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A Collaboration Design Method for Facilitating SME Inclusion in Global Supply Chains
No full textSmall and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) face steep challenges in fulfilling sustainability and resilience requirements when joining global supply chains. These challenges often relate to lack of capabilities, accreditations and/or capacity demanded by OEMs and Tier 1 players in the process of forming a supply chain composition. To address some of the challenges and lower entry barriers for SMEs, this paper formalises a Collaboration Design Method (CDM) that can assemble and coordinate supplier teams responding to a tender from a large buyer. CDM comprises five recursive design decisions: (1) Decomposing tendering goals; (2) Assigning sub-goals to suppliers in a team; (3) Operationalizing sub-goals through supplier processes within a team; (4) Decomposing processes to identify steps that can be outsourced; and (5) Defining coordination mechanisms. Feedback from industrial SMEs indicates that CDM provides a viable approach to tame supply chain formation complexity and ease barriers that prevent SMEs from collaborating in global supply chains
The Macronutrient Intake and Physical Activity of Black Pregnant Women
No full textBackground: Adequate nutrition and physical activity during pregnancy are required to achieve optimum maternal and fetal outcomes. However, Black pregnant women in the UK are underrepresented in physical activity and dietary intake studies, despite their higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.Research Objective: This study aimed to assess and compare the macronutrient intake, physical activity levels and sleep of Black African pregnant women in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters.Methods: Sixteen Black African women, 8 each in trimesters2 and 3 (32±4 years; 2nd trimester= 23.13±3.0 weeks; 3rdtrimester= 33.50±1.20 weeks) completed 4-day food diaries and wore ActiGraph GT9x accelerometers on their non-dominant wrists for 7days. Nutritics nutritional software was used to analyse the intakes of energy(kcal/day), total carbohydrates, free sugars, dietary fibre, protein, total fat, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fatty acids. R using the GGIR package software was used to analyse the daily time in activity, sedentary time and sleep time. The differences between trimesters were determined using independent-samples-t-tests at a significance level ofp0.05). Sleep efficiency also increased in the 3rd trimester compared to the2nd (p>0.05).Discussion: The energy, macronutrient intake and physical activity levels of this cohort decreased in the 3rd trimester, and were lower than the recommended values for pregnancy. Women require support and information to achieve and maintain the recommended dietary intakes and physical activity levels throughout pregnancy
Children's Health in London and Luton (CHILL) cohort: a 12-month natural experimental study of the effects of the Ultra Low Emission Zone on children's travel to school
No full textThe Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), introduced in Central London in April 2019, aims to enhance air quality and improve public health. The Children's Health in London and Luton (CHILL) study evaluates the impact of the ULEZ on children's health. This analysis focuses on the one-year impacts on the shift towards active travel to school.CHILL is a prospective parallel cohort study of ethnically diverse children, aged 6-9 years attending 84 primary schools within or with catchment areas encompassing London's ULEZ (intervention) and Luton (non-intervention area). Baseline (2018/19) and one-year follow-up (2019/20) data were collected at school visits from 1992 (58%) children who reported their mode of travel to school 'today' (day of assessment). Multilevel logistic regressions were performed to analyse associations between the introduction of the ULEZ and the likelihood of switching from inactive to active travel modes, and vice-versa. Interactions between intervention group status and pre-specified effect modifiers were also explored.Among children who took inactive modes at baseline, 42% of children in London and 20% of children in Luton switched to active modes. For children taking active modes at baseline, 5% of children in London and 21% of children in Luton switched to inactive modes. Relative to the children in Luton, children in London were more likely to have switched from inactive to active modes (OR 3.64, 95% CI 1.21-10.92). Children in the intervention group were also less likely to switch from active to inactive modes (OR 0.11, 0.05-0.24). Moderator analyses showed that children living further from school were more likely to switch from inactive to active modes (OR 6.06,1.87-19.68) compared to those living closer (OR 1.43, 0.27-7.54).Implementation of clean air zones can increase uptake of active travel to school and was particularly associated with more sustainable and active travel in children living further from school
Guest Editorial of the Special Section on Secure Artificial Intelligence in 6G Consumer Electronics
No full textUnmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with AI-enabled logistics are gradually demonstrating their special benefits for upcoming smart cities. However, current research on logistics UAV path planning fails to take into account the limits on UAV energy consumption, customer time windows, and the effects of wind direction and speed at the same time. As a result, we study how wind direction and speed affect UAV flight states, determine relevant parameters and how wind conditions affect them, and explore the logistics problem of UAV path planning that simultaneously takes into account the constraints on UAV energy consumption, customer time windows, and wind conditions [1]. The ubiquitous monitoring and intelligent control capabilities of the Internet of Things (IoT) are mainly dependent on inexpensive wireless sensors with low energy consumption. Nevertheless, remote terminals that are not covered by wireless can be connected to IoT networks using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). With the help of this solution, IoT networks may reach a wider audience and have more options for control and monitoring. Notwithstanding this advantage, the UAV’s onboard battery has a modest capacity [2]
Perception of generative AI use in UK higher education
