factors, emphasizing the need for robust technical validation before clinical application.Trial registration: ISRCTN - 12246987., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Synaptophysin is expressed on fibrogenic hepatic myofibroblasts. C1-3 is a single chain human antibody (scAb) that binds specifically to synaptophysin on hepatic myofibroblasts, providing a targeting vector for novel in vivo imaging agents of chronic liver disease. C1-3 and a negative control scAb, CSBD9, were radiolabelled with zirconium-89 via desferrioxamine chelation to enable non-invasive molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET). DFO-scAb conjugates were characterised by gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and MALDI-TOF spectrometry, and 89 Zr-labelled with high radiolabelling efficiency (99%). [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO-C1-3 exhibited high in vitro stability (> 99%) in mouse and human sera over 3 days at 25 and 37 °C. Activated hepatic myofibroblasts incubated with [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO-C1-3 displayed significantly higher internalised activity (59.46%, P = 0.001) compared to the [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO-CSBD9 control, indicating synaptophysin-mediated uptake and high binding specificity of [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO-C1-3. Mice with CCl 4 -induced acute liver damage exhibited significantly higher liver uptake of [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO-C1-3, compared to controls, confirmed by both Cerenkov imaging and ex vivo gamma counting (4.41 ± 0.19%ID/g, P < 0.0001). CCl 4 -induced liver damage and the number of hepatic myofibroblasts was confirmed by αSMA staining of liver sections. These findings indicate that [ 89 Zr]Zr-DFO-C1-3 has promising utility as a PET imaging agent for non-invasive detection of hepatic myofibroblasts following acute liver injury., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe rare neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the X-linked dystrophin gene. Several mutations have been identified, yet the full mutational spectrum, and their phenotypic consequences, will require genotyping across different populations. To this end, we undertook the first detailed genotype and phenotype characterization of DMD in the Bangladeshi population. We investigated the rare mutational and phenotypic spectrum of the DMD gene in 36 DMD-suspected Bangladeshi participants using an economically affordable diagnostic strategy involving initial screening for exonic deletions in the DMD gene via multiplex PCR, followed by testing PCR-negative patients for mutations using whole exome sequencing. The deletion mapping identified two critical DMD gene hotspot regions (near proximal and distal ends, spanning exons 8-17 and exons 45-53, respectively) that comprised 95% (21/22) of the deletions for this population cohort. From our exome analysis, we detected two novel pathogenic hemizygous mutations in exons 21 and 42 of the DMD gene, and novel pathogenic recessive and loss of function variants in four additional genes: SGCD, DYSF, COL6A3, and DOK7. Our phenotypic analysis showed that DMD suspected participants presented diverse phenotypes according to the location of the mutation and which gene was impacted. Our study provides ethnicity specific new insights into both clinical and genetic aspects of DMD., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Thousands of proteins circulate in the bloodstream; identifying those which associate with weight and intervention-induced weight loss may help explain mechanisms of diseases associated with adiposity. We aimed to identify consistent protein signatures of weight loss across independent studies capturing changes in body mass index (BMI). We analysed proteomic data from studies implementing caloric restriction (Diabetes Remission Clinical trial) and bariatric surgery (By-Band-Sleeve), using SomaLogic and Olink Explore1536 technologies, respectively. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the effect of the interventions on circulating proteins. Twenty-three proteins were altered in a consistent direction after both bariatric surgery and caloric restriction, suggesting that these proteins are modulated by weight change, independent of intervention type. We also integrated Mendelian randomisation (MR) estimates of the effect of BMI on proteins measured by SomaLogic from a UK blood donor cohort as a third line of causal evidence. These MR estimates provided further corroborative evidence for a role of BMI in regulating the levels of six proteins including alcohol dehydrogenase-4, nogo receptor and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein. These results indicate the importance of triangulation in interrogating causal relationships; further study into the role of proteins modulated by