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Deep Active Learning for Left Ventricle Segmentation in Echocardiography
No full textThe training of advanced deep learning algorithms for medical image interpretation requires precisely annotated datasets, which is laborious and expensive. Therefore, this research investigates state-of-the-art active learning methods for utilising limited annotations when performing automated left ventricle segmentation in echocardiography. Our experiments reveal that the performance of different sampling strategies varies between datasets from the same domain. Further, an optimised method for representativeness sampling is introduced, combining images from feature-based outliers to the most representative samples for label acquisition. The proposed method significantly outperforms the current literature and demonstrates convergence with minimal annotations. We demonstrate that careful selection of images can reduce the number of images needed to be annotated by up to 70%. This research can therefore present a cost-effective approach to handling datasets with limited expert annotations in echocardiography
Evaluation of Embodied Carbon Emissions in UK Supermarket Constructions: A Study on Steel, Brick, and Timber Frameworks with Consideration of End-of-Life Processes
Get PDFAbstract: Buildings and the construction sector as a whole are among the chief emitters of carbon, and the structural system of a building contributes substantially to its embodied carbon emissions. Whereas extensive studies exist into carbon missions, a detailed evaluation of real multipart building systems in brick, steel, and timber (glulam) substitutes is lacking. This paper employs whole life-embedded carbon as a sustainability metric to compare a current UK supermarket building system of steel, brick, and timber. Four construction systems by the supermarket, referred to as CS1, CS2, CS3, and CS4, are used in the investigation. Comparisons are also made between two end-of life treatment methods (recycle and landfill) along with the benefits that can be realised in future construction projects. The outcome from the comparative assessment reveals that there are minor variations in the embodied carbon of building systems used by the supermarket. CS4, while currently presenting marginal gains (approximately 148,960.68 kgCO2eq.) compared to CS1, loses its advantages when recycled contents for future construction projects are considered. The result indicates that CS4 generates about 18% less carbon emission reduction potential than CS1, whilst CS3 generates approximately 16% less than CS1. The findings of this article can enhance the knowledge of embodied carbon estimation and reduction capabilities of timber, steel, and brick buildings. Also, the detailed method for quantifying embodied carbon used in this article can be adopted in similar projects around the world.
Keywords: building systems; embodied carbon emissions; life-cycle assessment (LCA); material selectio
A short review of CO2 responsive polymeric adsorbents and membranes for water quality control
No full textSeparation processes using adsorbents and membranes can be regulated by incorporating stimuli-responsive materials. A wide range of polymers demonstrates changes in characteristics and performance reacted to an external
stimulus including pH, temperature, gases, or pressure. Among the stimuli, CO2 is a nontoxic and abundant stimulus that can also be easily added or removed from the separation processes. In this paper, the progress of CO2 responsive
adsorbents and membranes was studied. The tertiary amine or amidine groups of the CO2-responsive polymers could be
easily protonated by CO2 bubbling, causing characteristic changes to regulate the separation. The synthesis,
characteristics, and separation performance were examined. Poly(diethyl-amino-ethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA)
modified microparticles were used to adsorb protein, but protein recovery remained unclear. The grafting of PDEAAMA
and poly(2-(di-methylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) on microparticles allowed the adsorption of heavy
metals, but higher recovery was attained by PDMAEMA modified microparticles under CO2 bubbling. The CO2-
responsive polymeric microparticles were successfully applied in forward osmosis, producing water from salt solution without high temperature or pressure. PDEAEMA modified membranes were extensively studied in the separation of oil and water mixture due to their switchable surface hydrophilicity. PDEAEMA and PDMAEMA modified membranes were also tested in nanofiltration since they exhibited changes in pore size and zeta potential to control pollutant rejection. Nevertheless, CO2-responsive membranes could be cleaned under CO2/N2 bubbling
Integrating Blockchain Technology into a University Graduation System
No full textThe integration of blockchain technology in educational institutions is gaining momentum due to its promise to improve the graduation system and the process of verifying educational qualifications. However, little research exists on the social aspects of incorporating blockchain technology in an educational environment. This study aims to evaluate the social impact of blockchain technology on internal and external stakeholders of a higher education institution, including educational leaders, management, graduates, and external organisations. Using the Social Impact Assessment methodology, this study reveals that the integration of blockchain technology can have an overall positive impact on industrial and alumni relations and resource optimization. This study also contributes to the literature on Social Impact Assessment by presenting a methodological model for the integration of blockchain technology in the context of a higher education environment
