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Generation of rule-based matrices with the matRiks package: a tutorial
No full textFew resources are available for the automatic generation of Raven-like matrices. Some of them are no longer working, while others are hardly customizable without advanced programming skills. Although an R package exists for generating stimuli for psychological assessments, it currently only supports creating rotations of the same shape. The matRiks package has been developed to address the above-mentioned issues. This package generates matrices based on different types of transformation rules. Some rely on visuospatial features, such as shape, size, or orientation. Others are based on logical operations, such as set intersection or union. The package also introduces a key innovation, the automatic generation of distractors based on the common error patterns observed in Raven's tests. This allows for the construction of realistic and diagnostically meaningful response options for each matrix. Overall, the matRiks package provides a flexible and systematic framework for generating well-structured and cognitively interpretable matrix reasoning tasks, based on clearly defined transformation rules. It enables precise control over matrix complexity and supports scalable matrix creation for experimental and assessment purposes. Developed in the R environment, the matRiks package is fully open-source, facilitates the reproducibility of stimuli, and is designed to be easy to use for people with basic knowledge of the R language
Anticipated barriers and facilitators to the implementation of an AI guided tool advising on the placement of mitigation strategies to improve air quality in the hospital setting: A qualitative study
No full textBackground: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly prevalent within healthcare, however, its implementation within the hospital setting may come with its own limitations given the high pressured and sensitive environment. Only a few studies have qualitatively explored barriers and facilitators to the implementation of AI within hospitals and there is a scarcity of qualitative research on the implementation of AI guided tools to improve air quality. Objective: This study aims to qualitatively explore, through a Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) lens, the anticipated barriers and facilitators to the successful implementation of an AI tool to guide the placement of mitigation strategies to reduce airborne transmission of infections within the hospital setting. Our objectives were to: a) Understand the day-to-day work of key hospital staff involved in reducing airborne transmission of infections; b) Identify potential barriers to the implementation of an AI tool to guide the placement of mitigation strategies in the hospital setting; and c) recognise necessary conditions for the successful implementation of the AI tool within the hospital setting. Methods: We conducted ethnographic observations (n=4) and semi-structured interviews (n=9) with hospital staff following preliminary and wider stakeholder engagement work involving patients, members of the public, national leaders in ventilation working within academic and industry environments, and hospital staff (n=70). Interview transcripts, fieldnotes and summaries from preliminary wider engagement work activities were analysed in NVivo 12, to facilitate triangulation through comparisons between data. Findings were organised according to the core constructs of NPT. Results: Hospital staff understanding of the AI guided tool and their preparedness to invest time in its implementation was variable across hospital staff at this pre-implementation stage (coherence and cognitive participation). The work hospital staff will need to do to successfully implement the AI guided tool and its recommended mitigation strategies, is expected to be a significant challenge for the implementation of the AI guided tool at scale given the differences in the ways of working among Trusts and the competition for limited resources (collective action). The effectiveness of the AI guided tool will need to be proved and anticipated concerns around its future refinement addressed (reflexive monitoring). Conclusions: This pre-implementation study suggests that the successful implementation of an AI guided tool advising on the placement of mitigation strategies to improve air quality in the hospital setting depends not only on the effectiveness demonstrated by the AI tool at trial stage but the way outcomes are shared with relevant stakeholders within the hospital setting. While initial resistance by hospital staff is expected, the impact of the AI tool and suggested mitigation strategies in workflows, costs and staff and patient outcomes, together with the way this information is conveyed to hospital staff may be decisive
Gender, Creativity, and Intellectual Property Law in the Global Fashion Industry: Bridging The Leadership Gap
