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Oscillatory dynamics in paclitaxel-proteinoid networks
No full textPaclitaxel is a widely used microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutic, yet its intrinsic electrochemical behavior remains poorly understood. Here we investigate the electrochemical and oscillatory properties of paclitaxel incorporated into proteinoid microspheres that mimic cellular environments. Using scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and square-wave voltammetry, we compare pure paclitaxel, proteinoid–paclitaxel mixtures, and related proteinoid systems. Incorporation of paclitaxel induces the formation of interconnected fibrous networks and enhances electrical conductivity by nearly two orders of magnitude relative to pure paclitaxel. The proteinoid–paclitaxel system exhibits diffusion-controlled redox behavior, long-term stable electrical oscillations, and high signal coherence. Spectral and nonlinear analyses reveal distinct dynamical regimes, including chaotic behavior in mixed proteinoid systems. These results establish proteinoid–paclitaxel assemblies as electrically active biomimetic platforms and suggest their potential as model systems for studying microtubule-related bioelectrical phenomena and bio-inspired signal processing
Variation in interactive gestures by visual occlusion and topic complexity: Evidence for a subconscious theory of gesture
No full textGestures are often categorised into types: iconics, metaphorics, and pantomimes (having representational relationships with spoken semantics), deictics (i.e., pointing), emblems (having their own conventional meaning), and beats (temporally coinciding with spoken content for emphasis). These originate from research often involving unnaturalistic paradigms where participants’ gestures during responses (e.g., retelling a narrative) are recorded. Approaching these types implicitly requires a stance on why we gesture; a conscious aim to communicate or an unconscious effort to orchestrate speech. Focus on them has led to the understudying of the interactive role gestures can play, where intersubjective acknowledgement and information transfer are central. This paper has two main aims: to profile the interactive role of gesturing as a proportion of all gesturing and to investigate its relevance for why humans gesture. We report data from 48 28-minute dyadic conversations with a naïve participant and a confederate, varying interlocutors’ gesture visibility and conversation complexity. Our first, preregistered, analysis coded for the six traditional gesture categories, which resulted in ~28% being uncodeable. Our second analysis asked whether these were interactive, which accounted for nearly 90% of uncoded gestures and a quarter of the entire database. Occluding gesture visibility significantly decreased the amount of interactive gestures participants made, resulting from a drop in interactive gestures made during simple conversations; complex topic interactive gesture frequency is stable between visually available and occluded conditions. Our data support both philosophies, but advocates for a subconscious account: that we gesture for the intrinsic motivations to express ourselves and to be understood
Alignment of the starlings: Learning with generative AI
Get PDFI will argue that answers to normative questions concerning the place of generative AI in learning rest on answers to ontological questions regarding (1) precisely what is happening when a human ‘interacts’ with generative AI and (2) What is distinctive about organic learning as opposed to currently existing ‘machine learning’ (3) What is the relevant context within which we must understand this pedagogic encounter? In order to think clearly about the first of these questions, we are best served by turning to process philosophy to deploy a conception of ‘individuation’ that makes some sense of the human/AI event. In relation to the second question I argue that differences between organic and currently existing machine learning pertain, most importantly, to the question of ‘creativity’. Corporate generative AI is driven by entropic repetition—the death instinct to use Freud's formulation. This is antithetical to creativity in learning and results in profound pedagogic, and political, challenges. There is nothing, in principle, preventing the development of truly creative hybrid AI individuation, however (My position is firmly posthumanist). Rather, it is the location of AI development within the context of the business models of the capitalist extinction event that makes this an unlikely development. The latter's predictive, automating algorithms are inherently antithetical to the animate novelty we value (I have chosen to employ the, strictly descriptive, ‘capitalist extinction event’ to designate out time, and recommend it to others)
A review of net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission non-regulatory environmental building standards and frameworks
Get PDFNon-regulatory environmental building standards have been used in the built environment for more than thirty years and have had considerable influence over building development and policy. This paper identifies a trend, following the Paris Agreement, towards a new generation of non-regulatory building standards and frameworks based on defining net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission performance. These standards and frameworks have been developed in response to the imperatives of the Paris Agreement and other contextual drivers. Post-Paris Agreement, net-zero GHG emission standards have the following characteristics: a threshold-based approach to achieving certification; the use of a small number of metrics (typically two: operational energy and embodied carbon); and compliance based on operational performance rather than predicted operational energy use with models used to replicate the building in use. This paper will discuss global non-regulatory, net-zero GHG emission standards comparing the relative requirements and highlighting commonalities and differences. The paper also compares the post-Paris Agreement, net-zero GHG emission standards with pre-Paris Agreement low carbon credit-based environmental building standards considering their role in the development of net-zero GHG building standards and the possible impact of performance-based standards on new buildings. This study is relevant for policy makers, designers, and building developers by identifying the developing global consensus around what constitutes a net-zero GHG building and theorises, in relation to their developmental context, the implications of widespread implementation of these standards
Editorial: The intersection of psychology, healthy behaviors, and their outcomes
Get PDFThis Research Topic, “The Intersection of Psychology, Healthy Behaviors, and Their Outcomes,” curates a substantial collection of 138 articles. It integrates a diverse body of evidence spanning the entire life course and encompassing populations from clinical patients to the general workforce. Collectively, these studies offer a comprehensive examination of how psychological states and daily behaviours intersect to shape tangible health outcomes, providing critical insights for future public health practice and policy
