Hardware system customized toward the demands of graph neural network learning would promote efficiency and strong temporal processing for graph‐structured data. However, most amorphous/polycrystalline oxides‐based memristors commonly have unstable conductance regulation due to random growth of conductive filaments. And graph neural networks based on robust and epitaxial film memristors can especially improve energy efficiency due to their high endurance and ultra‐low power consumption. Here, robust and epitaxial Gd: HfO2‐based film memristors are reported and construct a weighted echo state graph neural network (WESGNN). Benefiting from the optimized epitaxial films, the high switching speed (20 ns), low energy consumption (2.07 fJ), multi‐value storage (4 bits), and high endurance (109) outperform most memristors. Notably, thanks to the appropriately dispersed conductance distribution (standard deviation = 7.68 nS), the WESGNN finely regulates the relative weights of input nodes and recursive matrix to realize state‐of‐the‐art performance using the MUTAG and COLLAB datasets for graph classification tasks. Overall, robust and epitaxial film memristors offer nanoscale scalability, high reliability, and low energy consumption, making them energy‐efficient hardware solutions for graph learning applications.

Due to global blood shortages and restricted donor blood storage, the focus has switched to the in vitro synthesis of red blood cells (RBCs) from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as a potential solution. Many processes are required to synthesize RBCs from iPSCs, including the production of iPSCs from human or animal cells, differentiation of iPSCs into hematopoietic stem cells, culturing, and maturation of the hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) to make functional erythrocytes. Previous investigations on the in vitro production of erythrocytes have shown conflicting results. Some studies have demonstrated substantial yields of functional erythrocytes, whereas others have observed low yields of enucleated cells. Before large-scale in vitro RBC production can be achieved, several challenges which have limited its application in the clinic must be overcome. These issues include optimizing differentiation techniques to manufacture vast amounts of functional RBCs, upscaling the manufacturing process, cost-effectiveness, and assuring the production of RBCs with good manufacturing practices (GMP) before they can be used for therapeutic purposes.

Estimating animal abundance has a key role to play in ecology and conservation, but survey methods are always challenged by imperfect detection. Among the techniques applied to deal with this issue, Double Observer (DO) is increasing in popularity due to its cost‐effectiveness. However, the effort of using DO for surveying large territories can be significant. A DO‐based survey method that allows accurate abundance estimations with reduced effort would increase the applicability of the method. This would have positive effects on the conservation of species which are challenging to survey such as mountain ungulates. We used computer simulations based on real data and a field test to assess the reliability of the DO and of a new proposed survey procedure, the Double Observer Adjusted Survey (DOAS). DOAS is based on total block counts adjusted with some DO surveys conducted in a proportion of the total area only. Such DO surveys are then used to estimate detection probability with a mark‐recapture‐derived approach. We found that full DO is much more accurate than simple block counts for abundance estimations. DOAS is a less demanding alternative to full DO and can produce comparable abundance estimates, at the cost of a slightly lower precision. However, in the DOAS overall detectability has to be estimated within a sufficient number of sites (around a quarter of the total) to obtain a higher precision and avoid large overestimations. Practical implications. DO methods could increase the reliability of abundance estimations in mountain ungulates and other gregarious species. Full DO in particular could allow researchers to obtain unbiased estimations with high precision and its usage is therefore suggested instead of block counts in wildlife monitoring. Given the high costs of full DO, the DOAS procedure could be a viable and cost‐effective survey strategy to improve abundance estimates when resources are scarce.

Constructions of children’s agency have been an influential and dominant arena for discussion since the emergence of the ‘new’ paradigm of childhood in the 1990s. Cross-disciplinary studies recognise the different social, cultural and temporal influences upon perceptions of childhood and acknowledge the impact of such constructions on how children’s agency is understood and realised. Many of the definitions of agency reflect Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states the child’s right to be involved in decisions affecting them. However, as with other articles of the convention, Article 12 is prone to subjective adult interpretation predicated on assumptions of competence and capability, and subject to the same uneasy tension between participation, protection and provision which characterises the convention more broadly. Furthermore, the presumed relationship between children’s involvement in decision making as an indicator of agency is misleading. This paper argues that children’s agency is a poorly defined concept, whose lack of clarity contributes to children being constrained as active change agents within and beyond contexts which directly affect them. Using the context of child language brokers, the paper argues that despite offering children the ‘socio-culturally mediated capacity to act’ brokering practices frequently take place in response to adult-determined objectives, rather than in contexts freely chosen by the child, potentially compromising their agentic potential. This paper draws upon the findings from Crutchley’s doctoral thesis which used Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method to explore the retrospective narratives of adults who assumed the role of cultural and linguistic brokers during their childhoods.

