36750 research outputs found
Sort by
“That’s the dream, right?”: reflections on the co-design of an environmental digital twin by flood risk management professionals
Get PDFA Digital Twin (DT) dynamically represents the near-real-time status of a system, allowing users to visualise its current and forecasted status, and test interventions. Emerging technologies, such as DTs, could be transformative for working practices in environmental risk management. However, the development of DTs for environmental management and disaster risk reduction involves extensive challenges. Within Flood Risk Management (FRM), this process is complicated by the involvement of multiple professional stakeholders with diverse statutory responsibilities, priorities, and needs. There is also no formal method for the design of DTs or established method of accounting for end user needs. Processes tend to be top-down and technology driven, rather than bottom-up and user focused. This paper presents one of the first attempts to explore user co-design within the development of a DT. It stems from FLOODTWIN - an interdisciplinary DT demonstrator project for FRM in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire (United Kingdom), a region with complex, compound flood risk. Using data from participatory workshops and interviews, we explore the project’s co-creation process with professional FRM stakeholders, mapping emerging opportunities and challenges in the development of DTs and their interfaces from a qualitative, ethnographic perspective. We reflect on the diverse perspectives of professional users, how they engage with emerging technologies, the politics of data-sharing, and the role of academic research in shaping future development of DTs in FRM practice. We present a new evidence-base to inform future research on the co-creation of digital tools in multi-agency decision-making for FRM and wider environmental management. The paper proposes a research planning framework for navigating co-design processes in future projects to develop environmental DTs. In so doing, the paper also illustrates ways in which sub-optimal water risk management is socially constructed, and not merely a technical challenge to be surmounted
A novel method of fusing Bert-LSTM and XAI for social media disinformation identification
Get PDFIn the digital era, the news ecosystem has shifted from traditional print media to fast-paced social platforms where information spreads instantly. However, reduced editorial oversight has made these platforms vulnerable to widespread misinformation. This paper proposes a novel, explainable artificial intelligence (AI) framework that combines Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to detect and classify disinformation. The study offers both technical and theoretical advancements. Technically, the hybrid BERT–LSTM model demonstrates significantly higher accuracy than traditional methods in misinformation detection. Methodologically, the model incorporates explainability through Shapley Additive Explanations, which quantify how key social media engagement features—such as likes, comments, and shares—influence model predictions. This analysis reveals both the individual and combined effects of these features on misinformation classification. Theoretically, the research advances explainable AI by introducing a dual contribution: a hybrid model architecture and a feature association analysis. Practically, the proposed model offers a transparent and effective tool for misinformation mitigation, supporting social media platforms and regulatory agencies in strengthening content governance and fostering a healthier digital information environment
Electrochemistry in flame plasmas: passive films and impedance analysis
Get PDFFlame plasmas can serve as unique electrochemical environments, enabling high-temperature electrochemistry in a gaseous medium. In this study, we explore electrochemistry in flame plasmas, focusing on the formation and characterisation of passive oxide layers on metals and alloys, notably platinum and titanium using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Also, we summarise the existing literature on flame plasma electrochemistry and discuss how EIS can probe the evolution of protective oxide films in these extreme conditions. The passivation behaviour of platinum and titanium is compared: platinum tends to form only a thin surface oxide, whereas titanium readily develops a thick TiO2 scale. The impedance response of these passive layers in a flame reveals distinct characteristics - from high impedance for platinum sparse oxide to low impedance features for TiO2 films that decrease with thickness. We examine the mass transport conditions in flame plasmas, where low ionic concentrations, high ionic mobility, strong convection, and significant migration effects differentiate flame electrochemistry from conventional liquid electrolytes and key equations are provided to describe the electrochemical processes, and all observations are contextualised with current theory and experimental findings
Acid-activation enhanced graphite additive manufactured polypropylene sensor for the detection of parathion in forensic and environmental samples
Get PDFParathion is a widely used pesticide that also acts as a hazardous toxicant, making its in situ detection crucial in both environmental and forensic contexts. As such, this study presents the development and application of a new additive manufactured electrodes composed of polypropylene (PP), carbon black (CB), and nitric acid-treated graphite (Gr(HNO3)) for the electroanalytical detection of parathion. The physicochemical properties of the CB–Gr(HNO3)/PP additive manufactured electrodes were thoroughly characterised using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy. Electrochemical characterisation revealed that introducing acid-treated graphite component significantly enhanced the electrode's electrochemical properties compared to untreated graphite electrodes. The electroanalytical performance of the CB–Gr(HNO3)/PP electrode was subsequently assessed for the detection of parathion using adsorptive stripping square-wave voltammetry (SWAdSV), exhibiting a highly sensitive response, with a theoretical detection limit of 0.17 nM and a linear concentration range from 20 to 100 μM. The method demonstrated excellent reproducibility (RSD 3)/PP electrode provides an effective platform for parathion sensing, highlighting the potential of additive manufacturing in advancing real-world analytical applications for environmental and forensic monitoring
