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Spotlight: Personality insight and introspective reflection: A lesson for study, employability and life in general
No full textThe case for BioEffective Surfaces for Transport (BEST) – a call for interdisciplinary action to further antimicrobial materials in the transport sector
No full textFollowing the emergence of the pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2, concerns relating to spread of microbial pathogens in every-day environments became front and centre in the lives of citizens across the globe
Prediction of capillary rise in vegetal concretes
No full textThis study examines the applicability of Washburn’s law for predicting capillary rise in vegetal concretes, with a focus on practical applications. The findings contribute to the groundwork for service life modeling of these materials. Initial results demonstrate a strong correlation between the capillary rise predicted by Washburn’s law and experimental observations across four mixes of hemp shiv and rapeseed straw, both with and without a viscosity-modifying agent. However, discrepancies emerged during later stages of the experiments, attributed to the finite dimensions of the samples and gravitational effects.<br/
A highly efficient, scalable, tetra-band metamaterial-based ambient RF energy harvester
No full textThis paper presents an innovative metamaterial-basedradio frequency (RF) energy harvesting system designed toefficiently capture ambient RF energy across multiple frequencybands, including Wi-Fi (2.45 GHz) and 5G (0.9 GHz, 1.8 GHz,2.1 GHz). Utilizing electric inductive-capacitive resonators anda rectification circuit, the system converts ambient RF energyinto direct current (dc) power with high efficiency. Specifically,a single unit-cell of the proposed 8x8 harvester is capable ofgenerating up to 562 μW under an RF ambient power densityof 40 μW/cm². This high efficiency and scalability make it idealfor powering low-power Internet of Things (IoT) devices andsensors. The design emphasizes optimizing the unit-cell to minimize computational complexity, enabling a more straightforward and scalable implementation. Experimental results demonstrate the system’s ability to efficiently harvest RF power across the specified bands, validating its potential as a sustainable solution for the growing power demands of IoT networks
Near-field SWIPT using XL-MIMO: Power allocation and subarray activation
No full textThis paper investigates the simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) capability of a modular extremely large multiple-input multiple-output (XL-MIMO) system, in the context of power consumption (PC) efficiency. The network users are divided into two functional categories: information decoding (ID) users and energy harvesting (EH) users. Non-stationary near-field channels are considered whilst the users are located in spatially distinct visibility regions (VRs). We formulate a two-tier joint optimization problem to minimize the PC, taking into account the power allocation (PA) for ID and EH users, along with the activation of constituent XL-MIMO subarrays. This complicated mixed-integer problem is transformed into more tractable formulations and efficient algorithms are proposed for solving them. The numerical results demonstrate that the overall PC of the XL-MIMO system for the proposed method is reduced by more than 60% in comparison to the benchmark scheme of equal PA with full subarray activation (SA) and 30% against the case of optimized PA with full SA, while satisfying the quality-of-service (QoS) constraints on both the downlink rate of the ID users and harvested energy at the EH users
Calcium catalysed Strecker-type reactions towards α-aminonitriles
No full textWe report an operationally simple calcium catalysed Strecker type reaction for the synthesis of α-aminonitriles from readily available N,O-acetals. The reaction is tolerant to a wide range of useful functional groups, including heterocycles, and provides the product in good to excellent yields. Additionally, the reaction does not require the need for anhydrous or air-free conditions, making it a suitable candidate for high throughput experimentation.<br/
CodeFit. Investigating the impact of providing free access to campus sports facilities on the mental health and academic outcomes of postgraduate software engineering students
No full textThis paper investigates the impact of providing free access to campus sports facilities on the mental health, physical fitness, lifestyle activities and academic outcomes of postgraduate students pursuing a Computer Masters degree at a UK University. Utilising controlled barrier access tracking to campus sport facilities and periodic surveys, data was collected to examine changes in mental health indicators, physical activity levels, and social interactions throughout the academic year. Results reveal a complex interplay between access to sports facilities, mental well-being, and academic performance. While there is an increase in mental health issues during the course, the utilisation of sports facilities correlates with reduced Exceptional Circumstance requests (application for an extension to a coursework deadline or exam deferral) related to stress and anxiety. Additionally, increased attendance and engagement in the course were recorded, as was marginally better academic outcomes. However, students that stated they had frequent mental health concerns statistically performed worse in assessments. Furthermore, while there was a concerning increase in mental health issues among students during the course, there was a decrease in other reported external stressors such as body image, physical health, and loneliness. It is significant that the frequency of students feeling regularly concerned about their mental health in this study was 41%, which compares favorably with the comparative university average of 79%. The findings underscore the importance of providing students with access to physical activity resources and support systems to enhance overall well-being and academic success. Further research is needed to optimise student support mechanisms and promote holistic student development within the university context
Differences in prevalence and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy among rural and urban residents with diabetes in South China: a cross-sectional study
No full textObjective To determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and associated risk factors among rural and urban people diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus (PwDM) in southern China.Design This is a cross-sectional study.Setting The study was conducted at primary health centres from 2 September to the end of December 2019.Participants All the 3646 PwDM being registered in Qujiang District, aged ≥18 years were informed, of whom 2677 attended the screening and were recruited.Primary and secondary outcome measures The presence of DR was determined by trained graders using criteria of the UK National Health Service Diabetic Eye Screening Programme. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess potential risk factors for the presence of DR.Results The mean age of the participants (73.4% of the 3646 invited people) was 63.4 years (SD 10.1 years), 1503 (56.2%) were female, 1749 (65.3%) were rural residents, 1654 (71.0%) participants had glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)≥6.5%, 1773 (66.3%) had high blood pressure and the median duration of diabetes mellitus (DM) was <5 years. Although half (52.0%) of these participants had brief (<5 years) exposure to DM, 831 (31.3%, 95% CI: 29.3 to 32.8%) had DR, among whom 412 (49.6%) had sight-threatening DR. Men (33.1%) had a significantly higher prevalence of any DR than women (29.4%, p<0.05). There were no significant differences in DR prevalence at any level between rural and urban residents. In multivariate regression models, risk factors for any DR were HbA1c>6.5% (OR=1.58, p<0.01), using insulin and antihyperglycaemic medications (OR=1.76, p<0.01), longer duration of DM and higher systolic blood pressure (OR=1.01 for each mm Hg, p<0.01).Conclusions The high prevalence of DR, hyperglycaemia and high blood pressure highlight the need for better management of non-communicable diseases in China.<br/