No full textThe fashion industry is projected to be the highest-earning industry by 2030, far ahead of the technology and oil and gas sectors. Throughout human history, fashion has stood as a way of life, and the economy it represents continues to develop various tools to spur its advancement. Today, fashion has transcended history and is now driven by gender, environmental, cultural, and religious notions. At the forefront of factors driving trends in the industry is the female gender. Interestingly, however, the industry does not reflect a balanced distribution of management roles between men and women. The background of this paper is anchored in the unprecedented growth of the fashion industry today, which has been spurred by fashion designs that mimic female lifestyles and creativity. This paper posits that there is a dearth in the number of females managing the fashion industry. The background of this paper is also based on the notion that Intellectual Property (IP) rights arise from the wealth of creativity and innovation in the fashion industry and that, to fully explore the benefits of IP, one must ensure equal representation of women to ultimately spur creativity. This paper analyses the problems of inequality in the industry and explores how this imbalance affects the growth of the industry and its maximisation of IP benefits. The paper explores diverse IP rights that could be utilised to enhance the fashion industry and highlights women who are changing it through their fashion brands and IP. This paper aims to enable readers to appreciate, on the one hand, the need for the inculcation of females in the management of fashion brands and, on the other hand, how this translates into a better exploration of IP benefits. The paper offers recommendations to achieve this goal and is followed by a conclusion
Mediterranean drying by a positive North Atlantic Oscillation trend over the last 65 years is an extreme outlier in the CMIP6 multimodel ensemble
Get PDFThe Mediterranean region has experienced declining precipitation during the cool season since the 1950s which is broadly consistent with climate model future projections. The observed drying is focused on mid-winter and the central to western Mediterranean. Observed winter drying in the western Mediterranean is at the very edge of the CMIP6 ensemble range of historical simulations for the same time period and, in the central to eastern Mediterranean, is in the lowest percentiles of model ensemble distributions. Moisture budget analysis shows the drying to be dynamic, driven by changes in circulation, rather than thermodynamically related to changes in humidity. An observed positive trend in the North Atlantic Oscillation drives the drying by placing subsiding air over the Mediterranean augmented by dry northerly advection. The more modest radiatively-forced drying in the CMIP6 multimodel ensemble is also dynamic but related to a high pressure anomaly over the eastern North Atlantic with a different pattern to the North Atlantic Oscillation. A small number of individual runs of some CMIP6 models do show trends in Mediterranean drying, the North Atlantic Oscillation and moisture budget similar to that observed. However, the observed Mediterranean drying and North Atlantic Oscillation trends are at the very limit of what climate model simulations can do from the combination of variability and forced response over this time period. The observed drying is either (i) an extremely rare manifestation of natural multidecadal variability akin to that in models, (ii) a result of variability not captured in models or (iii) includes a forced response that models are missing
Multilingualism and developmental language disorder in Southeast Asian speech-language pathology practice: An international survey
Get PDFPurpose: This study aims to explore the current practices and challenges faced by speech-language pathologists in three Southeast Asian countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam) in assessing and treating multilingual children with developmental language disorder. Method: A survey was designed and administered to 110 speech-language pathologists across Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The survey contained 60 questions on current practices and knowledge of existing resources for assessing and treating multilingual children with developmental language disorder. Data were analysed to identify relationships between practices and demographic variables including country of origin, years of service, and speech-language pathologists’ multilingual status. Result: Current practices reveal little knowledge and/or use of standardised tests for developmental language disorder across countries, but relatively high self-perceived competence when working with multilingual clients for Indonesia and Malaysia. However, several challenges were perceived across the board in practice with multilingual children, including socioeconomic challenges (i.e. costs involved for families and social status), insufficient training on the relevant topics, and limited access to appropriate tools and resources in their current practice. Conclusion: Findings suggest the need for training and appropriate assessment tools to ensure the adoption of evidence-based service delivery for multilingual caseloads, minimising misclassification of developmental language disorder and boosting confidence levels in speech-language pathologists in Southeast Asia
