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Impact of topology on the degradation and mechanical properties of crosslinked polymer networks synthesised by radical polymerisation
No full textDataset for "Impact of microplastic fibres on direct membrane filtration of low-strength primary wastewater"
No full textThe paper associated with this dataset describes the effects of microfibres, a common type of microplastics, in direct membrane filtration of wastewater. The dataset contains: a) experimental data from membrane performance testing and calculations (transmembrane pressure, fouling resistance, fouling constants, cake foulant mass, specific cake resistance), and b) material characterisation data for microfibres, membranes and foulants (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra, Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, Total Organic Carbon (TOC) concentrations, fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrices)
The Trade-offs Between Forecasting Performance and Computational Cost
Get PDFForecasting performance is typically evaluated by statistical measures of forecast error, ignoring the computational cost of producing the forecast. Yet these costs, in both computer time and environmental impact, can be huge. Building upon previous research, Petropoulos and Spiliotis show how forecast computation time can be dramatically reduced without significant impact on forecast accuracy
Dataset for the journal paper "Are simple models for natural ventilation suitable for shelter design?"
No full textThis dataset contains the annual simulation results for a single-room shelter under five natural ventilation scenarios (S01-S05), and located in Hitsats (Ethiopia). The simulations have been run using both EnergyPlus AirflowNetwork (AFN) and Contam. The dataset contains the results of outdoor temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, indoor temperature, wind speed at the shelter, indoor concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), natural ventilation and infiltration
Hard-to-soft part ratios in natural crawlers inform hybrid robotic design
Get PDFMost robots to date consist of either entirely hard parts or entirely soft parts. Nature, however, achieves a balance between hard and soft components, offering both adaptability and strength for adequate load-carrying capacity and locomotion in diverse environments. Inspired by nature, hybrid robotic designs, combining the flexibility of soft robots with the control and load-bearing capacity of hard robots, are being pursued. However, a proper range of the Hard-to-Soft Part Ratio (H2S-R) for the desirable performance of hybrid robots remains unclear. With a focus on crawlers, this study comprehensively compiles the H2S-R in crawling animals of four locomotion mechanisms: two-anchor, peristaltic, undulatory, and multi-legged crawling, and analyzes the trends and scaling in their performances. Results show distinct ranges of H2S-R in natural crawlers: 0.0005–0.003 for two-anchor crawlers, 0.08–0.09 for peristaltic, 0.02–0.08 for undulatory, and 1.0–2.4 for multi-legged. Within these ranges, except for the undulatory locomotion, increasing the H2S-R generally enhances their normalized crawling speed measured in body-lengths per second. Data for natural crawlers also show different ranges of normalized speeds as well as distinct scaling laws for different mechanisms. Comparisons with the performance of natural crawlers indicate that robotic crawlers have yet to achieve their full potential in crawling speed. This study provides guidelines for designing bio-inspired hybrid robots with potential applications in search and rescue, environmental monitoring, space exploration, and medical robotics
Exploring the Role of Social Protection in UK Asylum-Seeker Wellbeing Using Human Scale Development Theory
Get PDFThis article utilises Max-Neef’s Human Scale Development (HSD) framework (1991) to answer two research questions: what impact does government and community-based social protection (SP) have on UK asylum-seeker wellbeing; how are interactions with all forms of SP, both as giver and receiver, supporting or harming the satisfaction of asylum-seekers’ fundamental human needs at this time? The research study utilised a mixed-methods, collaborative, case study design situated within a refugee and asylum-seeker (RAS) support charity in Southwest England. Methods included peer-led Qualitative Impact Protocol interviews, Photovoice, surveys, and staff interviews. Data were subjected to an inductive, bottom-up process on Causal Map software (version 2, Causal Map Ltd., 39 Apsley Rd., Bath BA1 3LP, UK) and the analysis used the HSD framework. We found eight over-arching themes. The four main needs-violators/destroyers of asylum-seeker wellbeing were dehumanisation, unfreedoms, enforced ignorance, and (re)traumatisation, and the four main needs-satisfiers were common humanity, autonomy and resistance, exerting agency through knowledge exchange, and healing. Five policy and practice-focused bridging satisfiers are recommended to help move individual and collective experience from a negative to a positive state in the research population. Policy and practice should be transparent and evidence-based, efficient and equitable, supportive of participation and productivity, trauma-informed, and multi-agency