Introduction: Obesity and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) during pregnancy constitute significant problems for routine antenatal care, with increasing prevalence globally. Similar to obesity, MAFLD is associated with a higher risk for maternal complications (e.g. pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes) and long-term adverse health outcomes for the offspring. However, MAFLD during pregnancy is often under-recognized, with limited management/treatment options. Areas covered: PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched based on a search strategy for obesity and/or MAFLD in pregnancy to identify relevant papers up to 2024. This review summarizes the pertinent evidence on the relationship between maternal obesity and MAFLD during pregnancy. Key mechanisms implicated in the underlying pathophysiology linking obesity and MAFLD during pregnancy (e.g. insulin resistance and dysregulated adipokine secretion) are highlighted. Moreover, a diagnostic approach for MAFLD diagnosis during pregnancy and its complications are presented. Finally, promising relevant areas for future research are covered. Expert opinion: Research progress regarding maternal obesity, MAFLD, and their impact on maternal and fetal/offspring health is expected to improve the relevant diagnostic methods and lead to novel treatments. Thus, routine practice could apply more personalized management strategies, incorporating individualized algorithms with genetic and/or multi-biomarker profiling to guide prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.

In this study, the resistance welding process for carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites (FRTPC) has been parametrically investigated through simulation and experiment processes. Heat transfer of resistance welding was studied computationally to generate optimum welding parameters. By applying a transient three-dimensional heat transfer model on COMSOL Multiphysics, evolution of temperature in the joint during welding process was simulated with various combinations of power densities and clamping distances. From different combinations of parameters, two main characteristics of heat transfer were revealed, which consequently resulted in various melting degree, uniformity of temperature upon welding interface, and heat penetrating through laminates in thickness direction. Based on optimum parameters, experimental welding tests were conducted, and mechanical tests showed that lap shear strength is proportional to melting degree but is independent of thermal penetration.

The establishment success of biocontrol agents originating from tropical regions is often limited by climate when introduced in temperate regions. However, the flea beetle, Lysathia sp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a biocontrol agent of Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. (Haloragaceae) in South Africa, is an effective agent in regions where other biocontrol agents of tropical aquatic weeds have failed due to winter-induced mortality. The development (degree-day model) and thermal tolerance (critical thermal minimum/maximum [CTmin/max] and lower/upper lethal limits [LLT/ULT50]) of Lysathia sp. were investigated to explain this success. The model predicted that Lysathia sp. could complete 6 to 12 generations per year in the colder regions of the country. The lower threshold for development (t0) was 13.0 °C and thermal constant (K) was 222.4 days, which is considerably lower than the K values of other biocontrol agents of aquatic weeds in South Africa. This suggests that above the temperature threshold, Lysathia sp. can develop faster than those other species and complete multiple life cycles in the cooler winter months, allowing for rapid population growth and thus improving M. aquaticum control. Furthermore, the CTmin of Lysathia sp. was 2.3 ± 0.2 °C and the CTmax was 49.0 ± 0.5 °C. The LLT50 was calculated as ∼ −7.0 °C and the ULT50 as ∼ 43.0 °C. These wide tolerance ranges and survival below freezing show why Lysathia sp. has established at cool sites and suggest that it may be a suitable agent for other cold countries invaded by M. aquaticum.

