26729 research outputs found
Sort by
Data collection in deep reinforcement learning-enhanced reconfigurable intelligent surface-assisted wireless networks
Get PDFIn the evolving sixth generation (6G) landscape, the integration of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offers a revolutionary opportunity to optimise data collection in the Internet of things (IoT) through deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and improve energy efficiency and network performance. This paper aims to study how reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and deep reinforcement learning can help increase throughput and energy efficiency in unmanned aerial vehicle-controlled Internet of things networks. The focus is on improving the capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles to efficiently collect data in different regions and ensure safe landings. Divided into two phases, the study first improves the directional capacity and flexibility of unmanned aerial vehicles and then evaluates the integration of reconfigurable intelligent surface technology. We introduce two deep reinforcement learning models, namely the directional capacity and flexible reconnaissance (DCFR) model and the reconfigurable intelligent surface model, and compare them with a benchmark model. We found significant improvements in communication and data collection efficiency. The simulation results show an 8.18% increase in data collection performance and a 6.92% increase in collected data per unit energy when using reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, with a 10.59% increase in collection performance and a 22.64% increase in energy efficiency. Furthermore, an unmanned aerial vehicle optimised with the double deep Q-network algorithm effectively identified optimal trajectories for data collection, confirming the significant benefits of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces in unmanned aerial vehicle-controlled Internet of things networks
Erleuchtetes Management: Reflexionen über Spiritualität und ihre Bedeutung für die Zukunft der Arbeitswelt
No full textDieses Kapitel untersucht die Bedeutung der Spiritualität für die Theorie und Praxis des Managements. Der erste Teil konzentriert sich darauf, wie Spiritualität definiert wird, und bietet den Hintergrund für die Diskussion ihrer Bedeutung in der Arbeitswelt. Der zweite Teil befasst sich mit der Spiritualität am Arbeitsplatz, ihrer Entwicklung und ihrer Bedeutung für die Zukunft der Arbeit. Auswirkungen technologischer Störungen, Fragen des Wohlbefindens der Mitarbeiter und Veränderungen infolge der COVID-19-Pandemie werden diskutiert. Der dritte Teil hebt die Rolle der Spiritualität in diesem Kontext hervor und das Potenzial für eine Veränderung der Praxis als Mittel zur Förderung eines ganzheitlicheren Ansatzes zur Entwicklung von Menschen und Organisationen
A Froebelian-inspired vision of professional learning in early childhood education and care
Get PDFThis article presents a vision of professional learning specific to the early childhood sector. To do this, we draw on interviews with 40 Froebelian-inspired early childhood leaders from around the world. Our findings are presented as follows: (1) Professional learning is continuous, and continuous learning is enabled by time; (2) Professional learning involves reflection, and reflection is prompted by playful and critical connection; and (3) Professional learning takes place in community with others, and learning in community is enabled by cherishing differences and supporting agency. We offer this vision as a starting place for collaborative dialogues focused on generating dynamic models of professional learning that are responsive to the nuances of the global early childhood sector
Embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Transnational Education (TNE)
No full textIntroduction and Background
Middlesex University, a practice-led and employability-focused institution, has adopted a new learning framework that further integrates Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into its curricula across global campuses. This initiative aligns with UNESCO’s core competencies systems thinking, anticipatory skills, and global citizenship and aims to prepare students for the complexities of a rapidly evolving world. The initiative is also situated within a broader context of academic governance, where the integration of ESD reflects a strategic alignment between academic and corporate governance structures, as emphasised in the UK Quality Code and institutional academic strategies.
Research Purpose
This study explores how ESD is being embedded across programmes at the London and Mauritius campuses, and examines its impact on student experience and employability. It also considers how academic governance mechanisms such as academic assurance protocols, and quality monitoring support the effective implementation of ESD within a transnational education framework.
Methodology
A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining institutional strategy analysis, curriculum mapping, and qualitative feedback from students and industry stakeholders. The study investigates how graduate competencies creativity, critical thinking, and empathy are embedded into module teaching, assessments and employer engagement. It also examines how academic governance structures, including the role of the academic board, influence curriculum innovation and quality assurance in relation to embedding ESD.
Findings
Findings reveal that embedding ESD through inclusive, employer-informed assessments and reflective practices enhances student engagement and fosters a sense of global responsibility. The study highlights how academic governance mechanisms such as joint committees, academic strategy alignment, and the use of tools like the Sustainable Development Dashboard enable effective quality assurance and regional adaptation. Comparative insights from the Mauritius campus underscore the importance of localising global competencies while maintaining academic standards and institutional coherence.
Contributions
This session contributes to the discourse on sustainable education by offering a replicable model for embedding ESD in higher education. It underscores the importance of aligning academic governance with institutional strategy and quality frameworks, such as the UK Quality Code, and demonstrates how transnational education can serve as a catalyst for inclusive, future-ready learning
Real-time performance analysis of V2V and V2I-2V architectures for smart communities
No full textThis paper presents a real-time, low-latency communication and energy- efficient framework for IoT-enabled micro-mobility systems, specifically targeting gated environments such as residential campuses, educational institutions and industrial zones. As a core application platform, an IoT-enabled Segway is deployed and integrated with the proposed framework, serving as a practical micro-mobility solution within gated communities.
