University of Warwick

Background Predicting the success of a Debridement, Antibiotics, and Implant Retention (DAIR) procedure for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) for hip and knee joint arthroplasty remains a challenge. A failed DAIR might adversely affect the outcome of any future revision surgery for PJI. Hence, the ability to identify and optimize factors predictive of DAIR success would help target the procedure to the appropriate patient cohort and avoid unnecessary surgery for patients where a DAIR is unlikely to eradicate infection. Methods A retrospective review of our prospective Bone Infection Group database was performed to identify all patients who underwent a DAIR of their primary or revision hip or knee arthroplasty. All patients had a confirmed PJI as per MSIS 2013 criteria and an outcome according to the MSIS working group outcome-reporting tool. DAIR surgery was then grouped into groups of “successful” or “unsuccessful” outcomes. Results Sixty-four consecutive patients with an acute PJI underwent a DAIR procedure between 2009 and 2020, with 46 procedures performed for knees and 18 for hips. Treatment was successful in 69% (37 knees and 7 hips). The chance of a successful DAIR was significantly greater if performed at or within one week of symptom onset compared to greater than one-week duration (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.11; P = 0.027; 95% CI [0.02–0.78])). For DAIR performed at or within one week of symptom onset, the success rate was 93% for knees and 80% for hips. The chance of a successful DAIR however was not influenced by whether the surgeon was an arthroplasty or non-arthroplasty surgeon (OR 0.28; P = 0.13; 95% CI [0.05–1.48])). Isolated Streptococcus infection had a success rate of 100%. Next came Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (71%) and Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus (65%). Polymicrobial infection had the worst outcome, with a success rate of 40%. Conclusion In our experience, DAIR surgery performed within one week of symptom onset significantly increased the chance of successful infection eradication. Collaborative work is required to ensure arthroplasty patients can access prompt appropriate surgical decision-making as soon as concerns arise, remove barriers to early assessment and minimise delays to surgery.

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with histologically proven advanced cervical cancer. MEDLINE (through PubMed), Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched. Eligible studies were clinical trials investigating the efficacy and safety on ICIs in patients with confirmed advanced cervical cancer. Response rates and adverse events rates were pooled using either a random-effects model or a fixed-effects model based on the I ² value. A total of 12 clinical trials with 523 women diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer were included. Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors were identified. The pooled objective response (OR) rate, complete response (CR) rate, partial response (PR) rate, and stable disease (SD) rate of PD1 antibodies were 0.24 (95% CIs: 0.11–0.39; I ² =90%, P <0.01), 0.03 (95% CIs: 0.02–0.05; I ² =0%, P =0.92), 0.20 (95% CIs: 0.08–0.36; I ² =91%, P <0.01), 0.31 (95% CIs: 0.23–0.40; I ² =79%, P <0.01), respectively. Adverse events (AEs) rate of any grade was 0.81 (95% CIs: 0.72–0.88; I ² =83%, P <0.01). This study indicates that PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors reveal acceptable clinical responses and tolerable adverse events in the treatment of advanced cervical cancer. Well-designed clinical trials investigating the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are needed.

Using codes defined over $\mathbb {F}_4$ F 4 and $\mathbb {F}_2 \times \mathbb {F}_2$ F 2 × F 2 , we simultaneously define the theta series of corresponding lattices for both real and imaginary quadratic fields $\mathbb {Q}(\sqrt{d})$ Q ( d ) with $d \equiv 1\mod 4$ d ≡ 1 mod 4 a square-free integer. For such a code, we use its weight enumerator to prove which term in the code’s corresponding theta series is the first to depend on the choice of d . For a given choice of real or imaginary quadratic field, we find conditions on the length of the code relative to the choice of quadratic field. When these conditions are satisfied, the generated theta series is unique to the code’s symmetric weight enumerator. We show that whilst these conditions ensure all non-equivalent codes will produce distinct theta series, for other codes that do not satisfy this condition, the length of the code and choice of quadratic field is not always enough to determine if the corresponding theta series will be unique.

Recent trends in biblical scholarship that have generated new interest in the book of Psalms and in the voice of lamentation may in turn present new opportunities for the liturgical use of psalms of lament. Drawing on the SIFT approach to biblical hermeneutics, the present study tested the ways in which feeling types and thinking types may evaluate Psalm 74 differently. The data demonstrated that feeling types and thinking types approach a psalm of lament in quite different ways. For thinking types, this is a satisfying intellectual exercise. They are caught up by the theological questions raised and fascinated by the capacity of the human mind to challenge God to keep God’s side of the covenantal agreement with the people. For feeling types, this is a journey of the heart as they identify with the protagonists rehearsing the source and cause of their pain. Preachers and liturgists need to be aware of this contrast.

