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AI and Inverse Methods for Building Digital Twins in Neuroscience
Get PDFDeep learning is revolutionizing Neuroscience and Healthcare. One driver for this change is the exponential growth in the volume of biomedical data generated by modern medical imaging technology and automated data acquisition systems, such as automated patch clamps. Another driver is the increasing reliance of clinical diagnosis on deep learning algorithms to detect abnormalities in MRI scans. By automating the analysis of MRI images, algorithms free clinical staff from repetitive time and consuming tasks while removing subjectivity in the diagnosis and classification of brain tumors. Deep learning algorithms routinely assist neurosurgeons during critical operations, for example by stimulating surrounding brain tissue during tumor resection. Deep learning algorithms are also increasingly capable of forecasting epileptic seizures and assisting researchers in understanding how language is coded in the brain. Digital twins of brain activity trained on electroencephalographic time series have predicted epileptic seizures and connectivity changes in the brain during language comprehension. Machine learning is also progressing neuroscience by modelling biocircuits at the single neuron level. Recursive neural networks trained on electrophysiological data are making accurate predictions of the voltage oscillations of central pattern generators. The dynamics of individual ionic currents is also inferred to a good degree of accuracy when additional information in the form of surrogate model is provided. This importantly suggests that the dynamics of the membrane voltage which is observed and the ionic current waveforms which cannot be directly measured may be reconstructed from the analysis of electrophysiological time series
Lit Crit Riffin':A Collaborative Mode of Literary Criticism in Marketing Theory
Get PDFThis paper explores the uses of literary criticism in consumer research, specifically within the humanistic tradition, by applying Roland Barthes’s theorisation that all texts embody multiple significations, thus open to diverse interpretations. We extend this idea by introducing collective criticism to reader-response theory. Through four distinct interpretations of a short story published in Marketing Theory, we highlight how various themes emerge from the same text. We propose the musical metaphor of Lit Crit Riffin’ as a novel methodological approach in consumer research drawing upon literary criticism, emphasising the coexistence of multiple meanings within a single narrative. Unlike conventional reader-response theory, which often privileges a singular interpretation, Lit Crit Riffin’ offers a multivocal alternative that enriches consumer research by embracing diverse, coexisting interpretations
The Influence of Axial Throughflow Swirl on Buoyancy-Induced Flow in a Compressor Cavity
Get PDFNext-generation aero-engine compressors will operate with overall pressure ratios exceeding 70:1. This will require shorter compressor blades, presenting a challenge to the designer when predicting tip clearance and efficiency. Buoyancy-induced flow within co-rotating compressor discs drives the heat transfer that determines rotor expansion and the resulting blade-tip clearance. This inherently unstable flow is influenced by the radial temperature distribution of the discs, rotational speed, as well as enthalpy and momentum exchange with an axial throughflow of cooled air at low radius. Due to the rotation of the engine compressor, this throughflow may become swirled, altering the temperature, mass exchange and swirl within the rotating cavity. The University of Bath Compressor Cavity Rig has been adapted to introduce pre-swirl into the axial throughflow by passing it through rotating holes. The effects of inlet swirl have been characterised in terms of Rossby and Reynolds numbers. Measurements of disc temperature, shroud heat flux and unsteady pressure in the rotating frame of reference are used to quantify the effects of ingestion (entrainment) of fluid into the cavity. The unsteady dynamics and rotation of the core relative to the disc have been measured in both the stationary and rotating frames of reference with consistent results. A single correlation between shroud Nusselt and Grashof numbers has been established, effectively capturing the impact of swirl, Rossby number and free convection
Exploratory Proof-of-Concept:Predicting the Outcome of Tennis Serves Using Motion Capture and Deep Learning
