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Issues, Challenges, and Research Direction in Integrating Metaverse and Healthcare Industry
No full textThe healthcare sector is expanding more quickly now that automation and digitization are progressing at a quicker rate. These advancements have given rise to creative models that create new opportunities for treatment delivery at reduced prices. The advent of the metaverse has attracted global interest as a cutting-edge digital environment with enormous potential to offer patients and medical professionals an extensive spectrum of health services. The potential of healthcare services to promote well-being and lifespan while simultaneously reducing the detrimental effects of sickness, injury, and illness highlights their important nature. Although the healthcare sector has developed swiftly, many issues still need to be resolved. These include the constant weight of lifelong chronic illnesses, growing healthcare costs, population aging, a lack of healthcare professionals, and a lack of resources. The metaverse might turn out to be an influential factor in this situation. It is the result of the integration of numerous cutting-edge technologies, including robotics, blockchain, quantum computing, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and the Internet of Medical Devices. Using the potential of these cutting-edge technologies presents fascinating chances to investigate novel approaches for providing top-notch medical care and services. The metaverse offers fresh opportunities to enhance healthcare results because of its capacity to give patients and healthcare professionals lifelike experiences. This chapter provides a comprehensive examination of the primary healthcare enabling technologies, as well as the healthcare technological innovations specific to the metaverse. The necessity to bring healthcare services to people's living rooms has been prompted by these major challenges, which will be addressed in this chapter. This chapter will draw attention to the current literature, which addresses healthcare-related problems based on healthcare using the metaverse. The study offers prospective solutions as well as an identification of potential problems and obstacles when integrating the metaverse into healthcare, and future research directions are also discussed
Biobased lignin/polyamide filaments surface–modified with electrochemically produced graphene oxide to improve their thermal stabilisation behaviour as precursors for carbon fibre production
No full textThe thermal stability of melt-spun hydroxypropyl–modified lignin/polyamide (PA1010) 50:50 wt% blended precursor fibres, crucial for the thermal stabilisation stage in carbon fibre production, was enhanced by pre-treating the fibres with a graphene oxide (GO) suspension, synthesized via the modified Hummers method. This pre-treatment allowed the fibres to be subsequently thermally stabilised at a faster heating rate of 20 °C/min, compared to the typical 0.1–0.25 °C/min used for lignin-based fibres, thereby reducing overall thermal stabilisation time from 29 h to 2.5 h. The stabilised filaments were successfully carbonised at 950 °C, yielding coherent, void-free carbon fibres without inter-filament fusion. The tensile modulus of GO-treated filaments improved from 1.3 GPa to 2.3 GPa after thermal stabilisation. However, derived carbon fibres were brittle in nature. Various characterisation techniques, including DSC, TGA, FTIR, SEM-EDX, AFM, XPS, and tensile testing, were used to analyze the physico-chemical changes. DSC showed that GO improved the polycrystallinity of the precursor filaments and contributed to the formation of a three-dimensional cross-linked network during heat stabilisation, suppressing the PA melt endotherm. TGA confirmed that GO-treated filaments had higher char yields (∼40 %) than untreated fibres (∼30 %), further supporting GO-induced crosslinking reactions. FTIR, SEM-EDX, and AFM confirmed an even GO coating. A study of GO pre-treatment variables suggested that a reduction in GO concentration is required to reduce resulting carbon fibre brittleness at the expense of increased thermal stabilisation time
Effective Visual Communication in Higher Education: Intercultural and Cross-Cultural Design
No full textThis paper examines how undergraduate design students develop cultural sensitivity through a live brief by the Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT), focusing on global-local tensions in their responses. While prior studies address global-local dynamics, few explore intercultural pedagogy in UK live briefs. Using intercultural communication frameworks, the research highlights the importance of primary research, cross-cultural collaboration, and clear learning outcomes, advocating for stronger cultural fluency integration to better prepare students for inclusive global practice
Machine learning applications for wind resource mapping in Ajman, UAE towards sustainable energy solutions
No full textAccurate site-specific Sustainable Wind Resource Assessment (SWRA) remains a critical contemporarysustainable wind power development issue. Especially in regions like the Emirate of Ajman and theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE), site-specific wind data collection faces high challenges and constraints.Mainly due to the excessively high costs of measuring wind speeds at wind turbine hub heights level,leading to dependence on publicly available NASA satellite data or any other freely available wind data that requiresextensive error correction for reliable application in SWRA.This research develops a comprehensive methodology for site-specific SWRA in the Emirate of Ajman throughfive integrated objectives: developing machine learning (ML)-based error correction methodology for NASAsatellite wind data, determining site-specific surface parameters, predicting future wind speed trends using