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Faculty Appraisal, Metric Governance, and Dehumanisation in Higher Education
Get PDFThis paper examines faculty appraisal systems in higher education as forms of metric governance that operate through socio-technical assemblages rather than neutral evaluative tools. Drawing on a qualitative study of faculty experiences in a Gulf-region higher education context, the analysis reconceptualises student evaluations and managerial appraisals as governing technologies that redistribute power, shape academic labour, and produce dehumanising effects. Rather than locating harm in individual actors, the study foregrounds how metricised appraisal regimes enact performative logics that render faculty visible, comparable, and governable, while simultaneously eroding professional autonomy, recognition, and motivation. Interview data reveal how appraisal metrics function as non-human actors within institutional assemblages, privileging calculability, compliance, and managerial discretion over pedagogical judgement and academic expertise. The paper contributes to posthuman and critical governance debates by theorising faculty appraisal as a mechanism of metric governance that reconfigures academic work, subjectivity, and value within contemporary higher education systems
Human Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria Responses to Weight Loss Induced by Bariatric Surgery or Lifestyle Intervention
Get PDFAIM: We investigated how weight loss induced by bariatric surgery or lifestyle intervention affects skeletal muscle mitochondrial metabolism.METHODS: We studied two weight-loss cohorts: RYSA (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2; n = 39, including 18 with diabetes) undergoing bariatric surgery, and CRYO (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2; n = 19) undergoing a lifestyle intervention with a low-calorie diet. Assessments were performed at 5-6 and 12 months and included muscle proteome (LC-MS/MS), mitochondrial biogenesis by mtDNA amount (qPCR), number and morphology (transmission electron microscopy) in both cohorts, and mitochondrial oxidative capacity (high-resolution respirometry) in the surgery cohort.RESULTS: Both cohorts achieved clinically meaningful weight loss, greater following surgery (24.4% vs 9.0% at 12 months). Per 1% weight loss, bariatric surgery was associated with significant downregulation of glycolysis pathways at 12 months. OXPHOS complex subunit proteins were associated with upregulation in individuals without diabetes but downregulation in those with diabetes. Lifestyle intervention was associated with downregulated OXPHOS complex subunits at 5 months. Mitochondrial morphology remained unchanged, while mtDNA amount correlated negatively with weight loss percentage in both cohorts. In the surgery cohort, complex I and complex I + II-mediated respiration increased 3.2- and 2.9-fold at 12 months, reflecting improved oxidative capacity.CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery was associated with increased skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration despite unchanged morphology and reduced mtDNA amount, whereas lifestyle-induced weight loss showed a transient downregulation of OXPHOS-related proteins with other mitochondrial markers remaining stable. Surgery-induced weight loss may reflect improved mitochondrial efficiency in skeletal muscle, potentially influenced by diabetes status. Long-term functional mitochondrial adaptations after weight loss require future studies.TRIAL REGISTRATION: RYSA: ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02882685; CRYO: ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT01312090.</p
Patient Reported Outcomes and Complications of Stress Incontinence Surgery:Effect of Patient Characteristics
Get PDFIntroduction and hypothesis: Multiple procedures exist to treat stress urinary incontinence. A database records outcomes and complications and ascertains how surgical and patient characteristics affect outcomes.Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 31,901 women undergoing continence surgery from the British Society of Urogynaecologists Surgical Database (2008-2019), including 24,923 retropubic mesh-tapes, 4740 bulking agents, 538 fascial slings and 1700 colposuspension. Multivariable logistic regression was used for primary analyses to compare outcomes between treatments and secondary analysis to assess how different characteristics affect outcomes within treatment groups.Results: Similar outcomes for patient reported global impression of improvement were observed following retropubic mesh-tapes, fascial slings and colposuspension (91%, 89%, 87%, respectively) compared to bulking agents (56.6%). For retropubic mesh-tapes, reduced odds of positive global impression of improvement was seen with increased age, body mass index, detrusor overactivity and intraoperative bladder injury. Odds of bladder injury increased with non-consultant grade operator and decreased with increasing BMI. For colposuspension, increased age led to decreased odds of success and increased odds of return to hospital and readmission. Repeat procedures led to decreased odds of success for retropubic tapes, bulking agents and colposuspension.Conclusions: This large national database demonstrated that increased age, higher BMI, preoperative detrusor overactivity and bladder injury are associated with treatment failure. This information should be used in bespoke counselling to encourage personalised medical decision-making. Missing data is a limitation and would be improved with a mandatory database.</p
Investigating the voltaic efficiency of 3D-printed macro-patterned electrodes for hydrogen evolution reactions in water electrolysis
