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Changes in respiratory patterns from Pressure Control Ventilation to Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist assessed by Electrical Impedance Tomography
No full textIntroduction: Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) is increasingly used as ventilatory support for preterm infants. Changes in ventilation distribution and respiratory patterns during the transition from patient-triggered time-cycled Pressure Controlled Ventilation (PCV) to NAVA have not yet been studied. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ventilation mode (PCV and NAVA, respectively) on ventilation distribution and breathing patterns in preterm infants with Electrical Impedance Tomography.
Methods: This study included 16 premature infants at Oulu University Hospital who participated in the observational CRADL project and were on NAVA. EIT data was retrospectively assessed by choosing a 1-minute stable recording before and after the change from one to the other mode. The primary endpoint was changes in global and regional ventilation parameters (ΔZ), and the secondary endpoints were Centers of Ventilation (CoVs), the amount of silent spaces, and the duration of inspiratory and respiratory cycle times.
Results: A larger variation in the global tidal impedance variation (P <0.05) and the respiratory cycle time (P < 0.05) was observed on NAVA than on PCV. Sighs, which were determined as a breath impedance change twice the size of an average breath on PCV, were more frequent during NAVA than PCV (5.1% vs 0.8%, respectively). Mean global or regional impedance variations or silent spaces did not differ between PCV and NAVA
The solar shading performance of the multi-angled façade system and its impact on the sustainable improvement of the buildings
Get PDFThis research paper explores the visual potential of the multi-angled façade system, allowing office employees to achieve optimal exposure to the external environment through the room façade. This contributes to sustainability objectives by enhancing indoor climate quality, promoting health and well-being, and aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 9, and 11. This façade concept provides a solution to the issue of shading devices being fully closed for long periods due to intense solar radiation on the room’s window. The concept of a multi-angled window involves incorporating two differently oriented window sections within each façade along a vertical axis (right and left), rather than tilting them upward or downward. The larger section is oriented more toward the north to maximize daylight access and external views, while the smaller section faces south to enhance passive solar heating. The visual potential is assessed based on the periods when the solar shading devices are not fully closed—meaning one section of the multi-angled façade may remain open while the other is shaded. To evaluate this, along with the resulting energy consumption and indoor climate, the software program IDA ICE version 4.8 is utilized. Simulation results indicate that the duration of complete shading closure is significantly lower for a multi-angled façade compared to a flat façade, in some instances nearly half, thereby improving visual comfort, daylight availability, and heat gain while simultaneously reducing spatial energy consumption
Greenberg after Duchamp: post-modernism and the meaning of medium specificity
No full textFrom the late 1930s through the ’50s, Clement Greenberg was an incredibly prolific critic whose ekphrastic writing entails an attentiveness to artworks which is rarely seen today. However, he became wholly identified with his more schematic theoretical essays, particularly “Modernist Painting” (1960), written for radio broadcast by Voice of America, and those collected under the headings “Culture in General” and “Art in General” in his Art and Culture, the 1961 book of collected essays which solidified his status as the hegemonic interpreter of late modernism in painting and precipitated the Oedipal efforts of the next generation of critics. This next generation made the case that the lens through which Greenberg understood art was outdated and inflexibly narrow, contending that his critical paradigm, ostensibly preoccupied as it was with medium-specificity, was simply insufficient to understand works engaged in the fraying of disciplinary boundaries, the proliferation of happenings, performance and conceptual art, and the production of “texts.”