ARIMAmodelling, analysing wind potential variations, and creating GIS-based wind resource maps. A systematic mixed-methodsapproach was used, integrating multiple ML algorithms (Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, Gradient Boosting) for NASAwind speed data correction, determination of site-specific parameters (wind shear coefficients, roughness length, air density),statistical analysis of wind patterns, and GIS-based wind resource mapping. Ground-based measurements from strategicallylocated onshore monitoring stations validated the methodology and established site-specific correction factors across Ajman'sdiverse terrain. Results showed clear spatial and temporal variations in wind resources, with annual wind speeds rangingfrom 3.33- 3.74 m/s at 50m to 4.75-5.2 m/s at 100m height. Spring emerged as the optimal season, with wind speedsreaching 5.69-6.16 m/s at 100m height. The Random Forest model achieved the highest accuracy (R² = 0.5772) insatellite data correction. Surface roughness length varied from 0.0002 (offshore) to 0.50 (urban areas), while air densityranged between 1.146-1.166 kg/m³. Offshore locations showed higher wind power density, reaching 126.12 W/m².This study establishes Ajman's first validated, GIS integrated SWRA methodology, contributing to practical and theoreticaladvances in SWRA. While supporting the feasibility of hybrid wind-solar systems and offshore installations, the findingsalign with the UAE's Net Zero 2050 strategy and establish a systematic approach that other regions can follow to improvesatellite-derived wind speed data accuracy
Air Quality Management Strategic Framework For Future Sustainable Cities
No full textPollution can originate from fixed, mobile, and local sources, due to human activity or naturally occurring processes. The well-developed cities contribute to over 70% of global carbon emissions. This paper analyses the parameters that contribute to achieving healthy, environmentally sustainable cities. A strategic planning framework is introduced to implement efficient and effective strategies for future sustainable cities. Therefore, the paper aims to identify and examine successful factors within a framework to reduce negative environmental impacts from air pollution designed for future sustainable cities. Data is collected from locations that reflect the nature of human settlement and well-being, and Advanced SWOT analysis was conducted to see the success factors. Data analyses reveal many factors that must be monitored to achieve SDG 11 targets. The results show how air quality affects people's health and social living conditions in urbanised areas. Comparisons between pre-and-post Covid 19 indicated the impact of the pandemic on air quality and showed evidence of possible reductions in air pollution when activities are reduced. The method used for this research is analysing the data recorded from a network of environmental stations constructed at different sites in the Emirate of Ajman. The achieved framework consists of strategies categorised into five main categories, formed by different functional layers, to demonstrate actions needed by the government. Recommendations have been drawn from the findings, and if considered, it could be possible to achieve sustainable air quality. Keywords: Aerodynamics, Forebody and afterbody, Next keyword, Projectile, Supersonic speed
The impact of housing policies on sustainable residential real estate in Abuja, Nigeria a case study of indigenous women in Chittagong
No full textResidential real estate is indisputably an essential sector for countries, especially regarding housing for residents. Nigeria, however, is faced with several challenges to this sector that requires appropriate management, regulation, and sustenance. With continuous population growth, many are living in conditions that are detrimental to health and well- being. Housing demand is extremely high, and current policies does match supply with demand.The aim of this study is therefore, to investigate impact of housing policies on sustainable residential real estate in Abuja Nigeria. Exploratory qualitative work is adopted based on a systematic literature review, which was rigorously conducted to reduce bias and improve the research objectivity. The review focused on three research questions, using analytical tables and an almost-verbatim narrative that made up parts of a systematic process. Key issues addressed in the literature review, stemming from research questions and in context of Nigeria include (i) assessing challenges of sustainable residential real estate (ii) evaluating the impact of housing policies on sustainable housing in Abuja, and (iii) identifying improvements that can be made to housing policies for sustainable development of residential real estate. Primary data were acquired from three interview participants for the pilot study and twenty for the main study, comprising of homeowners and tenants. Study findings provide an insight into the significance and limitations of housing policy as a tool for achieving sustainability of residential real estate.Focus on housing in the city of Abuja and the impact of Nigerian housing policy suggest that there are limitations due to lack of sustainable housing policies.Several research gaps were identified in the study.These gaps include sustainability as a key concept in Nigeria’s housing policy, as well as a direct link between housing policy and sustainability of residential real estate.Since there is little research on these subjects, it presents a gap in literature, which has valuable potential for studies. Research on alternative housing policies for sustainable residential real estate in Nigeria is recommended. concerning Limitations of study stem from lack of data on present status of the country in relation to most topics in the research
The Reach of Digital Games and Their Potential as Global Communication Tools
