Queen Mary, University of London

The Model-based Predictive Control (MPC) has gained popularity in the field of multiphase drives because of its high degree of flexibility and its robust dynamic response. However, the performance of Asymmetrical six-phase Machine (A6M) with low secondary subspace impedance has been reported to suffer from poor current quality under conventional MPC. Although, the Virtual Voltage Vectors (VVVs) concept has been proposed to address this issue, the current waveforms still exhibit high ripple content in the low-speed operating region. Although existing solutions in the literature manage to optimize the VVV amplitude based on loading conditions, they fall short in addressing the low-speed region with Light/high loading conditions. The proposed technique in this paper aims to improve the machine performance under low speeds over the full loading range by synthesizing the so called Optimized Virtual Voltage Vectors (OVVV). These OVVV are synthesized with variable amplitude based on the Constant Flux Scenario (CFS). The same concept is also extended to enhance the drive efficiency by adopting the Variable Flux scenario (VFS) in low-speed light-loading region. The proposed OVVV approaches show a significant enhancement in terms of current quality, current tracking, losses and torque ripple reduction as well as increased loading capability. The effectiveness of the proposed OVVV approach for different operating conditions is experimentally validated using a 1.5 Hp prototype A6M.

We show that if $\Gamma$ is a point group of $\mathbb {R}^{k+1}$ of order two for some $k\geq 2$ and $\mathcal {S}$ is a k-pseudomanifold which has a free automorphism of order two, then either $\mathcal {S}$ has a $\Gamma$-symmetric infinitesimally rigid realisation in ${\mathbb R}^{k+1}$ or k=2 and $\Gamma$ is a half-turn rotation group. This verifies a conjecture made by Klee, Nevo, Novik and Zheng for the case when $\Gamma$ is a point-inversion group. Our result implies that Stanley’s lower bound theorem for centrally symmetric polytopes extends to pseudomanifolds with a free simplicial automorphism of order 2, thus verifying (the inequality part of) another conjecture of Klee, Nevo, Novik and Zheng. Both results actually apply to a much larger class of simplicial complexes – namely, the circuits of the simplicial matroid. The proof of our rigidity result adapts earlier ideas of Fogelsanger to the setting of symmetric simplicial complexes.

Despite a resurgence of interest in social equity, citizens' inclusion in public services has attracted limited attention in the public administration literature so far, having often remained in the background of studies focusing on citizens' participation and representative bureaucracy. To fully comprehend and enhance the role of public administration in promoting inclusive public services and building inclusive societies, it is necessary to prioritize citizens' inclusion in public services as a central phenomenon. A first step in this direction is assessing existing knowledge and identifying new research avenues. Drawing on the “name, blame, claim” framework, this systematic literature review of 119 studies extends public administration scholarship by mapping and analyzing knowledge of citizens' inclusion in public services and identifying ways forward to strengthen the research and practice in this area.

Professor Dinesh Bhugra, whose illustrious career in psychiatry spans nearly 5 decades, continues to collaborate with healthcare professionals, policymakers, patients, and caregiver groups worldwide, assuming multifaceted roles with unparalleled dedication. As a distinguished educator, researcher, writer, and mentor, he bridges diverse disciplines with a profound impact. His academic credentials, earned from globally renowned institutions, stand as a testament to his intellectual eminence.

The global outbreak of clade IIb mpox in 2022-2023 changed our understanding of the epidemiology and prevention of mpox, simultaneously highlighting inequities in access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. With the recent multinational spread of clade Ib mpox, it is important to revisit these lessons to improve future response. In September 2024, an international mpox symposium was held at Johns Hopkins University to discuss what we have learned and how to better prepare for the future. Here we highlight perspectives from that meeting and priorities for future mpox research.

