Towards shorter composite 180° refocusing pulses for NMR.

Novel composite 180° pulses are designed for use in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and verified experimentally using solution-state H NMR spectroscopy. Rather than being constructed from 180° pulses (as in much recent work), the new composite pulses are constructed from 90° pulses, with the aim of finding sequences that are shorter overall than existing equivalents. The primary (but not exclusive) focus is on composite pulses that are dual compensated - simultaneously broadband with respect to both inhomogeneity of the radiofrequency field and resonance offset - and have antisymmetric phase schemes, such that they can be used to form spin echoes without the introduction of a phase error.

Investigating children's valuation of authentic and inauthentic objects: Visible object properties vs. invisible ownership history.

In human culture, an object's value is influenced by tangible properties (e.g. visual desirability and constituent materials) and intangible ownership history (e.

Development and validation of an imprinted polymer based DGT for monitoring β-blocker drugs in wastewater surveillance.

Wastewater surveillance is an effective and objective approach to monitor contaminant releases and drug usage in the catchment, the estimation requires accurate measurement. In this study, a novel diffusive gradients in thin-film (DGT) technique based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for selective measurement of a class of widely prescribed cardiovascular drugs (β-blockers) in wastewater was developed. The synthesized MIPs showed strong affinity and selectivity for the target compounds.

A systematic review of the factors associated with the psychological wellbeing of people with Parkinson's in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: The lockdown and social distancing measures introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the ability of people with Parkinson's to engage in normal health management practices. This led to documented reductions in psychological wellbeing. The aim of the present review was to identify factors associated with the psychological wellbeing of people with Parkinson's during the acute stage of the pandemic.

Physical aspects of epithelial cell-cell interactions: hidden system complexities.

The maintenance of homeostasis and the retention of ordered epithelial cell self-organization are essential for morphogenesis, wound healing, and the spread of cancer across the epithelium. However, cell-cell interactions in an overcrowded environment introduce a diversity of complications. Such interactions arise from an interplay between the cell compressive and shear stress components that accompany increased cell packing density.

Maintaining psychological well-being when living at risk of Huntington's disease: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Living at risk of a genetically inherited disease can be a challenging experience causing psychological distress as well as the possibility of the genetic disease leading to physical health problems. Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative condition. It causes motor dysfunction, cognitive decline and, during the progression of the disease, different psychological difficulties are common.

Environmental stress reduces shark residency to coral reefs.

Coral reef ecosystems are highly threatened and can be extremely sensitive to the effects of climate change. Multiple shark species rely on coral reefs as important habitat and, as such, play a number of significant ecological roles in these ecosystems. How environmental stress impacts routine, site-attached reef shark behavior, remains relatively unexplored.

Machine learning to predict morphology, topography and mechanical properties of sustainable gelatin-based electrospun scaffolds.

Electrospinning is an outstanding manufacturing technique for producing nano-micro-scaled fibrous scaffolds comparable to biological tissues. However, the solvents used are normally hazardous for the health and the environment, which compromises the sustainability of the process and the industrial scaling. This novel study compares different machine learning models to predict how green solvents affect the morphology, topography and mechanical properties of gelatin-based scaffolds.

What is safety leadership? A systematic review of definitions.

Introduction: To the authors' knowledge, no systematic review has examined the definition of safety leadership in the academic literature to date. A review was therefore carried out to determine how safety leadership was defined in the peer reviewed empirical literature and thematic analysis was employed to identify patterned meanings across the data.

Method: Thirty-seven primary definitions, or definitions that were not borrowed from other studies, were identified.

App review driven collaborative bug finding.

Software development teams generally welcome any effort to expose bugs in their code base. In this work, we build on the hypothesis that mobile apps from the same category (e.g.

A framework for drought monitoring and assessment from a drought propagation perspective under non-stationary environments.

According to the coupled influence of climate variation and anthropogenic activities, hydro-meteorological variables are hard to keep stationary in a changing environment. Consequently, the efficacy of traditional standardized drought indices, predicated upon the assumption of stationarity, has been called into question. In China, the challenge of drought monitoring and declaration is exacerbated by the need for multiple drought indices covering meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and groundwater aspects, often lacking real-time availability.

Thinking clearly about misinformation.

There is concern that many ills in Western societies are caused by misinformation. Some researchers argue that misinformation is merely a symptom, not a cause. This is a false dichotomy, and research should differentiate between dimensions of misinformation in these evaluations.

Cross-mapping of terms used in chemical risk assessment with those used in systematic review: research protocol.

