12508 research outputs found
Sort by
oTHALA -Tracing Hidden Archaeological Landscape of Arnafjörður
Get PDFYesMulti-method archaeo-geophysical survey in Westfjords (Iceland), Magnetic survey & DTM successfully revealed archaeological features, Magnetic method turned out to be more effective than GPR
Flow pattern and turbulent kinetic energy analysis around tandem piers: insights from k-ε modelling and acoustic doppler velocimetry measurements
Get PDFYesThis study investigated the distribution and dynamics of the Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) around a group of three tandem piers using a combination of numerical simulations and experimental measurements. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) method, coupled with the k-
turbulence model, was implemented in ANSYS FLUENT to replicate the free-surface flow conditions. An experimental validation was conducted using Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry (ADV) to assess the model’s capability at capturing the turbulence characteristics. While the model effectively reproduced the near-bed turbulence, it consistently underestimated the TKE magnitudes across the flow domain, particularly in regions of strong vortex-induced turbulence. Discrepancies emerged in the confined regions between the piers, where the velocity profiles were overestimated at the surface and underestimated near the bed and mid-depth, impacting the TKE predictions. Despite these inconsistencies, the general pattern of the TKE distribution aligned with the experimental trends, though the absolute values remained underestimated due to the inherent limitations of the k- model. The model’s performance in less turbulent regions demonstrated improved accuracy, reinforcing its applicability for moderate turbulence simulations. To further examine the interaction between vortex structures and the TKE, velocity distributions were analyzed at three specific depths (z/h = 0.15, 0.4, and 0.62). The findings showed the critical role of vortex shedding in TKE generation and dissipation, with notable variations in the turbulence intensity influenced by structural confinement effects. This study offers a novel, high-resolution evaluation of the k-ε model’s ability to predict TKE distributions around tandem piers, using spatially detailed comparisons with the experimental data. Unlike previous studies that broadly acknowledged the model’s limitations, this work systematically identifies the specific regions, particularly vortex-dominated zones, where its predictive accuracy significantly degrades
Transcultural adaptation and validation of the Child Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQr17) into Brazilian Portuguese
Get PDFYesThe Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire is a commonly utilized instrument for evaluating elements of human eating behaviours. A version of this questionnaire, the Child Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQr17), was specifically developed for a paediatric population. This study focused on translating and validating the CTFEQr17 into Brazilian Portuguese for use with children and adolescents, and it was developed in three main stages: translation and expert review, a pilot test with 47 participants to evaluate comprehension, and psychometric validation in a sample of 249 participants. The study found that participants over the age of 10 understood the scale well. An initial Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated excellent fit indices, but factor loadings indicated necessary adjustments. Following refinement, the CTFEQr-16 was obtained, showing good internal consistency and fit (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84). Convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed through specific analyses, and the scale effectively distinguished between different BMI (body mass index) categories. The Brazilian version of the CTFEQr16 showed satisfactory content validity and was comprehensible to children and adolescents, confirming its strong factor structure and high reliability. This makes it a valuable tool for future research and clinical practice in the Brazilian paediatric population
Strategic Pathways for Socio-Economic Development of BRICS Countries: A Hybrid COPRAS-TOPSIS Multi-Criteria Analysis with Gradient Vector Fields
No full textYesThis paper presents a novel hybrid methodology combining the COPRAS and TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches with gradient vector field analysis to identify strategic pathways for socio-economic development across BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). By leveraging weighted Positive Ideal Solutions (PIS) and gradient directions, the study evaluates the contribution of 31 socio-economic criteria to utility maximization at the national level. Weighted PIS contributions reveal the most impactful criteria, such as access to electricity, life expectancy, governance, and GDP growth, highlighting their interconnected roles in driving innovation, infrastructure development, and efficient resource management. For instance, access to electricity fosters industrialization and digital inclusion, which are foundational for technological innovation and socio-economic growth, while effective governance creates the institutional stability necessary to sustain such advancements. Gradient vector fields provide actionable insights into targeted improvement areas for each country, emphasizing key challenges like environmental sustainability, digital inclusion, healthcare access, and governance efficiency. The findings highlight unique challenges for each BRICS nation, offering tailored recommendations to optimize socio-economic utility and bridge developmental gaps. This integrative approach provides an alternative framework for policymakers and researchers to prioritize and address critical criteria, fostering sustainable and inclusive development.The full-text of this article will be released for public view as soon as possible after the publisher's release date
The abandonment of Roman military installations in the river Trebižat valley (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Get PDFYesResearch on the lower river Trebižat valley within modern Ljubuški municipality (south-western Bosnia and Herzegovina) was conducted during a Lanckoroński Foundation Scholarship. Some of the data was collected during fieldwork performed within grant 2015/19/N/ HS3/00886 awarded by National Science Centre (Poland), realised in 2016-2020 at Faculty of History, University of Warsaw. The first author would like also to express gratitude to the Scientific Committee of the XXV the Limes Congress for the award of a bursary for participation in the conference
Machine learning-based position detection using hall-effect sensor arrays on resource-constrained microcontroller
