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Examining the nature and effectiveness of fee-free supplementary tutoring:voices of ‘Robin Hood teachers’ in Kazakhstan
Get PDFThis mixed-methods study investigates fee-free private tutoring offered by ‘Robin Hood teachers’ in Kazakhstan – schoolteachers who provide free tutoring to some students while charging others. Despite growing research on shadow education, little is known about the motivations behind free tutoring and its broader implications. Therefore, this study explores teachers’ motivations, professional benefits and ethical dilemmas. Data were collected through an online survey of 586 teachers from six mainstream schools and semi-structured interviews with 30 teachers. Findings reveal that 210 (35.8%) teachers offered free tutoring at some point in their careers, primarily to support disadvantaged students, gain teaching experience and meet social obligations. While free tutoring benefits students’ academic performance and social mobility, teachers noted challenges, including burnout and blurred professional boundaries. The study calls for policy interventions to integrate free tutoring into structured programmes, ensuring equity and sustainability
Human-centred Artificial Intelligence: Pilot design of a Virtual Patient
No full textVirtual patient (VP) avatars driven by artificial intelligence (AI) could enhance healthcare training and offer flexible learning. Recent advances have developed large language models (LLMs) for more natural and contextual responses, but research into LLMs for VPs is still emerging. This research aimed to co-create prompts and training for a conversational AI system supporting a VP. The objective was to pilot the processes of prompt engineering and AI training in line with iterative development and human-centred design (HCD). Co-creation underpinned by design thinking was employed, involving collaboration between the university as User Experience designers and industry AI Engineers. Fifty-nine participants from student, academic, clinical, and technology groups were recruited for six co-creation workshops. Four versions of the VP prompts were developed and tested, with nine training samples included in the reinforcement fine tuning data set. This research adopts an HCD approach, outlining various techniques for co-creating optimal prompts that consider the VP’s personality, life context and clinical situation. A definition of VPs as it relates to human-centred AI (HCAI) development and a framework for the process is discussed
Impact of a mineral enriched, fibre complex on glycaemic response and satiation in healthy adults:a double‑blind, crossover intervention study
Get PDFPurposeTo investigate the effects of a chromium-enriched glucomannan-fructooligosaccharide complex (SB) on glycaemic and insulin responses, satiation, and hunger biomarkers in healthy adults.MethodsUsing a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised crossover design, we assessed the acute impact of a single 3 g SB dose in 16 healthy adults (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2) during a modified oral glucose tolerance test. On separate days, participants consumed 50 g dextrose or 50 g dextrose with 3 g SB (SBD). Blood glucose and insulin were analysed over 2.5 h. Hunger, fullness, and desire to eat were assessed via visual analogue scales. Additionally, the impact of SB on gastric viscosity was assessed in vitro.ResultsSBD intake significantly reduced the insulin concentration compared to dextrose alone at 45, 75, and 90 min post-intake. Additionally, SBD resulted in significantly greater fullness and a lower desire to eat at 75 min when compared to dextrose (p < 0.05). Although hunger increased over time for both interventions, SBD led to lower hunger, desire to eat, and food desire scores compared to dextrose at 150 min (p < 0.05). The viscosity of SB, even when combined with dextrose, was significantly higher compared to dextrose alone.ConclusionsThese novel findings suggest that SB can modulate insulin response and influence appetite regulation, highlighting its potential use in weight management strategies
Investigating the effect of the digital storytelling of peers’ childbirth experiences on the perception and mode of childbirth: a quasi-experimental study
Get PDF.Background and aimTelling stories about giving birth vaginally can generate deeper understandings, potentially resulting in fewer requests to birth via cesarean section without medical reason. We aimed to determine the impact of the digital storytelling of peers’ childbirth experiences on the perception and mode of childbirth in those birthing for the first time.MethodsThis quasi-experimental study invited those pregnant and birthing for the first time from four comprehensive health centers to participate. Using a simple randomizing method, two centers were assigned to the control group and two centers were assigned to the intervention group. