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Optimal Manufacturing Controller Synthesis Using Situation Calculus
No full textYesIn this paper, we discuss a framework for synthesising manufacturing process controllers using situation calculus, a well-known second-order logic for reasoning about actions in AI. Using a library of high-level ConGolog programs and logical action theories for production resources, we demonstrate how to efficiently synthesise an ‘optimal' plan, i.e. the plant that minimises the number of actions for a target high-level program of a process recipe.University of BradfordThe full-text of this conference paper will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 8 Nov 2025
Internationalization and firm performance: Moderating role of multi-stakeholder initiatives
Get PDFYesPurpose – Previous scholars have assumed that multinational enterprises (MNEs) can reduce the liability of foreignness and increase profitability by investing in corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, empirical validation of this assumption has rarely been attempted. This study provides empirical evidence that the adoption of multi-stakeholder initiatives, which are globally recognized as signals of CSR, helps MNEs increase profits from internationalization.
Design/methodology/approach – Fixed effect models, which address model misspecification problems, and instrumental variable estimation, which controls for the endogeneity in firms’ choice of internationalization, offer empirical evidence supporting the moderating effects of global multi-stakeholder initiatives on the relationship between internationalization and firm performance.
Findings – This study examines the moderating role of multi-stakeholder initiatives in the relationship between internationalization and firm performance, drawing on signaling and stakeholder theories. The results suggest that the signaling effect of multi-stakeholder initiatives can help MNEs overcome the liability of foreignness and, therefore, profit from overseas markets.
Originality/value – Although the internationalization–firm performance relationship has been a subject of debate in the field of international business, the role of firms’ stakeholder engagement in this relationship has been largely overlooked in previous studies. In this study, we explore the impact of multi-stakeholder initiatives on the internationalization–firm performance relationship. Our primary contention is that multi-stakeholder initiatives have moderating effects on this relationship by reducing the liability of foreignness experienced by MNEs in host countries. Furthermore, our findings suggest that active engagement in multi-stakeholder initiatives significantly contributes to the financial success of MNEs as they internationalize
Pharmacogenomics is the future of prescribing inpsychiatry
Get PDFYesPatients' pharmacogenetic data could be used to improve adherence to antipsychotic medication by increasing the likelihood of therapeutic response and reducing the prevalence of adverse drug reactions
‘Judging’ Lesbians: Prospects for Advancing Lesbian Rights Protection through Courts in Nigeria
Get PDFYesNigeria is one of many countries in Africa that criminalize same-sex relations, and this has been reinforced by law enforcement agencies and the courts. As part of efforts to protect LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) persons from various forms of discrimination and violence, the growing LGBTQ movement sometimes approaches the court for rights enforcement. There is a dearth of cases specifically focused on lesbian rights except for a 2018 case, Pamela Adie v. Corporate Affairs Commission. This limits empirical evidence for assessing the role of the courts but also strengthens the case for an enquiry into how the courts can protect lesbians in Nigeria against discrimination on the grounds of their sexual identity. This chapter analyzes how intersecting categories of gender, sexual orientation, class, and location affect lesbians’ experiences of discrimination. It also explores impediments in laws and the formal justice system that result in discrimination, thereby affecting access to justice. The analysis reveals opportunities for the courts to adopt a proactive approach to interpreting fundamental rights guarantees in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. Pragmatic recommendations are made for a multi-stakeholder approach and cross-jurisdictional learning
Assessment of visual performance during walking
Get PDFVision and locomotion are crucial for humans. Traditional (stationary) vision tests
are unlikely to reflect how vision functions dynamically. The walking-induced
movements of head and eyes challenge vision in different ways, and because of
age-related changes in various systems, including the visual system, acquiring
accurate visual information of both stationary and moving objects may become
challenging with age.
New techniques for assessing dynamic visual performance with simultaneous
evaluation of head and eye kinematics may help in comprehending visual
capabilities during walking, with the potential to identify age-related changes
specifically present in dynamic conditions.
This thesis presents new techniques for the assessment of dynamic vision: a task
for studying the visual limitations of reading from a handheld smartphone during
walking; a novel method, “Assumed-gaze approach”, to determine gaze
location/orientation during walking without an eye-tracker; and a visual acuity
(VA) test for the assessment of static and dynamic VA, with simultaneous study
of the walking-induced head kinematics.
Key findings from this research include: phone-reading performance decays at
increasing walking speeds, explained by increased motion-variability between the
head/eyes and the handheld phone. The Assumed-gaze approach shows good
agreement with the gaze measures from a head-mounted eye-tracker, validating
this technique for assessing assumed-gaze location/orientation. VA determined
with the new test developed here is similar to the VA obtained using the goldstandard
chart. This new test is hence valid for assessing static and dynamic VA.
