PBatch: Pseudonym Certificate Batch Authentication With Generative AI-Based Cache for Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems

Authentication and revocation are the key mechanisms to ensure the security of the Cooperative Intelligent Transportation System (C-ITS). C-ITS relies on the Vehicular Public Key Infrastructure (VPKI) for anonymous authentication and device revocation. Several works complemented the VPKI-based authentication and revocation process. However, several security and performance issues exist in both mechanisms. This article presents PBatch: Pseudonym Certificate Batch Authentication based on Distributed Ledger Technology. PBatch addresses challenges specific to the authentication and revocation process to achieve 1000 authentications per second. PBatch relies on the concept of batching pseudonym certificates by offloading heavy validation operations such as certificate chain and revocation status validation to local edge servers. This enables vehicles to validate a batch of pseudonym certificates with a fixed number of verification operations, thus simplifying the authentication of the pseudonym certificate at the end devices. Furthermore, a caching-based message authentication mechanism is introduced to validate a relatively larger number of safety messages. We also introduced a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) based cache management mechanism for safety messages caching and fetching. Finally, experiments and security analysis are conducted to investigate PBatch performance and security. The results show that PBatch is more secure, feasible, and scalable than the leading VPKI-based authentication proposals

The prospective acceptability of preventative IV bisphosphonate therapy prior to fracture:perspectives of young people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, parents and health professionals

Young people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) commonly experience osteoporosis and fractures which can lead to chronic pain and reduced quality of life. Initiating IV bisphosphonate therapy prior to first fracture may be a logical primary preventative approach given the extent and related morbidity of osteoporosis, although there is limited evidence for this. This qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, aimed to explore the opinions and prospective acceptability of young people with DMD, parents and health professionals in the UK on initiating bisphosphonate therapy prior to first fracture. Four boys with DMD (aged 15-17 years) and 20 parents participated in semi-structured interviews. Twenty-seven health professionals involved in the care of young people with DMD participated in focus groups. A framework analysis was conducted. Three categories were identified which represented a continuum of opinions on the endorsement of preventative bisphosphonate therapy: 1) “It buys them time”, endorsement of preventative bisphosphonate therapy; 2) Uncertainty and the importance of “choice”; and 3) “Worry about... starting bisphosphonates even earlier”, not endorsing the use of preventative bisphosphonate therapy. Young people with DMD and parents discussed a range of opinions about the prospective acceptability of IV bisphosphonate as preventative therapy, highlighting the importance of family choice before initiation of therapy. Health professionals called for future research exploring the risks and benefits of preventative IV bisphosphonate therapy for young people with DMD to inform clinical practice

Integrating sustainability into religious education

This paper examines the integration of sustainability into Religious Education (RE) as a means to foster ethical awareness, critical thinking, and global citizenship. While RE has long engaged with moral inquiry and ethical reflection, its role in addressing sustainability remains inconsistent across curricula. By drawing on both religious and secular worldviews, this study explores how RE offers a distinctive space for students to critically engage with environmental responsibility, ethical dilemmas, and global challenges. The paper argues that a structured, interdisciplinary approach is essential to move sustainability education beyond theoretical discussion and into meaningful ethical action. It highlights how RE can connect with other subjects, such as geography and science, to provide a holistic understanding of sustainability. Furthermore, it examines how pedagogical strategies, including ethical case studies, interfaith perspectives, and project-based learning, might enhance students’ ability to analyse sustainability issues through diverse moral and philosophical frameworks. By embedding sustainability within RE, educators have scope to ensure that students develop not only a deeper appreciation of environmental ethics but also the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate complex global issues. The paper ultimately advocates for a more consistent and policy-driven integration of sustainability into RE curricula, ensuring its relevance for 21st-century education

Photocatalytic Conversion of β-O-4 Lignin Model Dimers::The Effect of Benzylic Ketones on Reaction Pathway

