The impact of self‐directed aftercare following breast cancer surgery: a scoping review

PurposeWith over 56,000 new cases of breast cancer a year in the UK and 76% of these expected to live beyond 10 years, managing long-term care and support is an urgent challenge. This scoping review aims to map the current literature on outcomes and lived experience of Self-Directed Aftercare (SDA) pathways following breast cancer surgery. We aim to assess what evidence exists to support the current delivery of this approach.MethodsA scoping review in line with the PRISMA-ScR template was undertaken across 3 databases (Web of Science, PubMED and OVID Medline) using an iteratively developed search strategy based on concepts of “breast cancer”, “self-directed” and “aftercare”. Screening was undertaken by all authors and disagreements settled by team discussion. Key data were extracted from qualitative and quantitative studies, with descriptive statistical and thematic analysis conducted.ConclusionsAvailable literature is sparse and of variable quality. While reductions in clinic attendance are reported, there is a wide range of patient lived experience. There are positive reports of the convenience of SDA, while negative aspects included unmet psychological and information needs, which also changed over time. Ease of access to speciality breast advice varied across studies.Implications for Cancer SurvivorsGlobally more patients are being managed via SDA, but this review demonstrates the lack of research assessing the safety, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of this approach. It is imperative that services address the evolving needs of breast cancer survivors and integrate feedback from patients with lived experience of breast cancer aftercare.Trail RegistrationThis project has been publicly registered with the Open Science Framework (July 2024). It can be found under the project “Exploring oncological outcomes and lived experiences of patients and their carers managed via self-directed aftercare pathways following breast cancer surgery” available at https://osf.io/b56vq/.<br/

Sampling for non-destructive spectroscopy with a particular focus on agriculture, food and feed

Sampling plays a pivotal role in the analytical process, particularly when employing non-destructive spectroscopic sensors (NDSS). This review bridges Theory of Sampling (ToS) and Design of Experiments (DoE) to address sampling challenges in NDSS agri-food applications. Sampling quality is the primary driver of overall uncertainty, often significantly surpassing laboratory and instrumental errors. Non-destructive spectroscopic setups inherently sample through their optical configurations. We highlight the importance of replication methods to determine sources of variance, particularly in physical sampling procedures, and provide practical guidelines for achieving representative sampling. Additionally, the review briefly discusses computational augmentation and resampling techniques. Practical considerations and case studies from food and feed applications illustrate the constraints and solutions for effective sampling, providing insights for researchers and industry aiming to optimize NDSS measurements.</p

Multiphysics modelling and experimental validation of road tanker dynamics: stress analysis and material characterization

Crossland Tankers is a leading manufacturer of bulk-load road tankers in Northern Ireland. These tankers transport up to forty thousand litres of liquid over long distances across diverse road conditions. Liquid sloshing within the tank has a significant impact on driveability and the tanker’s lifespan. This study introduces a novel Multiphysics model combining Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to simulate fluid–structure interactions in a full-scale road tanker, validated with real-world road test data. The model reveals high-stress zones under braking and turning, with peak stresses at critical chassis locations, offering design insights for weight reduction and enhanced safety. Results demonstrate the approach’s effectiveness in optimising tanker design, reducing prototyping costs, and improving longevity, providing a valuable computational tool for industry applications

Friendships are more group‐oriented in the United Kingdom than in Japan

Friendship is a common and complex social bond. Among friendship practices yet to be fully understood are group- versus dyadic-oriented friendship styles, or whether people socialize with one versus multiple friends at a time. We report two studies comparing friendship styles and relational mobility among 1674 young adults (18-35 years old) in Japan and the United Kingdom. Respondents from both countries completed the Friendship Habits Questionnaire, a new measure of dyadic- versus group-oriented friendship styles. Participants also estimated their friendship group size and time spent in friendship groups versus dyads, and completed a scale of relational mobility. Participants’ group-oriented friendship style, assessed with the Friendship Habits Questionnaire, was associated with larger friendship groups and more time spent in groups, rather than dyads of friends. Compared to Japanese, participants from the UK had more group-oriented friendship styles and were more relationally mobile. Moreover, group-oriented friendship styles were associated with higher relational mobility. These findings provide insights into models of friendship and social relationships promoted across diverse cultural settings

Early human settlement in Bornean forests occurred under distinct environmental conditions

Humans have inhabited Bornean tropical forests for at least 45,000 years, yet the impact of that long‐term presence is poorly understood. Borneo's extensive archaeological record and high biodiversity offer a unique laboratory to examine patterns of site selection and the effects of human activity on tropical forest ecosystems. This paper establishes a synthetic literature‐based data set of 73 archaeological sites, 47 with radiocarbon or radiometric records dating during the last 6 ka BP. Palaeoclimate, current climate, soil, and terrain variables of these 47 sites are compared against a set of simulated random locations across Borneo. We also consider spatial proximity as a factor influencing human settlement, clustering sites based on location and examining the timing and duration of habitation of sites within the clusters. Finally, we compare the 47 site records against the HYDE‐3.2 land‐use model to assess correspondence. Our results suggest that during the last 6000 years BP, Bornean human settlements tended to be located in the forests at lower elevations, near coasts and river networks, in higher temperatures and lower precipitation. Comparative sedimentary analysis also suggests preferential use of locations exhibiting lower clay and higher sand content. This combination of conditions likely improved food production and resource supply. Our study highlights the value of integrating archaeological data with global historical land‐use and climate models to uncover long‐term human–environment interactions. By establishing a cross‐site environmental baseline, these findings provide insights into past human settlement patterns and likely human legacies in Borneo's tropical forests

Anti-malicious ISAC: How to jointly monitor and disrupt your foes?

Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems are key enablers of future networks but raise significant security concerns. In this realm, the emergence of malicious ISAC systems has amplified the need for authorized parties to legitimately monitor suspicious communication links and protect legitimate targets from potential detection or exploitation by malicious foes. In this paper, we propose a new wireless proactive monitoring paradigm, where a legitimate monitor intercepts a suspicious communication link while performing cognitive jamming to enhance the monitoring success probability (MSP) and simultaneously safeguard the target. To this end, we derive closed-form expressions of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) at the user (UE), sensing access points (S-APs), and an approximating expression of the SINR at the proactive monitor. Moreover, we propose an optimization technique under which the legitimate monitor minimizes the success detection probability (SDP) of the legitimate target, by optimizing the jamming power allocation over both communication and sensing channels subject to total power constraints and monitoring performance requirement. To enhance the monitor’s longevity and reduce the risk of detection by malicious ISAC systems, we further propose an adaptive power allocation scheme aimed at minimizing the total transmit power at the monitor while meeting a pre-selected sensing SINR threshold and ensuring successful monitoring. Our numerical results show that the proposed algorithm significantly compromises the sensing and communication performance of malicious ISAC

Confinement, resistance and reclaiming space in JustUs’s Just a Prisoner’s Wife

Late twentieth century Belfast theatre played an important role in developing a working-class feminist response to the “Troubles”. While Bill McDonnell identifies the emergence of a hyper-local “Theatre of the Oppressed” in the city during the 1970s and 1980s, however, this feminist response “from below” is less explored. As the Peace Process emerged in the 1990s, companies like DubbelJoint and JustUs developed community plays that strove to unearth complex perspectives on women's experiences of colonial conflict. This chapter will discuss JustUs's seminal play, Just a Prisoner's Wife (1996), exploring how its sophisticated drama challenged both the criminalisation and androcentrism of republicanism.<br/

Sir John Ross Bt: the last lord Chancellor of Ireland 1921-1922

Sir John Ross was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1921, being the last to hold that office with its abolition in 1922. Ross was born and raised in Londonderry, before proceeding to Trinity College, Dublin. Briefly an MP in the 1890s, Ross was chiefly interested in the law. Called to the Irish Bar in 1880, he took silk in 1891. His career as a Chancery barrister, and later a judge, led him to the Irish woolsack. As a result of the Government of Ireland Act 1920, his role as Lord Chancellor was very different to that of his predecessors. However, as Lord Chancellor he took no back seat role, hearing cases in the newly-established High Court of Appeal for Ireland up until his office was abolished. Ross also served as Speaker of the short-lived Senate of Southern Ireland. He retired to Northern Ireland where he died in 1935.<br/

Trends in adult visual impairment certification in Northern Ireland: a 10-year analysis

Purpose: In the UK, people are certified as severely sight impaired (SSI) or sight impaired (SI) according to Government guidelines. Certification ensures people with visual impairments can access adequate support and benefits. Certification of visual impairment data has been collected and analysed in Northern Ireland by a team and full continuous data is available from 2014 to 2023.Methods: Data from certification forms was collected, entered into an Excel spreadsheet, and 10% was validated by the certification of visual impairment team. This data was collated, cleaned and analysed using IBM SPSS (version 27) for frequency, mean, median and interquartile ranges.Results: Results show that over a 10-year period (2014–2023) the number of certifications in Northern Ireland has increased to a point where they are aligned with figures from other regions of the United Kingdom (UK). Results show that more people are certified as SSI than SI in Northern Ireland (NI) which is in contrast to figures reported in England and Wales. More females are certified than males in NI. Similarly to England and Wales, the most common cause of certification of visual impairment in adults in NI is Age-Related Macular Degeneration, accounting for around 50% of certifications annually. The second most common cause is glaucoma followed by diabetic eye disease (DED). In working age adults, DED is the leading cause of certification.Conclusion: The results from 10 years of certification data in NI show common themes with other high-income countries, including increased certification, particularly among females, and the most common causes of certification remain AMD, glaucoma and DED.<br/

Trends in adult visual impairment certification in Northern Ireland: a 10-year analysis

Purpose: In the UK, people are certified as severely sight impaired (SSI) or sight impaired (SI) according to Government guidelines. Certification ensures people with visual impairments can access adequate support and benefits. Certification of visual impairment data has been collected and analysed in Northern Ireland by a team and full continuous data is available from 2014 to 2023.Methods: Data from certification forms was collected, entered into an Excel spreadsheet, and 10% was validated by the certification of visual impairment team. This data was collated, cleaned and analysed using IBM SPSS (version 27) for frequency, mean, median and interquartile ranges.Results: Results show that over a 10-year period (2014–2023) the number of certifications in Northern Ireland has increased to a point where they are aligned with figures from other regions of the United Kingdom (UK). Results show that more people are certified as SSI than SI in Northern Ireland (NI) which is in contrast to figures reported in England and Wales. More females are certified than males in NI. Similarly to England and Wales, the most common cause of certification of visual impairment in adults in NI is Age-Related Macular Degeneration, accounting for around 50% of certifications annually. The second most common cause is glaucoma followed by diabetic eye disease (DED). In working age adults, DED is the leading cause of certification.Conclusion: The results from 10 years of certification data in NI show common themes with other high-income countries, including increased certification, particularly among females, and the most common causes of certification remain AMD, glaucoma and DED.<br/