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An interface platform for robotic neuromorphic systems
Get PDFNeuromorphic computing is promising to become a future standard in low-power AI applications. The integration between new neuromorphic hardware and traditional microcontrollers is an open challenge. In this paper, we present an interface board and a communication protocol that allows communication between different devices, using a microcontroller unit (Arduino Due) in the middle. Our compact printed circuit board (PCB) links different devices as a whole system and provides a power supply for the entire system using batteries as the power supply. Concretely, we have connected a Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS128), SpiNNaker board and a servo motor, creating a platform for a neuromorphic robotic system controlled by a Spiking Neural Network, which is demonstrated on the task of intercepting incoming objects. The data rate of the implemented interface board is 24.64 k symbols/s and the latency for generating commands is about 11ms. The complete system is run only by batteries, making it very suitable for robotic applications
Effects of dietary and lifestyle management on type 2 diabetes development among ethnic minority adults living in the UK: a generational shift
Get PDFType 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing among Asian, African, and Caribbean (AAC) populations in the UK, where diet and lifestyle are the main modifiable factors. The effect of generation on the onset of T2D in relation to dietary and lifestyle habits is unclear in these ethnic communities in UK. Thus, the study aims to investigate this issue along with whether generation of AAC, living in the UK differs in terms of the prevalence of T2D. The current study incorporated longitudinal self-reported data for 3459 AAC adults aged 25+ years using wave 7 (data collected in 2016) & 9 (data collected in 2019) from the UK Household Longitudinal Study data. A Chi-square test was used to examine the prevalence of T2D among ethnic generations. Logistic regression was used to determine the risk of T2D in terms of dietary and lifestyle habits adjusting for covariates. Significantly higher prevalence of T2D existed in the first-generation (5.0%) than the second-generation (1.9%) (p < 0.001). Findings were consistent after adjusting for gender, residence type, country of residence, sleep quality, high blood pressure, long-standing illness, and age. Consuming two or less vegetables and more than two fruits portions per day with (odds ratio, OR 1.92,95% confidence interval, CI 1.02, 1.64); (OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.08, 12.82) respectively, and walking weekly (OR2.30, 95% CI 1.20, 4.41). However, the confounding effect of age in terms of more than two vegetable portions, two or fewer fruits portions, non-smokers, alcoholic and non-alcoholic respondents was non-significant. Findings suggest that people from first-generation, have higher odds of developing diabetes, despite having the same lifestyle as second-generation (fruit and vegetable consumption, exercise, non-smokers, and alcohol). Further research is required to examine these factors more specifically
Politicization, postpolitics and the open city: Openness, closedness and the spatialisation of the political
Get PDFThe idea of the open city has been used both conceptually and analytically to understand the politics of the city. The contrast between the open city and the closed city relies, in part, upon an understanding of the global systems that enfold cities and, consequently, the politics that are – and are not – afforded cities. Notions such as the postpolitical city depend not on temporality where the city has ceased to be political, but a spatialisation of politics where the (properly)
political has become excluded by the closed systems that envelope cities. In this paper, we explore analytical and theoretical responses to the horror of the Grenfell Tower fire to disclose the ways that different critiques of neoliberalism and racial capitalism deploy and rely upon different conceptions of the open and closed systems of the city. Rather than settle for the open/closed binary, we seek to understand how different forms of openness and closedness afford/constrain the politicisation (and depoliticization) of city life – and its catastrophes
Philosophical health: Unveiling the patient's personal philosophy with a person-centred method of dialogue.
Get PDFGrounded in ideas about sense-making and whole-person care with a long intellectual heritage, the movement for Philosophical Health—with its specific conceptions of philosophical care and counselling—is a relatively recent addition to the ongoing debate about understanding better the perspectives of patients to improve health practice. This article locates the development of this movement within the context of broader discussions of person-centred care (PCC), arguing that the approach advocated by defenders of philosophical health can provide a straightforward method for implementing PCC in actual cases. This claim is explained and defended with reference to the SMILE_PH method created by Luis de Miranda (Sense-Making Interviews Looking at Elements of Philosophical Health), an approach recently trialled convincingly with people living with traumatic spinal cord injury
Bright lights and terror –speaker diary from the CILIP conference 2023.
Get PDFSpeaker diary from the CILIP conference 2023
The experience of living alone as an older woman in the UK during the Covid pandemic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
Get PDFBackground and objectives
More people are living alone across the life course: in later life this can have implications for practical and psychosocial support. The Covid pandemic emphasised the importance of this when the UK government restricted movement outside of households to limit the spread of disease. This had important ramifications regarding social contact and practical support. The objectives of this study were to explore the experience of older women living alone during this time, with a focus on health and wellbeing.
Research design and methods
This study used an Interpretative Phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with seven women (aged 65 +), living alone in the UK. Interviews were carried out between May and October 2020. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the transcripts.
Results
Findings show that life course events shaped how living alone was experienced in later life. Convergences and divergences in lived experience were identified. Three superordinate themes emerged from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Productivity, Ownership, and Interconnectedness.