weight in disease is now warranted., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is common in older people. We examined the influence of self-reported occupational-related physical activity (PA) and leisure-time physical exercise (PE) on orthostatic response in a sample of older people over a 2 year period. Supine and orthostatic systolic blood pressure (sBP), diastolic blood pressure (dBP), and mean blood pressure (mBP) were assessed in response to Active Stand (AS) test in 205 older subjects (> 60 years old) at baseline and 2-year follow-up. OH was found in 24 subjects (11.71%) at baseline and 20 subjects (9.76%) after 2 years, with a significant degree of variability in the occurrence of OH after 2 years. Twenty-two subjects who had OH at baseline were free of it after 2 years, two subjects had persistent OH at baseline and after 2 years. After 2 years, adults with occupational PA showed no significant decrease of blood pressure in response to AS test, while lack of undertaking an occupation-related PA was significantly related with a greater decrease in sBP and mBP in response to AS testing in the 1st min. Occupation-related PA and leisure-time-related PE were related to an increase in the response of BP on AS in change between baseline and after 2 years. High between-subjects variance in OH over 2 years was noted. Occupations that involved continuous physical activity and leisure-time physical exercise in middle age were both protective for BP decline on orthostatic stress test within 2 years., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The donor-acceptor (D-A) type of conjugated polymers has emerged as the paradigm of the third generation of electronically conducting polymers demonstrating improved infrared activity and intrinsic electronic conductivity. Judicious selection of donor (D) and acceptor (A) monomers for copolymerization can further fine-tune these properties. Notably, for such refinement, natural compounds provide many conjugated molecules with various functional groups. Berberine cation (Ber + ) found in Coscinium fenestratum has extensive conjugation and contains both an electron deficient isoquinolium A moiety and electron-rich D-type methylenedioxy and methoxy groups. The incorporation of natural products in electronic materials is a novel area of research which opens a wide scope for future electronic and optoelectronic devices. Investigation of their fundamental properties via computer simulations is therefore important. In this study, quantum chemical calculations are performed using density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the electronic and optical properties of oligomers of Ber + and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and to explore the possibilities for homo-polymerization of Ber + and its copolymerization with EDOT. It has been revealed that homo-polymerization is not favoured but copolymerization with EDOT is possible. As such, Ber + was copolymerized with EDOT and the copolymers formed by electro-polymerization are extensively characterised and the D-A behaviour of the copolymers verified. Furthermore, the theoretical predictions have been compared with the experimental data., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The relationship between adiposity and grip strength (GS) is complex. We investigated whether one pathway through which adiposity affects GS was via chronic inflammation. 367,583 UK Biobank participants had body mass index (BMI), waist-hip-ratio (WHR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and GS data. Univariable Mendelian randomization (MR) and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analyses (using inverse variance weighted (IVW) weighted median estimates (WME) and MR-Egger models) estimated total, direct and indirect effects of adiposity traits on GS using genetic instruments for BMI and WHR (exposures) and CRP (mediator). Observational findings suggested higher BMI was associated with stronger grip, e.g., in males, per standard deviation (SD) higher BMI, GS was higher by 0.48 kg (95% confidence interval(CI):0.44,0.51), independent of CRP. For males MR estimates were directionally consistent; for females, estimates were consistent with the null. Observational findings for WHR suggested that higher WHR was associated with weaker grip. In multivariable MR-IVW analyses, effects in males were consistent with the null. In females, there were consistent effects such that higher WHR was associated with stronger grip, e.g., 1-SD higher WHR was associated with 1.25 kg (MVMR-Egger; 95% CI:0.72,1.78) stronger grip, independent of CRP. Across sexes and adiposity indicators, CRP's mediating role was minor. Greater adiposity may increase GS in early old age, but effects vary by sex and adiposity location. There was no evidence that inflammation mediated these effects., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Many