12560 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploiting extended reality under the Manufacturing as a Service paradigm
Get PDFThe advent of new technologies and concepts such as Extended Reality (XR), Cloud Manufacturing, Digital Twin, Industrial Internet of Things is completely changing the manufacturing landscape. Innovative digital tools are available to increase the competitiveness and efficiency of companies. The XR can support the Smart Operator in production, maintenance and training activities. Similarly, Manufacturing as a Service, which is a variation of Cloud Manufacturing, can make corporate architectural systems more flexible and scalable. In this paper, some preliminary results relating to the European 5G-ERA project and the synergistic work that the companies CAL-TEK, TWI and HAL Robotics are conducting is shown. An XR-oriented architecture is proposed, whose usefulness is emphasized by the use of the MaaS concept, and the implementation of a Mixed Reality application is shown, to support an on-site operator. Future developments concern the implementation of a Virtual Reality application for the off-site operator, and the use of the 5G-ERA middleware to exploit the potential of the MaaS paradigm.
An unsupervised approach for the detection of zero‐day distributed denial of service attacks in Internet of Things networks
Get PDFThe authors introduce an unsupervised Intrusion Detection System designed to detect zero-day distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks in Internet of Things (IoT) networks. This system can identify anomalies without needing prior knowledge or training on attack information. Zero-day attacks exploit previously unknown vulnerabilities, making them hard to detect with traditional deep learning and machine learning systems that require pre-labelled data. Labelling data is also a time-consuming task for security experts. Therefore, unsupervised methods are necessary to detect these new threats. The authors focus on DDoS attacks, which have recently caused significant financial and service disruptions for many organisations. As IoT networks grow, these attacks become more sophisticated and harmful. The proposed approach detects zero-day DDoS attacks by using random projection to reduce data dimensionality and an ensemble model combining K-means, Gaussian mixture model, and one-class SVM with a hard voting technique for classification. The method was evaluated using the CIC-DDoS2019 dataset and achieved an accuracy of 94.55%, outperforming other state-of-the-art unsupervised learning methods
Reflexive participant collaboration: researching ‘with’ adult migrant learners of English
No full textThis article explores a method of collecting in-situ data created by adult migrants attending English language classes to investigate the interindividual variance of vulnerability within this population. The study encourages reflexivity to evaluate and redress the power relationships present both in the research process and the daily lives of the migrants, whilst also building trust between the researcher and participants. I argue that weekly text message data, generated by participants and arranged as graphs for online interviews, empowers participants to take ownership of their research contribution and encourages deeper reflections to share the stories behind the messages
Understanding healthcare professionals’ responses to patient complaints in secondary and tertiary care in the UK: a systematic review and behavioural analysis using the Theoretical Domains Framework
No full textBackground The path of a complaint and patient satisfaction with complaint resolution is often dependent on the responses of healthcare professionals (HCPs). It is therefore important to understand the influences shaping HCP behaviour. This systematic review aimed to (1) identify the key actors, behaviours and factors influencing HCPs’ responses to complaints, and (2) apply behavioural science frameworks to classify these influences and provide recommendations for more effective complaints handling behaviours. Methods A systematic literature review of UK published and unpublished (so-called grey literature) studies was conducted (PROSPERO registration: CRD42022301980). Five electronic databases [Scopus, MEDLINE/Ovid, Embase, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Health Management Information Consortium (HMIC)] were searched up to September 2021. Eligibility criteria included studies reporting primary data, conducted in secondary and tertiary care, written in English and published between 2001 and 2021 (studies from primary care, mental health, forensic, paediatric or dental care services were excluded). Extracted data included study characteristics, participant quotations from qualitative studies, results from questionnaire and survey studies, case studies reported in commentaries and descriptions, and summaries of results from reports. Data were synthesized narratively using inductive thematic analysis, followed by deductive mapping to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Results In all, 22 articles and three reports met the inclusion criteria. A total of 8 actors, 22 behaviours and 24 influences on behaviour were found. Key factors influencing effective handling of complaints included HCPs’ knowledge of procedures, communication skills and training, available time and resources, inherent contradictions within the role, role authority, HCPs’ beliefs about their ability to handle complaints, beliefs about the value of complaints, managerial and peer support and organizational culture and emotions. Themes mapped onto nine TDF domains: knowledge, skills, environmental context and resources, social/professional role and identity, social influences, beliefs about capability, intentions and beliefs about consequences and emotions. Recommendations were generated using the Behaviour Change Wheel approach. Conclusions Through the application of behavioural science, we identified a wide range of individual, social/organizational and environmental influences on complaints handling. Our behavioural analysis informed recommendations for future intervention strategies, with particular emphasis on reframing and building on the positive aspects of complaints as an underutilized source of feedback at an individual and organizational level
Professionals’ perspectives on barriers for timely antenatal care for ethnic minority women
