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A Mixed Methods Exploration of Eating Behaviours, Body Image and Mindfulness-Based Constructs Among Gay and Bisexual Men
No full textThe prevalence of eating and body-related disturbances among gay and bisexual men exceeds those experienced by straight men; with the majority of literature denoting higher rates of eating disorder prevalence and disordered eating. Mindfulness, self-compassion, and mindful eating have been associated negatively with problematic eating behaviours and body-related issues, informing interventions reported as effective at attenuating such issues in the general and more specific populations. The paucity of research exploring problematic eating behaviours and the potential associations of mindfulness-based constructs among gay and bisexual men provides an opportunity to investigate the potential utility of mindfulness-based constructs to attenuate problematic eating and body-related issues. The current thesis aimed to attain insight into the relationships of mindfulness-based constructs to body-related issues and problematic eating, and further gain an understanding as to how these elements are experienced among gay and bisexual men. The thesis comprises of three initial cross-sectional research chapters, followed by three research chapters which adopted a qualitative approach, consisting of an IMR study and two semi-structured interview studies. Overall, the cross-sectional chapters provided insight into the relationships of mindfulness, self-compassion and mindful eating to body image and problematic eating behaviours among queer men. The nuanced role of body acceptance was observed in explaining relationships between mindfulness-based constructs to problematic eating and body-image. Weight- and body- related shame and guilt also explained relationships of mindfulness-based constructs to problematic eating. The proceeding qualitative chapters highlighted the lived experience of participants in relation to their identity, queer culture and self-acceptance, and further, how these elements related to perceptions of body image and engagement in problematic eating. The findings provide an understanding of the potential utility of mindfulness and related elements in attenuating eating and body-related issues among gay and bisexual men, with consideration for future interventions
Self-generated cues: The role of cue quality in facilitating eyewitness recall
No full textPurpose
Witness-led techniques, informed by theory, have been recognised as best practice for eliciting information from cooperative eyewitnesses. In the current research, we test a self-generated cue (SGC) mnemonic grounded in memory theory and explore the impact of three SGC mnemonics on subsequent recall performance.
Methodology
Participants (N = 170) witnessed a live staged event and reported their recall using a SGC mnemonic (keywords only, event-line, or concept map) or control technique (other-generated cues or free recall only). These mock witness accounts were compared in terms of correct and incorrect details reported.
Findings
Fewer correct details were reported in the other-generated cue condition compared to the SGC event-line (p = .018) and SGC concept map (p = .010). There were no significant differences between free recall alone and any other condition. The number of inaccurate details reported did not differ between conditions (p = .153). Our findings suggest that high quality free recall instructions can benefit recall performance above generic cues (e.g. other-generated cues) but using SGCs to support a structured recall (e.g., concept map or event-line) may offer an additional recall benefit.
Originality
Our findings support previous research that SGCs benefit recall beyond other-generated cues. However, by comparing different cue generation techniques grounded in the literature, we extend such findings to show that SGC generation techniques are not equally effective and that combining SGCs with structured recall is likely to carry the greatest benefit to recall
Digital Technologies for Quality Assurance in the Construction Industry: Current Trend and Future Research Directions towards Industry 4.0
No full textDespite the growing rich and fragmented literature focusing on quality assurance (QA) and Industry 4.0, the implementation of associated individual digital technologies has not been fully evaluated and synthesised to achieve adequate QA in the construction industry; hence, it has received limited focus. This study, thus, aimed to organise, evaluate, and synthesise the current literature on individual digital technology applications in QA in the construction industry and propose future research directions. A literature review approach was adopted for this study along with Deming’s cycle framework to address four research questions: (1) What is the status of the state-of-the-art in the literature? (2) What digital technologies have been applied for QA in the construction industry? (3) Which areas in QA processes have experienced digital technology applications, and what are the applications? (4) What are the limitations of the existing studies and future research directions of digital technologies for QA in the construction industry? The findings showed an increasing trend of research on digital technology for QA in construction since 2017. This cuts across 23 countries with six different research methods published across 18 different publication sources. Four categories of digital technologies were revealed to have been adopted for QA in construction based on the functionality of the technologies: data collection technologies, decision-oriented technologies, collaborative technologies, and transparency and security-related technologies. Evaluation with Deming’s cycle framework revealed that digital technologies have a high level of application at the “do” phase, improving the quality management process during construction towards achieving pre-stated quality requirements. This includes mostly collaborative technologies, consisting of BIM technologies. Limitations of the existing studies were further identified, and this led to five research directions: interoperability of technology development, integrated digital technologies for QA of prefabricated and modular construction, integrated digital technologies for QA of cross-border construction logistics and supply chain, digital innovation for sustainable QA, and moving beyond the technical solution. The study showed a significant contribution to both academia and the industry in the built environment