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 65 eligible participants from each center group. The six steps of the ASPIRE model were used to guide the development of the intervention. Five story-telling videos were sent weekly to participants in the intervention group to watch between the 32nd and 36th weeks of pregnancy. After giving birth, data were collected via telephone from those in both the control and intervention groups in relation to their mode of childbirth as a primary outcome. Furthermore, 7 to 21 days after giving birth, all participants completed the Childbirth Perception Scale as a primary outcome.ResultsOur subgroup analysis confirmed a statistically significant difference between both the intervention and control groups (P = 0.001), whereby those who gave birth vaginally in the intervention group indicated more positive perceptions of childbirth. Contrariwise, no significant difference was identified between the intervention and control groups in terms of perception of childbirth score in participants who gave birth via emergency cesarean section (P = 0.45). In all included participants, that is, those who experienced vaginal childbirth and those who experienced emergency cesarean section, there was no significant difference identified between the intervention and control groups in terms of perception of childbirth score (P = 0.088).ConclusionThe digital storytelling of peers’ childbirth experiences is effective in cultivating more positive perceptions in relation to the experience of childbirth, specifically among those who experience childbirth vaginally. Considering the above, digital storytelling may be implemented as a useful tool in childbirth preparation, though the need for alternative interventions remains in pursuit of lowering the number of unnecessary births via cesarean section conducted overall
Built-in:How Entrepreneurs Use Their Personal Brands to Build Cognitive Social Capital to Foster the Venture Growth
No full textAt the beginning of their journeys, new ventures are confronted with owner-centricity. In this phase the entrepreneur’s personal brand overlaps with the still-developing brand of the new business entity. As such, building a strong personal brand represents a strategic asset to overcome both the liability of newness and the liability of smallness to attain the legitimacy needed to attract people and money. Indeed, being well suited to communicate identities, personal brands are a strategic means for the founder to stand out from the crowd and accumulate social capital to acquire resources. Yet, despite the relevance of the topic, there is a paucity of research. With the aim of addressing how the personal brand of an entrepreneur could be leveraged to facilitate the formation of cognitive and social capital, that is, a shared view of the world needed to ease the exchange of resources, the study adopted a multiple-case study approach investigated through a semiotic method. Findings suggest entrepreneurs foster a shared understanding of the world with their audience through their personal brands leveraged as a cognitive device by developing a narrative that resonates with them. Implications for the community of practice are provided with a range of future research opportunities
Fluid–structure interaction analysis of pulsatile flow in arterial aneurysms with physics-informed neural networks and computational fluid dynamics
Get PDFMarfan syndrome (MS) is a genetic disorder often associated with the development of aortic aneurysms, leading to severe vascular complications. The progression of this condition is intricately linked to hemodynamic factors such as wall shear stress (WSS) and von Mises stress, as abnormal distributions can contribute to thrombus formation, endothelial damage, and the worsening of aneurysmal conditions. In this study, six vascular models were analyzed: four representing diseased aortas with Marfan syndrome aneurysms and two healthy aortic models for comparison. The models were sourced from Vascular Model Repository, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted using a Newtonian fluid model and the shear stress transport (SST) k- ω turbulent transitional model to evaluate WSS and von Mises stress. Fluid-structure interaction was employed to incorporate vessel wall interaction, and pulsatile inlet velocity profiles were used to simulate physiological blood flow, capturing time-dependent hemodynamic variations. The results revealed significant differences between healthy and diseased aortic models. In healthy models, WSS was uniformly distributed, with values consistently below 40 Pa, reflecting stable vascular conditions. Conversely, the diseased models exhibited highly non-uniform WSS distributions, with notably lower values in aneurysmal regions, contributing to thrombus formation, with elevated WSS in areas like the carotid and subclavian arteries due to geometric and hemodynamic complexities. The von Mises stress analysis identified regions of heightened rupture risk, particularly on the superior side of case MS 1, where both von Mises stress and WSS reached their highest values among all cases. Physics-informed neural networks demonstrated strong agreement with CFD results while significantly reducing computational cost, highlighting their potential for real-time clinical applications. These findings underscore the critical role of hemodynamic factors in aneurysm progression and rupture risk, offering valuable insights for optimizing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in vascular diseases.</p
The Problems of the White Ethnic Majority' Revisited:A Personal, Theological and Political Review