Discussion and implications
Findings highlight the importance of life course events in shaping the experience of later life. They also provide a better understanding of the lived experience of living alone as an older woman, increasing knowledge of this group and how living alone can affect health and wellbeing. Implications for research and practice are discussed, such as the importance of recognising the specific support needs for this group in later life, and the need for further knowledge about groups whose needs are not met by standard practice
Enhancing sustainability of low to medium-rise reinforced concrete frame buildings in the UK
Get PDFIn low-to-medium-rise RC frame buildings, to sustain gravity and lateral loads, mostly, two main load-bearing systems are used; moment-resisting (sway) and moment-resisting with shear walls. In the UK, the use of shear walls has now become an expansive technique in these types of RC frame building, as indicated by The Concrete Centre. Furthermore, considering the structural behaviour and performance of shear walls in low-to-medium-rise RC frame buildings, in the areas with low risk of seismic load they may negatively affect the economic and environmental efficiency of the construction without any substantial improvement to the structural performance of the building. In this study, several steps will be undertaken to enhance the sustainability of construction in RC frame buildings, including the possibility of removing shear walls in low-to-medium-rise buildings which can directly influence the consumption of aggregates (as natural resources) and cement in concrete and speed up the construction process. Reducing the amount of concrete in the construction of RC frames may be a feasible option that would have a significant effect on the reduction of CO2. emissions from the construction industry. The results indicate that, considering the practical side of the design, it is advisable to design the buildings up to 12 storeys using moment-resisting frame with flat slab. The results, also, shows 12% reduction of consumed concrete and 4.6% of CO2. emission in moment-resisting frames compared to the frame with shear walls.
According to the outcome of this research and in collaboration with the Concrete Centre a design guide is developed for the use and implementation of moment-resisting frames in the UK construction industry
Comparing abuse profiles, contexts, and outcomes of help-seeking victims of domestic violence: Part III – LGBT clients
Get PDFThe present study represents the third part of an exploration into the demographic characteristics, context and outcomes of abuse, and outcomes of service engagement for users of specialist Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) services in the United Kingdom (UK; see Hine, Bates, Mackay et al., 2022 and Hine, Bates, Graham-Kevan, et al., 2022 for parts I and II respectively). It delivers on a commitment made in those parts to provide an examination of LGBT clients (including in comparison to the cisgender, heterosexual or ‘cishet’ clients examined in parts I & II, hereby known as ‘non-LGBT’). The current study utilised a large-scale quantitative data set of 35,882 clients presenting to specialist DVA services within the UK between 2007 and 2017, including 34,815 non-LGBT and 1,067 LGBT clients. Several areas of similarity between the two subsamples were identified, including some of the types of abuse reported, referral routes, and outcome upon exit from services. Significant differences were also found. For example, the LGBT subsample was found to be significantly more likely to present to services with substance use and mental health issues (including self-harm) and were also more likely to have their case progressed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The findings are discussed along with recommendations for future research and practice, centred around the provision of gender and sexuality-inclusive provision which acknowledges differential risks of LGBT clients, and how these reflect their experiences as a ‘minority’ population (i.e., so-called ‘minority stress’)
A new multi-criteria framework to identify optimal detention ponds in urban drainage systems
Get PDFUrban development and the increase of impervious surfaces have a broad impact on the hydrological cycle, leading to increased peak flow and flooding, especially in downstream areas. Surface water detention ponds are among the most efficient measures for attenuating peak flow and returning it from development to pre-development conditions. However, the major challenge is to identify optimal locations and cost-effective designs for these ponds that lead to the reduction of urban flooding. This paper presents a new framework for identifying the best strategies for using detention ponds to control floods in Urban Drainage Systems (UDS). The framework comprises a portfolio of simulation tools coupled with evolutionary optimisation and multi-criteria decision analysis models. Hydraulic simulation of UDS is first modelled using SWMM and GIS tools. A multi-objective optimisation model was used to find the optimal location and design for detention ponds. The Compromise Programming (CP) multi-criteria decision-making method was then used to prioritise potential best management solutions for detention ponds based on several sustainability criteria, comprising economic, environmental, physiographic, and social factors. The results identified the key features of potential detention ponds appearing in all multi-objective optimal solutions that is useful for decision-makers/designers when planning/designing for new detention ponds. The results also show that the selected optimal pond strategies can significantly improve the UDS performance by decreasing flood damage between 66% and 90% at a cost of between 160,000
Aviation and climate change: becoming a climate-neutral industry
Get PDFThe aviation industry is currently on a path to becoming climate-neutral and various stakeholders such as airlines, airports and regulatory bodies are setting targets to achieve this goal. The purpose of this chapter is to explain aviation’s contribution to climate change and the existing efforts of the industry to reduce and mitigate climate impact. The chapter covers recent evidence suggesting that our changing climate is beginning to impact the industry, largely in a negative manner. Therefore, the industry will need to plan and adapt to its changing environment while developing new technologies and approaches. The challenges and opportunities of alternative aircraft fuel and energy source are presented, along with modifications to infrastructure that will accelerate the transition to a carbon and climate-neutral industry