Get PDFConventional electrodes of water electrolysis face limitations in mass transport and bubble detachment, hindering sustainable hydrogen production. This study investigates the enhancement of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) efficiency in water electrolysis using 3D-printed macro-patterned 17-4 PH-grade stainless steel electrodes. Leveraging additive manufacturing, stainless steel-based electrodes were fabricated via 3D printing, debinding and sintering, featuring three distinct macro-patterns namely small and large semi-spherical dimples, as well as pyramidal pits. Electrochemical testing using chronoamperometry and efficiency calculations, using KOH electrolyte in a H-cell setup, revealed that patterned electrodes significantly outperformed their flat counterparts. Results show up to a 6.5-percentage point higher voltaic efficiency, and visual observation revealed enhanced bubble detachment. Scanning Electron Micrography (SEM) imaging confirmed inherent microporosity from 3D printing, increasing active surface area. The pyramidal-pit electrode initiated HER at lower voltages, while dimpled designs achieved higher peak current densities. The experimentally measured current densities showed good agreement with the Butler–Volmer model with electrode surface bubble coverage considered. An empirical model developed, shows a strong correlation between the cell’s normalised voltaic efficiency, the non-dimensional current density and the non-dimensional surface area, highlighting the critical role of surface geometry in the efficiency of electrolysis cells. Gold coating reduced ohmic losses but did not consistently improve hydrogen yield. These results add to the growing experimental evidence that 3D-printed macro-patterns are beneficial, and in this case, enabled by an innovative metal additive manufacturing process. HER voltaic efficiency is boosted by at least 5 percentage points for a flat electrode of the same form factor through optimised bubble management and surface area. The study hence underlines the importance of patterned electrodes for industrial green hydrogen production with attendant tangible economic and sustainability benefits
Reading and skimming clinical information:insights from experiments examining medical students’ eye movement behaviour
Get PDFBackground: Reading times are shorter and comprehension is poorer during skim-reading compared to more careful reading for comprehension. Here we provide a novel examination of the effect of skimming on medical students’ reading of clinical texts. Three eye tracking experiments are reported. Each experiment manipulates the reading task (reading for comprehension, skimming for gist) and a key characteristic of the text (legibility, context, accuracy). Together the experiments provide key insights into how medical students read and skim clinical information. Methods: Participants were fourth year medical students. In each experiment participants read for comprehension and skimmed for gist. Experiment 1 examined the effect of font legibility, comparing reading behaviour for vignettes presented in a legible vs. less legible font (n = 28). Experiment 2 examined the effect of contextual cues, comparing reading of clinical statements that were preceded by a neutral cue vs. a cue stating the diagnosis (n = 28). Experiment 3 examined the integration of the text with prior knowledge by comparing reading behaviour for statements that were accurate or inaccurate (n = 20). Eye movements were recorded to determine how reading processes differed according to reading strategy and the text manipulations. Results: Across all three experiments skim-reading resulted in eye movement indices consistent with more superficial processing of text (shorter first-pass and re-reading times, ps < 0.001). There were fewer and shorter eye fixations during skimming compared to reading for comprehension (ps < 0.001) (Experiment 1). A less legible font was found to slow down reading (ps < 0.001), but did so similarly for skimming and reading for comprehension (Experiment 1). There were smaller effects of context (Experiment 2) and text accuracy (Experiment 3) for re-reading measures during skimming, indicating that skimming produces poorer integration of text with patient information or clinical knowledge. Conclusions: The eye tracking results are consistent with previous work indicating that levels of comprehension can be reduced during skim-reading. The study also demonstrates that legibility and contextual cues (e.g., diagnosis sub-headings) are important for efficient reading. Especially when learning key concepts or making key decisions, medical students and healthcare practitioners should be aware that content may be missed or only superficially processed during skimming
Parameterising the effect of human occupancy and kinetic energy on indoor air pollution
Get PDFIndoor air quality (IAQ) is increasingly recognised as one of the most important aspects for public health, workplace safety and productivity. While indoor and outdoor factors both influence indoor pollutant levels, human presence and activity are key drivers of the emission of specific pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and carbon dioxide (CO2). This study investigates the relationship between occupancy, physical activity measured by kinetic energy (KE), and air pollution concentrations in a real-world office setting, by combining data from air quality and radar motion sensors. Two exemplar office spaces were investigated, comprising an open-office area and a meeting room. PM, in the PM1 and PM2.5 size fractions, were found to be highly correlated with the outdoor conditions, whereas PM10 correlates more closely with indoor occupancy (up to r = 0.65). Even higher correlations, up to r = 0.74, were found between human activity, quantified as KE, and the PM10 concentrations. The TVOCs and CO2 showed even stronger correlations with KE (up to r = 0.83), suggesting that these metrics can be used as excellent proxies for estimating certain types of indoor air pollution. Notably, the impact of additional occupants varies depending on room characteristics and usage, underscoring the need for contextualised models of IAQ. By quantifying both outdoor infiltration and indoor emissions, this study offers a framework for disentangling pollutant sources and guiding interventions to optimise IAQ. These insights support evidence-based strategies to create healthier and more productive office environments
Coverage with Self-Induced Obstacles on Grids