Forgotten crops
Get PDFForgotten crops are crop species and varietals that have become the victim of global food systems homogenisation, where commercial cultivars including Maize, Wheat and Rice, which are the staple for 4bn people, and further 12 crops which together constitute 90% of the global human energy intake, 6 of which contribute 80% of global biofuels production, have outcompeted the remaining edible plants in the global food systems. The decline in biodiversity and specifically agrobiodiversity, could be mitigated, at least to some extent, through a successful diversification of the food supply with forgotten foods. Further exploration and attention for the forgotten varietals and crops, could also be a crucial step in elevating food and nutrition security and tackling the genetic erosion across the agri-food systems. Reintroduction of some of these forgotten foods back to the food systems, based on economic justifications, higher nutritional density and greater sensory characteristics, together with historical and social connotations such as the British-Grown or ethnically distinct like in the case of many landraces, could elevated dietary diversity and provide interesting material for gastronomy and new qualities to be explored by the food industry
ELECTROACOUSTIC POP DEVELOPING COMPOSITIONAL METHODS BY THE INTEGRATION OF POPULAR MUSIC CREATION TECHNIQUES INTO THE ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC PRACTICE.
Get PDFThis research aims to integrate popular music techniques into the electroacoustic music
practice, forming a new niche music style named Electroacoustic pop developing a distinctive
approach to composing music within the sound-based music field.
These developments were based on a practice-led research in which three hours of music and
sound were created exploring different subject withing the field such as: collection of sound
material, interaction of sound and noise and public and private spaces, mediation and
manipulation of sound, amongst others.
The practical experiments consisted of employing popular music creation techniques to
organise, manipulate and mediate found sound into various composition, in which the narrative
was established by newspaper articles.
Recording methods employed in field recordings were included in the experiments exploring
how the collection of sound material could have an impact in the outcome of an electroacoustic
music composition. This resulted in the development of terminology such as ‘negative sound’,
and active and passive field recording.
Compositional patterns were developed using popular music plugins and platforms such as
Logic Pro X and Pro Tools, combined to the inclusion of microphones and speakers as tools
for generating musical pieces.
A concrete analytical framework was established by gathering models developed by academics
and composers in both the popular and electroacoustic music fields.
The general outcome of these experiments helped establishing and recognising a set of unique
and noteworthy compositional patterns and methodologies that can be employed in future
composition projects. New music creation and consumption approaches were suggested based
on the compositional and analytical result of this project
Pressure-flow scour under a bridge deck in clear water conditions
Get PDFThe issues of scouring around a bridge have become prominent in recent research mainly due to recurrent extreme weather events. Thus, designing a bridge with the appropriate protection measures is essential to safeguard it against failure, which may take place due to scouring from high flows resulting from extreme weather events. Bridges may become partially or entirely submerged during extreme weather events such as large floods and are subject to pressure-flow scour, a condition where the flow is directed downward and under the bridge deck, creating an increase in flow velocity and a corresponding increase in bed scour. This study aims to explore the pressure-flow scour depth under a bridge deck without piers in the presence of two vertical wall abutments under clear water experiments. Sixty-six tests were conducted involving the approach flow depth, bed material size, contraction length, contraction width, and bridge opening for both pressure and free surface flow conditions. An empirical equation was deduced to determine the maximum scour depth, which could be applied as a preliminary design for bridges under pressure-flow conditions. The experimental data were used to determine the performance of the earlier models of pressure-flow scour. The results revealed that for pressure-flow conditions, the maximum scour depth increased by a factor between 2.15 and 9.81 times the maximum scour depth under free surface flow conditions. With same flow depth, when the relative bridge length was increased from 5 to 7.5 and 7.5 to 10, the maximum scour depth decreased by up to about 7.4% and 2.3%, respectively. When the relative bridge width was decreased from 5.5 to 5.2 and 5.2 to 4.4, the maximum scour depth increased by up to about 45.6% and 81.2%, respectively
Exploring the differences in social care needs by the degree of obesity among older adults in England: a cross-sectional study
Get PDFObjectives. The study aims to determine the social care need among overweight and obese older adults by identifying the number of social care support receipts from different sources. Methods. A sample of 5640 participants (aged 50 years and over) taken from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing Wave 8 dataset. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the relationship between the study variables. Results. The statistical analyses demonstrated that overweight and obese older adults are
