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Cloud-to-Ground Lightning in Cities: Seasonal Variability and Influential Factors
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The raw data essential for reproducing the findings presented in this article are derived from proprietary commercial sources, and, unfortunately, the authors are not permitted to share this data due to contractual and authorization constraints. The restrictions imposed by the data providers prohibit the authors from making the raw data publicly available. However, the authors are committed to providing any necessary information or details about the data and methodology upon reasonable request to facilitate reproducibility and further scientific inquiry. Interested parties may contact the corresponding author for additional clarification or specific inquiries regarding the data used in this study.Urban-induced land use changes have a significant impact on local weather patterns, leading to increased hydro-meteorological hazards in cities. Despite substantial threats posed to humans, understanding atmospheric hazards related to urbanisation, such as thunderstorms, lightning, and convective precipitation, remains unclear. This study aims to analyse seasonal variability of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning in the five large metropolitans in Bangladesh utilising six years (2015–2020) of Global Lightning Detection Network (popularly known as GLD360) data. It also investigates factors influencing CG strokes. The analysis revealed substantial seasonal fluctuations in CG strokes, with a noticeable increase in lightning activity during the pre-monsoon months from upwind to metropolitan areas across the five cities. Both season and location appear to impact the diurnal variability of CG strokes in these urban centres. Bivariate regression analysis indicated that precipitation and particulate matter (PM) significantly influence lightning generation, whilst population density, urban size, and mean surface temperature have negligible effects. A sensitivity test employing a random forest (RF) model underscored the pivotal role of PM in CG strokes in four of the five cities assessed, highlighting the enduring impact of extreme pollution on lightning activity. Despite low causalities from CG lightning, the risk of property damage remains high in urban environments. This study provides valuable insights for shaping public policies in Bangladesh, a globally recognised climate hotspot.Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions. The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support was received during the preparation of this manuscript
Familial Transmission of Developmental Prosopagnosia: New Case Reports from an Extended Family and Identical Twins
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The data presented in this study are available in the article and in supplementary material (https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/1/49#app1-brainsci-14-00049).Existing evidence suggests that developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is a surprisingly prevalent condition, with some individuals describing lifelong difficulties with facial identity recognition. Together with case reports of multiple family members with the condition, this evidence suggests that DP is inherited in at least some instances. Here, we offer some novel case series that further support the heritability of the condition. First, we describe five adult siblings who presented to our lab with symptoms of DP. Second, for the first known time in the literature, we describe a pair of adult identical twins who contacted us in the belief that they both experience DP. The condition was confirmed in three of the five siblings (with minor symptoms observed in the remaining two) and in both twins. Supplementary assessments suggested that all individuals also experienced some degree of difficulty with facial identity perception, but that object recognition was preserved. These findings bolster the evidence supporting the heritability of DP and suggest that it can be a specific impairment in some cases.The Leverhulme Trust, grant number RF-2020-105
Indicator based multi-criteria decision support systems for wastewater treatment plants
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Data will be made available on request.Wastewater treatment plant decision makers face stricter regulations regarding human health protection, environmental preservation, and emissions reduction, meaning they must improve process sustainability and circularity, whilst maintaining economic performance. This creates complex multi-objective problems when operating and selecting technologies to meet these demands, resulting in the development of many decision support systems for the water sector. European Commission publications highlight their ambition for greater levels of sustainability, circularity, and environmental and human health protection, which decision support system implementation should align with to be successful in this region. Following the review of 57 wastewater treatment plant decision support systems, the main function of multi-criteria decision-making tools are technology selection and the optimisation of process operation. A large contrast regarding their aims is found, as process optimisation tools clearly define their goals and indicators used, whilst technology selection procedures often use vague language making it difficult for decision makers to connect selected indicators and resultant outcomes. Several recommendations are made to improve decision support system usage, such as more rigorous indicator selection protocols including participatory selection approaches and expansion of indicators sets, as well as more structured investigation of results including the use of sensitivity or uncertainty analysis, and error quantification.Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme DEEP PURPLE. The H2020 DEEP PURPLE project has received funding from the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 837998. The JU receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the Bio-based Industries Consortium
