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The effectiveness of structured physical activity on agitation in people with dementia: a rapid review
Get PDFObjectives: Managing agitation and other behaviours that challenge is a significant dementia care challenge. The priority is to find effective non-pharmacological interventions as drug treatments can have significant side effects. This review evaluates the effectiveness of structured physical activity on agitation in dementia.
Methods: Our rapid review searched four electronic databases, Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, CINAHL and Embase, for interventional studies using a structured physical activity programme in people with dementia and studied the effect of this activity on behaviours that challenge. Study quality was assessed using CASP criteria and data was narratively synthesised. Results: We included 13 studies in this review (four rated as high quality), involving a total of 1546 participants. Results were analysed according to exercise type, frequency and intensity of the intervention. Exercise is effective in reducing agitation and studies with higher adherence to exercise demonstrated more positive effects on agitation and behaviours that challenge. Conclusions: Physical activity can be effective in reducing agitation in older adults with dementia. Further research is needed to clarify the type of intervention that is most beneficial. Strategies to make physical activity more acceptable and available to people with dementia need to be established
Big Data Security Using RSA Algorithms in A VPN Domain
Get PDFBig Data security using encryption algorithms has become imperative due to the increased reliance on the volume, velocity, veracity, and value of data that organizations require to manage business processes, information sharing, and vulnerabilities that can be exploited. VPN tunneling ensures the confidentiality of data transmission over the network and remains secure from unauthorized parties. Big Data security within a VPN environment using RSA encryption to secure the data traversing between the established VPN tunnel. However, recent attacks on Big Data such as Man-in-the-middle, Evil twin attacks, DNS cache poisoning, phishing, injection, and DoS attacks, among others, have impacted greatly on organizations, leading to financial losses, data breaches, reputational damage, litigation issues, and trust. This paper explores how Big Data Security uses the RSA Algorithms in the VPN environment to establish secure tunneling and enhance security. The contribution of this paper is threefold. The foremost objective is to explore existing literature and state of the art to identify and analyze the prevalent Big Data challenges, threats, risks, and vulnerabilities that can compromise Big Data. In addition, we would compare encryption algorithms, such as AES, RSA, and DES, to determine secure features and relevance during data transmission in a VPN environment. Furthermore, we implement a VPN tunnel and encrypt the end-to-end network infrastructure for configuration and to secure the data traversing the network. Finally, we recommend security mechanisms to improve Big Data security in a VPN environment. The results highlight issues of improper data storage, inadequate authentication, and insufficient data protection mechanisms; it also discusses examples of Big Data security challenges and how RSA encryption could improve security on the VPN
Ordnance
No full textTheatre Production of 'Ordnance' - a full length play first performed at the Drayton Arms Theatre, London from 19-23rd November 2024.
Afghanistan 1883: Against a backdrop of colonial wars and espionage, Atkinson, a young British cartographer embarks on an affair with Virginia, the estranged wife of an exiled and arrogant botanist, setting them on a journey of self-reflection. Ordnance is about manmade borders, both personal and physical, and how they can categorise and shape identity.
