12508 research outputs found
Sort by
Intersections between culture, sociodemographic change and caring: a qualitative study of current and prospective family caregivers in mainland China.
No full textAim: As the ageing population in China increases, support required from family caregivers for older relatives living with long-term health conditions also increases. This being so, this thesis explored the experiences and perceptions of current and prospective family caregivers, under the culture of Xiao (孝; filial piety).
Design and Methods: Phase 1 was conducted with 19 Chinese students using 3 focus groups to gain greater familiarity with the culture and inform the main study (Phase 2). Adopting a social constructivist philosophical position, data for Phase 2 were obtained from three generational sub-samples: only-children affected by the One-Child Policy (OCP), parents affected by OCP, and family caregivers in the workforce, totaling 23 participants through virtual in-depth interviews with participants in mainland China. Interviews were translated, transcribed, and analysed using reflective thematic analysis.
Findings and Conclusion: Phase 1 confirmed the centrality of the concept of Xiao to attitudes and beliefs around future caregiving for parents. Phase 2 findings’ overarching theme was ‘Competing pressures’, which comprised of three inextricably linked themes: (i) Caregiving beliefs, (ii) Contextual factors, and (iii) Caregiving conditions. Participants expressed meaningful desires to fulfil obligations, reflecting value-based convictions, stemming from their socio-cultural environment. Stressors experienced reveals structural and personal barriers to seeking support. Ultimately, extensive demands and limited coping strategies could diminish meaning in caregiving. This thesis makes a novel contribution on perceptions and experiences of family caregivers of older relatives within China as a collectivist society. Findings have implications for research, policy, and practice, highlighting the need for culturally attuned services to build resilience
Advances in Modelling and Prediction on the Impact of Human Activities and Extreme Events on Environments
No full textYesThis book is an edition of the Special Issue Advances in Modelling and Prediction on the Impact of Human Activities and Extreme Events on Environments that was published in Water journal
Expansion of the 4-(Diethylamino)benzaldehyde Scaffold to Explore the Impact on Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Activity and Antiproliferative Activity in Prostate Cancer
No full textYesAldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are overexpressed in various tumor types including prostate cancer and considered a potential target for therapeutic intervention. 4-(Diethylamino)benzaldehyde (DEAB) has been extensively reported as a pan-inhibitor of ALDH isoforms, and here, we report on the synthesis, ALDH isoform selectivity, and cellular potencies in prostate cancer cells of 40 DEAB analogues; three analogues (14, 15, and 16) showed potent inhibitory activity against ALDH1A3, and two analogues (18 and 19) showed potent inhibitory activity against ALDH3A1. Significantly, 16 analogues displayed increased cytotoxicity (IC50 = 10-200 μM) compared with DEAB (>200 μM) against three different prostate cancer cell lines. Analogues 14 and 18 were more potent than DEAB against patient-derived primary prostate tumor epithelial cells, as single agents or in combination treatment with docetaxel. In conclusion, our study supports the use of DEAB as an ALDH inhibitor but also reveals closely related analogues with increased selectivity and potency.S12-027/PCUK_/Prostate Cancer UK/United Kingdo
Aerial wireless networks: Proposed solution for coverage optimisation
Get PDFYesUnmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commercially known as drones, have received great attention. This is due to their versatility and applicability to a large number of domains such as surveillance system, aerial photography, traffic control, flyable base stations to provide a broadband coverage and even for future urban transportation services. In this paper, the optimal distance between multiple aerial base stations has analytically been derived, based on an aerial coverage area computation. This is a fundamental wireless metric that can significantly minimise the intra-overlapped coverage and also can enhance wireless coverage connectivity and performance of aerial wireless networks. The novelty of our approach brings a better aerial optimal design understanding for UAVs communications performance without the need for establishing an aerial deployment setup
Multi-isotopic study of the earliest medieval inhabitants of Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain)