In this paper, we address the optimal control problem in molecular systems, focusing on transitions within coherent states characterised by complex coefficients. Employing Hölder’s inequality, we establish a mathematical relationship between the energy requirement and the distance separating the initial and the target coherent states. A key part of our study is the application of this framework to the H2O molecule, specifically examining the local OH bond. Here, we demonstrate how energy requirements for the state transitions are influenced by the distance between these states. Furthermore, we investigate the effects of a heat bath coupled to the system, by analysing its impact on transferring the molecular system to different final coherent states. These coherent states are defined as almost eigenvectors of the Generalised Heisenberg Algebra (GHA) annihilation operator. By using the Perolomov approach, another type of coherent states for the Morse potential associated with the GHA can be constructed. By leveraging the GHA structure, we revisit and analyse Morse coherent states previously established for certain diatomic molecules, offering a deeper insight into the dynamics of state transitions under various conditions.

It is well known that the thermomechanical processing parameters affect the mechanical properties of dual-phase (DP) steels, but optimization still remains a key challenge. This work studied two interphase precipitation-strengthened DP steels based on V, Mo, and V, Mo, Cr microalloy additions. Hot-rolling was performed with a strain per pass of 0.2 and 0.4 before isothermal transformation at temperatures between 600 and 690 °C to determine the effect of these process parameters on microstructure, particularly interphase precipitation. The microstructure was carefully correlated with the mechanical properties. It was found that a higher strain during hot rolling increases the transformation kinetics of austenite to ferrite and also increases the volume fraction of the interphase precipitation within it, leading to higher strength values. The reaustenitization temperature before the isothermal transformation also plays an important role, with increased temperature reducing the segregation banding effect and increasing the amount of ferrite. The optimal reaustenitization temperature depends on the composition, being 1250 °C for the microalloyed steel with Cr additions and 1150 °C for the Cr-free microalloyed steel. A new method was used to calculate the yield strength of these DP microalloyed steels, including the strengthening contributors of each phase and the banding effect brought into one single expression that matches the experimental results.

In engineering, the design of a product relies heavily on a design specification; a co-creation of customer and engineer which captures the requirements. Subjectivity is intrinsic to this process. Whilst engineers typically have a high appreciation of the technical aspects of design, the detailed knowledge of environmental and socioeconomic (ESE) implications are often held elsewhere. As such, efficient and effective design is critically dependent on the processes underpinning knowledge transfer. However, the information interfaces between engineering and the requirements of our swiftly changing civilization remain indirect and suboptimal, and the unintended consequences of design choices are becoming increasingly serious. Transdisciplinary engineering bridges knowledge boundaries interfacing with engineering (e.g. social science). This paper explores whether topology (a branch of pure mathematics) presents an opportunity to analyse the complex interdependency of transdisciplinary engineering information. Topology and geometry describe the structure of objects such as connectedness or the number of holes and have recently provided a suite of powerful and robust tools for analysing high-dimensional data sets. However, the real-world implementation of the term topology is still evolving. Interviews with engineering organisations, revealed that topology is predominately interpreted as ‘Topology Optimisation’ in the context of advanced design and manufacturing. To date, mathematical processes for critically and systematically examining the topology of systems have not been transferred through to the engineering industry. This paper contrasts how topology is interpreted by the engineering industry compared to academic literature and reflects on the opportunities of applying the mathematical theory of topological analysis to transdisciplinary engineering data.

A novel nickel‐based metal organic framework (MOF) [Ni(FDC)(CH3OH)1.5(H2O)0.5](H2O)0.35 (UOW‐6) utilizing biomass‐derived 2,5‐furan dicarboxylate (FDC) as a ligand is reported as an electrocatalyst for anodic ethylene glycol oxidation with cathodic hydrogen evolution. The MOF structure was analyzed using single crystal X‐ray‐diffraction, TGA and thermodiffractometry, to establish its structure and verify phase purity. The material was dropcast on carbon fiber paper as a catalyst, and by using a three‐electrode system, UOW‐6 requires only 1.47 V to attain a current density of 50 mAcm‐2. During oxidation of the ethylene glycol (EG), UOW‐6 shows unprecedented selectivity towards formic acid with a Faradaic efficiency of 94% and remarkable stability over 20 days. The combination of electrochemical measurements and in situ Raman confirmed in situ formed NiOOH at the surface of UOW‐6 as the catalytically active sites for EG oxidation. This work not only presents a pioneering application of FDC‐based MOFs for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) upcycling but also underscores the potential of electrocatalysis in advancing sustainable plastic valorization strategies.