Background Health systems across Europe are facing a workforce crisis, with some experiencing severe shortages of doctors. In response, many are exploring greater task-sharing, across established professions, such as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, with patients and carers, and with new occupational groups, in particular ones that can assist doctors and relieve their workload. Case presentation In the early 2000s the United Kingdom created a new occupational role, that of physician assistant. They had a science degree and then underwent a 2-year postgraduate training course. The name soon changed, to physician associate, and the range of roles and responsibilities expanded greatly, although in a largely unregulated manner; by 2024, some were undertaking complex procedures or managing undifferentiated patients in primary care. Catalysed by some high-profile failings, this expansion has generated major concerns, over patient safety and consent, the scope of practice and preferential employment conditions of this group, the adverse consequences for medical training, and the additional medical workload involved in supervision. This has led to a widespread grassroots backlash by the medical profession, often challenging their leaders who had supported this idea. As a consequence, professional bodies that were initially in favour are now expressing serious concerns and it seems likely that the roles and responsibilities of physician associates (and related occupations) will be curtailed. We review published literature and official documentation about this policy to understand the drivers of its development, its benefits, and risks. Conclusions The experience in the UK offers cautionary lessons for other European countries contemplating similar ideas. It underscores the importance of maintaining trust with those affected by change, undertaking a detailed systems analysis with attention to risks of unintended consequences, agreeing clear role definitions, providing adequate regulatory oversight, and the need to avoid damaging training of future doctors. This case study highlights the need for a carefully thought-out approach that considers both the potential benefits and pitfalls of integrating new roles like physician associates into a healthcare system. The failure to do so has created a new occupational group with unrealistic expectations and has further demoralised an already unhappy medical profession.

In Britain, five people were vital for photography’s development: Anna Atkins, who made Photographs of British Algae (1843‒53), the first book to be illustrated entirely with photographs; Anne Dixon, who, with Atkins, co-produced Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Ferns (1853); William John Herschel, who worked to inject colour into the photographic process by experimenting with plant juices; Mary Somerville, who introduced Herschel to the idea; and William Henry Fox Talbot, whose The Pencil of Nature (1844) was the first commercial book to include photographic illustrations.

Familial Platelet Disorder with associated Myeloid Malignancy (FPDMM, FPD/AML, RUNX1‐FPD), caused by monoallelic deleterious germline RUNX1 variants, is characterized by bleeding diathesis and predisposition for hematologic malignancies, particularly myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Clinical data on FPDMM‐associated AML (FPDMM‐AML) are limited, complicating evidence‐based clinical decision‐making. Here, we present retrospective genetic and clinical data of the largest cohort of FPDMM patients reported to date. We describe 159 European patients (from 94 families) of whom 134 were evaluable for the development of malignant disease. Sixty developed a hematologic malignancy (44.8%), most frequently AML (36/134, 26.9%) or MDS (18/134, 13.4%). Somatic alterations of RUNX1 by gene mutation (48%) and chromosome 21 aberrations (14.3%) were the most common somatic genetic aberrations in FPDMM‐AML, followed by FLT3‐ITD mutations (24.1%). Somatic RUNX1 and FLT3‐ITD mutations were not detected in FPDMM‐associated MDS, suggesting important contributions to leukemic transformation. Remission‐induction chemotherapy resulted in complete remission in 80% of FPDMM‐AML patients with a 5‐year overall survival (OS) of 50.4%. Survival outcome was non‐inferior compared to a large cohort of newly diagnosed adult RUNX1‐mutated AML (5‐year OS 36.6%, p = 0.5), with relatively infrequent concurrent adverse risk somatic aberrations (ASXL1 mutation, monosomal karyotype, monosomy 5/del 5q) in FPDMM‐AML. Collectively, data support the notion that step‐wise leukemic evolution in FPDMM is associated with distinct genetic events and indicate that a substantial subset of FPDMM‐AML patients achieves prolonged survival with conventional AML treatment, including allogeneic stem cell transplant. These findings are anticipated to inform personalized clinical decision‐making in this rare disorder.

