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Leveraging deep reinforcement learning and healthcare devices for active travelling in smart cities
Get PDFSmart cities are increasingly challenged by population growth and the environmental emissions of urban transportation systems, necessitating sustainable urban planning to improve public health, environmental quality, and overall urban livability. A notable aspect in this context is the under-utilization of smart healthcare wearable devices or smart healthcare applications in urban transportation systems. This paper proposes an innovative approach to address these challenges effectively. We formulate a non-convex optimization problem aimed at minimizing environmental emissions within transportation systems while considering resident health goals, travel time constraints, and infrastructure limitations. To achieve this, we employ deep reinforcement learning (DRL), which dynamically selects the optimal traveling mode for residents. This approach aims to optimize environmental outcomes while meeting individualized mobility needs. Moreover, our method integrates smart healthcare technologies to capture real-time data and predict optimal traveling modes. By incorporating real-world health metrics into transportation planning, we enhance decision-making processes and promote active transportation options, contributing to healthier urban environments. Through extensive simulations, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in optimizing traveling decisions and advancing sustainable urban mobility practices. Our DRL-based solution effectively promotes active travel, leading to a significant increase in health-related metrics (like calories burned) and a substantial reduction in gCO2 emissions. Up to 74% of journeys were made using active transportation modes. Cycling is particularly popular, accounting for up to 67% of journeys
Customer view on servitization: The influence of strategic goals and service mix offering on firm performance
No full textFollowing a mixed methods approach, this research investigates the reasons that lead B2B customers in the pharmaceutical sector to use different types of services and their impact on servitization outcomes and firm performance. Main findings show that base services are selected by B2B customers with the goal to develop profitability, but these base services produce no impact on servitization outcomes or firm performance. Advanced services are used to foster loyalty, profitability and competitive advantage, showing a significant positive effect on servitization outcomes and have an indirect impact on firm performance through servitization outcomes. Business customers should adopt a combination of services where base services are qualifiers needed to compete whilst a service mix combination would enable an optimization of their servitization outcomes and firm performance
Living together apart: Size and significance of co-residency following relationship breakdown in contemporary Britain
Get PDFIn this article, we seek to establish the importance of living together apart (LTA), where ex-partners continue to co-reside following relationship breakdown. Although LTA is commonplace, it has been almost completely overlooked by family sociology and social policy. Because LTA is conceptually unrecognised, there is little empirical information and because there is so little information, it remains conceptually unrecognised. In this article, we attempt to break out from this loop. First, we place LTA within the context of partnership change. Second, we estimate the quantitative magnitude and qualitative significance of LTA in Britain. We use a survey concerned with owner-occupier LTA to indicate population characteristics and aggregate behaviour. This is accompanied by qualitative analysis of Mumsnet forums on LTA, to develop insight into understandings and relationships. Drawing on these findings, we argue that LTA is both a significant household form and important relationship type
Surgery for craniosynostosis: Developing a psychosocial booklet for families
Get PDFParents of children with craniosynostosis may experience psychological distress, particularly during intensive periods of treatment. Yet, recent research indicates parents may not be accessing the support they need to cope with common challenges. The aim was to develop an evidence-based booklet to promote psychological health in families undergoing surgery and to assess the acceptability of the booklet among the craniosynostosis community. Researchers collaborated with UK charity Headlines Craniofacial Support, 5 parent representatives, and 2 specialist clinical psychologists to develop the booklet based on data obtained from online focus groups, individual interviews, and written accounts. The draft booklet was attached to an online acceptability survey and distributed to a broader group of parents and multidisciplinary craniofacial specialists for feedback. A total of 52 complete responses to the online acceptability survey were received, and acceptability (measured by the number of respondents who would recommend the booklet) was 100%. All respondents supported the UK-wide distribution of the booklet. Evidence for psychological intervention in the craniofacial field remains scarce, and specialist teams may be under-resourced to effectively screen and support families. It is hoped this booklet can begin to address the gap in psychological support for families affected by craniosynostosis
Which personal and social resources help adolescents to recover from negative affect in daily life? An experience sampling study