The conversion of biomass towards value-added and platform chemicals has become the focus of extensive research this past two decades. One of the methods which has been increasingly studied is the use of semiconductor mediated photocatalysis for biomass conversion. Titanium dioxide has previously been demonstrated to be an effective commercial catalyst for the cleavage of bonds within lignin and also cellulose and hemicellulose. Herein is described the deployment of TiO2 for the cleavage of bonds within two β-O-4 lignin model compounds, one bearing a ketone in the α-position and the other an alcohol. The presence of a ketone in the benzylic position in one of the models had a pronounced effect under photolytic conditions e.g. in the absence of a photocatalyst, but with irradiation present. The subsequent reduction of the benzylic ketone resulted in observed sensitivity towards the irradiation and solely photocatalytic conversion was achieved. In addition, reaction products are proposed which demonstrates a feasible method for β-O-4 cleavage in native lignin extracts

Feeling Old in Eighteenth-Century Britain

This article examines the lived experiences of the older body - the embodiment of old age - from the perspective of older people. It uses letters written from 1680 to 1820 by twenty-two women and men aged between sixty and eighty-nine, selected from a corpus of over 391 letter writers. We begin by exploring the embodied experiences discussed by older people, as well as their understanding of the relationship between these experiences and their later years. The article finds that old age was experienced as highly variable and was subject to an ongoing process of recalibration. Central to that process was the corporeality of the aging body as experienced in the context of a range of social factors. The corporeality of the body was a factor for all but was not always framed negatively or even situated in the context of aging. The article then turns to the responses of older people to the life-stage of old age. The article finds them self-directed and proactive in continuing to live well. This is significant evidence for a self-consciously active, engaged, and embodied old age in early modernity. These older letter writers tended not to disavow old age but to accommodate and even embrace it.</p

Invasive mosquito surveillance in the United Kingdom 2020 to 2024: First detection of Aedes aegypti eggs in the UK and further detection of Aedes albopictus

Here, we provide an update on invasive mosquito surveillance activities coordinated by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) between May 2020 and November 2024. Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti are invasive mosquitoes and not currently established in the UK. Both are vectors of various arboviruses including emerging pathogens such as dengue. Therefore, their introduction into the UK poses a threat to public health. In 2024, vector surveillance to detect and limit the establishment of invasive mosquito species involved 1070 ovitraps at 117 localities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, expanding from 58 in 2019. Ovitraps at seaports, airports, and highway transport hubs were examined every two weeks, between May and October, each year. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, no Ae. albopictus specimens were detected. In September 2023, Aedes aegypti eggs were detected in a freight storage facility near Heathrow Airport. Identification of these eggs was confirmed morphologically and molecularly. Targeted enhanced surveillance yielded no further detections, suggesting an isolated incursion. In August 2024, Ae. albopictus was detected for the first time since 2019. Four eggs were found in an ovitrap at a service station along the M20 motorway in Kent, in South East England. In accordance with existing national contingency planning, the local authority collaborated with the landowner and UKHSA to conduct larval source reduction, and UKHSA conducted enhanced surveillance. There were no further detections of eggs or adult Ae. albopictus mosquitoes during the enhanced surveillance period. This project is complemented by UKHSA’s broader mosquito surveillance efforts, including deploying adult mosquito traps in 307 localities across England and Wales, and a mosquito recording scheme that accepts submissions from the public. Combined, our findings suggest that future incursions of invasive mosquitoes in the UK are likely and undertaking enhanced surveillance is key to identifying and reducing the likelihood of their establishment

FICTION BOOKS AND BENEFITS TO WELL-BEING

In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of supporting reading for pleasure/volitional reading for both children and young people, with well-being benefits cited as one reason for this. In this chapter, we explore the well-being benefits associated with reading fiction books for both children and young people, focusing on specific aspects of well-being, namely positive affect, connection and personal growth. Indeed, when readers enjoy, and are deeply engaged in the fiction books that they read, they report a broad range of positive emotions, for example, relaxed, calm, happy and excited. These emotions are often provoked by the books themselves but can also result from personal memories or reflections prompted by the books. In addition, narrative fiction portrays the social world we live in and readers often report feeling connected to fictional characters, particularly those with whom they personally connect, or report feeling more connected to those around them, as they share and discuss books with others and/or develop an enriched understanding of the lives and experiences of others. Finally, fiction reading can support personal growth, as readers become aware of the language, literacy, empathy and other skills and dispositions, developed by narrative fiction. Focusing on these three aspects of well-being, this chapter provides an up-to-date synthesis of relevant research and considers the implications for practice and policy, as we work collectively to support reading for pleasure and increase the well-being benefits associated with reading fiction for children and young people.</p