Background People living with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who develop Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) may be at higher risk of diabetes-complications. Aim Our aims were to compare diabetes-monitoring and incidence of diabetes-complications between people with and without AUD prior to T2DM diagnosis attending primary care in England. Design & setting We used the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum linked with Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and Office for National Statistics (ONS) mortality data. The target population was people with incident T2DM diagnosed between 2004-2019. Method We defined AUD from codes indicating i) clinical diagnosis; ii) alcohol withdrawal; or iii) chronic alcohol-related harm. Outcomes were end stage renal disease (ESRD), lower limb amputation, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and all-cause mortality. We compared yearly HbA1c, creatinine and cholesterol monitoring activities for the first 5 years post T2DM diagnosis. Results The study population was 543,509 people, of whom 15 237(2.8%) had a code for AUD. Adjusting for measured confounders, people with AUD had higher rates of ESRD (IRR 1.95 95% CI 1.71, 2.23), lower limb amputation (IRR 1.78 95% CI 1.50, 2.21), stroke (IRR 1.35 95% CI 1.25, 1.46), CVD mortality (IRR 1.74 95% 1.63, 1.86) and all-cause mortality (IRR 2.10 95% CI 2.04, 2.17) but not MI (IRR 0.91 95% CI 0.82, 1.00) compared with people without AUD. Laboratory diabetes-monitoring was high in people with (83.5-91.1%) and without (83.7-92.4%) AUD. Conclusion People with AUD had nearly double the rates of most of the diabetes-complications investigated than people without AUD.

Communication comprises a wealth of multimodal signals (e.g., gestures, eye gaze, intonation) in addition to speech and there is a growing interest in the study of multimodal language by psychologists, linguists, neuroscientists and computer scientists. The ECOLANG corpus provides audiovisual recordings and ELAN annotations of multimodal behaviours (speech transcription, gesture, object manipulation, and eye gaze) by British and American English-speaking adults engaged in semi-naturalistic conversation with their child (N = 38, children 3-4 years old, face-blurred) or a familiar adult (N = 31). Speakers were asked to talk about objects to their interlocutors. We further manipulated whether the objects were familiar or novel to the interlocutor and whether the objects could be seen and manipulated (present or absent) during the conversation. These conditions reflect common interaction scenarios in real-world communication. Thus, ECOLANG provides ecologically-valid data about the distribution and co-occurrence of multimodal signals across these conditions for cognitive scientists and neuroscientists interested in addressing questions concerning real-world language acquisition, production and comprehension, and for computer scientists to develop multimodal language models and more human-like artificial agents.

Increasing evidence shows that pathogenic T cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D) that may have evaded negative selection recognize post-translational modified (PTM) epitopes of self-antigens. We have investigated the profiles of autoantibodies specifically targeting the deamidated epitopes of insulinoma antigen-2 extracellular domain (IA-2ec) to explore their relationship with T1D development. We compared the characteristics of autoantibodies targeting the IA-2ec Q>E epitopes (PTM IA-2ecA) as well as those targeting the IA-2ec unmodified epitopes (IA-2ecA) in participants across different stages of T1D development and in individuals with other types of diabetes and other kinds of autoimmunity. In patients with new-onset T1D, the prevalence of PTM IA-2ecA (26.1%) was significantly higher than that of IA-2ecA (19.5%, P<0.0001). In a longitudinal newborn cohort, both IA-2ecAs were present, but rare in preclinical stage 1 T1D, and with much lower positivity in individuals with stage 3 T1D who had been closely followed from birth in a clinical study compared to patients diagnosed in routine clinical settings with overt symptoms. In participants with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, type 2 diabetes, and celiac disease autoimmunity, we did not observe significant positivity of either IA-2ecAs. These results indicate that PTM and unmodified IA-2ecA are predominantly present in clinical new-onset T1D patients, at late stages of T1D development.

In this article we completely characterise constant length substitution shifts which have a proper almost automorphic factor, or which have a bijective substitution factor such that the factor map is injective on at least one point. Our approach is algebraic: we characterise these dynamical properties in terms of a finite semigroup defined by the substitution. We characterise the existence of almost automorphic factors in terms of Green’s ${\mathcal {R}}$-relation and the existence of bijective factors in terms of Green’s ${{\mathcal {L}}}$-relation. Our results are constructive.

