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Superpowers for Level 7 Learning (Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Blog 341)
Get PDFBluesky #LTHEchat with guest Professor David T Evans @david-t-evans.bsky.social on Wednesday 29th October 2025 at 20:00 GMT
(LTHE Chat #341). "Superpowers? I understand not everyone in Higher Education appreciates the notion of 'superpowers' in relation to academia. I adapt it, playing on a term proposed by Emilee Wapnick (2019; 2021), regarding the superpowers of multipotentialities. This blog and the subsequent Bluesky synchronous chat is based on my novel session, to post graduate students, focused on Superpowers for Level 7 Learning. The audience, healthcare students transitioning into post graduate studies or returning for subsequent years. I used the term 'superpowers' to ignite their curiosity, combat the oft-present 'imposter syndrome' and, hopefully, inspire them into a love of curiosity (enquiry) in learning. #LTHEchat The weekly Learning and Teaching in HE chat created by the community for the community-Wednesday 8-9pm
Dynamic modelling for the family of 5-axis CNC milling machines with application to feed-rate optimization
Get PDFThe 5-axis CNC milling machines are complex mechanical systems, and they can be designed with hundreds of 5 degrees of freedom mechanisms. The kinematic and dynamic modelling of machines is crucial for optimising the machine design and the milling process. However, formulating the dynamics model of 5-axis milling machines has never been proposed so far. Moreover, efforts have been made to develop kinematic models for the machines; however, formulating the generalized kinematic model for all possible 5-axis milling machines in closed form is challenging. In this paper, a novel method of kinematic and dynamic modelling for the entire family of 5-axis milling machines is developed. First, the special features of the machines family are fully studied to formulate effectively the generalized forward and inverse kinematic equations in closed-form. Second, by treating each 5-axis mechanism as a closed mechanism subject to a nonlinear kinematic constraint characterizing the machining process, the dynamics model for the whole family of 5-axis milling machines is successfully formulated, and the inverse dynamic equation is derived in closed-form. Finally, to demonstrate the importance and impact of the proposed method, useful applications were conducted; and these were supported by both numerical simulations and actual cutting experiments. Compared with previous works, our study includes new generalized equations of kinematics and dynamics for the family of 5-axis milling machines, and useful applications of the proposed equations for optimization of the 5-axis machining
‘If one doesn’t happen, the other will’: forensic mental health service patients’ experiences of co-occurring self-harm and aggression
Get PDFBackground
Co-occurring self-harm and aggression (dual harm) is particularly
prevalent among forensic mental health service (FMHS) patients.
There is limited understanding of why this population engages in
dual harm.
Aims
This work aims to explore FMHS patients’ experiences of dual
harm and how they make sense of this behaviour, with a focus
on the role of emotions.
Method
Participants were identified from their participation in a previous
study. Sixteen FMHS patients with a lifetime history of dual harm
were recruited from two hospitals. Individuals participated in
one-to-one, semi-structured interviews where they reflected on
past and/or current self-harm and aggression. Interview transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results
Six themes were generated: self-harm and aggression as emotional regulation strategies, the consequences of witnessing
harmful behaviours, relationships with others and the self,
trapped within the criminal justice system, the convergence and
divergence of self-harm and aggression, and moving forward as
an FMHS patient. Themes highlighted shared risk factors of dual
harm across participants, including emotional dysregulation,
perceived lack of social support and witnessing harmful behaviours. Participants underlined the duality of their self-harm and
aggression, primarily utilising both to regulate negative emotions. These behaviours also fulfilled distinct purposes at times
(e.g. self-harm as punishment, aggression as defence). The
impact of contextual factors within FMHSs, including restrictive
practices and institutionalisation, were emphasised.