Lentigo maligna survival: Balancing treatment decisions in those with limited life expectancy
No full textThis study assesses incidence, overall and net survival in patients with lentigo maligna in England. Data shows excellent five-year net survival in all ages (>100%), but overall survival in those aged 80+ is only 60.4%, reflecting the impact of comorbidities and limited life expectancy. These findings highlight the need for lentigo maligna management guidelines to incorporate frailty assessment and support shared decision-making in older adults, including consideration of non-surgical approaches
Wallace's pARCs—Making Climate, Climate Change and Biodiversity Data Available to Protected Area Managers and Conservation Planners With an Example From Biebrza National Park, Poland
No full textWe document the development, and potential uses, of an open-access dataset—Wallace's pARCs. This dataset currently contains ∼98,000 reports, one each for most of the terrestrial protected areas (PAs) in the World > 1km2 in size. Each report contains a standard set of information designed to assist managers to increase the resilience of PAs to climate change. We present an example of how to apply the data for adaptation planning for Biebrza National Park, Poland
UK consensus guidelines for multidisciplinary care of children and young people with achondroplasia: a modified Delphi process
No full textBackground: Achondroplasia (ACH), the most common skeletal dysplasia, arises from gain-of-function variants in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene. Children with ACH experience lifelong medical, functional and psychosocial challenges requiring coordinated and anticipatory care. Although international guidance exists, the UK lacks national clinical care recommendations specific to its healthcare systems. Objective: To develop UK-specific, multidisciplinary clinical recommendations for the care of children and young people (CYP) with ACH. Methods: The UK Achondroplasia Network developed guidance in stages: stakeholder mapping of the care pathway, integration of contemporary literature with clinical expertise to draft age-specific guidance and Delphi statements, and a modified Delphi process with 25 multidisciplinary experts. The Delphi process involved two voting rounds and an in-person meeting, with consensus defined as ≥80% agreement. Results: In the first Delphi round, all 20 statements achieved consensus; nine achieved 100% agreement. To strengthen consensus, after meeting in person, 17 statements were refined (four were divided into two statements), one created and one removed, resulting in 24 statements for Round 2; all achieved consensus, with 21 reaching 100% agreement. The guidance outlines age-specific monitoring and referral from infancy to adolescence. Recommendations address medical management of complications, psychosocial support, educational planning and transfer to adult care. Conclusion: These are the first UK-specific multidisciplinary recommendations for the care of CYP with ACH. Aligned with international best practices and tailored to UK healthcare systems, they support anticipatory care, promote independence and enhance health and psychosocial outcomes. The guidelines offer a foundation for service planning, standardisation and equitable care
High emissions, low engagement? How members of parliament represent the carbon footprint of their constituents
No full textMany affluent democracies have pledged to achieve ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. Achieving these targets would denote important national contributions to the international goal of keeping global warming ‘well below’ 2°C as agreed in the 2015 Paris agreement. Yet pursuing the necessary long-term decarbonisation policies influencing individuals’ everyday lives will require a considerable and enduring level of political leadership. But what enables or constrains politicians to perform such leadership? To date, little is known about the factors influencing politicians’ willingness to advocate for decarbonisation measures in the short-term for the long-term gain of climate change mitigation. This study draws on rare data of consumers’ carbon footprints, parliamentary speechmaking, and qualitative elite interviews in a mixed-methods research design to study how the intensity of constituents’ consumption-based carbon emissions influences the decarbonisation-focused behaviour of members of parliament (MPs) in the UK. Our quantitative findings reveal that MPs pay considerably less attention to decarbonisation issues when they represent carbon-intense constituencies. Moreover, this effect is particularly pronounced for Conservative MPs and amplified in marginal seats. The qualitative interview evidence helps to contextualise these quantitative findings, suggesting that MPs consider the decarbonisation of lifestyles a crucial political challenge and that their electoral considerations and party-political contexts play an important role in how they handle this challenge. Overall, our study draws a sobering picture of politicians’ willingness to sacrifice short-term electoral gains for the long-term prospect of net zero, especially for those MPs representing constituencies that could make high-impact contributions to nationwide emission cuts