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A multi-dimensional Sustainable Diet Index (SDI) for Ghanaian adults under transition: The RODAM study
Get PDFThe sustainability of diets consumed by African populations under socio-economic transition remains to be determined. This study developed and characterized a multi-dimensional Sustainable Diet Index (SDI) reflecting healthfulness, climate-friendliness, sociocultural benefits, and financial affordability using individual-level data of adults in rural and urban Ghana and Ghanaian migrants in Europe to identify the role of living environment in dietary sustainability. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the multi-centre Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants Study (N = 3169; age range: 25–70 years). For the SDI construct (0–16 score points), we used the Diet Quality Index-International, food-related greenhouse gas emission, the ratio of natural to processed foods, and the proportion of food expenditure from income. In linear regression analyses, we estimated the adjusted ß-coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the differences in mean SDI across study sites (using rural Ghana as a reference), accounting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Results: The overall mean SDI was 8.0 (95% CI: 7.9, 8.1). Participants in the highest SDI-quintile compared to lower quintiles were older, more often women, non-smokers, and alcohol abstainers. The highest mean SDI was seen in London (9.1; 95% CI: 8.9, 9.3), followed by rural Ghana (8.2; 95% CI: 8.0, 8.3), Amsterdam (7.9; 95% CI: 7.7, 8.1), Berlin (7.8; 95% CI: 7.6, 8.0), and urban Ghana (7.7; 95% CI: 7.5, 7.8). Compared to rural Ghana, the differences between study sites were attenuated after accounting for age, gender and energy intake. No further changes were observed after adjustment for lifestyle factors. Conclusion: The multi-dimensional SDI describes four dimensions of dietary sustainability in this Ghanaian population. Our findings suggest that living in Europe improved dietary sustainability, but the opposite seems true for urbanization in Ghana.Projekt DEAL - The European Commission - 7th Framework Programme (Grant Number: 278901). Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst German Academic Exchange Service (Grant number: 57507442). Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health (CRGGH). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Office of the Director at the NIH (Z01HG200362)
‘You can’t sacrifice nothing’: Exploring the lived realities of chronic poverty in a cost-of-living crisis through participatory research
Get PDF© The Author(s) 2024.The current portrayal of the cost-of-living crisis as an isolated, unexpected issue neglects the ongoing struggles of those in chronic poverty. This article utilises agnotology and zemiology to explore these overlooked experiences. Through the use of participatory research, the article reveals the state’s neglect of chronic poverty amid public discourse on the cost-of-living crisis, and critiques proposed solutions that demand further sacrifices from those already suffering. The article highlights the lack of accountability for neoliberal policies that exacerbate poverty and vulnerability. It exposes the institutional violence and stigma against the structurally vulnerable, whose hardships are normalised. Through a zemiological and agnotological lens, the article stresses the need to reframe the cost-of-living crisis by acknowledging chronic harm and amplifying the voices of those experiencing entrenched poverty. This reframing is crucial, not only during times of crisis, but also within the broader context of systemic structural inequality.Unfunde
Gone with the wind: The proximate and ultimate causes of the decline and extinction of the Bahama Nuthatch Sitta insularis
Get PDF© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of BirdLife InternationalNewly elevated to species rank, the Bahama Nuthatch Sitta insularis is or was a bark- and twig-gleaning insectivore only known in life from the pine forests of Grand Bahama in the Bahamas archipelago. It became increasingly difficult to find in the past 50 years, seemingly in part in response to multiple hurricanes in this century. In spring (June–April) 2018, when it was still known to be extant, we divided the island into seven sections and carried out point count transects with playback and measured habitat variables at 464 locations in pine forest across Grand Bahama. We made only six observations at six locations, all in the region of Lucayan North and each involving a single nuthatch (possibly all the same individual). Fourteen count points were within 500 m of the six locations, and tree size at these sites was greater in height and girth than at sites with no observations and indeed than at other sites within Lucayan North. Count points within 500 m of nuthatch records in 2004–2018 had larger trees and more snags than survey points over 500 m away from previous detections, while count points within 500 m of our 2018 nuthatch records tallied more snags than did those within 500 m of the 2004–2007 records. Declines in habitat quality, habitat extent, nesting substrate, and food availability (driven by logging, attritional island development, and the direct and indirect effects of hurricanes), plus speculated increases in populations of invasive predators/competitors and in major mortality events (hurricanes, increasing in force and frequency with climate change), are suspected to be the ultimate causes of the decline of the nuthatch, with Hurricanes Matthew and Dorian the proximate causes of its evident extinction in 2019.unfunde
Immersive haptic simulation for training nurses in emergency medical procedures
Get PDFThe version of record of this article, first published in [The Visual Computer], is available online at Publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00371-023-03227-9The use of haptic simulation for emergency procedures in nursing training presents a viable, versatile and affordable alternative to traditional mannequin environments. In this paper, an evaluation is performed in a virtual environment with a head-mounted display and haptic devices, and also with a mannequin. We focus on a chest decompression, a life-saving invasive procedure used for trauma-associated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (and other causes) that every emergency physician and/or nurse needs to master. Participants’ heart rate and blood pressure were monitored to measure their stress level. In addition, the NASA Task Load Index questionnaire was used. The results show the approved usability of the VR environment and that it provides a higher level of immersion compared to the mannequin, with no statistically significant difference in terms of cognitive load, although the use of VR is perceived as a more difficult task. We can conclude that the use of haptic-enabled virtual reality simulators has the potential to provide an experience as stressful as the real one while training in a safe and controlled environment.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Natur