Clinical nurse specialist workforce training and support: Research project report
No full textThis report collates insights from published literature, blood cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) and people with lived experience of blood cancer, to provide a deeper understanding of the training and support needs of the blood cancer CNS community and develop a set of training and support recommendations.To meet this aim, we:• Established a study review group to guide and steer the project.• Reviewed the literature to describe current research, policy and guidelines on the training and support needs of cancer CNSs.• Conducted a nationwide survey with blood cancer CNSs to identify training and support needs and clarify what good training and support means to CNSs.• Used insights gathered from the literature review, data from the survey and discussions with the Study Review Group to develop a draft set of recommendations for training and support for blood cancer CNSs.• Discussed, refined and prioritised the recommendations in online workshop with relevant stakeholders.• Developed a final set of recommendations for training and supportfor blood cancer CNSs
Modeling real-time bicep muscle fatigue with IMU sensors using LSTM regression
Get PDFMuscle fatigue is a leading contributor to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which cause significant workplace disability and absenteeism. The biceps brachii are especially susceptible in manual labor due to prolonged use during tasks like lifting and carrying. Early detection of fatigue can help prevent MSDs by enabling timely interventions, such as workload adjustments or the use of assistive devices. This study presents a real-time, noninvasive, and cost-effective system for modeling biceps muscle fatigue during dumbbell curl exercises, which simulate industrial lifting movements. Two inertial measurement units (IMUs) captured arm kinematics, and a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network was trained to predict fatigue levels on a 0–7 scale using participants’ perceived exertion ratings. After offline training and optimization, the model was implemented in real-time and evaluated across 18 experiments, achieving a root-mean-squared error (RMSE) of 1.2. Accuracy was assessed using RMSE thresholds (±5, ±3.3, and ±2), reaching 100% at ±5 and exceeding 87% for offline and online implementations. Compared to previous studies, this approach achieved higher accuracy with fewer sensors and demonstrated reliable real-time performance, highlighting its potential for workplace fatigue monitoring and injury prevention
“The unexpected wheelchair”: Exploring UK university students’ perceptions of dating and physical disability using story completion
No full textThe wider culture is rife with negative representations of physically disabled people’s sexuality, with them often constructed as asexual and unfit for relationships. The – predominantly quantitative – literature on perceptions of physically disabled people’s sexuality evidences negative social perceptions in – typically – student samples. But research focused on willingness to date a disabled person (also often with students) suggests more positive attitudes, although the role of social desirability in responses is unclear. We expand existing knowledge by qualitatively exploring how younger adults make sense of a dating scenario involving a clearly “marked” as disabled (wheelchair user) character (Cameron) and an “unmarked” character (Andy). By using the novel story completion (SC) method that explores a hypothetical scenario, we aimed to circumvent social desirability, and gain access to everyday sense-making around disability and dating. Our analysis highlights six themes from the stories: 1) the unexpected wheelchair; 2) Anxious Andy, the good guy; 3) the elephant in the room; 4) disability as personal tragedy; 5) the good disabled person; and 6) love conquers all. Although participants wrote stories about the scenario that framed disability as an obstacle to a successful date, stories were mainly of a successful date. But even “positive” stories conveyed subtle manifestations of ableism. We argue that SC provides a useful method for qualitative psychologists to interrogate social perceptions, particularly when social desirability is a concern
Psycho-behavioural determinants of vulnerable road user safety: A review
Get PDFSafe, accessible and sustainable transportation systems should be an accepted expectation for everyone. Unfortunately, vulnerable road users (VRUs), which include cyclists, e-scooters, motorcyclists, pedestrians and people with disabilities, are often involved and severely injured or killed in road traffic accidents. A wide range of factors (including infrastructural, environmental and technical) influence the safety of VRUs. To date, limited studies have reviewed the psycho-behavioural aspects or the methodologies adopted that can assist in understanding the safety issues affecting VRUs. The aim of this work was to conduct a systematic review to reveal psycho-behavioural aspects that can influence the safety of VRUs and then use this information to identify cutting-edge methodologies to assess crucial factors influencing critical behavioural determinants that can support future road safety studies. Following a ‘preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses’ process, many articles were screened, selected (N = 91) and reviewed. These articles highlight key psycho-behavioural determinants, behavioural outcomes and research methodologies as themes that need consideration. Amalgamating this evidence can be used to identify gaps in research and practice and, in doing so, also emphasise the necessity for concerted actions that prioritise VRUs in urban planning and policy endeavours
Policymaking and developments towards governance in green infrastructure design: The case of Taipei city
Get PDFGreen infrastructure (GI) has emerged as a key component in urban resilience strategies for integrating ecological and social benefits. Initially driven by government bodies, GI initiatives have expanded to include different groups of participants in co-production and co-implementation. This study proposes that Taipei's GI governance is determined by formal and informal regulations and connected with other discourses. The policy arrangement approach (PAA) is therefore used to study actor roles, discourses' effects on institutional arrangements, and GI planning issues. By assessing existing strategies and interactions among key actors, the study identifies how shifts in community participation and government authority shape GI design and functionality. The use of PAA in Taipei also offers valuable insights for global cities engaged in similar initiatives and challenges encountered in GI delivery. Findings demonstrate that participatory and collaborative approaches to governance of open spaces and greenspace are aggressively promoted and support communities in developing stewardship capabilities, but also that these alone are unlikely to be transformative without alternative funding mechanisms in the future. Overall, the participatory approach emphasises transparency and accountability for residents, however, new financial schemes are required to carry on GI design and management in the long term