Get PDFYesSantiago de Compostela is, together with Rome and Jerusalem, one of the three main pilgrimage and religious centres for Catholicism. The belief that the remains of St James the Great, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, is buried there has stimulated, since their reported discovery in the 9th century AD, a significant flow of people from across the European continent and beyond. Little is known about the practical experiences of people living within the city during its rise to prominence, however. Here, for the first time, we combine multi-isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N, δ18Oap, δ13Cap, and 87Sr/86Sr) and radiocarbon dating (14C) of human remains discovered at the crypt of the Cathedral of Santiago to directly study changes in diet and mobility during the first three centuries of Santiago’s emergence as an urban centre (9th-12th centuries AD). Together with assessment of the existing archaeological data, our radiocarbon chronology broadly confirms historical tradition regarding the first occupation of the site. Isotopic analyses reveal that the foundation of the religious site attracted migrants from the wider region of the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, and possibly from further afield. Stable isotope analysis of collagen, together with information on tomb typology and location, indicates that the inhabitants of the city experienced increasing socioeconomic diversity as it became wealthier as the hub of a wide network of pilgrimage. Our research represents the potential of multidisciplinary analyses to reveal insights into the origins and impacts of the emergence of early pilgrimage centres on the diets and status of communities within Christian medieval Europe and beyond.This project has been supported by a grant from the ‘la Caixa’ Banking Foundation (ID 100010434; Code: LCF/BQ/ES16/11570006). Patxi Pérez-Ramallo and Patrick Roberts would also like to thank the Max Planck Society for funding for this project. Patxi Pérez-Ramallo, Hannah Koon and Julia Beaumont would like to thank the University of Bradford for funding a support the first osteological and stable isotope analysis conducted in 2015. Two of the isotopic analyses and 14C dates have been carried out with funding from the Xunta de Galicia to the CulXeo Group (ED431B 2018/47) and to the research network ‘Cultural Heritage, archaeological and technical services’ (R2016/023). Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL
Semi-analytical solution of solute dispersion model in semi-infinite media
No full textNoThe advection–dispersion equation (ADE) is one of the most widely used methods for estimating natural stream pollution at different locations and times.
In this paper, variational iteration method (VIM) is utilized to obtain a semianalytical solution for 1D ADE in a temporally dependent solute dispersion
within uniformsteady flow. Through a computational validation, the effect of
different parameters such as uniform flow velocity and dispersion coefficient
on the solute concentration values has been investigated. Results show that the
change in velocity has a strong effect on fluid density variation. However, when
the diffusion coefficient has been increased, the change in flow and velocity
behaviors is negligible. To verify the proposed semianalytical solution, the results
were compared to analytical solutions and errors were found to be <0.7% in all
simulations
The Urban Fluvial and Hydro-Environment System
Get PDFYesWith the rapid urbanization of cities around the world, water security, flood control,
and urban hydro-environmental management have become important tasks to tackle. The
majority of large to megacities are located in delta regions surrounded by river networks,
due to their historical development. They are not only threatened by floods from upstream
river basins, but also endangered by the challenges of urban hydro-environmental
governance. Fast urbanization causes interference and fragmentation of the river
system and impedes its hydrodynamic potential, which is a primary driver of
flooding, pollution, and sediment deposition. Consequently, water security and
environmental problems are major issues for sustainable urban development.
The purpose of this Research Topic (RT) is to examine the latest advances and
developments in addressing the challenges in urban fluvial and freshwater systems as well
as to discuss the opportunities they create for improvement in modelling, management
practices and governance. This RT consists of twenty research articles from 99 authors
under three different research themes, which feature contributions on urban space
management, water pollution mitigation and urban watercourse behavioural sciences
to strengthen resilience. The RT includes the following themes:
• State-of-the-art numerical models,
• Urban environmental and hydrological advances, and
• Sustainable cities implementation
Control of three-links robot arm based on fuzzy neural Petri nets
Get PDFYesA fuzzy neural Petri Nets (FNPN) controller is utilized for controlling a three-links robot arm which considers a nonlinear dynamic system. The incorporation of the classical FNN with a Petri net (PN) has been suggested to produce a new representing system called FNPN structure to alleviate the computation burden. The motion equation of three links robot arm is derived from Lagrange's equation. This equation has been incorporated with the motion equations of DC Servo motors which motivate the robot. For nonlinearity dynamic problems, this paper presents a direct adaptive control technique to control three links robot arm utilizing the FNPN controller. The computer simulation depicts that the present FNPN controller accomplished better performance with fast response and minimum error