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Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Sandpit: Views on Research Paradigms and the Future of Academia
Get PDFIn this report, we summarize the outcome of a consultation session held in January 2024 appraising adopted attitudes within scientific research. This Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Sandpit was a collaboration between interdisciplinary researchers from the ECMage (Extracellular Matrix [ECM] ageing across the life course interdisciplinary research network) and BLAST (Building Links in Ageing Science & Translation) networks, both part of the UK Ageing Networks, and the lifETIME (Engineered Tissues for Discovery, Industry and Medicine) Centre for Doctoral Training. Statements representing previously prevalent patterns of thinking that could influence research practice were put to delegate teams to discuss in relation to social and cultural behaviors that have been adopted over the years. Discussions focused on five themes across two main categories, aiming to identify and understand areas where change is needed, as well as to offer suggestions on how best to concentrate efforts to make the most impact
Bridging gaps in clinical trial accessibility and reimbursement for large B-cell lymphoma therapies across Europe
Get PDFPolitical Epistemology: An Introduction
No full textThe New Scientist recently declared that “Philosophers of knowledge, your time has come” and even Barack Obama has warned of an “epistemological crisis.” Following the election of Donald Trump for the second time, the rise of populism, and the proliferation of misinformation and conspiracy theories, epistemological questions are now forefront in our political lives. Can epistemology explain the challenges of "post-truth"? Does voter ignorance threaten democracy? Is political disagreement epistemically valuable or harmful?This extremely timely introduction to political epistemology tackles these questions and many more. In a clear and engaging style, Michael Hannon and Elise Woodard examine the following key topics: the relation between truth and politics, including the arguments of Plato, Mill and Rawls; the epistemology of democracy, including questions about how democracies must be fair and representative and also make good decisions; how political ignorance may undermine democracy; irrationality and partisan bias; political belief and group loyalty; political disagreement and polarization; and the potential conflict between democracy and expert authority.With the inclusion of chapter summaries and further reading, Political Epistemology: An Introduction is the ideal starting place for anyone studying this fascinating and rapidly growing topic, whether in epistemology, political philosophy, or applied ethics. It will also be of interest to students and researchers in related fields, such as political science, law, and public policy
A Sensorless Method based on Zero-sequence Back-EMF for Five-phase Open-end Winding PMSM with Deadtime Compensation
No full textThis paper proposes a sensorless method using the zero-sequence back electromotive force (ZSB-EMF) for five-phase open-end winding permanent magnet synchronous machine (OEW-PMSM) with common dc bus. The output of the zero-sequence controller, which is applied to suppress the zero-sequence current (ZSC), is used to reconstruct the ZSB-EMF. Then the position of the rotor is extracted from the output signal of the zero-sequence controller by single phase locked loop. A compensation of the deadtime is proposed to eliminate the negative effect for the position estimation and increase the effective modulation index. The proposed method needs no parameters of the motor, like the resistance, d-q inductance, which are vulnerable and might affect the accuracy of the estimation for the conventional sensorless methods based on the ZSB-EMF. It is easy to implement and the resistance network and complex calculation of conventional methods are also avoided. Experimental results on the five-phase open-end winding PMSM drive system are shown to validate the proposed sensorless method
Hydrogen-enriched combustion in domestic burners: Stability, emissions, and acoustics
Get PDFIn the move to accelerate the decrease the carbon intensity of ‘gas’ grids it may be desirable to operate these systems on blends of natural gas and hydrogen to accelerate the speed and minimize the cost of transition. Although several studies have focused on low-concentration hydrogen blends, limited attention has been given to high-concentration hydrogen mixtures. This study investigates the operational limits and performance of domestic gas appliances originally designed for natural gas combustion when fueled with hydrogen-enriched blends ranging from 25 vol% to 65 vol%. Through experimental analysis, key aspects such as combustion behavior, emission characteristics, and acoustic response are examined.Results indicate that the threshold between acceptable and unsafe operation lies between 60 vol% and 65 vol% hydrogen. While increasing hydrogen concentration reduces carbon emissions, it significantly raises nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, particularly under high heat loads. In addition, elevated hydrogen levels intensify acoustic disturbances, with the sound pressure level (SPL) increasing notably. The study also highlights the critical role of burner length in acoustic performance, demonstrating that optimizing geometry can help suppress instability and maintain safe, efficient operation. These findings provide valuable guidance for the future design and adaptation of domestic burners using high-hydrogen fuel mixtures
A Cancellation-Based Circuit for Reducing Both the Shaft Voltage and CM Noise in Motor Drive Systems
Get PDFIn motor drive systems, the common-mode (CM) voltage of the inverter introduces negative impacts such as the shaft voltage and CM noise. The shaft voltage generates bearing current and may reduce the lifetime of bearings, while the CM noise may interfere the operation of the nearby equipment. With the wide application of silicon-carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, these negative impacts are aggravated since higher dv/dt is generated. In this article, a cancellation-based circuit is proposed for reducing the shaft voltage and CM noise in motor drive systems simultaneously. To determine the key parameters of the circuit, a double voltage test (DVT) is proposed, avoiding complex procedure of extracting parasitics in the motor. Compared with existing methods, neither active devices nor magnetic components in the power stage are required, achieving low volume and low cost. By analyzing the effect of parasitics, the effective frequency range for the cancellation-based circuit is derived. Finally, a motor drive system is built in the lab, and the proposed method is tested to verify the effectiveness of the cancellation-based circuit