Technospheric Speculations: Materiality, Textuality and Impropriety
No full textI initially encountered the term ‘technosphere’ through the Haus Der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) Technosphere Magazine project (2016-2019), and it has become an object of consideration in my own writing. The HKW editors position the technosphere as the driver, since at least the mid-twentieth century, of our progression into the Anthropocene epoch (Haus der Kulturen Der Welt, 2019). A shifting network of interconnected parts, it reflects our increasingly digitised ecology yet also increasingly determines it through feeding back into the thinking and acting of those organisms within it: ourselves. While the Technosphere Magazine project ranged expansively into non-human ecological terrains, the focus of this chapter proceeds through the technosphere’s inter- (and intra-, and supra-) human dimensions.
I do not wish to reify the term ‘technosphere’ and, in so doing, slip into an agential techno-utopianism echoing those I will critique. At points in the text which follows I will write of the technosphere acting in certain ways and doing certain things, but it is important to periodically remind ourselves that this is not some abstract, conscious entity which acts upon us from an external position. Rather than labouring this point at each mention of technospheric action, logic or intention though, I place trust in the reader’s capacity to interpolate this: the technosphere is an accretion of human activities, histories, relations, circulations, technologies, systems of production and ascribing of value, societal structures, and more. It is a structure which frequently diminishes humans, but is constituted through ourselves and our collective practices, structures and technologies
Re)constructing Coptic Lives in Late Antiquity: Object Itineraries
No full textMuseum displays play an important role in publicly reconstructing ancient lives, being the first point of contact that many people today will have of different time periods and places. The following study draws upon the concepts of object biography and, particularly, object itinerary, to examine three objects today on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The objects all come from the same area of Egypt, western Thebes in the seventh century, but today are on display with material from other areas of the late antique Mediterranean world. Through discussion of what information is presented about these objects and exploration of what can be reconstructed about their history, their itineraries can be used both as evidence for Coptic lives in antiquity, as well as modern collecting practices, and how meaning and association change throughout the course of their journeys
Hums in the humus: opportunities and challenges for soil ecoacoustics.
Get PDFSoil ecoacoustics is an emerging field and suite of tools that use sound and vibration to detect belowground biological activity. It offers a minimally invasive way to assess soil communities and ecosystem processes. Across biomes, we found that soil ecoacoustics is being used to detect organisms, quantify animal behaviour, monitor soil health, and assess restoration interventions. In this review, we show that ecoacoustic metrics reflect changes in soil fauna activity, disturbance impacts, and recovery trajectories. However, major challenges remain, including inconsistent terminology, limited understanding of sound propagation across soil types, difficulty separating biotic from abiotic signals, and a lack of standardised methods. Thus, we propose foundational standard operating procedures (SOPs) and identify how soil ecoacoustics could be integrated into global biodiversity monitoring frameworks. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Mountain glacier extents at the Last Glacial Maximum
Get PDFMountain regions experienced repeated glacial expansions and retreats during the Quaternary, shaping landscapes, ecosystems, and regional climates. While numerous reconstructions exist for individual mountain glaciers, global geodatabases remain scarce and rarely updated to reflect the latest observations. Here, we present GLACIMONTIS, a global geodatabase of maximum recorded areal extents of mountain glaciers at local Last Glacial Maximum, spanning 57-14 kyr BP. Our synthesis integrates reconstructions from 209 studies across 271 mountain ranges worldwide, compiling 15,014 individual glacier reconstructions, including 8,809 reconstructions compiled for the first time in a global geodatabase. Our work updates knowledge in 135 mountain ranges and highlights research gaps in 71 others. GLACIMONTIS represents the most comprehensive and up-to-date synthesis of mountain glacier areal extent at the global and local Last Glacial Maximum, providing spatial boundaries for refining climate-glacier modeling and delineating paleoecological reconstructions, and a framework for identifying regional research gaps. GLACIMONTIS advances Quaternary science by enhancing access to paleoglacier reconstructions and fostering interdisciplinary research in and across mountains worldwide
Abolition of coercion in psychiatry on the horizon? A descriptive ecologic data study from six European countries.