factors can lead to an increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in different populations. Using an advanced structural equation model (SEM), this study is aimed to determine the most important risk factors of MetS, as a continuous latent variable, using a large number of males and females. We also aimed to evaluate the interrelations among the associated factors involved in the development of MetS. This study used data derived from the Fasa PERSIAN cohort study, a branch of the PERSIAN cohort study, for participants aged 35 to 70 years with 10,138 males and females. SEM was used to evaluate the direct and indirect effects, as well as gender effects of influencing factors. Results from the SEM showed that in females most changes in MetS are described by waist circumference (WC), followed by hypertension (HP) and triglyceride (TG), while in males most changes in MetS are described by WC, followed by TG then fasting blood glucose (FBG). Results from the SEM confirmed the gender effects of social status on MetS, mediated by sleep and controlled by age, BMI, ethnicity and physical activity. This study also shows that the integration of TG and WC within genders could be useful as a screening criterion for MetS in our study population., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

A normative electrographic activity map could be a powerful resource to understand normal brain function and identify abnormal activity. Here, we present a normative brain map using scalp EEG in terms of relative band power. In this exploratory study we investigate its temporal stability, its similarity to other imaging modalities, and explore a potential clinical application. We constructed scalp EEG normative maps of brain dynamics from 17 healthy controls using source-localised resting-state scalp recordings. We then correlated these maps with those acquired from MEG and intracranial EEG to investigate their similarity. Lastly, we use the normative maps to lateralise abnormal regions in epilepsy. Spatial patterns of band powers were broadly consistent with previous literature and stable across recordings. Scalp EEG normative maps were most similar to other modalities in the alpha band, and relatively similar across most bands. Towards a clinical application in epilepsy, we found abnormal temporal regions ipsilateral to the epileptogenic hemisphere. Scalp EEG relative band power normative maps are spatially stable across time, in keeping with MEG and intracranial EEG results. Normative mapping is feasible and may be potentially clinically useful in epilepsy. Future studies with larger sample sizes and high-density EEG are now required for validation., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Electromagnetic wave-based analogue computing has become an interesting computing paradigm demonstrating the potential for high-throughput, low power, and parallel operations. In this work, we propose a technique for the calculation of derivatives of temporal signals by exploiting transmission line techniques. We consider multiple interconnected waveguides (with some of them being closed-ended stubs) forming junctions. The transmission coefficient of the proposed structure is then tailored by controlling the length and number of stubs at the junction, such that the differentiation operation is applied directly onto the envelope of an incident signal sinusoidally modulated in the time domain. The physics behind the proposed structure is explained in detail and a full theoretical description of this operation is presented, demonstrating how this technique can be used to calculate higher order or even fractional temporal derivatives. We envision that these results may enable the development of further time domain wave-based analogue processors by exploiting waveguide junctions, opening new opportunities for wave-based single operators and systems., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

A common benchmark in the brain tissue mechanics literature is that the properties of acute brain slices should be measured within 8 h of the experimental animal being sacrificed. The core assumption is that-since there is no substantial protein degradation during this time-there will be no change to elastic modulus. This assumption overlooks the possibility of other effects (such as osmotic swelling) that may influence the mechanical properties of the tissue. To achieve consistent and accurate analysis of brain mechanics, it is important to account for or mitigate these effects. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), tissue hydration and volume measurements, we find that acute brain slices in oxygenated artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) with a standard osmolarity of 300 mOsm/l experience rapid swelling, softening, and increases in hydration within the first 2 hours after slicing. Reductions in elastic modulus can be partly mitigated by addition of chondroitinase ABC enzyme (CHABC). Increasing aCSF osmolarity to 400 mOsm/l does not prevent softening but may hasten equilibration of samples to a point where measurements of relative elastic modulus are consistent across experiments., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

