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VPISEP: Action research into the effects of video production on Chinese EFL learners’ spoken attainment
No full textThis thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonThis action research investigated the effect of video production in teaching spoken
English to Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners. Building on an
extensive literature review in the field of SLA (Second Language Acquisition), TESOL
(Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and CALL (Computer-Assisted
Language Learning), this research established a Video-Production-Oriented Spoken
English Pedagogy (VPOSEP) in the first place and put it into teaching practice for
empirical study.
Utilising a mixed-methods approach, this research conducted two consecutive
rounds of Spoken English course in a university in China for data analysis and
interpretation. After the first-round course, it was found that statistically speaking,
VPOSEP worked as well as the traditional way of instruction, with two unique
affordances emerging from the qualitative data pertaining to the situated learning
opportunities mediated and the positive emotion instigated by video production.
However, the inspirations drawn from the data also suggested integrating both video
production and traditional instruction could be a third option, and rendered a
pedagogical redesign and further validation. The data collected from the secondround
course indicated an equally effective Video-Production-Integrated Spoken
English Pedagogy (VPISEP) based on students’ test performance. While retaining
the two video production affordances found previously, the new pedagogy added
depth by generating another two affordances distinctively, respectively in terms of
affording personalized learning and advancing multiliteracies.
Extracting from these key findings, the study decided that VPISEP would be an
optimal spoken English pedagogical model and conceptualized a 4 ‘P’ pedagogical
framework featuring particularity, practicality, possibility and positivity. It further
probed into some key pedagogical constructs including the productive environment,
the multifaceted pedagogical goals and the critical assessment, and clarified the
roles of critical keyholders, including learner, teacher and technology, in the hope of
providing implications for the practical implementation of the pedagogy
Meta-Transfer Learning-Based Handover Optimization for V2N Communication
Get PDFThe rapid growth of vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication demands efficient handover decision-making strategies to ensure seamless connectivity and maximum throughput. However, the dynamic nature of V2N scenarios poses challenges for traditional handover algorithms. To address this, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based approach for optimizing handover decisions in dynamic V2N communication. We leverages the advantages of transfer learning and meta-learning to generalize across time-evolving source and target tasks. In this paper, we derive generalization bounds for our DRLbased approach, specifically focusing on optimizing the handover process in V2N communication. The derived bounds provide theoretical guarantees on the expected generalization error of the learned handover time function for the target task. To implement our framework, we propose a meta-learning framework, Adaptto-evolve (A2E), based on the double deep Q-networks (DDQN) with Thompson sampling approach. The A2E framework enables quick adaptation to new tasks by minimizing the error upper bounds with divergence measures. Through transfer learning, the meta-learner dynamically evolves its handover decision-making strategy to maximize average throughput while reducing the number of handovers. We use Thompson sampling with the DDQN to balance exploration and exploitation. The DDQN with The Thompson sampling approach, ensuring efficient and effective learning, forms the foundation for optimizing the metatraining process, resulting in improvement in cumulated packet lossby48.02%in highway settings and 46.32%in rural setting
Understanding the use of digital technologies to provide disability services remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic; a multiple case study design
Get PDFAvailability of data and materials:
The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to our inability to ensure participants will remain anonymous. The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Supplementary Information is available online at: https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-024-10652-6#Sec15 .Background:
Using digital technologies to provide services and supports remotely may improve efficiency and accessibility of healthcare, and support people with disabilities to live independently. This study aimed to explore the experience of using digital technologies to access and provide disability services and supports during the Covid-19 pandemic, from the perspective of people with disabilities, families and service providers.
Methods:
Using a multiple case study design, we purposively sampled three cases based on service user characteristics and geographical reach of the service. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 service users and service providers. Topic guides and analysis were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Analysis followed a largely deductive approach, using the CFIR constructs as a coding framework. A summary memo was developed for each case. Influence and strength of each construct was rated to identify constructs that influenced implementation of digital technologies. Ratings were compared across services to identify facilitators and barriers to implementation.
