11237 research outputs found
Sort by
AI-driven approaches for air pollution modelling: a comprehensive systematic review
No full textIn recent years, air quality levels have become a global issue with the rise of harmful pollutants and their effects on climate change. Urban areas are especially affected by air pollution, resulting in a deterioration of the environment and a surge in health complications. Research has been conducted on different studies that accurately predict future pollution concentration levels utilising different methods. This paper introduces the current physical models for air quality prediction and conducts an extensive systematic literature review on Machine Learning and Deep Learning techniques for predicting pollutants. This work compares different methodologies and techniques by grouping studies that utilise similar approaches together and comparing them. Furthermore, a distinction is made between temporal and spatiotemporal models to understand and highlight how both approaches impact future air pollutant concentration level predictions. The review differs from similar works as it focuses not only on comparing models and approaches but by analysing how the usage of external features, such as meteorological data, traffic information, and land usage, affect pollutant levels and the model's accuracy on air quality forecasting. Performances and limitations are explored for both Machine and Deep Learning approaches, and the work offers a discussion on their comparison and possible future developments in this research space. This review highlights how Deep Learning models tend to be more suitable for forecasting problems due to their feature and spatio-temporal correlation representation abilities, as well as providing different directions for further work, from models utilisation to feature inclusion.</p
Ischemia on dobutamine stress echocardiography predicts efficacy of PCI: results from the ORBITA-2 trial
No full textBackground: ORBITA-2 (The Placebo-Controlled Trial of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for the Relief of Stable Angina) found that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) relieved angina in patients with single-vessel and multivessel stable coronary artery disease (CAD) on little or no antianginal medication. Whereas symptom characteristics and invasive physiological assessments can predict PCI efficacy, the role of noninvasive imaging with dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) remains unclear. Objectives: This DSE-stratified secondary analysis of ORBITA-2 investigates the relationship between ischemia, assessed by DSE, and the placebo-controlled efficacy of PCI. Methods: Participants with angina, single-vessel or multivessel CAD, and ischemia were enrolled. Following discontinuation of antianginal medications, patients were evaluated prerandomization using the ORBITA-app, questionnaires, DSE, and exercise treadmill testing. Stress echocardiography scores were calculated for each left ventricular segment at peak stress, with normal, hypokinetic, akinetic, dyskinetic, and aneurysmal segments scoring 0 to 4, respectively. Bayesian proportional odds modeling was used. Results: Prerandomization DSE data were available for 262 patients. The median age was 65.5 years (Q1-Q3: 59-71 years), and 208 (79.4%) were male. At baseline, the median stress echocardiography score was 1.42 in the PCI group (n = 133) and 1.00 in the placebo group (n = 129), with an overall median score of 1.25 (Q1-Q3: 0.33-2.92). Higher stress echocardiography scores were strongly associated with greater placebo-controlled improvements in angina symptom score following PCI (OR: 1.23; 95% credible interval [CrI]: 1.13-1.35; Pr(interaction) > 99.9%). Higher scores also predicted significant reduction in daily angina episodes (OR: 1.36; 95% CrI: 1.24-1.49; Pr(interaction) > 99.9%), as well as improvement in the Seattle Angina Questionnaire angina frequency score (8.22; 95% CrI: 0.96-15.50; Pr(interaction) = 98.7%), and Seattle Angina Questionnaire quality of life score (8.95; 95% CrI: 2.05-16.00; Pr(interaction) = 99.3%). The relationship between stress echocardiography score and reduction in daily angina episodes remained consistent, irrespective of symptom characteristics. Conclusions: In patients with single- and multivessel stable CAD on little or no antianginal medication, the placebo-controlled efficacy of PCI was predicted by the degree of ischemia detected on DSE. The greater the burden of baseline ischemia, the greater the improvement in symptoms and quality of life with PCI.</p
Managing technology innovation and dynamic capabilities towards competitive performance in times of economic crisis: a study of the UAE real estate and construction sector