By the time of the emergence of such postmodern art, Greenberg was no longer explicitly championing art which concerned itself with medium-specificity. Indeed, throughout
the ’60s he had paid little heed to the Minimalists’ efforts to intentionally interrogate the ontological limits of mediums. Nevertheless, it was certainly the case that
Greenberg was overwhelmingly dismissive of postmodernism. In this article, however, it is argued that it is wrong simply to characterize this in terms of Greenberg’s championing
of a purity which was undermined by art that turned its focus to extra-aesthetic concerns. Instead, this article shows that it might be chalked up to what is effectively an act of misrecognition on Greenberg’s part. It is argued that it is possible to claim that, by Greenberg’s own lights, postmodernism does not fall foul of Greenberg’s criticism, and in fact might be characterized as a continuation by other means of that which met with Greenberg’s acclaim in modernism
Unspoken, unseen, unheard: using arts-based and visual research methods to gain insights into lived experiences of suicide in young adults
Get PDFSuicide is often referred to as a silent killer, and the need to break down barriers and build bridges to communication and understanding remains of vital importance. Working within the field of further and higher education for more than 18 years with students experiencing suicidal thoughts, feelings, and behaviours has highlighted how often deep pain, grief, and trauma go unspoken, unseen, and unheard. Societal and cultural stigma, judgement, misunderstanding, and assumptions remain, all of which silence and can lead to a negative sense of self, others, and a person’s experience of being in the world. This article shows how using arts-based and visual research methods, as part of a mixed methods study, can offer unique insights into the inner world of lived experiences. It draws on analysis of 62 artworks made by 20 students between the ages of 16 and 25 with personal experiences of attempted suicide. These included two-dimensional pieces, sculpture, photography, poetry, and digital art. The research methodology is also discussed, including a 5/6-step approach to the analysis of visual data and data synthesis that has been created to ensure a robust, socially contextualised, and framed analysis. This follows polytextual thematic analysis using a multimodal approach and draws on visual social semiotics. Analysis of visual and arts-based data has revealed aspects of meaning that would otherwise not have been identified. This has led to the development of a model that can help us better understand the cycle of stigma and judgement and how we may be able to break it. This article demonstrates how a creative approach provides a means to share some of the complexity of feelings in a relatable way that has the capacity to bridge the divide between what is hidden and what is seen, bringing this human experience out of the shadows. It aims to honour everyone whose experiences have gone unseen, unspoken, and unheard, as well as the research participants’ wish for their artworks to be shared as a way to challenge the stigma that silences. It further hopes to demonstrate the power of arts-based and visual methods in research whilst also acknowledging some of their limitations so that they can be used more widely with under-represented, marginalised, and silenced voices
Votes at 16: empowering young people and revitalising democracy in Britain
No full textVotes at 16 weaves together arguments and evidence to present a compelling case in favour of lowering the voting age in Britain to 16.
By setting out the key reasons why the voting age should be reduced for all elections, this book powerfully refutes the arguments advanced by opponents of reform to the electoral franchise. Situating votes at 16 in its historical context in Britain, it offers an overview of voting age reform over time and examines the rise of this issue over the last 20 years. It analyses evidence on the introduction of votes at 16 in six countries and argues that this demonstrates 16- and 17-year-olds possess the knowledge and skills to vote. The book also sets out how citizenship education can be enhanced to support the introduction of votes at 16
'Understanding domestic violence and abuse: victim, suspect and crime predictors of police outcomes'
Get PDFPurpose: Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) cases remain under-reported and under-prosecuted in the criminal justice system (CJS), with researchers frequently having limited access to raw police data. Here, a range of factors relating to DVA offences occurring between 2018 and 2020 in one large English police force were described and measured. As part of the research, it was investigated if victim and suspect characteristics predicted outcome decisions, specifically charge rate, case attrition, and evidential difficulties despite victims’ support in pursuing the allegations. The number of offences meeting the DVA legal definition, and those falling outside that definition, were also explored. Methods: Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to predict the relationship between demographic information and criminal history on three coded crime outcome categories (namely, ‘charge’, ‘victim does not proceed’, and ‘law does not pursue’). Results: The dataset included 198,617 crimes, and for 94.1% of them, the suspect was not charged. Relationship type, age, crime type, and the number of victim allegations predicted all three outcomes. For instance, being partners of the victim significantly decreased the chances of a charge compared to suspects who were not partners. Conclusions: The findings are in line with evidence from the literature which highlights all-time low charge rates for DVA and high levels of victim attrition. We argue that the influence of victim/suspect characteristics and DVA-related dynamics should be considered by police personnel and members of the CJS when assessing crime reports