Every 5 minutes, 50 people are bitten by a snake worldwide, four will be permanently disabled and one will die.1,2 Most approaches to treating and diagnosing snake envenomation rely on antibody-based solutions. Here, we present a proof-of-concept for a glycan-based UV-vis assay to detect Crotalus atrox (C. atrox) venom versus model proteins and Indian Cobra (Naja naja, N. naja) venom.

This paper presents a method to estimate the BDFM equivalent circuit rotor current from rotor bar current measurements. Rotor currents are measured using a specially designed hardware that incorporates Rogowski coils and Bluetooth wireless transmission. The measurement of rotor currents enables the parameters in the BDFM's full equivalent circuit to be extracted unambiguously. In particular, stator and rotor leakage inductances can be estimated from experimental tests, which was not possible before from terminal measurement. The method is presented for a nested-loop rotor design and experimental measurements are shown for a prototype D180 frame BDFM.

Real-time video analytics on edge devices has gained increasing attention across a wide range of business areas. However, edge devices usually have limited computing resources. Consequently, conventional approaches to video analytics either deploy simplified models on the edge (resulting in low accuracy) or transmit video content to the cloud (resulting in high latency and network overheads) to enable deep learning inference ( e.g. object detection). In this paper, we introduce ParaLoupe, a novel real-time video analytics system that parallelizes deep learning inference in the edge cluster with task-oriented mini models. These mini models do not attain state-of-the-art accuracy individually, but collectively can achieve much better accuracy-latency tradeoff than state-of-the-art models. To achieve this, ParaLoupe crops multiple single-object patches from a given video frame. These single-object patches are then sent to multiple edge devices for parallel inference with specifically designed mini models. A patch-based task scheduling algorithm is further proposed to leverage the computing resources of the edge cluster to meet the service-level objectives. Our experimental results on real-world datasets show that ParaLoupe significantly outperforms baseline methods, achieving up to 14.1× inference speedup with accuracy on par with state-of-the-art models, or improving accuracy up to 45.1% under the same latency constraints.

This paper presents an attitude trajectory planning algorithm for spacecraft with time-varying mass and nonconvex state constraints. As a stepping stone, the problem of constrained attitude trajectory planning is posed as a finite-horizon optimal control problem (OCP). Then the relaxation/convexification for control constraints is introduced that is proven to be lossless; i.e., the relaxed OCP is equivalent to the original one. By discretization and successive linearization, the relaxed OCP is then transformed as a sequence of second order cone programming (SOCP) subproblems. Accordingly, the nonconvex motion constraints are converted into conic constraints. In particular, the so-called integration-correction technique is utilized to cancel the error resulting from the successive linearization, by which the recursive feasibility of the sequential SOCP is guaranteed. Moreover, the convergence to local optimality of the proposed algorithm is proved. Benefiting from the properties of the artificial potential function (APF)-based method, an initial solution can be rapidly generated to start the algorithm. Finally, the effectiveness of the trajectory planning algorithm is demonstrated by numerical examples.

Heat pumps are a solution for decarbonising home heating in the UK. However, the readiness of UK homes for heat pumps is an area of concern regarding the policies aimed at increasing heat pump adoption. This work combines multiple perspectives in evaluating the technical readiness of homes with the market readiness of installers and homeowners to proceed with installing heat pumps. The effectiveness of past heating and energy efficiency policies in the UK are reviewed, along with building regulations, incentives to promote energy efficiency and the effectiveness of heat pump technology in heating homes. Current policies support the cost of a heat pump but home improvements to make homes ‘heat pump-ready’ can be necessary to achieve optimal heat pump system performance. This paper suggests the UK will face three major challenges. First, analysis highlights an ‘eligibility-readiness gap’ describing the difference between homes ‘eligible’ (50%) for the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme—a subsidy for heat pump installations—and the likely level of homes that are heat pump-ready (11%) for successful heat pump installations. Second, semi-structured interviews with heat pump installers identified gaps in capacity to deliver the necessary works to make homes heat pump-ready. As small or medium enterprises, the majority of installers do not currently see adding home improvement services to their existing business model as beneficial. All installers highlighted the need for Government to address the cost of electricity relative to gas. Third, a national survey of homeowners in England with gas boilers (n = 1,021) revealed low awareness of the necessary work to make homes heat pump-ready and low willingness to spend money on them unless supported by Government. This paper shows that the processes and costs involved in making homes heat pump-ready before successful design and installation are underappreciated by homeowners, inadequately served by industry, and insufficiently supported by Government.