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Design and Development of a Microcontroller Based Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Incubator for Use in Power Constrained Environments
Get PDFThe availability of reliable and affordable energy remains a significant challenge in the poultry sector across developing economies. This study presents the design, construction, and performance evaluation of a microcontroller-based egg incubator powered by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The incubator was developed to address the limitations of electrically powered, solar-powered, and kerosene-based incubation systems, which are either cost-prohibitive or ineffective in regions with unreliable power supply. A programmable microcontroller (PIC16F876A) was employed to automate key incubation functions, including temperature and humidity regulation, gas ignition control, and egg turning. Fabricated using locally sourced materials, the prototype underwent a full incubation cycle using 120 fertile chicken eggs. The results demonstrated a hatchability rate of 65%, with consistent maintenance of optimal incubation conditions (temperature: 37.5°C; humidity: 45–55%). The LPG consumption for the 21-day incubation period was 15 kg, translating to a cost of ₦51.65 per chick. This study validates the feasibility of a low-cost, off-grid, automated incubation system suitable for rural and peri-urban poultry operations
Social imaginaries as a lens on co-designing environmental sustainability
No full textSocial imaginaries are a way of envisioning how people maintain society, and of understanding what is valued within that society. In this project, we worked with children on environmentally sustainable solutions for the future using co-design, a common methodology in child-computer interaction. We apply a social imaginary lens to five co-design case studies, from different geographic regions around the world, to describe and analyze variations in design practices as well as in design artifacts, and examine the ways in which children demonstrated a shared understanding of a pro-social world. The primary contribution of this paper is an illustration of the use of social imaginaries for interpreting and organising co-design around environmental sustainability
Optimization of resource-aware parallel and distributed computing: a review
Get PDFThis paper presents a review of state-of-the-art solutions concerning the optimization of computing in the field of parallel and distributed systems. Firstly, we contribute by identifying resources and quality metrics in this context including servers, network interconnects, storage systems, computational devices as well as execution time/performance, energy, security, and error vulnerability, respectively. We subsequently identify commonly used problem formulations and algorithms for integer linear programming, greedy algorithms, dynamic programming, genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, ant colony optimization, game theory, and reinforcement learning. Afterward, we characterize frequently considered optimization problems by stating these terms in domains such as data centers, cloud, fog, blockchain, high performance, and volunteer computing. Based on the extensive analysis, we identify how particular resources and corresponding quality metrics are considered in these domains and which problem formulations are used for which system types, either parallel or distributed environments. This allows us to formulate open research problems and challenges in this field and analyze research interest in problem formulations/domains in recent years
Systems Thinking in Mental Health Patient Safety: A Narrative Review of Complex Adaptive Systems
No full textDespite the growth of knowledge and interest into safety and quality in healthcare more generally, the exploration in mental healthcare has been deemed to be in a narrow isolated ‘world of its own’. It is possible that relatively little attention is being paid to the processes and interdependencies within the mental health patient safety system. This may result in simplistic static measures of what the system/organisation has, not what it does (or doesn't do). This can limit the potential for learning and affecting change. To investigate systems thinking in mental health patient safety, we conducted a narrative review into the extent of evidence streams supporting systems and complexity thinking approaches. We sourced a total of 89 reports for analysis with six themes identified. These themes included studies evaluating patient safety events that have occurred within mental healthcare, research that has investigated components of the safety system, and studies that have investigated how patient safety incidents are responded to, investigated, and learned from. The review evaluated the use of systems thinking and complexity research in patient safety, and research encapsulating patient and carer involvement. Most research has focused on the analysis of historic approaches to incident investigation and on system-based factors of patient safety, with little attention being paid to systems and complexity thinking approaches. The relationships between components were often ignored in the non-systemic studies sourced, with relationships between components not investigated and unknown. With policymakers recommending changes in patient safety practice through system-based approaches, it is important that its implementation is evaluated robustly with consideration of the multiple levels of the healthcare system. Future research should aim to incorporate systems-thinking approaches to model the safety system, and to improve our understanding of the highly interconnected technical and social entities that dynamically produce emergent behaviour across the system
Managing Change in Highly Regulated Industries: Comparison between Public and Private Organisations in the UAE
Get PDFThis study addresses the lack of empirical data distinguishing change management perceptions between public and private sectors in highly regulated industries (HRIs) in the UAE. The research aimed to explore these distinctions to inform the use of tailored change management strategies. Through a qualitative, interview-based approach, insights were gathered from twelve managers across four companies in the pharmaceutical, construction, and nuclear industries, split evenly between the public and private sectors. Findings indicated a commonality in employee resistance to change across sectors. However, perceptions towards managing change differed significantly: in the private sector, change management is viewed as a means to drive innovation and value, whereas in the public sector, it is approached with an emphasis on compliance and safety. These results suggest that private organisations benefit from agile, innovation-oriented change methods, while public entities require structured, risk-aware strategies that ensure regulatory compliance. The study highlights the need for sector-specific change management approaches in highly regulated environments
Venepuncture, cannulation and interpretation of blood profiles
No full textVenepuncture enables healthcare professionals to obtain a sample of blood for analysis that can support the care and management of patients, including appropriate treatments that may need peripheral cannulation for venous access. This article provides an overview of venepuncture and peripheral cannulation, including tips to guide mental health nurses
KINDness and Connection through Creativity
No full textThe geographic, social, and economic context of rural coastal areas can create conditions that leave communities vulnerable to physical, emotional and cultural isolation. This isolation can further exacerbate social exclusion, creating a vicious cycle. Moreover, families, mothers in particular, have been found to have increased vulnerability to loneliness and often feel removed from local supportive services (Wilson & Morris, 2023). The research being shared in this workshop proposes that relational wealth through creativity is a means to overcome loneliness and isolation and foster relationships on multiple levels, promoting social inclusion. Based on the scientific principles behind relational sociology (Crossley, 2012), we will demonstrate how meaningful interactions can promote the participatory dimension of social inclusion (Levitas et al., 2007).
