21827 research outputs found
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The impact of myopia control spectacle lens designs on visual function
No full textPurpose: To profile the immediate effect of defocus-modulating and contrast-modulating myopia control spectacle lens interventions on visual function. Methods: Healthy myopic (mean spherical equivalent (MSE) -4.25D to -0.50D) young adults, corrected with contact lenses, wore Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT), Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS), Highly Aspherical Lenslets (HAL) and standard single vision (SV) plano trial spectacle lenses, in a prospective, single-visit, double-blind, four-way randomised crossover study. Distance and near high- and low-contrast visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity, reading performance, accommodative facility, visual search task and accommodative accuracy were assessed foveally through the central zone (CZ) and/or peripheral zone (PZ) of the lenses. Results: Twenty participants (16 F) were recruited, with a mean (±SD) age of 22.4 (±2.72) years and MSE -2.21 (±1.10) D. VAs through the PZ differed significantly between myopia control lenses and SV, with the HAL and DIMS exhibiting lower VA across all testing conditions (all p0.05), whereas DIMS exhibited worse near acuity threshold and critical print size (p0.05) or visual search duration (CZ: p=0.68; PZ: p=0.35). Accommodative response was similar across lenses (all p>0.05); however, SV had lower variability at distance through the PZ than DOT, HAL and DIMS (p<0.001). Conclusion: All three myopia control lenses exhibited visual performance comparable to standard SV lenses through the CZ. Clinicians should note differences in visual performance, especially VA and reading speed through the lens periphery and their relative testing
Research priorities for data science and artificial intelligence in global health: an international consensus exercise
Get PDFApplications of data science and artificial intelligence (AI) in global health are expanding, yet research remains fragmented and often misaligned with the needs of low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). To address this misalignment, we conducted a global research priority-setting exercise using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method. 155 research ideas were scored by 51 experts based on feasibility, potential impact on disease burden, paradigm shift potential, implementation potential, and equity. Top-ranked priorities focused on epidemic preparedness, including AI-based outbreak prediction, improved diagnostics for infectious diseases, and early-warning systems. Other highly ranked topics included AI-assisted resource allocation, telemedicine, culturally adapted mobile health services, and chronic disease management tools. Experts from LMICs prioritised infectious disease control and diagnostic equity, whereas experts from high-income countries emphasised infrastructure and climate-related analytics. The resulting agenda provides a roadmap for aligning AI and data science research with global health priorities, particularly in LMICs
An improved domain adaption method for roughness prediction of milling surfaces under variable processes
No full textThe cutting processes of complex products are complicated and various, and the processing data is a small sample. These characteristics lead to the poor generalization and overfitting problems of the roughness prediction model, further resulting in a reduction in prediction accuracy. To address this issue, a domain adaption method combining Multi-Representation Adaptation Network with Deep Residual Shrinkage Network (DRSN-MRAN) is proposed for roughness prediction of milling surfaces under variable processes. Firstly, regarding to the issues of tedious noise reduction and limited feature extraction, the DRSN is proposed to extract underlying feature information. Subsequently, the MRAN is proposed to address the distribution differences of multi-scale features in the source and target domains and obtain an integrated loss function for the prediction model. In the MRAN, the Conditional Maximum Mean Discrepancy (CMMD) based domain adaptor is introduced to construct the domain adaptive loss function and align the feature distributions between the source and target domains in different spaces and the same category. Finally, a multi-process milling experiment is designed and conducted to obtain a small sample of milling roughness dataset, and the proposed method is verified. It is demonstrated that the DRSN-MRAN can effectively extract domain-invariant features between the source and target domains with limited samples and accurately predict the roughness of milling surfaces under variable processes
Measuring glymphatic function: assessing the toolkit
Get PDFGlymphatic flow has been proposed to clear brain waste while we sleep. Cerebrospinal fluid moves from periarterial to perivenous spaces through the parenchyma, with subsequent cerebrospinal fluid drainage to dural lymphatics. Glymphatic disruption is associated with neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury. Therefore, investigating its structure and function may improve understanding of pathophysiology. The recent controversy on whether glymphatic flow increases or decreases during sleep demonstrates that the glymphatic hypothesis remains contentious. However, discrepancies between different studies could be due to limitations of the specific techniques used and confounding factors. Here, we review the methods used to study glymphatic function and provide a toolkit from which researchers can choose. We conclude that tracer analysis has been useful, ex vivo techniques are unreliable, and in vivo imaging is still limited. Finally, we explore the potential for future methods and highlight the need for in vitro models, such as microfluidic devices, which may address technique limitations and enable progression of the field
Examining Airlines' Environmental and Social Disclosure: Does Board Gender Diversity Matter?
