Effects of non-uniform temperature field, mean flow, and noise on nonlinear thermoacoustic instabilities

In industrial combustion systems, noise from various sources can significantly impact the system’s dynamics. External noise introduces complexities, potentially leading to untimely transitions and alterations in stability behaviours. This study extends the adjoint Green’s function (AGF) framework to investigate the stability of a one-dimensional thermoacoustic system, which includes a mean flow field, a temperature jump, and stochastic forcings. The theoretical framework is applied to a one-dimensional Rijke tube and is validated against a wave-based network modelling approach. The results provide a prediction of the limit cycles, triggering phenomena, hystereses, and Hopf bifurcations observed in experiments. Suitable open-end boundary conditions for a flow duct system are discussed. The role of mean temperature difference in the stability behaviour of the system is studied. Additionally, the influence of additive noise is examined, demonstrating that both white and pink noise can accelerate the transition to limit cycles without altering growth rates. Pink noise is shown to be more effective in triggering instabilities, particularly in systems operating near stability margins. The effect of the non-negligible but small mean flow is discussed in systems with and without noise. The findings enhance understanding of the complex interplay between mean flow, noise, and temperature fields, providing insights for better prediction and control of thermoacoustic instabilities

Lex Ruinae - Crisis Jurisprudence in the age of Systemic Collapse

My objective in this piece is to use the Roman legal fiction of Lex Ruinae, which, simultaneously refers to the law of ruins and ruinous law, to try to understand the relationship between law and what we might call the contemporary poly- / perma-crisis. In this regard, the overall thesis of the piece is that we might understand the legal dimensions of the crisis that seems to be spatially expansive, in the sense that it takes on planetary scale, and temporally extensive, in respect of seeming to stretch out into an endless critical future, through a theory of spasm. Here, the ruinous law of late capitalism seeks to force ever more progress, modernity, and profitability, but prevailing global economic conditions mean that further development is impossible and, in this way, exert a kind of contractive counter-force upon the global system that expresses itself in a tendency towards collapse and ruin. On the basis of this thesis, my argument is that rather than continue to live through the ruinous law of the code of capital, we should engage in what I am calling crisis jurisprudence to think about how we might live in the age of ruins and what a law of ruins might involve. Following a discussion of Lex Ruinae in the context of Roman crisis, and the struggle between Cicero, Caesar, and Antony over the purpose of law, I develop my discussion through an exploration the modern crisis of sovereignty, decision, and power, before showing how the economic version of imperium that has developed over the course of the second half of the 20th and early 21st century has led to the point of global poly- / perma-crisis, where there is nowhere else to go but a world of ruin. Thus, we confront the problem of Lex Ruinae

Narrative systematic review for autism spectrum disorders screening tools in school settings.

Early screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can enhance educational and health outcomes for affected children. This narrative systematic review explores school-based screening tools used around the world to identify children with ASD and explore the differences across socio-demographic groups. Systematic review of electronic databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane and Scopus) in October 2024 of papers published between 2011 and 2024. Mainstream school-based settings globally. Children aged 4-16 years old attending mainstream school. School-based screening tools for ASD, including all types of informant and format of tools reported in eligible studies. Primary outcomes included prevalence of screen positives, sensitivity and specificity of the screening tools. Secondary outcomes included participants' sex, socioeconomic status and ethnicity, and the relation of this to the primary outcomes. Of 7765 eligible articles, 14 studies were included in this review. We identified eight different school-based ASD screening tools. Study populations ranged from 103 to 16 556 children, with sensitivity and specificity varying by screening tool used, age group, setting and ASD prevalence. The percentage of children screening positive for ASD ranged from 0.7% to 8.5%. Studies were conducted in Europe (n=6), Western Pacific (n=4), the Americas (n=3) and Eastern Mediterranean (n=1) regions. No studies explicitly explored accuracy or validity outcomes based on ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Half of the 14 studies (n=7) reported the sensitivity and specificity of the screening tools; sensitivity ranged from 58% to 94% and specificity from 61% to 100%. There was insufficient evidence to recommend any single ASD screening tool. ASD screening tools vary widely across the globe, with limited standardisation. Evidence is lacking on how ethnicity and socioeconomic status affect their effectiveness in schools. Given the dearth of scientific evidence in this field, collaboration among educators, researchers and policymakers is needed to establish the evidence base for universal screening, identify optimal tools, coordinate their use and ensure their validation for specific populations. [Abstract copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ Group.

