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Methods for Neighbourhood mapping, boundary agreement
Get PDFAny analytical study of a neighbourhood must begin with an accurate definition of the geographic region that contains it. For a long time, there has been an interest in taking surveys of neighbourhood extents, but this can generate numerous haphazardly sketched polygons. Researchers typically face the challenges of using boundary polygons reported by each participant and unifying these polygons into one representative boundary. Over the years, several researchers have reported their findings on methods for unifying these boundaries. We present and compare the following five methods (two existing, one modified and two new): Dalton radial average, Bae–Montello average, a vectorised version of the Bae–Montello raster grid overlay, a vectorised derivative inspired by the Wenhao kernel density axis method maximum kernel density axis and a new k-medians clustering method. A crowd-sourced evaluation method is presented. N=42 raters ranked the five methods of aggregating real boundary data based on the results from three study areas. We found that the boundary aggregation method derived from the Bae–Montello grid, closely followed by the Dalton radial average method, provided the most reasonable results. This paper outlines the reasons for these results and illustrates how this knowledge may point to the ability of future algorithms to improve the presented methods. The paper ends with a recommendation that neighbourhood boundaries should utilise boundaries derived from the Bae–Montello raster grid overlay method and/or the Dalton radial average method to facilitate comparisons in the field
Conserving a sustainable urban environment through energy security and project management practices
Get PDFConstruction has been highlighted as one sector that could reduce its effect on the environment by implementing more sustainable methodologies. However, there are many different challenges preventing sustainable construction practice, and despite existing research providing advice for carbon emission reduction, these practices are being somewhat neglected. The purpose of this research is to investigate the challenges surrounding sustainable construction practice and the current knowledge on energy security and project management practices that can aid climate change mitigation. The design methodology of this study involves a thorough literature review of existing knowledge on the subject matter followed by primary research. The survey conducted collected quantitative data of 160 valid responses via an online closed ended questionnaire using snowball sampling methods from the construction and engineering professionals working in the UK construction industry. The study found that most participants agree with the encouragement of sustainable construction practices, but are generally unsure about what they can do. Factors such as government involvement and organisation culture have some significance but will rely on further research in order to assess specific influencing variables. The study contributes to existing research on factors surrounding project management and identifies and plethora of areas of improvement, that can be formed into a holistic approach to the current construction industry practice
Professionals' experiences of supporting two‐mother families in antenatal and child health care in Sweden
Get PDFBackground: In Sweden, antenatal and child health care are offered free of charge to all expectant and new parents. Professionals in antenatal and child health care play an important role in supporting parents. Previous research shows that same‐sex mothers face heteronormative assumptions and insufficient support during their transition to parenthood.
Objective: To explore professionals' experiences of supporting two‐mother families in antenatal and child health care.
Method: A qualitative method with focus group discussions was used. An interview guide was followed, and the discussions were held online. The data was analysed according to inductive content analysis.
Settings and participants: The participants were midwives (n = 8) and nurses (n = 5) in antenatal and child health care from different parts of Sweden. Participants were recruited through the coordinating midwives and child health care nurses in the different regions.
Findings: One main category was identified: Striving to be open‐minded in supporting same‐sex mothers. Health care professionals described meeting well‐prepared mothers, with an equal commitment between each other, and mothers on guard against heteronormative views. Professionals provided support through empowerment by creating a safe environment and aiming at providing equal support to all parents or tailored support to same‐sex mothers. Mothers described handling challenges, as a balancing act to acknowledge both mothers. Struggling with documents and communication and a lack of information were other challenges to be handled. Professionals reflected on their own professional competence and expressed that knowledge acquired through education, experience and personal interest all contributed to their competence.
Conclusions: Forms and documentation need to be updated to be gender neutral to be including to a variety of family constelleations. Health care professionals need time to reflect on norms and challenges to better support both mothers in a two‐mother family
Proxy‐reported sensory measures for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review
Get PDFAIM: To determine the quality and utility of proxy‐reported sensory measures for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (such as autism spectrum disorder, attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, movement disorders, and intellectual disability).
METHOD: We systematically searched 11 databases. We applied the updated Consensus‐based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) Risk of Bias checklist and criteria for good measurement properties to evaluate instrument development and psychometric properties. Findings were summarized using a COSMIN adaptation of Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations.
RESULTS: From 11 databases, 6748 articles were screened. Ninety‐one full‐length articles were reviewed after removing excluded studies and manual searches conducted by two reviewers. Data were extracted for 12 measures from 20 articles. Of the 12 measures, only three provided sufficient data to evaluate content validity and psychometric measurement properties. The Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire‐Home (PSEQ‐H) was the only measure that satisfied moderate content validity and moderate‐to‐high quality for measurement properties. These properties included: structural validity, hypothesis testing for construct validity, internal consistency, reliability, and measurement error.