No full textVolatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) have become common terms in the environmental dynamism of the real estate sector, as firms are called upon to build on the profound interconnection between dynamic capabilities and Schumpeter's innovation capabilities to optimise organisational agility and performance. Validating the research gap with the help of an SLR, this study critically investigates the impact of dynamic and AI technology capabilities on a firm’s agility towards competitive performance, considering the moderating role of environmental dynamism in VUCA environments. This aim considers the operationalisation of the RERA AI-based Dubai Rental Index by real estate and construction businesses for dynamic and innovative tasks. The dynamic and Schumpeter's innovation theories inform a quantitative research methodology from the positivist philosophical and deductive research perspectives. From a population of approximately 17,150 mainland real estate and construction businesses listed on the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCC), a sample size of 376 is considered generalisable, and the simple random sampling technique was employed to achieve representativeness, with extra attention to businesses that have experience in the use of the RERA rent index. The online survey was employed, and all measurements utilised pre-validated scales. Analysis was conducted using the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique with IBM SPSS Statistics and SmartPLS. The findings indicate that sensing and seizing dynamic capabilities have a statistically significant impact on firm agility; however, businesses are currently unable to leverage the transformational capabilities of the RERA index to facilitate agility. Technology development and use/ adoption also proved to be valid predictors of firm agility, even though external technology collaboration had a negative impact on firm agility. Whilst agility has a substantial impact on competitive performance, dynamism has a stronger and more significant impact on performance, while negatively moderating the relationship between agility and competitive performance. The study offers a unique insight into the intricate relationship between dynamic capabilities, innovation capabilities, firm agility, and competitive performance, considering the overarching role of VUCA (or environmental dynamism) in the real estate and construction sector. It is concluded that the operationalisation of the RERA index to facilitate dynamic and technology innovation capabilities towards firm agility is realised in the Dubai real estate and construction sector, even though some improvements are required for transformational capabilities and ICT for external collaboration. In addition, whilst dynamism is a potent driver of competitiveness, it dampens the impact of agility on competitive performance. It is recommended that future researchers explore how industry actors can utilise innovative tools to develop transformational capabilities while facilitating external collaboration to enhance firm agility in VUCA contexts.</p
Insect trafficking: a green criminological perspective
No full textIn May of 2025, four men were sentenced in a Kenyan court for the attempted smuggling of ants. This case underscores a largely overlooked dimension of global wildlife crime: the trafficking of insects. This article aims to discuss the nature of insect trafficking in legal, criminological, and conservation discourses and to argue for its inclusion in broader debates within environmental justice discourse. Exploring legal and policy dimensions of wildlife trafficking through a green criminological lens, this paper underscores the anthropocentric bias in wildlife protection, which marginalises non-charismatic species despite their ecological importance. It concludes that a shift toward ecological and species justice is necessary, advocating for more inclusive legal definitions, improved enforcement mechanisms, and interdisciplinary research. Recognising insects as victims of environmental harm is essential for developing holistic responses to wildlife crime and advancing the goals of green criminology.</p
Teaching conception and teaching approaches: architecture education in Nigeria
No full textSeveral studies have examined the teaching conceptions and approaches of teachers across various contexts and fields of study. However, in the field of architectural education, such studies are scarce. Furthermore, research on teaching conceptions is rare in the African continent, particularly in Nigeria, which is the focus of this study. Additionally, there is a well-established argument in the literature indicating that conceptions of teaching influence teaching approaches, which in turn affect students' learning approaches and outcomes. Given the insufficient literature on this area of study within the Nigerian context and architectural education, it is crucial to examine the teaching conceptions of architecture teachers and the teaching approaches they employ, along with possible factors that may have contributed to the development of these teaching conceptions and approaches.Twenty participants voluntarily took part in the study: fourteen teachers from two universities and six practising architects. A qualitative research method was employed, and data were collected using a semi-structured interview schedule. The interviews were conducted online using WhatsApp and Google Meet, with video or audio recording depending on the participants’ choices and preferences. A thematic approach to analysis was utilised.Findings revealed eight categories of teaching conceptions, grouped under three broad teaching orientations: teacher-centred/content-oriented, student-centred/learning-oriented, and student-teacher interaction. Six teaching conception categories align with existing categories in the literature, while two were scarcely mentioned. The findings also indicated that peer learning, blended learning, and problem/project-based learning were the teaching approaches employed by architecture teachers. Furthermore, factors such as years of early exposure to teaching, private practise, global interaction/exposure, and engagement with past teachers and senior colleagues/academics were found to influence the development of the conceptions and approaches to teaching. The thesis adds to the literature on teaching conceptions and approaches with implications for architecture education, architecture teachers, and other stakeholders involved in curriculum development, teacher development, and student outcomes. Specifically for the Nigerian architecture education system, improved teaching approaches in entrepreneurial education, involving peers in jury reviews, and regular reviews of continuous professional development (CPD) for architecture educators that accommodate multidisciplinary factors and reflective practises are recommended.</p