Conclusions
Findings provide recommendations that can help address dual
harm within forensic settings, including (a) transdiagnostic,
individualised approaches that consider the duality of self-harm
and aggression; and (b) cultural and organisational focus on
recovery-centred practice
State Violence and Legal Accountability: The Wait for Justice
Get PDFThe book inquires into the state and its violent performances from a critical legal perspective. It offers an analysis of state violence and its legal address by focusing on the ghosts, fetishes, and fantasies that surround the concept of the state and its violent performances; while asking how the meanings and assumptions of the state and its violence reflect on political demands and legal processes of accountability? To do so, the book traces the political and legal aftermath of the police killing of Berkin Elvan, a 14-year-old boy, during the nationwide protests of the summer of 2013 in Turkey.
The book offers a fresh perspective to the study of state violence by demystifying the state and its violent power. It will appeal to scholars and students from a wide range of disciplines including law, criminology, politics, sociology, and political and legal philosophy
Scaling up from local to regional: progress in mapping climate risk and vulnerability across the West Midlands for decision-making
Get PDFAs the climate changes and urbanisation grows, there is an increasing need to ensure climate risk is addressed to protect citizens. This paper presents progress in the methodological approach of combining disparate geospatial data to generate a holistic climate risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA) map. A CRVA map visualises the spatial characteristics of a region, helping decision-makers such as planners in local authorities to prioritise and target resources to areas most at-risk to the impacts of climate change. This paper describes the co-development of a CRVA map for Birmingham City Council, and subsequent scaling of the approach for the West Midlands region. The CRVA map outputs demonstrate i) the spatial variability in climate risk, and ii) how different underpinning factors can influence climate risk, to create the similar or differing CRVA scores. In turn, the CRVA allows decision-makers to plan climate adaptation measures, such as selecting appropriate trees or vegetation as a nature-based solution for new or existing developments. Moreover, the CRVA methodological approach was designed to support adaptation as an iterative process; enabling decision-makers to embed the process into business practices that build technical capacity and promotes monitoring and evaluating progress in reducing climate risk over time. The CRVA mapping outputs for Birmingham are published by the local authority; the regional CRVA will be published by the West Midlands Combined Authority in 2024
Physiologic and mechanical responses to clustered vs. traditional sprint interval exercise approaches
Get PDFPurpose
This study compared responses to a traditional 30-s all-out sprint interval exercise (SIE) session, compared to two SIE sessions divided into clusters, with the aim to assess which of these sessions would result in higher peak oxygen uptake (O2peak), longer time at O2 ≥ respiratory compensation point (RCP), and greater peak power output during SIE (PPOSIE).
Methods
Twelve trained males (19 ± 1 years; 176 ± 5 cm; 65.9 ± 6 kg; O2max: 54.0 ± 6.2 mL kg−1 min−1) performed three work-matched all-out cycling SIE sessions with a load of 7.5% body mass: (1) SIE30: 4 repetitions of 30-s work with 240-s recovery; (2) SIE15: 4 repetitions of 15-s work with 15-s recovery, plus 15-s work with 225-s recovery; (3) SIE10: 4 repetitions of 10-s work with 10-s recovery, plus 10-s work and 10-s recovery, plus 10-s work with 220-s recovery.
Results
PPOSIE for SIE30 (697 ± 71 W) was lower than for SIE15 (732 ± 63 W; p = 0.001) and SIE10 (752 ± 75 W; p = 0.001). O2peak response for SIE30 (46.5 ± 6.6 mL kg−1 min−1) was lower than for SIE15 (51.9 ± 4.8 mL kg−1 min−1; p = 0.04) and SIE10 (50.9 ± 5.6 mL kg−1 min−1; p = 0.01). Time spent at O2 ≥ RCP was shorter for SIE30 (32.9 ± 35.9 s) compared to SIE15 (95.0 ± 52.0 s; p = 0.001) and SIE10 (62.9 ± 46.1 s; p = 0.010). No differences were identified for these variables between SIE15 and SIE10 (p = 0.270).