Toward agentic AI: User acceptance of a deeply personalized AI super assistant (AISA)

Recent scholarship underscores the transformative potential of generative AI in shaping consumer decision-making, preferences, and overall brand satisfaction. Among these technologies, chatbots and AI voice assistants are increasingly deployed in marketing to influence consumer behavior. A critical question, however, is whether consumers are willing to accept a new generation of such technologies. In July 2025, OpenAI introduced the agent mode of ChatGPT, which represents a shift toward highly personalized, multimodal, and autonomous systems. This study defines these systems as AI super assistants (AISA). Informed by the broader literature on AI adoption and consumer behavior, an adapted AIDUA model with perceived risk is proposed. Survey data from the Philippines (N = 407) was analyzed using combined PLS-SEM and NCA methods. The results show that users appear increasingly confident in their ability to engage with new AI technologies, indicating that they do not feel overwhelmed but instead perceive AISA's new features as manageable. Hedonic motivation, novelty value, performance expectancy, and effort expectancy were identified as necessary conditions for user acceptance, while perceived risk is a necessary condition for objection. These findings offer new insights into user perception toward AISA, with implications for responsible AI design and deployment

‘You tried your best, but we suffered enormously’: A decentred analysis of the contested narratives surrounding COVID-19 policy implementation in the British prison system

Prison health is intricately connected to public health given the significant burden of poor health which the majority of people in prison experience. Prison healthcare suffers from chronic understaffing, mostly due to macroeconomic austerity. The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted extensive damage on this already fragile milieu. We employ decentred theory as a sensitising concept to articulate competing narratives about prison healthcare decision-making during the pandemic. We predominantly draw upon 44 interviews conducted in 2021. We found that non-urgent healthcare provision almost collapsed with exhausted healthcare staff trying to deliver a reduced service to patients who felt abandoned. Consequently, our analysis portrayed narratives of suffering, trauma and injustice that were experienced in markedly different ways. Many participants compared a muddled and un(der)funded prison healthcare COVID-19 strategy against that of well financed community healthcare. Decision makers implicitly competed with each other over lines of accountability and responsibility. The research process itself was distorted and resisted by various actors in both overt and covert ways. We argue that prison healthcare is emblematic of a devalued and underfunded public healthcare agenda where actors have been physically and emotionally harmed by habiting space within a struggling institution during the largest public health crisis of the past century

Gout flares, serum urate and seasonality: a descriptive cohort study

AimsTo investigate the relationship between serum urate levels and gout flares and how these vary at different times of the year.MethodsA cohort of people with incident gout was established using a large UK primary care database (Clinical Practice Research Database). Clinician-recorded gout flares and serum urate (SU) measurements were identified and described using joinpoint linear regression modelling. The relationship between SU level, flare frequency, month of the year and mean monthly temperatures was explored and correlations tested using Pearson correlation coefficients.Results249,157 individuals (mean follow-up 6.7 years) experienced 417,101 flares and had 341,457 SU measurements (mean SU 437 µmol/L, standard deviation (SD) 106 µmol/L). SU levels peaked the day before a flare (487 µmol/L). Mean SU in the year preceding a flare was 474 µmol/L compared with 432 µmol/L in the year post-flare. SU levels did not near pre-flare levels in the year following a flare.Flares were most frequent, and SU was highest, in the summer months (June to August). The correlation co-efficient between flares and months of the year was 0.94, whereas the correlation with temperature was less strong (0.70).ConclusionsSU measurement in the year following a gout flare is not indicative of the peak (pre-flare) SU levels that an individual may have experienced. Clinicians should consider this when considering SU measurements in the diagnosis of gout. Patients may find it helpful to be informed of the seasonality of gout flares and advised to take extra caution to reduce the risk of flares during summer months

Clinical and MRI variables in decision support systems for prostate MRI: A systematic review of decision support tools, nomograms, and risk models

