Understanding food insecurity in England: a systems-based approach

Food insecurity is a significant public health issue in England. National and local policies have not been able to adequately address its complex drivers, in part due to unintended consequences that arise from the way these policies interact with the system. Through an integrative review and group model building workshops with 17 subject matter experts, we developed four causal loop diagrams (CLDs) to map the interactions between food insecurity drivers and major policies such as Universal Credit, Healthy Start, and School Meal programs. The CLDs reveal that while these policies and interventions are intended to reduce food insecurity, specific implementation issues can unintentionally perpetuate food insecurity. These unintended consequences result in a shift in responsibility between governments and communities, with a subsequent erosion of public trust in governments and policies. This study highlights the need for redistributing responsibility back to governments, rebuilding trust and mitigating unintended consequences of current policies. By addressing the feedback mechanisms driving food insecurity, this research provides actionable insights and policy recommendations for creating equitable and effective policies

The Application of Data Mining Techniques to Learning Analytics and Its Implications for Interventions with Small Class Sizes

There has been significant progress in the development of techniques to deliver effective technology enhanced learning systems in education, with substantial progress in the field of learning analytics. These analyses are able to support academics in the identification of students at risk of failure or withdrawal. The early identification of students at risk is critical to giving academic staff and institutions the opportunity to make timely interventions. This thesis considers established machine learning techniques, as well as a novel method, for the prediction of student outcomes and the support of interventions, including the presentation of a variety of predictive analyses and of a live experiment. It reviews the status of technology enhanced learning systems and the associated institutional obstacles to their implementation and deployment. Many courses are comprised of relatively small student cohorts, with institutional privacy protocols limiting the data readily available for analysis. It appears that very little research attention has been devoted to this area of analysis and prediction. I present an experiment conducted on a final year university module, with a student cohort of 23, where the data available for prediction is limited to lecture/tutorial attendance, virtual learning environment accesses and intermediate assessments. I apply and compare a variety of machine learning analyses to assess and predict student performance, applied at appropriate points during module delivery. Despite some mixed results, I found potential for predicting student performance in small student cohorts with very limited student attributes, with accuracies comparing favourably with published results using large cohorts and significantly more attributes. I propose that the analyses will be useful to support module leaders in identifying opportunities to make timely academic interventions. Student data may include a combination of nominal and numeric data. A large variety of techniques are available to analyse numeric data, however there are fewer techniques applicable to nominal data. I summarise the results of what I believe to be a novel technique to analyse nominal data by making a systematic comparison of data pairs. In this thesis I have surveyed existing intelligent learning/training systems and explored the contemporary AI techniques which appear to offer the most promising contributions to the prediction of student attainment. I have researched and catalogued the organisational and non-technological challenges to be addressed for successful system development and implementation and proposed a set of critical success criteria to apply. This dissertation is supported by published wor

Scattering Ice Clouds

The 2013 meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that the coupling of clouds to the Earths climate is one of the biggest uncertainties faced in predicting climate change today. Cirrus clouds are of particular interest because the extensive variability in particle size, shape and complexity poses a number of challenges in the accurate modelling of optical properties. The dependence of the single-scattering properties on particle shape demand accurate representation of the crystal geometries in scattering models, geometries which can vary from simple hexagonal prisms to complex multi-branched aggregates.  This work, presented as a series of papers, uses laboratory studies to investigate the single scattering properties of ice crystals. Of particular focus here are columns with internal cavities. The first paper investigates the phase function, P11 and asymmetry parameter, g of varying crystal habits, whilst the second paper focuses on polarised scattering. One of the main findings is the difference in internal structure between hollow columns grown at warmer temperatures (􀀀7°C) and those grown at colder temperatures (􀀀30°C). Measurements were used to create new particle geometries for use in scattering models. The third paper makes use of findings from papers 1 & 2 to create an optical parametrization for cirrus, utilizing the new particle geometry

