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Are redox catalytic reaction rates accelerated in microdroplets on electrode surfaces?
Get PDFHomogeneous redox catalysis within electrochemically supported microdroplets immobilised on an electrode surface and bathed by an immiscible electrolyte solution is characterised using finite difference numerical methods, after conformal transformation of the physical problem. This is shown to be a challenging environment to simulate and model, not least due to the confinement of the heterogeneous electron transfer to the droplet/support/electrolyte boundary, and hence leading to acute convergent/divergent diffusion regimes. Reactivity at the triple phase boundary underpins both the spatial and temporal non-uniformity of the reacting droplet environment. Crucially, through comparison with experimental data reported in the literature, it is demonstrated that there is no droplet-induced acceleration of the redox catalytic reaction. Reasons for this discrepancy with literature are suggested. It is recommended that any inference of reaction rate acceleration through increased rate constants in microdroplets on surfaces be re-examined, lest the multi-dimensional dynamics at the three-phase boundary are unaccounted
ICD-10 Diagnostic Coding Patterns and Clinical Correlates in Refractory Chronic Cough: Analysis from the Korean Chronic Cough Registry
No full textThe International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system plays a key role in health data classification but currently lacks a specific code for refractory chronic cough (RCC). This study analyzed ICD-10 coding patterns among 331 RCC patients enrolled in the Korean Chronic Cough Registry. Each patient had a median of 3 [IQR: 2–4] ICD-10 codes at their most recent outpatient visit. The most frequently assigned primary code was R05 (Cough), recorded in 80.4% of cases. Patients with R05 as their primary code tended to have fewer identifiable etiologies but reported more cough hypersensitivity symptoms. Additionally, the number of ICD-10 codes correlated with both cough severity and cough-specific quality-of-life impairment. In a pooled analysis including RCC and non-RCC cases, the R05 code showed high specificity (80.5%) but low sensitivity (25.8%) for RCC. These findings support the need for a dedicated ICD code to accurately capture RCC in clinical and epidemiological contexts
Scaling up and automating formative assessment in computer science
No full textThe rise in student numbers in computer science creates a challenge for delivery. Computer science has some of the worst attainment and retention profiles across subjects. Given its technology focus, it is a subject where digital technologies have long been adopted and so passed through the digital age earlier than others. But there is sometimes a tension between the use of technology in teaching computer science and the teaching of computer science technology. The examples in this case study explore approaches that allow for flexible, scalable, and effective teaching solutions, enabled by technology. A catalyst for some of this was the experiences of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the nature and use of digital-based education shifted and adapted due to the unprecedented situation. Since then, there has been a move towards more hybrid teaching and learning, where campus-based education has returned for many institutions but supported by new digital content and approaches. Many of the practices for computer science explored here are applicable in other disciplines
Children’s Right to Play and Social Protection Under the UNCRC: Implementation and Contestations in West Africa
No full textAlthough the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) embodies an integrated approach to children’s rights, an isolationist approach is dominant in many countries. The isolationist view, a strategic approach often adopted in poorer countries, prioritises certain rights over others. Selective implementation of rights, however, has enormous implications for the full realisation of rights contained in the UNCRC. This chapter interrogates the extent of implementation of two UNCRC rights in selected West African states: the right to play under Article 31 and the right to social protection under Articles 26 and 27. Although the two rights are largely autonomous, they also intersect in many ways. The chapter questions the extent of integration, isolation, and implementation of these rights and how the scarcity of economic resources often shapes the perception of children’s right to play in West Africa. Further, the chapter reviews relevant legal and policy instruments at the national level in West Africa to understand the extent to which the right to play and social protection feature in national child protection strategies. Also, as budgetary allocation might reflect the priority given to the two rights, the chapter assesses whether these rights are given any recognition in national budgets, relative to other rights. The specific challenges to integration and the recognition of children’s right to play are also discussed. As the West African region is composed of 15 multilingual states, only the three anglophone countries in the region are studied in detail. Thus, the study mainly focuses on Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia. The study offers specific recommendations to achieve increased realisation of children’s rights in West Africa
The police have acted as 'moral guardians' since the early 19th century
No full textBook Details:Have you ever wondered whether crime dramas reflect the reality of police work? Or what the future of policing could look like in the context of recent controversies?Offering thought-provoking insights into understanding, addressing and preventing crime, this fascinating 'go to' book reveals the myths and realities of policing in the 21st century. The 50 facts take in crime prevention, the investigative process, forensics, models of policing, the limits of police powers and a range of other provocative themes. Offering a deeper and richer understanding of the profession, this book will equip you to think critically about modern perceptions of policing
A scoping review of outcome measures for people living with dementia and family supporters to evaluate Recovery College dementia courses
Get PDFIntroduction: Recovery Colleges (RC/RCs) aim to promote personal recovery through co-produced courses, grounded in the CHIME (Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning, Empowerment) framework. The DiSCOVERY research programme noted that RC dementia courses may offer a person-centred approach to post-diagnostic dementia care. However, the lack of validated outcome measures for this context presents a challenge in evaluating RCs’ effectiveness. This scoping review examines the potential outcome measures for evaluating the impact of RC dementia courses. Methods: The review followed the Arksey and O’Malley framework, searching for eligible papers across six databases related to dementia and the CHIME strengths-based approach. Instruments relating to personal recovery and positive psychology for people with dementia or their family supporters were included. Measures of cognition, clinical symptoms, or ‘negative constructs’ (e.g., burden) were excluded. DiSCOVERY stakeholder groups (people with dementia and clinicians) met to collaboratively identify meaningful domains and relevant measures. Results: Fourteen instruments relating to hope, resilience, self-efficacy, empowerment, and coping were identified. Stakeholders of people living with dementia endorsed domains of empowerment, resilience, and hope. No single instrument captured the range of outcomes that underlie the concepts of the RC dementia course. Discussion: This study contributes to the limited literature on instruments for the evaluation of concepts underlying RC dementia courses. Findings suggest a need for adaptation and further validation of existing measures, to address responsiveness, interpretability, and the inclusion of domains related to recovery. Future research on recovery in the context of dementia should involve developing or adapting new measures, conducting feasibility studies, and exploring cultural sensitivity for diverse populations
Torrefaction, carbonization and pyrolysis: Valorising woody wastes towards energy generation via solid biofuels production.