No full textBackground Generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) has emerged as a transformative tool in research and education. However, there is a mixed perception about its use. This study assessed the use, perception, prospect, and challenges of Gen-AI use in higher education. Methods This is a prospective, cross-sectional survey of university students in the United Kingdom (UK) distributed online between January and April 2024. Demography of participants and their perception of Gen-AI and other AI tools were collected and statistically analyzed to assess the difference in perception between various subgroups. Results A total of 136 students responded to the survey of which 59% (80) were male. The majority were aware of Gen-AI and other AI use in academia (61%) with 52% having personal experience of the tools. Grammar correction and idea generation were the two most common tasks of use, with 37% being regular users. Fifty-six percent of respondents agreed that AI gives an academic edge with 40% holding a positive overall perception about the use in academia. Comparatively, there was a statistically significant difference in overall perception between different age ranges ( I 2 = 27.39; p = 0.002) and levels of education ( I 2 = 20.07; p < 0.001). Also, 83% of students believe AI use will increase in academia with over half agreeing it should be integrated into learning. Plagiarism (33%), privacy issues (14%), and lack of clarity by the university (13%) remain the top concerns regarding the use of Gen-AI and other AI tools in academia. Conclusion Gen-AI and other AI tools are being used and their use will continue to grow in higher education. While current use is challenging due mainly to plagiarism fear and lack of clarity by the university, most users believe AI should be integrated into the university curriculum
An Investigation of the Role of Individual Differences, Policy, and Working Practices on Further Education Teachers’ Experiences of Emotions
No full textThis research investigates the use of emotions by FE teaching staff in terms of individual differences and working practices. A mixed methods approach used the quantitative method of an online questionnaire and a focus group using a semi-structured interview. A pilot study investigation concluded that the research design and procedures should be suitable for data collection. Level 1 of Study 2 data was collected from emotional labour (EL) scales and the locus of control (LOC). For 29 FE teachers, it was revealed that EL, stress, and burnout were linked. Positive emotions were expected in job roles, and suppressing true emotions may impact EL strategies. While burnout was a predictor of LOC, demographic factors and LOC did not strongly predict deep acting. However, ethnicity, depersonalisation and LOC were related, but demographic factors on EL were modest. Qualitative results from 18 FE teachers identified work-based practices such as accountability and management practices as sources of stress. Teachers used deep acting, surface acting, and naturally felt emotions in response. A larger sample of participants in level 2 analysis revealed that females had lower burnout and EL than males. Females had an internal locus of control (ILOC) and better-managed work compared to males with external LOC (ELOC) who experienced burnout due to EL. Additionally, associations between job title, stressors, gender and EL, age, and EL strategy items were statistically significant. Study 3 reported that teachers experienced a variety of emotions in terms of leadership styles, job security, and policies. The research concludes that teachers did not balance work and life activities. It is suggested that research should aim to find ways in which teachers can use mindfulness, resiliency strategies, and less surface acting to maintain wellbeing and work life-balance. Future research will address this with a larger sample size
Creativity in education: International perspectives edited by Nicole Brown, Amanda Ince, and Karen Ramlackhan, London, UCL Press, 2024, 234 pp., Open Access PDF, ISBN: 9781800080638
No full textBook revie
What Are the Roots of the Nation's Poor Health and Widening Health Inequalities? Rethinking Economic Growth for a Fairer and Healthier Future
No full textHealth inequalities are differences in health between groups in society. Despite them being preventable they persist on a grand scale. At the beginning of 2024, the Institute of Health Equity revealed in their report titled: Health Inequalities, Lives Cut Short, that health inequalities caused 1 million early deaths in England over the past decade. While the number of studies on the prevalence of health inequalities in the UK has burgeoned, limited emphasis has been given to exploring the factors contributing to these (widening) health inequalities. In this commentary article I will describe how the Government's relentless pursuit of economic growth and their failure to implement the necessary regulatory policies to mitigate against the insecurity and health effects neoliberal free market capitalism (referred to as capitalism herein) causes in pursuit of innovation, productivity and growth (economic dynamism) is one key driver underpinning this social injustice. I contend that if the priority really is to tackle health inequalities and ensure health for all then there is an imperative need to move beyond regulation alone to mitigate the worst effects of capitalist production; the goal of the economy has to change to fully restore the balance between economic growth and public health
Changes in the prevalence of perceived discrimination and associations with probable mental health problems in the UK from 2015 to 2020: A repeated cross-sectional analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Study
No full textBackground Significant social and political changes occurred in the UK between 2015-2020. Few studies have examined population level trends in experiencing discrimination and mental health problems during this period.Aims To determine prevalence trends in perceived discrimination and probable mental health problems amongst UK adults during 2015-2020.Method Repeated cross-sectional data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study was used to estimate nationally representative trends in perceived discrimination and probable mental health problems (GHQ-12; 4+ threshold) among adults between 2015/2016-2019/2020 (25,756 observations). Weighted logistic regression models with post-estimation margins commands determined changes between survey waves controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Mediation models explored whether changes in perceived discrimination prevalence trends explained trends in probable mental health problems.Results From 2015/2016 to 2019/2020 perceived discrimination and probable mental health problems increased significantly by 6?1% (95% CI: 3?4-8?8, p <?001) and 4?5% (95% CI: 1?3-7?7, p =?006), respectively. These changes did not tend to reliably differ by sociodemographic grouping. Increased prevalence of probable mental health problems from 2015/2016 to 2019/2020 was partially explained by (15?2% of association mediated) the increase in perceived discrimination observed during the same time period.Conclusions Amongst UK adults, the prevalence of perceived discrimination and probable mental health problems increased between 2015/2016 to 2019/2020. Increases in perceived discrimination partially explained increases in probable mental health problems. National measures designed to reduce both discrimination and mental health problems have potential to make substantial improvements to public health and should be prioritised in the UK