Far-UVC:The impact of optical filters on real-world deployment

In 2015, a study showed that Krypton-Chloride (KrCl) excimer lamps could induce erythema and basal layer DNA damage in human skin. Later studies found that filtering out longer wavelength emissions from these lamps resulted in no acute skin effects. However, there is a limited understanding of how much to reduce unwanted emissions and which wavelengths are important. Accurate spectral irradiance data is therefore crucial for safety, as variance in optical filtering significantly affects the weighted irradiance of a lamp. To simplify the risk assessment process for Far-UVC lamps, we highlight the usefulness of the lamp exposure limit (HLEL) and present this in the context of spectral emission data for 14 commercially available Far-UVC lamps. Our results demonstrate that relying solely on a radiometric measurement and a single-wavelength exposure limit at 222 nm could lead to over-exposure. The HLEL is a practical metric which can be utilized to determine the exposure time before reaching the exposure limit. It can also be used in the determination of the minimum ceiling height for compliance with standards like UL 8802. Manufacturers are urged to provide HLEL for their products; installers should adhere to HLEL; and standards and regulatory bodies should insist on this information in new guidance

Numerical simulation of large tunnel alignments under seismic loading:The Large Hadron Collider as a case study

Three-dimensional seismic analysis of large tunnel alignments using the continuum (Finite-Element; FE) modelling technique can be computationally expensive. This is due to the extended length of tunnels compared to their diameter (which controls the local ground-structure interaction and hence, the required maximum FE element size). Such models can become more intricate as the tunnel passes through different terrain and lithological profiles and with the complex fixity conditions provided by intermediate underground stations. Furthermore, the effect of asynchronicity of ground motions on the tunnel seismic performance may be non-negligible given the length scale. So far, existing modelling techniques lack the competence to simulate the seismic performance of large tunnels along their length with confidence and computational efficacy. Aiming to bridge this gap, this study proposes an efficient numerical methodology to model the seismic response of large tunnel alignments using a dynamic Beam-on-Nonlinear-Winkler Foundation (BNWF) approach. Ground-structure interaction was modelled using parallel springs and dashpots calibrated against 2D nonlinear FE analyses. These springs/dashpots were subjected to a free-field ground displacement time-history obtained from 2D nonlinear wave propagation analyses. The method was implemented for the circular Large Hadron Collider (LHC) tunnel network at CERN (Geneva, Switzerland), which is 27 km in circumference with six large underground caverns housing the particle detectors (station analogues) with large vertical circular shafts to the ground surface. The results show the generation of seismic actions at the global scale of the tunnel alignment which are not captured by conventional 2D plane-strain analyses. The approach can identify key critical tunnel locations where more subsequent detailed local (3D) analyses should be focusse

Bridging Research and Practice:Young Children’s Agency and Resilience in a Climate Changed World

The World Forum on Early Care and Education conference is held every two years and focuses on issues related to young children, their care and education. The program for the 2024 event in Vancouver, Canada, included a theme about the impact that climate change is having on young children and their families. The invitation to present on this theme was accepted by a number of practitioners, researchers and policy makers from a range of countries and resulted in several sessions throughout the four days of the conference, discussing and presenting research, practice and pedagogy for supporting young children and their families to adapt to and develop resilience in the face of climate change. The coming together of so many early childhood professionals with an interest in this topic also resulted in the inauguration of an International Working Group on Young Children’s Resilience and Agency in the face of climate change. This paper reports on one of the conference sessions: #62 where early childhood educators, researchers, and managers came together to hear the presentations and to share their own perspectives in the discussion that followed

Investigating the time to blood culture positivity:why does it take so long?

Introduction. Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are one of the most serious infections investigated by microbiologists. However, the time to detect a BSI fails to meet the rapidity required to inform clinical decisions in real time. Gap Statement. Blood culture (BC) is considered the gold standard for diagnosing bloodstream infections. However, the time to blood culture positivity can be lengthy. Underpinning this is the reliance on bacteria replicating to a high concentration, which is necessary for the detection using routine blood culture systems. To improve the diagnosis and management of patients with BSIs, more sensitive detection methods are required. Aim. The study aimed to answer key questions addressing the delay in BSI detection and whether the time to BSI detection could be expedited using a Scattered Light Integrated Collection (SLIC) device. Methodology. A proof-of-concept study was conducted to compare the time to positivity (TTP) of Gram-negative BCs flagging positive on BacT/ALERT with an SLIC device. An SLIC device was utilized to compare the TTP of the most prevalent BSI pathogens derived from nutrient broth and BC, the influence of bacterial load on TTP and the TTP directly from whole blood. Additionally, the overall turnaround time (TAT) of SLIC was compared with that of a standard hospital workflow. Results. Most pathogens tested took significantly longer to replicate when derived from BC than from nutrient medium. The median TTP of Gram-negative BC on BacT/ALERT was 13.56 h with a median bacterial load of 6.4×109 c.f.u. ml−1. All pathogens (7/7) derived from BC at a concentration of 105 c.f.u. ml−1 were detectable in under 70 min on SLIC. Decreasing Escherichia coli BC concentration from 105 to 102 c.f.u. ml−1 increased the TTP of SLIC from 15 to 85 min. Direct BSI detection from whole blood on SLIC demonstrated a 76% reduction in TAT when compared with the standard hospital workflow. Conclusion. An SLIC device significantly reduced the TTP of common BSI pathogens. The application of this technology could have a major impact on the detection and management of BSI.</p

