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Speech Disfluencies and Hand Gestures as Metacognitive Cues
No full textHow language interacts with metacognitive processes is an understudied area. Earlier research shows that people produce disfluencies (i.e., “uh” s or “um” s) in their speech when they are not sure of their answers, indicating metacognitive monitoring. Gestures have monitoring and predictive roles in language, also implicating metacognitive processes. Further, the rate of speech disfluencies and gestures change as a function of the communicational setting. People produce fewer disfluencies and more gestures when they can see the listener than when the listener is not visible. In the current study, 50 participants (32 women, Mage = 21.16, SD = 1.46) were asked 40 general knowledge questions, either with a visible (n = 25) or nonvisible (n = 25) listener. They provided feelings-of-knowing (FOK) judgment immediately after seeing the question and were asked to think aloud while pondering their answers. Then, they provided retrospective confidence judgments (RCJs). Results showed that gestures and speech disfluencies were not related either to the accuracy or the FOK judgments. However, both gestures and speech disfluencies predicted RCJs uniquely and interactively. Speech disfluencies negatively predicted RCJs. In contrast, hand gestures were positively related to RCJs. Importantly, the use of gestures was more strongly related to RCJs when disfluencies were also higher. No effect of communicational setting on the rate of gestures or speech disfluencies was found. These results highlight the importance of multimodal language cues in the elaboration of metacognitive judgments
7 How compliant are national health service (NHS) England uniform policies with regards to religious head coverings and bare below the elbow (BBE) adjustments?
Get PDFBackground The ‘2020 NHS England Uniform and Workwear: guidance for NHS employers’ has made clear provision for religious head coverings in theatre and adjustments to bare below elbow (BBE) rules, including disposable oversleeves. We conducted a national audit to assess the compliance of local dress code policies with national guidance.
Methods Freedom of Information requests to access local uniform policies were sent to all 211 NHS England trusts, as listed on the NHS England Provider directory between 29/07/2024 and 05/08/2024. Uniform policies were compared to the ‘2020 NHS England Uniform and Workwear: guidance for NHS employers’. Compliance in three areas was assessed: (1) Provision of religious head coverings in theatre; (2) Allowance of full sleeves when not engaged in direct patient care activity; (3) Provision of disposable oversleeves.
Results Overall, 200 uniform policies were received (95%). Provisional analysis shows that of the trusts with surgical theatres, 30% allowed individuals to wear their own cloth headscarf whereas 8% only allowed disposable scarves/orthopaedic hoods. 62% did not mention any provision for religious head coverings in theatre. Regarding BBE adjustments, 30% allowed both full sleeves and disposable oversleeves. 10% only allowed full sleeves and 12% only allowed disposable oversleeves. 48% did not allow any BBE adjustments.
Conclusion Despite national uniform guidance being available since 2020, there is large variability in implementation across NHS England. There is an unmet need to update local uniform policies to value and maintain the dignity of Muslim female healthcare professionals in the workplace
ROS-Based Autonomous Driving System with Enhanced Path Planning Node Validated in Chicane Scenarios
Get PDFIn modern vehicles, Autonomous Driving Systems (ADS) are designed to operate partially or fully without human intervention. The ADS pipeline comprises multiple layers, including sensors, perception, localization, mapping, path planning, and control. The Robot Operating System (ROS) is a widely adopted framework that supports the modular development and integration of these layers. Among them, the path-planning and control layers remain particularly challenging due to several limitations. Classical path planners often struggle with non-smooth trajectories and high computational demands. Meta-heuristic optimization algorithms have demonstrated strong theoretical potential in path planning; however, they are rarely implemented in real-time ROS-based systems due to integration challenges. Similarly, traditional PID controllers require manual tuning and are unable to adapt to system disturbances. This paper proposes a ROS-based ADS architecture composed of eight integrated nodes, designed to address these limitations. The path-planning node leverages a meta-heuristic optimization framework with a cost function that evaluates path feasibility using occupancy grids from the Hector SLAM and obstacle clusters detected through the DBSCAN algorithm. A dynamic goal allocation strategy is introduced based on the LiDAR range and spatial boundaries to enhance planning flexibility. In the control layer, a modified Pure Pursuit algorithm is employed to translate target positions into velocity commands based on the drift angle. Additionally, an adaptive PID controller is tuned in real-time using the Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm, ensuring robust speed regulation in the presence of external disturbances. The proposed system is practically validated on a four-wheel differential drive robot across six scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed planner significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods, ranking first in the Friedman test with a significance level less than 0.05, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed architecture
