Laser induced forward transfer imaging using deep learning

A novel approach for improving the accuracy and efficiency of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT), through the application of deep learning techniques is presented. By training a neural network on a dataset of images of donor and receiver substrates, the appearance of copper droplets deposited onto the receiver was predicted directly from images of the donor. The results of droplet image prediction using LIFT gave an average RMSE of 9.63 compared with the experimental images, with the SSIM ranging from 0.75 to 0.83, reflecting reliable structural similarity across predictions. These findings underscore the model's predictive potential while identifying opportunities for refinement in minimising error. This approach has the potential to transform parameter optimisation for LIFT, as it enables the visualization of the deposited material without the time-consuming requirement of removing the donor from the setup to allow inspection of the receiver. This work therefore represents an important step forward in the development of LIFT as an additive manufacturing technology to create complex 3D structures on the microscale.</p

University of Southampton submission to the Defra consultation on Offshore Wind Environmental Compensatory Measures Reforms

University of Southampton submission to the Defra consultation on Offshore Wind Environmental Compensatory Measures Reforms

Injury and local injection and the risk of foot/ankle osteoarthritis: a case-control study in retired UK male professional footballers

Objectives: to examine whether foot/ankle injury and injection contribute to the risk of foot/ankle OA in retired UK male professional footballers.Methods: this was a case-control study within retired UK male footballers, where cases reported General Practitioner diagnosed foot/ankle OA or forefoot/ankle surgery after retirement, and controls reported neither. Injury was defined as significant foot/ankle injury with pain for most days over three months during their career. Injection was defined as injection of corticosteroid or other agents into foot/ankle joints during their career. Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression. Area Under the Curve (AUC) and 95% CI were estimated to examine the contribution of injury and/or injection in the context of other available risk factors.Results: of 424 footballers studied, 63 had foot/ankle OA and 361 had neither. Cases had similar mean age (63.2 versus 63.0, p=0.457) and body mass index (27.7 versus 27.0, p=0.240) as controls, but more foot/ankle injury (73.3% versus 42.5%, p&lt;0.001) and injections (75.0% versus 48.4%, p&lt;0.001), with aORs of 4.23 (95% CI 1.88-9.48) and 2.62 (95% CI 1.19-5.78), respectively. AUC was 0.69 (95% CI 0.62-0.77) for injury, 0.74 (95% CI 0.66-0.81) for injury and injection, and 0.78 (95% CI 0.70-0.85) for all risk factors. Similar results were observed in footballers with ankle OA only.Conclusion: injury was a major risk factor for foot/ankle OA in retired UK male professional footballers. The role of injection needs cautious interpretation due to potential confounding by indication

Understanding the potential role of Social Prescribing Link Workers in supporting identified needs of people with physical and mental long-term conditions: a qualitative study

Background: the Social Prescribing Link Worker (SPLW) approach is a means for supporting individuals and communities with diverse needs, with its reach and impact widely recognised in health and community systems. However, SPLW support for people with long-term physical and mental health conditions (P+MH LTCs) has been variable and there are knowledge gaps such as unheard voices of those with a varied engagement in SPLW support. We undertook a study to better understand the potential relevance of SPLW support for addressing the needs of individuals with P+MH LTCs. Its aim was to explore a range of health and psychosocial needs of people living with P+MH LTCs and to examine perspectives on how the SPLW role supports the complex needs of this group.Methods: a qualitative study utilising one-to-one semi-structured interviews with community dwelling adults (aged ≥18 years old) living with P+MH LTCs with diverse socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Research was informed by a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) group for meaningful and inclusive research activities, and qualitative data were analysed using a Framework Method. Results: analysis revealed five themes and sixteen sub-themes that collectively demonstrate the complex and shifting experience of living with P+MH LTCs. This population dealt with competing multi-layered needs, and felt that the potential role of SPLW support to mitigate some of the unmet demands of this group was not effectively carried out in practice. This meant that potential benefits were often missed. Conclusions: our findings demonstrate that this population is experiencing a substantial impact on health and wellbeing, and that there is an urgent need for integrated health and care systems that are complemented by consistent, coordinated and skilled SPLW support. Lessons learnt in this research provide new evidence and suggest directions for further research