Results:
Service users and providers were positive about using digital technologies to access and provide disability services and supports remotely. Advantages over in-person delivery included reduced travel time, increased opportunity for peer support and peer learning, more choice and opportunity to participate in activities, and an enhanced sense of self while accessing services from the secure environment of their home. The urgency to identify new modes of service delivery to meet the needs of service users during Covid-19 was a strong facilitator but did not necessarily result in successful implementation. Other factors that were strong facilitators were the use of adaptations to enable service users to access the online service, service users’ willingness to try the online service, service users’ persistence when they encountered challenges, and the significant time and effort that service providers made to support service users to participate in the online service. Barriers to implementation included the complexity of accessing online platforms, poor design quality of online platforms, and organisations prioritising in-person delivery over online services.
Conclusions:
These findings may allow service providers to leverage facilitators that support implementation of online disability services and supports.UCB Community Health Fund managed by the King Baudouin Foundation
Effect of Water on Zn Electrodeposition from a Deep Eutectic Solvent
Get PDFData Availability Statement:
Data have been made available in Brunel University London's repository via Brunel Figshare database.The electrodeposition of Zn films from a deep eutectic solvent (DES) of ZnCl2 and formamide and its mixture with water was studied. From spectroscopic analyses it was observed that water up to 30 v/v% does not change the Zn coordination in the electrolyte after which significant change in the coordination was observed. Electrochemical studies showed that with increase in water concentration in the DES, higher deposition/stripping current was achieved which was related to lowering of viscosity. The Zn deposit morphology changed significantly with water concentration. At low concentrations of water (up to 20 v/v%), porous Zn nanoplates formed whereas the morphology changed to a dense hexagonal structure on increasing the water concentration. X-ray diffraction results confirmed that at low water concentrations (up to 20 v/v%) Zn-Cu alloy formed. Above 20 v/v% water concentration in the DES, Zn peaks evolved with Zn-Cu alloy forming a shoulder. Based on the electrochemical and spectroscopic studies, it appears that 20–30 v/v% water is the critical region wherein significant changes occur from a DES rich region to a water-rich region.UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), EP/W015129/1
Cross-adaptation from heat stress to hypoxia: A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis
Get PDFCross-adaptation (CA) refers to the successful induction of physiological adaptation under one environmental stressor (e.g., heat), to enable subsequent benefit in another (e.g., hypoxia). This systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis investigated the effect of heat acclimation (HA) on physiological, perceptual and physical performance outcome measures during rest, and submaximal and maximal intensity exercise in hypoxia.
Database searches in Scopus and MEDLINE were performed. Studies were included when they met the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome criteria, were of English-language, peer-reviewed, full-text original articles, using human participants. Risk of bias and study quality were assessed using the COnsensus based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments checklist.
Nine studies were included, totalling 79 participants (100 % recreationally trained males). The most common method of HA included fixed-intensity exercise comprising 9 ± 3 sessions, 89 ± 24-min in duration and occurred within 39 ± 2 °C and 32 ± 13 % relative humidity. CA induced a moderate, beneficial effect on physiological measures at rest (oxygen saturation: g = 0.60) and during submaximal exercise (heart rate: g = −0.65, core temperature: g = −0.68 and skin temperature: g = −0.72). A small effect was found for ventilation (g = 0.24) and performance measures (peak power: g = 0.32 and time trial time: g = −0.43) during maximal intensity exercise. No effect was observed for perceptual outcome measures.
