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Tall building clusters in urban canopies: an experimental analysis of wake and dispersion characteristics
No full textWind tunnel experiments were conducted to understand flow and dispersion
characteristics of tall building clusters surrounded by different surface
roughness using simultaneous 3D laser Doppler anemometry and fast flame
ionisation detector measurements for velocity and pollutant concentration
measurements, respectively. Two different surface roughnesses, Suburban
roughness elements (height equal to 20 mm), and Urban roughness (height
of 70 mm) were considered to mimic two different urban canopy depths.
Wake velocity measurements show a higher streamwise and wall-normal velocity
component for the Urban case due to enhanced channelling effects
between buildings. The wake recovery downstream of the cluster is influenced
by the vertical as well as the lateral shear layer it generates. When
the cluster is surrounded by the Urban blocks, a strong upwash is observed,
which brings near-wall low-momentum fluid upward, leading to the delay in
the wake recovery in the near-wake regime compared to the Suburban roughness
case. This phenomenon contributes to stretching the near-, transition
and far-wake regions of the tall building clusters defined by Mishra et al.
(2023). The strong vertical motion significantly influences the pollutant dispersion
characteristics, with the cluster wake immersed in the deeper canopy
witnessing a higher vertical spread of the plume than the Suburban case
Beyond diagnosis: setting research priorities with the neurodivergent community
Get PDFNeurodiversity research remains heavily shaped by diagnostic categories, which increasingly appear inadequate for capturing the complex, lived realities of neurodivergent people. These categorical labels often obscure the social and structural barriers that shape daily experiences and limit the utility of research for designing inclusive services. Responding to this gap, our study sought to establish community-led research priorities that transcend diagnostic boundaries. Employing a rigorous, three-stage process—comprising participatory research, a large-scale survey, and a stakeholder workshop—we engaged neurodivergent individuals with diverse diagnostic and self-identified experiences throughout. The resulting top ten priorities expose embedded systemic barriers across mental health, education, social care, welfare, and neurodevelopmental services. Crucially, they also highlight forms of marginalisation that cut across diagnostic lines, including intersectional stigma, institutional discrimination, and exclusionary service models. Our study makes two key contributions: first, it foregrounds research priorities generated by neurodivergent communities themselves; second, it proposes an urgently needed shift in research practice—towards models that centre lived experience, challenge categorical norms, and attend to the structural dimensions of exclusion. By disrupting the diagnostic status quo, this project offers a more inclusive and socially grounded agenda for neurodiversity research
From thinking to ticking: has Theory of Change lost its theoretical grounding?
No full textTheory of Change (ToC) has gained traction in higher education, particularly in England under renewed emphasis on evaluation from the regulator. In principle, ToC offers a way to think through how and why interventions work. In practice, ToC can become something to fill in, rather than to work with, as assumptions often go unexamined and change mechanisms remain vague. This article argues that ToC has drifted from its original purpose, with a call to reclaim its value as a generative and reflective thinking tool. A ToC template is useful if used as a guide to stimulate discussion, but less so if treated and completed as an exercise in its own right. The ToC must support enquiry, not only accountability, which means an acceptance that change mechanisms are rarely linear, predictable or neat, and that it is always a live and evolving document, in print and in practice
The Arctic Ocean double estuary: quantification and forcing mechanisms
Get PDFThe Arctic Ocean double estuary is a “three‐legged” overturning system in which inflowing waters are converted into both lighter and denser waters before being exported equatorwards. As the northern terminus of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC), it thus both affects, and is affected by, the Atlantic MOC. Here we quantify the magnitudes of the two overturning cells in density space, and then decompose the water mass transformation rates into net pan‐Arctic contributions from surface forcing and diapycnal mixing. We use a high‐resolution, quasi‐synoptic ice and ocean hydrographic data set spanning the four main Arctic Ocean gateways—Fram, Davis and Bering Straits, and the Barents Sea Opening. Two surface flux reanalyses and a hydrographic climatology are used to generate estimates of surface water mass transformation rates by density class. A box model then determines the profiles of turbulent mixing transformation rates, and associated turbulent diffusivities. We show that turbulent mixing and surface forcing drive transformations of similar magnitudes, while mixing dominates in the upper cell and surface fluxes in the lower cell. Consideration of uncertainties and timescales leads to the tentative suggestion that our results might be representative of recent decades. We discuss the possible significance of tides and sea ice brine rejection as energy sources driving turbulent mixing. Finally, we speculate as to whether water mass transformation rates may change in future as ocean heat transport into the Arctic increases. As sea ice declines and the efficiency of atmosphere‐to‐ocean momentum transfer increases, the Arctic Ocean is expected to “spin up,” causing more intense turbulent mixing, with uncertain consequences
Umělá inteligence v dokumentárním filmu: etika deepfakeů
No full textTéma deepfakeů v dokumentárních filmech v sobě nese hned tři úrovně etických diskuzí: problém uvnitř samotné technologie, problém při procesu tvorby a problém výsledné recepce děl, které deepfaky používají. Britský režisér a filmový teoretik Dominic Lees, který letos vystoupí na Konferenci o etice v dokumentárním filmu v rámci MFDF Ji.hlava, přináší několik zajímavých případů, na nichž etiku deepfakeů rozvíjí
Economic cost of current and alternative models of multidisciplinary care of juvenile-onset Huntington's Disease
No full textBackground
Multidisciplinary care has been advocated for Juvenile-onset Huntington's Disease but there has been no detailed analysis of this.
Objectives
To evaluate the current economic costs of providing health care for patients with Juvenile-onset Huntington's disease (JoHD) and to model the effects and economic costs of providing a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach.