Geospatial analysis of unconventional geothermal resources and their potential role in decarbonising heat in Great Britain
Get PDFData availability: The data underpinning this publication can be accessed from Brunel University London's data repository, Brunelfigshare here under a CCBY licence: 10.17633/rd.brunel.25965187.This paper presents a geospatial analysis of Great Britain’s unconventional geothermal resources considering their type, quality, and distribution with respect to heat demand. The investigation builds upon past assessments of geothermal heat in the study area by analysing the available resources alongside heat demand in an integrated and quantified manner on a 10 km2 grid. By linking theoretical supply with practical demand, this work facilitates informed decision making towards increased uptake of decarbonised heat networks, which is a strategic priority for reducing emissions from UK residential buildings to net zero by 2050. To meet this goal, the market share of low or zero carbon heat networks is projected to need to rise to 20% from under 3% currently, with the present work directed at establishing the potential role of unconventional deep geothermal resources in delivering this growth. Practical resources are identified on the adopted 10 km2 grid using a multi-criteria analysis of three types of map, namely, a geological map of suitable sedimentary aquifers and granite formations, a heat flow map, and a demand map. Verification of each map is pursued by comparisons with benchmarks from the literature. It is found that 9.8% of the study area has sufficient heating demand aligned with potentially exploitable unconventional geothermal resources, comprised of 83% hot sedimentary aquifers and 17% granite formations. Implementing geothermal heat networks in this 9.8% area could decarbonise up to 27% of Great Britain’s overall heat demand, representing a considerable contribution towards the net zero target. By identifying specific areas where concentrated demand aligns with available deep geothermal resources, this work further underpins decision making towards technical and economic feasibility studies at a local level
Effect of open vs. closed kinetic chain exercises in ACL rehabilitation on knee joint pain, laxity, extensor muscles strength, and function: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Get PDFData availability statement: The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common among active individuals, often requiring ACL reconstruction (ACLR) for recovery. Rehabilitating these injuries involves determining the appropriate timing for initiating open kinetic chain (OKC) exercises. While OKC exercises are effective post-ACLR, their use in rehabilitation remains debated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to determine whether OKC or closed kinetic chain (CKC) exercises result in differences in laxity, strength of the knee extensor muscles group, function and functional performance in ACL rehabilitation. Five electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled between-group trials (RCTs). Two reviewers independently evaluated the risk of bias using the PEDro scale. We performed a meta-analysis using a random effects model or calculated mean differences (fixed-effect) where appropriate. Certainty of evidence was judged using the GRADE approach. The systematic literature search yielded 480 articles, of which 9 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The evidence for all outcomes was very low to low certainty. Across all comparisons, inconsistent results were found in outcome measures that dealt with knee function between OKC and CKC exercises in post-ACLR. A significant increase in quadriceps isokinetic strength was found in post-ACLR and ACL-deficient knees in favour of OKC exercises at 3 (p=0.03) and 4 (p=0.008) months, respectively. A significant decrease in knee laxity was observed in ACL-deficient knees in favour of OKC at 10 weeks (p=0.01), although at 4 months presented inconsistency. Finally, a significant decrease in pain was found in favour of early, compared to late OKC (p0.05). In contrast, high load resistance training (HLRT) OKC had less laxity than controls at 6 weeks (p=0.02) but not at 12 weeks (p>0.05). OKC exercises appear to be superior to CKC for improving quadriceps strength 3-4 months after injury, either as a part of conservative or post-surgery rehabilitation. On the other hand, OKC exercises seem to be either superior or equally effective to CKC for improving knee laxity, thus presenting their importance in being included in rehabilitation protocols from the initial phase.The authors declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article
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Get PDFThis thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University Londo
Flee 3: Flexible agent-based simulation for forced migration