CA may be appropriate for individuals, such as occupational or military workers, whose access to altitude exposure prior to undertaking submaximal activity in hypoxic conditions is restricted. Methodological variances exist within the current literature, and females and well-trained individuals have yet to be investigated. Future research should focus on these cohorts and explore the mechanistic underpinnings of CA.Funding sources: None. Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank Para-Monte, the Adam Savory Altitude Awareness Charity, Eastbourne, East Sussex (https://www.para-monte.org/) for their charitable support that has underpinned our hypoxic research.None
Screening Rainwater Harvesting Potentialities in the EU Industrial Sector: A Framework for Site-Specific Assessment
Get PDFData Availability Statement: Data are contained within the article.Supplementary Materials: The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/w16121758/s1, S1 and S2: Average Annual Growth Rate; S3. Potential industry freshwater requirements; S4 and S5. Potential rainwater harvested; S6. Potential harvest area; S7. Projected rainfall simulation considering the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP); S8. Rainfall: SSP/RCP scenarios.The industrial sector’s water consumption is projected to increase by 400% by 2050, placing significant stress on freshwater reserves. To address this challenge, innovative solutions for water management are crucial. This paper proposes a comprehensive framework for Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) in industrial settings, offering a methodology to assess the potential for RWH implementation across EU industrial sites. The framework integrates internal and publicly available datasets, including EU climate change monthly average rainfall data from the Copernicus Climate Data Store, to create current and prospective scenarios for RWH. The methodology evaluates critical parameters co-created with industrial stakeholders, such as catchment area, water quality, and industrial water requirements. This approach allows for site-specific assessments, enabling industries to reduce freshwater consumption and support sustainability goals within the Horizon 2050 framework. Our findings indicate that implementing RWH systems can significantly contribute to a sustainable and circular economy by reducing annual freshwater consumption, promoting resource reuse, and lowering industrial water costs. This framework provides industries with a tool to assess RWH feasibility, supporting their efforts to prepare for increased water demands and contribute to environmental conservation.This research has received funding received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 958274—iWAYS—Innovative WAter recoverY Solutions through recycling of heat, materials and water across multiple sectors
The Offender Personality Disorder Pathway for men in England and Wales: A qualitative study of offenders’ views on services, perceived impact on psychological wellbeing and implications for desistance
No full textThe offender personality disorder (OPD) Pathway is a network of services across prison, health and community settings in England and Wales providing psychological support for high-risk people who have offended and are thought to have a personality disorder. As part of a national evaluation of the Pathway, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 36 Pathway users to determine their views about their experiences in these services; and whether and how these impacted on their psychological wellbeing. Framework analysis was used to analyze the data. Participants reported positive therapeutic relationships with staff; improved psychological wellbeing; and for some, a shift away from antisocial toward more pro-social identities. They also described a negative impact of staff turnover and uncertainty about the role of prison officers and psychologists within prison services. Pathway services are able to engage individuals who have not previously engaged with services. Constancy of staff is fundamental to the Pathway.National Offender Management Service and NHS England
Multiple negative impacts of marine plastic pollution on tropical coastal ecosystem services, and human health and well-being
Get PDFData availability: Anonymized data from the Delphi surveys will be available publicly in Figshare at [DOI: 10.17633/rd.brunel.25690275], Repositori Ilmiah Nasional (RIN), and UK Data Service following a one-year embargo from the date of publication to allow for further analysis and its publications by the research team. The links to the deposited anonymous data will be made available after the embargo period (https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ap5PBD9dJGq-aaxN9YecJHQvVDE?e=rEoKGD). The anonymized data will also be made available upon request.Supplementary data is available online at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569124004083?via%3Dihub#appsec1 .There is limited empirical evidence showing the impacts of marine plastic pollution on ecosystem services or on human health and well-being in Global South countries. We aimed to estimate these impacts in the tropical archipelago of Indonesia, one of the top emitters of marine plastics globally, through an iterative Delphi survey, with an expert panel (n = 42) consisting of equal numbers of Indonesian scientists, policymakers, and practitioners. After two rounds of the survey, the analysis of interquartile ranges indicated that the experts reached a consensus in their predictions. The experts agreed that, over the next 10 years, plastics would be mainly accumulated in the coastal area of Java, the most densely populated island, and mostly in mangrove ecosystems. While all ecosystem services were harmed by plastic pollution, the most vulnerable services were food provisioning, genetic materials, nursery habitat, and recreation supplied by the highly vulnerable coastal ecosystems of, in descending order, mangrove, coral reef, seagrass, and sandy beach. These impacts on ecosystem services influenced different dimensions of human health and well-being and were dependent on the ecosystem types, as indicated in several statistically significant positive correlations (Spearman's rank), including those between the decline of mangrove ecosystem services and reduced household income, and between the decrease of coral reef ecosystem services and both deteriorating mental health and reduced household income. Overall, this study provides the first indication of Indonesian coastal ecosystems and ecosystem services to be prioritized for mitigation and monitoring efforts. The focus on impacts on human health and well-being also incentivizes ongoing efforts by policymakers, industry and commerce, the third sector, and the public in the country to address the contribution to global marine plastic pollution.Natural Environment Research Council (grant number NE/V006428/1) for “PISCES: A Systems Analysis Approach to Reduce Plastic Waste in Indonesian Societies” project
