34028 research outputs found
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Self-Organization of Redeposited Binder Nanoparticles in Cubic Boron Nitride Materials
No full textHerein, the previously unrealised ability to grow micro spherical agglomerates using nanosecond laser irradiation is demonstrated. In as short as 1 min, micro agglomerates with nanoparticles of Titanium (both spherical and woven-like) are grown in air. For the first time it is demonstrated that surface nano-structuring of cubic boron nitride composites is possible by self-organisation of redeposited Ti nanoparticles, at various energy levels and in the vaporisation regime of laser-matter interaction. The effect of low-energy laser processing on the surface integrity (i.e. crystallisation, morphology) and chemical transformations of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride composites is investigated, with particular emphasis on understanding the effect of laser fluence on chemical transformation at the interface between hard phase and binder. The structure of the newly formed TiB₂ and TiN is investigated through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Focus Ion Beam Milling (FIB), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD).The authors report for the first time that a new way of sintering hard nano-coatings based on TiB2 and TiN could be achieved while texturing the substrate material. These results are groundbreaking for cutting tool manufacturing industries.</p
Young-Father Inclusive Support Commissioned by the County Durham Family Hubs: Evaluation Report
No full textAn evaluation of the North East Young Dads and Lads delivery of young-father inclusive support in County Durham.Presents findings from a qualitative evaluation of the North East Young Dads and Lads young father inclusive support offer for young fathers, aged 25 and under.</p
Once Upon A Forest
No full textBook Five in a series of post-modern, transgressive, fairy tales generated by AI.</p
Development and Cross-Sectional Validation of the Denture Experience Questionnaire
No full textThis poster outlines a study aimed to develop and validate the Denture Experience Questionnaire (DEQ), a quality of life measure for individuals who wear dentures. Tooth loss is a significant global health issue, and while dentures are a common treatment, this research sought to create a tool to measure their functional, social, and psychological impacts. The development process involved a multi-phase, mixed-methods approach. The initial phase used qualitative methods like interviews, observations, and focus groups for item generation, guided by an adapted version of the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model. This was followed by a cross-sectional study to validate the questionnaire in two populations of partial denture wearers from the UK and the US, with 224 participants from each country.The final 34-item DEQ consists of five sub-scales measuring the impact of dentures on body function, daily activities, emotion, social life, and participation restrictions. The results showed that the DEQ has good to excellent psychometric properties in both the UK and US samples, with high response rates and very few missing items. It demonstrated good internal consistency, convergent validity, and strong correlations with denture happiness scores. Mean scores for the total questionnaire and its sub-scales were found to be similar between the UK and US groups. The study concludes that the DEQ is a promising tool for exploring the everyday impacts of dentures, though further longitudinal validation is recommended</p
In defence of the topofocal approach to story development - Worldbuilding as an aid to narrative creation and the expansion of Elysian Drop Troops lore
No full textThe British literary critic and author M. John Harrison defines Worldbuilding as an ‘attempt to exhaustively survey a place that isn’t there’. Worldbuilding is one of the most important aspects of genre fiction and is an undeniable factor in the success of the 40K universe, which is appropriately recognised for the scope, depth and detail of its universe. However, has this approach to the ongoing development of the gaming system and published output, which the Swedish fantasy scholar Stefan Ekman defines as ‘topofocal’, become too important? Particularly in the case of Black Library, does it prioritize environment and location over other narrative functions such as plot and character? These questions are currently being debated within genre fiction, but the consequences extend far beyond critical analysis, having a real and ongoing influence for writers wishing to not only work within the existing Warhammer IP but to usefully expand on it. With reference to my work on the audio drama trilogy ‘Scions of Elysia’, ‘Renegades of Elysia’ and ‘Martyrs of Elysia’, I will investigate how a broad range of concepts associated with Worldbuilding, such as the employment of the ‘outside-in’ or ‘inside-out’ approach to framing a narrative, can be used without limiting the storytelling process. I will also explore how the extension of geographical locations, the development of social frameworks and political systems helped shape the story arc for the series while enhancing, rather than undermining, character and plot development.</p
ArgHRI: Mediating Human-Robot Teaming with Automated Argumentation in Agriculture
No full textAs demand in the food sector increases, so will the opportunity for robotic solutions for different tasks in agriculture. However, before a fully automated solution becomes viable, robots will need to be able to work alongside humans. In this paper, an updated version of ArgHRI is presented as a robot-agnostic system and architecture for mediating the reasoning process of a robot in a human-in-the-loop environment. To demonstrate the viability of this approach, a use-case is described in which human fruit pickers coordinate with a robot.</p
Magnetorheological finishing of industrial ball valve curved surface for enhanced in-process sealing performance
