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Algal proliferation risk assessment using Vine Copula-based coupling methods in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project of China
Get PDFThe Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project of China (MRSNWDPC), i.e., the longest inter-basin water diversion project (1,432 km) in the world, has delivered more than 60 billion m3 of water resources to North China and benefiting more than 100 million people since December 2014. However, the abnormal algal proliferation in the main canal under low nutrient
background has seriously threatened the water quality safety of this mega project. In this research, 3 years of monitoring data matrix, including water temperature
(WT), flow discharge (Q), flow velocity (V), dissolved oxygen (DO), and the algal cell density (ACD), from the main canal of the MRSNWDPC were analyzed. The nonlinear relationships were determined based on multiple regression models, and a composite risk analysis model was constructed by Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method coupled with Vine Copula function. The impacts of different hydrological and environmental factors on algal proliferation were comprehensively analyzed by Bayesian theory. The results showed that the WT gradually decreased from upstream to downstream, with a narrow range of 16.6–17.4°C, and the annual average concentrations of DO showed a gradual
increase from upstream to downstream. The flow velocity of MRSNWDPC had a tendency to increase year by year, and the maximum flow velocity exceeds 0.8 m/s upstream, midstream and downstream by 2018. The ACD accumulated along the main canal, and the annual average ACDs of downstream were the
highest, ranging from 366.17 to 462.95 × 104 cells/L. The joint early-warning method considering both water temperature and flow velocity conditions is an effective way for algal proliferation risk warning management. When water
temperatures of the upstream, midstream, and downstream were below 26, 26, and 23°C, respectively, the algal proliferation risk can be controlled under 50% by the flow velocity at 0.3 m/s; otherwise, the flow velocity needs to be regulated higher than 0.8 m/s. In order to keep the midstream and downstream avoid abnormal algal proliferation events (ACD ≥ 500 × 104 cells/L), the corresponding ACDs of the upstream and midstream need to be controlled lower than 319 × 104 cells/L and 470 × 104 cells/L, respectively. This study provides a scientific reference for the long-distance water diversion project’s algal control and environmental
protection. The proposed coupling Vine Copula models can also be widely applied to multivariate risk analysis fields
Phenomenographic Approaches in Research About Nursing
Get PDFWe propose that phenomenography is well-suited to research about nursing, given its focus on identifying variation in individuals’ experiences, and inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives. Phenomenography explores qualitatively different ways in which a group of people experience a phenomenon, often using semi-structured interviews. The use of phenomenography is especially relevant in research about nursing which provides accounts of the experiences of nurses and patients within complex practice settings. We consider the tenets of phenomenography and examine phenomenography’s relationship to and differences from phenomenology. We review literature published about phenomenographic research in nursing and reflect on the potential benefits of phenomenographic research about nursing. This paper adds to knowledge about use of phenomenography in research about nursing
Assessment of sustainable drainage strategies in urban water systems using urban water metabolism and multi-criteria decision analyses
Get PDFThe simulation of urban water metabolism (UWM) allows for the tracking of all water, energy, and material flows within urban water systems (UWSs) and the quantification of their performance, including emissions into the air, water, and soil. This study evaluates seven drainage strategies (DSs) within conventional and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDSs) using UWM and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). The DSs were designed to assess their corresponding UWM performances, employing key performance indicators (KPIs) related to sewer system balance, energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, acidification, eutrophication, contamination, and sludge production. The outcomes were ranked using the compromise programming MCDA model. The top three strategies were permeable pavements, green spaces, and infiltration trenches and sand filters. The approach used for the evaluation of DS can provide valuable insights for decision-makers, support the promotion of sustainable integrated UWS management and adaptation, and accommodate design variations in urban drainage. Sensitivity analysis on uncertain parameters and KPI selection also contributed to robust and sustainable urban drainage solutions
The Impact and mitigation of Climate Change on the building performance of nonresidential buildings: Case studies of typical UK supermarkets
Get PDFThe UK Government's Climate Change Act (CCA) aims to achieve a net zero greenhouse gas
emission by 2050. Supermarkets, being among the most energy-intensive non-residential
buildings, play a pivotal role in this endeavour. This research delves into the influence of
climate change on supermarket buildings, exploring methodologies to mitigate its impact and
assessing its effects on operational energy and carbon emissions. The United Nations has
emphasized the built environment's significant contribution to global CO2 emissions,
necessitating urgent action. Using a quantitative approach, this study employs the TAS – EDSL
software to simulate energy consumption, carbon emission, and building regulations for
various supermarket case studies. The research also evaluates the performance of these
buildings across different UK climates and emission scenarios, incorporating EU Zebra2020
tool metrics.
The primary challenge encountered was the scarcity of literature specifically targeting the UK
supermarket industry in the context of climate change. The research underscores the
importance of balancing energy consumption, carbon emissions, and future climate
adaptations, especially given the industry's nZEB target by 2050.