Exploring how Attachment and Caregiving Discourse relate to Caregivers’ Physiological Regulation of Arousal in both Adoptive and Biological Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract: Systematic Literature Review Attachment theory increasingly recognises the role of physiological processes in shaping parent-child relationships. This systematic review robustly synthesised empirical studies examining how parental physiology relates to attachment in parent-child dyads, excluding studies based on self-report. A comprehensive literature search of 2,552 papers was conducted across Scopus, PubMed, and PsycArticles, identifying 11 eligible studies published between 1990 and 2025. All studies were quantitative: five experimental, six observational, one pre-test-post-test, and one longitudinal with experimental components. Studies were generally of good quality, assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools. The review followed narrative synthesis guidance by Popay et al. (2006) and PRISMA guidelines. Findings suggested secure parental attachment is broadly associated with greater physiological flexibility and regulation, while insecure attachment reflects distinct patterns of dysregulation. Avoidant attachment was most frequently studied, with anxious and disorganised patterns underrepresented. Most studies focused on autonomic nervous system (ANS) indices, particularly respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), with fewer examining hormonal, neural, or alternative physiological indices. Emerging evidence suggested parental physiological regulation may influence caregiving behaviours and contribute to intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns. These findings support theoretical models positioning attachment as an embodied, neurobiological process. However, significant heterogeneity in methodology limited comparability across studies. Sample sizes were often small, with fathers or diverse populations rarely included. Despite these limitations, the review highlights the value of integrating physiological and attachment constructs into assessments. Future research should standardise physiological protocols, broaden the range of systems studied beyond the ANS, and incorporate qualitative approaches to deepen understanding of underlying processes. Greater inclusion of underrepresented attachment styles, diverse populations and caregiving contexts is needed. The review highlights the potential of physiological insights to inform clinical interventions, particularly for dyads affected by trauma or co-regulation difficulties. Abstract: Empirical Study Embodied models of attachment suggest physiological processes play a key role in shaping caregiving relationships, yet few studies have explored how these systems interact, particularly in adoptive contexts. This qualitative multiple case study examined whether and how caregivers’ attachment narratives align with their physiological regulation during attachment interviews, across both adoptive and biological parent-child relationships. Eight caregivers took part in video-recorded interviews, which were coded using the Meaning of the Child (MotC) to assess attachment discourse and the Sensory Attachment Intervention (SAI) to identify subtle behavioural indicators of physiological regulation. Cross-case and within-case analyses were conducted using McLeod’s (2010) theory-building framework. Most cases demonstrated strong coherence between narrative and physiological regulation, providing support for embodied models of caregiving. However, several nuanced patterns emerged, including mismatches between discourse and physiology, different patterns for biological and adoptive caregivers, low-arousal sensitivity, effortful regulation, and physiological collapse under strain. These findings suggest caregiver regulation is dynamic and context-sensitive, rather than fixed. Adoptive caregivers generally showed more pronounced attachment or physiology patterns, potentially reflecting the complex relational and psychological demands of adoptive parenting. Notably, some sensitive caregiving emerged from low-arousal states, indicating that sensitivity can arise through top-down regulation, reflective capacity, and relational support, even from less “ideal” physiological baselines. These findings extend embodied theories of attachment by showing narrative-physiology coherence is shaped by history, context, and relational scaffolding. Clinical implications include supporting caregiver regulation through body-based attachment interventions, particularly relevant for adoptive caregivers or those facing trauma or heightened relational stress. Future research could triangulate behavioural and biometric data, adopt longitudinal designs, and explore generalisability to diverse caregiving contexts such as foster families or neurodiverse populations

Tall Talk About Elephants: Hannibal’s Crossing Through Disciplines

The enigma of Hannibal’s Alpine crossing has captivated minds and sparked debates across centuries, much like an elusive puzzle that resists a definitive solution. This article explores the fierce and often acrimonious scholarly debates surrounding Hannibal’s journey, where the quest to separate historical fact from romantic myth has turned into a battleground for competing disciplines. Military historians, geographers and philologists have all staked their claims, each employing distinct methods to argue their case, yet the controversy has only intensified. As the debate has evolved, the focus has shifted from merely identifying the route to examining how historical truths are constructed amid academic rivalries. The article scrutinizes the rhetorical strategies and epistemological conflicts that have defined this ongoing dispute, revealing how the quest to solve Hannibal’s mystery has often led to sharp intellectual skirmishes. These clashes, far from resolving the issue, have instead highlighted the complexities of reconstructing ancient events with limited and sometimes contradictory information. Ultimately, these debates, as harsh as they may be, have contributed to elevating the Western Alps as a zone of historical attention and prestige, now increasingly exploited for heritage

