South East Technological University

Purpose Most exercise interventions for men with prostate cancer utilise resistance and aerobic exercise, though the optimal combination of each for cardiometabolic health and quality of life outcomes is unclear. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of an aerobic-emphasised (AE) versus a resistance-emphasised (RE) exercise intervention in men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and radiation therapy (RT). Methods A 6-month two-armed randomised feasibility study was undertaken. Prostate cancer patients (n = 24) undergoing ADT and RT were randomised to either an AE (n = 12) or RE (n = 12) supervised programme. The primary outcome was feasibility, assessed via recruitment, retention, adherence and safety. Results Twenty-four men were randomised, the recruitment rate was 19%. For AE and RE respectively, retention was 75% and 83%, adherence to the exercise prescription was 80% and 76%, attendance was 91% and 92%, with attendance during RT at 96% and 95%. No serious adverse events were recorded. Preliminary evidence favoured the AE intervention (p < 0.05) for certain quality of life domains and haematology markers and the RE intervention (p = 0.05) for BESS balance scores. Pre- to post-intervention improvements (p < 0.05) were observed in multiple functional fitness outcomes. Conclusion An exercise trial that carefully varies both resistance and aerobic elements is feasible for men with prostate cancer undergoing active treatment. Strategies would have to be implemented to increase recruitment for a larger trial. Trial registration The trial has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as of the 14th of December 2021 (NCT05156424).

Due to its cultural significance, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has become an increasingly attractive region for global tourism, finance and investment, archaeology and ethnographic studies, amongst others. However, the GCC musicians’ world impact is still relatively circumspect for a region steeped in tradition and cultural heritage. Collective management organisations play a key role in promoting musicians’ work overseas. Yet, this traditional structure has been criticised for lacking transparency, high transaction costs, and often a failure to successfully identify the creators of musical works. Against the fast development of Web 3.0 and de-centralised financial technology, this chapter explores distributed ledger technology’s potential as an alternative collective management tool for artists to showcase their work, finance local talent, and promote the authentic sounds of the region. Distributed ledger technology is well fitted for music management as it shares decision-making power with creators and musicians alike, thus reducing the inherent cost for these creators in the management and distribution of their ouevre. This chapter takes the position that traditional collective management organisations are well placed to play a pivotal role in facilitating a technological shift to the distributed ledger while simultaneously reducing the risk of fraud, ensuring sustainable development and emphasising fairness and economic parity for musicians. Overall, this chapter provides an exemplar for meaningful engagement with distributed ledger technology across the world. As a resource-rich region with a unique ethnographic musical heritage, the GCC stands at the precipice of this new technological frontier.

One way to mitigate microplastic pollution from pharmaceutical and cosmetic products is to develop nature-based ‘green’ microcapsules. This study involves in situ microencapsulation of therapeutic tea tree essential oil by brown algae-derived alginate biopolymer using classic external ionotropic gelation. The effects of type of divalent crosslinkers (calcium and barium ions), presence/absence of surfactant in oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion and molecular weight of alginate were investigated using gravimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), shear rheometry, ultraviolet (UV) and infrared spectroscopy. Microcapsules were ~ 1 mm in diameter. Barium chloride crosslinker showed highest gel strength (8396 ± 306 Pa) and large pores on surface (59.9 ± 9.1 µm). Presence of surfactant lowered the gel strength (182.6 ± 100.5 Pa) and had smaller pore size (20.3 ± 2.6 µm). Microcapsules with no surfactant, calcium chloride crosslinker and low viscosity alginate showed optimum gel strength (3620.8 ± 141.5 Pa) and smooth surface. An interplay exists between loading capacity (proportional to pore size) and encapsulation efficiency (compromised by surface oil and water-soluble oil components). Life cycle analysis (LCA) shows significant reduction in global warming and ecotoxicity. This project supports eight Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of United Nations and promotes blue economy. Graphical Abstract

The purpose of this research is to support and nurture tacit knowledge whilst simultaneously leading to the development of machine-based intelligent systems which incorporate machine readable knowledge for the benefit of society. This paper starts with an introduction to the persistent power struggle between human and technology and shines a light on Professor Michael Cooley’s involvement with the Lucas Plan in the 1970s and his PhD work which focused on the transition from manual draftsmanship to Computer Aided Design in engineering. A research lab is identified as a ‘complex adaptive system’ and forms the basis of a longitudinal case study on the Human Centered bottom-up approach to digitisation of cultural heritage. Components required to support and nurture the growth of a Participation Action Research lab are identified. The novel ‘ENRICHER’ method embodies human centeredness and is operationalized, tested, evaluated and findings discussed. Examples of emergence are also discussed. A metric of the ENRICHER method initially identified where the lab did not fully meet all the methods 8 points. Subsequent actions adjusted the holonic lens focus to metadata and the ongoing work on the creation of a cataloging tool for the librarians. The use of XML technologies integrates the work into a larger model of intelligence. It positions the work on the semantic web technology stack and opens up the pathway to ontology generation and development and management of large language models. The ENRICHER method is a way of developing human–machine symbiotics that also incorporate AI e.g. transcription, metadata generation.

