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Erosive wear of tidal turbine blades in sea water : mapping pre-exposure effects of GFRP polymer-based composites
Get PDFThe ongoing depletion of global fossil fuel resources and greenhouse effect of harmful emissions have made the development of renewable energy a universal priority. Tidal energy is one of the renewable energy sources that offers a viable alternative. However, one of the primary challenges in tidal turbine applications is the erosion of turbine blades caused by challenging marine environmental conditions. This study investigates the erosion behaviour of glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) in sea water conditions over an extended pre-exposure period of 183 days (4380 h). To achieve this, a custom-designed slurry erosion impingement rig was developed and is detailed in this paper. The results reveal significant changes in the erosion mechanisms of GFRP as a function of prolonged pre-exposure, with critical implications for the suitability of the material in tidal turbine blades for tidal energy applications. Advanced characterisation techniques, including erosion wastage maps, micro-profiling, and SEM, were employed to analyse surface degradation and erosion patterns. These tools provide insight into material performance and support the optimisation of GFRP for reliable, long-term operation in tidal energy environments
A novel peridynamic cylindrical shell formulation
Get PDFPeridynamics (PD) is a new continuum mechanics formulation which has advantages over classical continuum mechanics (CCM) due to its mathematical structure. Peridynamics can provide solutions to the problems including discontinuities such as cracks. In addition, peridynamics has a length scale parameter, named as horizon, which allows peridynamics to represent non-local behaviour that cannot be captured by CCM. As in classical continuum mechanics, PD formulations are also available for simplified structures such as beams, plates, and shells. Solution of PD equations is usually done by using numerical approaches and analytical solution of PD equations is limited in the literature. In this study, details of the derivation of a novel peridynamic cylindrical shell formulation is provided. Several numerical cases are presented to validate the current approach and demonstrate its capabilities including a half cylindrical shell with simply supported boundary conditions and a full cylindrical shell with clamped boundary conditions. Displacement results obtained from PD solution are compared against results obtained from finite element method (FEM) and a very good agreement is obtained between the two solutions. Moreover, natural frequencies obtained from PD analysis are compared with results obtained from CCM solution. It is shown that PD results converge to CCM solution results as the horizon size decreases and diverge as the horizon size increases. This shows that peridynamics can be a suitable technique for problems having non-classical non-local behaviour
Genetic dynamics of the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines gene and Plasmodium vivax circulation within sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) is a transmembrane receptor (glycoprotein) expressed on human red blood cells. Sub-Saharan Africa (sSA) individuals, who suffer the most of the global malaria burden, predominantly carry a Duffy negative phenotype. Expression of this gene (found among Duffy-positive individuals) is known to be essential for P. vivax invasion of RBCs. While P. falciparum is the predominant Plasmodium in sSA, the upward trend in P. vivax infection is a major threat to the malaria eradication programme in the region. Since Duffy null individuals (homozygous negative) lack DARC expression, we investigated the DARC gene dynamics in relation to the emerging presence of P. vivax infections in a previously predominant P. falciparum endemic region. METHODS: A total of 223 DARC genes were retrieved from the NCBI database across various countries, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Madagascar and South Africa and were used for population dynamic analysis using different population genetic metrics. FINDINGS: Among these sSA countries, South Africa showed the most haplotype and nucleotide diversity compared to other parts of sSA. Various selection pressures were observed in Western Africa and the Central African Republic. Population structure analysis revealed DARC population clustering of Cameroon, Nigeria and Ethiopia (despite Ethiopia's geographic distance), suggestive of shared ancestry and minimal DARC locus divergence. Conversely, South Africa and Madagascar showed a distinct genetic lineage reflecting differences in evolutionary pressures. CONCLUSION: Our analysis suggests minimal genetic diversity within sSA with evidence of selection potentially attributed to the recent emergence of P. vivax infections. However, greater diversity was observed in South Africa. Evidence of selection of this gene and detection of P. vivax among Duffy-null individuals in the other regions is truly a public health concern
