SPARK and SAD: Leading-edge deep learning frameworks for robust and effective intrusion detection in SCADA systems

Considering SCADA systems operate and manage critical infrastructure and industrial processes, the need for robust intrusion detection systems-IDSs cannot be overemphasized. The complexity of these systems, added to their increased exposure to more sophisticated cyber-attacks, creates significant challenges for continuous, secure operations. Traditional approaches to intrusion detection usually fail to cope, scale, or be as accurate as is necessary when dealing with the modern, multi-faceted problem of an attack vector against SCADA networks and IIoT environments. Past works have generally proposed the use of different machine learning and deep learning anomaly detection strategies to find possible intrusions. While these methods have, in fact, been promising, their effects are not without their own set of problems, including high false positives, poor generalization to new types of attacks, and performance inefficiencies in large-scale data environments. In this work, against this background, two novel IDS models are put forward: SPARK (Scalable Predictive Anomaly Response Kernel) and SAD (Scented Alpine Descent), to further improve the security landscape in SCADA systems. SPARK enables an ensemble-based deep learning framework combining strategic feature extraction with adaptive learning mechanisms for volume data processing at high accuracy and efficiency. This architecture has stringent anomaly detection through a multi-layered deep network adapting to ever-evolving contexts in operational environments, allowing for low latency and high precision in the detections. The SAD model works in concert with SPARK by adopting a synergistic approach that embeds deep learning into anomaly scoring algorithms, enabled to detect subtle attack patterns and further reduce false-positive rates

‘Why don’t you…’: R.J. Morris and the European Association for Urban History

Bob Morris was elected as president of the European Association for Urban History (EAUH) ahead of its 2002 conference in Edinburgh. Bob’s presidency, and the Edinburgh conference specifically, took place at an important point in the development of urban history within Europe and further afield. First, the programme reveals several emerging themes and topics of interest that have since shaped the sub-field in new and innovative ways. Second, Bob’s informal and collegial approach towards networking is reflected in the decision to place the EAUH on a quasi-formal constitutional basis. Both of these developments reflect, in part, Bob’s own research interests, as well as the sub-field’s welcoming approach to younger researchers, including taught and research postgraduate students, interested in networking with more established scholars

Elective peri‐operative management of adults taking glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists, glucose‐dependent insulinotropic peptide agonists and sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors: a multidisciplinary consensus statement

Summary Introduction Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists, dual glucose‐dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor agonists and sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors are used increasingly in patients receiving peri‐operative care. These drugs may be associated with risks of peri‐operative pulmonary aspiration or euglycaemic ketoacidosis. We produced a consensus statement for the peri‐operative management of adults taking these drugs. Methods This multidisciplinary consensus statement included surgeons, anaesthetists, physicians, pharmacists and people with lived experience relevant to these guidelines. Following the directed literature review, a three‐round modified Delphi process was conducted to generate and ratify recommendations. Results Patients taking glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists and dual glucose‐dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor agonists should: continue these drugs before surgery; have full risk assessment and stratification; and receive peri‐operative techniques that may mitigate risk of pulmonary aspiration before, during and after sedation or general anaesthesia. Patients taking sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors should omit them the day before and the day of a procedure. All patients should have risks and mitigation strategies discussed with a shared decision‐making approach. Discussion Until more evidence becomes available, this pragmatic, multidisciplinary consensus statement aims to support shared decision‐making and improve safety for patients taking glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists, dual glucose‐dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor agonists and sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors during the peri‐operative period

“We go hunting …”: Understanding experiences of people living with obesity and food insecurity when shopping for food in the supermarket to meet their weight related goals

The high prevalence of food insecurity in the United Kingdom has been exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis. In high-income countries, those experiencing food insecurity struggle to buy and consume foods that meet Government healthy eating recommendations, and are at increased risk of obesity, linked to poor diet quality. Individuals in high-income countries purchase most of their food to consume at home from supermarkets, making this an important context within which healthier and environmentally sustainable food purchasing should be supported. However, the lived experience of supermarket food purchasing in people living with obesity and food insecurity has not been explored in depth. Adults, living in England and Scotland, who self-identified as living with obesity and food insecurity and looking to reduce their weight, were recruited to take part in semi-structured interviews (n = 25) or focus groups (n = 8) to explore their experience of shopping for food in the supermarket. Using thematic analysis, four main themes were generated: 1) the Restricted Consumer; restrictions around the type of food purchased, where food can be purchased and the resulting emotional toll, 2) the Conscious Consumer; decision making and effortful practices both in preparation of and during the shopping trip, 3) Mitigating the Rising Cost of Food; agency and actions taken to mitigate high food prices, 4) Stigma; instances of perceived and/or experienced weight and poverty-related stigma and the physical actions and cognitive social comparisons used to minimise stigma. Findings provide insights for evidence-based policy on the need for upstream changes within the wider food system to address the social determinants of health and support people living with obesity and food insecurity to eat healthier and more sustainable diets

