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Techno-economic analysis for floating offshore wind and offshore green hydrogen
No full textThis paper describes a techno-economic model for exploiting the Celtic Sea wind resource through direct productionof hydrogen offshore. The model conceives a modular approach with eight 510 MW floating windfarms,each with an electrolyser system and export compressor mounted on a jacket. The model ensures an uninterruptedhydrogen supply to an industrial cluster (16.4 te.H2/h) by incorporating salt cavern hydrogen storage.During periods of no power generation, baseload power is provided from hydrogen fuel cells. The base-casemodel with a Discount Rate of 6% returned an Levelised Cost of Hydrogen (LCoH) of £7.25 per kg of hydrogen in2023. The LCoH shows strong sensitivity to Discount Rate and electrolyser system efficiency. Electrolyser systemsand wind turbine generator floating structures are relatively new technologies not yet deployed at the GWscale, and benefit significantly from learning rates, which have the potential to substantially lower the LCoH
Environmental Citizenship and Behavioral Determinants of Wind Farm Tourism: Evidence from Grass Skyline, Zhangjiakou, China
Get PDFThis study examines the intersection of renewable energy and tourism by exploring why domestic tourists visit wind farm sites for recreation. Traditionally seen as industrial facilities, wind farms are now recognized as dual-purpose attractions that promote environmental awareness and local economic growth. Using the Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) theory, Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) as theoretical lenses, we investigate the psychological, social, and cultural factors influencing wind farm tourism. The key determinants of tourist behavior include attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, personal norms, and environmental beliefs. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicates that personal norms have the strongest direct impact on tourists’ intentions (underscoring the importance of internalized moral obligations in this context), with additional indirect effects through environmental citizenship factors. The findings highlight wind farms’ potential to foster sustainability, community engagement, and rural development. Managerial recommendations include providing visitor amenities, targeted marketing, and community involvement to enhance wind farms’ appeal as tourism destinations. This study contributes to tourism theory by expanding the definition of attractions to include renewable energy sites. Future research should examine the moderating role of past behavior and incorporate additional environmental citizenship variables to deepen insights into wind farm tourism
A Multi‐Sector Mixed Methods Study of Stroke Services in the Philippines: Insights From Government Officials and Organisational Leaders
Get PDFObjectivesThis study aimed to illustrate the state of stroke care and rehabilitation in the Philippines through the perspectives of local government officials, policymakers, and organisational leaders. It sought to identify challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for improving stroke policies and services across different administrative levels.MethodsMixed-methods approach involving a structured survey of 131 local government officials and in-depth interviews with eight key stakeholders. Survey participants included Department of Health (DoH) officials, local chief executives, policymakers, Local Government Unit (LGU) employees, and representatives from non-government agencies. Interviewees comprised leads and managers from the DoH and representatives from organisations including the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM), Physicians for Peace Philippines, and the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD). Quantitative survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative interview data were thematically analysed, then the two types of data were triangulated and organised by theme.ResultsFindings revealed significant gaps in funding, healthcare infrastructure, and policy implementation. Challenges included inadequate facilities, lack of qualified staff, financial barriers, and regional disparities in service provision. Survey and interview participants emphasised the need for increased government support, comprehensive policies, and community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programmes. Improving stroke survivors\u27 quality of life was ranked as the most critical aspect of rehabilitation programmes.ConclusionsThe study highlights the critical need for more equitable and accessible stroke care and rehabilitation in the Philippines. This can be facilitated by sustained government support, inter-agency collaboration, community engagement, and the implementation of holistic, evidence-based, and cost-effective CBR initiatives
Feasibility of Predicting Incidental Gallbladder Cancer (fP-iGBC): A protocol for a UK multicentre feasibility diagnostic modelling study for incidental gallbladder cancer in adult cholecystectomy.