A multi-centre performance evaluation of a commercially developed liquid biopsy for the earlier detection of brain tumours
Get PDFBackground: Delayed diagnosis of brain cancer leads to two-thirds of patients receiving a diagnosis only after presenting to the emergency department with more severe symptoms or neurological deficits. A simple, rapid, liquid biopsy implemented in primary care could enable more efficient triage of patients with non-specific symptoms potentially related to brain cancer, prioritising patients for urgent brain imaging, and accelerating diagnosis. Patients and methods: Presented is the international, multi-centre, observational Early and tiMely detection of BRAin CancEr (EMBRACE) study. Patients were prospectively recruited across seven sites in Europe, from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden and Switzerland. The target population consisted of patients with symptoms potentially associated with brain cancer. Blood serum samples were analysed by the Dxcover® Brain Cancer Liquid Biopsy Platform. Test performance was assessed by comparison of the liquid biopsy result to diagnostic imaging. Results: Two thousand five hundred and fifty-four patients were enrolled across the seven collection sites; 2324 were deemed eligible and taken forward for test assessment. There were 697 brain tumours in total, of which 395 were malignant, and 1627 non-tumour diagnoses. Overall diagnostic performance for the primary objective was 86% sensitivity for brain cancer detection with 99% negative predictive value (NPV). Sensitivity for all brain tumours combined (malignant and benign) was 77%. Notably, for the most prevalent and most aggressive brain cancer, glioblastoma, 86% of cases were successfully identified. Additionally, 94% of patients with central nervous system lymphoma, and 90% of brain metastases were predicted correctly as having tumours. Conclusions: Existing symptom-based referral pathways are ineffective for the detection of brain cancer, and there is an urgent need for new tests to help with clinical decision making. With a NPV of 99%, the Dxcover Liquid Biopsy test could assist in primary care for efficient stratification of patients toward diagnostic imaging
Modified Star Excursion Balance Test performance in individuals with chronic ankle instability : a participant-level analysis
Get PDFIntroduction: For 1 in 5 individuals, an initial ankle sprain results in chronic ankle instability (CAI). Research is inconclusive as to whether individuals with CAI display decreased stability performance. This study conducted a participant-level analysis to determine normative values for modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT) performance in a CAI population. Design: Participant-level analysis. Methods: Ten datasets of mSEBT data were combined and participants categorised into one of three groups: individuals with CAI, Copers and Healthy participants. Maximal reach distances were analysed in the anterior (ANT), posterolateral (PL), posteromedial (PM) and composite (COMP) directions. The CAI and Healthy groups were sub-categorised into 4 groups depending on the stance position and whether the average or best scores were reported. Results: The final pooled data consisted of 429 participants (202 CAI; 181 Healthy; 46 Coper). The 4 CAI sub-groups recorded a mean reach of 66.53%–76.42% (ANT), 54.67%–87.16% (PM), 44.55%–83.01% (PL) and 55.25%–82.19% (COMP). Smaller reach distances were reported in Group 1's ANT, PL and COMP reaches and Group 2's ANT reach (p < 0.05) compared to the Healthy group. Copers exceeded CAI and Healthy reaches for all reaches. Reach distances in the ANT direction were generally the smallest for the CAI group and ANT and PL directions for the Healthy and Coper groups. Conclusion: Reduced mSEBT reach was performed in specific directions for specific sub-groups only for the CAI population compared to both Healthy and Coper. The normative data can inform clinical practice and aid decision-making regarding dynamic balance for assessment and rehabilitation purposes
Zeigen oder Nicht-Zeigen : Anfragen an die Operative Pädagogik
No full textIm Rahmen einer Operativen Pädagogik wird das Zeigen oft als die eigentliche Grundoperation pädagogischen Handelns verstanden. Es bleibt allerdings frag-würdig, ob mit dieser Kategorie tatsächlich alles als pädagogisch ausgewiesene Geschehen adäquat erfasst werden kann, ohne gleichzeitig das Differenzierungspotenzial des Begriffs zu vermindern. Im folgenden Beitrag soll ausgewiesen werden, dass ein solches Verständnis des Pädagogischen sich vor allem einer Engführung des Verständnisses pädagogischer Teleologie verdankt, welche hier fast ausschließlich auf Wissensvermittlung fokussiert. Das kann nicht mehr völlig überzeugen spätestens ab dem Moment, ab welchem die Teleologie erweitert wird und daher andere pädagogische Strategien zum Einsatz kommen müssen. Es wird sich andeuten, dass sich die Grundstruktur des Pädagogischen – verstanden als Relationsrelation – nicht ausschließlich als ein Zeigen realisiert
