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The (non)integration of social identity demands and implicit leadership expectations: A challenge for professional hybrids
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Becoming BAME: social identities and racialised terminology in the UK
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In accordance with Taylor & Francis guidelines, this article uses anonymised social media data and follows established ethical standards for online research.This article examines the politics of racialised terminology through the first sociolinguistic, cultural analysis of the acronym BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) in the UK. Using a mixed methods approach, we present an analysis of how this collective term of ethnic difference is used across parliamentary discourse, news articles, and social media spaces, identifying a rise in the term since 2014, but also evidence of a decline since 2022, together with qualitative interpretations of the mechanisms underpinning discursive (re)constructions of the UK’s Black and Asian communities. More specifically, our analysis situates language as a site of identity struggle where racially minoritised communities can be fixed and administered but also strive for social change. We propose that BAME is a race-making discursive practice where a hierarchical and lateral arrangement between institutions and publics co-exists, since it is a term that is both imposed and aligned with. BAME, as a form of racial categorisation, is thus implicated in the ambivalence of racialised discourse
A generic Hall-Petch relationship in metallic materials with varied grain morphology
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Data will be made available on request.The Hall-Petch relationship relates the yield strength (YS) of metallic materials to grain diameter (d), but for alloys with dendritic grains, secondary dendritic arm spacing (λ2) provides a better fit. This manuscript underscores the significance of considering a perimeter-associated parameter (p'), rather than relying solely on d or λ2, to account for strength contribution from morphological changes in various alloys. We propose a generic Hall-Petch relation expressed as σ = σo + k'ʹ/√pʹ, where p' is the area per unit perimeter which can be accurately measured using digital imaging tools and k'ʹ is the Hall-Petch constant. To validate this approach, controlled solidification experiments were conducted on Al-Si and Al-Ce alloys across cooling rates from 0.000167 °C/s to 0.34 °C/s. The degree of primary α-Al grain complexity was manipulated through solute additions (Si or Ce), revealing a nonlinear relationship between λ2 and p', both experimentally and theoretically. This underscores the critical importance of incorporating the perimeter-associated parameter p' as a fundamental strength metric in the Hall-Petch relation. Hardness changes were analysed alongside evolving grain morphologies. Experimental data from various morphologies (facetted, rosette, dendritic) fit more effectively with the proposed generic Hall-Petch relationship than conventional models.The authors wish to acknowledge financial support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project (EP/Y025016/1)
Investigating the suitability of locally available materials to develop low-carbon cementitious materials for 3D printing applications
Get PDFThis thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonThe environmental impact of traditional OPC has driven the search for sustainable alternatives like alkali-activated materials, calcined clay blends, and recycled aggregates. This doctoral research explores low-carbon cementitious materials using locally sourced construction waste. The work is divided into two parts: developing one-part AAMs with end-of-life brick and LC3 using excavated London clay and recycled aggregates, suitable for cast and 3D-printed applications.
One-part AAMs provide significant environmental benefits due to the elimination of OPC, which can be a potentially suitable alternative to the traditional cement mixture. This part of the thesis investigates the feasibility of using locally available waste material, i.e. brick waste, as part of a one-part AAM binder as an alternative to fly ash (FA). The mortar binder is composed of 40% GGBS and 60% FA, activated using 12% solid sodium silicate to the weight of the binder. Hence, bricks in powder (BP) form were incorporated to replace FA with increments of 10% until full elimination of FA, and bricks in particle form were used to replace natural aggregates by 30%, 50% and 70%. It was demonstrated that BP-based AAMs achieved comparable mechanical performance to FA-based controls. Despite BP’s higher crystallinity (70% vs. FA’s 50%), pore refinement and accelerated geopolymerisation kinetics enabled the development of comparable strength. Moreover, BP-based AAM exhibited comparable water absorption, freeze-thaw resistivity, and around 65% higher resistivity to high temperature. Replacing natural aggregates with up to 70% brick aggregates (BA) in brick-based one-part AAM showed a maximum improvement of around 17% and 27% for the flexural and compressive strength performances, respectively, and showed better resistivity to freeze-thaw and high-temperature, while increasing the water absorption of the mixtures. Adding 0.1% nano graphite decreased the water absorption by 18%. On the other hand, incorporating BA improved the early-age strength and enhanced the mixtures' shape stability, improving their buildability compared to the mix with natural sand. Moreover, BA incorporation significantly enhanced the compressive strength of the 3D printed samples. From an environmental perspective, one-part geopolymer shows the potential as an alternative low-carbon concrete for conventional concrete, allowing the reduction of CO2 emissions by around 40%. Moreover, the carbon footprint from replacing fly ash with brick powder or natural sand with brick aggregates did not show observable changes.