Get PDFBackground: In the UK, gallbladder specimens are routinely sent for histological examination to exclude incidental gallbladder cancer (iGBC) and other clinically relevant pathology. Although rare, gallbladder cancer requires early detection to improve outcomes. Existing risk stratification tools miss cases or are not tailored to the UK population. Predicting Incidental Gallbladder Cancer (P-iGBC) is an adaptive, multicentre, cross-sectional, trainee-led collaborative study designed to develop a diagnostic score to stratify iGBC risk in adult cholecystectomy. This feasibility phase, fP-iGBC, evaluates the methods and procedures of the overall study, ensuring its robustness and practicality before full-scale implementation. Methods: fP-iGBC comprises an internal pilot of P-iGBC with a parallel qualitative study. The internal pilot investigates recruitment, data collection and study procedures in adults undergoing cholecystectomy for benign disease. The qualitative study explores attitudes of patients and professionals towards iGBC risk and selective histological analysis. Outcomes: The primary objectives were to evaluate screening processes, recruitment and data completeness. Additionally, the incidence of clinically relevant histological abnormalities will be compared against published evidence. A collaborator survey will identify challenges in study procedures. The qualitative study will explore the study’s value. Interim analysis will assess screening and recruitment targets against predefined progression criteria. Ethics and Registration: P-iGBC is approved by the London-Central National Health Service Research Ethics Committee (24/LO/0504), the University of Plymouth Faculty Research Ethics and Integrity Committee (PEOS 5550) and is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06531408). Conclusion: fP-iGBC will assess the feasibility of P-iGBC and inform necessary protocol amendments to ensure successful implementation of subsequent research phases
GrooVR: an open access virtual reality drumming application to improve pro-sociality using synchronous movement
Get PDFInterpersonal synchrony can enhance social bonding, cooperation, and reduce negative biases, especially toward out-group members. However, studying social synchrony faces practical challenges. To address this, we introduce a customizable virtual reality (VR) application and report two experiments evaluating its effectiveness. In the first experiment, participants drummed either in sync or out of sync with a virtual partner matching their gender, age, and ethnicity. Synchronous drumming increased feelings of affiliation but did not influence pro-social behavior in an economic game. The second experiment involved Caucasian participants drumming with Middle Eastern avatars. Synchronous drumming not only increased trust and affiliation but also reduced prejudicial attitudes toward Middle Eastern refugees. These findings suggest that virtual synchrony can strengthen social bonds and decrease bias, offering both theoretical insights and practical applications
Understanding the Impact of Employee Investigations on Those Who Lead Them: A Case Study from NHS Wales
Get PDFIn healthcare, there is growing awareness of the potential harm that disciplinary processes can have on employees, service delivery, and organizational culture. However, little attention has been given to the impact on those responsible for conducting these investigations. This study examines investigator harm through a cross-sectional survey, simultaneously collecting qualitative and quantitative data from 71 participants across 10 NHS Wales organizations. The findings indicate that investigators experience harm when conducting employee investigations. While those with more experience perceive themselves as better prepared to follow the formal steps of the disciplinary policy and process, their ability to prevent harm to themselves or others remains unchanged. Additionally, more experienced investigators are not more aware of their organization’s well-being priorities or strategies for mitigating harm. These findings highlight the need for greater support for investigators, including coaching and post-investigation debriefing. Training should raise awareness of the impact of employee investigations on all stakeholders and the importance of applying disciplinary policy and processes empathically. Finally, policies and processes should acknowledge the harm they may cause and explicitly provide strategies for harm reduction, such as treating formal investigations as a measure of ‘last resort’
Real-Time Temperature Estimation of the Machine Drive SiC Modules Consisting of Parallel Chips per Switch for Reliability Modelling and Lifetime Prediction
Get PDFThis paper presents a new methodical procedure to monitor in real time the junction temperature of SiC Power MOSFET modules of parallel-connected chips utilized in machine drive systems to develop their reliability modelling and predict their lifetime. The paper implements the on-line measurements of temperature-sensitive electrical parameters (TSEP) approach, particularly the quasi-threshold voltage and the on-state drain to source voltage, to estimate the junction temperature in real time. The proposed procedure firstly applied computational fluid dynamics analysis on the module under study to determine the chip which undergoes the maximum junction temperature during typical operation of the module. Then, a calibration phase, using double-pulse tests on the selected chip, is used to generate look-up tables to relate the TSEPs under study to the junction temperature. Next, the real-time estimation of junction temperature was accomplished during the on-line operation of the three-phase inverter, taking into account the induced distortion/noises due to operation of the parallel-connected chips in the module. After that, a comparison between the two TSEPs under study was provided to demonstrate their advantages/drawbacks. Finally, reliability modelling was developed to predict the lifetime of the studied module based on the estimated junction temperature under a predetermined mission profile