Maximising CO2 sequestration efficiency in deep saline aquifers through in-situ generation of CO2-in-brine foam incorporating novel CO2-soluble non-ionic surfactants
Get PDFThe geological sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) within deep saline aquifers remains a critical pathway for achieving long-term climate stabilisation and net-zero targets. This study presents a novel strategy to augment both the efficiency and security of CO2 storage through the in-situ formation of CO2-in-brine foams facilitated by non-ionic CO2-soluble propoxylated-ethoxylated alcohols surfactants, specifically 2EH-PO5-EO9 and 2EH-PO5-EO15. A comprehensive suite of laboratory investigations was conducted under representative reservoir conditions (70 °C and 3200 psi), including cloud point pressure analysis, foam stability monitoring, interfacial tension (IFT) reduction, wettability alteration studies, CO2 solubility measurements, and core flooding experiments. The results reveal that both surfactants exhibit strong solubility in supercritical CO2 and brine, enabling stable foam generation without degradation. Among them, 2EH-PO5-EO15 demonstrated superior performance, achieving a marked reduction in CO2–brine IFT, from 32 to 6.7 dyne/cm, and enhancing CO2 solubility in brine by over 100 % (from 1.25 to 2.51 mol%) compared to pure CO2 scenario; thus strengthening solubility trapping. In parallel, wettability characterisation showed a transformation of the sandstone substrate from strongly water-wet (θ ≈ 18°) to an intermediate gas-wet condition (θ ≈ 71°), significantly amplifying the potential for residual trapping. Core flooding assessments corroborated these synergistic effects, demonstrating reduced CO2 mobility and improved sweep efficiency through foam stabilisation and rock–fluid interfacial modification. Altogether, this work underscores the efficacy of CO2-soluble non-ionic surfactants in enhancing storage security and injectivity, offering a technically and economically attractive approach to large-scale CO2 sequestration in saline aquifers. Also, the current results establish a strong foundation for advancing toward field-scale implementation and represent a significant step forward in creating sustainable solutions for carbon management
Nafion in Biomedicine and Healthcare
Get PDFNafion has long been recognized as the gold standard for proton exchange membranes, due to its exceptional ion exchange capacity and its advanced performance in chemically aggressive environments. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated that Nafion is equally well-suited in complex biological conditions owing to its structural robustness, responsive functionality and intrinsic biocompatibility. These characteristics have enabled its transition into the biomedical and healthcare sectors, where it is currently being explored for a diverse and expanding range of applications. To that end, Nafion has been systematically investigated as a key component in bioelectronic systems for energy harvest, sensors, wearable electronics, tissue engineering, lab-on-a-chip platforms, implants, controlled drug delivery systems and antimicrobial surface coatings. This review examines the distinctive structural and electrochemical characteristics that underpin Nafion’s performance in these biomedical contexts, provides an overview of recent advancements, emphasizes critical performance metrics and highlights the material’s growing potential to shape the future of biomedical technology
Simulating the Milky Way bar and bulge with an initially Sérsic disc
No full textWe model the formation of a bar plus box/peanut bulge (BP bulge) component in a Milky Way-like disc galaxy using simulations of isolated multi-component systems that evolve from equilibrium initial conditions. The simulations are designed to test the hypothesis that the bar forms early on and thickens to create the bulge. To this end, our initial conditions include a stellar disc with a Sérsic surface density profile and do not include any classical bulge component. We also include a gas disc, which is important in regulating the growth of the bar. Our best-fit model has an initial stellar disc with a Sersic index of n = 1.75 and a gas disc with mass equal to 7% of the mass of the stellar disc. The model reproduces the bar size, pattern speed, and box/peanut shape of the Milky Way’s bulge+bar
Online Terrorism Offenders with ADHD