Get PDFThis study investigates the influence of board gender diversity (BGD) on environmental and social disclosure (ESD) within the airline industry, an area that remains underexplored despite increasing stakeholder scrutiny. We apply automated textual analysis to annual reports of Skytrax's top global airlines from 2016 to 2022 to measure the extent of ESD and examine its association with female board representation. The results show a positive and significant relationship between BGD and ESD, with a critical mass of at least four female directors required to drive meaningful improvements in disclosure practices. These findings extend the predictions of gender socialization theory (GST) and critical mass theory (CMT) and offer practical implications for policymakers and airline managers, including the adoption of diversity quotas and leadership development initiatives to enhance corporate transparency and accountability
Bridging Mathematical Proficiency and Economic Reasoning: A Commentary on Calculus in Undergraduate Economics Education
Get PDFThis commentary reflects on the article Calculus in Economics – Important Features, Challenges, and Consequences by Voßkamp et al. (2025), which examines how calculus is used in economics and highlights key challenges students face when applying mathematical tools in economic contexts. Drawing on the perspective of an economics educator, the commentary considers the interpretive demands placed on students and the frequent disconnect between how calculus is taught and how it functions within economics. Two key reflections are developed: the importance of emphasising conceptual understanding and the interpretation of mathematical results, and the pedagogical challenges posed by the tension between discrete economic realities and their representation using continuous mathematics. The commentary concludes by considering implications for curriculum design, interdisciplinary collaboration, and future research and practice in economics education
Choice versus necessity: understanding service diversification and firm performance in manufacturing
Get PDFThis study examines the effect of service-oriented manufacturing business models on firm performance and the drivers of the performance disparities across adopters. Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, we identify necessary conditions for diversification into services, and also for translating this into performance. Using data from 15,732 UK manufacturing companies in the period 2010–2021, we demonstrate that service offering increases the productivity, profits, and turnover of manufacturing firms. The increase intensifies with the extent of the offering and is contingent on firm specific resources related to implementing the business model innovation. The diversification strategy is more common in firms with large human capital resources, with financial difficulties, and those facing high levels of competition. It is less likely among firms with alternative options for diversification, such as internationalization
Bundling and downstream entry
Get PDFWe investigate the incentives of an upstream producer to enter the downstream market where the alternative is to sell via a downstream platform who offers all products as a bundle. When consumers can multihome, following entry the producer faces increased downstream competition but benefits from greater price setting flexibility. We show that entry becomes relatively more profitable if the products are closer substitutes or the correlation between product valuations is weaker. Our results have important implications on recent developments in industries such as video and music streaming
Mind the gap: gender equality and economic empowerment in the Commonwealth
Get PDFThis article examines gender inequality in economic participation across the Commonwealth countries from 2008 to 2023. Using secondary data, differences in factors such as wages, leadership, enterprise ownership, digital skills and legal protection are explored. Findings show that while legal reforms have been initiated in some countries, progress is uneven, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Results indicate that a combination of legal frameworks, training and digital access supports gender equality. From the policy perspective, coordinated action to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 and 8 is suggested, as this will support female empowerment and equality across the Commonwealth countries
Comparative study of the effects of reactor system and catalysts on glycerol valorisation via aqueous-phase reforming
Get PDFThe conversion of glycerol through aqueous phase reforming (APR) presents an important opportunity for sustainable chemical and fuel production. This study explores the APR of glycerol using three catalysts (nickel supported on alumina (NiAl), copper supported on alumina (CuAl), and bimetallic nickel-iron supported on alumina (NiAlFe)), synthesised via the coprecipitation method. The APR experiments were conducted in both batch and fixed-bed reactors. In the batch reactor, a 75 mL Parr reactor was utilised, operating at 238 °C and 5 bar initial nitrogen pressure with 20 mL of a 5 wt% glycerol solution and 0.3 g of catalyst (catalyst/glycerol mass ratio = 0.3). The fixed-bed reactor was made of a stainless steel tube loaded with 2 g of catalyst, operating at 238 °C and 37 bar, with a continuous feed of 5 wt% glycerol solution, equivalent to catalyst/glycerol mass ratio of 0.33. NiAl produced the highest conversion of glycerol to gases and the highest yield of hydrogen (230 mg H2/mol C fed). However, among the tested catalysts, NiAlFe demonstrated superior performance, achieving a carbon yield to total products (liquid and gases) of approximately 80% in the batch reactor as well as a relatively high hydrogen yield (141 mg H2/mol C fed). These results underscore the promising potential of the NiAlFe catalyst for efficient glycerol conversion in APR processes, paving the way for advancements in sustainable fuel and chemical production
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