Background The education of healthcare professionals, including nurses, represents a critical intersection with health systems science (HSS), which is often considered the third pillar of healthcare education alongside basic and clinical sciences. Despite the amount of research on nursing education during the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains a gap in analysis from an HSS perspective. Methods A Comparative Education Approach involving undergraduate nursing programs (UNPs) across Europe, with longitudinal data collection from 2002 to 2023. The aim of the study was threefold: (a) to summarize the overall changes in UNPs during the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) to identify the changes retained in the post-pandemic era; and (c) to identify the impact of the pandemic on nursing education as perceived by nurse educators across nine European countries. Results This study compares the changes in nursing education in European countries during and after the COVID-19 pandemic using a qualitative approach with data from nine universities. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on education provision. During the first wave, government restrictions forced a complete shift to online learning for theory classes, clinical training and laboratories. In subsequent waves, a hybrid format was chosen that combined online and face-to-face sessions. A major challenge was the placement of nursing students alongside general university students. This approach neglected their need for practical clinical training, which is crucial for their future careers. To compensate for the lack of clinical hours, various alternative teaching methods were introduced. Students were also offered the opportunity to volunteer in large-scale public health initiatives such as vaccination and testing campaigns, although bedside care for COVID-19 patients remained limited. The pandemic has also left its mark in the post-pandemic period. Some UNPs have retained elements of online education, notably lectures, research seminars, meetings, consultations and even online exams. Interestingly, an initial increase in applicant numbers was observed at six of the nine participating UNPs. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has widened the gap between university-educated nurses and the clinical setting, i.e. between theory and practise, underlining the importance of HSS in nursing education. Rebuilding strong partnerships is crucial, but simply returning to the pre-pandemic model is not enough. To ensure uninterrupted education during future crises, proactive planning, including the creation of predefined protocols for collaboration, is essential. The pandemic underscores the need for closer alignment between the two sectors, which would better equip future nurses with the skills they need to thrive in the nursing workforce and ensure they are prepared for the challenges of the 21st century.

Peatlands are globally important carbon stores that provide a range of ecological, climatic, and socio-economic benefits. However, large-scale peat extraction, drainage for agriculture, and conversion to forestry have changed many peatlands from long-term carbon sinks into carbon sources. While some of the best remaining examples of intact raised bogs in Western Europe occur on the island of Ireland, a large majority are degraded. In recent years, Ireland has undertaken an extensive programme of peatland restoration, with works carried out across approximately 30,000 ha of drained raised bog to enhance biodiversity and contribute towards international greenhouse gas reduction commitments. Understanding the impacts of such restoration efforts on peatland hydrology, carbon dynamics, and biodiversity is essential to ensure that measures are effective and achieving the outcomes required. This study presents data from the restoration of a drained area of All Saints Bog, a Natura 2000 raised bog site. Restoration measures included ditch blocking, re-profiling degraded areas, and contour bund construction with adjustable drains to regulate the hydrology. The effects of restoration are evaluated using a combination of eddy covariance, chamber measurements, water level monitoring, and remote sensing over a four-year period from 2021 to 2024. This period incorporated one year of pre-restoration, two years of active restoration, and one year of post-restoration. Hydrologically, restoration efforts appear to have been successful, with widespread rewetting across much of the site, recreating the conditions for active peat formation and the slow recovery of Sphagnum moss locally present. However, we found an approximate two-fold increase in net carbon fluxes between pre- and post-restoration, rising from 1.14 t CO₂-C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ in 2021 to 2.37 t CO₂-C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ in 2024. Furthermore, chamber-based spatial measurements showed a higher emission contribution from contour bunds compared to bare peat. Consequently, a programme of Sphagnum translocation and inoculation is planned for 2025 to hasten vegetation recovery. This long-term investigation will deepen our understanding of effective restoration efforts, which will provide insights to guide the development of future restoration strategies.

