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Pier scour prediction in non-uniform gravel beds
Get PDFYesPier scour has been extensively studied in laboratory experiments. However, scour depth relationships based on data at the laboratory scale often yield unacceptable results when extended to field conditions. In this study, non-uniform gravel bed laboratory and field datasets with gravel of median size ranging from 2.7 to 14.25 mm were considered to predict the maximum equilibrium scour depth at cylindrical piers. Specifically, a total of 217 datasets were collected: 132 from literature sources and 85 in this study using new experiments at the laboratory scale, which constitute a novel contribution provided by this paper. From the analysis of data, it was observed that Melville and Coleman's equation performs well in the case of laboratory datasets, while it tends to overestimate field measurements. Guo's and Kim et al.'s relationships showed good agreements only for laboratory datasets with finer non-uniform sediments: deviations in predicting the maximum scour depth with non-uniform gravel beds were found to be significantly greater than those for non-uniform sand and fine gravel beds. Consequently, new K-factors for the Melville and Coleman's equation were proposed in this study for non-uniform gravel-bed streams using a curve-fitting method. The results revealed good agreements between observations and predictions, where this might be an attractive advancement in overcoming scale effects. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the most sensitive K-factors
Perceived institutional support and small venture performance: The mediating role of entrepreneurial persistence
Get PDFYesThis article examines the entrepreneurial persistence of opportunity-motivated entrepreneurs in Ghana. Specifically, it develops a theoretical model focusing on the relationships among perceived institutional support, entrepreneurial persistence and small venture performance, including how entrepreneurial networks condition the relationship between institutional support and entrepreneurial persistence. Using time-lagged data from 373 opportunity-motivated entrepreneurs leading small ventures in Ghana, we find broad support for our hypotheses. The insights from our study provide an integrative understanding of the relationships among perceived institutional support, entrepreneurial persistence and venture performance in an adverse environment. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed
Ex vivo and in vitro evaluation of the influence of the inhaler device and formulation on lung deposition of budesonide
No full textYesTwo different types of dry powder inhalers (Easyhaler® and RS01®) were used in this work to evaluate the ex vivo and in vitro performance of a budesonide inhaled formulation with recrystallised mannitol, commercial DPI-grade mannitol, or lactose. The aerodynamic performance of the budesonide formulation with recrystallised mannitol was superior when RS01® was used (FPF = 45.8%) compared to Easyhaler® (FPF = 14%). However, the aerodynamic profile was very poor in both devices when commercial mannitol was used. Interestingly, the aerosol performance of the marketed budesonide formulation significantly improved when RS01® was used compared to Easyhaler® (the original device for the formulation). Due to the significant increases in the surface energy of the commercial mannitol formulation, the aerodynamic performance of the formulation was very poor. This work demonstrates the impact of inhaler devices on the performance of inhaled formulations and considers the particle surface energy during formulation development
Self-building Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to empower big data analytics in smart cities
Get PDFYesThe emerging information revolution makes it necessary to manage vast amounts of unstructured data rapidly. As the world is
increasingly populated by IoT devices and sensors that can sense their surroundings and communicate with each other, a digital
environment has been created with vast volumes of volatile and diverse data. Traditional AI and machine learning techniques
designed for deterministic situations are not suitable for such environments. With a large number of parameters required by each
device in this digital environment, it is desirable that the AI is able to be adaptive and self-build (i.e. self-structure, self-configure,
self-learn), rather than be structurally and parameter-wise pre-defined. This study explores the benefits of self-building AI and
machine learning with unsupervised learning for empowering big data analytics for smart city environments. By using the
growing self-organizing map, a new suite of self-building AI is proposed. The self-building AI overcomes the limitations of
traditional AI and enables data processing in dynamic smart city environments. With cloud computing platforms, the selfbuilding AI can integrate the data analytics applications that currently work in silos. The new paradigm of the self-building AI
and its value are demonstrated using the IoT, video surveillance, and action recognition applications.Supported by the Data to Decisions Cooperative Research Centre (D2D CRC) as part of their analytics and decision support program and a La Trobe University Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Consumer adoption of internet banking in Jordan: Examining the role of hedonic motivation, habit, self-efficacy and trust