Streamlined lightsheet deconvolution for ultra-wide diagonally-scanned samples

The large bandwidth of lightsheet microscopy acquisition is a challenge for digital image processing. Off-line processing breaks the experimental feedback loop. We demonstrate an efficient, streamlined, deconvolution algorithm for translation-variant lightsheet, capable of on-the-fly deconvolution.</p

A Moving and Exhausting Cosmos:A Discussion on Entropy

A discussion between Thomas Nail and Joel White on the philosophical status of entropy. The discussion explores Nail's kinetic materialism, movement, entropy and the notion of exhaustion

Anti-Apartheid at the periphery:a case-study of grassroots activism in Dundee, 1967-1990

The global campaign against apartheid South Africa has been viewed as one of the most successful examples of international solidarity activism in the twentieth century. Scholars examining how anti-apartheid emerged and developed as a salient global issue have primarily focused on transnational and national considerations, particularly the role and impact of Southern African exiles and expatriates, as well as the way that anti-apartheid intersected with national domestic political concerns. There has, however, been limited attention paid to the distinctly local dimensions of the international anti-apartheid movement. Using the British Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) as a case study, this article seeks to add to our understanding of how the politics of anti-apartheid at the grassroots level was shaped by its interactions with the local economic, political, social, and cultural environment. The existing historiography on anti-apartheid in Britain has been characterised by an overwhelming focus on the London-based national AAM and a widespread perception that the movement was highly centralised. Through an exploration of the role of local activist structures, the issue of grassroots autonomy, and examples of anti-apartheid activism beyond London, the paper asserts that while there was an element of centralisation linked to the national AAM, this point has been overemphasised. In adopting a grassroots analytical approach, this article will reveal the distinctive local dimensions of anti-apartheid in Britain and demonstrate that there was greater diversity of activism than has been acknowledged in the existing scholarship. It is argued that such heterogeneity within the movement was shaped by the levels of grassroots autonomy that existed, as well as the influence of divergent local conditions. Finally, a focus on local anti-apartheid activism can provide greater nuance to established historiographical narratives of the national AAM, such as tensions with the far-left and engagement with domestic anti-racist struggles

Radiographic morphology of canines tested for sexual dimorphism via convolutional-neural-network-based artificial intelligence

The permanent left mandibular canines have been used for sexual dimorphism when human identification is necessary. Controversy remains whether the morphology of these teeth is actually useful to distinguish males and females. This study aimed to assess the sexual dimorphism of canines by means of a pioneering artificial intelligence approach to this end. A sample of 13,046 teeth radiographically registered from 5838 males and 7208 females between the ages of 6 and 22.99 years was collected. The images were annotated using Darwin V7 software. DenseNet121 was used and tested based on binary answers regarding the sex (male or female) of the individuals for 17 age categories of one year each (i.e. 6-6.99, 7.7.99… 22.22.99). Accuracy rates, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and confusion matrices were used to quantify and express the artificial intelligence's classification performance. The accuracy rates across age categories were between 57-76% (mean: 68%±5%). The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC analysis was between 0.58 and 0.77. The best performances were observed around the age of 12 years, while the worst were around the age of 7 years. The morphological analysis of canines for sex estimation should be restricted and allowed in practice only when other sources of dimorphic anatomic features are not available.</p

Impact of adverse childhood experiences on sensory thresholds in adults living with multimorbidity and chronic pain (the ACE-MAP study):protocol for an observational feasibility study

Introduction Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is associated with a range of poor long-term health outcomes, including multimorbidity and chronic pain. Epidemiological evidence underpins much of this relationship; however, psychophysical testing methods, such as quantitative sensory testing (QST), may provide valuable insights into potential mechanisms. Previous studies have shown inconsistent links between ACEs and QST, but the QST profiles of people with multimorbidity have not been reported. We hypothesise that exposure to ACEs is associated with lowered QST thresholds (ie, experience of pain with milder stimuli) and that this association is stronger in adults with multimorbidity and/or chronic pain. The ACE-MAP study is a cross-sectional feasibility study with the primary aim of assessing the feasibility and acceptability of the proposed study procedures. The secondary aim is to generate preliminary data to understand the impact of ACEs on QST thresholds.Methods and analysis We plan to recruit 40 participants, with 10 in each of the following groups: (1) chronic pain with multimorbidity; (2) chronic pain without multimorbidity; (3) multimorbidity without chronic pain; and (4) controls. Participants will complete a series of questionnaires (including on ACEs, chronic pain and long-term conditions) and will then take part in QST assessments. The primary study outcomes will include measures of feasibility and acceptability of the proposed study design. The secondary study outcomes will include exploratory analysis on the relationship between ACEs and QST thresholds.Ethics and dissemination The study was approved by the Scotland B Research Ethics Committee (reference: 24/SS/0031). Results from the study will be presented at scientific conferences, published in a peer-reviewed journal and shared with patients and members of the public through other media streams