Search Results (3,474)

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated refractive outcomes, particularly astigmatic correction, in keratoconus following toric intraocular lens (tIOL) implantation. A systematic search identified eligible studies reporting pre- and postoperative refractive cylinder, spherical equivalent (SE), uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). Eight studies, comprising 135 eyes, were included. Outcomes were pooled using a random-effects model with restricted maximum likelihood as the estimator for tau². Methodological quality was assessed using the MINORS tool for non-comparative studies and the JBI checklist for case series. Postoperative refractive cylinder and SE improved by 2.28 dioptres (95% CI, 1.60–2.96) and 4.17 dioptres (95% CI, 2.32–6.01), respectively. UDVA and CDVA also improved substantially, with pooled gains of 0.87 logMAR (95% CI, 0.71–1.03) and 0.19 logMAR (95% CI, 0.12–0.26), respectively. Most tIOL rotations did not exceed 10 degrees, with only one case requiring realignment surgery. Complications were infrequent and mostly minor. tIOL implantation is effective in reducing astigmatism and improving vision in stable keratoconus patients. However, limitations in vector analysis and methodology heterogeneity underscore the need for standardised reporting to optimise outcomes. Full article

The rapid and accurate identification of power system transient stability status is a fundamental prerequisite for ensuring the secure and reliable operation of large-scale power grids. With the increasing complexity and heterogeneity of modern power system components, system nonlinearity has grown significantly, rendering traditional time-domain simulation and direct methods unable to meet accuracy and efficiency requirements simultaneously. To further improve the prediction accuracy of power system transient stability and provide more refined assessment results, this paper integrates deep learning with power system transient stability and proposes a transient stability assessment of power systems built upon a deep spatio-temporal feature extraction network method. First, a spatio-temporal feature extraction module is constructed by combining an improved graph attention network with a residual bidirectional temporal convolutional network, aiming to capture the spatial and bidirectional temporal characteristics of transient stability data. Second, a classification module is developed using the Kolmogorov–Arnold network to establish the mapping relationship between spatio-temporal features and transient stability states. This enables the accurate determination of the system’s transient stability status within a short time after fault occurrence. Finally, a weighted cross-entropy loss function is employed to address the issue of low prediction accuracy caused by the imbalanced sample distribution in the evaluation model. The feasibility, effectiveness, and superiority of the proposed method are validated through tests on the New England 10-machine 39-bus system and the NPCC 48-machine 140-bus system. Full article

Residential heritage buildings (RHBs) are facing complex conservation challenges due to national policies aimed at achieving carbon emission reductions and associated retrofit recommendations. This long-term study (2007–ongoing) focuses on how such nationwide policies, particularly energy performance certificates (EPCs) and minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES), affect a cluster of 12 RHBs on the National Trust’s Wallington Estate in Northumberland, England. Data were collected using a combination of building measurements and survey observations, alongside assessment of tenant behaviours through an interview process. The research findings revealed a 53% average improvement in EPC ratings following a retrofit. However, the tenant interviews exposed some key limitations in current policy tools, including their failure to reflect actual energy use and behavioural patterns. For instance, despite improved EPC scores, some tenants reported high fuel costs and continued to experience heat loss and dampness in the RHBs. These novel findings of this longitudinal study challenge the suitability of current retrofit metrics and advocate for a people-centric and context-specific approach to energy efficiency in heritage buildings. They also highlight the drawback of proposed minimum EPC ‘C’ standards within the UK’s existing housing stock, particularly in relation to idiosyncratic RHBs. Full article