Electrospinning of emulsions stabilized by octenylsuccinylated starch and pullulan
Get PDFEmulsion electrospinning emerges as a promising technique for producing core-shell nanofibers used in delivering bioactive compounds. This work aims to investigate the feasibility of employing octenylsuccinylated (OS) starch-based emulsions in electrospinning for the fabrication of these nanofibers. The influence of sunflower seed oil concentration, ranging from 5% to 50%, on the emulsions was systematically examined. Increasing the oil concentration affects several key characteristics of the emulsions. These changes include a rise in apparent viscosity (from 0.78 to 7.72 Pa·s at 100 s−1) and average droplet size (from 1.21 to 1.79 μm), as well as a decrease in conductivity (from 727 to 193 μs/cm), leading to a larger average diameter of electrospun fibers, which increased from 294 to 533 nm. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the core–shell structure of the fibers. Furthermore, the correlation between fiber size and emulsion properties was discussed, and it was noted that the average fiber diameter, loading capacity, and encapsulation efficiency were significantly affected by emulsion composition and properties. These insights contribute to our understanding of the emulsion electrospinning process and offer a valuable guidance for the development of OS starch-based core–shell electrospun fibers.</p
Will international trade between two economies improve their well-being and environmental quality?
No full textSystemic sclerosis and cancer in the UK:An epidemiological analysis using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink
Get PDFObjectives: Cancer can cause mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We investigated the association between cancer and SSc using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Methods: A validated case-ascertainment strategy identified SSc patients in the CPRD. A cohort study design examined cancer occurrence following SSc, with SSc patients matched to six non-SSc comparators by age, sex and GP practice. Prevalent and incident cases of SSc were analysed separately. Descriptive statistics and Cox analyses determined hazard ratios for cancer occurrence. A case-control study (matched 1:6) examined cancer occurrence prior to SSc. Results: From 10.1 million individuals in CPRD, 1588 of cases of SSc were identified. Two hundred and six cancers followed SSc diagnosis (116 in prevalent and 90 in incident cohort). Commonest cancers were mucocutaneous (4.5%), lung (2.1%) and breast (1.9%). The proportion of SSc patients developing cancer was significantly higher than non-SSc in both incident (11.2% vs 9.7%, P ¼ 0.02) and prevalent cohorts (14.8% vs 12.1%, P ¼ 0.03); particularly for lung cancer (2.6% vs 0.9% in prevalent cohort, P < 0.001). Overall incidence of cancer in the SSc groups was 17.6/1000 person years, compared with 13.9/1000 person years in the non-SSc group. The adjusted hazard ratios for cancer were 1.41 (95% CI 1.14–1.75) and 1.32 (95% CI 1.04–1.67) for prevalent and incident SSc, respectively. No increased risk of cancer prior to SSc diagnosis was identified in the case-control study. Conclusion: We have identified an increased risk of cancer diagnosis following, but not before, SSc diagnosis. Our findings could support screening recommendations for cancer in SSc.</p
The Grinning Man:A Musical Virtual Reality Performance
Get PDFVirtual reality offers new ways to present musical theater to audiences, by allowing creative directors to put the audience ‘on stage’ with characters and enlist them as active contributors to the narrative. This demonstration showcases The Grinning Man Virtual Reality Experience, a performance of the song Labyrinth, from the hit London West End show of the same name, performed by original cast member, Louis Maskell and directed by Tony award winning, Tom Morris. In the experience, the main character, Grinpayne, sings to the audience while he grapples with a dilemma. The performance was motion-captured by The Imaginarium and then animated by multiple Academy Award winning, Aardman Animation Studios, with the addition of moments of interactivity at key points based on audience head and eye tracking data from within the headset. The experience aims to strike a balance between audience presence and agency, while maintaining the compelling performance by the actor. This subtle approach addresses and acknowledges the presence of the audience while staying true to the musical narrative
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