Exploring the association between economic democracy and income inequality
Get PDFIn this paper, we contribute to ongoing debates about the relationship between economic democracy and inequality. We do this through three novel contributions to the literature. First, we develop an economic democracy index (EDI). Drawing on a range of theoretical approaches, our index broadens the conception of economic democracy beyond the traditional focus on the workplace and employment relations to the economy more broadly and at different scales, across a range of dimensions. Second, the EDI is then applied to OECD member states from 2000 to 2019 to produce a ranking. Third, we then use the index to investigate a potential association (correlation) between economic democracy and income inequality. Our findings suggest that Western European, especially Nordic countries have consistently higher levels of economic democracy than Anglo-American and Eastern European economies and that economies with greater levels of economic democracy have lower levels of income inequality
BET isoform selectivity through diverse linkers for bivalent inhibitors : GSK785, a BRD2/4-selective bivalent BET inhibitor
Get PDFThe inhibition of the Bromodomain and Extra Terminal (BET) family of proteins has been widely studied for over a decade for its potential therapeutic benefit in cancer and immuno-inflammatory diseases. Selective inhibition within the four BET isoforms has been sought to facilitate the understanding of the individual role played by each family member and to mitigate pharmacologically driven tolerability limitations observed in the clinic for pan-BET inhibitors. Herein, we present an investigation into the potential for isoform selectivity using bivalent inhibitors with constrained linker geometries. By employing a set of conformationally restricted diamines as linkers between two BET-binding warheads, this work details the design and synthesis of two iterations of bivalent molecules. While finding the BET isoforms to be highly accommodating of bivalent molecules with diverse linker geometries, we present the discovery of 9h (GSK785), a bivalent inhibitor with an unprecedented BRD2/4-selective, BRD3 sparing profile
Unveiling AI washing : bridging corporate technological gaps through a cognitive dissonance lens
Get PDFThis study utilizes Cognitive Dissonance Theory to empirically investigate how 'AI washing', the discrepancy between AI narratives and actual capabilities, affects the corporate technological gap. Using panel data from China's A-share listed firms (2007–2022), the findings establish a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between 'AI washing' and the technological gap. Mediation analysis confirms this relationship is channelled through both internal R&D investment and industry-level R&D investment. Moderation analysis reveals that strong AI-enabled participatory learning capability flattens the inverted U-curve, indicating earlier corrective action. Conversely, high investor sentiment is shown to steepen the curve. Furthermore, the nonlinear effect is subdued for firms in national AI pilot zones or high-technology-intensive industries. This research advances 'AI washing' literature through quantitative analysis, extends Cognitive Dissonance Theory to the domain of technology strategy, and offers empirical insights for responsible AI governance
ChargeDEM : geodemographic aware EV charging infrastructure placement for enhanced site selection using graph neural networks
Get PDFElectric vehicles (EVs) have become a key factor in the shift towards sustainable transportation. Yet, the rapid growth in EV adoption has outpaced the development of adequate EV charging infrastructure, leading to a critical adoption bottleneck. While recent studies have increasingly focused on optimizing charging station placement through mathematical modelling and decision-making strategies, they often overlook the intricate spatial dynamics among charging demand nodes. Moreover, the impact of new charging stations on the utilization of existing charging infrastructure is rarely accounted for in the site selection process. Additionally, socio-demographic factors are frequently neglected, potentially marginalizing underserved communities. To address these critical gaps, we propose a novel, geodemographic aware approach for EV charging site selection. This method leverages graph neural networks (GNNs) to identify optimal locations for charging stations while maximizing the efficiency of the installed charging infrastructure. We apply our approach to a case study of the Glasgow City area, Scotland, UK, demonstrating the potential to effectively guide infrastructure planning. The methodology not only significantly reduces installation costs but also boosts the utilization of urban charging facilities. By considering socio-demographic, spatial, and post-installation factors, this approach offers a holistic solution for the fair and efficient growth of EV charging infrastructure
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