Inspection of wind turbine bolted connections using the ultrasonic phased array system.

This study explores the inspection of bolted connections in wind turbines, specifically focusing on the application of Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT). The research comprises four sections: Acoustoelastic Constant calibration, high tension investigation on bolts, blind tests on larger bolts, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) verification. The methodology shows accurate results for stress while the bolt is under operative loads, and produces a clear indication of when it is above these loads and beginning to deform.

Behaviour change interventions to improve household sanitation and hygiene practices in urban settings: A systematic scoping review.

Introduction: Behaviour change interventions have the potential to improve sanitation and hygiene practices in urban settings. However, evidence on which behaviour change interventions have successfully improved sanitation and hygiene practices in urban settings is unclear.

Methods: We performed electronic searches across five databases and one grey literature database to identify relevant studies published between January 1, 1990 and November 20, 2023 in English.

Comparison of models to predict incident chronic liver disease: a systematic review and external validation in Chinese adults.

Background: Risk prediction models can identify individuals at high risk of chronic liver disease (CLD), but there is limited evidence on the performance of various models in diverse populations. We aimed to systematically review CLD prediction models, meta-analyze their performance, and externally validate them in 0.5 million Chinese adults in the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB).

Mixed method analysis of anthropogenic groundwater contamination of drinking water sources in Malawi.

Groundwater contamination poses significant challenges to public health and sustainable development in Malawi, where approximately 80 % of the population relies on groundwater sources for drinking water. This study investigates the presence and drivers of nitrate and E. coli contamination in groundwater used for drinking.

Spatial model of groundwater contamination risks from pit-latrines in a low-income country.

Pit-latrines are central to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) of ensuring "clean water and sanitation for all". Unless safely managed, pit-latrines result in groundwater contamination, which increases morbidity and mortality. Despite this, there have been no long-term spatial projections of future pit-latrine contamination risks.

The impact of community based interventions for the prevention and control of soil-transmitted helminths: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are among the most common human infections worldwide and a major cause of morbidity. They are caused by different species of parasitic worms and transmitted by eggs released in faeces or when hookworm larvae penetrate the skin. The main control strategy in endemic regions is periodic treatment with deworming medication.

Implementing a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in a humanitarian setting: lessons learned from the TISA trial.

Introduction: High-quality evidence is crucial for guiding effective humanitarian responses, yet conducting rigorous research, particularly randomised controlled trials, in humanitarian crises remains challenging. The TISA ("traitement intégré de la sous-nutrition aiguë") trial aimed to evaluate the impact of a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) intervention on the standard national treatment of uncomplicated Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in children aged 6-59 months. Implemented in two northern Senegalese regions from December 22, 2021, to February 20, 2023, the trial faced numerous challenges, which this paper explores along with the lessons learned.

Successful Preoperative Radiotherapy for Neglected Shoulder Liposarcoma: A Retrospective Case Report.

This study examines a unique case of a 61-year-old male with a 5-year history of a progressively growing mass above his right shoulder, diagnosed as a dedifferentiated pleomorphic liposarcoma. Using computerized tomography-guided core needle biopsy, the tumour was identified as intermediate to high grade. Surgical removal required preoperative radiotherapy to reduce the size of the tumour.

Greater oxidation of dietary linoleate compared to palmitate in humans following an acute high-carbohydrate diet.

Background: We have previously demonstrated that dietary saturated fatty acids (SFA), when compared to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), are preferentially partitioned into oxidation pathways. However, it remains unclear if this preferential handling is maintained when hepatocellular metabolism is shifted toward fatty acid (FA) esterification and away from oxidation, such as when hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) is upregulated.

Aim: To investigate whether an acute upregulation of hepatic DNL influences dietary FA partitioning into oxidation pathways.

Navigating the landscape of fear: Fruit flies exhibit distinct antipredator and antiparasite defensive behaviors.

Most organisms are at risk of being consumed by a predator or getting infected by a parasite at some point in their life. Theoretical constructs such as the landscape of fear (perception of risk) and nonconsumptive effects (NCEs, costly responses sans predation or infection) have been proposed to describe and quantify antipredator and antiparasite responses. How prey/host species identify and respond to these risks determines their survival, reproductive success and, ultimately, fitness.

The role of acute stress recovery in emotional resilience.

Background: Resilience refers to the process of demonstrating better outcomes than would be expected based on the adversity one experienced. Resilience is increasingly measured using a residual approach, which typically assesses adversity and mental health outcomes over a longitudinal timeframe. It remains unknown to what extent such a residual-based measurement of resilience is sensitive to variation in acute stress resilience, a candidate resilience factor.

Inclusion of persons living with disabilities in a district-wide sanitation programme: A cross-sectional study in rural Malawi.

Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) is embraced as a key strategy to achieve universal sanitation coverage (Sustainable Development Goal 6.2). Although inclusion is identified as a predictor of CLTS success, people living with disabilities are often excluded from community sanitation programmes and there is limited research exploring CLTS participation amongst people living with disabilities.

Severe measles with pneumonitis in an immunocompetent adult.

Measles is a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable airborne-transmitted viral infection of which there has been a recent resurgence of cases worldwide over the past year, including in countries such as the UK, which had previously successfully achieved endemic measles elimination through vaccination programmes. Measles is typically a self-limiting illness, but can rarely cause severe, life-threatening disease, particularly when complicated by respiratory or neurological involvement. These severe complications are not typically seen in the absence of immunosuppression.

How varying cue duration influences item-method directed forgetting: A novel selective retrieval interpretation.

A series of four experiments tested the assumptions of the most prominent and longstanding account of item-method directed forgetting: the selective rehearsal account. In the item-method directed forgetting paradigm, each presented item is followed by its own instructional cue during the study phase - either to-be-forgotten (F) or to-be-remembered (R). On a subsequent test, memory is poorer for F items than for R items.

Optimising Cardiology Ambulatory Care Pathways: A Comprehensive Approach to Admission Avoidance and Timely Intervention in a Post-Pandemic Healthcare Landscape.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are a substantial burden on healthcare systems, contributing significantly to avoidable hospital admissions. We propose a Cardiology Ambulatory Care Pathway.

Methods: Conducted a 1 month study redirecting admission streams from primary and emergency care, into a Cardiology Ambulatory Care Hub providing triage in Hot Clinic, and access to a Multi-Modal Testing Platform.

Regimes of truth regarding 'sexual justice' in academic literature from 2012 to 2022: a scoping review.

The notion of 'sexual justice' has gained traction in academic and policy arenas in recent years. This paper presents a scoping literature review of the regimes of truth, following Foucault, of 'sexual justice' appearing in the scientific literature from 2012 to 2022. Thirty-eight papers were coded using (1) content analysis of the studies' central problematics, the programmes referred to, and institutional location(s); and (2) thematic analysis of how the notion was deployed.

Effects of home-based EEG neurofeedback training as a non-pharmacological intervention for Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: Aberrant movement-related cortical activity has been linked to impaired motor function in Parkinson's disease (PD). Dopaminergic drug treatment can restore these, but dosages and long-term treatment are limited by adverse side-effects. Effective non-pharmacological treatments could help reduce reliance on drugs.

"It's a Postcode Lottery": How Do People Affected by Dementia in Wales Experience Their Diagnosis and Post-Diagnostic Support, and How May These Be Improved?

National dementia strategies are government policies that guide the provision of appropriate support for people living with dementia. These strategies, developed through extensive stakeholder engagement, should be tailored to the cultural and demographic needs of a country. Using a mixed methods survey design, this study explored the aims of the Dementia Action Plan (2018-2022) for Wales (UK) around assessment, diagnosis, and post-diagnostic support, and assessed whether these are being realized.

Demanding doctorability for abortion on request: a conversation analysis of pre-abortion counselling in public hospitals in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Background: Research on abortion counselling generally uses retrospective interviewing regarding providers' and users' experiences. In this article we explore how requests for abortion are made and received in real time in (officially non-mandatory) pre-abortion counselling conducted by nurses and counsellors in South African public abortion clinics.

Methods: To capture turn-by-turn interactions, we recorded, using consecutive sampling, 28 sessions at three abortion clinics in 2017/2018.

Electronic and Molecular Structures of a Series of Nickel Bis-1,1-Dithiolates.

A series of homoleptic Ni bis-1,1-dithiolates, [Ni(SCRR')] (R=CN, R'=CN, COEt, CONH, Ph, Ph-4-Cl, Ph-4-OMe, Ph-4-NO, Ph-3-CF, Ph-4-CF, Ph-4-CN; R=NO, R'=H; R=R'=COEt) have been synthesized from the reaction of the alkali metal salt of the ligand and nickel chloride, and isolated as tetraphenylphosphonium or tetrabutylammonium salts. The complexes were characterized by X-ray crystallography, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electronic absorption spectroscopies. The molecular structures show a rigidly square planar Ni(II) center linking two four-membered chelate rings whose dimensions are constant across the series.

Advancing Carbon Fiber Composite Inspection: Deep Learning-Enabled Defect Localization and Sizing via 3-D U-Net Segmentation of Ultrasonic Data.

In nondestructive evaluation (NDE), accurately characterizing defects within components relies on accurate sizing and localization to evaluate the severity or criticality of defects. This study presents for the first time a deep learning (DL) methodology using 3-D U-Net to localize and size defects in carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites through volumetric segmentation of ultrasonic testing (UT) data. Using a previously developed approach, synthetic training data, closely representative of experimental data, was used for the automatic generation of ground truth segmentation masks.