Get PDFModelling environments as grids is a common approach in robotics, particularly for coverage path planning tasks, where the goal is to fully traverse an area or visit key points. In this paper, we introduce a new variant of coverage planning, inspired by applications such as open-pit mining, harvesting, and painting, where the robot's own actions modify the environment. Specifically, self-induced obstacles arise as a result of task execution, e.g. piles of rubble from drilling, and must be avoided in all future motion planning. We formally model these constraints by assuming that once a vertex is visited, it becomes non-traversable, and define an obstacle as self-induced if its existence depends on the set of previously visited vertices. This situation has not been addressed in existing formulations, which assume static obstacle placement. We provide a formal analysis of how the existence of solutions is affected by geometric constraints, such as vertex distances and robot turning radius, as defined by the Dubins vehicle. We also propose modelling the problem using self-deleting graphs based on the line graph of the grid. This provides a sufficient representation that captures the problem's dynamics and enables the use of general graph search algorithms. Our experimental evaluation demonstrates that our approach outperforms classical coverage path algorithms in terms of computation time and solution quality
On the geometry of generalised Koch snowflakes
Get PDFWe consider the geometry of a class of fractal sets in R2 that generalise the famous Koch curve and Koch snowflake. While the classical Koch curve is defined by an iterative process that divides a line segment into three parts and replaces the middle part by the legs of an isosceles triangle 'above' the line segment, in this more general setting, a choice can be made at each iteration as to whether to place this triangle 'above' or 'below' the line segment. The resulting fractals bear a striking visual resemblance to curves appearing in nature, such as coastlines and snowflakes. While these fractals can be generated by a random process that flips a coin each time to decide the orientation of the triangle, leading to 'almost sure' results for their geometrical properties, we define and study them deterministically to provide exact results. In particular, we show, using the theory of non-integer expansions, that the set of all possible values for the area enclosed by these generalised Koch curves is a closed interval. Moreover, we prove that the union of all these generalised snowflakes does not contain an open set, and has zero 2-dimensional Lebesgue measure. Complementing these results, using arguments from calculus and fractal geometry, namely properties of geometric series and Frostman's Lemma, we show that each generalised Koch curve has infinite length and the same Hausdorff dimension as its classical counterpart. Further, we also give a classification for when a generalised Koch curve is a quasicircle
Remote home cardiotocography:A systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFCardiotocography (CTG) is a common investigative modality in obstetrics to evaluate the fetal condition. Advancements in digital technology has enabled the innovation of CTG monitoring for usage in the home setting. This review aims to comprehensively examine the current evidence on the effectiveness and applicability of home antenatal CTG monitoring. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and PubMed databases were searched from inception to June 2025. Primary studies examining home antenatal CTG were included. For randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the joint primary outcomes were perinatal mortality and emergency caesarean section. For observational studies, the feasibility, diagnostic accuracy, qualitative and economic burden of home CTG were evaluated. RCTs were eligible for meta-analysis using risk ratio or mean difference, with 95% confidence intervals. Included observational studies were narratively described due to significant methodological heterogeneity. 39 studies (28 observational, seven RCTs and four qualitative studies), comprising of 7240 participants were included. Home antenatal CTG monitoring was non-inferior to conventional care across all meta-analysed maternal, perinatal and healthcare usage outcomes. GRADE assessments were low/very low quality of evidence. Home CTG monitoring was feasible in several settings and remote interpretation was graded as moderate to excellent. Transmission failures were frequently low but commonly occurred due to infrastructure and/or equipment errors. Remote CTG monitoring demonstrated comparative capabilities to conventional CTG with respect to coincidence and beat-to-beat variability. Overall acceptability ratings were high for patient and providers. Often implementation costs were high but accrued back by non-fixed savings when compared against routine care. High-quality studies were underrepresented, particularly when assessing service-led and safety outcomes. Home antenatal CTG monitoring demonstrates noninferiority to conventional care across several outcomes, representing a promising avenue for antenatal management However, current evidence is of low quality and additional high-quality evidence with sufficient methodological detail and standardised outcome assessment is required prior to making definitive recommendations
Investigation of lack of engagement among students taking part in group work in engineering subjects
No full textGroup work is a compulsory part of engineering courses in international universities. However, it is also an area of low satisfaction among both students and staff, particularly in relation to the lack of perceived participation and disagreements between some students. The aims of this work were to: identify factors contributing to poor engagement with group learning using qualitative methods; to identify if these factors could be related to integration between home and international students; and to determine if tailored intervention could mitigate against such factors. Six group activities were observed, involving over 400 foundation and master’s level students. Qualitative inductive analysis techniques were used, including observation and semi-structured interviews, to identify reasons for lack of engagement. Particular consideration was given to the participation of international students in a UK context. Some reasons for lack of involvement were identified such as groups containing too many individuals, with insufficient volumes of work to complete. It was also noted that students lacked the necessary skills to be able to delegate and negotiate tasks. Changes, including group size and volume of work were applied and were shown to improve student satisfaction and to increase involvement of students
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