Age‐hardening is the main strengthening mechanism for obtaining high‐strength WE43 alloy components traditionally produced via casting. Laser powder‐bed fusion (L‐PBF) can produce high‐density WE43 parts. However, standard postprocessing heat treatment parameters (T6) used for conventional WE43 lead to inferior mechanical performance in L‐PBF WE43. Herein, the effect of direct aging (T5) and artificial age‐hardening treatment (T6) under varying temperature and duration on the resulting microstructure and mechanical properties of L‐PBF WE43 is investigated via in‐depth microstructural and mechanical characterization. The grain structure, orientation, texture as well as the size and morphology of β1‐Mg3Nd precipitates are analyzed via electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Superior ductility is determined upon optimized T6 treatment (550 °C, 4 h/200 °C, 8 h) in comparison to the direct aging (200 °C, 8 h) of L‐PBF WE43 due to the dissolution of neodymium‐rich particles during solutionizing potentially allowing finer and more homogeneous particle distribution. The direct aging of L‐PBF WE43 shows an improvement in microhardness (93.5 Hv0.2) and tensile strength (260.1 MPa) with reduced ductility compared to as‐built L‐PBF WE43. A combination of high strength (UTS: 263.1 MPa)/hardness (85.2 Hv0.2) along with good ductility (6.1%) is achieved by optimizing T6 treatment for L‐PBF WE43.

Lagrangian variables are used to develop an explicit description of nonlinear mountain waves propagating in a moist atmosphere. This Lagrangian description is used to deduce an integral representation of the atmospheric pressure distribution in terms of the temperature within the laminar flow layer. Kirchoff’s equation is used to determine a temperature dependent enthalpy which together with the Clausius-Clapeyron equation is used to obtain an explicit expression for temperature and vapour pressure profiles in a saturated atmosphere where mountain waves are prominent. Precipitation rates are computed from the first law of thermodynamics and compare favourably with meteorological field data at Feldberg, a mountain in Germany. The second law of thermodynamics is used to show that there is a subregion near the tropopause at which precipitation is prohibited within the laminar flow.

Malawi has a permissive legal framework which permits admissibility of forced confessions, a subject that is under-researched in African literature. Civil society organisations have regularly reported to various United Nations committees that the use of excessive force and torture to obtain evidence in the Malawi criminal justice system is endemic and relied upon by prosecutors and judges in criminal cases despite inherent unreliability. The prison system continues to suffer from lengthy remand detention, severe congestion and poor conditions. We present a socio-legal assessment of the legal, human rights and procedural concerns regarding the admissibility of forced confessions in Malawi. Prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is provided in the 1994 Constitution of Malawi. Section 176 of the 1967 Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code (CP&EC), however, allows forced confessions as admissible evidence, contradicting constitutional and human rights protections. Our assessment illustrates how colonial-era legal frameworks continue to undermine fundamental human rights and administration of justice in Malawi. Constitutional advocacy, legislative reform of the CP&EC, oversight mechanisms and resourcing of law enforcement training on the Méndez Principles on effective interviewing and interrogation is warranted.

The provision of liquid creep feed to suckling pigs has been shown to increase dry matter intake compared to dry creep feeding. The increased feed intake associated with liquid feeding makes it attractive as a means of delivering feed additives to suckling pigs to optimise growth and health. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of L-glutamine and enzyme supplementation of liquid creep feed on pig growth up to target slaughter weight (~120 kg), health and intestinal structure. Sixty sows and their litters were blocked on sow parity, previous number of piglets weaned and sow weight at day 107 of gestation, and the litters were randomly assigned to one of 3 dietary treatments: 1) liquid starter diet (control); 2) control diet supplemented with 10 g of L-glutamine per kg of starter diet (glutamine); and 3) control diet supplemented with a cocktail of enzymes (lipase, protease and α-amylase included at 160 Lipase units, 30,000 New Feed Protein units and 67.5 Kilo Novozymes units, respectively per kg of starter diet). Dietary treatments were fed from day 8 of age to weaning at day 28. Pig weight and dry matter disappearance (DMd) were recorded during lactation and post-weaning until pigs reached target slaughter weight (~120 kg) at 158 days of age. Carcass weight and quality were recorded. Medication usage, and the number of injections and clinical cases of disease were recorded from birth to slaughter. At day 5 post-weaning, a subset of pigs (n=30) were sacrificed and intestinal samples were collected for histological analysis. The DMd of creep feed did not differ between treatments (P>0.05). Glutamine tended to reduce piglet body weight (BW) at day 21 (P=0.09) and 28 (P=0.08) of lactation and from day 14 to 21, glutamine decreased piglet average daily gain (ADG) compared to the control (P<0.05). Post-weaning growth was not affected by treatment (P>0.05). The amount of antibiotics or anti-inflammatories administered to piglets or sows was not affected by treatment either pre- or post-weaning (P>0.05). However, glutamine tended to increase diarrhea prevalence between day 8 and 27 of lactation compared to the control (P=0.09). In conclusion, supplementing liquid creep feed with glutamine tended to reduce pre-weaning growth and to increase diarrhea prevalence in piglets. Additionally, supplementing liquid creep feed with enzymes had no effect on growth or medication usage in pigs.

