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Inkjet-printed graphene oxide memory cells on paper for flexible electronics
Full text linkopen access articleA number of two-dimensional (2D) materials have been explored for various applications, from electronic transistors to energy generation and storage. In this work, we explored the possibility of using reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in emerging two terminal memory devices using a printing technique. The fabricated memory devices were analysed using scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and in-depth electrical measurements. We experimentally demonstrated that rGO memory devices fabricated via inkjet printing exhibit bipolar switching without
the required electroforming step, with an on/off ratio of 3 orders of magnitude. The inkjet-printed approach allows for the layering of memory devices on each other, leading to an increase in information storage density
Marilyn Monroe™: Authorisation and the problematic politics of star narratives, sex aids, biopics and borrowed dresses.
Full text linkThis paper considers the ethical politics of star product endorsement, using the somewhat unique and potentially troublesome example of the product marketing for the Womanizer Marilyn Monroe™ clitoral stimulator.
Monroe’s persona, with its explicit focus on feminine performativity, is a multifaceted one. Simultaneously discussed as an affecting figure of female empowerment, but of immense vulnerability, recent reappraisals frequently position her as victim of sexual as well as symbolic violence, within a harmful and exploitative patriarchal industry and larger cultural context. The complexities of the star’s charismatic appeal are further highlighted by the fact that this year is the 60th anniversary of her tragic death, and aside from this, Monroe’s image has twice re-entered the public sphere and prompted considerable controversy. Firstly, with the loan of (and alleged damage to) the gown that she famously wore to sing happy birthday to President Kennedy, to the celebrity socialite Kim Kardashian, and secondly, with the release of speculative Netflix quasi-biopic Blonde (2022) In the case of Monroe’s gown, its phenomenal value did not preclude it from alledged mistreatment and subsequent damage, whilst in the case of the latter, accusations of sexism, cruelty and abuse have a number of critics have referred to Blonde as ‘sexist,’ ‘cruel’ and ‘abuses and exploits Marilyn Monroe all over again.
Effectuation in Crisis: How Displaced Women Entrepreneurs Adapt Strategies for Sustainable Business in Ethiopia
No full textopen access article
Developing Resilience and Enterprising Opportunities for Internally Displaced and Migrant Women in Ethiopia and Zambia (DREO4WEZ)This study investigates how displaced women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia’s fragile institutional environment apply effectuation principles to sustain their businesses. Through analysis of five effectuation dimensions, we find that while affordable loss strategies and means orientation enhance business resilience, traditional effectuation approaches like partnership formation and rigid control mechanisms often prove ineffective in displacement contexts. This research makes three key contributions: first, it extends effectuation theory by identifying how institutional fragility fundamentally alters the utility of entrepreneurial strategies; second, it reveals displaced women’s innovative adaptations through informal networks and risk-minimising approaches; and third, it challenges universal applications of effectuation principles in crisis settings.
This study contributes to sustainable entrepreneurship by demonstrating both the relevance and constraints of effectuation theory in crisis-affected environments. It underscores the importance of flexible, resourceful strategies for women entrepreneurs navigating systemic challenges, offering insights for policymakers and support organisations. Practical implications include designing capacity-building programmes that promote adaptive strategies, such as risk management and resource optimisation, while addressing the challenges of partnerships and rigid control mechanisms. By aligning with the goals of sustainable development, this research not only highlights the potential of effectuation principles but also unravels their limitations, providing a nuanced understanding of how entrepreneurial strategies can foster resilient livelihoods and sustainable economic practices in crisis-affected regions
Climate Anxiety in Perspective: A Look at Dominant Stressors in Youth Mental Health and Sleep
Full text linkopen access articleThere is growing evidence that climate anxiety is associated with significant effects on the mental health and wellbeing of young people. However, the relative importance of climate anxiety for young people's mental health has hitherto been unclear, as climate anxiety has largely been studied in isolation from other common stressors. This study sought to contextualize the significance of climate anxiety for the mental health of UK young adults relative to other concurrent psychological stressors. We surveyed university students (N = 461) and a general population sample aged 18–25 (N = 400). The results showed that while climate anxiety was significantly associated with poorer mental health and worse insomnia when examined alone, this association became nonsignificant or greatly diminished when other stressors were considered. Loneliness was found to be the most important predictor of mental health, and financial anxiety the most important predictor of insomnia severity. The findings suggest that climate anxiety, while concerning, may not be an especially dominant factor in young people's mental health. Our research highlights the need to consider the broader context of young people's lives, and the complex interplay of various psychological stressors, in efforts to map pathways between climate change and mental health
Dynamic multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on a knee point driven Gaussian model
No full textThe file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Knee point driven dynamic multiobjective evolutionary algorithms have been proven to be promising, however, the predicted knee points with worse quality may mislead the evolution. One of reasons for obtaining worse knee points is that previous methods focus on various prediction models, but neglects the effective strategy for exploring knee points according to the characteristics of decision vectors, falling into incorrect prediction direction. To address this issue, dynamic multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on a knee point driven Gaussian model is proposed, termed KG-DMOEA. Once an environmental change is detected, knee points of last environment are extracted, and decision variables are classified into convergence and diversity related ones. Following that, knee point exploration strategy is developed to estimate new knee points in terms of historical knee points and convergence related variables. These estimated ones are further introduced to build the Gaussian function as generative model, and diversity related variables are utilized to update the generative model, with the purpose of overcoming the challenge that these decision variables may change over time. Based on this model, an initial population is produced at new time, and the model is also updated during evolutionary process to generate offspring individuals, speeding up the convergence. The intensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed KG-DMOEA has promising computational efficiency and performance in solving dynamic multiobjective optimization problems, outperforming several state-of-the-art DMOEAs
‘It’s about having a regular conversation about their academic process’: evaluating embedded personal tutoring for first year students
Full text linkopen access articleThis article offers a case study of curriculum-embedded personal tutoring, taken from a Humanities department in a Post-92 university over a period of several years (2018-2022). A core first year taught unit was redesigned with personal tutoring at its core as part of a review of multiple areas of overlapping focus: supporting the transition to University (induction), helping students develop the skills required for degree-level study, building learning communities, encouraging cohort identity creation and improving attendance and engagement.