From a realist epistemology to ecosocialism: an interview with Ted Benton, part 1

Ted Benton has had a long and distinguished career and made important contributions in realist philosophy, ecology and Marxism. In part 1 of this wide-ranging interview he discusses his formative years and education, how he came to have an enduring interest in ecology and natural history, and his early work and career. In particular he discusses two matters of special interest to realists. First, how he came to write, and the key arguments contained in, Philosophical Foundations of the Three Sociologies. This book is one of the earliest works in modern realism and deserves wider recognition today. Second, his early and influential critique of Bhaskar's The Possibility of Naturalism. The critique pinpoints several important issues with the original formulation of naturalism and is indicative of the line of reasoning that would enable Benton to connect together natural and social science. In part 2, the discussion turns to this later work

Prospective analysis of injury demographics, distribution, severity and risk factors in adolescent climbers

Objective This study aims to prospectively analyse current demographics, distribution and severity of climbing injuries in adolescents. We hypothesised that the injury distribution of adolescent climbers would differ from adults, as presented in the literature and that primary periphyseal stress injuries of the finger (PPSI) will be very common and correlate with training hours and climbing level. Methods We performed a prospective single-centre injury surveillance of all adolescent (<18 years of age) climbers who presented between 2017 and 2020. A standard questionnaire, including questions for medical history, injury and training data and an examination protocol, was conducted in all patients. Injuries were graded, and risk factors, anthropometric specifics and stages of development were analysed. Injury epidemiology of adolescents was then compared with adults as presented in the literature. Results 137 independent climbing-related injuries were found in 95 patients. Injury onset was acute in 67 (48.9%) and chronic in 70 (51.8%). Forty-one injuries (29.9%) occurred during bouldering, 18 (13.1%) during lead climbing, 2 (1.5%) in speed climbing and 1 (0.7%) while training on the campus board. Average International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation injury score was 1.5±0.5 (range 0–3). Females had more training hours (p=0.004), more campus board use (p=0.004) and more acute injuries than males (p<0.001). 82% of the injuries affected the upper extremity and the most frequent injury was PPSI (45.3% of all injuries). Finger injuries were significantly more common in males than in females (p<0.05). The injury distribution in adolescent climbers differed significantly from adults (p<0.001). Conclusions Injured adolescent climbers had mostly chronic injuries affecting the upper extremity, with almost half of the injuries being PPSIs of the fingers. Further preventive measures targeting this type of injury need to be identified. Reducing the use of the finger crimp grip, monitoring the load, ensuring adequate recovery and targeted education appear to be crucial

Community engagement approaches to improve health: a cross-case study analysis of barriers and facilitators in UK practice

Background: Interventions that engage communities have been shown to improve health and wellbeing in disadvantaged groups internationally, but there is little evidence on current community-led practice, particularly in relation to the process of community engagement. This paper presents a qualitative cross-case analysis of barriers & facilitators in six UK community engagement projects, using different models of community engagement. Methods: The primary sampling criteria was the type of approach to community engagement, using a conceptual framework with four main groups: Strengthening communities; Volunteer and peer roles; Collaborations and partnerships; Connecting to community resources. Qualitative interview-based methods (semi-structured interviews and focus groups) explored community and professional perspectives in depth. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, building within-case studies before comparing findings and using an iterative process to build explanations in a cross-case analysis. Results: Fifty-five people (28 community stakeholders and 27 professional stakeholders) from six selected case study projects took part in the research. Key themes related to successful community engagement were: trust within the community and between community members and service providers; respect for community members’ expertise; allowing sufficient time for relationships to establish and for outcomes to be seen; commitment of key people; and flexibility. Conclusions: This qualitative case study research found that in successful community engagement projects, community expertise is respected and valued, allowing community members to be fully involved and take ownership of the projects. Sufficient time should be allowed for this process. Flexibility and adaptation of project materials, protocols and role descriptions is important in overcoming barriers to community engagement. Keywords: Community engagement, health and wellbeing, cross-case analysis, health equity, health inequalities, public health, health promotion, qualitative researc

Evaluation of the NHS England Low-Calorie Diet implementation pilot: a coproduced mixed-method study