Esports: a multidisciplinary research perspective and future research direction

Video gaming is poised to become the dominant form of modern entertainment, with esports emerging as a central pillar of this transformation. Experts predict that esports—defined as professional, tournament-level competitive gaming (Cunningham et al., 2018)—could one day rival traditional sports such as football in terms of player participation, audience size, and revenue generation (Scholz, 2019). With rapidly expanding audiences, institutional support, and cultural relevance, esports now rivals traditional sports in economic impact and societal presence. Yet, scholarly understanding of this phenomenon remains fragmented across disciplines, lacking a unified conceptual foundation. Cranmer et al. (2021) redefined esports and proposed the “Esports Matrix”, which categorises esports into four realms: traditional game experience, digitally enhanced sports, immersive reality sports, and sports digitalisation. Similarly, Jeong and Youk (2023) refined esports definitions and highlighted its shared elements with traditional sports, such as institutionalisation, industry involvement, and contingent problems. Addressing the conceptual fragmentation these studies highlight, this special issue of Internet Research presents multidisciplinary research on the governance, technological innovation, and consumer dynamics shaping the esports ecosystem. To integrate these diverse insights, we propose a Unified Multilayered Esports Framework (UMEF) that maps research across macro, meso, and micro levels and offers a roadmap for future inquiry

Leveraging known Pacific colonisation times to test models for the ancestry of Southeast Asians

The most widely accepted model for the colonization of Remote Oceania by Austronesian-speaking bearers of the Lapita complex ~ 3 ka (3000 years ago) links it to a broader Neolithic expansion from China, via Taiwan, ~ 4.5–6 ka. However, analyses of mitochondrial DNA haplogroup B4a1a1a, prevalent among Remote Oceanians today, have both supported and challenged this scenario. Here, we analyze 1364 B4a1a1 mitogenomes (234 novel) from 68 islands and compare age estimates with radiocarbon dates for colonization. We estimate the settlement of Remote Oceania ~ 3.2 [2.7; 3.75] ka, matching radiocarbon ages, and then extrapolate the age in Near Oceania. B4a1a1a arose around the northern coasts of New Guinea at least 6 ka, following Early Holocene dispersals from Asia. Technological advances (e.g., in sailing), fueled by interaction networks alongside the arrival of Late Holocene migrants from Taiwan or ISEA and putative environmental changes, likely triggered the expansion of Lapita colonists carrying B4a1a1a from New Guinea into Remote Oceania

The Bright Side of Labor Unions: Evidence from Working Capital Management

This study documents that unionization imposes a heterogeneous impact on working capital policies. We argue and demonstrate that the impact of unionization on working capital depends on financial performance. Specifically, the rent extraction effect incentivizes profitable firms to reduce working capital to gain bargaining advantages, whereas the operating risk effect motivates less profitable firms to increase working capital to hedge against risk. To establish causality, we employ instrumental variables based on the proportions of female and part-time workers, as well as a regression discontinuity design (RDD) based on union election outcomes. A difference-in-differences (DID) analysis exploiting the staggered adoption of right-to-work laws further confirms that unions influence firm behavior through their bargaining power. Additional mechanism analyzes validate the existence of both the rent extraction and operating risk effects. Moreover, we find that the impact of unionization on working capital is independent of firms’ cash policies, suggesting that cash and working capital are not perfect substitutes. Finally, we provide evidence that shareholders perceive unions’ influence on working capital as value-enhancing. Overall, the findings illuminate a bright side of union power and offer new insights into how labor relations shape corporate liquidity management.</p

Impact of prehospital stroke video triage (PSVT) on thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy rates and reduction in neurological disability and length of stay at University Hospital Southampton

Introduction: 465 patients underwent PSVT between June 2023 andMay 2025. 32 patients received intravenous thrombolysis and 11 mechanicalthrombectomy. We review the results on reperfusion treatmentMethod: We examined treatment times, length of stay and neurologicaloutcomes in patients treated with thrombolysis and thrombectomy andcompared them with SSNAP data for the same periodResults or details of the case: 32 patients underwent thrombolysis.Door to CT scanning time was halved from 50 min to 26 min. Door toneedle time was 10 minutes faster, reduced from 1:05min to 55min withvideo. Stroke onset time to thrombolysis was 45min quicker, and meanNIHSS 10 pretreatment and 5 post lysis. 20/32 patients were dischargedwithin 48hrs with minimal disability.In the thrombectomy group, door to groin puncture times were faster,pretreatment NIHSS 15 and post 8, with a mean length of stay 4 days andmean 6-month mRS 2.Conclusion: PSVT allows prioritisation of reperfusion cases with fasterthrombolysis and thrombectomy times resulting in a greater reduction inNIHSS and disability with earlier reperfusion treatment, shorter length ofstay and better long-term outcomes. The next challenge is to increaseparamedic and clinician engagement to realise further benefits on patientoutcomes