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Approximate Analytical Solution and Laboratory Experiments for Dam-Break Wave Tip Region in Triangular Channels
No full textYesSolutions for dam-break flow mainly developed for rectangular channels are not applicable to prediction of the propagation of the dam-break wave in frictional triangular channels. This study presents an approximate solution considering the frictional effect on the dam-break flow in a dry horizontal triangular channel. Wave tip velocity is solved by an implicit formula for the product of time and resistance coefficients. All other hydraulic properties in the wave tip region can be expressed as explicit functions of wave tip velocity. Meanwhile, laboratory experiments have been performed for obtaining water surface profiles of dam-break flow from which the position and velocity of the wave tip front have been derived. Results show that retardation of the wave front position is more significant with the increases in both resistance and time. The proposed analytical solution shows satisfactory agreement with measurements, and clarifies how the behavior of the dam-break wave tip is affected by channel geometry
Toward full-stack in silico synthetic biology: integrating model specification, simulation, verification, and biological compilation
Get PDFYesWe present the Infobiotics Workbench (IBW), a user-friendly, scalable, and integrated computational environment for the computer-aided design of synthetic biological systems. It supports an iterative workflow that begins with specification of the desired synthetic system, followed by simulation and verification of the system in high- performance environments and ending with the eventual compilation of the system specification into suitable genetic constructs. IBW integrates modelling, simulation, verification and bicompilation features into a single software suite. This integration is achieved through a new domain-specific biological programming language, the Infobiotics Language (IBL), which tightly combines these different aspects of in silico synthetic biology into a full-stack integrated development environment. Unlike existing synthetic biology modelling or specification languages, IBL uniquely blends modelling, verification and biocompilation statements into a single file. This allows biologists to incorporate design constraints within the specification file rather than using decoupled and independent formalisms for different in silico analyses. This novel approach offers seamless interoperability across different tools as well as compatibility with SBOL and SBML frameworks and removes the burden of doing manual translations for standalone applications. We demonstrate the features, usability, and effectiveness of IBW and IBL using well-established synthetic biological circuits.EPSRC (EP/R043787/1). N.K., A.W., and B.B. acknowledge a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies award and an EPSRC programme grant (EP/N031962/1
Investor Sentiment and Stock Returns: Global Evidence
Get PDFYesWe assess the impact of investor sentiment on future stock returns in 50 global stock markets. Using the consumer confidence index (CCI) as the sentiment proxy, we document a negative relationship between investor sentiment and future stock returns at the global level. While the separation between developed and emerging markets does not disrupt the negative pattern, investor sentiment has a more instant impact in emerging markets, but a more enduring impact in developed markets. Individual stock markets reveal heterogeneity in the sentiment-return relationship. This heterogeneity can be explained by cross-market differences in culture and institutions, along with intelligence and education, to varying degrees influenced by the extent of individual investor market participation
Advancing the Understanding of the Role of Responsible AI in the Continued Use of IoMT in Healthcare
No full textNoThis paper examines the continuous intention by healthcare professionals to use the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) in combination with responsible artificial intelligence (AI). Using the theory of Diffusion of Innovation (DOI), a model was developed to determine the continuous intention to use IoMT taking into account the risks and complexity involved in using AI. Data was gathered from 276 healthcare professionals through a survey questionnaire across hospitals in Bahrain. Empirical outcomes reveal nine significant relationships amongst the constructs. The findings show that despite contradictions associated with AI, continuous intention to use behaviour can be predicted during the diffusion of IoMT. This study advances the under- standing of the role of responsible AI in the continued use of IoMT in healthcare and extends DOI to address the diffusion of two innovations concurrently
Institutional Investor Sentiment and the Mean-Variance Relationship: Global Evidence
Get PDFYesAlthough a cornerstone of traditional finance theory, empirical evidence in support of a
positive mean-variance relation is far from conclusive, with the behavior of retail investors
commonly thought to be one of the root causes of departures from this expected relationship.
The behavior of institutional investors, conventionally thought to be sophisticated and
rational, has recently come under closer scrutiny, including in relation to investor sentiment.