The workshop will provide a background and context to the session, Creative exercises will follow an introduction to relational wealth building, and the session will end with reflective feedback. The session will combine verbal introduction and discussion with videos and interactive, hands-on creative sessions. The creative sessions will introduce several creative tools that are particularly effective in building connections and relationships within the family system, the community, and formal organisations. Through providing the space for researchers and practitioners to reflect on the role of relationships and creativity in their work, this workshop is of great relevance in providing real-life, hands-on opportunities to practice creative tools with families experiencing social exclusion
Carbon-based nanocoatings with advanced antimicrobial performance
No full textIntroduction: The development of advanced coatings can play a pivotal role in combating antimicrobial resistance infections and the severe threats they pose to modern societies. To this end, the presentation will focus on a new family of layer-by-layer antimicrobial coatings that capitalise on the electrostatic attractions between negatively charged Nafion and positively charged graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and graphene oxide (GO).
Methods: Quartz crystal microbalance is used to monitor the build-up of nanocoatings in real time. Zeta potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements were used to characterise the materials that were also assessed with respect to their antimicrobial performance against E. coli and S. aureus.
Results: Nafion demonstrates superior chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability stemming from its Teflon-like backbone coupled with its long-range bacteria exclusion zone (EZ) associated with the presence of charged pendant groups. The chemical modes of the bactericide activity of GQDs and GO are related to the induction of membrane stress and the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as binding with DNA to restrain cell proliferation and arrest gene expression. The Nafion/GO and Nafion/GQD nanocoatings can effectively inhibit the growth of representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by more than 99%, and this performance is not compromised following extensive thermal annealing.
Conclusion: In addition to their excellent antimicrobial performance, the nanocoatings combine a number of attractive characteristics including structural and chemical stability, non-toxic characteristics, superior UV barrier properties along with their waterborne, transparent, and colourless nature. The nanocoatings are able to withstand dry heat sterilisation and are ideal for surgical blades, surfaces used for food processing and storage, and packaging for cosmetics, drugs, and biological materials
Multi-Partner Project: Safe, Secure and Dependable Multi-UAV Systems for Search and Rescue Operations
Get PDFUnmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become essential in search and rescue operations, especially in disaster management scenarios. Their effective navigation and the integration of a plethora of sensors assist in efficient person detection, making them an essential technological tool to first responders. Multi-UAV systems extend these benefits by using coordinated strategies to cover large areas efficiently, reducing overall mission response time and enhancing its success. Despite these advantages, challenges remain in ensuring the safety, security, and dependability of (mutli-)UAV missions. Issues such as navigation risks, potential cyber threats, and hardware-/software-related reliability issues can impact the mission results. Additionally, UAVs are highly constrained devices with limited battery capacity, requiring the use of lightweight technologies. In this paper, we present part of the results of the SESAME project, an EU multi-partner project that aims to develop safe and secure multi-robot Systems. In particular, we present some of the developed SESAME Executable Digital Dependability Identities (EDDI) technologies based on Markov models, statistical distance measures, and other advanced approaches for enhancing safety, security and dependability of the UAV platform and underlying models. These EDDI technologies are seamlessly integrated using the ConSerts framework in a multi-UAV platform and tested using search and rescue scenarios. The results demonstrate significant improvements in multi-UAV safety, with an availability rate of 91% and a search and rescue algorithmic accuracy of 99.8%. Additionally, the system achieves precise detection of spoofing attacks, using collaborative localization as a mitigation technique to guide the UAV to a safe landing, even in the absence of GPS signals
Tandem cooperative catalysis over a Zr-MOF for the synthesis of hydroxyurethanes under solvent-free conditions
No full textCarbon sequestration via CO2 fixation into value added chemicals is of great importance for the sustainable future of the world. Hydroxyurethane derivatives are very demanding chemical intermediate for the polymer and adhesive industries, which can be synthesized by a tandem sustainable route involving the fixing CO2 on epoxides to cyclic carbonates followed by ring opening through aminolysis. In this work, we have synthesized a crystalline tritopic Zr-based metal-organic framework (MOF) having secondary building unit (SBU) as [Zr6(µ3-O)4(µ3-OH)4(OH)6(TPA-COOH)2] (TPA = triphenylamine), which we coined as Zr-TPA-MOF. This MOF was prepared through a sustainable microwave assisted synthesis route within 45min. at 120 °C. Zr-TPA-MOF exhibited plate like morphology and possesses a good specific surface area of 312 m2g-1. Zr-TPA-MOF material displayed good reversible CO2 uptakes at different temperatures (1.4mmol at 273K and 1.0mmol at 298K). We have also analyzed the thermodynamics of CO2 affinity of Zr-TPA-MOF thoroughly. So, this property has been explored further by using this Zr-TPA-MOF as a heterogeneous catalyst for the CO2 fixation reaction to form hydroxyurethanes over different epoxides via tandem aminolysis. Here, we have enlightened a broader context of CO2 fixation using nontoxic, cost effective Zr-MOF as a promising catalyst in isocyanate-free synthesis of hydroxyurethane derivatives