12508 research outputs found
Sort by
Effects of Maths on the Move on Children's Perspectives, Physical Activity, and Maths Performance
Get PDFYesPurpose
To assess the impact of a six-week ‘Maths on the Move’ (MOTM) physically active learning programme on primary school children’s physical activity (PA) levels and maths performance.
Method
Randomised control trial. Year 5 children’s PA was assessed using accelerometry for five consecutive school days at baseline and during the final intervention week (final sample: n=97, age M=9.61±0.29, 52.6% female). Two maths performance tests were used; one assessing mathematical content taught during MOTM and one assessing math’s fluency (MASSAT). Both tests were conducted at baseline and following the intervention (week seven). Focus groups were conducted in week seven with intervention children (n=12), randomly choosing an even split of children classified with pre-intervention low or high PA levels.
Results
On average, during a typical 45-49 minutes MOTM lesson, children obtained an additional five minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA and 5.7 minutes of light PA counteracted by a reduction of 9.5 minutes of time spent sedentary compared to children that remained in the classroom (control condition). The maths attainment test performance significantly improved over time for children in the MOTM compared to the control (+6.1 versus +0.9, p≤0.0001, d=1.507). No significant improvements were found in the MASSAT total score.
Seven emerging themes were derived from the child focus groups. Children felt the MOTM sessions resulted in social and environmental improvements, which improved learning during the sessions. Children described the MOTM sessions as enjoyable, fun, engaging and invigorating – resulting in positive associations to learning and activity.
Conclusion
Collectively, the findings identify the MOTM programme improves pupil’s PA levels, academic outcomes and identifies pupil’s willingness, enjoyment, and engagement
Process simulation and evaluation of ethane recovery process using Aspen-HYSYS
Get PDFYesIn this work, the process of ethane recovery plant was simulated for the purpose of Front End Engineering
Design. The main objective is to carry out a series of simulation using Aspen HYSYS to compare recovery of
ethane from Joule Thomson (JT) Valve, Turbo-Expander and Twister Technology. Twister technology offers
high efficiency, more ethane recovery and lower temperature than JT valve and turbo-expander process. It lies
somewhere between isenthalpic and isentropic process due to its mechanical configuration. Three processes
were compared in terms of recovery of ethane. To conduct the simulations, a real gas plant composition and
design data were utilized to perform the study for comparison among chosen technologies which are available
for ethane recovery. The same parameters were used for the comparisons. Effect of operating conditions
including pressure, temperature, and flow rate as well as carbon dioxide on the recovery of ethane was
examined
Integrated condition-based maintenance modelling and optimisation for offshore wind turbines
Get PDFYesWind Energy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Maintenance is essential in keeping wind energy assets operating efficiently. With the development of advanced condition monitoring, diagnostics and prognostics, condition-based maintenance has attracted much attention in the offshore wind industry in recent years. This paper models various maintenance activities and their impacts on the degradation and performance of offshore wind turbine components. An integrated maintenance strategy of corrective maintenance, imperfect time-based preventive maintenance and condition-based maintenance is proposed and compared with other traditional maintenance strategies. A maintenance simulation programme is developed to simulate the degradation and maintenance of offshore wind turbines and estimate their performance. A case study on a 10-MW offshore wind turbine (OWT) is presented to analyse the performance of different maintenance strategies. The simulation results reveal that the proposed strategy not only reduces the total maintenance cost but also improves the energy generation by reducing the total downtime and expected energy not supplied. Furthermore, the proposed maintenance strategy is optimised to find the best degradation threshold and balance the trade-off between the use of condition-based maintenance and other maintenance activities.UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Grant Number: EP/P009743/
Metamorphosis from exalted person to cultural symbol: A case study of the GOAT in tennis
Get PDFyesIn this article, we suggest that our semiotic understanding of
embodiment could be expanded to include a socially exalted individual
who embodies a symbol. To illustrate this argument, we draw on an