INTERPRETATION: One measure, the PSEQ‐H, met eight criteria for good measurement properties. To facilitate evidence‐informed clinical decision‐making, all psychometric properties of all 12 sensory‐based, proxy‐reported measures were presented. The importance of consumer engagement in measure development and the need for ongoing evaluation of measures against contemporaneous standards is recommended
Evaluation of inhibitory effects of some novel phenolic derivatives on the mushroom tyrosinase activity
Get PDFArtificial Intelligence for Emerging Technology in Surgery: Systematic Review and Validation
Get PDFSurgery is a high-risk procedure of therapy and is associated to post trauma complications of longer hospital stay, estimated blood loss and long duration of surgeries. Reports have suggested that over 2.5% patients die during and post operation. This paper is aimed at systematic review of previous research on artificial intelligence (AI) in surgery, analyzing their results with suitable software to validate their research by obtaining same or contrary results. Six published research articles have been reviewed across three continents. These articles have been re-validated using software including SPSS and MedCalc to obtain the statistical features such as the mean, standard deviation, significant level, and standard error. From the significant values, the experiments are then classified according to the null (p0.05) hypotheses. The results obtained from the analysis have suggested significant difference in operating time, docking time, staging time, and estimated blood loss but show no significant difference in length of hospital stay, recovery time and lymph nodes harvested between robotic assisted surgery using AI and normal conventional surgery. From the evaluations, this research suggests that AI-assisted surgery improves over the conventional surgery as safer and more efficient system of surgery with minimal or no complications
The influence of industrial attitudes and behaviours in adopting sustainable construction practices
Get PDFConsidering the rapid environmental changes, the transitions to sustainable practices in the construction industry is vital now. Though the developed construction industries have already made efforts to switching to more sustainable and environment friendly practices, the developing countries are still lacking it. This research was organised to understand the role of project management practises and integrated methods in the sustainable development in the developing countries, for looking on how such practices can help these construction sectors become sustainable. The moderation effect of industrial attitudes and behaviours on sustainable construction was also conducted to understand the intermediary impacts. A survey based on the snowball sample of 208 construction professionals in Ghana was conducted to determine the impact of project management practises and integrated methods on sustainable construction. Research model was tested by employing bivariate correlation and multiple hierarchical regression analysis techniques, to establish the interrelationships among the project management practices, integrated approaches, industrial attitudes and behaviours, and sustainable construction and to explain these constructs in terms of their common underlying dimensions. The findings highlight that the project management practices and integrated approaches are significantly impacting on the sustainable construction practices in terms of BIM, Digital Twin, LEED, and BREEAM. Whereas the industrial attitudes and behaviours were found to be affecting the project management practises and integrated approaches through moderating role on sustainable construction. The study was concluded by suggesting the importance of sustainable construction practices and shaping industrial attitudes and behaviours towards such practices in the developing construction industries
Vision-based spatial damage localization method for autonomous robotic laser cladding repair processes
Get PDFRepair technologies have been considered as sustainable approaches due to their capability to restore value in a damaged component and bring it to like-new condition. However, in contrast to a manufacturing process benefiting from an automated environment, the automation level for repair and remanufacturing processes remains low. With the aim of moving the repair industry towards autonomy, this study proposes a novel repair framework. The developed methodology presents a vision-based Robotic Laser Cladding Repair Cell (RLCRC) that has two features: (a) an intelligent inspection system that uses a deep learning model to automatically detect the damaged region in an image; (b) employing computer vision-based calibration and 3D scanning techniques to precisely identify the geometries of damaged area. The repair of fixed bends is selected as the case study. The results obtained validate the efficacy of the proposed framework, enabling automatic damage detection and damaged volume extraction for worn fixed bends. Following the suggested framework, a time reduction of more than 63% is reported
Universal Basic Income is affordable and feasible: evidence from UK economic microsimulation modelling
Get PDFCritics of Universal Basic Income (UBI) have claimed that it would be either unaffordable or inadequate. This discussion paper tests this claim by examining the distributional impacts of three UBI schemes broadly designed to provide pathways to attainment of the Minimum Income Standard (MIS). We use microsimulation of data from the Family Resources Survey to outline the static distributional impacts and costs of the schemes. Our key finding is that even the fiscally neutral starter scheme would reduce child poverty to the lowest level achieved since 1961 and achieve more than the anti-poverty interventions of the New Labour Governments from 2000. The more generous schemes would make further inroads into the UK’s high levels of poverty and inequality, but at greater cost. We conclude by assessing fiscal strategies to reduce the up-front deficit of higher schemes, providing a more positive assessment of affordability and impact than critics have assumed
Infectious disease risk communication and engagement using puppetry and related approaches for improving handwashing with soap in an informal settlement of Nairobi
Get PDFHandwashing with soap (HWWS) has been estimated to have the potential to prevent 35% of the 704,880 deaths per year caused by diarrhoeal infectious diseases (UN Millennium Project, 2018), its wider risk reduction influence subsequently accentuated in times of COVID-19. However, this depends on place specific risk communication that leads to behaviour change, particularly amongst children in economically poor neighbourhoods. A study centred on five schools in the informal settlement of Kawangware, Nairobi found that puppetry, shadow shows and school model making produced effective risk communication and engagement spaces. Increased HWWS occurred when children designed, owned, and were able to apply risk communication