Introduction Workforce shortages and rising demand for MRI have increased interest in clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) to standardise imaging workflows. The Prostate Imaging–Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) committee recommends real-time radiologist input to guide MRI pathways, but workforce constraints may limit consistent implementation. This systematic review examined CDSSs used in prostate MRI, including decision tools, nomograms, and risk calculators, to identify the clinical and MRI-derived variables they incorporate and assess their relevance for future development. Methods A systematic search of Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, Web of Science, and ProQuest was conducted in June 2025. Eligible studies were original research published in English since January 2015 describing development, validation, or clinical use of a CDSS using structured clinical and MRI-derived variables for prostate cancer diagnosis, pre-biopsy risk stratification, or staging. Exclusion criteria included radiomics-only studies, non-primary research, studies without MRI variables, and those lacking external validation. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using PROBAST. Certainty of evidence was appraised using the GRADE framework. Results Twenty-two studies met inclusion criteria: fifteen evaluated nomograms, five described risk calculators, and two reported predictive models. None assessed a fully implemented CDSS. Common predictors included PI-RADS (82 %), prostate-specific antigen density (64 %), age (64 %), prostate-specific antigen (41 %), and prostate volume (23 %). Most tools showed strong discriminative accuracy (AUC >0.80), though calibration and decision curve analysis were inconsistently reported. Conclusion Validated clinical and MRI predictors support robust CDSSs, but heterogeneity and lack of implementation limit evidence. Prospective multicentre validation is needed. Implications for practice Radiographer-facing tools integrating key predictors could guide contrast use, staging, and workflow decisions, improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce unnecessary contrast administration

Geopolitical fragmentation and energy transition inequalities: Climate policy uncertainty, sanctions, and the oil and gas sector

Geopolitical fragmentation, intensifying climate policy uncertainty, and conflict-driven trade disruptions have reshaped the global energy landscape, with serious implications for both energy transition and energy poverty. This study investigates how geopolitical risks, such as war, sanctions, and fractured alliances, interact with climate policy uncertainty to influence the financial performance and strategic adaptability of oil and gas firms. Using ATET analysis on 374 publicly listed firms across 45 countries (2019–2023), we assess market responses before and after the 2022 Russia–Ukraine conflict. Key findings include: (1) Russian oil and gas firms significantly outperformed peers prior to 2022 under stable geopolitical conditions; (2) Post-sanctions, Western firms gained competitive advantage while Russian firms experienced declining profit margins despite stable revenues; (3) Firms based in sanctioning and sanctioned nations demonstrated higher resilience, whereas those in neutral economies faced growing financial instability amid policy unpredictability. The findings highlight how climate policy uncertainty and fragmented global governance exacerbate energy access inequalities, complicating efforts to achieve a just and inclusive energy transition. To address these tensions, the study advocates for coordinated energy policies that integrate geopolitical risk into climate strategies, especially for supporting vulnerable economies in the Global South. Aligning energy security with long-term sustainability goals is essential to mitigate the risks of energy poverty and ensure equitable progress toward decarbonization

Bacteriophages in Hip and Knee Periprosthetic Joint Infections: A Promising Tool in the Era of Antibiotic Resistance

Background: Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) of the hip and knee are one of the most severe complications in arthroplasty, often requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy and multiple revision surgeries. The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms and biofilm-associated PJIs has renewed interest in bacteriophage therapy as a targeted, adjunctive treatment option in refractory cases. This investigation systematically reviews and discusses the current evidence regarding the application, outcomes, and safety profile of bacteriophage therapy in the management of PJIs. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the 2020 PRISMA statement. PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Web of Science were accessed in August 2025. No time constraints were used for the search. All clinical studies investigating bacteriophage therapy for bacterial PJIs were considered for eligibility. Results: A total of 18 clinical studies, comprising 53 patients treated with bacteriophage therapy for PJI, were included. The mean follow-up was approximately 13.6 months. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent pathogen (18 cases); phage cocktails were used in 33 patients and monophage preparations in 9, all combined with suppressive antibiotic therapy. Persistent or resistant joint pain was reported in only two patients (3.8%), while signs of ongoing infection despite phage therapy were observed in four patients (7.5%). Adverse events following BT were inconsistently reported. Conclusions: Bacteriophage therapy shows promise as an adjunctive treatment for hip and knee PJIs, especially in refractory or multidrug-resistant cases. Current evidence is limited and methodologically weak, underscoring the need for well-designed clinical trials to clarify efficacy, safety, and optimal integration into existing orthopaedic infection protocols