Facilitating interoperability in manufacturing systems using digital twins: a multi-asset AAS system
Get PDFThe Asset Administration Shell (AAS) has emerged as a key enabler for structured data representation and bidirectional data exchange between manufacturing assets and their corresponding digital representations, thereby implementing Digital Twins (DTs) within the framework of Industry 4.0 and the Reference Architecture Model Industrie 4.0. Despite its potential, bidirectional data exchange remains underexplored. Most practical applications are limited to unidirectional data collection, known as a ’Digital Shadow’ (DS) of the asset. Additionally, existing implementations typically focus on a single asset, which hinders interoperability, a critical requirement for smart manufacturing ecosystems. This study bridges these gaps by developing an AAS system that enables real-time monitoring and control across multiple assets through seamless communication, coordination, and orchestration. This research demonstrates and validates the capabilities of the AAS using three types of assets: a Mobile Industrial Robot (MiR-250), two KUKA KR4 R600 robots, and a KUKA KR1000 Titan robot. The implemented AAS framework retrieves data from these assets to monitor critical parameters while issuing control commands based on specific data conditions. The approach enables data exchange and coordinated interaction among the digital representations of assets (i.e., the AASs), effectively facilitating communication among the physical assets in interconnected, intelligent manufacturing systems. This research advances the role of AAS in achieving real-time communication and coordination within and between assets, addressing the persistent challenge of interoperability in multi-asset smart manufacturing environments. Our approach overcomes the limitations of unidirectional single-asset AAS implementations, paving the way for scalable, standardised, and autonomous Industry 4.0 ecosystems
Genotype × soil zinc interaction constrains grain zinc loading in a biofortified common bean under farmer management
Get PDFBiofortified crops are deployed to combat micronutrient deficiencies, but their efficacy in nutrient-poor soils is poorly understood. We evaluated the zinc (Zn) loading capacity of a biofortified bean variety NUA45 across nine smallholder-managed sites in Malawi with contrasting soil Zn status. NUA45 frequently failed to achieve its target grain Zn concentration (56 mg kg-¹), with grain Zn strongly correlated with soil Zn availability (R = 0.419, p -¹. The analysis revealed a significant genotype × soil Zn interaction (p = 0.043) indicating that soil factors strongly modulate the expression of biofortified traits. These findings reveal that biofortified genotypes alone cannot ensure adequate Zn accumulation where soil Zn is limiting. Integrated interventions combining soil management, Zn fertilization, and breeding for enhanced translocation efficiency are therefore required to achieve nutritional targets in legumes and other smallholder crops globally
Advancing maritime decarbonisation: Design and optimisation of ammonia-fuelled propulsion systems
Get PDFInnovative marine propulsion systems play a pivotal role for decarbonising global maritime transportation. This study investigated an ammonia-fuelled hybrid powertrain system that integrates ammonia internal combustion engines with a battery energy storage system for a large containership, which were based on the credible and validated physical engine and battery models and real operation profiles of the case ship. A multi-objective optimisation framework based on the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) is developed for component sizing and selection. In parallel, a rule-based Energy Management Strategy (EMS) is employed to optimize power distribution and improve operational efficiency. The proposed hybrid configuration is benchmarked against a real-world powertrain system powered by heavy fuel oil engines and a scenario powertrain solely powered by the same type of ammonia engines. The case study on the representative containership demonstrates that the ammonia-fuelled propulsion system has significantly lower carbon emissions than the conventional propulsion system, which achieves a 79.36 % reduction in CO2 emissions. The hybrid ammonia-fuelled powertrain system has further 0.15 % CO2 emission reductions with an Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) of 0.8085 gCO2/(t∗nmi). Nevertheless, fuel costs account for over 86 % of lifecycle expenditure, and high ammonia genset prices increase Capital Expenditure (CAPEX), resulting in higher overall costs of the ammonia-fuelled propulsion systems. These results indicate that ammonia as a marine fuel offers substantial decarbonisation potential and its economic feasibility depends on future ammonia cost reductions and optimal marine propulsion system design
Encouraging people to set lower personal carbon budgets: anchoring is more effective than social reference groups
Get PDFEnabling people to set personal carbon budgets may help them to track and reduce their carbon footprint over time. In this study, we investigated ways to encourage a representative sample of the UK population (N = 2,047) to reduce their carbon footprint by setting themselves a lower carbon budget. In an online experiment, we simulated a carbon footprint calculator based on personal spending and tested the effects of two carbon footprint anchors (low vs. high) and three social reference groups (people in the UK vs. customers at the same bank vs. people with similar expenditure) on the carbon budget set by participants. We found that providing a low anchor, independent of the corresponding social reference group, was significantly associated with setting a lower carbon budget. Setting a lower carbon budget was associated with greater motivation and self-reported willingness to change behaviour to adhere to the budget
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