However, the dynamic conditions studied did not reveal age-related changes in
vision nor association with head kinematics.UK College of Optometrist
Evaluating the experiences and impact of the Health Access for Refugees (HARP) project on peer volunteers in Northern England
Get PDFYesCommunity-based peer volunteer interventions are increasingly used with people who are asylum seekers and refugees accessing health services. There is a dearth of evidence evaluating the benefits of volunteering for asylum seeking or refugee volunteers. Volunteers may have poor mental health and feel socially isolated due to their experiences as refugees and asylum seekers and may struggle or be unable to obtain paid employment. Volunteering in other contexts has been found to be beneficial to the health and well-being of the volunteer. This paper reports on an aspect of a wider study evaluating the community-based Health Access for Refugees Project, with the aim of exploring the impact of volunteering on the health and well-being of the peer (asylum seeker or refugee) volunteer. In 2020, we conducted qualitative semistructured interviews by phone with 15 volunteers who were asylum seekers or refugees. The interviews were audio recorded, data were transcribed verbatim and the data set was thematically analysed. We found that the positive relationships which developed and the training received through volunteering boosted volunteers' mental well-being. They felt motivated and confident in helping others, felt a sense of belonging and this reduced their social isolation. They also believed they benefited personally, helping their access to health services, and preparing them for future education, training or a career. In light of the beneficial nature of volunteering identified in this study, establishing more volunteering opportunities for this population and other marginalised groups with poor mental health is recommended. However, more research is needed to assess both the long-term impact of the role in terms of the peer volunteer's health and well-being, and the societal benefit of people moving on, integrating and contributing to society.Refugee Counci
"Road traffic injury could be minimized when individual road users take more responsibility for their safety and the safety of others": Perception of healthcare workers in Vanuatu
Get PDFYesAround 1.35 million deaths are caused by Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) each year. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of Vanuatu's Health Care Workers (HCWs) regarding the existing preventative strategies for RTI.
Materials and methods: In 2020, this study used qualitative approaches to collect data from HCWs using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Study participants were self-identified Ni-Vanuatu HCWs who had been serving for more than 6 months in three main hospitals where the study was conducted and purposive sampling was used to gather the study participants. To guide the FGDs, a semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was created. Thematic analysis was used to processed the data obtained, based on predetermined themes that were based on theory while also enabling the data to determine new themes.
Result: From 5 FGDs with 22 HCWs who were emergency nurses, doctors and public health officers, data saturation was reached. The study yielded five main themes and sixteen subthemes. The relevance and trends of RTI, barriers to effective care, pre-hospital management capacity, barriers to pre-hospital care and addressing RTI were among the key subjects. The findings suggest that addressing health institutional leadership and resources will improve prevention of RTIs.
Conclusion: Prevention of RTIs is hindered by the lack of health institutional capacities in terms of leadership and resources that include emergency equipment, financial and trained human resources. The health sector should consider developing stronger leadership in road safety to be an essential part of its core business.We acknowledge with gratitude the Vanuatu Government through the Training and scholarship units under the Ministry of Education, for the financial support towards this study
Hydration characteristics, hydration products and microstructure of reactive powder concrete
Get PDFYesReactive Powder Concrete (RPC) is a new type of cementitious materials with a complex hydration mechanism, and active admixtures greatly influence the hydration reaction, formation of hydration products, and evolution of microstructure. In order to comprehensively study the quantitative effects of active admixtures contents, namely silica fume, slag and fly ash, on hydration characteristics, hydration products, and microstructure of RPCs, tests of workability, setting time, electrical conductivity, bound water and mechanical properties were conducted. Furthermore, a series of properties including morphology and micro-structure characteristics of RPCs were analyzed by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicate that the initial hydration reaction rate of RPCs is reduced by partly replacing cement with active admixtures. The pozzolanic effect created by the active admixtures enhances hydration and improves RPC's compressive and flexural strength. RPCs made of cement-silica fume mixture exhibit the best macroscopic properties. The adoption of silica fume promotes the production of C-S-H gel during hydration and exerts pozzolanic and crystal nucleation effects to promote cement hydration. RPCs made of pure cement exhibit 15.3% porosity after 28 days of hydration, with the largest proportion of less harmful pores in the microstructure. The porosity is reduced to 5.2% when cement is partially replaced with silica fume, and the microstructure is dominated by harmless pores. When replacement of silica fume is kept at 25%, using slag powder or fly ash substitute part of cement also reduces the number of less harmful pores. It is beneficial to add slag powder to increase the number of gel pores, whereas fly ash reduces the number of gel pores. The investigation presented in this paper would contribute to the production of low cost and environmentally-friendly RPCs, and accelerate the wider applications of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) in engineering structures