Context: It has been claimed that recently, in England, the places with the greatest amount of housing built were the places that least needed them. This is an accusation that has echoes in a number of countries around the globe. The lack of construction leads to greater unaffordability and a lower level of economic activity than could have been achieved if labour, particularly those with high human capital, was not so constrained as to where they could afford to live. The recent National Planning Policy Framework for England imposes mandatory targets on housing planning authorities. As such, the following question is raised: will the targets result in additional residential homes being located in places of greater need than the prevailing pattern? Research Questions: The paper sets out to consider the spatial mismatch between housing additions and national benefit in terms of unaffordability and productivity. Specifically, do the concentrations of high and/or low rates of the prevailing rates of additional dwellings and the target rates of adding dwellings correspond with the clusters of high and/or low unaffordability and productivity? A further question considered is: does the spatial distribution of additional dwellings match the clusters of population growth? Method: The values of the variables are transformed at the first stage into Anselin’s LISA categories. LISA maps can reveal unusually high spatial concentrations of values, or clusters. The second stage entails comparing sets of the transformed data for agreement of the classifications. An agreement coefficient is provided by Fleiss’s kappa. Data: The data used is of additional dwellings, the total number of dwellings, population estimates, gross value added per hour worked (productivity data), and house price–earnings ratios. The period of study covers the eight years prior to 2020 and the two years after, omitting 2020 itself due to the unusual impact on economic activity. All the data is at local authority district level. Findings: The hot and cold spots of additional dwellings do not correspond those of house price–earnings ratios or productivity. However, population growth hot spots show moderate agreement with those of where additional dwellings are concentrated. This is in line with findings from elsewhere, suggesting that population follows housing supply. Concentrations of districts with relatively high targets per unit of existing stocks are found correspond (agree strongly) with clusters of house price–earnings ratios. Links between productivity and housing are much weaker. Conclusions: The strong link between targets and affordability suggests that if the targets are met, the claim that the places that build the most housing are the places that least need them can be challenged. That said, house-price–earnings ratios present a view of unaffordability that will favour greater building in the countryside rather than cities outside of London, which runs against concentrating new housing in urban areas consistent with fostering clusters/agglomerations implicit in the new modern industrial strategy. Full article

Against a backdrop of severe and long-standing teacher shortages, in this paper we present analyses of over 60,000 survey responses collected via a cross-sectional cohort study that sampled young people in England over a period of 11 years; at ages 10/11, 12/13, 13/14, 15/16, 17/18, and 21/22. These methods allow us to explore how common teaching aspirations are amongst young people at different ages, and who aspires to become a teacher as a future career. Analysing both free-text and Likert-scale data, we find that many more young people express an interest in becoming a teacher than is reflected in teacher recruitment data, and that teaching aspirations are patterned by gender and ethnicity. Girls and young women, as well as young people who identified as White, were significantly more likely to be open to teaching than their peers. Our findings suggest that teaching is a common back-up, or second-choice career aspiration, and that many individuals who report an earlier interest in teaching do not go on to become teachers. We end the paper with reflections on how these findings might be used to increase and diversify teacher recruitment, as well as recommendations for future research. Full article

Objectives: This study examined how differential basic resistive skills training influences basketball players’ physical performance. Methods: Seventeen young male athletes completed two weekly sessions of bodyweight strength exercises based on movement variability for 6 weeks. Countermovement jump (CMJ), sprinting, and change of direction (COD) tests were used to evaluate performance before and after the intervention and after a retention phase. Based on previous research, the experimental group followed a differential strength training protocol incorporating movement fluctuations to promote adaptability alongside basketball training. The control group only engaged in standard basketball training. Results: Bayesian analysis showed moderate improvements in sprint performance (0–20 m and 10–20 m sprinting times) for the experimental group, though these gains were not sustained during the retention phase. Slight, non-significant increases in CMJ left leg height were observed, and no significant differences were found in COD performance. Conclusions: The findings suggest that differential strength training may enhance sprint performance and adaptability in young athletes. However, the findings suggest that modifications to the training protocol, such as increasing training volume (e.g., from one set to three sets of 10 repetitions) or incorporating external resistance (e.g., medicine balls, kettlebells, and barbells), may further optimize performance outcomes. This study highlights the potential of differential training methods to address the multidirectional and dynamic demands of youth basketball. Future research should explore refined protocols and their long-term impact on athletic performance and retention. Full article

This study proposes a geographically weighted (GW) quantile machine learning (GWQML) framework for soil moisture (SM) prediction, integrating spatial kernel functions with quantile-based prediction and uncertainty quantification. The framework incorporates satellite radar backscatter, meteorological re-analysis, and topographic variables, applied across 15 SM stations and six land use systems at the North Wyke Farm Platform, southwest England, UK. GWQML was implemented using Gaussian and Tricube spatial kernels across a range of kernel bandwidths (500–1500 m). Model performance was evaluated using both in-sample and Leave-One-Land-Use-Out validation schemes, and a global quantile machine learning model (QML) without spatial weighting served as the benchmark. GWQML achieved R² values up to 0.85 and prediction interval coverage probabilities up to 0.9, with intermediate kernel bandwidths (750–1250 m) offering the best balance between accuracy and uncertainty calibration. Spatial autocorrelation analysis using Moran’s I revealed a lower residual clustering under GWQML relative to the benchmark model, which suggests improved handling of local spatial variation. This study represents one of the first applications of geographically weighted kernel functions in a quantile machine learning framework for daily soil moisture prediction. The approach implicitly captures spatially varying relationships while delivering calibrated uncertainty estimates for scalable SM monitoring across heterogenous agricultural landscapes. Full article