Optimized design of dead-end spoiler using PIV
No full textIn this study, the efficacy of varying spoiler design parameters on regulating dead-end con-taminant diffusion was investigated using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technology. The optimal spoiler design parameters were identified under low Reynolds number turbulence, including variables such as tilt angle, height, width and installation position. The findings of this study present a novel approach for improving water quality in WDNs by installing spoilers in dead-ends and offering valuable insights and provide guidance for the design and optimization of these spoiler
AI-Based Wireless Sensor IoT Networks for Energy-Efficient Consumer Electronics Using Stochastic Optimization
No full textWireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) integration with the Internet of Things (IoT) expands its potential by providing ideal communication and data sharing across devices, allowing more considerable monitoring and management in Consumer Electronics (CE). WSNs have an essential limitation in terms of energy resources since sensor nodes frequently run on limited power from batteries. This limitation necessitates the consideration of energy-efficient techniques to extend the network’s lifetime. In this article, an integrated approach has been presented to improve the energy efficiency of Wireless Sensor IoT Networks (WSINs) by leveraging modern machine learning algorithms with stochastic optimization. Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) is utilized for the feature selection thus optimizing the input features for various machine learning models. These models are rigorously evaluated for their aptness to predict and mitigate energy consumption concerns inside WSINs. Subsequently, the stochastic optimization technique utilizes the uniform and normal distributions to model energy consumption situations. The results show that RFE-driven feature selection has significant effects on model performance and that Random Forest is effective at reaching higher accuracy. This research provides valuable perspectives for the design and implementation of WSINs in CE, supporting sustainable smart devices, by addressing energy consumption concerns using an optimized approach
Racialisation, securitisation, and professionalisation of Muslim teachers
No full textThis chapter uses life stories to explore salient episodes from the lives of three Muslim primary school teachers serving education in Birmingham. It draws on qualitative research conducted with teachers in different schools across the city. It illuminates their historic origins, experiences of schooling, influences on identity and their conceptualising of professional identity of teachers. Conclusions, from individual and collective narratives, confirm their orientations to teaching being similar in several types of schools. The participants shared positive and enjoyable experiences alongside some experiences of racism, verbal abuse, and microaggressions. Within their complex web of identities, these first-hand accounts provide an understanding of what it means to be a Muslim teacher in contemporary Britain. All were proud of expressing their identity as Muslims while also acknowledging their professionalism
Skin-to-Skin Contact. Are we doing enough?
No full textSkin-to-Skin Contact (SSC) (also known as kangaroo care) is a fundamental aspect of neonatal care globally for both term and preterm infants. Yet there seem to be barriers to facilitating this in clinical practice, some of these barriers will be explored in this article. This article will explore the practice of SSC in the UK, Rwanda, Zambia and Saudi Arabia. Education is crucial to support and enhance clinical practice. The use of simulation to improve confidence and knowledge when initiating SSC for a preterm ventilated baby was a useful learning activity that has increased confidence. The benefits of SSC are well known internationally by healthcare professionals. Overall, the reasons/barriers for not facilitating SSC seem to be very similar in the UK and internationally. This shows that there is a requirement for further education and training globally. As much as we consider SSC as a simple practice, there are times when this cannot be as easy as expected. Low staffing levels play a major part in the UK and internationally, with patient safety being a top priority. If more staff were available, would SSC be encouraged more? Further research is required into the barriers to SSC and parental knowledge of SSC. Will the recommended continuous or even the minimum 8 hours per day of SSC ever be achievable globally
Childhood obesity and comorbidities-related perspective and experience of parents from Black and Asian minority ethnicities in England: a qualitative study
No full textBackground: Preventing childhood obesity and associated comorbidities is often hampered by disproportionate disparity in healthcare provision in minority ethnic populations. This study contextualized factors influencing childhood obesity and related comorbidity from the perspectives and experiences of parents of ethnic minority populations.