Get PDFObjective: In the last decade, UN bodies and the WHO call for the abolition of coercion in
psychiatry. Studies provide some evidence for interventions to reduce the use of coercion,
but it is unclear whether the use of coercion is decreasing in real-world practice. The aim of
this study was to gather longitudinal ecologic data on the use of coercive interventions in
European countries and to depict trends over time. Methods: For each country, inclusion
required access to ecologic datasets spanning a minimum of four years, pertain to a defined
population (country or federal state level), and allowing the necessary elements to calculate
both the proportion of psychiatric admissions affected by involuntary admissions (IA) and
coercive measures (CM) and the rate per 100,000 inhabitants. Country experts were
accessed via a European network of experts (FOSTREN group). Results: Data was
obtained from Austria, England, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, and covered
periods between 4 and 10 years. In no country, an absolute decrease in IA and the use of
CM could be observed. Rates of IA per 100.000 inhabitants changed between -5,4%
(Sweden) and + 37% (Germany). Rates of admissions exposed to any kind of CM changed
between +11% (Austria) and + 86% (Norway). Discussion: The findings suggest a
persistence or rise in coercive practices despite national and international policy
commitments. Increase of involuntary admissions suggests reasons outside psychiatric
hospitals, whereas a disproportionate increase of coercive measures may indicate a change
of practice in in-patient psychiatry. Further research is needed to explore the reasons from
clinical and societal perspectives
S-Carboxymethylcysteine Mitigates Cyclophosphamide-Induced Hepatotoxicity by Modulating TLR-4/NF-κB Signaling and Redox Homeostasis
Get PDFBackground: Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a widely used chemotherapeutic and immunosuppressive agent. The clinical application of CP is limited by significant hepatotoxicity and other side effects. S-carboxymethylcysteine (SCMC), a mucolytic agent, has gained attention for its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study evaluated the hepatoprotective efficacy of SCMC against CP-induced liver injury, with a focus on oxidative stress, TLR-4/NF-κB signaling, and the involvement of the key regulatory proteins, cytoglobin, thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1), and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Methods: Rats were pretreated with SCMC for seven days, followed by a single dose of CP on the fifth day. Blood and liver were collected for biochemical and histopathological examinations. Results: CP administration resulted in a marked increase in serum transaminases alongside a reduction in albumin levels, accompanied by significant histopathological damage in the liver. SCMC effectively alleviated liver function biomarkers and ameliorated CP-induced histopathological changes. Oxidative stress induced by CP was evident through elevated malondialdehyde and diminished glutathione and antioxidant enzyme activities, all of which were counteracted by SCMC. Furthermore, CP upregulated TLR-4, NF-κB p65, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Bax, and caspase-3, while downregulating the expression of Bcl-2, cytoglobin, TXNRD1, and HMGB1. SCMC suppressed TLR-4/NF-κB signaling, pro-inflammatory cytokine release, Bax, and caspase-3, while restoring the expression of Bcl-2, cytoglobin, TXNRD1, and HMGB1. Conclusion: SCMC confers protection against CP-induced hepatotoxicity by alleviating oxidative stress, inhibiting TLR-4/NF-κB-mediated inflammation, attenuating apoptosis, and upregulating cytoglobin, TXNRD1, and HMGB1. These findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of SCMC in mitigating hepatotoxicity associated with CP treatment