Theatre recording - 22nd Nov 2024 at the Drayton Arms Theatre, London - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-FhcgwkI8
Integrating Advanced Healthcare AI into Higher Education of Smart Cities: Skin Cancer Classification with Custom Vision Transformers
No full textIn today's smart cities, it's essential to combine advanced healthcare with education. Our research introduces a groundbreaking method for detecting skin cancer, using a new type of artificial intelligence called a Vision Transformer. This model analyzes a wide range of skin images from different people and accurately identifies skin cancer, especially melanoma and benign moles. Moving beyond traditional techniques like convolutional neural networks, our approach uses advanced attention mechanisms to improve accuracy by focusing on key areas in the skin images. The model has been thoroughly tested with specific criteria to ensure it can reliably detect skin cancer while reducing errors. This research is particularly important as skin cancer rates are increasing worldwide, and early, accurate detection is vital for saving lives. Our study focuses on providing assistance to healthcare practitioners for skin disease diagnostics as well as to assist in providing training and education to healthcare researchers. The proposed method outperforms in terms of ROC curve analysis
A systematic review of healthcare professionals and women's experiences and perceptions of colposcopy method of cervical cancer screening in Nigeria
Get PDFBackground: Cervical cancer continues to pose a significant public health issue in Nigeria, characterized by high rates of incidence and mortality. Colposcopy is integral to the cervical cancer screening process and its early detection. However, the uptake of colposcopy screening in Nigeria remains suboptimal, with various factors contributing to this phenomenon. Comprehending the experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals and patients concerning colposcopy for cervical cancer screening is vital to enhance screening initiatives and alleviate the impact of cervical cancer in Nigeria. This systematic review aims to identify the gap in knowledge and synthesize the existing literature on the experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals and patients regarding colposcopy for cervical cancer screening in Nigeria. Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted in Academic search elite, African journals online (AJOL), CINAHL, MBASE, psycho info, Cochrane, Medline (via PubMed) and Scopus databases from 2010 until March 2023. The quality of the included studies was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool. Thematic analysis was deployed to synthesize the extracted data. Results: Fourteen (14) studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in developed countries and urban settings. The review revealed key themes that were categorized into four: insufficient knowledge/awareness, emotional factors, cultural/religious factors, and organizational/systemic factors. Conclusion: The review identified barriers to colposcopy screening in Nigeria, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve cervical cancer screening rates. Hence, the need for a qualitative study in rural parts of Nigeria to explore the in-depth understanding of patients' and healthcare professionals’ regarding colposcopy screening utilization
Sustainable Ageing: Reimagining Healthy Ageing Through the Lens of Flagship Campaigns
No full textThis book uniquely operationalizes "sustainable ageing" as a concept for reimagining ways by which: (1) social and health threats (i.e., climate change events, extreme industrialization, infectious disease outbreak, and war) can constrain the implementation of healthy ageing campaigns or limit their outcomes, and (2) potential transdisciplinary strategies can be rolled out to optimize healthy ageing through the campaigns in contexts experiencing the threats.
The United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-2030 initiative drives major healthy ageing campaigns and encapsulates 10 initiatives for enabling people to maintain health as they age. Worsening social and health threats are, however, hindering the implementation of the campaigns. Consequently, healthy ageing may not be achieved or sustained, even in age-friendly contexts experiencing crises.
Scholars agree these threats will adversely impact public health and an inclusive multidisciplinary approach to healthy ageing is necessary amidst the threats. This book provides an understanding of how healthy ageing should be framed and approached through the campaigns in a world experiencing crises. Among the topics covered are:
Psychology of “Ageing in Place” Amidst Health and Social Threats: Perspectives on the Decade of Healthy Ageing
Climate Change Adaptation for Healthy Ageing
Research-Practice Gap: Impact on Campaigns and Mitigation Strategies
Human Development Pathways for Empowering Older Adults: A Decade of Healthy Ageing Perspective
Initiatives to Fight Ageism, Neglect, and Elderly Abuse During Crises: A Healthy Ageing Perspective
Sustainable Ageing: Reimagining Healthy Ageing Through the Lens of Flagship Campaigns is a timely publication with broad appeal. Each chapter provides empirical evidence or models for improving stakeholders’ understanding of campaign-related healthy ageing programmes, how the programmes are affected by the threats, and what can be done to achieve the core goals in contexts experiencing threats. Students, lecturers, and researchers can use the book as a research guide, whereas public health professionals and organizations can use it to develop or alter policies. Researchers in a wide range of disciplines can design studies based on models and insights from the book