Clinical Management of Synthetic-Cannabinoid-Induced Psychosis: A Systematic Review of Treatment Strategies and Outcomes

Background: Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs, commercially known as “Spice”) have become a leading cause of substance-induced psychosis worldwide. These compounds show strong associations not only with acute psychotic episodes but also, in a subset of patients, with persistent or relapsing psychotic disorders, patterns that raise concern about progression to schizophrenia. Yet clinicians still lack clear, evidence-based guidance, and the optimal management of SCRA-induced psychosis remains inadequately defined. Methods: We carried out a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science on 2 April 2025, identifying 35 primary studies that together describe roughly 4600 clinical presentations (≈77% male; mean age: 24.7 years). Results: Across diverse settings a convergent three-step pharmacological strategy emerged. First, rapid tranquillization with parenteral benzodiazepines consistently controlled severe agitation and autonomic instability. Second, when florid psychosis persisted beyond 30–60 min, clinicians introduced a second-generation antipsychotic—most commonly olanzapine, risperidone, or aripiprazole—often at doses exceeding those used for primary psychoses. Third, for the minority of refractory or relapse-prone cases, escalation to long-acting injectable formulations or low-dose clozapine achieved symptom control, even at plasma levels below those required in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Although the evidence base consists largely of uncontrolled clinical descriptions, across studies, a recurrent clinical pattern was observed: initial benzodiazepines for agitation, followed by antipsychotics when psychosis persisted and escalation to clozapine or long-acting injectables in refractory cases. This approach appears to be associated with symptom improvement, although the certainty of the evidence is low to very low. Conclusions. Prospective, comparative studies are urgently needed to refine dosing, directly compare antipsychotic classes, and evaluate emerging cannabinoid-modulating interventions

The survey of planetary nebulae in Andromeda (M31) VII. Predictions of a major merger simulation model compared with chemodynamical data of the disc and inner halo substructures

Context. The nearest giant spiral, the Andromeda galaxy (M31), exhibits a kinematically hot stellar disc, a global star formation episode ∼2-4 Gyr ago, and conspicuous substructures in its stellar halo that are suggestive of a recent accretion event. Aims. Recent chemodynamical measurements in the M31 disc and inner halo can be used as additional constraints for N-body hydrodynamical simulations that successfully reproduce the disc age-velocity dispersion relation and star formation history as well as the morphology of the inner halo substructures. Methods. We combined an available N-body hydrodynamical simulation of a major merger (mass ratio 1:4) with a well-motivated chemical model to predict abundance distributions and gradients in the merger remnant at z=0. We computed the projected phase space and the [M/H] distributions for the substructures in the M31 inner halo, namely, the Giant Stellar Stream (GSS) and the North-East (NE) and Western (W) shelves. We compared the chemodynamical properties of the simulated M31 remnant with recent measurements for the M31 stars in the inner halo substructures. Results. This major merger model predicts (i) multiple distinct components within each of the substructures; (ii) a high mean metallicity and large spread in the GSS and NE and W shelves, which explain various photometric and spectroscopic metallicity measurements; (iii) simulated phase space diagrams that qualitatively reproduce various features identified in the projected phase space of the substructures in published data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI); (iv) a large distance spread in the GSS, as suggested by previous tip of the red giant branch measurements; and (v) phase space ridges caused by several wraps of the secondary as well as up-scattered main M31 disc stars that also have plausible counterparts in the observed phase spaces. Conclusions. These results provide further strong and independent arguments for a major satellite merger in M31 ∼3 Gyr ago and a coherent explanation for many of the observational results that make M31 appear so different from the Milky Way