Background National Health Service England piloted a low-calorie diet programme, delivered through total diet replacement and behaviour change support via 1 : 1, group or digital delivery, to improve type 2 diabetes in adults with excess weight. Aim To coproduce a qualitative and economic evaluation of the National Health Service low-calorie diet pilot, integrated with National Health Service data to provide an enhanced understanding of the long-term cost-effectiveness, implementation, equity and transferability across broad and diverse populations. Research questions What are the theoretical principles, behaviour change components, content and mode of delivery of the programme, and is it delivered with fidelity to National Health Service specifications? What are the service provider, user and National Health Service staff experiences of the programme? Do sociodemographics influence programme access, uptake, compliance and success? What aspects of the service work and what do not work, for whom, in what context and why? Can the programme be improved to enhance patient experience and address inequities? What are the programme delivery costs, and policy implications for wide-spread adoption? Methods A mixed-methods study underpinned by a realist-informed approach was delivered across five work packages, involving: semistructured interviews with service users (n = 67), National Health Service staff (n = 55), service providers (n = 9); 13 service provider focus groups; and service user surveys (n = 719). Findings were triangulated with clinical data from the National Health Service England’s first cohort analysis (n = 7540). Results Fifty-five per cent of service users who started total diet replacement completed the programme and lost an average of 10.3 kg; 32% of those with data available to measure remission achieved it. Examination of programme mobilisation identified barriers around referral equality and the impact of COVID-19, while effective cross-stakeholder working and communication were key facilitators. Service delivery and fidelity assessments identified a drift in implementation fidelity, alongside variation in the behaviour change content across providers. Perceived barriers to programme uptake and engagement aligned across service providers and users, resulting in key learning on: the importance of person-centred care, service user support needs, improvements to total diet replacement and the social and cultural impact of the programme. Early National Health Service quantitative analyses suggest some socioeconomic variation in programme uptake, completion and outcomes. Insights from the evaluation and National Health Service data were combined to develop the programme theory and underpinning context, mechanisms and outcomes. These were used to develop a list of recommendations to improve the cultural competency of programme delivery, total diet replacement delivery, peer support and address psychological support needs. Cost-effectiveness analyses using short-term follow-up data indicated there is potential for the programme to be cost-effective, but not cost saving. Conclusions The National Health Service low-calorie diet can provide a clinically effective and potentially cost-effective programme to support weight loss and glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. However, this evaluation identified areas for improvement in referral equity, uptake and completion, and fidelity of delivery, which have informed the development of the programme, which has now been rolled out nationally. Ongoing programme monitoring and long-term follow-up are now required. Future work and limitations The real-world setting limited some data collection and analysis. Future work will focus on the analysis of long-term clinical and cost-effectiveness, and addressing inequalities. Funding This article presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme as award number NIHR132075

Signaling role of finance in the relationship between environmental regulation and firm green innovation

This paper investigates the signaling role of finance in shaping the relationship between China's New Environmental Protection Law (NEPL) and firm-level green innovation, drawing on the “Signaling View” framework. Leveraging the NEPL as a quasi-natural experiment and utilizing data from Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2020, our findings reveal that firms significantly increased their green innovation post-NEPL. Firms, especially those in high-polluting industries, utilized green patents as strategic signals to demonstrate environmental responsibility, enhance reputation, and reduce financing costs. Green patent applications and acquisitions increased by 14.5 % and 15.7 %, respectively, in these sectors. The signaling effect is more substantial among larger firms and those with greater media exposure, highlighting the role of public scrutiny in motivating environmental compliance. Further analysis reveals broader benefits of green signaling, including improved media sentiment, higher ESG scores, and lower debt financing costs. Our findings emphasize the synergistic role of finance and policy in advancing green innovation through the signaling effect

Editorial: Preventing Sarcopenia and Promoting Musculoskeletal Health in Middle-Aged Adults: The Role of Exercise and Nutrition

Sarcopenia, once considered an inevitable consequence of ageing, is now recognised as a complex syndrome influenced by lifestyle, disease, and acute physiological stress. As global life expectancy rises, its prevalence is increasing, straining healthcare systems [1, 2] due to its association with disability, frailty, and comorbidities [3]. Prevalence estimates range from 0.2% to 86.5% depending on diagnostic criteria [4]. While typically studied in older adults, evidence suggests earlier onset, with rates between 8%-36% in those under 60 and 10%-27% in those aged 60 and older [4]. This variability partly reflects classification differences, with the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) [5] defining primary sarcopenia (ageing-related) and secondary sarcopenia (driven by disease, inactivity, or malnutrition), each posing distinct diagnostic challenges