No full textBackground: Reducing anxiety and depression of adolescents is a global health priority. Personal and social resources (e.g., hobbies, socializing) may reduce distress. Yet, there is insufficient understanding of how adolescents use such resources to reduce distress.Objective: To identify resources that reduced distress in the everyday lives of adolescents, and whether resource use differed according to symptoms of anxiety and depression. Methods: The experience sampling method was used, a longitudinal method requiring participants to report on context and mood at randomly selected moments across a week. 5558 reports were contributed by 151 adolescents, including 90 with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. The study was conducted in the poorest neighbourhoods of Bogotá, Buenos Aires and Lima. Results: Multi-level modelling indicated that using resources was significantly associated with less nervousness and sadness. Adolescents with symptoms were less likely to use some resources (e.g., sport). Cross-level interactions showed the efficacy of resources differed according to severity of symptomatology. For adolescents with symptoms, some resources (e.g., peer support) improved mood, while others (e.g., music listening) did not. Discussion: Personal and social resources are important for reducing distress in the everyday life of adolescents, giving insight for potential interventions to help mitigate symptoms of anxiety and depression before escalation. Further research could assess the quality of experiences (e.g., appraisal) to deepen understanding of how engagement promotes resilience. Conclusions: Care must be taken when recommending resource use, since some forms (e.g., music listening) may be unhelpful to adolescents with symptoms of anxiety and depression
Impact evaluation of in cell learning
No full textEducation in prisons is fundamental to prisoner employment opportunities on release. It also goes much further, giving prisoners confidence, self worth and skills to integrate into communities. In recent years, there have been several reports looking into the impact of prison education, each one highlighting the value and calling for more to be done. The vision of Dame Sally Coates, in her report ‘Unlocking potential, A Review of Education in Prisons’ (2016) was for education to be at the heart of the prison system. The report from the House of Commons Education Committee ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ (2022) found that since then, very little had been done. This report demonstrates that in-cell learning, specifically Way2Learn has addressed many of the issues raised by the reports, increasing access and engagement with learning in prisons across the country
The lower urinary tract science group abstracts—ICI‐RS 2024
Get PDFAims: The aims of this preliminary session of the International Consultation on Incontinence-Research Society (ICI-RS) were to provide a forum for an international group of experimental scientists to explain their on-going work to fellow laboratory scientists, to obtain feedback about future directions and to discuss potential future collaborations.Methods: Individual abstracts of the associated talks were prepared by the attendees.Results: Eleven presentations and associated abstracts were presented.Conclusions: The presentations and attendant abstracts reflect a wide variety of fundamental research currently underway and are designed to have translational outputs with respect to the management and treatment of lower urinary tract pathologies
The role of volatile cues in mediating tree host-bacteria-insect interactions in acute oak decline
Get PDFAcute oak decline (AOD) is a decline syndrome affecting native oaks in the UK, characterized by bacterial stem lesions and larval galleries of the beetle Agrilus biguttatus. In similar tree host-bacteria-insect systems, volatile organic compound (VOC) semiochemicals-naturally occurring behavior- and development-modifying compounds-govern biotic interactions between insects and associated bacteria. However, the role of these VOCs in AOD has not yet been established. We demonstrate that leaves of declining oaks produce different VOCs compared with asymptomatic trees and that virgin female A. biguttatus prefer the odor of foliage from declining oaks compared with that from asymptomatic oaks. Moreover, in olfactometry tests, gravid females move toward VOCs emitted from pure cultures of AOD-associated bacteria (Brenneria goodwinii, Gibbsiella quercinecans, and Rahnella victoriana), and this preference is further enhanced by VOCs from oak bark. We identified three putative attractants from pure bacterial cultures and confirmed their presence in headspace extracts of necrotic bark lesions in situ. Two of these VOCs are newly discovered natural products characteristic of B. goodwinii, the bacterial species responsible for the majority of stem tissue necrosis in AOD. Moreover, bacterial VOCs did not induce A. biguttatus oviposition, suggesting their role in beetle behavior is only to provide olfactory cues for gravid females to locate suitable egg-laying sites on oak stems. We propose that adult A. biguttatus exploits systemically induced leaf and bacterial volatile cues to locate host trees for mating and egg-laying
Go West! 2.5: Bristol's film and television industries
Get PDFThis is the third iteration of Go West! after previous publications in 2017 and 2022. It provides updated data on Bristol's film and television industries by sub-sector, with company turnover and employment figures. There are also analyses of the main companies and of the Natural History sector. The Report shows how Bristol was deeply impacted by the severe boom-and-bust cycle of these 'three turbulent years': 2022-25 with 53 companies closing and widespread uncertainty about the future. It also shows the effects of the longer term 'pivot to digit' as audiences migrate online
An experimental vision-based integrated guidance and control strategy for autonomous landing of a faulty UAV
No full textUncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as a transformative asset in surveillance, mapping, and delivery tasks since they have sophisticated autonomous capabilities. This paper develops a practical vision-based optimal flight planning strategy for autonomous safe landing and control of a multirotor UAV using a low-cost monocular camera in the presence of a motor fault. An optimal integrated guidance and control strategy is developed by utilizing an innovative discrete system model and a state observer from the triggering point to the identified landing position. Additionally, compatible image processing techniques and UAV kinematics are integrated to detect the suitable landing site and translate its location into desired attitude inputs to the controller. This approach empowers the UAV to autonomously land in no-GPS environments, relying solely on camera data. Initially, vision-based sensors, image processing techniques, and the developed guidance and control algorithms undergo initial evaluation in Software in the Loop (SIL) simulations using the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Gazebo simulation environments. The efficacy of the proposed framework is then assessed through experimental flight tests across various landing scenarios, accounting for local wind conditions and motor faults