No full textTo align with international policies regarding climate change, resource efficiency and environmental protection when using woody biomass wastes for energy generation, wastes need upgrading to acquire better characteristics as energy carriers. In this respect, technologies such as torrefaction, carbonization, and pyrolysis to process woody wastes to be used as alternative fuels in heat generation systems or in solid and liquid biofuels production offer many advantages, such as optimized biofuel characteristics and industrially established processes. In the case of pyrolysis, being a less developed technology, it is still necessary to prove its long term - continuous operation at large scale
The impact of impact: an invitation to philosophise
Get PDFThis position paper argues for the introduction of a philosophy of research impact, as an invitation to think deeply about the implications of the impact agenda. It delves into the transformative influence of prioritising the end-product of the research journey over the entire knowledge production process. We argue that the prevalence of research impact assessment in Western research ecosystems has reshaped various facets of research, extending from funding proposals to the overarching goals of research agendas, assessment regimes and promotion structures. Through self-reflective analysis, this position paper critically assesses the consequences of this paradigm shift. Utilising perspectives from the UK, Poland, Sweden, and Finland, we explore tensions, conflicts, opportunities, and viabilities arising from such a shift in the teleological purpose of research. This selection of countries offers a spectrum, ranging from early adopters of impact assessment regimes to those where such evaluation is largely absent as of now, and its intermediaries. Moreover, our examination extends across different disciplinary foci, including allied health, business and management studies, earth science, human geography, and history. Our findings suggest a discernible alteration in the fundamental logic of research, where the focus shifts from checks and balances geared towards the advancement of knowledge, towards other supposedly more important goals. Here research is merely cast as an instrumental means to achieve broader societal, political, economic, environmental (etc.) goals. Additionally, we observe that as the formalisation of research impact evaluation intensifies, there are diminishing degrees of freedom for scholars to challenge contemporary power structures and to think innovatively within their research ecosystem
Assessing the suitability of pollen dispersal and deposition model: A model-empirical data comparison study in the spruce (Picea schrenkiana) forest edge of Tian Shan Mountains, northwestern China
Get PDFMontane ecotones such as the forest-steppe transition are highly sensitive and responsive to climate change. Thus, reconstructing changing ecotone position is a valuable tool for reconstructing past climate change in mountainous regions, although identifying this from the pollen record can be challenging. Mathematical models of the pollen-vegetation relationships can be used to explore the detectability thresholds for ecotones, and the reliability of these reconstructions depends considerably on the suitability of the pollen dispersal and deposition models used. In this study, we compared pollen assemblages collected across the forest-steppe ecotone in the Tian Shan Mountains with predictions of a selection of pollen dispersal and deposition models as a test of whether they are appropriate to be used in mountainous regions. The modern pollen spectra show clear association with the local vegetation communities. Picea pollen dominate in the samples from the spruce forest, remain relatively high within hundreds of meters from the forest edge, and drop to background level (0.8% on average) by 1 km away from the forest edge. Both the log2(z) model and the z−1 model (z = distance from forest edge) performed well at simulating these changes, suggesting that although they do not incorporate topographic variations, these models can still be used with confidence to explore and to reconstruct past changes in the position of this ecotone at least over the Holocene
Editorial: “Are Technology Acceptance Models still fit for purpose?”
Get PDFTechnology acceptance research has been an important and fruitful research domain since the late 1980s. At the forefront has been the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and related models such as UTAUT. These models aim to explain and predict adoption of technology, so that adoption can be improved and decisions can be made regarding technology implementation. The predictor variables of adoption are Behavioural Intention (BI) and Actual Use (USE). The TAM defines two key determinants of BI, Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU, sometimes also abbreviated as PEU) and Perceived Usefulness (PU). Technology Acceptance Model research has been applied to many different technologies, in different fields of use, in different cultural contexts, and at different scales, globally. Whilst being robust, the approach does have limitations. These call into question, to greater and lesser degrees, the validity of the findings and/or the usefulness of the model under certain contexts. This issue examines the debates surrounding these limitations under the umbrella question of “TAMs: Are they still fit for purpose?” The commentary article and book review in this special issue directly address these debates and the articles demonstrate how researchers are responding to the debates, exploring them in different contexts, at different scales and for different technologies. The editorial concludes by proposing future directions for the field to continue its evolution and remain as an effective and important tool in understanding technology adoption in an age of frequent and rapid technological innovation in education