Get PDFust over three and a half decades ago, as a young, white, Christian anti-racist activist challenged by Ambalavaner Sivanandan's (1981), 'White Man Listen!' and Salman Rushdie's (1982) 'The New Empire Within Britain' the author of this article wrote a booklet with the deliberately 'inverted' title of 'The Problems of the White Ethnic Majority'. In the light of the summer 2020 'I Can't Breathe' death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter uprisings, I was challenged to return to what I had previously written to interrogate how far since then, as a white Christian individual; the Christian tradition to which I belong; and/or also the UK ethnic majority of which I am a part, have or have not changed. Out of that reflection, this article argues that, despite many important developments, in relation to the stark realities of racism, much that was the case in the mid-1980s remains today. It continues to affirm that the route to liberation for members of the UK white ethnic majority still needs to go through a serious reckoning with the differential impact of the histories and continuing legacies of colonialism and imperialism upon ourselves and those who are of the African and Global Majority
Physiotherapy and Optimised Enteral Nutrition In the post-acute phase of critical illness (PHOENIX): protocol for a mixed methods feasibility randomised controlled trial
Get PDFEach year in the UK, 140 000 patients are discharged from intensive care units (ICUs) to general hospital wards, almost all with complex rehabilitation needs. 84% of patients still require nutritional support and 98% are not physically independent. Despite this, many are discharged from ICU without a nutrition plan, and failure to recognise malnutrition is common. Consequently, malnutrition persists in the ward environment, leading to poor outcomes and acting as a barrier to successful physical rehabilitation. This transition from intensive care to the ward represents a key stage in the recovery journey, and a window for optimising physical independence prior to hospital discharge, decreasing the need for support in the community. However, uncertainty as to how best to provide ongoing rehabilitation which combines adequate nutrition and exercise on the general ward has driven widespread variation in practice.We have previously shown the benefits of delivering a structured rehabilitation strategy in the ICU. However, the ward environment poses different challenges to the development of an integrated rehabilitation pathway. There is a need to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of structured rehabilitation strategies when delivered outside the ICU. Physiotherapy and Optimised Enteral Nutrition In the post-acute phase of critical illness is a bi-centre, mixed methods feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT). 60 patients will be recruited from ICUs at two acute National Health Service Trusts and randomised on a 1:1 basis to receive either individualised physiotherapy and optimised nutrition post discharge from ICU (intervention) or standard care. The primary objective is to assess the acceptability of the intervention and feasibility of a future, multicentre RCT. The primary outcome measures, which will determine feasibility, are recruitment and retention rates, and intervention fidelity. Acceptability of the intervention will be evaluated through semistructured interviews of participants and staff. Secondary outcome measures include collecting baseline, clinical and outcome data to inform the power calculations of a future definitive trial. Ethical approval has been obtained through the Wales Research and Ethics Committee 2 (24/WA/0050). We aim to disseminate the findings through international conferences, international peer-reviewed journals and social media. NCT06159868. Prospectively registered on 28 November 2023. [Abstract copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ Group.
WOLVES: Window of Opportunity attack feasibility likelihood value estimation through a simulation-based approach
Get PDFThe Road Vehicles Cybersecurity Engineering Standard, ISO/SAE 21434, provides a framework for road vehicle Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment (TARA). The TARA framework must include Connected Vehicles (CVs) and their connectivity with external interfaces. However, assessing cyber-attack feasibility on CVs is a significant challenge, as traditionally, qualitative and subjective expert opinions are the norm. Additionally, there is a need for historical data on security-related incidents and dynamically evolving interconnected vehicle-to-everything (V2X) entities for feasibility assessment, which is not readily available. To address this problem, this paper presents, to the best of our knowledge, the first simulation-based TARA framework designed to characterise, quantify, and assess the Window of Opportunity (WO) for attackers—a metric that indicates the likelihood of an attack. A case study involving Bluetooth, with one attacker and one target, is modelled to demonstrate the proposed framework WOLVES’s applicability. Two scenarios have been investigated using different motorway roads in the UK. The primary outcome is the WOLVES framework, which employs a data-driven approach using both prior and likelihood information to estimate the probability of a successful cyber attack on a given technology in CVs. The findings from this research could assist threat analysts, decision-makers, and planners involved in CV risk assessment by enhancing the modelling of attack feasibility for cybersecurity threats in dynamic scenarios and developing appropriate mitigation strategies