Integrated design of optimisation and inverse dynamics control for home heating systems
Get PDFThis conference paper is not available on ChesterRep© 2024 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.This paper presents a novel controller design methodology for multi-input multi-output linear time invariant systems using a realisable system’s inverse dynamics whilst simultaneously aiming to optimize the systems performance. This is very useful for energy system type controller design problems, especially heating systems as described in this paper. The new methodology, OPTimal Inverse Control (OPTIC) integrates the challenge to minimize a cost function and introduce it into the feedback control solution, thus allowing for simultaneous fast acting stable and non-interacting feedback control with cost function minimisation to provide a robust and optimal solution. The cost function presented acts to minimise weighted proportions of Carbon Intensity (c I ) of the energy supply system and the Cost of the Tariff (c Tar ) depending on the policy weighing potential fuel poverty against net zero carbon heating solutions. It is described how the OPTIC method is applied to a heating system control problem using a home heating dynamic model Inverse Dynamics based Energy Assessment and Simulation (IDEAS). IDEAS calibrated with UK’s Part L building regulations models a home’s building physics, heating demand using a standard type of occupancy over a whole year. This allows the OPTIC method to control the heating system to reach the required home comfort whilst continuously heading towards the minimum cost function value at all times, minute by minute instead of a much slower period of optimisation that is achieved by other complementary methods, like General Predictive Control (GPC).Unfunde
Correction of a High-Order Numerical Method for Approximating Time-Fractional Wave Equation
Get PDFThis version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10915-024-02625-yA high-order time discretization scheme to approximate the time-fractional wave equation with the Caputo fractional derivative of order is studied. We establish a high-order formula for approximating the Caputo fractional derivative of order . Based on this approximation, we propose a novel numerical method to solve the time-fractional wave equation. Remarkably, this method corrects only one starting step and demonstrates second-order convergence in both homogeneous and inhomogeneous cases, regardless of whether the data is smooth or nonsmooth. We also analyze the stability region associated with the proposed numerical method. Some numerical examples are given to elucidate the convergence analysis.unfunde
A guide to supporting student parents at university: part one
Get PDFThe first in a three-part series provides an overview on how student parents can be supported to succeed at UK universitiesn/
An IPA Study Exploring the Lived Experiences of Young People and their Perceptions of High School Bullying, and Societal Violence
No full textBackground and Context: the motivation of this thesis was to conduct a qualitative exploration on the lived experiences of bullying of high school students, and whether they considered this a factor in future societal violence. Methods: the methodology was Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), with data gathered using semi structured interviews, later transcribed and analysed to find emerging themes. Participants were recruited using academic posters (see appendix M). Two participant information sheets were provided for young people and guardians, offering details about the project. Participants: the participants were (n=6) with ages ranging from 13-16 years, selected from three separate high schools in the United Kingdom. Three of the participants were cis boys, and the other three participants were cis girls. Findings: bullying is an individual experience, which can occur in primary and high schools, and is repetitive. Consequently, the participants reported being subjected to name calling and hitting, which has implications for mental health. Verbal and physical bullying can affect future verbal and physical violence, with grudges influencing violence towards bullies. Rational thinking can become impacted, with potential violence used in relationships. Violence may be used to prevent bullying from reoccurring, and to regain power and control. Future measures which may prevent future societal violence, including greater interventions and awareness in academic institutions, bullying to be considered within criminalisation, with institutions erected specifically to help victims. Conclusions: cybercrime and cyberbullying should be considered by practitioners, and researchers. Interventions should be used to effectively by school staff to gain justice for pure-victims and bully-victims, with training in mental health and bullying needed. Schools should reintegrate pure-bullies into the school system, with bullying prevention and intervention programmes encouraged. Grudges require attention from researchers and practitioners working with pure-victims and bully-victims. A lack of empathy from future intimate partners may lead to verbal violence in intimate relationships. Practitioners should consider emasculation and racial abuse from bias-based bullying as possible precursors to societal violence. Societal violence may be enacted through self-righteous reasoning, and bullying may require criminalisation. Posttraumatic growth should be considered, with school bullying viewed as a social justice issue
Ocean Beach Rhyl
No full textIt is composed of 14 black&white photographs taken in the 1980s and 1990s. The book Ocean Beach Rhyl has been exhibited in several exhibitions. It is included in two of the box sets of 100 Café Royal Books titled Archive and is in the collection of major institutions.Ocean Beach Rhyl was published by Café Royal Books in an edition of 150 in 2014, and was edited by Craig Atkinson, founder of Café Royal Books. It was reprinted in 2020 in an edition of 250. Ocean Beach Rhyl is one of four Café Royal Books by Clarke dedicated to the topic of the seaside town of Rhyl, North Wales and is part of Clarke's larger project that documented family holidays in Rhyl. It also marks the beginning of Clarke's exploration of his photographic archive that dates from the early 1980s. The subject is the fairground Ocean Beach, a major attraction at the seaside resort, which opened in 1954 and was demolished in 2007
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