Enhancing the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) through data reconstruction: integrating 1D convolutional neural networks (1DCNN) with bidirectional long short-term memory networks (Bi-LSTM)
Get PDFTime series data plays an important role in structural health monitoring (SHM), but is often compromised by many factors including sensor failure, transmission errors, and adverse weather conditions. These issues render data incomplete, potentially leading to incorrect structural assessments. Although many studies have attempted to address data loss, reconstructing time series data for SHM remains challenging due to several factors: (1) Time series data may exhibit complex trends and fluctuations over time, making accurate reconstruction difficult; (2) Extensive data loss complicates understanding the underlying trends and relationships between data points; (3) The ìnluance of random or unpredictable factors often necessitates statistical models for replication. This research introduces a novel approach that combines a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1DCNN) with a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) network to reconstruct missing sensor data in SHM. The proposed method leverages the strengths of two deep learning networks: the robust feature extraction capabilities of 1DCNN and the enhanced temporal processing power of Bi-LSTM, which analyses time series data from past and future contexts. The effectiveness of this hybrid model is validated through two distinct projects involving a continuous 3-span steel truss bridge and a cable-stayed bridge. Results demonstrate that combining 1DCNN and Bi-LSTM effectively reconstructs data and outperforms traditional models based on 1DCNN, LSTM, or Bi-LSTM alone, offering significantly improved accuracy
Positive energy districts enabling smart energy communities
Get PDFEnergy transitions concentrated on a neighbourhood or district scale represent a fairly new area of focus at the European (EU) level, aiming to combat future global warming and to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In the EU energy transition policy agenda, positive energy districts (PEDs) refer to urban areas where more renewable/zero-emissions energy is produced annually than is consumed. PEDs have increasingly grown in recognition and significance, as a societal solution geared towards a low carbon future. The relevant aims include the utilization of 100 PEDs by 2025 and alignment with the EU, which seeks to become a climate-neutral continent by 2050. However, this target raises questions regarding the means of achieving fast and consistent adoption across various socio-technical contexts. Defining the opportunities, challenges, and key issues to address short-term project timelines is vital to implementing fit-for-purpose solutions and bringing PEDs into the mainstream. Proactive knowledge sharing, adaptive learning, and collaboration across disciplines and sectors will bring know-how for understanding the requirements in different contexts. The need for practical approaches to facilitate PED implementation is crucial. This study aims to elucidate the opportunities for and barriers to successful PED design and implementation by compiling and synthesizing experiences from 61 PED projects, identifying key drivers, challenges, enablers, and ethical considerations. In addition, the authors present a framework, consisting of moral principles, which can help present the issues concerning the development and deployment of PED in an ethical context
Forecasting gasoline market volatility using non-linear time series models
Get PDFThis study forecasts the dynamics of gasoline price returns using daily data from January 2, 1992, to June 6, 2022, and crude oil price returns as a regressor. The non-linear dependence in the volatility of the gasoline return is confirmed and the Markov Switching (MS), the Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (ARCH) and the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models are estimated. To account for the linear dependence found in the initial estimates, a GARCH(1,1) model with lagged gasoline returns is used, while a GARCH(1,1) is fitted on the Markov switching residual to capture both the volatility in the conditional mean and variance. The forecasting performance of the estimated models is evaluated, and the GARCH(1,1) on the Markov Switching residual is found to be the best model to forecast the average gasoline returns, while the GARCH(1,1) with linear dependence is preferable for forecasting the volatility of gasoline returns. Identifying the best time series model is crucial for the market participants, and especially for oil companies to evaluate the market situation
Testing interiors: an exploration of emerging digital practices as learning tools
No full textInterior Design by its very definition is a discipline of circumstance and situation. We are working within a host space, site or area and using its existing physical characteristics as an intrinsic part of the process. As practitioners we are bound by the problematic nature of the building process. It is rare that we can make a full scale ‘mock up’ of the creative proposal, instead we reply on an array of representations to communicate our intentions. As a university tutor, teaching these techniques makes up a large part of the design pedagogy.
The advent of technology such as digital twin prototyping (DTP), AR, VR and Lidar scanning, amongst others, allows us many innovative ways to test out our various interventions before committing to a final proposal. We are teaching cohorts who are immersed within a Digital Anthropology based culture, often spending long periods ‘of their attention within digitised environments’1