Using student and staff qualitative focus groups and analysing data around continuation gaps, the article demonstrates the benefits of a curriculum-integrated personal tutoring model
An IoT Architecture for Enhancing Safety in Supply Chain Systems
No full textSupply chain processes are used for controlling the delivery of goods from suppliers to consumers. With the globalization of the economy, delivery distances are on the increase and might involve thousands of kilometers across countries and even continents and different means of transport including land, water, and air transport. The task of the supply chain process is to guarantee the quality and safety of the goods at transportation time to prevent potential damage, deterioration, and decay. This requires real-time monitoring and observance of several conditions (e.g., temperature and humidity) to which the goods are exposed. To address the problem, this paper discusses the implementation of an IoT system and relevant metrics for monitoring, in real-time, the conditions that goods face during transportation. In the prototype that we have implemented, we use conventional low-cost cost widely available technologies, namely, temperature and light sensors connected to a Raspberry Pi device that sends the sensors' data to a database server. We then analyze the data with the help of a web application that we have also implemented
Modelling the Influence of Urban Morphology on Bikeshare Station Use: A Clustering Approach
Full text linkopen access articleDocked bikeshare schemes have proliferated across UK cities since the first scheme was introduced in 2010. These schemes have been widely adopted for their contributions to decarbonising transport, improving health, and enhancing connectivity through first and last-mile trips. As bikeshare expands to new cities, planners and operators increasingly require a localised understanding of the factors influencing bikeshare use. Urban morphology in UK cities varies widely, however, encompassing differences in street layouts, building design, accessibility, and land use. Meanwhile, industry bikeshare planning guidelines are often broad, without distinguishing between city size and character. These variations pose challenges for bikeshare scheme planning in different settings, emphasising the need for robust, data-driven models that are sensitive to urban context. This paper employs cluster analysis to classify urban areas within several UK cities, with the aim to understand the combined contextual urban factors that influence bikeshare use. This approach, rarely applied in micromobility research, offers a nuanced and unique methodological contribution. The cluster analysis distinguishes between types of residential neighbourhoods, which is a component less commonly incorporated within existing studies. With the data obtained, statistical analysis offers granular insights into the relationship between the built environment and docking station use. It is highlighted that denser residential neighbourhoods with favourable accessibility have consistent associations with trip generation, while accessible suburban neighbourhoods are more varied. The findings have implications for both initial planning and scheme expansion, relevant to station location optimisation, forecasting future demand, fleet size adjustment and integration with existing public transport networks
Getting Real: How Intersectionality Challenges the ‘One Size Fits All’ Approach to Global Mental Health
No full textopen access articleThis paper offers an intersectional perspective to enable inclusivity when addressing global mental health challenges, whilst also tackling social exclusion and vulnerability. Examples are given from purposefully selected countries to demonstrate the effectiveness of exploring issues through an intersectional approach. The authors conclude that a ‘one size fits all’ approach, when working towards universal mental health, is not the best approach and cannot provide a solution for all. They suggest the WHO, UN, governments and mental health agencies need to view global mental health differently to achieve alternative and better targeted solutions
A BiLSTM-IPPO approach for dynamic flexible flow shop scheduling with limited buffer capacity
No full textThis paper addresses the Dynamic Flexible Flow Shop Scheduling Problem with Limited Buffer Capacity (DFFSPLBC) by proposing Improved Proximal Policy Optimization with Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM-IPPO). We design state representations, action spaces and reward functions, and adapt the PPO framework to dynamically handle variable action dimensions. A Gantt-chart-based feature extraction method automatically captures comprehensive scheduling information, enhancing generalization. The bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM) exploits forward and backward temporal dependencies to fully capture job-machine interactions. Simulation on benchmark instances of various scales demonstrates that BiLSTM-IPPO outperforms heuristic, reinforcement learning (RL) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approaches in makespan reduction, validating its effectiveness and scalability
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