Chronic dermatologic diseases are characterized by pathophysiologic complexity and the existence of many unmet patient management needs that can contribute to treatment failure, with poor adherence being a major issue. This study aims to identify key topics in this field, using the Web of Science database. To perform this analysis, tools such as VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and Excel were used. A Python script leveraging machine learning algorithms was developed to standardize terminology. The initial search yielded 35,373 documents, which were then refined to 12,952 publications spanning 1975 to 2024 through parameter optimization. The study found an increasing interest in this research domain, with a notable surge in 2019. The analysis identified the United States, Germany, and England as the most prolific countries in terms of scientific output. Canada ranked sixth in total document production, but its documents received the highest average citations, reflecting a significant impact. Normalization analysis revealed Italy as the most specialized country in chronic skin disease research relative to total national research output. Trend analysis revealed an evolution in research topics, particularly after 2020, with a growing focus on personalized treatment methods and long-term treatment outcomes. The study highlighted international collaboration, especially among countries with cultural or regional connections, such as those within the European Union. It underscores the growing need for continuous updates and the increasing global focus on chronic skin diseases, highlighting the critical role of staying current with emerging trends to drive advancements in treatment and patient care. Full article

The effects of precision feeding regimes on broiler performance, organ weight, nutrient utilization, carcass yield, and calculated wholesale returns were investigated over 42 days. The treatments consisted of a standard four-phase commercial diet as the control, a precision nutrition blend diet based on a daily nutrient requirement, a precision nutrition adjusted diet based on weekly bird weight, and a standard commercial blend diet. Each dietary treatment was replicated 10 times with 11 birds per replicate. A total of 440 male Ross 308 (Aviagen, Goulburn, NSW, Australia) broiler chickens were offered experimental diets from days 11 to 42 post-hatch. Dietary treatments did not affect the feed intake and weight gain over the entire study. However, a reduced weight corrected FCR (higher feed efficiency) was observed in birds fed a precision nutrition adjusted blend diet compared to those fed the control diet from days 11 to 42 (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in feed costs between treatments. Birds offered the precision nutrition adjusted diet improved AME (p = 0.002) measured from days 25 to 27 compared to the blended standard diet. Over the majority of time points, the precision nutrition adjusted diet significantly reduced the coefficient of variation in bird weight as compared to the control diet (p < 0.026). Full article

Hydatidiform mole is a trophoblastic disorder resulting from abnormal fertilization. Diagnosis is established through a combination of clinical findings, elevated serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels, and characteristic features on transvaginal ultrasound. Timely and accurate diagnosis is essential for initiating prompt treatment and preventing medical complications. Uterine evacuation, preferably via vacuum aspiration, is the treatment of choice due to its high efficacy and safety profile. Adjunctive techniques, such as hysteroscopy and intraoperative ultrasonography, enhance the safety and effectiveness of uterine evacuation and should be available to patients, especially at specialized referral centers equipped to manage this diagnosis. In selected cases, particularly in women with fulfilled reproductive goals or those at a high risk of developing post-molar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN), total abdominal hysterectomy is appropriate. Postoperative follow-up with serial measurements of hCG is essential for monitoring remission and for the early detection of post-molar GTN, which develops in approximately 20% of cases of complete molar pregnancies and 1–4% of partial molar pregnancies. This article provides a comprehensive review of the diagnosis of hydatidiform mole and the surgical techniques employed in the treatment of this condition, emphasizing individualized care and the use of appropriate surgical strategies to treat complications associated with this trophoblastic disease. Full article

Whether on greenfield or brownfield sites, new buildings need land. The locations of additional dwellings in England, whether provided through a standard planning process or a light-touch approach, have recently been criticised for not impacting affordability and for being in the wrong places. More sustainable means of raising the stock of abodes in England, including repurposing dilapidated or underused property, land, or infrastructure; reducing the demolition rate; and reducing the time an existing dwelling is left idle, do not consume additional land for building. Although the National Planning Policy Framework for additional dwellings places a duty on each district planning authority to find more land for housing, alternatives to new builds are included in the count. This paper examines the spatial concentrations of the components that can add to the habitable stock of real estate. It examines their take-up over recent years. This is important for land-use planning and the preservation of green spaces in the face of increasing housing pressures. Using a simple, innovative approach to assessing collocation, the paper considers whether there are similarities in spatial concentrations. The approach is used to infer whether builders converting existing property add units in areas where new builds are in more modest supply. Although alternative means of adding to the housing stock may be more sustainable, and more likely to be found in areas of greater need, the numbers are too low to be anything other than a supplement to new builds. Full article