Methods: Following ethical approval, families (n = 180) from ethnic minority populations in the Northeast of England were contacted through flyers, community social groups and online forum. Of the 180 families contacted, 22 expressed interests, of whom 12 parents were eligible to participate in the study, and one family dropped out due to time constraints. Therefore 11 parents from ethnic minority communities living with at least one child with obesity were interviewed. Each family was separately visited at home and took part in a semi-structured interview based on the study’s qualitative, descriptive phenomenological design. Nine of the families had one child who was diagnosed with an obesity-related comorbidity (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, musculoskeletal problems or respiratory disorder). Semi-structured interviews were standardized around parents’ perspective and experience on how their children were impacted by obesity and comorbidities, healthcare preventative interventions including lifestyle physical activity and nutrition, and views on tackling obesity impact on their lives. All interviews were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis.
Results: Parents’ perspectives revealed 11 themes centered around experience of living with a child with obesity, risks, and impact of obesity related Non-Communicable Diseases; and access to support, and barriers unique to minority ethnic groups. Parents revealed social disadvantages, fear of victimization by social services, perceptions on their cultural and religious traditions, and racial stigmatization related to their child’s weight. Parents reported closer bonding with their children to protect them from the untoward consequences of overweight, and little awareness of healthcare obesity prevention programs. Work pressure, lack of time, absence of guidance from professionals were seen as barriers to healthy lifestyle, while support from friends and closer family bond in adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors were facilitators. However, there was little awareness or access to current healthcare obesity preventive offerings.
Conclusion: Minority ethnic communities’ perspective on childhood obesity prevention does not match the healthcare system preventative offerings. Community and family-oriented obesity preventative approaches, especially lifestyle interventions are needed beyond those administered by the primary healthcare system
A Mobile Deep Learning Classification Model for Diabetic Retinopathy
No full textThe pupil, iris, vitreous, and retina are parts of the eye, where any defect due to physical damage or chronic diseases to these parts of the eye may lead to partial vision loss or full blindness. The early diagnosis of eye diseases due to any human chronic disease is highly important and helps prevent the disease at an early stage. The changes in retinal structure due to diabetes or high blood pressure lead to Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). The early diagnosis of DR using computer-aided automated tools is possible due to tremendous advancements in machine and deep learning models in the last decade. Devising and implementing innovative deep learning models for retinal structural analysis is crucial for early diagnosis of DR and other eye diseases. In this work, we have developed a new approach, which involves the development of a lightweight Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) based model for retinal vessel segmentation and a mobile application for DR grading. This paper covers the development process of an Android application that leverages the power of CNN based deep learning model to detect DR regardless of its stage. To achieve this, two models have been created and compared, the best one having an accuracy of 96.72%. An Android application has then been developed, making calls to this model, and then displaying the results on-screen with a simple-to-understand interface developed using the Kivy Framework
Self-compassion and reasons individuals stop eating: An exploratory investigation
No full textBackground
Self-compassion is a prevalent factor that has been explored in eating behaviour and weight loss literature. The present study explored the potential relationship between self-compassion and reasons individuals stop eating.
Method
Two hundred and eighty-three participants were recruited from social media platforms and a research participation scheme at a university in the West Midlands, UK, and completed questionnaires on self-compassion and reasons individuals stop eating.
Results
The findings suggested that self-compassion was negatively associated with decreased food appeal, self-consciousness, and decreased food priority, whilst being positively associated with physical satisfaction.
Conclusion
Self-compassion plays a prevalent role in the reasons individuals stop eating, and future research should continue exploring the effect of self-compassion on eating behaviour regulation