ongoing research project that examines fandom rhetoric and debates
around the ‘Greatest of all time’ or the GOAT symbol in Tennis. Grounding Bakhtin’s tri-distinctions of identity, I-for-myself, I-for-other, other-for-me, in a Kantian hermeneutic tradition, we perform a theoretically informed analysis of the GOAT debate. Neither of the three components exists in isolation, rather, they interact in a reflexive
dialogue which continually shapes and re-shapes individual consciousness and experiences of embodiment. We apply a ‘Romanticism aesthetic activity’ analytical framework to the tri-distinctions of identity, that consists of ‘creative’ and ‘critical’ rhetoric, within which we found genres of ‘myth,’ ‘art,’ and ‘science.’ Each genre functions, through disparate means to exalt or metamorphise an individual (our focus is on Roger Federer) into a cultural symbol, and that the symbolic form of
GOAT reflexively organises the emotional field and identities for those
fans deeply invested in it. This paper contributes to the current cultural
psychological literature on understanding the mediation of people to symbols in a new digital age
Refugee COVID report 1: Getting the message. On official advice around COVID19 for asylum seeking and refugee communities in Bradford
No full textYesIn this report we focus on refugee and asylum seekers views on receiving, understanding and improving messages about public health advice. Refugees and asylum seekers as a group have incomplete access to television and WIFI or data to access the information they need in they way they prefer. Refugees and asylum seekers have constructive suggestions on how to improve key messages so they can be better understood. There is an ongoing risk to refugee and asylum seeker health, and population health if people are unable to receive official messages in a way that is relevant to them.University of Bradford, NHS Englan
Fast versus gradual adaptation of soft monthly contact lenses in neophyte wearers
Get PDFYesTo determine if a gradual adaptation period is necessary for neophytes when fitted with modern hydrogel or silicone hydrogel reusable disposable contact lenses.
Across four sites, 74 neophytes (18-28 years) were randomly assigned to a reusable lens cleaned nightly with Opti-Free® Puremoist® multi-purpose contact lens solution: Proclear® (hydrogel) or Biofinity® (silicone hydrogel) and an adaptation schedule: fast (10 h wear from the first day) or gradual (4 h on the first day, increasing their wear time by 2 h on each subsequent day until they had reached 10 h). Masked investigators graded ocular surface physiology and non-invasive tear breakup time (NIBUT) and a range of comfort, vision and lens handling subjective ratings (0-100 visual analogue scales) were recorded at the baseline visit and after 10 h of lens wear, 4-6 days and 12-14 days after lens fitting. Subjective scores were also repeated after 7 days.
There was no difference (p > 0.05) in ocular surface physiology or NIBUT between fast and gradual adaptation groups at any time point in either lens type with the exception of increased corneal staining (p = 0.019) in the silicone hydrogel fast adaptation group after 4-6 days, but was similar by 12-14 days. Subjective scores were also similar across the visits and lens types with the exception of 'lens awareness' (p = 0.019) which was less in the gradual versus the fast adaptation silicone hydrogel lens group at 12-14 days.
There seems to be no clinical benefit for recommending a gradual adaptation period in new wearers fitted with modern soft reusable disposable contact lenses. The findings of this work add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that such advice is unnecessary in regular soft contact lens wear, which has important ramifications for the initial clinical management of these patients.BUCCL
Developing a Management Guide (the DemPower App) for Couples Where One Partner Has Dementia: Nonrandomized Feasibility Study
Get PDFYesPromoting the health and well-being of couples where one partner has dementia is an overlooked area of care practice. Most postdiagnostic services currently lack a couple-centered approach and have a limited focus on the couple relationship. To help address this situation, we developed a tablet-based self-management guide (DemPower) focused on helping couples enhance their well-being and relationship quality.
The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of the DemPower app.
A nonrandomized feasibility design was used to evaluate the DemPower intervention over 3 months among couples where a partner had a diagnosis of dementia. The study recruited 25 couples in the United Kingdom and 19 couples in Sweden. Outcome measures were obtained at baseline and postintervention. The study process and interventions were evaluated at various stages.