Methods
Patients were recruited through the patients’ organization, the Huntington's Disease Association, and specialist Huntington's disease clinics. Thirty-three adapted Client Service Receipt Inventories were completed following either a telephone or in-person interview. The effects of delivering two models of providing a systematic MDT approach, traditional in-person MDT and digital MDT were assessed.
Results
The overall mean JoHD cost to the NHS per year (2020) was £126,966 which varied according to disease severity, costing just under £11,000 in mild disease, £132,419 in moderate disease, and £221,797 in advanced JoHD. The proportion of indirect costs to families and carers was 64% for mild disease and 17% for advanced disease. Assuming a 50% reduction in health care professionals seen, the alternative models saw reduction costs of £2490 and £2730, respectively.
Conclusion
We document the high cost of care in JoHD, particularly as the disease progresses towards the later stages. We present estimates from modeling the effects of providing a systematic MDT approach to the care of patients and families with JoHD. These data have clear implications in the consideration of future JoHD models of care in an increasingly digital age and can be developed further as disease modifying treatments become available
Sustainable and available sources of omega-3 fatty acids for health: are the current dietary recommendations, food sources and legislation fit for purpose?
Get PDFThe health benefits of the long-chain omega-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been known for over 50 years and underpin the UK population recommendation to consume > 450 mg EPA+DHA per day. These recommendations, last revised in 2004, are based mainly on epidemiological evidence. Much research has been conducted in the interim. Most RCTs use doses of EPA+DHA of 840 mg per day or more. For anti-inflammatory, triglyceride lowering and anti-hypertensive effects, > 1.5 g EPA+DHA per day is needed. Cognitive benefits are also likely to require these higher intakes. Farmed salmon now contains considerably less EPA+DHA relative to wild-fish, and relative to farmed fish of 20 years ago, meaning one portion per week will no longer provide the equivalent of 450 mg EPA+DHA per day. Oily fish alone can only provide a fraction of the EPA+DHA required to meet global needs. Furthermore, there is low global oily fish consumption, with typical intakes of < 200 mg EPA+DHA per day, and limited intakes in vegans and vegetarians. Therefore, there is an urgent need for affordable, acceptable, alternative EPA+DHA sources, including vegan/vegetarian friendly options, such as bio-enriched poultry, red meat and milk products; fortified foods; enriched oilseeds e.g. genetically modified Camelina sativa; algae and algal oils; and approaches which enhance endogenous EPA/DHA synthesis. In this narrative review we suggest that current EPA+DHA intake recommendations are too low, consider EPA/DHA from a holistic health-sustainability perspective, and identify research, policy and knowledge mobilisation areas which need attention
Recognition of children's movement patterns during recess for characterizing particle exposure doses
Get PDFChildren exhibit unique activity patterns in classrooms, and their movements influence the resuspension of particulate matter, thereby increasing the risk of inhalation. To quantify children's activity patterns and particulate matter inhalation doses, we measured particulate matter concentrations and tracked the recess activities of 194 children in two primary schools. YOLO v9 combined with the DeepSORT algorithm was used to identify and track the children in the videos, thereby calculating the speed and duration of each child. Statistical analysis revealed that classroom activities were highly transitory and predominantly of light intensity. The proportion of light-intensity physical activity in this study was 7%–15% higher than that reported in previous studies, attributable to high occupant density, limited activity space, and characteristics of the Chinese education environment. The median durations of recess activities decreased from light-intensity (4.7 s) to moderate-intensity (2.5 s) and vigorous-intensity activities (2.2 s). Furthermore, children’s activity speed and duration were strongly associated with variations in indoor PM2.5 concentrations. Additionally, the daily inhalation dose during recess decreased with increasing age, being 14.67% lower in the middle age group and 30.64% lower in the upper age group compared to the lower age group. Our analysis provides a valuable reference for assessing the health risks caused by particulate matter and for more effective measures to improve the classroom environment
Advancing ionospheric irregularity reconstruction with ICON/MIGHTI wind‐driven insights
Get PDFIn the mesosphere‐lower thermosphere region, atmospheric plasma components exhibit short‐term enhancements, forming sporadic E (Es) layers that impact communication systems. The prevailing theory posits that neutral wind shear is the primary driver of mid‐latitude Es layer. Here, we present neutral wind field data from the ICON/Michelson Interferometer for Global High‐resolution Thermospheric Imaging mission during 2019–2022, revealing a clear relationship between wind shear and Es layer formation in the Northern Hemisphere. Notably, the vertical ion divergence/convergence significantly impact mid‐latitude Es production. Inspired by deep learning techniques, we developed a deep learning model based on wind shear and neutral wind data, reconstructing the small‐scale morphology of Es layers. Vertical ion convergence information derived from the wind shear physical equations was found to be a key factor in enhancing model performance. Our results demonstrate that incorporating physical data from vertical ion drift improves the predictive capabilities of ionospheric irregularities artificial intelligence models, increasing the accuracy from 71.6% to 87.9
Labor-saving durables, women’s labor-force participation, and government macroeconomic policy: the case of postwar Britain
Get PDFThe postwar era witnessed substantial changes in women’s formal workforce participation and economic status, driven by equal pay legislation and labor-saving durables that removed most of the fatigue from household tasks. To explore the importance of the postwar “industrialization of the home,” we focus on the UK, where successive governments both restricted the diffusion of labor-saving durables and blocked equal pay legislation, as part of deflationary strategy. We explore the negative impacts of these policies and show that when the restrictions were relaxed in the 1970s, consumer durables ownership and married women’s contributions to household incomes rose substantially