No full textMost people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not commit offences, and in offenders with ADHD, the condition in itself does not cause offending behaviour; rather, certain aspects of ADHD may contribute to both risk and resilience factors. This chapter addresses how ADHD can contribute to contexts for online terrorism risk in a small minority of individuals who pose a terrorism risk and have a diagnosis of ADHD. The chapter begins by defining ADHD and considers how it can become linked with offending. It then explores how ADHD is linked to problematic online behaviour generally before considering how this may apply specifically to online terrorism. This is an under-researched area that has increasing relevance as terrorism becomes more digitalised and as individuals of all profiles become exposed to online terrorist materials. The literature and proposed theoretical-clinical model may have relevance for risk formulation and treatment considerations by terrorism experts
Misrepresenting the “MAP” Literature Does Little to Advance Child Abuse Prevention: A Critical Commentary and Response to Farmer, Salter, and Woodlock
Get PDFIn a recent paper published in Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, Farmer et al. purport to have critically examined the academic use of the term “Minor Attracted Persons” (MAPs) in published social science research. In the paper, their stated aims are to “understand how this body of scholarship defines and uses the terminology of MAP, conceptualizes sexual interest in minors, and its relationship with child sex offending, and the implications for child protection and safeguarding” (p. 4079). However, we believe that there are significant problems in their handling of this topic, their depth of analysis, and the selective reporting of research in the review that may demonstrate an inherent confirmation bias
A multi-modal approach to promoting hand hygiene to reduce hospital acquired infection: A change management proposal for an intensive care unit
Get PDFAim: Using evidence from a previous literature review, a proposed plan was developed to promote hand hygiene and reduce the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections within an intensive care unit in the North-West of England.
Methodology: The RE-AIM framework structured the implementation of the proposed plan with Lewin’s force field theory applied. The proposed plan was peer-reviewed for feedback on the change management plan. Finally, Gibbs’s model was used to reflect on the lead author’s independent learning journey undertaking a 3-year degree programme in adult nursing to reflect and identify opportunities for future development.
Results: A multimodal change plan was developed with guidance from the evidence and identified themes. The peer review process highlighted areas for improvement and provided valuable feedback. The reflective process identified opportunities for professional development and developing nurse leadership skills.
Discussion: The proposed plan was based on three hand hygiene themes identified in a previous literature review; education and understanding, direct observation, and reminders/ prompts. The change management phase highlighted important barriers to be addressed for the proposal to be successful. The peer review process facilitated innovative ideas and reflecting on the feedback given. The improvement process reinforced a need to listen to feedback throughout the negotiated change.
Conclusion: A proposed plan focused on hand hygiene and healthcare acquired infections offers valuable insights related to change management plans in nursing
Prescriptive language in NMC nursing standards
Get PDFThis paper examines imperative language in the professional Code of conduct in Nursing and Midwifery (NMC, 2018), using the philosophical arguments of moral ethics through the lens’ of Immanuel Kant (1785) and Richard Hare (1952). A professional code is used in many high-risk professions to set industry standards and parity across the workforce. Professions usually adopt a code of standards, ethics, or conduct (Crystal & Giesel, 2024). It is argued here that the equivocation is a key indicator that sets nursing and midwifery apart from other professions. Codes of standards and ethics align more readily with how a person behaves in practice; whereas codes of conduct govern beyond the workplace and include personal attributes (Aibar-Guzmán et al., 2023). The shift, from principles that adopt characteristics of performance, to attributes which espouse essential behaviours, suggests the differences becomes functional as the language used to ascribe behaviour has to perform differently (alongside those adhering to it). Used in an unchecked way, a code can neutralise autonomy and creativity and, in the extreme, can neutralise the professional’s career entirely (Mishra & Aithal, 2023). Any code is predicated on language and Kant (1785) and Hare (1952) were interested in the language that accompanied everyday life in what is more formally recognised as the logical study of the language of morals (Hare, 1952). Some of the separate positionalist critiques of Kant and Hare are used here to support an analysis of the Code and its use of language in determining professional character and behaviour. It is argued that while a code is needed, the NMC rests on the axle of good and bad which challenges the writings of Kant and Hare, who open moral language to one that tries to work out the tension between that dialectic