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Data will be made available on request.Forced migration is a major humanitarian challenge today, with over 100 million people forcibly displaced due to conflicts, violence and other adverse events. The accurate forecasting of migration patterns helps humanitarian organisations to plan an effective humanitarian response in times of crisis, or to estimate the impact of possible conflict and/or intervention scenarios. While existing models are capable of providing such forecasts, they are strongly geared towards forecasting headline arrival numbers and lack the flexibility to explore migration patterns for specific groups, such as children or persons of a specific ethnicity or religion. Within this paper we present Flee 3, an agent-based simulation tool that aims to deliver migration forecasts in a more detailed, flexible and reconfigurable manner. The tool introduces adaptable rules for agent movement and creation, along with a more refined model that flexibly supports factors like food security, ethnicity, religion, gender and/or age. These improvements help broaden the applicability of the code, enabling us to begin building models for internal displacement and non-conflict-driven migration. We validate Flee 3 by applying it to ten historical conflicts in Asia and Africa and comparing our results with UNHCR refugee data. Our validation results show that the code achieves a validation error (averaged relative difference) of less than 0.6 in all cases, i.e. correctly forecasting over 70% of refugee arrivals, which is superior to its predecessor in all but one case. In addition, by exploiting the parallelised simulation code, we are able to simulate migration from a large scale conflict (Ukraine 2022) in less than an hour and with 80% parallel efficiency using 512 cores per run. To showcase the relevance of Flee to practitioners, we present two use cases: one involving an international migration research project and one involving an international NGO. Flee 3 is available at https://github.com/djgroen/flee/releases/tag/v3.1 and documented on https://flee.readthedocs.io.This work is supported by the ITFLOWS, HiDALGO, and STAMINA projects, which have received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreements no 882986, 824115, and 883441. This work has also been supported by the SEAVEA ExCALIBUR project, which has received funding from EPSRC, United Kingdom under grant agreement EP/W007711/1. Simulation runs have been performed using the ARCHER2 Supercomputer, located at EPCC in Edinburgh (project e723)
Unveiling the Potential of Hydrogen in a Downsized Gasoline Direct Injection Engine Performance and Emissions Experimental Study
Get PDFThe transportation sector’s growing focus on addressing environmental and sustainable energy concerns has led to a pursuit of the decarbonization path. In this context, hydrogen emerges as a promising zero-carbon fuel. The ability of hydrogen fuel to provide reliable performance while reducing environmental impact makes it crucial in the quest for net zero targets. This study compares gasoline and hydrogen combustion in a single-cylinder boosted direct injection (DI) spark ignition engine under various operating conditions. Initially, the engine was run over a wide range of lambda values to determine the optimal operating point for hydrogen and demonstrate lean hydrogen combustion’s benefits over gasoline combustion.
Furthermore, a load sweep test was conducted at 2000 rpm, and the performance and emission results were compared between gasoline and optimized hydrogen combustion. An in-depth analysis was conducted by varying fuel injection time and pressure. This enabled us to explore the effects of these variables on the fuel’s performance and emissions, providing valuable insights for further optimization.
The key findings of this study are significant. They note that hydrogen fuel allows the engine to operate under lean conditions with stable combustion up to 3.8 lambda. Lean combustion produces higher engine thermal efficiency, low cyclic variability, and near-zero NOx emissions. According to the study, hydrogen combustion produces zero emissions of hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) under a wide range of operating conditions, making it a clean and environmentally friendly fuel source. During low loading, exhaust hydrogen slip is less than 1000 ppm. This slip drops below 500 ppm as the load increases. Finally, the study proved that hydrogen is more stable than gasoline at a stoichiometric level. This suggests that hydrogen could replace gasoline in some applications, which has major implications for alternative energy
High Velocity Passive Stretching Mimics Eccentric Exercise in Cerebral Palsy and May Be Used to Increase Spastic Muscle Fascicle Length
Get PDFData Availability Statement: Data is available upon request from the corresponding author.Muscle fascicles are shorter and stiffer than normal in spastic Cerebral Palsy (CP). Increasing fascicle length (FL) has been attempted in CP, the outcomes of which have been unsatisfactory. In healthy muscles, FL can be increased using eccentric exercise at high velocities (ECC). Three conditions are possibly met during such ECC: muscle micro-damage, positive fascicle strain, and momentary muscle deactivation during lengthening. Participants with and without CP underwent a single bout of passive stretching at (appropriately) high velocities using isokinetic dynamometry, during which we examined muscle and fascicle behaviour. Vastus lateralis (VL) FL change was measured using ultrasonography and showed positive fascicle strain. Measures of muscle creatine kinase were used to establish whether micro-damage occurred in response to stretching, but the results did not confirm damage in either group. Vastus medialis (VM) and biceps femoris muscle activity were measured using electromyography in those with CP. Results supported momentary spastic muscle deactivation during lengthening: all participants experienced at least one epoch (60 ms) of increased activation followed by activation inhibition/deactivation of the VM during knee flexion. We argue that high-velocity passive stretching in CP provides a movement context which mimics ECC and could be used to increase spastic FL with training.The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity via The Fripp Fund and the Centre for Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience at Brunel University London
Adapting the Nominal Group Technique to a virtual version: an experience report
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Objetivo:
Relatar as adaptações realizadas na Técnica de Grupo Nominal (TGN) original, permitindo sua aplicação ao formato virtual, preservando todos os seus elementos-chave.