Conclusion
Compared to the SIE30 session, the clustering-based SIE protocols resulted in higher PPOSIE values, a greater O2peak response, and longer time spent at O2 ≥ RCP. Thus, clustering methods can maximize the above-mentioned responses and be appealing alternatives to the traditional 30-s SIE session
Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intervention ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in db/db mice by mitigating cortical insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and energy metabolism impairment
Get PDFIntroduction: Cognitive dysfunction is a prevalent complication associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Cognitive dysfunction in patients with T2DM not only severely impacts their quality of life but also imposes a substantial burden on their families and society. Despite the increasing prevalence of T2DM and its associated cognitive dysfunction, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood, and effective treatment strategies are still lacking. This creates an urgent need for in-depth research to clarify these mechanisms and develop novel therapeutic approaches.
Objectives: This study aims to investigate the ameliorating effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) on diabetes-related cognitive dysfunction and its underlying mechanisms.
Methods: In this study, we employed multiple mouse models of diabetes and cognitive impairment to explore the impact of disrupted glucose metabolism on central insulin signaling pathways and mitochondrial function. Furthermore, we treated db/db mice with n-3 PUFA-enriched diets and assessed the effects of n-3 PUFA on insulin signaling pathways, mitochondrial function, and cognitive function to elucidate the mechanisms by which n-3 PUFA mitigate diabetes-related cognitive dysfunction. The expression levels of target proteins and genes were detected using western blot, immunohistochemistry, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Morris water maze test, while damage of brain structure and neurons was analyzed through diffusion tensor imaging and Nissl staining. Mitochondrial morphology was examined by transmission electron microscopy, and energy metabolism alterations were investigated using metabolomics.
Results: db/db mice exhibited pronounced insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain cortex. Abnormalities in brain mitochondrial energy metabolism and disruptions in the glutamate-glutamine circulation constitute the pathological basis for diabetes-related cognitive dysfunction. Dietary n-3 PUFA intervention alleviated insulin resistance, neuronal loss, mitochondrial structural abnormalities, energy metabolism disorders, glutamate-glutamine cycling disorders and cognitive dysfunction in db/db mice.
Conclusion: n-3 PUFA facilitated the recovery of cognitive function in T2DM mice by regulating cortical mitochondrial energy metabolism and enhancing the glutamate-glutamine cycle
Hyperbolic lattice Boltzmann method for three-dimensional non-Fourier heat conduction with phase change
No full textThe study described the simulation of 3D non-Fourier heat conduction with phase change using a hyperbolic lattice Boltzmann method (HLBM). The equilibrium distribution function was modified for the temperature to develop a new approach for handling the latent-heat source term. Unlike the commonly used lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), the hyperbolic collision operator was used in the HLBM process. The approach enabled the recovery of the enthalpy conservation equation and avoided the need for iteration stages or solving groups of linear equations. This suggests that the approach is more efficient and accurate than previous methods. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of using HLBM for simulating complex thermal processes, particularly those involving phase change. The method could be useful in various applications, such as in the design of efficient heat exchangers or in understanding the behavior of materials during phase transitions
Reimagining government subsidy policies: facilitating echelon utilization and sustainable practices for retired battery systems
Get PDFThe rising number of retired electric vehicle batteries has sparked significant global interest in the recycling and reuse sectors, crucial for achieving a Sustainable Circular Economy and Net-Zero goals. In response, governments are exploring strategic initiatives to enhance the echelon utilization of these batteries, yet current subsidy policies require refinement. This study presents a two-period closed-loop supply chain model involving a battery manufacturer, recycler, power grid company, and government to investigate how subsidies for purchasing reuseable batteries can bolster their utilization for energy storage. The paper analyzes the optimal subsidy amount and
assesses stakeholder decisions, profits, and social welfare under scenarios with and without subsidies. The findings reveal that while effective subsidy policies can enhance overall social welfare and support a circular economy, their impact on echelon utilization is influenced by the factors such as battery quality, operating revenue, carbon emission and installation costs. Furthermore, varying installation costs between second life and new batteries do not necessarily hinder purchase decisions by power companies.
This research enriches the discourse on sustainable industrial systems by providing actionable insights for businesses to develop effective strategies in retired battery utilization and guiding policymakers in promoting circular economy initiatives that
contribute to industry sustainability and Net-Zero objectives
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