The focus on implementation of systematic review (SR) principles in chemical risk assessments (CRAs) is growing as it has the potential to advance the rigour and transparency of the CRAs. However, the SR and CRA communities use their own specific terminologies. Understanding the meaning of core SR and CRA terms and where they overlap is critical for application of SR methods and principles in CRAs.

Do longer job hours matter for maternal mental health? A longitudinal analysis of single versus partnered mothers.

Over the past decade, single mothers have experienced increasing work requirements both in the UK and in other developed countries. Our aim was to examine if increasing job hours are associated with mental health of single mothers compared to partnered mothers. Using 13 waves of the Understanding Society Survey (2009-2023), we estimated the relationship between changing job hours and mental health using difference-in-difference event study design, accounting for differential treatment effects across time and individuals.

Epithelial cell-cell interactions in an overcrowded environment: jamming or live cell extrusion.

Epithelial tissues respond strongly to the mechanical stress caused by collective cell migration and are able to regulate it, which is important for biological processes such as morphogenesis, wound healing, and suppression of the spread of cancer. Compressive, tensional, and shear stress components are produced in cells when epithelial monolayers on substrate matrices are actively or passively wetted or de-wetted. Increased compressive stress on cells leads to enhanced cell-cell interactions by increasing the frequency of change the cell-cell distances, triggering various signalling pathways within the cells.

Synthesis of a [2]catenane by ring closing metathesis of a [2]rotaxane prepared by crown ether active templation.

The high yielding synthesis and spectral characterization of a [2]catenane prepared by Grubbs catalyzed ring closing metathesis of a [2]rotaxane prepared by crown ether active template synthesis is described.

(Re)thinking about self-harm and autism: Findings from an online qualitative study on self-harm in autistic adults.

There is a higher prevalence of self-harming behaviours within the autistic community than is experienced by the general population, in addition to co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. To date, research has focused on quantifying and categorising the numbers of autistic people self-harming, what types of harming they are engaging in and what functions the harming performs. Autism research has historically focused on the opinions and experiences of parents, carers and clinicians, with a belief that autistic people are unable to present their own experiences and thoughts accurately.

Comparative efficacy of aspirin versus direct oral anticoagulants for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis following primary total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Introduction: Venous thromboembolisms (VTEs), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE), are common after total knee (TKA) and hip arthroplasty (THA). Recent studies suggest that aspirin effectively prevents VTE following major orthopaedic surgery. This meta-analysis compares randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating aspirin versus direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for VTE prevention after primary THA and TKA.

Progress towards understanding risk factor mechanisms in the development of autism spectrum disorders.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a heterogenous set of syndromes characterised by social impairment and cognitive symptoms. Currently, there are limited treatment options available to help people with ASD manage their symptoms. Understanding the biological mechanisms that result in ASD diagnosis and symptomatology is an essential step in developing new interventional strategies.

Body Composition, Vascular Health, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Lung Function, Muscle Architecture, and Physical Activity in People with Young Onset Dementia: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Body composition, blood pressure, estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO), lung function, physical activity, muscle architecture, and endothelial function had not previously been examined in people with young onset dementia. Therefore, the study measured these variables in a young onset dementia group, compared them to age-matched controls.

Methods: Estimated VO (via the Astrand-Rhyming test), body composition, blood pressure, lung function (via spirometry), muscle architecture (via ultrasonography), and endothelial function (via flow-mediated dilation) were assessed.

Care coordinator delivered method of levels therapy to improve engagement and other outcomes in early psychosis (CAMEO): protocol for a feasibility cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Background: Rates of disengagement from early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services are high. Care coordinators make up the largest staff group in EIP services and have the most frequent and sustained contact with service users. The quality of relationships between service users and care coordinators plays a central role in determining the effectiveness of EIP services.

Measuring the association between the opening of a new multi-national restaurant with young people's eating behaviours.

Out-of-home eating (takeaway, take-out and fast-foods) is associated with intakes of higher energy and fat, and lower intakes of micronutrients, and is associated with excess weight gain. In 2017, a unique opportunity arose to measure the association between the opening of a new multi-national fast-food restaurant (McDonald's) and consumption of fast-food on young people aged 11-16. This study uses a repeated cross-sectional design to explore group level change over time with respect to out-of-home eating behaviours of young people.

How can we measure psychological safety in mental healthcare staff? Developing questionnaire items using a nominal groups technique.

There have been growing concerns about the well-being of staff in inpatient mental health settings, with studies suggesting that they have higher burnout and greater work-related stress levels than staff in other healthcare sectors. When addressing staff well-being, psychological safety can be a useful concept. However, there is no measure of psychological safety that is suitable for use in inpatient mental health settings.