University College Dublin

This paper presents a compact, broadband, high‐gain dielectric rod antenna. By utilising an air–dielectric hybrid method for designing the radiating and matching sections, gradual variations in the average equivalent permittivity along the rod are achieved, and the mechanism of the method is analysed. This approach facilitates a smooth impedance transition from the feed to the air, resulting in good impedance matching characteristics. Additionally, the antenna is fed through a tapered double‐ridged waveguide (DRW) with a coaxial line to tapered DRW transition. The proposed antenna achieves an impressive impedance bandwidth of 90.2%, covering the entire K and Ka bands. The unique structure of the proposed dielectric rod significantly enhances the antenna's gain, reaching a maximum value of 17.86 dBi. With its small aperture and compact longitudinal dimensions, this antenna is suitable for applications in settings like the Space Environment Simulation Research Infrastructure (SESRI).

Maintaining an upright stance requires the integration of sensory inputs from the visual, vestibular and somatosensory-proprioceptive systems by the central nervous system to develop a corrective postural strategy. However, it is unclear whether and how the cerebral cortex monitors and controls postural sways. Here, we asked whether postural sways are encoded in ongoing cortical oscillations, giving rise to a form of corticokinematic coherence (CKC) in the context of standing balance. Center-of-pressure (CoP) fluctuations and electroencephalographic cortical activity were recorded as young healthy participants performed balance tasks during which sensory information was manipulated, by either removal or alteration. We found that postural sways are represented in ongoing cortical activity during challenging balance conditions, in the form of CKC at 1–6 Hz. Time delays between cortical activity and CoP features indicated that both afferent and efferent pathways contribute to CKC, wherein the brain would monitor the CoP velocity and control its position. Importantly, CKC was behaviorally relevant, as it predicted the increase in instability brought by alteration of sensory information. Our results suggest that human sensorimotor cortical areas take part in the closed-loop control of standing balance in challenging conditions. Importantly, CKC could serve as a neurophysiological marker of cortical involvement in maintaining balance.

Observational data of the Earth’s weather and climate at the level of ground-based weather stations are prone to gaps due to a variety of causes. These gaps can inhibit scientific research as they impede the use of numerical models for agricultural, meteorological and climatological applications as well as introducing analytic biases. In this research, different machine learning techniques are evaluated together with traditional approaches to gap filling automated weather station data. When filling gaps for a specific data stream, data from neighbouring weather stations are used in addition to reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts atmospheric reanalyses of the global climate, ERA-5 Land. A novel gap creation method is introduced that provides 100% coverage in sampling the dataset while ensuring that the sampled data are randomly distributed. Gap filling across a range of different gap lengths and target variables are compared using a range of error functions. The variables selected for modelling are mean air temperature, dew point, mean relative humidity and leaf wetness. Our results show that models perform best on gap-filling temperature and dew point with worst performance on leaf wetness. As expected, model performance decreases with increasing gap length. Comparison between machine learning and reanalysis approaches show very promising results from a number of the machine learning models.

Understanding and correctly interpreting statistical results presented in scientific articles is a required skill for practicing evidence‐based veterinary medicine. A prerequisite for doing so is the adequate reporting of the results in scientific journals. However, most authors of veterinary publications determine the importance of their findings based on statistical significance (ie, P < .05), indicating that neither the limitations of using P values for inference nor the existence of more appropriate alternatives are widely appreciated in veterinary medicine. This deficiency in knowledge indicates a need to increase awareness in veterinary medicine regarding reporting statistical measures that quantify the magnitude of an effect along with its level of uncertainty, and then interpreting these results for clinical decision making. We utilize a hypothetical randomized controlled trial of dietary management in cats with chronic kidney disease to discuss some common misconceptions about P values and provide practical suggestions for alternatives. Reporting appropriate effect estimates along with their confidence intervals will allow veterinarians to easily and correctly determine whether the magnitude of the effect of interest meets clinical needs while acknowledging uncertainty in the results. We also describe confidence interval functions and show their utility as visual tools in aiding interpretation of confidence intervals. By providing practical guidance, we show that a change in reporting and interpreting statistical results is feasible and necessary. We hope this crucial step will promote clinical decision making based on effect estimates and confidence intervals.