A hallmark of expert object recognition is rapid and accurate subordinate-category recognition of visually homogenous objects. However, the perceptual strategies by which expert recognition is achieved is less known. The current study investigated whether visual expertise changes observers' perceptual field (e.g., their ability to use information away from fixation for recognition) for objects in their domain of expertise, using a gaze-contingent eye-tracking paradigm. In the current study, bird experts and novices were presented with two bird images sequentially, and their task was to determine whether the two images were of the same species (e.g., two different song sparrows) or different species (e.g., song sparrow and chipping sparrow). The first study bird image was presented in full view. The second test bird image was presented fully visible (full-view), restricted to a circular window centered on gaze position (central-view), or restricted to image regions beyond a circular mask centered on gaze position (peripheral-view). While experts and novices did not differ in their eye-movement behavior, experts' performance on the discrimination task for the fastest responses was less impaired than novices in the peripheral-view condition. Thus, the experts used peripheral information to a greater extent than novices, indicating that the experts have a wider perceptual field to support their speeded subordinate recognition., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The high antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) makes it critical to develop alternative antimicrobial agents that are effective and affordable. One of the many applications of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) is their use as an antimicrobial agent against bacteria resistant to common antibiotics. The key purpose of this research was to assess the antibacterial and antibiofilm effectiveness of biosynthesized Ag NPs against six biofilm-forming clinically isolated strains of PA and one reference strain (ATCC 27853). Ag NPs were biosynthesized using a seed extract of Peganum harmala as a reducing agent. Ag NPs were characterized by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The effect of Ag NPs on biofilm formation and eradication was examined through micro-titer plate assays, and the minimal inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal (MBC) concentrations determined. In addition, real-time polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) were performed to examine the effects of Ag NPs on the expression of seven PA biofilm-encoding genes (LasR, LasI, LssB, rhIR, rhII, pqsA and pqsR). The biosynthesized Ag NPs were spherically-shaped with a mean diameter of 11 nm. The MIC for each PA strain was 15.6 µg/ml, while the MBC was 31.25 µg/ml. All PA strains exposed to Ag NPs at sub-inhibitory concentrations (0.22-7.5 µg/ml) showed significant inhibitory effects on growth and biofilm formation. Biomass and biofilm metabolism were reduced dependent on Ag NP concentration. The expression of the quorum-sensing genes of all strains were significantly reduced at an Ag NP concentration of 7.5 µg/ml. The results demonstrate the extensive in-vitro antibacterial and antibiofilm performance of Ag NPs and their potential in the treatment of PA infection. It is recommended that future studies examine the possible synergy between Ag NPs and antibiotics., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The vehicle emissions testing programme was conducted by the UK Department of Transport in 2016 in response to emissions tampering exposed in the Volkswagen (VW) emissions scandal. The programme identified large emissions discrepancies between real-world and in-lab testing across a range of Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel passenger vehicles. The large vehicle test fleet reflects the current challenges faced in controlling vehicle emissions. This paper presents the following findings: NO x emissions are altered due to exhaust gas recirculation mismanagement. A new Real-Life Emissions methodology is introduced to improve upon the current Real Driving Emissions standard. A large and concerning emissions divergence was discovered between the achieved NO x improvement and deterioration of CO 2 . The findings act as catalysts to improve vehicle emissions testing beyond standards established since the VW scandal, aiding in the development of better climate change mitigation strategies and bring tangible air quality improvements to the environment., (© 2023. Crown.)