GIS Objective Measures of Walkability Are Not Always Superior to Psychometric Measures
No full textThe use of the geographical information system (GIS) to measure walkability is now commonplace, but the prioritisation of GIS-based measures over psychometric measures may pose serious consequences for practice. Psychometric measures are Likert-type scales used to assess thoughts and feelings about phenomena. Editorial decisions that are independent of research novelty and other design factors often favour users of GIS-based measures and discriminate against research utilising psychometric measures. Though their data are more accurate, GIS measures are not always better than psychometric tools. In response to the United Nations’ goal of utilising data for healthy ageing through the Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030, this chapter highlights the subtle strengths of psychometric measures and reveals instances when GIS objective measures may produce less useful findings for policy and practice. A theoretical foundation of the unique role of subjective measures of walkability in active transportation research in the context of healthy ageing is formulated. Guidelines for students, researchers, editors, and peer-reviewers are presented to illustrate the unique significance of the two measures and, thus, enable the preservation of the worth of both tools
Backstepping-Based Quasi-Sliding Mode Control and Observation for Electric Vehicle Systems: A Solution to Unmatched Load and Road Perturbations
Get PDFThe direct current (DC) motor is the core part of an electrical vehicle (EV). The unmatched
perturbation of load torque is a challenging problem in the control of an EV system driven by a DC
motor and hence a deep control concern is required. In this study, the proposed solution is to present
two control approaches based on a backstepping control algorithm for speed trajectory tracking
of EVs. The first control design is to develop the backstepping controller based on a quasi-sliding
mode disturbance observer (BS-QSMDO), and the other controller is to combine the backstepping
control with quasi-integral sliding mode control (BS-QISMC). In the sense of Lyapunov-based stability
analysis, the ultimate boundedness of the proposed controllers has been detailedly analyzed, assessed,
and evaluated in the presence of unmatched perturbation. A modified stability analysis has been
presented to determine the ultimate bounds of disturbance estimation error for both controllers. The
determination of ultimate bound and region-of-attraction for tracking and estimation errors is the
contribution achieved by the proposed control design. The performances of the proposed controllers
have been verified via computer simulations and the level of ultimate bounds for the estimation
and tracking errors are the key measures for their evaluation. Compared to BS-QISMC, the results
showed that a lower level of ultimate boundedness with a higher convergent rate can be reached
based on BS-QSMO. However, a higher control effort can be exerted by the BS-QSMO controller as
compared to BS-QISMC; and this is the price to be paid by the BS-QSMO controller to achieve lower
ultimate boundedness with a faster convergence rate
Tell-Tall Signs of Voice and Exit’s Hirschman Theory in this Digital Age: Analysis of the Zimbabwean Healthcare Sector
No full textThe Zimbabwean healthcare sector has faced a challenging shortage of health professionals in recent days. This study investigates the phenomenon of health professionals leaving the country, and to understand the situation, this review used (Hirschman, Exit, voice, and loyalty: Responses to decline in firms, organizations, and states, Harvard University Press, 1970) voice and exit theory. The researchers took advantage of the digital age and obtained relevant reports on the internet; after a vigorous selection process, the six most relevant reports on Zimbabwean health professionals were selected and analysed in this review. The findings indicate that Hirschman’s theory applies to understanding the employment relations in the Zimbabwean healthcare sector. The data shows that Zimbabwean health professionals used their voices to challenge the status quo before leaving the country. However, the evidence from the data obtained highlighted that these health professionals had no option but to exit the country since the Zimbabwean government’s reaction was powerful and gave no room for active voice behaviours. However, this study recommends the Zimbabwean government consider allowing some voices in the healthcare sector to get a meaningful chance to sort the situation in this sector, as the reports will always be available due to this digital age. Despite limitations in this study, such as the limited data used, the findings are valid, although future researchers should consider larger samples to get an in-depth understanding of the employment relationship in the Zimbabwean healthcare sector
Innovation in music: Cultures and Contexts
No full textInnovation in Music: Cultures and Contexts is a groundbreaking collection bringing together contributions from instructors, researchers, and professionals. Split into two sections, covering creative production practices and national/international perspectives, this volume offers truly global outlooks on ever-evolving practices.
Including chapters on Dolby Atmos, the history of distortion, creativity in the pandemic, and remote music collaboration, this is recommended reading for professionals, students, and researchers looking for global insights into the fields of music production, music business, and music technology