Get PDFTennis serves heavily impact match outcomes, yet analysis by coaches is limited by human vision. The design of an automated tennis serve analysis system could facilitate enhanced performance analysis. As serve location and serve success are directly correlated, predicting the outcome of a serve could provide vital information for performance analysis. This article proposes a tennis serve analysis system powered by Machine Learning, which classifies the outcome of serves as “in”, “out” or “net”, and predicts the coordinate outcome of successful serves. Additionally, this work details the collection of three-dimensional spatio-temporal data on tennis serves, using marker-based optoelectronic motion capture. The classification uses a Stacked Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory architecture, whilst a 3D Convolutional Neural Network architecture is harnessed for serve coordinate prediction. The proposed method achieves 89% accuracy for tennis serve classification, outperforming the current state-of-the-art whilst performing finer-grain classification. The results achieve an accuracy of 63% in predicting the serve coordinates, with a mean absolute error of 0.59 and a root mean squared error of 0.68, exceeding the current state-of-the-art with a new method. The system contributes towards the long-term goal of designing a non-invasive tennis serve analysis system that functions in training and match conditions
Switching S to O:Enhancing OER and HER molecular heterogeneous electrocatalysis with trithio-/dithio-carbonate Co(III)-dppe complexes
Get PDFThe development of new molecular electrocatalysts especially the transition metal dithiolates through rational design is imperative for advancing efficient water-splitting reactions. In this context, the present study reports syntheses and characterization of two new 1,2-Bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) appended heteroleptic cobalt(III) complex salts with compositions NEt4[Co(S2C[dbnd]S)2dppe)] (Co-1) and NEt4[Co(S2C[dbnd]O)2(dppe)] (Co-2). Single crystal X-ray diffraction study for Co-2 suggests that complex anion adopts distorted octahedral coordination geometry around Co(III) satisfied by the four sulfur of the two S2C[dbnd]O2− ligands and two P-centers of dppe. The supramolecular architecture of Co-2 is held together by C–O⋯H, C–S⋯H and C–H···π contacts, the characteristics of which are explored through Hirshfeld surface analyses. These complexes have been used as heterogeneous molecular electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OER) and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) and the results suggest that Co-2 offers better electrocatalytic performance in OER with η10 of 427 mV and an exceptionally low Tafel slope (b) of 49.2 mVꞏdec−1. In HER, Co-2 exhibits moderate activity with η5 of 992 mV and b of 184.2 mVꞏdec−1. The EDAX results for Co-2 suggests an in situ oxidative transformation of cobalt at the surface during OER electrocatalysis that lead to the formation of high-valence cobalt oxide or hydroxide species, indicating that Co-2 undergoes structural changes during electrolysis and functions as a pre-catalyst. The post-catalysis stability of Co-1 and Co-2 have been assessed using FESEM that indicates agglomeration of the particles in acidic medium that results in decline in their HER activity. Also, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been employed to assess the valence states in these complexes during electrocatalysis that also reverberated the formation of active catalysts during electrocatalysis experiments. This study presents how switching from thiocarbonyl (C[dbnd]S) to carbonyl (C[dbnd]O) entity in the ligand plays a pivotal role in tuning the electrocatalytic performances in these complexes towards electrochemical water splitting reactions.</p
Printability, engineering properties and environmental implications of 3D-printed cementitious mortars incorporating hydrated lime, tile powder and accelerator
Get PDF3D printing offers transformative potential in construction, yet optimising the performance of cementitious materials before and after extrusion remains a critical challenge. This study presents a performance-based mix design framework targeting extrudability, buildability, and layer stability, while evaluating the individual and combined effects of cement (C), hydrated lime (L), recycled tile powder (T), and chemical accelerators (A). Results reveal that their synergy significantly enhances rheology, yield stress, and print stability, while maintaining sufficient flowability. A specifically optimised mix, CLTA, achieved a 40% reduction in shrinkage, improved interlayer bonding, and markedly increased mechanical strength, modulus of toughness, and failure strain, key for energy absorption in printed structures. Environmentally, CLTA reduced raw material demand and improved eco-strength and costefficiency by up to 20%, promoting circularity and resource efficiency. The findings provide a robust pathway for designing high-performance, sustainable 3D-printed mortars, integrating engineering functionality with ecological resilience, paving the way for broader adoption of additive manufacturing in construction
Cardiorespiratory coupling improves cardiac pumping efficiency in heart failure