Opinions of the UK general public and stroke survivors in using artificial intelligence and ‘opt-out’ models of consent in medical research: a qualitative study
No full textBackground Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare often requires large, confidential clinical datasets. However, a recent UK government survey revealed that 20–40% of the public remain sceptical of its use in health research due to concerns about data security, patient–practitioner communication and commercialisation of data. A greater understanding of public attitudes is therefore needed, particularly in the context of stroke research.In this article, we describe the patient and public involvement work undertaken for the AI-Based-Stroke-Risk-fActor-Classification-and-Treatment (ABSTRACT) project, which aims to train AI models to predict future stroke risk from the electronic health records of 1 18 736 patients.Aims We aimed to evaluate the opinions of stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA) patients, caregivers and members of the public on the following themes: (1) the acceptability of using AI to predict stroke from electronic health records, (2) obtaining these data using an opt-out model of consent and (3) allowing access to this dataset from members both within and outside of the routine clinical care team.Methods A total of 83 participants were recruited via the National Health Service social media and by approaching hospital inpatients. Participants were first provided with background information on stroke, AI in medical research and ABSTRACT’s proposed data handling protocol. A mixed methods approach was then used to explore each of the above themes using online survey, semistructured focus groups and one-to-one interviews.Results Nearly all participants felt that it was appropriate to use patient data to train AI models to predict stroke risk and that it was acceptable to obtain these data via an opt-out model of consent. Almost all participants also agreed that data could be shared within and outside of the routine clinical care team, provided it was General Data Protection Regulation compliant and used for medical research only.Conclusion The public and those with lived stroke/TIA experience appeared to support using deidentified medical datasets for AI-driven stroke risk prediction under an opt-out consent model. However, this is provided that the research conducted is transparent, for a clear medical purpose and adheres to strict data security measures
Can Dietary Supplements Support Muscle Function and Physical Activity? A Narrative Review
No full textDietary supplementation is commonly used by athletes to gain muscle mass, enhance performance, and improve recovery. Most adults engage in insufficient physical activity. Yet healthy muscles are also critical for activities of daily living (ADLs), maintaining a good quality of life and positive ageing. There is growing interest in whether dietary supplementation is of value, particularly among subgroups such as the occasionally active, the ill and elderly, and peri- and menopausal women. By focusing on function, performance, mass and strength, ADLs, exercise-induced muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness, this review sought to examine muscle health through a nutritional lens. Further, to look at the potential benefits and harms of some commonly proposed dietary supplements in non-athlete adults, while exploring the emerging role of the gut–muscle axis. Inflammation appears central to cellular events. Several supplements were identified that, alone or in combination, may help optimise muscle health, particularly when combined with exercise or where a deficit may exist. Although supportive evidence is emerging, real-world clinical benefits remain to be substantiated. Though dietary supplements are generally safe, their regulation is less stringent than for medicines. Adherence to recommended dosage, seeking medical advice regarding possible side effects/interactions, and obtaining supplies from reliable sources are recommended
Height and phytotelm size affect the invertebrate communities of epiphytic bromeliads in the Amazon rainforest
No full textTank bromeliads are found in rainforests across the Neotropics and harbour diverse invertebrate communities between their leaf axes. Various factors influence the invertebrate species richness and differences in composition in bromeliad phytotelmata, most notably, habitat size. However, there has been little work on invertebrate communities in bromeliads in western Amazonia or at different heights in the canopy. We collected 63 epiphytic bromeliads (Aechmea hoppii (Harms) L.B.Sm, A. nidularioides L.B.Sm) on the eastern edge of the Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot in Ecuador and explored which biological and physical variables explained the differences in invertebrate composition among bromeliads. We extracted a total of 7524 individual aquatic and terrestrial macroinvertebrates and identified 300 morphospecies belonging to 27 orders, within the phyla Arthropoda, Annelida and Platyhelminthes. We recorded information on bromeliad location within the forest (height in canopy, primary or secondary forest), plant size (phytotelmata volume, base circumference, length of longest leaf), phytotelm pH and temperature and counted the number of leaves as a measure of habitat complexity. Overall, our results indicate that height in the canopy and phytotelm size explained statistically significant portions of the variation in different parts of the bromeliad community. Bromeliad size was positively correlated with alpha diversity of both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, whereas height in the canopy affected beta diversity. The sampling time of year in which bromeliads were collected affected the aquatic community, suggesting biological seasonality in the absence of climatic seasonality. By extending the height from the ground at which most bromeliad studies have been carried out, our work has highlighted the potential importance of vertical variation of bromeliad invertebrate communities throughout the canopy. Additionally, we fill in a geographic gap in this body of work