62463 research outputs found
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Drivers of export improvisation: empirical evidence from UK export manufacturers
No full textPurpose – We develop and empirically test a model of antecedents to export improvisation, underpinned by a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and an exploratory study. Export-specific drivers include export commitment, market orientation, experiential skills, learning orientation, and inter-functional coordination, modelled as antecedents of three dimensions of export improvisation, namely export action-orientation, spontaneity, and creativity.Design/methodology/approach – The SLR was performed to identify the state of the art in our knowledge and understanding of improvisation, its antecedents, and its manifestation in export contexts. An exploratory qualitative study of 10 UK export manufacturers was then conducted, aiming to generate specific insights into drivers of export improvisation. Data was analysed via within- and cross-case displays. Insights contextualised the SLR findings and aided in the development of a survey instrument administered to 197 export manufacturers in the UK. The quantitative data resulting from the survey was analysed via structured equation modelling in LISREL.Findings – Export commitment and inter-functional coordination boost spontaneity and creativity, while generation of export information hinders these. Meanwhile, export learning orientation and dissemination of export information enable action-orientation.Originality/value – Theoretical and empirical examinations of the antecedents to export improvisation have largely been overlooked in export literature, despite export improvisation likely being more widespread, and paradoxically trickier, than domestic improvisation. Given the growing importance of improvisation to export performance, an understanding of how to foster greater export improvisation is timely. Therefore, we address this research gap using multiple methods of enquiry.</p
The emergence of feminist lawmaking
No full textThis article analyses the emergence of feminist lawmaking through the lens of the socio-legal concept of ‘legal consciousness’. It argues that shifts in feminist legal consciousness have produced a more expansive understanding and practice of feminist lawmaking, which in turn impacts on the continuing constitution of feminist legal consciousness. In making this argument the article offers an alternative history of feminist legal theory and praxis which hinges on its changing relationship with law and legality, rather than simply on its relationship with the wider landscape of (Anglo-American) feminist social and political theory. The article finally identifies the potential extension of this trajectory into the development of feminist legality, whose relationship with state-centric legal hegemony may be reinforcing, counter-hegemonic, pluralistic, or possibly all three.</p
Editorial: Exercise and menopause: benefits, challenges and the transition to optimal management
No full textNo description supplied</p
Transformation & translation occupancy grid mapping: 2-dimensional deep learning refined SLAM
No full textSLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) is an important component in robotics, providing a map of an environment and enabling localisation and navigation. While 3D LiDAR odometry and mapping systems have advanced in recent years, producing accurate motion estimates and detailed 3D maps, high-quality 2D occupancy grid maps (OGMs) remain challenging to obtain in large, complex indoor environments. OGMs are often degraded by drifts in odometry, sensor artefacts, and partial observability, resulting in maps with fractured walls, double boundaries, and artefacts that limit readability for mapping-centric tasks such as floor plan creation. To address this, we propose Transformation & Translation Occupancy Grid Mapping (TT-OGM), a system-level pipeline that targets map fidelity. TT-OGM leverages 3D scan registration to stabilise 2D map construction via projection and standard occupancy updates, then applies a learned GAN-based refinement module as post-processing to remove artefacts, regularise structure, and complete small missing regions. To enable training at scale, we introduce an offline DRL-based data generation process that produces paired but weakly aligned erroneous/clean OGMs spanning diverse error modes and severities. We demonstrate TT-OGM in real-time on a building-scale dataset collected at Loughborough University and evaluate map fidelity against a registered floor-plan reference using mIoU, masked SSIM, and occupied-boundary F1. We additionally report localisation accuracy on S3Ev2 using translation ATE (RMSE) against Cartographer and SLAM Toolbox (Karto). Our results show that 3D registration improves baseline 2D map quality over standard 2D SLAM outputs, and that GAN refinement further increases structural consistency and boundary accuracy in our pipeline. Additional ablations on synthetic stress tests and qualitative transfer to unseen Radish sequences show that the refinement module consistently improves OGM readability under common noise, moderate drift, and clutter conditions.</p
High-fidelity simulation and digital twin framework for real-time adaptive human-robot collaboration
No full textEffective real-time adaptation in human–robot collaboration requires significant testing and validation to avoid compromising human safety and improve task efficiency. Developing and validating such systems in real-world industrial environments is resource intensive. This paper presents a high-fidelity simulation and visualisation platform for shared robotic workspaces that supports both synthetic data generation and digital twin operation in Unity 3D. The platform models and visualises human body movement and gaze behaviour, enabling the representation of body movement and visual attention during collaborative manufacturing tasks. Using procedurally generated scenarios, the system supports controlled and repeatable experimentation for the development and evaluation of real-time adaptation strategies. When integrated with real sensor and eye-tracking data, the platform operates as a digital twin, allowing real-time mirroring, monitoring, and analysis of human– robot interactions under operational conditions. By enabling both offline simulation and online system integration, the platform facilitates rapid prototyping and systematic assessment of real-time adaptation approaches, helping bridge the gap between theoretical methods and practical deployment in intelligent human–robot collaborative systems.</p
Effects of acute moderate-intensity continuous running on circulating oxyntomodulin concentrations in healthy men and women
