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Aquaculture 4.0: hybrid neural network multivariate water quality parameters forecasting model
Get PDFThis study examined the efficiency of hybrid deep neural network and multivariate water quality forecasting model in aquaculture ecosystem. Accurate forecasting of critical water quality parameters can allow for timely identification of possible problem areas and enable decision-makers to take pre-emptive remedial actions that can significantly improve water quality management in aquaculture industry. A novel hybrid deep learning neural network multivariate water quality parameters forecasting model is developed with the aid of ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method, deep learning long-short term memory (LSTM) neural network (NN), and multivariate linear regression (MLR) method. The presented water quality forecasting model (shortened as EEMD-MLR-LSTM NN model) is developed using multivariate time-series water quality sensor data collected from Loch Duart company, a Salmon offshore aquaculture farm based around Scourie, northwest Scotland. The performance of the novel hybrid water quality forecasting model is validated by comparing the forecast result with measured water quality parameters data and the real Phytoplankton data count from the aquaculture farm. The forecast accuracy of the results suggests that the novel hybrid water quality forecasting model can be used as a valuable support tool for water quality management in aquaculture industries
An evaluation of the benefits of participating in a dementia-friendly golf programme for people with dementia and their informal caregivers
No full textDeveloping speaking test tasks that elicit the construct of English language proficiency for employability
No full textInternational school responses to peer-on-peer abuse and harm: identifying enablers and barriers
No full textUnderstanding a constellation of eight COVID-19 disease prevention behaviours using the COM-B model and the Theoretical Domains Framework: a qualitative study using the Behaviour Change Wheel
Get PDFBackground: The use of behavioural science and behaviour change within local authorities and public health has supported healthful change; as evidenced by its importance and contribution to reducing harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can provide valuable information to enable the creation of evidence-based intervention strategies, co-created with the people they are aimed at, in an effective and efficient manner. Aim: This study aimed to use the COM-B model to understand the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation of performing a constellation of eight COVID-19 disease prevention behaviours related to the slogans of ‘Hands, Face, Space, Fresh Air’; ‘Find, Isolate, Test, (FIT), and Vaccinate’ in those employed in workplaces identified as high risk for transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) to support intervention development. Method: This qualitative study recruited twenty-three participants (16 female, 7 male), who were interviewed from three environments (schools, care homes, warehouses) across three local authorities. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: Ten core themes were identified inductively; 1) Knowledge and skills, 2) Regulating the behaviour, 3) Willingness to act, 4) Necessity and concerns, 5) Emotional impact, 6) Conducive environment, 7) Societal influence, 8) No longer united against COVID-19, 9) Credible leadership, and 10) Inconsistent adherence to COVID-19 prevention behaviours. Themes were then deductively mapped to the COM-B model of behaviour change and the Theoretical Domains Framework and a logic model using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW: Michie et al., 2011; 2014) was produced to inform intervention design. Conclusion: This study offers a novel approach to analysis that has included eight behaviours within a single thematic analysis and COM-B diagnosis. This will enable local authorities to direct limited resources to overarching priorities. Of key importance, was the need for supportive and credible leadership, alongside developing interventions collaboratively with the target audience. COVID-19 has had an emotional toll on those interviewed, however, promoting the value of disease prevention behaviours, over and above their costs, can facilitate behaviour. Developing knowledge and skills, through education, training, marketing and modelling can further facilitate behaviour. This supports guidance produced by the British Psychological Society COVID-19 Behavioural Science and Disease Prevention Taskforce
Student-reported relationships and sex education coverage and knowledge among a diverse population of early adolescents: a cross-sectional survey of students in England
Get PDFStudent-reported quality and coverage of school-based relationships and sex education (RSE) vary, with gender/sexual-minority and disadvantaged students reporting poorer provision. Experience of RSE among younger adolescents is under-explored. We examined student-reported RSE coverage and priorities and how coverage, and sexual-health knowledge and awareness of services, varies between students and schools. The data came from a pre-intervention survey of students aged 12–13 years within a trial of an RSE intervention involving 50 English schools. There was most coverage of basic information, such as puberty and safeguarding. There was least coverage of topics more appropriate for older students, such as sexual relationships, and topics teachers might find difficult to broach, e.g. pornography and masturbation. Girls, gay/lesbian students, students of bisexual/other sexual orientation, minority-ethnic students and students reporting lower academic commitment reported lower coverage than others. Knowledge of RSE-related topics and sexual-health services was generally low. Boys, students of bisexual/other orientation and students with higher school commitment had higher knowledge. Students of bisexual/other orientation and students of lower commitment reported lower awareness of services. Coverage and knowledge did not vary with school-level attainment or local deprivation. Future forms of RSE provision should ensure content and teaching methods meet the needs of all students