Get PDFYesThis paper presents an electromagnetic levitation system that stabilizes a magnetic body using an array of electromagnets controlled by a Hall-effect sensor array and TinyML-based position detection. Departing from conventional optical tracking methods, the proposed design combines finite-element-optimized electromagnets with a microcontroller-optimized neural network that processes sensor data to predict the levitated object's position with 0.0263–0.0381 mm mean absolute error. The system employs both quantized and full-precision implementations of a supervised multi-output regression model trained on spatially sampled data (40×40×15 mm volume at 1 mm intervals). Comprehensive benchmarking demonstrates stable operation at 850–1000 Hz control frequencies, matching optical systems' performance while eliminating their cost and complexity. The integrated solution performs real-time position detection and current calculation entirely on-board, requiring no external tracking devices or high-performance computing. By achieving sub-40 μm accuracy with standard microcontrollers and minimal hardware, this work validates machine learning as a viable alternative to optical position detection in magnetic levitation systems, significantly reducing implementation barriers for research and industrial applications. The complete system design, including electromagnetic array characterization, neural network architecture selection, and real-time implementation challenges, is presented alongside performance comparisons with conventional approaches
Pollution havens or competitive advantage? Evidence from South Asia-OECD trade in polluting industries
Get PDFYesThis study investigates whether South Asian countries have become pollution havens for industrial exports to OECD markets. Using highly disaggregated manufacturing trade data, it applies the New Weighted Comparative Advantage index and an Augmented Gravity Trade Model. The results indicate that compositional and structural effects have enabled South Asian countries to build comparative advantages in several polluting industries. Employing robust econometric methods, including Newey-West, quantile regression, causality analysis, and IV/2SLS estimation, the study rejects the pollution haven hypothesis in the context of South Asia–OECD trade. The findings support mainstream theories emphasising the trade-offs between environmental regulation stringency and the competitiveness of polluting exports. They also highlight the importance of examining industry-level heterogeneity when designing environmental and trade policies. Policymakers can draw on these insights to better understand how comparative advantage in polluting industries evolves and how environmental policies shape trade dynamics
Neo-colonialist, Perennial Underdog, or Smart Influencer: India in The Gambia and Ghana
Get PDFYesSince the mid-2000s, India has massively increased its presence in Africa and is now active right across the continent. Despite this expansion, India still lives in the shadow of China and the West in Africa. Equally, the presence and influence of India in specific case studies in Africa is wholly under-researched. This article takes evidence from fieldwork in The Gambia and Ghana and finds that India is regarded by some as just another neo-colonialist and by others as under-resourced with poor capacity and limited public relations. There were some, however, who saw India and its various manifestations as a smart actor which uses the resources and attributes it has - including a common language, Bollywood, and various nuances of its presence – sometimes to good effect, allowing India to punch above its weight. The article thus considers India’s influence in The Gambia and Ghana, in particular in comparison to China.Margaret Anstee Centre, University of Cambridg
Asylum seekers’ experiences of healthcare interpretation and translation services in the United Kingdom: a phenomenological study
Get PDFYesBackground: People seeking asylum can experience poorer health outcomes than the general population and speak diverse languages which can create barriers when accessing health services. They require access to good quality interpretation and translation services to prevent an exacerbation of their poor health. This study aimed to understand how asylum seekers’ living in the UK experience interpretation and translation services when accessing healthcare.
Methods: Following a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, 15 asylum seekers in Northern England were purposively recruited. Data were collected via audio-recorded semi-structured interviews, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically.
Results: We found that asylum seekers experienced persistent language barriers when making initial contact with the National Health Service (NHS) to seek health care. In the NHS system, asylum seekers experienced poor quality interpretation and translation support was inadequate They reported that this disrupted health care and led to the deterioration of health in some participants. As a result of inadequate services, participants relied on peers, hotels, voluntary sector staff, and Google Translate to help overcome the barriers.
Conclusion: Our findings highlight that asylum seekers were not satisfied with the quality of interpretation and translation services when accessing healthcare services in the UK. Service commissioners need to invest in high-quality and adequate interpretation and translation services to improve the experiences of asylum seekers while accessing healthcare services in the UK. For policy makers and service commissioners, we recommend prioritizing the training of interpreters in medical terminology, with knowledge of various dialects, and provision of written materials in participants languages. This includes ensuring language support is available for patients attempting to make initial contact with health services as well as people attending NHS appointments.NHS England and Improvemen
Do AI Markets Drive Financial Performance in Chinese Banks? A Quantum-Inspired (QI) MCDM Approach
Get PDFYesThis paper proposes a novel quantum-inspired multi-criteria decision-making (QI-MCDM) framework to assess the structural performance of Chinese banks considering emerging AI technological contexts. By embedding classical bank performance indicators within a quantum probability space, the model captures inter-criteria entanglement, decoherence from ideal benchmarks, and robustness under noise—constructs traditionally absent in conventional MCDM models. Empirical results reveal significant divergence in structural efficiency across bank types. Top-performing banks exhibit higher adaptability, often tied to agile governance and fintech integration, whereas lower-performing institutions are encumbered by legacy systems and structural fragmentation. Regression and random forest analyses further show that larger AI and smart city markets are paradoxically associated with reduced systemic entanglement, suggesting that contextual technological maturity fosters functional decoupling among traditional banking metrics. These findings provide theoretical and managerial insights into how technological complexity reshapes financial performance structures in emerging economies