Non-healing wounds cost the National Health Service over £5.6 billion annually in wound management. Skin allografts are used to treat non-healing wounds, ulcers and burns, offering the best protection against infection. In order to allow host cells to repopulate and to avoid immunogenicity, cell components are removed through decellularisation. Decellularisation of human dermis has so far been performed in NHS Blood and Transplant using a combination of two enzymes (RNase T1 and the recombinant human DNase Pulmozyme)®. This study aims at validating a new method to remove DNA from donated dermis via the use of a single enzyme, Benzonase, known for its effectiveness of DNA digestion. Skin samples were decellularised by removing the epidermis, lysing of dermal cells, removal of cellular fragments by a detergent wash and removal of nucleic acids by a nuclease incubation with either Benzonase or Pulmozyme + RNase T1. DNA quantification with PicoGreen, as well as histology on wax-embedded biopsies, stained with DAPI and haemotoxylin and eosin, were performed. In vitro toxicity test on human osteosarcoma immortalised cells and skin fibroblasts, and biomechanical (tensile) testing, were also performed. The effectiveness of DNA digestion with the new methodology was comparable to previous procedure. Mean DNA removal percentage following decellularisation with Pulmozyme + RNase was 99.9% (3.83 ng/mg). Mean DNA removal percentage with Benzonase was 99.8% (9.97 ng/mg). Histology staining showed complete decellularisation following either method. Benzonase was proven to be non-toxic to both cell lines used, and a one-way Anova test showed no significant difference in neither stress nor strain between acellular dermal matrix decellularised with either Benzonase or Pulmozyme + RNase T1. Benzonase was able to effectively decellularise dermis after prior removal of epidermis. It performed just as well as the combination of Pulmozyme + RNase T1, but represents significant advantages in terms of cost effectiveness, procurement and storage; Benzonase has been successfully used in the decellularisation of other tissues, thus would be better for Tissue Banking use. Switching to this combined DNase/RNase can have far-reaching consequences in the production of acellular human dermal matrix by NHSBT and in the treatment of patients requiring it.

Retracing Footsteps - The Changing Landscape of Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon is the working title of a long-term, interdisciplinary research project by artist Cian Quayle (Art and Design) and cultural geographer Daniel Bos (Geography and the Environment) at the University of Chester. The first iteration of their collaborative research, which also involved the participation of two BA Photography graduates Jane Evans and Emma Petruzzelli, was exhibited at CASC in Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces: Chester. The exhibition also formed part of Chester Contemporary [Fringe] (September 22 - December 1, 2023). The project emerged as a result of Bos' study of 19th c. Snowdon summit hotels, visitor books, in which tourists recorded their experience of ascending the mountain. The visitor books are housed at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Bangor University. Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon is an iconic mountain, a signifier of Welsh identity and a place rooted in history, myth, folklore and legend. The mountain attracts over 600,000 visitors a year and the project sets out to respond to the mountain and surrounding landscape as it is walked, and experienced today, at the same time as considering the threat and impacts on the ecology, environment and local communities. From May 2023 the team undertook fieldwork based on a series of ascents to photograph and video record their experience and encounter of the mountain. An edit and selection of photographs was made towards the end of summer 2023. The exhibition, which manifest initial practice and research completed up to this point was conceived and curated by Quayle, and Bos selected a collection of extracts from the visitors books, which were juxtaposed with a final selection of images, which the project team edited and selected from a larger body of work. The visitor book extracts were typeset in Albertus by Darren Prior, and an exhibition brochure was designed by Dr Alan Summers.

In the search of single-phase multiferroic materials at room temperature, a ceramic system with composition 0.5(0.94Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3)-0.5BiFe0.8Mn0.2O3 (BNT-6BT-5BFO2M) was fabricated via the solid-state reaction route, and its crystal structure, dielectric, ferroelectric, and magnetic properties were studied. The results indicate that the ceramic can be considered a single-phase perovskite system with ferroelectric and ferromagnetic characteristics at room temperature. The ferroelectricity is evidenced by the switching of ferroelectric domains, as imaged by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). The presence of a weak ferromagnetism is manifested by a non-negligible remnant magnetization in the magnetization-magnetic field loops. The spontaneous net magnetization is mediated by the presence of Mn4+ ions, which may introduce ferromagnetic Fe3+-O-Mn4+ double-exchange interactions in the system. The PFM images taken during the application of a magnetic field of 2000 Oe revealed that the ferroelectric domain structure at room temperature can be significantly influenced by the magnetic field, reflecting the presence of a magnetoelectric effect that allows the occurrence of magnetic field-induced polarization reorientation.