The study was completed by 48% (21/44) of couples where one partner had dementia, of whom 86% (18/21) of couples accessed all parts of the DemPower app. Each couple spent an average of 8 hours (SD 3.35 hours) using the app during the study period. In total, 90% (19/21) of couples reported that all sections of DemPower were useful in addressing various aspects of daily life and helped to focus on how they interacted in their relationship. Of the 4 core subjects on which the DemPower app was structured, home and neighborhood received the highest number of visits. Couples used activity sections more often than the core subject pages. The perception of DemPower's utility varied with each couple's lived experience of dementia, geographic location, relationship dynamics, and opportunities for social interaction. A 5.2-point increase in the dementia quality of life score for people with dementia and a marginal increase in the Mutuality scale (+1.23 points) for caregiver spouses were found. Design and navigational challenges were reported in the DemPower app.
The findings suggest that the DemPower app is a useful resource for couples where one partner has dementia and that the implementation of the app requires the support of memory clinics to reach couples at early diagnosis.
ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN10122979; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN10122979.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This research is part of Work Programme 6 of the ESRC/NIHR Neighborhoods and Dementia mixed methods study (reference ES/L001772/1
On the incorporation of nano TiO2 to inhibit concrete deterioration in the marine environment
Get PDFYesTo develop high deterioration resistance concrete for marine infrastructures, two types of nano TiO2 (NT) including anatase phase NT and silica surface-treated rutile phase NT were incorporated into concrete. The fabricated NT modified concrete was then put into the marine environment for 21 months in this study. The effects and mechanisms of two types of NT on the deterioration of concrete in the marine environment were investigated from three aspects, including seawater physical and biological and chemical actions on concrete with NT. Under the seawater physical action, the exposed degree of coarse sand particles on the surface of control concrete is greater than that of concrete with NT. Owing to the microorganism biodegradation property of NT, the elimination and inhibition rates of concrete with NT on microorganisms can reach up to 76.98% and 96.81%, respectively. In addition, the surface biofilm thickness of concrete can be reduced by 49.13% due to the inclusion of NT. In the aspect of seawater chemical action, NT can increase the pH value inside concrete by 0.81, increase the degree of polymerization of C-S-H gel, and improve the interfacial transition zone between cement paste and aggregate in concrete. Compared to concrete with anatase phase NT, silica surface-treated rutile phase NT is more effective in improving the deterioration resistance of concrete in the marine environment. It can be concluded that incorporating NT can inhibit the deterioration of concrete in the marine environment
Social status and diet. Reconstruction of diet of individuals buried in some early medieval chamber graves from Poland by carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes analysis
Get PDFYesThe study presents results of the investigations of diet based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) of the bone collagen of individuals buried in medieval elite chamber graves from the territory of the state of the first Piasts, Poland (the second half of the 10th and the first half of the 11th century). The aim of the research was to determine the diet of individuals buried in such funerary structures, to compare this with commoners buried in ordinary graves, and investigate any sex-related patterns. Rib bone samples were taken from individuals buried in chamber graves at Bodzia, Dziekanowice, Pień and Sowinki. Results indicate that the elite male diet was based on C3 plants with possible contribution of some C4 plants (millet) and substantial consumption of animal proteins including fish. The bone collagen δ13C and δ15N of male chamber burials suggested consumption of higher trophic level foodstuffs (meat and fish) whilst the female diet, and that of the juveniles, was similar to the commoners in the rest of the population
Review of Suspended Sediment Transport Mathematical Modelling Studies
Get PDFYesThis paper reviews existing studies relating to the assessment of sediment concentration profiles within various flow conditions due to their importance in representing pollutant propagation. The effects of sediment particle size, flow depth, and velocity were considered, as well as the eddy viscosity and Rouse number influence on the drag of the particle. It is also widely considered that there is a minimum threshold velocity required to increase sediment concentration within a flow above the washload. The bursting effect has also been investigated within this review, in which it presents the mechanism for sediment to be entrained within the flow at low average velocities. A review of the existing state-of-the-art literature has shown there are many variables to consider, i.e., particle density, flow velocity, and turbulence, when assessing the suspended sediment characteristics within flow; this outcome further evidences the complexity of suspended sediment transport modelling