Advancing Sustainable Healthcare Technology Management: Developing a Comprehensive Risk Assessment Framework with a Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process, Integrating External and Internal Factors in the Gulf Region
Get PDFData Availability Statement: The data can be made available upon reasonable request by contacting the corresponding authors.In the context of healthcare technology management (HTM) in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region, this study addresses a significant gap by exploring both external and internal risk factors affecting HTM performance. Previous studies have primarily focused on modeling or predicting failures in medical devices, mostly examining internal (endogenous) factors that impact device performance and the development of optimal service strategies. However, a comprehensive investigation of external (exogenous) factors has been notably absent. This research introduced a novel hierarchical risk management framework designed to accommodate a broad array of healthcare technologies, not limited to just medical devices. It significantly advanced the field by thoroughly investigating and validating a comprehensive set of 53 risk factors and assessed their influence on HTM. Additionally, this study embraced the perspective of enterprise risk management (ERM) and expanded it to identify and incorporate a wider range of risk factors, offering a more holistic and strategic approach to risk assessment in healthcare technology management. The findings revealed that several previously underexplored external and internal factors significantly impacted HTM performance. Notably, the Fuzzy AHP survey identified “design risk” under facility and environmental risks as the highest risk for HTM in this region. Furthermore, this study revealed that three out of the top ten risks were related to “facility and internal environmental” factors, six were related to technological endogenous factors, and only one was related to managerial factors. This distribution underscores the critical areas for intervention and the need for robust facility and technology management strategies. In conclusion, this research not only fills a critical void by providing a robust framework for healthcare technology risk assessment but also broadens the scope of risk analysis to include a wider array of technologies, thereby enhancing the efficacy and safety of healthcare interventions in the region. Additionally, the proposed hierarchy provides insights into the underlying risk factors for healthcare technology management, with potential applications extending beyond the regional context to a global scale. Moreover, the equation we proposed offers a novel perspective on the key risk factors involved in healthcare technology management, presenting insights with far-reaching implications applicable not only regionally but also on a global level. This framework also supports sustainability goals by encouraging the efficient and responsible utilization and management of healthcare technologies, essential for ensuring the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of medical technology use. This research is of an exploratory nature, with the findings from the Fuzzy AHP analysis being most applicable to the specific geographic regions examined. Additional research is required to validate these results and to confirm the trends observed in various other regions and contexts.This research received no external funding
The Evolution of Dilatant Shear Bands in High-Pressure Die Casting for Al-Si Alloys
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.Bands of interdendritic porosity and positive macrosegregation are commonly observed in pressure die castings, with previous studies demonstrating their close relation to dilatant shear bands in granular materials. Despite recent technological developments, the micromechanism governing dilatancy in the high-pressure die casting (HPDC) process for alloys between liquid and solid temperature regions is still not fully understood. To investigate the influence of fluid flow and the size of externally solidified crystals (ESCs) on the evolution of dilatant shear bands in HPDC, various filling velocities were trialled to produce HPDC samples of Al8SiMnMg alloys. This study demonstrates that crystal fragmentation is accompanied by a decrease in dilatational concentration, producing an indistinct shear band. Once crystal fragmentation stagnates, the enhanced deformation rate associated with a further increase in filling velocity (from 2.2 ms−1 to 4.6 ms−1) localizes dilatancy into a highly concentrated shear band. The optimal piston velocity is 3.6 ms−1, under which the average ESC size reaches the minimum, and the average yield stress and overall product of strength and elongation reach the maximum values of 144.6 MPa and 3.664 GPa%, respectively. By adopting the concept of force chain buckling in granular media, the evolution of dilatant shear bands in equiaxed solidifying alloys can be adequately explained based on further verification with DEM-type modeling in OpenFOAM. Three mechanisms for ESC-enhanced dilation are presented, elucidating previous reports relating the presence of ESCs to the subsequent shear band characteristics. By applying the physics of granular materials to equiaxed solidifying alloys, unique opportunities are presented for process optimization and microstructural modeling in HPDC.National Science Foundation of China (52304360); Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, China (K22-07); Key Research and Development Program of Xiangjiang Laboratory (22XJ01002); Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Jaguar Land Rover Ltd. (grant number 11055100)
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