The prevalence of functional urinary incontinence and its association with comprehensive geriatric assessment parameters in older women
No full textNo description supplied</p
Social Impact of LLMs: The Ups, the Downs and the Uncharted Waters
No full textThis article summarises key points from a workshop at DALI Sorrento 2025 in April 2025 which explored the realised and potential social impacts of LLMs, both positive and negative. Called “LLMs for Social Impact: The Ups, the Downs and the Uncharted Waters”, the workshop comprised three sessions, each starting with a series of ‘provocations’ from speakers working in the field, followed by plenary discussion.</p
From Babel to Bridge: The Challenges of Research Co-Production in Multilingual Spaces
No full textNo description supplied</p
Bamboo consumption and health outcomes: a systematic review and call to action
No full textDespite the popularity and potential nutritional benefits of bamboo consumption in aiding the prevention and management of several health conditions, to date, no attempt has been made to collate and critically appraise all literature on bamboo and human health. We aimed to address this gap in the literature through a systematic review. We systematically searched Medline/PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases until 26th October 2024. All retrospective or prospective studies reporting the effects of human consumption of bamboo shoots or other bamboo products on health were included. In vitro findings related to the effect of bamboo extracts on human cells or in processing food were also included. In vivo studies demonstrated a protective effect against internal exposure to acrylamide and glycidamide, an improvement in glycemic control, improvement in lipid profile, improvement in bowel function, an increase in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, a lower cell toxicity and increased cell viability but also an association with a high prevalence of goiters. In vitro studies demonstrated antioxidant activity, probiotic effects, inhibition of furan formation, high nutritional value and reduction of acrylamide formation during food processing. The findings from our systematic review, which included 16 studies, suggest that if appropriately prepared, the consumption of bamboo may have multiple health benefits for humans. However, more high-quality experimental trials are required to further elucidate on the health benefits before concrete recommendations can be drawn. We thus call on the academic community to further investigate this crop for its high potential for improving human health.</p
Revisiting advocacy in midwifery
No full textSince its introduction in 2017, the role of the professional midwife advocate (PMA) is now well-documented in the literature. The role has broadened the scope of advocacy to encompass the health, wellbeing and development of midwives, aiming to enhance care delivery, drive quality improvement and improve staff retention through peer support and empowerment. As a result, the concept of patient-focused advocacy has evolved to include professionals. This article explores current understanding of professional advocacy in practice, highlighting how the concept can be applied in different contexts and draws on an ongoing evaluation of professional advocacy in one large NHS Trust. The overall project involved interviews, focus groups, and a survey of current professional advocates and those who do and do not engage with the professional advocacy team within the trust. During the conversations, feedback and survey, it became apparent that the terminology of advocacy in health care has varying interpretations and this may influence the integration of professional advocacy into practice. Therefore, this paper will theoretically explore and extend the concept of professional advocacy in light of the emerging role of the professional advocate.In a similar way to the evolution of patient advocacy, professional advocacy is also expected to develop. As a relatively new evolution of the supervision of midwives, professional advocacy is still establishing its place in practice in England and Wales. The primary distinction between the two is that patient advocacy was rooted in philosophical principles, whereas professional advocacy emerged as response to regulatory changes in midwifery supervision, combined with the need to safeguard staff wellbeing and improve services. While implementation structures have been put in place to integrate professional advocacy into the workplace, conceptual understandings are still embedding.</p
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Open Research Online? Become a CORE Member to access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard! 👇