On the other hand, LC3 presents another promising low-carbon cementitious mixture that can reduce high amounts of OPC in the binder. This part of the thesis investigates the feasibility of using excavated London clay as calcined clay to develop a 3D printable LC3 mixture composed of 50% OPC, 30% calcined clay, 15% limestone and 5% gypsum. The results revealed the feasibility of using excavated low-grade London clay to develop LC3 mixture, having the highest strength performance when calcined at 800 ֯C in the LC3 system and showing good pozzolanic reactivity. Incorporating and optimising admixtures (i.e., 0.5, 1 and 1.5% superplasticiser ‘SP’ and 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8% of viscosity-modifying agent ‘VMA’) was compulsory to modify and adjust the fresh behaviour of the mixture to obtain a 3D printable dosage. Adding 1% SP significantly improved the mixture's strength performance, achieving around 44 MPa. Nevertheless, adding superplasticiser produced a too flowable fresh mixture. Incorporating 0.6% VMA was found to balance the workability of the mixture, producing a mixture with low slump, which is suitable for extrudability and buildability. On the other hand, incorporating BA to replace natural aggregates up to 100% in LC3 was found to be beneficial for both the engineering and printing properties of the mixtures. Replacing natural aggregates with BA fully significantly increased the compressive strength from around 34 MPa to 54 MPa. Moreover, the mixtures with BA showed a similar water absorption level with better freeze-thaw resistance while significantly improving the printed samples' mechanical strength. Incorporating BA could have served as a curing agent, allowing LC3 binder hydration to continue through absorbing part of the water from the mixture at the initial stage and releasing it during ageing. This reveals the potential of downcycling BA in LC3 mixtures to develop more sustainable mix formulation. Replacing 50% OPC with limestone-calcined clay and gypsum reduced carbon dioxide by around 40%, whereas replacing natural sand with BA did not show noticeable changes in the carbon footprint.
Overall, this research lays the foundations for the feasibility of using end-of-life brick and excavated London clay after recycling to develop low-carbon cementitious mixtures
Exploring the Effect of Prolonged Ankle Plantar-flexed Standing on Postural Control, Balance Confidence, Falls Efficacy, and Perceived Balance in Older Adults
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The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because this was not a feature of the ethical approval.Background/Objectives: Postural control describes our ability to maintain an upright position. This study explored the impact of prolonged ankle plantar-flexed standing on postural control variability and strategy in an older adult population. The ability to perceive balance change was also assessed via subjective balance-related variables. Methods: Twenty-four community-dwelling older adults were recruited via convenience sampling. Each participant completed a balance confidence and falls efficacy questionnaire at baseline. Five barefoot quiet standing trials on a force plate then followed (Timepoint 1). After this, the participants stood with their ankles in a plantar-flexed position for up to 7.5 min before completing another quiet standing trial on the force plate. Four further ankle plantar-flexed standing trials of 2 min were then completed, interspersed with quiet standing trials on a force plate (Timepoint 2). The balance confidence and falls efficacy questionnaires were then completed again. For measures of postural control variability (sway path length, root mean square [RMS], sway area) and strategy (fractal dimension), mean values for the five trials were calculated for Timepoints 1 and 2 separately. Results: The sway path length and RMS measures were significantly increased (p < 0.05) at Timepoint 2. However, the fractal dimension did not change. There was also no change in balance confidence or falls efficacy. Conclusions: The findings suggest that prolonged standing can impact measures of postural variability without a change in postural control strategy. Postural control change also occurred without a change in subjective balance measures, suggesting that the altered balance may not be practically significant or perceptible to the individual.This research received no external funding
Life cycle assessment of implementation of an innovative solar thermal technology in Italian ceramic industry
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Data will be made available on request.In recent years, the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, coupled with the European Union targets to increase the integration of renewable energy into the energy mix has prompted both industries and the scientific community to shift their focus towards alternative systems driven by sustainable energy sources. The imperative for renewable energies arises from the necessity to decrease dependency on fossil fuels, particularly to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. The existing literature extensively documents how integrating renewable energy into industrial processes can help reduce environmental impact. The novelty of this study lies in the life cycle assessment (LCA) of ceramic sanitaryware production in Italy, specifically evaluating the use of thermal energy from a solar thermal system in the drying and firing processes, thereby reducing fossil fuel consumption. To this end, an LCA was conducted to assess the environmental impacts of replacing natural gas in the drying process with thermal energy from the SunDial solar thermal technology. The LCA methodology was applied to quantify the energy and environmental burdens of the system throughout its entire life cycle, including manufacturing, operation, and end-of-life stages. The functional unit is 1000 kg of sanitaryware production. Data was collected from the Ecoinvent database, and the assessment was performed using SimaPro software. The results indicate a 4 % reduction in global warming potential (GWP) due to the implementation of SunDial, which covers 20 % of the process’s energy demand. On a national scale, considering the entire Italian sanitaryware production, this translates into a savings of 180 tons of CO2 emissions.This project is funded from the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Application of Solar Thermal processes in Industrial Processes (ASTEP), under grant agreement No 884411
Design of a two axis optoelectronic joint measurement sensor using orientation constraining mechanism for flexible robotic application