Get PDFBackground Antenatal care (ANC) is important to promote health and well-being of women and babies. Women from ethnic minority backgrounds are likely to start ANC later and to attend fewer appointments than recommended compared to white women. These women and their babies are more likely to experience negative health outcomes. This study explored the perspectives of maternity care professionals on barriers for timely ANC initiation for ethnic minority women in the UK (UK) and The Netherlands. Methods We conducted qualitative semi structured in-depth interviews with 19 healthcare professionals (eight and eleven from the UK and The Netherlands respectively) including nurses, midwives, general practitioners and obstetricians. All interviews were conducted virtually on Teams or Zoom and were recorded, transcribed and analysed using a thematic approach using ATLAS.ti version 9 software. Results Maternity care professionals in the UK and The Netherlands perceived more or less similar barriers for ethnic minority women for timely ANC initiation. As reflected in the accounts, these barriers operated at individual and health system levels, and included negative interactions with antenatal care providers, women’s and community’s lack of trust in the health system, differences in spoken language between women and professionals, cultural differences, role of family and wider networks, and difficulties in reaching care. Perceived measures to facilitate access included skill development of healthcare professionals; educating women and building awareness in the community about how to navigate the healthcare system; integration of preventative psychosocial care into maternity services and continuity of care. Conclusions Similarity in perceived barriers and mitigation measures indicated the potential for developing and implementing targeted cross-country interventions to facilitate timely ANC initiation for ethnic minority women in high-income European countries. Key messages • Maternity care professionals in the UK and The Netherlands perceived similar barriers for ethnic minority women for timely ANC initiation. • There is potential for developing targeted cross-country programmes and services to support mothers from ethnic minority backgrounds to start antenatal care on time
Postcards for Palestine at the 60th Venice Bienalle
No full textMy work Gaza Face, four collage postcards was presented at the Venice Bienalle as part of the Postcards for Palestine project
Healthcare professionals' responses to complaints: a qualitative interview study with patients, carers and healthcare professionals using the Theoretical Domains Framework and COM-B model
Get PDFBackground: Patient complaints in healthcare settings can provide feedback for monitoring and improving healthcare services. Behavioural responses to complaints (e.g., talking or apologising to a patient) can influence the trajectory of a complaint for instance, whether a complaint is escalated or not. We aimed to explore healthcare professional (HCP) and service user (patient and carer) views on complaints' management and the perceived factors influencing responses to complaints within a healthcare setting by applying behavioural frameworks. Method: A qualitative study was conducted using online or phone-based interviews with eleven HCPs and seven patients or carers. All participants (N = 18) had experience responding to or submitting a formal complaint in secondary and tertiary public healthcare settings in the United Kingdom. The interviews were structured using the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) Model. We analysed the transcripts using inductive thematic analysis. Then, themes were deductively mapped onto the COM-B Model and the more granular Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Results: Ten themes were generated from the analysis representing the influences on HCPs' responses to complaints from HCP and patient/carer perspectives. This included (with TDF/COM-B in brackets): ‘Knowledge of complaint procedure’ (Knowledge/Capability), ‘Training and level of skill in complaints handling’ (Skills/Capability), ‘Regulation of emotions associated with complaints’ (Behavioural regulation/Capability), ‘Confidence in handling complaints’ (Beliefs about capabilities/Motivation), ‘Beliefs about the value of complaints’ (Beliefs about consequences/Motivation) and ‘Organisational culture regarding complaints’ (Social influences/Opportunity). Staff highlighted strong support systems and open discussions as part of positive organisational cultures regarding complaints (Social influences/Opportunity), and a lack of certainty around when to treat issues raised by patients as a formal complaint or informal feedback (Knowledge/Capability). Conclusion: Our study findings highlight the importance of strong support systems and organisational openness to patient feedback. These findings can be used to design targeted interventions to support more effective responses and enhance patient-centred approaches to complaints management in healthcare settings. Patient and Public Contribution: Patient and public involvement (PPI) was integral in this research. The NIHR PRU in Behavioural and Social Sciences had a dedicated PPI strategy group consisting of six external representatives from the patient and public community (Newcastle University, 2024). These six PPI members actively participated in shaping the research by reviewing and providing feedback on all questionnaire items before the data collection. They were actively involved in supporting participant recruitment by advertising this study on their PPI platform, The Voice R,1 and through their online social networks. During the analysis stages of the research, preliminary findings were discussed with the PPI group to support ‘sense checking’ and interpretation of the results.</p
Detection of porosity across CFRP layers using machine learning techniques applied to theoretical and experimental ultrasound data
No full textThere is an increasing use of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer composites as a replacement of metallic components in the transport applications such as aircraft and automobile. These structures are known to depict interesting and superior mechanical properties. However, these structures are often subjected to defects that alter their efficiency. Porosity such as voids inclusion, is among the most common of these defects. Since, porosity reduces the mechanical performance of such composite structures, it is important to detect and characterise its level and location across the layers. This study deals with the detection of porosity across CFRP layers using Machine Learning (ML) techniques Applied to theoretical and experimental ultrasound data. Different samples of CFRP composites with various levels of porosity are fabricated and tested for this study. The experimental data is acquired using an ultrasound immersion tank. The theoretical study for this work is built around both analytical and numerical approaches accounting for realistic conditions of the composites testing. Both simulated and measured data are used to apply a ML technique, mainly the Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), to detect and characterise the porosity within the CFRP layers. C-scan and B-scan results are analysed and presented to demonstrate the potentials of the CNN technique to characterise such defects. It is observed that CNN technique has some interesting potentials for extracting defects such as porosity from complex ultrasound data
Implementation and impact of the Practice Principles for responding to child exploitation and extra-familial harm
Get PDFThe eight Practice Principles set out an approach for responding to child exploitation and extra-familial harm, aiming to support and align multi-agency responses. Developed by the Tackling Child Exploitation (TCE) Support Programme1 the Principles are evidence-informed2, offering a way to navigate a complex landscape, focusing on behaviours and cultures at all levels. Interrelated and interdependent, they are designed to complement and support existing guidance and local working arrangements
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage University of Bedfordshire Repository? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!