Get PDFRecent trials of a neuronal pacemaker have shownthat cardiac pumping efficiency increases when respiratory sinusarrhythmia (RSA) is artificially restored in animal models ofheart failure. This novel device sheds new light on the functionalrole of RSA, which has long been debated, by allowing thestrength of cardiorespiratory coupling to be artificially varied.Here we show that RSA minimizes the cardiac power dissipatedwithin the cardiovascular network. The cardiorespiratory systemis found to exhibit mode-locked synchronized regions withinwhich viscoelastic dissipation is reduced relative to the scenariowhere cardiorespiratory coupling is absent. We determine thegain in cardiac output as the magnitude of RSA increases. Wefind that cardiac pumping efficiency improves up and until thecardiac frequency, within each breadth intake, is approximately1.5 times greater than the cardiac frequency in the expiratoryphase, at which point it reaches a plateau. RSA was found to bemost effective at low cardiac frequencies, in good agreement withclinical evidence. Simulation of the cardiac power saved underRSA is in good agreement with the 17-20% increase in cardiacoutput observed in RSA-paced animal models
The "Friday Effect":School attendance over the week <sup>i</sup>
Get PDFUsing newly released detailed data on absence from school, we find a ‘Friday effect’—children are much less likely to attend schools in England on Fridays. We use daily level data across the whole of England and find that this pattern holds for different schools and for different types of absence, including illness-related authorised and unexplained unauthorised absence. The Friday absence rate is 1.5 percentage points (20%) higher relative to the rest of the week. For authorised absences, the Friday rate is 0.81 percentage points higher than that for Monday to Thursday, while for unauthorised absences it is 0.71 percentage points higher. Furthermore, we document a social gradient in the ‘Friday effect’ for unauthorised absences, where the effect is larger in more deprived areas. This is especially the case for secondary schools. Similarly, in secondary schools the ‘Friday effect’ is 51% larger in areas with the highest rates of persistent absence compared with areas with the lowest persistent absence rates. We explore reasons for the ‘Friday effect’ and do not find evidence that parents working from home explain the higher absence rate on Fridays. We do find that Friday absences are greater in weeks that precede either a bank holiday or half-term—suggesting that the extension of holidays or trying to avoid holiday traffic might go some way to explain the patterns that we find. We show that eliminating the ‘Friday effect’ could lead to an improvement of 1.15% of a standard deviation in test scores and a 0.14–0.25% increase in later life income. Tackling weekly absence patterns may therefore help to raise attainment and reduce inequalities.</p
Understanding esports player preferences:which self-definitional needs drive their satisfaction?
Get PDFPurpose: Esports is emerging as a global sensation, yet its distinctive nature complicates our understanding of players' motivations. This study leverages self-hierarchy and self-determination theories to examine the motivations that define players at individual, relational, and community levels, seeking to identify which motivations are most valued. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method approach was employed, focusing on Honor of Kings esports players in China to explore the answers to the research questions. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted to uncover self-definitional motivations at various levels. Second, a quantitative study was conducted with 607 regular Honor of Kings players to empirically examine the effects of the identified motivations on satisfaction. Findings: The qualitative and quantitative data results reveal that self-efficacy and self-worth at the individual level, recognition and emotional attachment from close others at the relational-self level, and cocreation and belongingness at the collective level positively influence game satisfaction. More importantly, self-definitional motivations at the relational level are valued the most. Additionally, identification with a game character moderates the effects of self-definitional motivation at the collective level and emotional attachment at the relational-self level. Originality/value: This research delves into players' motivations for engaging with Honor of Kings, anchored in self-hierarchy and self-determination theories. It uncovers that motivations rooted in different aspects of self-identity have distinct associations with players’ satisfaction level. This suggests a vital strategy for game designers and operators to adopt: to enhance player satisfaction, they should specifically address and emphasize the aspects of self-identity that matter most to their audience.</p
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