P21 Healthcare students’ knowledge of antibiotic ineffectiveness in treating viral infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe overuse of antibiotics by healthcare professionals is often associated with a lack of knowledge regarding the rational use of these medications. We synthesized and analysed existing evidence on healthcare students' knowledge of antibiotic ineffectiveness in treating viral infections to provide pooled global and regional estimates.MethodsThe PubMed®, Embase® (via Ovid) and CINAHL (via EBSCO) databases were systematically searched for studies published between 01 January 2014 and 31 December 2024 that reported Healthcare students’ knowledge of antibiotic ineffectiveness in treating viral infections. Pooled estimates and 95% CI of correct knowledge were determined using random-effects meta-analysis.ResultsOf the 9165 articles identified, 86 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most healthcare students correctly understood that antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, with 70.2% (95% CI: 65.6–74.8) demonstrating this understanding. Only 58.0% (95% CI: 51.4–64.6) knew that antibiotics are ineffective against colds and flu. There were no significant regional variations in the understanding that antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. However, notable differences were evident at the country level. Thailand (30.3%, 95CI: 23.8–37.8), Turkey (35.8%, 95% CI: 32.9–38.8), Mali (39.9%, 95% CI: 35.5–44.5), and China (45.7%, 95% CI: 43.5–47.9) demonstrated lower levels of knowledge, whereas Poland (94.0%, 95% CI: 90.4–97.5), the United States (98.0%, 95% CI: 94.5–99.3), and the United Kingdom (98.4%, 95% CI: 97.2–99.6) exhibited higher levels of understanding.ConclusionsOur findings indicate significant knowledge gaps in the understanding of the ineffectiveness of antibiotics against viruses in many countries. These knowledge gaps have important implications for the rational use of antibiotics and the prevention of resistance

Patient and healthcare professional perspectives on which potential prognostic factors for failure of total elbow replacement should be investigated

Background: Total elbow replacement (TER) is an established treatment for the painful arthritic elbow; however, TER has higher failure rates than other joint replacements, such as hip and knee replacement. Understanding the prognostic factors associated with failure of TER is essential for informed decision-making between patients and clinicians, patient selection, and service planning. The aim of this study is to explore the views of patients and healthcare professionals on which potential prognostic factors should be investigated in relation to TER failure. Methods: This evaluation comprised of two Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) workshops and a survey. PPI workshop 1 consisted of five PPI participants who helped to develop a survey assessing the importance of potential prognostic factors to investigate. The survey was shared electronically with members of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS) and clinicians internationally. In PPI workshop 2, 15 PPI participants listed factors they thought important to investigate, and 12 completed the survey. Results: Patients and healthcare professionals agreed that most factors in the survey should be investigated. Although this is not a comparative study, more of the healthcare professionals disagreed that ethnicity (49% v 33%) and VTE prophylaxis (42% v none) were important enough to be investigated, whilst more of the patients disagreed that socioeconomic status is important to be investigated (54% v 17%). Patients and healthcare professionals also suggested other factors not listed in the survey. Conclusions: Patients and healthcare professionals agreed on the importance of investigating most prognostic factors, but some factors were favoured by only one group. The results of this evaluation could help researchers decide which prognostic factors to investigate and which to routinely collect

Interruptive Activism: Nineteenth-Century Theatre and Political Campaigning

The introduction to this special issue considers contemporary climate activism around theatre, exploring why Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion might have chosen three plays and operas with nineteenth-century origins for the site of their interruptive activism (at the musical Les Misérables in London and Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People and Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser in New York City) in 2023–24. It argues activist disruptions of these events acted to reconfigure theatrical audiences’ relationship to performance, unsettling Wagnerian immersion and the theatrical contract characteristic of the proscenium arch theatre in favour of a more active mode of spectatorship common in the nineteenth century and appropriate to our own age of environmental catastrophe. The introduction further situates contemporary climate activism around the arts in the tradition of nineteenth-century campaign and protest theatre