Introduction Older people (people aged 65 years and older) have high rates of death by suicide, and self-harm is a major risk factor for suicide. While rates of self-harm decrease with age, rates of suicide increase among this age group. The overall aim of this research project is to identify real-life evidence of the characteristics associated with older people who present with self-harm and suicidal ideation to emergency departments in Ireland. In examining the variables associated with self-harm, we may be better able to identify the characteristics of older adults who are at highest risk, including those presenting with high lethality attempts. Methods and analysis Our data are a cohort study of older people in Ireland involving two workstreams. The first will use a 5-year cohort of data from the National Clinical Programme for Self-Harm and Suicide-related Ideation (NCPSHI) which comprises over 70 000 presentations. The second workstream will use a 15-year cohort of electronic patient records from the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH) comprising over 30 491 presentations (900 aged 65 years and older) to collect more detailed information on characteristics of older people presenting with self-harm and suicidal ideation. Ethics and dissemination This study has received full ethical approval. The Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the MMUH approved the MMUH workstream—Reference number: 1/378/2327 TMR. Ethical approval for the NCPSHI workstream has been granted by the University College Dublin’s Office of Research Ethics. Our findings will be disseminated via peer-review publications and presentations to the scientific community, along with reports for clinicians and policymakers.

This article introduces an innovative reconfigurable antenna (RA) designed for circular polarization on the dual WiMAX frequency bands (3.5 GHz and 5.8 GHz) utilizing liquid metal switching capabilities. The antenna achieves circular polarization reconfiguration by employing a liquid metal switch connecting the parasitic element (R2) to the feed line. Notably, the liquid metal switch offers distinct advantages, including power savings in the ON state and precise control of liquid metal movement through applied voltage. The dynamic manipulation of Eutectic Gallium-Indium (EGaIn) within microfluidic channels enables efficient displacement, resulting in a 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of (2.5̶ 3.7 GHz) in the OFF state and (5.45̶ 6 GHz) in the ON state. For the first time, the concept of liquid metal switches introduces a novel capability: the ability to maintain the “ON” state without the need for a continuous voltage supply. The proposed reconfigurable antenna demonstrates notable improvements in switching performance, with observed effectiveness in RF switching.

The paper revisits the concepts of instantaneous active and reactive powers and provides a novel definition for basic circuit elements based on quantities utilized in classical mechanics, such as absolute and relative velocity, momentum density, angular momentum and apparent forces. The discussion leverages from recent publications by the authors that interpret the voltage and current as velocities in generalized Lagrangian coordinates. The main result of the paper is a general and compact expression for the instantaneous active and reactive power of inductances, capacitances and resistances as a multivector proportional to the generalized kinetic energy and the geometric frequency multivector. Several numerical examples considering stationary and transient sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal conditions are discussed in the case study.

This article presents a CMOS voltage-combined Doherty power amplifier (PA) based on a broadband compact load modulation network (LMN) for fifth-generation (5G) millimeter-wave (mm-wave) mobile communication applications. By analyzing the frequency response of different types of Doherty power combiner, a novel voltage-combined Doherty LMN with shorted TL and corresponding design procedure are proposed to achieve broadband power back-off (PBO) bandwidth and compact footprint. A compact quadrature hybrid coupler without lumped capacitor is also devised to generate wideband quadrature signals. To improve PBO efficiency, an envelope detector is adopted to produce adaptive DC bias for auxiliary path. For the proof of concept, a dual-driver Doherty PA is implemented in 65-nm bulk CMOS technology with a chip size of 0.42 mm $^{2}$ including all pads. The PA achieves a 3-dB small-signal $S_{21}$ bandwidth from 21.1 to 30.4 GHz and a 1-dB saturated output power ( $P_{\text{sat}}$ ) bandwidth from 24 to 30 GHz. The measured $P_{\text{sat}}$ , output 1-dB compression point ( $OP_{\text{1dB}}$ ), peak power-added efficiency (PAE) and PAE at 6dB-PBO are 20.0 dBm, 19.1 dBm, 24.6% and 20.0% at 27 GHz, respectively. For modulation measurements, the proposed PA under 64-quadrature-amplitude-modulated (64-QAM) signal at a data rate of 0.6/2.4 Gb/s achieves average output power ( $P_{\text{avg}}$ ) of 11.5/4.8 dBm and average drain efficiency of 14.1%/3.9% with $-$ 25/ $-$ 24.5 dB of error vector magnitude (EVM) and $-$ 29/ $-$ 25.6 dBc of adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) at 28 GHz, respectively.