Drawing together these two strands of literature, this paper examines the impact of
institutional investor sentiment on the mean-variance relation in six regions, including Asia
(excl. Japan), Eastern Europe, Eurozone, Japan, Latin America, and the US, and across thirtyeight markets. Empirical evidence supports the differential impact of institutional investor
sentiment on the mean-variance relation (i.e., positive or negative), both across regions and
across markets. In particular, for markets with cultural proneness to overreaction and a low
level of market integrity institutional investor sentiment tends to distort the risk-return
tradeoff
Evaluation of bandwidth management technique using dynamic LSP tunnelling and LDP in MPLS for sustainable mobile wireless networks
No full textNoFairness in bandwidth resource allocation is highly significance to the advancement of the future generation mobile and wireless technologies. It is likely that restriction of bandwidth due to the employment of some scheduling scheme would not be an appropriate option for the future development of communication systems. However, there is need to consider an implementation that would lead to good network performance and avoid unguaranteed bandwidth delivery. This paper focusses on evaluating the performance of Bandwidth Allocation using Dynamic Label Switching Paths (LSPs) Tunnelling and Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) signalling in Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network. This will make provision for bandwidth allocation and reservation possible. An appropriate bandwidth allocation would have a positive impact on throughput as well as the delay. The results of an IP (Internet Protocol) Network without MPLS enabled is compared with MPLS model network. Furthermore, implementation of dynamic and static LSPs models are presented with about 75% decrease in packet delay variation for dynamic LSP when compared from static LSP. In addition, the models of bandwidth estimation, bandwidth allocation, delay and jitter are provided. Performance metrics used in this respect for multimedia services (Voice and Video conferencing) confirm that the modified models are improved in comparison with the baseline, having highest throughput of about 51% increment, and packet delay variation decreases drastically
Patients' views of visual field testing and priorities for research development and translation into practice
Get PDFYesThere is limited information regarding the views of patients, as healthcare consumers, on visual field testing, and no information regarding their preferences for future test developments. This study aimed to increase knowledge of patients' subjective experience of visual field assessment and to explore their opinions and priorities regarding current active areas of research and development.
Online questionnaire with purposive sampling design.
Adults who regularly perform visual field tests in Australia who report having glaucoma or being at risk of glaucoma.
An anonymous survey, implemented using the Qualtrics webtool, with both closed and open ended questions designed to explore opinions regarding visual field testing, visit attendance for perimetry, as well as priorities for developments.
The survey assessed three domains: 1) opinions regarding visual field test duration and visit frequency; 2) subjective experience; and 3) perspectives on future developments for perimetry.
152 complete survey responses were obtained. The median (IQR) age of participants was 66 (60-72) years. Most participants (70%) had experience of performing more than 11 visual field tests. Participants recalled that they completed visual field tests in median of 6 minutes (IQR: 5-8 minutes) and were willing to accept additional time (median: 5, IQR: 3-6 minutes) to obtain more information. Participants were prepared to increase both the number of visual field tests per eye and the frequency of visual field tests (median: 3, IQR: 2-4 visits per year), in order to gain more information about their visual status. Regarding future developments, the most preferred option was "similar test times but an increase in the level of information about my visual field", which ranked significantly higher than all other options including "shorter test times that maintain the currently available level of information about my visual field."
Our study confirms, in a different population and healthcare system, previous research reporting patient perspectives on visual field assessment. We further reveal that healthcare consumers show a strong preference for accurate information about their vision and report being prepared to undergo longer visual field tests or more visual field tests to achieve that outcome
Using a smartphone on the move: do visual constraints explain why we slow walking speed?
Get PDFYesViewing one’s smartphone whilst walking commonly leads to a slowing of walking. Slowing walking-speed may occur because of safety concerns or because of visual constraints. We determine how walking-induced phone motion affects the ability to read on-screen information.
Phone-reading performance (PRP) was assessed whilst participants walked on a treadmill at various speeds. The fastest speed was repeated, wearing an elbow-brace (Braced) or with the phone mounted stationary (Fixed). An audible cue (‘text-alert’), indicated participants had 2 seconds to lift/view the phone and read aloud a series of digits. PRP was the number of digits read correctly. Each condition was repeated 5 times. 3D-motion analyses determined phone-motion relative to the head, from which the variability in acceleration in viewing distance, and in the gaze angles in the up-down and right-left directions were assessed.
A main-effect of condition indicated PRP decreased with walking speed; particularly so for the Braced and Fixed conditions (p=0.022). Walking condition also affected the phone’s relative motion (pResearch Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Oct 2021
Covid-19 lockdown: Ethnic differences in children's self-reported physical activity and the importance of leaving the home environment; a longitudinal and cross-sectional study from the Born in Bradford birth cohort study
Get PDFYesIn England, the onset of COVID-19 and a rapidly increasing infection rate resulted in a lockdown (March-June 2020) which placed strict restrictions on movement of the public, including children. Using data collected from children living in a multi-ethnic city with high levels of deprivation, this study aimed to: (1) report children's self-reported physical activity (PA) during the first COVID-19 UK lockdown and identify associated factors; (2) examine changes of children's self-reported PA prior to and during the first UK lockdown.