No full textThis paper examines the potential of digital games as communication tools to reach global audiences, extending beyond established cultural and geopolitical divides. It shows the empirical data gathered in our EU and UKRI-funded Games Realising Effective and Affective Transformation (GREAT) project, where we collaborated with several organizations to investigate this potential. Namely, a significant case study called Play2Act was undertaken in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which forms the focus of this paper. The aims of this study were to find out how much of the world’s population could be reached via digital games and how many citizens would be willing to communicate their climate attitudes in a simple and short survey that was inserted into popular mobile games. Currently, there are 3 billion gamers in the world and the idea of reaching citizens via games to understand their opinions on critical global issues and then passing this information to policy-makers emerged. This is the main objective of our project, as to whether games can act as an effective communication channel between citizens and policy-makers, the context being the climate emergency. Governments do not typically have the opportunity to understand their citizens’ needs fully. The aim of this project is to decrease the barrier and increase representation and democracy. The findings obtained from the Play2Act study suggest that games, moreover their ability to engage, and inherent social dynamics create a unique opportunity to support meaningful dialogue with a large proportion of citizens reached, engaged and completed the surveys. The study engaged with almost 1 million players from every UN recognised country, with only two exceptions, and ca. 181,000 surveys completed, confirming the global reach of games. The next steps are for UNDP to take this information to individual countries with recommendations of appropriate climate policies based on their citizens’ voices, this having huge potential for digital games being policy transformational tools. This research contributes to knowledge on the intersection of technology, culture, and communication and offers valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholder groups seeking to leverage digital games for social impact
Pneumothorax: Lung segmentation and disease classification using deep neural networks
No full textMedical imaging is crucial in detecting pneumothorax, a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by air accumulation in the pleural cavity. Chest X-Rays (CXR) and Computed Tomography (CT) scans are vital tools for diagnosing pneumothorax, offering detailed insights into the chest cavity. The accurate delineation of lung regions and the detection of lung diseases pose significant challenges. Variations in patient anatomy, limited training data, and the complexity of lung diseases contribute to the difficulty of the task. Recent approaches, such as advanced U-Net architectures with residual connections and 3D U-Net variants for lung nodule segmentation, are enhancing the precision and efficiency of lung image analysis. This research presents a novel approach that combines Deep Learning (DL) based segmentation and disease detection techniques to enhance accuracy in CXR image analysis. The proposed methodology comprises two core components: A U-Net-inspired segmentation model with residual connections for precise lung region extraction and a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)for disease detection
Pedagogical innovations in engineering education bridging theory and practice for the future engineer
No full textThe rapidly evolving landscape of global industry, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, sustainability imperatives, and pervasive digitalization, demands a parallel and urgent evolution in engineering pedagogy. Traditional, heavily instructive models, focused on passive knowledge transfer through lectures, are proving insufficient for cultivating engineers who are not only technically proficient but also adept at complex problem-solving, multidisciplinary collaboration, and systemic innovation. This article explores the critical pedagogical frameworks and evidence-based teaching methods that are actively reshaping modern engineering education to meet this challenge. It argues for a strategic and intentional shift towards blended, student-centred, and digitally enhanced learning environments that effectively bridge the persistent gap between theoretical knowledge and practical, impactful application. The discussion is grounded in an analysis of prevalent methods such as Project-Based Learning (PjBL), flipped classrooms, and technology-enhanced simulation, highlighting their role in developing crucial professional skills. Supported by recent data on industry skill gaps and longitudinal educational outcomes, the paper demonstrates how these approaches correlate with improved conceptual retention, higher student engagement, and better preparedness for the workforce. Ultimately, this paper provides a coherent roadmap for educators and institutions to redesign curricula and teaching practices, aiming to cultivate the next generation of agile, ethical, and competent engineers equipped to tackle the complex, real-world challenges of the 21st century. Furthermore, the paper addresses the significant barrier of faculty development and institutional change management, acknowledging that the adoption of innovative pedagogy requires sustained support and a cultural shift within engineering departments. It concludes by framing this pedagogical transformation not as a rejection of foundational rigor, but as its essential evolution, ensuring that graduates are truly practice ready. By synthesizing current research with practical implementation strategies, this work serves as a critical resource for advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) within the engineering discipline