Stretchable superhydrophobic materials have gained attention in recent years though challenges remain for widespread use, including the need for rapid, energy‐efficient, high‐throughput, and fluorine‐free fabrication methods. In this study, a stretchable superhydrophobic material is developed by coating parafilm with inverse vulcanization sulfur polymers. Silica (SiO2) nanoparticles are incorporated to create a Cassie–Baxter wetting state, achieving superhydrophobicity. The sulfur polymers are synthesized using perillyl alcohol (PER) at varying sulfur‐to‐PER ratios. The optimal coating formulation is determined to be 70 mg mL⁻¹ of polymer, 50 mg mL⁻¹ of SiO2 nanoparticles, and a sulfur‐to‐PER ratio of 1:1 (50% sulfur and 50% PER). The films maintained functionality when stretched due to controlled fragmentation that preserved the Cassie–Baxter wetting state. Mathematical modeling revealed a scaling relation between fragment area and thickness, showing that thicker layers produced larger fragments, impairing superhydrophobicity. This study also showcase the successful use of more sustainable bio‐based solvents (2‐methyltetrahydrofuran), where previous reports of similar processes have used chloroform. The fabricated films also demonstrated improved ultraviolet (UV‐C) stability (150 min) compared to other sulfur polymer coatings reported in the literature. This coating of flexible substrates presents a simple and environmentally friendly method for producing stretchable superhydrophobic films.

Background Statistical shape atlases have been used in large-cohort studies to investigate relationships between heart shape and risk factors. The generalisability of these relationships between cohorts is unknown. The aims of this study were to compare left ventricular (LV) shapes in patients with differing cardiovascular risk factor profiles from two cohorts and to investigate whether LV shape scores generated with respect to a reference cohort can be directly used to study shape differences in another cohort. Methods Two cardiac MRI cohorts were included: 2106 participants (median age: 65 years, 54% women) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) and 2960 participants (median age: 64 years, 52% women) from the UK Biobank (UKB) study. LV shape atlases were constructed from 3D LV models derived from expert-drawn contours from separate core labs. Atlases were considered generalisable for a risk factor if the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) were not significantly different (p>0.05) between internal (within-cohort) and external (cross-cohort) cases. Results LV mass and volume indices were differed significantly between cohorts, even in age-matched and sex-matched cases without risk factors, partly reflecting different core lab analysis protocols. For the UKB atlas, internal and external discriminative performance were not significantly different for hypertension (AUC: 0.77 vs 0.76, p=0.37), diabetes (AUC: 0.79 vs 0.77, p=0.48), hypercholesterolaemia (AUC: 0.76 vs 0.79, p=0.38) and smoking (AUC: 0.69 vs 0.67, p=0.18). For the MESA atlas, diabetes (AUC: 0.79 vs 0.74, p=0.09) and hypercholesterolaemia (AUC: 0.75 vs 0.70, p=0.10) were not significantly different. Both atlases showed significant differences for obesity. Conclusions The MESA and UKB atlases demonstrated good generalisability for diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia, without requiring corrections for differences in mass and volume. Significant differences in obesity may be due to different relationships between obesity and heart shapes between cohorts.

Aims To discuss the role of screening and treatment of affective symptoms, like anxiety and depression in patients with LUTD. A review of the literature regarding the bidirectional association and multidisciplinary approaches integrating psychometric assessments with personalized treatment plans to improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic outcomes of LUTD. Methods This review summarizes discussions and a narrative review of (recent) literature during an International Consultation on Incontinence‐Research Society 2024 research proposal with respect to the role of screening for anxiety and depression, effect of mental health symptoms on treatment outcomes and future implications. Results Consensus recognized the importance to incorporate attention to anxiety and depression in relation to LUTD. The awareness of this association can lead to better outcomes. Future research projects are proposed to evaluate the bidirectional relationship. Conclusion The relationship between affective symptoms and LUTD underscores the need for integrated treatment approaches that address both psychological and urological dimensions. Further research is required to identify specific patient subgroups that would benefit most from these interventions, to develop standardized screening tools, and to refine treatment protocols. Multidisciplinary care, incorporating psychological assessment and personalized treatment strategies, could enhance outcomes for LUTD patients.