The findings of this study serve as a beacon for all non-residential buildings, bridging the
knowledge gap between climate change, building futureproofing, and emission reduction
strategies. The research underscores the importance of long-term planning, continuous
monitoring of energy-intensive buildings, and the holistic approach of reducing emissions
across a building's lifespan. This research aims to guide policymakers and building designers
in future-proofing structures, emphasizing the need for energy-efficient measures and the
integration of renewable technologies. The overarching goal is to foster the creation of
sustainable, climate-resilient buildings for future generations
Digital and Communicative Affordances in the Translingual Online Space: Insights from Brazilian Food Discourses in the UK
Get PDFThis article will delve into the potential of social media spaces as arenas for processes of identification and community construction, using multilingual data from Brazilian food discourses collected between October 2017 and February 2020 as part of a larger computer-mediated communication (CMC) study. While the study retains its analytical focus on Facebook, and specifically the public company Pages used by Brazilian food outlets in the UK for promotional purposes, it also attends to the interwoven state of online communication. Within this context, digital affordances and actions are part of the accomplishment of communicative goals and thus relevant in everyday meaning-making processes and as a means of getting things done. This article presents a discourse-oriented analysis of CMC from Pages, examining communicative strategies emergent therein. The analysis points to how language use and platform features and structure relate to the production of meaning entwined with processes of identification and the creation of rapid senses of connectivity by communicators in the translingual online space. Drawing from online observation, discursive insights from the dataset and the perspective of interviewed entrepreneurs, this article explores digital and communicative affordances encapsulated in Facebook Pages’ posts and “reactions” in relation to everyday online communication practices and actions in the promotional contex
Low-cost assessment and visualization of tree roots using smartphone LiDAR, Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) data and virtual reality
No full textContinual monitoring of tree roots, which is essential when considering tree health and safety, is possible using a digital model. Non-destructive techniques, for instance, laser scanning, acoustics, and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) have been used in the past to study both the external and internal physical dimensions of objects and structures [1], including trees [2,3]. Recent studies have shown that GPR is effective in mapping the root system's network in street trees [3]. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has also been employed in infrastructure management to generate 3D data and to detect surface displacements with millimeter accuracy [4]. However, scanning such structures using current state-of-the-art technologies can be expensive and time consuming. Further, continual monitoring of tree roots requires multiple visits to tree sites and, oftentimes, repeated excavations of soil.
This work proposes a Virtual Reality (VR) system using smartphone-based LiDAR and GPR data to capture ground surface and subsurface information to monitor the location of tree roots. Both datasets can be visualized in 3D in a VR environment for future assessment. LiDAR technology has recently become available in smartphones (for instance, the Apple iPhone 12+) and can scan a surface, e.g., the base of a tree, and export the data to a 3D modelling and visualization application. Using GPR data, we combined subsurface information on the location of tree roots with the LiDAR scan to provide a holistic digital model of the physical site. The system can provide a relatively low-cost environmental modelling and assessment solution, which will allow researchers and environmental professionals to a) create digital 3D snapshots of a physical site for later assessment, b) track positional data on existing tree roots, and c) inform the decision-making process regarding locations for potential future excavations.
Acknowledgments: Sincere thanks to the following for their support: Lord Faringdon Charitable Trust, The Schroder Foundation, Cazenove Charitable Trust, Ernest Cook Trust, Sir Henry Keswick, Ian Bond, P. F. Charitable Trust, Prospect Investment Management Limited, The Adrian Swire Charitable Trust, The John Swire 1989 Charitable Trust, The Sackler Trust, The Tanlaw Foundation, and The Wyfold Charitable Trust. The Authors would also like to thank Mr Dale Mortimer (representing the Ealing Council) and the Walpole Park for facilitating this research.
References
[1] Alani A. M. et al., Non-destructive assessment of a historic masonry arch bridge using ground penetrating radar and 3D laser scanner. IMEKO International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Lecce, Italy, October 23-25, 2017.
[2] Ježová, J., Mertens, L., Lambot, S., 2016. “Ground-penetrating radar for observing tree trunks and other cylindrical objects,” Construction and Building Materials (123), 214-225.
[3] Lantini, L., Alani, A. M., Giannakis, I., Benedetto, A. and Tosti, F., 2020. "Application of ground penetrating radar for mapping tree root system architecture and mass density of street trees," Advances in Transportation Studies (3), 51-62.