No full textOxyntomodulin (OXM) is a gut-derived peptide hormone with anorexigenic properties that reduce food intake and increase energy expenditure. This study investigated the effect of a single bout of moderate-intensity running on OXM concentrations and whether OXM response were associated with appetite perceptions and energy intake. Twenty healthy adults (10 men, 10 women; age: 25 ± 4 years; BMI: 22.2 ± 2.0 kg·m-2) completed two randomised crossover trials: (1) 60-minute treadmill running at 70% of peak oxygen uptake, and (2) rest control. Plasma OXM concentrations were measured at baseline (0 min), immediately post-exercise/rest, and every 30 min until 210 min. Appetite ratings were assessed throughout. Energy intake was measured from an ad libitum meal provided at 120 min. Linear mixed-effect models were used to examine the main effect of trial, time, and their interaction. OXM concentrations increased after the meal in both trials (p p = 0.413) or trial-by-time interaction (p = 0.748). Pre-lunch OXM time-averaged incremental area under the curve (iAUC) was higher following exercise compared with control (0–120 min, mean difference = 16 pg·mL-1·min, p = 0.006), whereas no difference was observed across the full sampling period (0–210 min; p = 0.265). Exercise increased fullness at 60 min (mean difference = 13 mm, p = 0.019) and reduced relative energy intake compared with control (mean difference = 2056 kJ, p < 0.001). No associations were observed between OXM iAUC and appetite perceptions or energy intake (p ≥ 0.098). Moderate-intensity running did not alter OXM concentrations. Changes in OXM were not associated with appetite perceptions or energy intake, suggesting that OXM may not play a central role in exercise-induced appetite regulation. Research across different exercise modes, intensities, and durations is warranted.</p
High-performance modelling of urban non-point-source pollutant dynamics: a full-process approach
No full textNon-point-source pollutants (NPSPs) are a major cause of urban water quality degradation. Effective management requires an understanding of pollutant dynamics across spatial scales. Existing storm water quality models are often based on empirical or hydrological approaches, which have limited capacity to represent flow-pollutant interactions and particle-facilitated dynamics in complex urban environments. Physically based models provide a more realistic description, but their applications are constrained by high computational costs and detailed data requirements. This study presents a high-performance, GPU-accelerated hydrodynamic-particle-based water quality model to simulate the full dynamics of wash-off, deposition, and transport of urban particulate-based NPSPs at high spatial resolution. The initial pollutant mass and particle size distribution (PSD) fields were derived from a physics-informed Random Forest build-up model trained on literature-reported data. The model was validated using two monitored events in a road catchment near Paris, achieving NSEs of 0.86 for runoff and 0.67 for pollutant fluxes. Sensitivity analyses revealed a strong dependence on the single particle mass (Pm), with simulation accuracy becoming stabilised beyond 50 particles per grid. Application to a real-world urban case study confirmed the framework's efficacy in reproducing flood inundation and NPSP propagation. The analysis further underscores that a resolution finer than 5 m is necessary for reliable simulations in complex urban settings. The particle-tracking capability enabled spatio-temporal pollutant source identification. This framework presents a valuable tool for scientists, policymakers, and environmental practitioners to advance urban water quality management.</p
Development of a depth imaging-based passenger counting sensor for public transportation
No full textThe transportation system employs a range of advanced techniques to accurately assess and optimize passenger flow. Although passenger information is accessible through the automated fare collection system, accurate live passenger counts at specific points require an onboard sensor system. The proposal emphasizes the necessity of a camera-based system, utilizing computer vision technology to count passenger. The paper also examines various computer vision methods, depth sensors, and tracking algorithms for implementing passenger counters in the transport sector. The proposed work introduced a wide-angle Time of Flight (TOF) sensor-based passenger tracking algorithm and obtained an accuracy of 98%. The method also explores a multi-tracking scenario after eliminating multiple sensors.</p
Balls and bins and the infinite process with random deletions
No full textWe consider an infinite balls-into-bins process with deletions where in each discrete step t a coin is tossed as to whether, with probability β(t) ∈ (0, 1), a new ball is allocated using the Greedy[2] strategy (which places the ball in the lower loaded of two bins sampled uniformly at random) or, with remaining probability 1 − β(t), a ball is deleted from a non-empty bin chosen uniformly at random. Let n be the number of bins and m(t) the total load at time t. We are interested in bounding the discrepancy xmax(t) − m(t)/n (current maximum load relative to current average) and the overload xmax(t) − mmax(t)/n (current maximum load relative to highest average observed so far).We prove that at an arbitrarily chosen time t the total number of balls above the average is O(n) and that the discrepancy is O(log(n)). For the discrepancy, we provide a matching lower bound. Furthermore we prove that at an arbitrarily chosen time t the overload is log log(n) + O(1). For “good” insertion probability sequences (in which the average load of time intervals with polynomial length increases in expectation) we show that even the discrepancy is bounded by log log(n) + O(1).One of our main analytical tools is a layered induction, as per [ABKU99]. Since our model allows for rather more general scenarios than what was previously considered, the formal analysis requires some extra ingredients as well, in particular a detailed potential analysis. Furthermore, we simplify the setup by applying probabilistic couplings to obtain certain “recovery” properties, which eliminate much of the need for intricate and careful conditioning elsewhere in the analysis.</p
Handbook on geographies of education
No full textThis authoritative Handbook explores the geographical dimensions of education, providing insights into the dynamic interactions between spatial processes and education. Expert authors examine issues ranging from the environments that make up formal, alternative, outdoor and informal education, to the ways in which teaching spaces form identities.Presenting a comprehensive overview of the field, original contributions from key scholars shed light on major concerns such as decolonisation, exclusion and rural schooling, and present concrete examples to exemplify the broad scope of research on the geographies of education. Covering diverse geographical contexts in both the Global North and the Global South, chapters emphasise the significance of space, place, scale and mobility in education. Contributors analyse spatiality and materialities, as well as subjects and technologies within learning environments, outlining the uncertainties around the future of learning and the priorities of social justice and education policy for future research.The Handbook on Geographies of Education is an essential resource for scholars and students of human geography, sociology, education studies and policy, anthropology and development studies. It is also a beneficial read for educational policymakers and practitioners looking to understand how geographical processes and analyses matter to their work.</p