Método:
Relato de experiência sobre as adaptações e adequações realizadas na TGN original ao formato virtual aplicando as Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (TIC), por meio de ferramentas digitais disponibilizadas gratuitamente ou de baixo custo e de fácil manejo.
Resultados:
A TGN foi realizada integralmente de forma virtual e sofreu adaptações em cada uma das suas quatro etapas através da incorporação de recursos digitais específicos. Foi possível apresentar as ideias mais votadas e obter a aprovação final dos participantes. Os participantes não apresentaram dificuldade para utilizar os recursos virtuais disponibilizados, e, partir da avaliação de reação, mostram-se satisfeitos com as ferramentas disponibilizadas.
Conclusão:
A TGN adaptada mostrou-se um método efetivo quando utilizada em cenário virtual, sendo capaz de produzir um significativo número de ideias e desenvolver consenso. A ferramenta adaptada pode ser usada por outros pesquisadores em países com recursos ou dimensões semelhantes ao Brasil.Objective:
To report on the adaptations made to the original Nominal Group Technique (NGT), allowing it to be applied to the virtual format, preserving all its key elements.
Method:
An experience report on the adaptations and adjustments made to the original NGT to the virtual format using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), using digital tools that are available free of charge or are low cost and easy to use.
Results:
The NGT was carried out entirely virtually and underwent adaptations in each of its four stages through the incorporation of specific digital resources. It was possible to present the most voted ideas and obtain final approval from the participants. The participants had no difficulty in using the virtual resources provided and, based on the reaction evaluation, they were satisfied with the tools provided.
Conclusion:
The adapted NGT proved to be an effective method when used in a virtual setting, capable of producing a significant number of ideas and developing consensus. The adapted tool can be used by other researchers in countries with similar resources or dimensions to Brazil.RESUMEN
Objetivo:
Informar sobre las adaptaciones realizadas a la Técnica de Grupo Nominal (TGN) original, permitiendo su aplicación al formato virtual, preservando todos sus elementos clave.
Método:
Se trata de un informe de experiencia sobre las adaptaciones y ajustes realizados a la TGN original para el formato virtual mediante el uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC), utilizando herramientas digitales disponibles de forma gratuita o de bajo coste y fácil uso.
Resultados:
El TGN se realizó íntegramente de manera virtual y sufrió adaptaciones en cada una de sus cuatro etapas mediante la incorporación de recursos digitales específicos. Fue posible presentar las ideas más votadas y obtener la aprobación final de los participantes. Los participantes no tuvieron dificultades para utilizar los recursos virtuales proporcionados y, según los comentarios recibidos, se mostraron satisfechos con las herramientas facilitadas.
Conclusión:
El TGN adaptado demostró ser un método eficaz cuando se utiliza en un entorno virtual, capaz de producir un número significativo de ideas y desarrollar el consenso. La herramienta adaptada puede ser utilizada por otros investigadores en países con recursos o dimensiones similares a las de Brasil.Apoio financeiro O presente trabalho foi realizado com apoio da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Código de Financiamento 001. [This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001]
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