[4] Lee, J. et al., Long-term displacement measurement of bridges using a LiDAR system. Struct Control Health Monit. 2019; 26:e2428
Blood glucose monitoring: a key component of diabetes management
Get PDFThe global prevalence of diabetes and its impact on patient wellbeing have been raised by several health authorities. Despite the high prevalence of diabetes, it is often detected during routine medical investigation. Diabetes UK (2021) states that diabetes is a serious medical condition affecting one in 15 people in the United Kingdom, including one million with type 2 diabetes that are undiagnosed. The rising prevalence of diabetes and its associated complications in some patients when they are diagnosed presents a major health challenge
Mitigating cybercrimes in an evolving organizational landscape
Get PDFPurpose – Various organizational landscape has evolved to improve their business processes, increase production speed and reduce the cost of distribution, and has integrated their internet with SMEs and third-party vendors to improve business growth and increase global market share, including changing organizational requirements and business process collaborations. Benefits include a reduction in the cost of production, online services, online payments, product distribution channels, and delivery in a supply chain environment. However, the integration has led to an exponential increase in cybercrimes, with adversaries using various attack methods to penetrate and exploit the organizational network. Thus, identifying the attack vectors in the event of cyberattacks is very important in mitigating cybercrimes effectively and has become inevitable. However, the invincibility nature of cybercrimes makes it challenging to detect and predict the threat probabilities and the cascading impact in an evolving organization landscape leading to malware, ransomware, data theft, and denial of service attacks, among others. The paper explores the cybercrime threat landscape, considers the impact of the attacks, and identifies mitigating circumstances to improve security controls in an evolving organizational landscape.
Design/methodology/approach – The approach follows two main cybercrime framework design principles that focus on existing attack detection phases and propose a cyber crime mitigation framework that uses detect, assess, analyze, evaluate and respond phases and subphases to reduce the attack surface. The methods and implementation processes were derived by identifying an organizational goal, attack vectors, threat landscape, identification of attacks and models, and validation of framework standards to improve security. The novelty contribution of this paper is threefold: First, we explore the existing threat landscapes, various cybercrimes, models, and the methods that adversaries are deploying on organizations. Secondly, we propose a threat model required for mitigating the risk factors. Finally, we recommend control mechanisms in line with security standards to improve security.
Findings – The results show that cybercrimes can be mitigated using a cyber crime mitigation framework to detect, assess, analyze, evaluate and respond to cybercrimes to improve security in an evolving organizational threat landscape.
Research limitations/implications – The paper does not consider the organizational size between large organizations and SMEs. The challenges facing the evolving organizational threat landscape include vulnerabilities brought about by the integrations of various network nodes. Factor influencing these vulnerabilities includes inadequate threat intelligence gathering, a lack of third-party auditing, and inadequate control mechanisms leading to various manipulations, exploitations, exfiltration, and obfuscations.
Practical implications – Attack methods are applied to a case study for the implementation to evaluate the model based on the design principles. Inadequate cyber threat intelligence gathering, inadequate attack modelling, and security misconfigurations are some of the key factors leading to practical implications in mitigating cybercrimes.
Social implications – There are no social implications; however, cybercrimes have severe consequences for organizations and third-party vendors that integrate their network systems, leading to legal and reputational damage.
Originality/value – The paper’s originality considers mitigating cybercrimes in an evolving organization landscape that requires strategic, tactical and operational management imperative using the proposed framework phases, including detect, assess, analyze, evaluate and respond phases and subphases to reduce the attack surface, which is currently inadequate.
Keywords: Cybercrime, Cyberattack, Mitigations, Cyber threat Landscape, Threat Modelling, Cybercrime Mitigation Framework
The portrayal of successful ageing in British prime-time TV advertisements: a concern for the healthcare sector?
Get PDFStereotypes conveyed by the media influence both the self-perception and behaviour of people, and may have implications for treatment and healthcare outcomes of older patients. To identify prevailing stereotypes about old age and to investigate the presentation of successful ageing, 6228 commercials aired during UK prime-time TV in September 2020 were analysed using a media content analysis. The findings indicate that the mediated ideas of growing and being old largely align with the concept of successful ageing. However, aspects of persistent ageism are also identified, which affect particularly the oldest members of society and ethnic minorities. Armed with this knowledge, proactive steps should be taken to influence stereotyping of older people, in order to better embrace equity, diversity and inclusion for both age and ethnic background
Learning and intellectual disability nursing practice
No full textThis book addresses learning/intellectual disability nursing from various perspectives, including historical and contemporary practice, health promotion, interventions for good mental health, people with profound disabilities and complex needs, care across the lifespan, and forensics. This new edition has been comprehensively updated throughout and now includes two entirely new chapters. One covers liaison nursing, and the other explores the future for learning/intellectual disability nursing. The book includes numerous case studies and learning activities to support the reader, as well as remaining clinically relevant. Uniquely this text is linked and benchmarked to the Nursing and Midwifery Councils, UK – Future Nurse Standards of Proficiency and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland’s Competencies for nursing students.
This text is essential reading for anyone studying learning/intellectual disabilities at undergraduate and post-graduate levels; it will also be a useful resource for the wider family of nursing, as well as health and social care professionals