Background The training characteristics and training intensity distribution (TID) of elite athletes have been extensively studied, but a comprehensive analysis of the TID across runners from different performance levels is lacking. Methods Training sessions from the 16 weeks preceding 151,813 marathons completed by 119,452 runners were analysed. The TID was quantified using a three-zone approach (Z1, Z2 and Z3), where critical speed defined the boundary between Z2 and Z3, and the transition between Z1 and Z2 was assumed to occur at 82.3% of critical speed. Training characteristics and TID were reported based on marathon finish time. Results Training volume across all runners was 45.1 ± 26.4 km·week⁻¹, but the fastest runners within the dataset (marathon time 120–150 min) accumulated > three times more volume than slower runners. The amount of training time completed in Z2 and Z3 running remained relatively stable across performance levels, but the proportion of Z1 was higher in progressively faster groups. The most common TID approach was pyramidal, adopted by > 80% of runners with the fastest marathon times. There were strong, negative correlations (p < 0.01, R² ≥ 0.90) between marathon time and markers of training volume, and the proportion of training volume completed in Z1. However, the proportions of training completed in Z2 and Z3 were correlated (p < 0.01, R² ≥ 0.85) with slower marathon times. Conclusion The fastest runners in this dataset featured large training volumes, achieved primarily by increasing training volume in Z1. Marathon runners adopted a pyramidal TID approach, and the prevalence of pyramidal TID increased in the fastest runners.

CNS tumours encompass a diverse group of neoplasms with significant morbidity and mortality. The SHH signalling pathway plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of several CNS tumours, including gliomas, medulloblastomas and others. By influencing cellular proliferation, differentiation and migration in CNS tumours, the SHH pathway has emerged as a promising target for therapeutic intervention. Current strategies such as vismodegib and sonidegib have shown efficacy in targeting SHH pathway activation. However, challenges such as resistance mechanisms and paradoxical effects observed in clinical settings underscore the complexity of effectively targeting this pathway. Advances in gene editing technologies, particularly CRISPR/Cas9, have provided valuable tools for studying SHH pathway biology, validating therapeutic targets and exploring novel treatment modalities. These innovations have paved the way for a better understanding of pathway dynamics and the development of more precise therapeutic interventions. In addition, the identification and validation of biomarkers of SHH pathway activation are critical to guide clinical decision making and improve patient outcomes. Molecular profiling and biomarker discovery efforts are critical steps towards personalised medicine approaches in the treatment of SHH pathway-associated CNS tumours. While significant progress has been made in understanding the role of the SHH pathway in CNS tumorigenesis, ongoing research is essential to overcome current therapeutic challenges and refine treatment strategies. The integration of molecular insights with advanced technologies and clinical expertise holds great promise for developing more effective and personalised therapies for patients with SHH pathway-driven CNS tumours. Graphical Abstract

Human-wildlife conflict in expanding peri-urban and urban areas is of increasing concern, as a result of growing human populations along with the associated anthropogenic footprint on wildlife habitats. Empirical data from wildlife research carried out within human dominated landscapes are key to understanding the effects of human pressures on wildlife ecology and behaviour, exploring wildlife behavioural flexibility (or phenotypic plasticity), and informing wildlife management decisions. Here, we explored how female fallow deer (Dama dama) responded to human and dog presence during the birthing period in the largest walled urban park in Europe. We collected data on 477 bedsites utilised by 283 neonate fawns across three consecutive fawning seasons, gathered fine-scale data on humans and dogs space use, and built Resource Selection Functions at multiple spatial scales. We found that, when choosing bedsites to give birth and leave fawns unattended, fallow deer mothers significantly avoided hotspots of park visitors on foot (and their dogs) along the hiking trail routes. Bedsites were also unlikely to be in close proximity of paved roads used by vehicle traffic. Additionally, fallow deer mothers were found to select for dense understory vegetation for bedsites, providing low visibility to conceal their offspring. Our results provide detailed insights into bedsite spatial and habitat selection by a large herbivore in response to human activities, and we provide clear indications to wildlife managers to preserve established fawning sites and alleviate human-wildlife conflict during a critical period of the deer annual biological cycle.

Minimising cycle time without inducing quality defects is a major challenge in injection moulding (IM). Design of Experiment methods (DoE) have been widely studied for optimisation of injection moulding, however existing methods have limitations, including the need for a large number of experiments within a pre-determined search space. Bayesian adaptive design of experiment (ADoE) is an iterative process where the results of the previous experiments are used to make an informed selection for the next design. In this study, an experimental ADoE approach based on Bayesian optimisation was developed for injection moulding using process and sensor data to optimise the quality and cycle time in real-time. A novel approach for the real-time characterisation of post-production shrinkage was introduced, utilising in-mould sensor data on temperature differential during part cooling. This characterisation approach was verified by post-production metrology results. A single and multi-objective optimisation of the cycle time and temperature differential ( $\Delta T$ ) in an injection moulded component is proposed. The multi-objective optimisation techniques, composite desirability function and Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) model, are compared with the real-time novel ADoE approach. ADoE achieved almost a 50 $\%$ reduction in the number of experiments required for the single optimisation of $\Delta T$ , and an almost 30 $\%$ decrease for the optimisation of $\Delta T$ and cycle time together compared to composite desirability function and NSGA-II. The optimal settings identified by ADoE for multiobjective optimisation were similar to the selected Pareto optimal solution found by NSGA-II.