Idiopathic Regression in Down Syndrome

Aims: Idiopathic Regression in Down Syndrome (IRDS) is reported to be present in 16% of people with Down syndrome however the clinical presentation is heterogeneous with no universal diagnostic criteria. It often presents in adolescence or early adulthood and there are often no known triggers. Common symptoms include language regression, mood symptoms, psychotic phenomena, motor symptoms and loss of previously acquired cognitive skills. We present a case series of two patients who presented to the West Norfolk Community Intellectual Disability Service with symptoms suggesting IRDS. Methods: AB (F; 34 years) has the diagnoses of Mild Learning Disability, Down syndrome, Bipolar Affective Disorder following a manic episode at the age of 18 and obsessive-compulsive disorder with predominantly compulsive acts. She was described by parents as a very sociable, active, and high achieving before she developed acute regression. Around the age of 12 years following an episode of profoundly serious pneumonia, she became catatonic, anorexic, and doubly incontinent. Clearly described episodes of depression and mania, obsessional behaviours and speech deterioration were also noted. The diagnosis of IRDS was raised by parents in 2023 and AB is currently being assessed for immunotherapy. XY (M; 46 years). Following a gastrointestinal infection aged 18 years, the family noticed he became more housebound, obsessional about symmetry, and depressed. No specialist investigations were done but he was managed for depression with several antidepressants with no improvement. He was also diagnosed with dementia and started on donepezil but nothing changed. He is currently psychotropics-free and following a retrospective diagnosis of IRDS and discussion with family, they were relieved that the correct diagnosis of XY’s condition has been found. Results: A physical illness appears to have triggered the regression in both cases. Personality and mood changes especially a manic presentation which is uncommon in people with Down syndrome were also reported. Psychotropic medications were not beneficial in at least the second case. In both cases, the diagnosis of Idiopathic Regression in Down Syndrome was an acceptable explanatory model for the family. Conclusion: We hope clinicians will make the diagnosis more promptly thus facilitating quick access to adequate treatment

Visiting and Exploring Digital Transformation Management: A Bibliometric Analysis and Review Study

Purpose: This study aims to explore and understand the literature on digital transformation (DT) research that will lead to developing a conceptual and thematic structure of DT management. Design/methodology/approach: The research approach employed a hybrid approach of bibliometric analysis and a structured review of DT management research studies from 2017 to 2023. Although systematic reviews and bibliometric analysis are distinct methods, they complement one another in research by enabling the synthesis and analysis of existing literature. Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) were selected as the bibliographic databases for this study since they are generally accepted as the most comprehensive data sources for various purposes. Findings: Findings revealed 186 publications during these periods, with the top three publications being the Journal of Business Research, Business Horizons and California Business Review. Top-ranking researchers hailed from Germany, Japan and Spain. Keywords that appeared were innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and DT. In the management area, there are fewer studies conceptualising DT management that led to this study forming a conceptual framework using a qualitative, interpretative and thematic analysis approach. Originality/value: These findings are relevant for understanding the phenomenon of DT and DT management. The study contributes to the emerging body of knowledge in management and DT

GHOST Commissioning Science Results. IV. Chemodynamical Analyses of Milky Way Satellites Sagittarius II and Aquarius II

We present Gemini/GHOST high-resolution spectra of five stars observed in two low surface brightness Milky Way satellites, Sagittarius II (Sgr2) and Aquarius II (Aqu2). For Aqu2, the velocities and metallicities of the two stars are consistent with membership in a dark-matter-dominated ultra-faint dwarf galaxy (UFD). The chemical abundance ratios suggest inefficient star formation from only one or a few supernovae (e.g., low Na, Sr, Ba), and enriched potassium (K) from super-AGB stars. For Sgr2, the velocity and metallicity dispersions of its members are not clearly resolved, and our detailed chemical abundances show typical ratios for metal-poor stars, with low dispersions. There is only one exception—we report the discovery of an r-process enhanced star (Sgr 2584, [Eu/Fe] = +0.7 ± 0.2; thus, an r-I star). As r-I stars are found in both UFDs (Tuc III, Tuc IV, and Grus II) and globular clusters (M15 and M92), then this does not help to further classify the nature of Sgr2. Our exploration of Sgr2 demonstrates the difficulty in classifying some of the faintest (ambiguous) satellites. We advocate for additional diagnostics in analyzing the ambiguous systems, such as exploring radial segregation (by mass and/or chemistry), N-body simulations, and the need for dark matter to survive Galactic tidal effects. The spectra analyzed in this paper were taken as part of the GHOST commissioning observations, testing faint observation limits (G < 18.8) and the single and double integrated field unit observing modes