This study presents specific baseline protocols and actionable recommendations for processing and evaluating insect-derived products for food and feed applications, addressing current gaps in standardization and market integration. Processing methods and the utilization of insect-derived products are two critical aspects intrinsically linked to their market applicability for both food and feed purposes. Therefore, it is imperative to direct research efforts towards these domains, aiming to standardise procedures and products to support broader market adoption. Currently, thermal processing, mechanical fractionation, and enzymatic hydrolysis are among the most common technologies, but differences in temperature, process duration, and input material result in variable products, which might be more suitable for specific applications rather than other. These inconsistencies hamper process standardization as well as stakeholder and market confidence. To address this, the study proposes a set of core variables – including moisture content, processing temperature, and duration – that should be consistently reported in scientific publications to enhance reproducibility and facilitate quality benchmarking. Conversely, the evaluation of insect-derived products as feed ingredients parallels the inclusion of other raw materials into animal diets. Similarities include assessing their nutritional value, digestibility, and compatibility with existing feed formulations. However, the integration of insect-based feed ingredients also necessitates addressing several unique recommendations and considerations that are specific to insects and their derivatives. Notably, the study identifies the need for refined protein quantification techniques (e.g. adjusted N conversion factors) that account for chitin and other non-protein nitrogen sources. Furthermore, insect-derived products are inherently diverse, encompassing a wide range of forms, including dried powders, liquid extracts, whole (live) insects, and processed meals. Each of these product types presents distinct challenges and opportunities in terms of their handling, storage, and integration into feed systems. To guide future application, we outline tailored strategies for each product type, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary research spanning animal physiology, behavior, and nutrition. Overall, this work provides a structured framework to advance the standardization, comparability, and integration of insect-derived products across the food and feed sectors.

Correction for ‘Development and in vitro and ex vivo characterization of a twin nanoparticulate system to enhance ocular absorption and prolong retention of dexamethasone in the eye: from lab to pilot scale optimization’ by Muhammad Sarfraz et al. , Nanoscale Adv. , 2025, https://doi.org/10.1039/d4na01086h.

Virtual YouTubers, also known as VTubers, are entertainers who use two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) computer-generated characters to create entertaining virtual content online. This article explores a group project called the “MetaBirthday,” in which VTubers and their followers collaborated to write lyrics, compose music, design stage outfits, and shoot a music video. Through semistructured interviews with the group’s participants and close reading of their published textual material, this article interrogates how VTubers harness virtual and physical spaces to create a sense of mutual benefit, inspiration, and satisfaction in tension with the everyday realities of these spaces.

Contemporary permacrises have enhanced calls for a re-thinking of entrepreneurship scholarship. The Ink Way re-imagined the practices and philosophies of Enterprise Scholars through an innovative 4-day writing and walking workshop retreat. Critical analysis of the workshop's outcomes and artefacts revealed the importance of connectivity, community, and collaboration, within the academy and immersed in (field study) contexts, in diverse places across time, language and people(s). Yet this can be a demanding journey, of both becoming lost, and then finding the way. We identified two practices that could assist transformational scholarship: Whilst rooting practices ground us within mesh works of connected community, complex place, and contested journey, flowing practices weave and knot together the threads of the in-between, theory and practice, the lived experiences of scholar and entrepreneur alike, and of individual and community, reality and reflection.

In this viewpoint, we explore the use of big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) and discuss important challenges to their ethical, effective, and equitable use within opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment settings. Applying our collective experiences as OUD policy and treatment experts, we discuss 8 key challenges that OUD treatment services must contend with to make the most of these rapidly evolving technologies: data and algorithmic transparency, clinical validation, new practitioner-technology interfaces, capturing data relevant to improving patient care, understanding and responding to algorithmic outputs, obtaining informed patient consent, navigating mistrust, and addressing digital exclusion and bias. Through this paper, we hope to critically engage clinicians and policy makers on important ethical considerations, clinical implications, and implementation challenges involved in big data analytics and AI deployment in OUD treatment settings.