the recipients of increasing amounts of informal social care. Moderate and morbidly obese participants are the recipients of increasing amounts of formal care compared to their normal-weight counterparts, with morbid obesity being a strong predictor for receipt of formal care. Conclusions. The present study’s findings demonstrate that for older adults aged 50 years presence of morbid obesity is a strongest predictor for receipt of formal care, and their well-being is not associated with formal or informal
care receipt. The findings on how wider lifestyle factors influence the number of social care receipts, from different sources, may help policymakers and healthcare providers to allocate limited resources for adult social care services and promote healthy ageing rather than just focusing on weight loss alone
Antimicrobial Resistance of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Nono, a Naturally Fermented Milk Product
Get PDFBackground: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to public health. The food chain has been recognised as a vehicle for transmitting AMR bacteria. However, information about resistant strains isolated from African traditional fermented foods remains limited. Nono is a traditional, naturally fermented milk product consumed by many pastoral communities across West Africa. The main aim of this study was to investigate and determine the AMR patterns of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) involved in the traditional fermentation of milk for Nono production, and the presence of transferable AMR determinants. Methods: One hundred (100) LAB isolates from Nono identified in a previous study as Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Streptococcus thermophilus, Streptococcus infantarius, Lentilactobacillus senioris, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteriodes, and Enterococcus thailandicus were investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for 18 antimicrobials using the micro-broth dilution method. In addition, LAB isolates were screened for 28 antimicrobial resistance genes using PCR. The ability of LAB isolates to transfer tetracycline and streptomycin resistance genes to Enterococcus faecalis was also investigated. Results: The experiments revealed variable antimicrobial susceptibility according to the LAB isolate and the antimicrobial tested. The tetracycline resistance genes tet(S) and tet(M) were detected in isolates Ent. thailandicus 52 and S. infantarius 10. Additionally, aad(E) encoding resistance to streptomycin was detected in Ent. thailandicus 52. The conjugation experiments suggested that the tet(S) and aad(E) genes were transferable in vitro from isolate Ent. thailandicus 52 to Ent. faecalis JH2-2. Significance and Impact: Traditional fermented foods play a significant role in the diet of millions of people in Africa, yet their contribution to the burden of AMR is largely unknown. This study highlights that LAB involved in traditionally fermented foods could be potential reservoirs of AMR. It also underscores the relevant safety issues of Ent. thailandicus 52 and S. infantarius 10 for use as starter cultures as they carry transferable AMR genes. Starter cultures are an essential aspect of improving the safety and quality attributes of African fermented foods. However, AMR monitoring is an important safety aspect in the selection of starter cultures for improving traditional fermentation technologies
Experimental and Analytical Study on The Shear Transfer in Composite Post Tensioned Precast Concrete Girders
Get PDFThis paper proposes a new system for constructing composite post-tensioned precast concrete girders with top slabs where the bottom part is precast, and the top part is cast in place. The experimental study consisted of testing six composite T-girders under two-point loading. The first specimen is post tensioned T-section cast monolithically and acts as a control specimen. In the other five specimens, the web and the girder flange were poured separately and then connected. The investigated variables are the shear connectors' distribution, extended girder stirrups acting as
shear connectors, the top slab width, and the concrete strength of the top slabs. Available models from the literature and international code provisions are used for calculating shear transfer failure loads. Based on the obtained results, an analytical study was conducted based on the available model results. This was done to determine the most accurate correlation with the experimental results. The test results showed that using the shear connectors or full stirrups to connect the top slabs to the girders could achieve the total capacity of the monolithic girder. Using shear connectors of 10 mm diameter achieved 100% of the monolithic T-section girder, while using shear connectors of 12 mm diameter achieved 105%. Extending girder stirrups to connect the top slabs to the girders instead of using the shear connectors achieved 100% of the capacity. In addition, increasing the slab width by 50% improved the ductility of the composite T-girders and increased the capacity of the girder by 3%. Moreover, using lower concrete strength for slabs increases slippage between slabs and girders and decreases ultimate girder capacity by 15%. Comparisons between the theoretical results obtained by the available models, codes provisions, and experimental results 2 were made, and conclusions were drawn. The comparisons showed that the Loov’s equation is the least conservative value with the experimental results