This study is part of the Born in Bradford (BiB) COVID-19 Research Study. PA (amended Youth Activity Profile), sleep, sedentary behaviours, daily frequency/time/destination/activity when leaving the home, were self-reported by 949 children (9-13 years). A sub-sample (n = 634) also self-reported PA (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children) pre-pandemic (2017-February 2020). Univariate analysis assessed differences in PA between sex and ethnicity groups; multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with children's PA. Differences in children's levels of being sufficiently active prior to and during the lockdown were examined using the McNemar test; and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors explaining change.
During the pandemic, White British (WB) children were more sufficiently active (34.1%) compared to Pakistani Heritage children (PH) (22.8%) or 'Other' ethnicity children (O) (22.8%). WB children reported leaving the home more frequently and for longer periods than PH and O children. Modifiable variables related to being sufficiently active were frequency, duration, type of activity, and destination away from the home environment. There was a large reduction in children being sufficiently active during the first COVID-19 lockdown (28.9%) compared to pre-pandemic (69.4%).
Promoting safe extended periods of PA everyday outdoors is important for all children, in particular for children from ethnic minority groups. Children's PA during the first COVID-19 UK lockdown has drastically reduced from before. Policy and decision makers, and practitioners should consider the findings in order to begin to understand the impact and consequences that COVID-19 has had upon children's PA which is a key and vital behaviour for health and development.The Health Foundation Covid‑19 Award (2301201). ESRC/ MRC and British Heart Foundation (BHF). Sport England’s Local Delivery Pilot – Bradford. Wellcome Trust. UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and UK Economic and Social Science Research Council a British Heart Foundation Clinical Study grant [CS/16/4/32482] the National Institute for Health Research under its Applied Research Collaboration Yorkshire and Humber [NIHR200166]; ActEarly UK Prevention Research Partnership Consortium [MR/S037527/1]; NIHR Clinical Research Network through research delivery support for this study; UKRI Covid19 Research & Innovation Call, Medical Research Council
Non-Invasive Techniques for the Detection and Diagnosis of Dementia
Get PDFIt is estimated that there are currently fifty million people living with
dementia worldwide. An accurate and early diagnosis of dementia is important
in order to initiate appropriate treatment programs as soon as possible.
Common methods of neuropsychological assessment can be sensitive to
external factors which may compromise accuracy. The aim of this thesis was
to investigate techniques that have the potential for the detection of dementia
that avoid some of the external influences.
The thesis looked at measurements of (i) postural stability (ii) facial
analysis and (iii) fully-immersive virtual reality in cognitively-healthy
individuals. These techniques were chosen as postural stability and facial
analysis change in dementia and whilst virtual reality has previously been used
in dementia research, fully-immersive virtual reality measures have not been
established. To see if the measurements were associated with cognitive
function, participants completed a series of cognitive tests.
Results indicate that all techniques explored shared a relationship with
memory performance, with lower anteroposterior postural sway (F(1,22) =
17.76, p < 0.01), number of activities participated in that involve a posture
element (F(2, 39) = 3.77, p < .05; Wilk's Λ = 0.84, partial η2 = 0.16), the greater
the frequency of negative facial expressions (F(2, 18) = 4.49, p < .05; Wilk's Λ
= 0.67, partial η2 = 0.33.), and low blink rate (t(11.02) = 2.62 p < .05) all
showing better scores on memory tests. Moreover, better scores on the fullyimmersive
virtual reality task predicted better scores on with short-term
memory (F(1,22) = 20.20 p < 0.01), LTM (F(1,22) = 09.10 p < .01), associative
learning (F(1,22) = 08.75 p < .01), and a dual–task test
(F(1,22) = 04.64 p < .05).
The novel findings that elements such as postural stability, participation
in sports, facial expressions of emotion, blink rates, and spatial memory as
assessed in fully-immersive virtual reality highlight that non-invasive
techniques can provide measurements that correspond to cognitive ability.
This may hold implications for dementia diagnoses. Future research should
assess whether these relationships can also be found in an older adult
population. If this relationship is found in older adults, it could justify further
research into how these techniques could be applied in a clinical context