Use of sedation for disbudding is common practice in a number European countries, with United Kingdom (UK) practices adopting its use. This study assessed the effects of disbudding with and without xylazine sedation on growth rates and calf health on a UK calf rearing unit. Data was collected from 485 dairy crossed with beef breed calves between April and August 2024 from a single calf rearing unit in England. Calves were purchased from multiple farms across the UK and arrived on site at approximately 21 days of age. Calves were disbudded—and, in the case of male calves, surgically castrated—at approximately three weeks after arrival on farm. Pens of calves were assigned to undergo disbudding with (SED, n = 238) or without (CTL = 234) xylazine sedation at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg administered intramuscularly. Calves from both groups were provided with local anaesthetic (procaine hydrochloride) as a cornual nerve block and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (meloxicam). While other studies have demonstrated some behavioural and physiological indicators of pain to be reduced with sedation, this study found that calves in the SED group had a reduced daily liveweight gain (DLWG) of 0.14 kg/day in the short term (mean 20 days) following disbudding (p < 0.001), but there was no difference in growth rates in the medium-term (mean 43 days) post-disbudding (p = 0.30). Some of this difference could be explained by the slightly higher DLWG pre-disbudding in the CTR group, and it is likely that the physiological impacts of sedation accounted for the rest of this difference. This initial reduction in DLWG following disbudding with sedation should be considered by vets, especially on farms where growth rates may already be compromised. In the sedated calves, 19.3% exhibited either some movement or entry into sternal recumbency. Specifically, a light plane of sedation with calves entering sternal recumbency was associated with a reduction in DLWG of 0.89 kg/day compared to 0.98 kg/day for those that remained in lateral recumbency throughout (p = 0.008). The light plane of sedation may have created additional calf stress, impacted feeding behaviours, and impinged welfare, with further work needed to establish the reasons for insufficient sedation. There was no difference in the number of post-disbudding treatment outcomes between calves disbudded with and without sedation (p = 0.97). Full article

Background: Urethral strictures impact millions, causing significant morbidity and millions in healthcare costs. Testing new interventions is limited by the lack of inexpensive urethral healing models. We developed an ex vivo model of early urethral wound healing using explanted rabbit urethral tissue. This was used to test the impact of six growth factors (GFs). Methods: The rabbit urethra was detubularized by cutting it between the corpora cavernosa, and then it was stitched flat using a custom 3D-printed platform. The tissue was carefully scratched to produce a visible wound, and the specimens were placed in media containing growth factors at 100 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL. Images were taken at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h, and the wound area was measured by blinded reviewers to determine the rate of wound contraction. Results: Specimens with IGF at 100 ng/mL showed a statistically significant difference in wound contraction when compared to those with GF-free control medium, showing that IGF-1 supports early urethral epithelization and may improve healing. Conclusions: The developed protocol provides a simple explant platform that can be used to investigate methods of enhancing early phases of urethral healing or used to investigate other areas of urethral health, including drug delivery, infection, and mechanical properties. Full article

From the 17th century, European leisure travellers sought novel experiences, places and landscapes; they explored them within the context of contemporary, but temporally changing, social norms. Amongst travellers’ earliest motivations were reportage, curiosity and recuperation in managed landscapes. From the late 18th century, images in art galleries and then guidebooks directed leisure travellers into ‘wild’ places. Supporting and part-driving these developments were travel and antiquarian publications. That normalisation of ‘wild places’ exploration coincided with natural history’s popularisation. From the early 19th century, geosites were recognised, scientifically described, and popularised through a range of publications; this marked the beginning of geotourism. This can be contextualised within the rise in resort-based coastal tourism. These various themes are explored in relation to ‘Coastal Southern England’, an important tourism region from the early-18th century. By the Great War’s (1914–1918) close, its tourism patterns and nature, recognisable in present-day offerings, were established. Its development as a geotourism region can be conceptualised through the ‘travellers’ gaze’ and ‘adapted comfort zone’ models. Early geotourism literature and artistic representations, along with their creators’ biographies, could underpin modern geo-interpretation, of which some exemplars are given. General conclusions are drawn and future research suggested. Full article