Get PDFYesDespite the rapid growth of Internet banking (IB), customers in developing countries still hesitate to adopt this technology and its use in the Middle East remains low. This study aims to identify and examine the factors that predict behavioural intention and adoption of IB in Jordan. Four factors – hedonic motivation, habit, self-efficacy and trust – are proposed in a conceptual model. Data was collected by means of a survey with bank customers in Jordan. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. The results strongly supported the conceptual model. Further, hedonic motivation, habit, self-efficacy and trust were all confirmed to have a significant influence on behavioural intention. Trust was found to be strongly predicted by both hedonic motivation and self-efficacy. This study provides both academics and practitioners with an insight into the factors that can be used to encourage customer adoption of IB specifically in a Middle East context
Optimised patient information materials and recruitment to a study of behavioural activation in older adults: an embedded study within a trial
Get PDFYesPrinted participant information about randomised controlled trials is often long, technical and difficult to navigate. Improving information materials is possible through optimisation and user-testing, and may impact on participant understanding and rates of recruitment. Methods: A study within a trial (SWAT) was undertaken within the CASPER trial. Potential CASPER participants were randomised to receive either the standard trial information or revised information that had been optimised through information design and user testing. Results: A total of 11,531 patients were randomised in the SWAT. Rates of recruitment to the CASPER trial were 2.0% in the optimised information group and 1.9% in the standard information group (odds ratio 1.027; 95% CI 0.79 to 1.33; p=0.202). Conclusions: Participant information that had been optimised through information design and user testing did not result in any change to rate of recruitment to the host trial. Registration: ISRCTN ID ISRCTN02202951; registered on 3 June 2009.UK National Institute of Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme (project number 08/19/04)This article is included in the Studies Within A Trial (SWAT) collection (https://f1000research.com/collections/swat
The Shi'i State and the socioeconomic challenges of the Sunni communities in Iran: historical and contemporary perspectives
No full textNoAlthough Iran is one of the most diverse nations in the Middle East, the state historically has been reluctant to adapt a pluralistic approach to both socio-political and economic development. This chapter focuses on the Sunni population in Iran, which is often overlooked in studies dealing with state-minority relations in Iran. It examines the socio-economic challenges of the Sunni population under both the Pahlavi dynasty and the Islamic Republic. Although the Islamic Republic based its ideology both on redistribution of wealth and empowerment of the impoverished, the ethnic Sunni Iranians who lived in the most impoverished regions of the country received very little attention from the new post-revolutionary order
Should universities actively help build peace? Reflections from 'Programme for a Peaceful City'
No full textNoThis chapter draws on the experience of Programme for a Peaceful City (PPC) at the University of Bradford. The PPC has created spaces to exchange ideas about peace thinking and practice for over ten years, in response to some of the worst rioting the UK mainland has ever seen and heated domestic debates about cohesion and multiculturalism. Its work continues to be rooted in a constantly shifting local context and this chapter describes the spaces created for academics, practitioners and activists to exchange knowledge and ideas about conflict, participatory peacebuilding, good relationships and social change
International Intervention and Local Politics
No full textNoInternational peace- and state-building interventions have become ubiquitous in international politics since the 1990s, aiming to tackle the security problems stemming from the instability afflicting many developing states. Their frequent failures have prompted a shift towards analysing how the interaction between interveners and recipients shapes outcomes. This book critically assesses the rapidly growing literature in international relations and development studies on international intervention and local politics. It advances an innovative approach, placing the politics of scale at the core of the conflicts and compromises shaping the outcomes of international intervention. Different scales - local, national, international - privilege different interests, unevenly allocating power, resources and political opportunity structures. Interveners and recipients thus pursue scalar strategies and socio-political alliances that reinforce their power and marginalise rivals. This approach is harnessed towards examining three prominent case studies of international intervention - Aceh, Cambodia and Solomon Islands - with a focus on public administration reform
Graded possibilistic clustering of non-stationary data streams
Get PDFYesMultidimensional data streams are a major paradigm in data science. This work focuses on possibilistic clustering algorithms as means to perform clustering of multidimensional streaming data. The proposed approach exploits fuzzy outlier analysis to provide good learning and tracking abilities in both concept shift and concept drift