No full textBall valves are widely utilized in various industries to regulate the flow of liquids or gases through pipelines and ensure leakage prevention. The durability and effectiveness of these valves primarily rely on the surface smoothness of the ball, which is essential for providing a secure shutoff seal. Achieving a uniform surface finish on the curved profile of a ball presents a significant challenge due to its continuous curvature. To address this challenge, a novel compact and adaptable improved magnetorheological finishing (MRF) tool was designed to operate efficiently with swirling motion. This innovative configuration enhances finishing performance on complex curved surfaces. Finite element analysis was employed to investigate the magnetic flux distribution within the improved MRF tool, which controls the stiffness of the magnetorheological polishing fluid and ensures precise finishing of the ball surface. The initial surface roughness parameters were measured as Ra=0.60 μm, Rq=0.75 μm, and Rz=3 μm. After 90 minutes of the MRF process, these parameters were reduced to Ra=0.059 μm, Rq=0.08 μm, and Rz=0.4 μm. The surface characteristics of the ball valve curved workpiece surface were analysed before and after the MRF process. Also, the pressure-holding capacity of the finished ball valve curved workpiece surface was analysed using the computational fluid dynamics. Improving surface quality and reducing surface roughness parameters, enhance performance, minimize friction, extend the lifespan of the workpiece, and help prevent leakage. This improvement in surface precision and smoothness of the ball improves the valve’s ability to maintain a leak-proof seal and pressure-holding capability in various industrial applications.</p
Anticipation of Cyclical Resource Availability in the Red-Footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria): Implications for Seed Dispersal
No full textMany plant populations are dependent on animal-mediated seed dispersal; however, in the study of mutualistic processes, animals are generally thought of as unselective consumers. This approach is problematic as it does not consider the decisions of the foraging animals, and little attention is given to the cognitive processes that underpin these behaviors. One such process is the ability to predict fruit availability, as this would allow animals to direct their foraging towards productive food sources and would ensure rapid seed removal when fruits are ready to be eaten. This is particularly important for species that cannot move rapidly between resources, such as tortoises. This study investigated temporal (24h cycle) and visual cue use during food anticipation in captive red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria), an important seed disperser in its natural environment. A significant increase in activity was observed in the hour immediately preceding food delivery, suggesting that the tortoises learned to predict the availability of food. Test trials, in which the visual and temporal cues were put in conflict or removed, revealed that the tortoises used both sources of information to predict food availability. Moreover, extinction trials, in which the tortoises did not have reliable temporal or visual cues prior to feeding, resulted in a rapid loss of anticipatory behavior. These findings provide insights into the cognitive processes that control anticipatory foraging behavior and, as such, have important implications for both animal and plant fitness, furthering our knowledge of mutualistic services such as seed dispersal.</p
Techno-economic benchmarking of cryogenic carbon capture with membrane separation against conventional capture methods
No full textThis study presents a technoeconomic assessment of a cryogenic carbon capture process enhanced by membrane pre-separation, aimed at improving energy efficiency in post-combustion CO₂ removal. The system integrates a hollow fibre membrane module to remove up to 99 % of nitrogen from a flue gas stream containing 85 % N₂ and 15 % CO₂ by volume, thereby enriching the CO₂ stream before entering a multi-stage compression and cryogenic cooling sequence for liquefaction. Simulation and optimisation were conducted using DWSIM software, with results benchmarked against conventional technologies such as monoethanolamine absorption and oxy-fuel combustion on a consistent basis, evaluating all energy inputs as equivalent work losses from a host power plant. Although the capital expenditure (CAPEX) of the hybrid system is 224 % higher than a classic MEA process and 47 % higher than an Oxyfuel post combustion process, it achieved a 51 % and 17 % reduction in energy consumption respectively. The uncertainty limits were determined to be ±5 % of each calculated value and attributed to simulation and model errors. A sensitivity analysis has shown that the electricity price has the highest sensitivity at ±£ 29, £ 14, and £ 24/tCO2 for the hybrid, traditional CCC, and MEA processes. CAPEX had the next highest for all three followed by non-energy OPEX and the discount rate had the least sensitivity. Despite its lower OPEX, the CAPEX was substantially higher than that of the two conventional systems. This trade-off underscores a critical barrier to scalability. Nevertheless, the hybrid system offers promising advantages in energy efficiency and CO₂ purity.</p
Workforce, regulation and capacity needed for integration of traditional medicine
No full textThe widespread use of traditional, complementary and integrative medicines (traditional medicine) across the world suggests that integration of traditional medicine into the formal health system is one strategy for extending universal health coverage (UHC). To improve access to and the quality of traditional medicine services will require attention to strengthening the traditional medicine workforce. The challenges associated with making such improvements should not be underestimated due to the many different practices, service delivery models and education systems for traditional medicine, as well as relevant policy and governance frameworks. Countries have adopted varying strategies to integrate traditional medicine into health systems to date. We consider how to strengthen and build capacity of the traditional medicine workforce so it might better contribute to the UHC agenda. We examine key issues and challenges for traditional medicine, and suggest analytical models for understanding the complexity inherent to integration of traditional medicine and making sense of different components of the traditional medicine workforce.</p