The proposed system enables both Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V)
communication using ESP-NOW, and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure-to-Vehicle (V2I2V) communication using Wi-Fi-based UDP, implemented using ESP32-S3 and NodeMCU microcontrollers integrated with IMU, ToF, Ultrasonic, and GPS sensors. To evaluate performance, end-to-end latency is measured across varying distances under both Line-of-Sight (LoS) and Non-Line of-Sight (NLoS) conditions. Along with the latency measurement, power profiling system is also implemented using the INA226 sensor, comparing the energy consumption of ESP-NOW and 4G-based communication. To extend this analysis, Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) simulation was performed. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in supporting reliable micro-mobility communication, offering a practical foundation for intelligent transport in localized smart environments. This work introduces a novel, energy-efficient, and
infrastructure-independent V2X communication solution tailored for smart gated communities
Antibody in breastmilk following Pertussis vaccination in three-time windows in pregnancy
Get PDFBackground: Pertussis-containing vaccines are routinely offered in the UK at 16-32 weeks of gestation and have been shown to be safe and effective, but there remains debate about the best timing for vaccination. Most research into this has focused on serologic immunity, but breastmilk is also important in infant immunity, and the amount of IgA in breastmilk may impact mucosal immunity. It is important to understand if the timing of vaccination in pregnancy affects the concentration of IgA in breastmilk.
Methods: Participants recruited as part of the MAMA (Maternal Antibody in Milk After Vaccination) and OpTIMUM (Optimizing the Timing of Whooping Cough Immunisations in Mums) trials received a pertussis-containing vaccine during pregnancy, either before 24 weeks, between 24 and 27+6 weeks or between 28 and 31+6 weeks. Samples of colostrum within 24 hours of delivery and breastmilk at 14 days were collected. Pertussis toxin, pertactin, tetanus toxoid and diphtheria toxoid specific-IgA levels were measured using a multiplex immunoassay.
Results: There was no difference in specific IgA levels against pertussis toxin, pertactin, tetanus toxoid and diphtheria toxoid between the groups vaccinated within different time periods. For all antigens, there was decay in antigen-specific IgA levels between colostrum and breastmilk at 14 days.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that the timing of administration of a pertussis-containing vaccine in pregnancy does not impact on antigen-specific IgA concentration in colostrum or breastmilk at 14 days
Deductive qualitative research: an integrative approach to designing studies
Get PDFThere is a growing emphasis in qualitative methodology on the development of processes for deductive analysis, but there remains a need for broader frameworks for organising deductive investigation. We set out a five-part integrative approach for conducting deductive qualitative research, covering (1) appropriate aims and sampling strategies, (2) devising research questions, (3) data collection, (4) analysis processes, and (5) standards of quality. We argue that both case studies and multi-participant studies fit with a deductive ethos and provide guidelines for conducting both types of study. We suggest that hypotheses are best avoided in deductive qualitative research and provide guidance for formulating deductive research questions instead. We critically discuss issues to consider during data collection, analysis and in applying research quality standards. Overall, our integrative approach provides a flexible and coherent approach to the vital deductive task of building on inductive studies, thus facilitating cumulative progress in qualitative research
Invisible labour: a qualitative exploration of the professional identity of interpreters working in UK maternity care settings
Get PDFThe work of professional interpreters is frequently misunderstood and mistrusted, leading to its underuse across healthcare settings. In UK maternity services, this failing contributes to the higher mortality and morbidity of women with limited or no English proficiency. Our study explored interpreters’ professional identities and their contribution to the delivery of care in maternity services. Face-to-face interviews with a purposive sample of professional interpreters working in maternity settings were conducted and data analysed using a version of Foucauldian discourse analysis. Our interpretation of the data is that discourses of ‘women’s work’ were used in constructing the interpreters’ professional identity. Their daily working practice included affective, social and supportive behaviours; however, their subject positions were unrecognised in the voluntary professional codes of conduct for interpreting practice and their labour remained largely invisible and under-valued. Recognising professional interpreters’ identity as invisible labourers suggests that they negotiate biomedical understandings of healthcare interpretation work held by healthcare professionals and women. It allows a more nuanced understanding of interpreters’ practice within maternity settings. Making their work visible offers greater opportunity for regulation, monitoring and evaluation, resulting in greater confidence in its quality and promoting increased uptake
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
No full textConcerto for Cello and Orchestra, recorded by the London Mozart Players with Sebastian Comberti (cello), conducted by Jürgen Bruns. Released on the FHR label, UK, 7 November 2025
Folk Songs for viola and chamber orchestra
No full textFolk Songs for viola and chamber orchestra, recorded by the London Mozart Players with Saša Mirković (viola), conducted by Jürgen Bruns. Released on the FHR label, UK, 7 November 2025