Pointing at a screen using wrist and forearm movements is a kinematically redundant task, and the Central Nervous System seems to manage this redundancy by using a simplifying strategy, named Donders' Law for the wrist. In this work we investigated (1) whether this simplifying approach is stable over time and (2) whether a visuomotor perturbation provided in the task space influences the strategy used to solve the redundancy problem. We conducted two experiments asking participants to perform the same pointing task in four different days (first experiment), and providing a visual perturbation, i.e. a visuomotor rotation to the controlled cursor (second experiment), while recording their wrist and forearm rotations. Results showed that the participant-specific wrist redundancy management (described by the Donders' surfaces) (1) neither changes over time (2) nor varies when a visuomotor perturbation is provided in the task space., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, which can be found living with eukaryotic phytoplankton, play a pivotal role in the fate of oil spillage to the marine environment. Considering the susceptibility of calcium carbonate-bearing phytoplankton under future ocean acidification conditions and their oil-degrading communities to oil exposure under such conditions, we investigated the response of non-axenic E. huxleyi to crude oil under ambient versus elevated CO 2 concentrations. Under elevated CO 2 conditions, exposure to crude oil resulted in the immediate decline of E. huxleyi, with concomitant shifts in the relative abundance of Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. Survival of E. huxleyi under ambient conditions following oil enrichment was likely facilitated by enrichment of oil-degraders Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas, while the increase in relative abundance of Marinobacter and unclassified Gammaproteobacteria may have increased competitive pressure with E. huxleyi for micronutrient acquisition. Biodegradation of the oil was not affected by elevated CO 2 despite a shift in relative abundance of known and putative hydrocarbon degraders. While ocean acidification does not appear to affect microbial degradation of crude oil, elevated mortality responses of E. huxleyi and shifts in the bacterial community illustrates the complexity of microalgal-bacterial interactions and highlights the need to factor these into future ecosystem recovery projections., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Rodents are the predominant species used for scientific research and must be humanely killed upon completion of the work. In the UK this is regulated by Schedule 1 of the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986, which lists permitted methodologies considered capable of humane killing, including overdose of an anaesthetic, exposure to carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas, dislocation of the neck and concussion of the brain by striking the cranium. Although all are permitted, operator motivations behind method selection and individual operator preference remain unknown. The views of 219 laboratory animal personnel on institutional availability and use of Schedule 1 killing methods for laboratory rodents were obtained. Only 10% of participants reported that all four methods were available at their institution with 57.5% of respondents preferring cervical dislocation. For CO 2 , only 18.6% of participants reported using the recommended flow rate, while 45.5% did not know the flow rate employed. We highlight the urgent requirement for the development of quality-controlled training programmes, to improve knowledge and confidence in the selection and application of killing methods. We advocate for continuous review of killing practices to ensure best practice is reflected in legislation and achieve optimal protection of the welfare of laboratory rodents during killing., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The objective of this study was to develop a fully automated multiple-cow real-time lameness detection system using a deep learning approach for cattle detection and pose estimation that could be deployed across dairy farms. Utilising computer vision and deep learning, the system can analyse simultaneously both the posture and gait of each cow within a camera field of view to a very high degree of accuracy (94-100%). Twenty-five video sequences containing 250 cows in varying degrees of lameness were recorded and independently scored by three accredited Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) mobility scorers using the AHDB dairy mobility scoring system to provide ground truth lameness data. These observers showed significant inter-observer reliability. Video sequences were broken down into their constituent frames and with a further 500 images downloaded from google, annotated with 15 anatomical points for each animal. A modified Mask-RCNN estimated the pose of each cow to output 5 key-points to determine back arching and 2 key-points to determine head position. Using the SORT (simple, online, and real-time tracking) algorithm, cows were tracked as they move through frames of the video sequence (i.e., in moving animals). All the features were combined using the CatBoost gradient boosting algorithm with accuracy being determined using threefold cross-validation including recursive feature elimination. Precision was assessed using Cohen's kappa coefficient and assessments of precision and recall. This methodology was applied to cows with varying degrees of lameness (according to accredited scoring, n = 3) and demonstrated that some characteristics directly associated with lameness could be monitored simultaneously. By combining the algorithm results over time, more robust evaluation of individual cow lameness was obtained. The model showed high performance for predicting and matching the ground truth lameness data with the outputs of the algorithm. Overall, threefold lameness detection accuracy of 100% and a lameness severity classification accuracy of 94% respectively was achieved with a high degree of precision (Cohen's kappa = 0.8782, precision = 0.8650 and recall = 0.9209)., (© 2023. The Author(s).)