Get PDFWith the advancement of flexible robotic implementation into a range of industries, it is important to develop robust joint angle measurement and shape sensing systems, for stable and accurate position control and actuation. This work introduces the novel design of an optoelectronic based two-axis joint angle sensor, for shape sensing integration into flexible or continuum manipulators. A simple two-unit tendon actuated joint structure is developed to demonstrate angle sensing in two orientations, using two optoelectronic sensors integrated into a spherical-joint inspired structure, with an innovative internal locking mechanism to eliminate unwanted torsional motion, for increased accuracy of sensing in pitch and roll orientations. Non-linear regression is used for calibration of the joint angle sensor. Calibration validation results show that the sensor is able to estimate roll and pitch with good accuracy, with RMSE values of 0.46° and 4.23° respectively.The research leading to these results has received funding from MSc project 2021-2022, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Brunel University London
Bikeability Cycle Training: A Route to Increasing Young People’s Subjective Wellbeing? A Retrospective Cohort Study
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Data are provided within the supplementary information files, as well as in Mendeley Data, at the following https://doi.org/10.17632/tp6msdmwm9.1 .Supplementary Information is available online at: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-025-23838-2#Sec28 .A preprint version of the article is available at: https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6298356/v1 under a CC BY license. It has not been certified by peer review.Introduction:
Increasing the population’s subjective wellbeing is an explicit aim of current UK government policies. The wellbeing of children and young people in the UK is deteriorating, and less than half of them meet national physical activity guidelines, despite the demonstrable benefits of physical activity for wellbeing. Hence, it is important to identify economically viable and effective public health interventions to increase young people’s physical activity, and consequently, their wellbeing. Bikeability cycle training may be such an intervention.
Methods:
205 young people aged 11–18 years in UK secondary schools completed an online survey about their subjective wellbeing, their active travel behaviour, and their physical activity levels. They also indicated whether they had undertaken Bikeability Level 2 cycle training when they were between 9 and 11 years of age; retrospective groups were formed on this basis. Their parents/carers (hereafter, ‘parents’) reported their own cycle training status, their active travel behaviour, and their satisfaction with their living circumstances, both at the time of the survey and when their child was 10 years old (Bikeability Level 2 cycle training is delivered to 9-11-year-olds). After screening, complete datasets from 201 young person-parent dyads were retained for analysis.
Findings:
Continuous data were analysed via t tests, ANOVAs and nonparametric equivalents; categorical data were analysed using chi-square tests. One hundred-and-thirteen young people who had completed Bikeability Level 2 cycle training reported greater subjective wellbeing than the 88 individuals who had not, on two established measures of wellbeing. They were also more likely to make journeys by cycling and walking, although there were no between-group differences in self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sedentariness, nor attitudes towards cycling. Young people who cycled at least once a week reported greater wellbeing than those who never cycled or who only did so once or so a year. Parents who had completed cycle training cycled more frequently than their untrained counterparts, although no differences in walking frequency emerged. Young person and parent attitudes towards cycling were correlated, as were parents’ satisfaction with their current living circumstances and the young people’s subjective wellbeing.
Conclusions:
The present data suggest that Bikeability Level 2 graduates are more likely to report greater subjective wellbeing, and to travel by cycling or walking, than those who did not complete Bikeability training. Given the multiple benefits that active travel may confer to a wellbeing economy, these findings warrant further investigation.This study was funded by Brunel University of London Impact Funding
How UK-France ‘one in, one out’ migration deal will work – and what the challenges could be
Get PDFThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Image rights: banner image, Yui Mok/PA images; 'A Border Force vessel brings a group of migrants into Dover after a small boat incident in the Channel', Gareth Fuller/Alamy. Read the original article at https://theconversation.com/how-uk-france-one-in-one-out-migration-deal-will-work-and-what-the-challenges-could-be-260864 .After weeks of rising Channel crossing figures, the UK government has agreed on a long-awaited migration deal with France. Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron announced a “one in, one out” pilot – and the UK prime minister said the “groundbreaking” scheme could start returning migrants to France within weeks. The deal was announced alongside a separate agreement to coordinate the use of French and British nuclear weapons
The effect of fintech financing on firm performance: Evidence from emerging economies
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Data will be made available on request.This paper rigorously examines the relationship between fintech financing and the financial and real performance of financially constrained firms in emerging countries. Using data from 45,770 firms across 20 countries for 2012–2020, we find that the performance of external-finance dependent firms is disproportionately higher when they operate in countries that receive more fintech funds. A host of robustness tests confirm our main finding. We further find that: (i) P2P lending and crowdfunding have greater implications on firm performance than balance sheet lending (ii) the relationship is particularly strong in young firms, and financially developed emerging countries with deeper disclosure of credit information, and (iii) specifically, in countries with greater banking penetration, there is evidence of a substitution effect between bank lending and fintech. Additionally, fintech finance increases capital investment, lowers borrowing costs, and boosts total factor productivity (TFP) to improve firm performance
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