A survey on network slicing security: attacks, challenges, solutions and research directions
Get PDFThe dawn of softwarized networks enables Network Slicing (NS) as an important technology towards allocating end-to-end logical networks to facilitate diverse requirements of emerging applications in fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks. However, the emergence of NS also exposes novel security and privacy challenges, primarily related to aspects such as NS life-cycle security, inter-slice security, intra-slice security, slice broker security, zero-touch network and management security, and blockchain security. Hence, enhancing NS security, privacy, and trust has become a key research area toward realizing the true capabilities of 5G. This paper presents a comprehensive and up-to-date survey on NS security. The paper articulates a taxonomy for NS security and privacy, laying the structure for the survey. Accordingly, the paper presents key attack scenarios specific to NS-enabled networks. Furthermore, the paper explores NS security threats, challenges, and issues while elaborating on NS security solutions available in the literature. In addition, NS trust and privacy aspects, along with possible solutions, are explained. The paper also highlights future research directions in NS security and privacy. It is envisaged that this survey will concentrate on existing research work, highlight research gaps and shed light on future research, development, and standardization work to realize secure NS in 5G and beyond mobile communication networks
Formulation and solution technique for agricultural waste collection and transport network design
Get PDFAgricultural waste management in developing countries has become a challenging issue for rural planners due to the lack of an efficient planning tool. In the countries, farmers burnt agricultural waste at fields after each harvesting season to solve the issue. As a result, it has caused air and water pollution in the rural areas of the countries. In this paper, we present a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model for agricultural waste collection and transport network design that aims to stop burning waste and use the waste to produce bio-organic fertilizer. The model supports rural planners to optimally locate waste storages, and to determine the optimal set of routes for a fleet of vehicles to collect and transport the waste from the storages to the bio-organic fertilizer production facility. In the novel location-assignment-routing problem, the overall objective is to minimize total cost of locating storages, collecting waste from fields and planning vehicle routes. A solution technique is developed to linearise the mixed-integer nonlinear programming model into a model in linear form. In addition, a parallel water flow algorithm is developed to solve efficiently the large-sized instances. The efficiency of the proposed model and algorithm is validated and evaluated on the real case study in Trieu Phong district, Quang Tri province, Vietnam, as well as a set of randomly generated large-sized instances. The results show that our solution approach outperforms the general optimisation solver and tabu search algorithm. Our algorithm can find the optimal or near-optimal solutions for the large-sized instances within a reasonable time
Alcohol management in care homes: a good practice guide for care staff
Get PDFThis guide aims to help care staff deliver a high standard of care in relation to alcohol. It is based on the findings of a research study which gathered the views and experiences of care staff, people living in care homes, their families and CQC inspectors. It takes account of legislation, standards for care set out by CQC and codes of conduct for adult social care workers and nurses
Drawing together in Scotland: the opportunities and challenges for young refugees within a ‘relational wellbeing’ approach to integration
Get PDFIn this paper, we consider how young refugees in the Drawing Together project experience integration in Scotland. We critically examine the term ‘refugee integration’ and emphasise its multiple dimensions. Specifically, we analyse Scotland’s role as a country committed to the protection and care of young refugees by mapping some key Scottish legal, political, social and cultural policies and strategies that provide the contexts for refugee integration as a mutual endeavour based on hospitality and reciprocity. Finally, we show the ways young refugees talk of rebuilding a life in Scotland that feels coherent in relation to their past and present circumstances, and their future plans despite the challenges that they encounter in their everyday lives. We suggest that a ‘relational wellbeing’ approach to integration in Scotland is tangible. It confirms the importance of the practical and social opportunities available to young refugees as they resettle. This approach extends the meaning of integration beyond its political and social categories, to include young refugees’ attachment to their faith of origin as well as the natural environment of Scotland. In all, we suggest that young refugees face the challenges and use the opportunities for integration in Scotland in ways that are of sustained benefit, for them as well as Scotland as their new country
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