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Ensemble of regressors for gross error identification: an optimisation approach. [Supplementary Data]]
No full textMeasurement accuracy is fundamental to the chemical industry, underpinning the integrity, safety, and efficiency of both processes and final products. Accurate quantification of chemicals, reaction parameters, and operating conditions such as temperature, pressure, and flow rates is fundamental for maintaining formulation consistency and optimising operational performance. It is also essential for ensuring compliance with stringent regulatory standards and supporting reliable real-time decision-making. Moreover, precise measurement plays a crucial role in improving resource utilisation and minimising waste, thereby aligning industrial operations with sustainability goals. Inaccurate measurements, meanwhile, can lead to product defects, safety risks, increased costs, and environmental non-compliance
Socio-economic and one health impacts of pollution-induced land dispossession in the Niger-Delta Region, Nigeria.
No full textLand dispossession, frequently framed as "land grabbing," constitutes a critical socio-environmental issue globally, with acute manifestations in resource-rich yet marginalized regions. In Nigeria's Niger Delta, this phenomenon is closely associated with pollution from oil exploration, resulting in profound disruptions across human, animal, and environmental health domains. This study employed a qualitative methodology involving interviews, focus group discussions, and community narratives, with 75 purposively selected participants from Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, and Akwa Ibom States; regions severely impacted by oil-related activities. Findings revealed extensive environmental degradation through oil spills, gas flaring, and contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These disruptions have undermined traditional livelihoods in agriculture and fisheries, heightened poverty and youth unemployment, and fostered social instability. Participants also reported suspected long-term health impacts, including respiratory ailments and cancers, particularly among vulnerable populations, though formal diagnoses were limited by poor healthcare access. Animal health concerns emerged through observations of declining livestock and fish populations linked to ecosystem contamination. Community responses included protest actions, legal challenges, and advocacy campaigns, yet interventions by oil companies and government agencies, often in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, were largely viewed as inadequate and unsustainable. This study underscores the necessity of adopting a One Health approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health in addressing the multidimensional challenges of land dispossession. In conclusion, we recommend a One Health-informed, community-engaged governance framework integrating environmental restoration, livelihood diversification, and strengthening of healthcare as essential pathways for sustainable conflict resolution in the Niger Delta
Should we really be afraid of "weakness"? Applying the insights of attribution theory.
Full text linkIt is widely assumed that the term "weakness" has negative psychological effects and should be replaced by "area for improvement." The present study is the first to examine the matter experimentally. It was hypothesised that effects of the "weakness" (vs. "area for improvement") are most pronounced in those with low perceived self-efficacy in the relevant domain. Two experiments were conducted in the domain of self-regulation. In those with low perceived self-efficacy for self-regulation (PSESR), "weakness" apparently had a negative indirect effect on improvement expectancy by increasing the perceived stability (Experiment 1) or lowering the perceived controllability (Experiment 2) of the problem. Moreover, at low levels of PSESR in Experiment 2, estimated indirect effects of "weakness" on perceived value of improvement were both positive and negative. However, gender apparently moderated those effects. "Weakness" apparently lowered perceived controllability in both males and females but in women the negative effect was more pronounced when PSESR was low. In addition, "weakness" apparently increased perceived internality in males with low PSESR. Compared to "area for improvement," "weakness" may indeed have some (negative) psychological effects in people with low perceived self-efficacy in the relevant domain. Given the ubiquity of these terms in evaluative contexts and the widespread fears of the term "weakness", more experimental research needs to be conducted
Why is the United Kingdom fuel poor?
Full text linkTackling fuel poverty and decarbonising heating are two of the biggest challenges before the UK economy. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) this research evaluates the main causes of fuel poverty within the UK, drawing parameters from various definitions and it assesses the immediate impacts of fuel poverty. A series of fuel poverty determinants have been drawn from the literature to develop a SEM model, using fuel poverty as a latent construct. Fuel Poverty has then been divided further into three latent factors, Household, Macroeconomic factors and Renewable energy. A time series data of 13 years (2010–2022) has been collated from a variety of published databases to arrive at the most significant indicators of the latent constructs. The paper also evaluates if the decarbonisation target can be achieved along with reducing the fuel poverty by including the indicators of renewable energy. A robust interrogation has been done of the most recent policy measures and its relevance based on the results obtained by the longitudinal data analysis. The research presents strong evidence that there has been limited investments in housing efficiency and green energy projects, there is an immediate need to control inflation and household incomes. Additionally, policies related to the dependence on oil and gas as primary energy source, winter fuel payments and gas and electricity disconnections need attention
Social capital and improved wellbeing: a qualitative investigation of the Wild Things! Silver Saplings Adventures programme in rural North-East Scotland.
Full text linkThe Silver Saplings Adventures Programme (SSAP), run by Wild Things! charity in Scotland, enhances older adults' wellbeing through nature-based activities, lifelong learning and social cohesion. This study evaluates SSAP's 2023 impact using remote interviews with seventeen participants, revealing its role in fostering physical, social and mental wellbeing. A key finding is SSAP's effectiveness in strengthening social capital, helping mitigate aging-related social decline. Participants reported forming friendships and stronger community ties. The study highlights SSAP's value in promoting healthy aging and resilience, advocating for further support and expansion of nature programmes to enrich older populations in Scotland and beyond
Disagreements about paediatric treatment: an exploration of the causes of conflict between parents and clinicians and pathways to dispute resolution.
No full textConflicts over the care of children with life-limiting conditions can reach the point where courts need to intervene, which brings distress, unwanted media attention and costs. Although no case has arisen in Scotland, there are around 16,700 children with life-limiting conditions (ChiSP3 2020) where care decisions are required and where parents might disagree with clinicians. This study sought to understand reasons for disputes, identify potential solutions and ultimately reduce the risk of court cases arising in Scotland. In-depth interviews with 20 participants from the area covered by NHS Grampian (13 clinicians and 7 parents) were conducted and qualitative data were obtained on their experiences and views on disagreements about care, how decision-making is handled, what works well and what can be improved. Both clinicians and parents agreed that the impact and costs of disagreements are detrimental, that they share a desire to avoid conflict, and that important measures towards avoiding disputes have already been taken. However, there are also disparities in their perceptions of measures designed to support families and avoid conflict. The findings show that there are ways to minimise the incidence of intractable disputes and we recommend their implementation
The influence of short-term, severe low energy availability with varying protein content on substrate metabolism, exercise performance and perceptual responses in young adults.
Full text linkLow energy availability (LEA) may impact multiple biological processes, but the extent to which it affects exercise performance, and whether macronutrient composition modulates this, remains unclear. This randomized cross-over trial investigated the influence of three dietary conditions with varying energy and protein availabilities on substrate metabolism, high-intensity exercise performance and subjective responses in healthy active females (9) and males (10). Each condition lasted five days. On day one, resting metabolic rate, substrate metabolism during a 45-minute fixed-load cycling test at 65% of the peak power output achieved during an aerobic capacity test, and Wingate performance were assessed. Participants were then provided with all foods to be consumed over the next 4 days, with the following caloric and protein content: Adequate energy availability (AEA: 45 kcal·kgFFM-1·day-1; 1.5 g·kg-1 protein); low energy availability (LEA: 15 kcal·kgFFM-1·day-1, with all macronutrients reduced proportionally) and another LEA condition but with protein matched to AEA (LEA-P). They returned to the lab on the 5th day to repeat all experimental tests. Participants also completed brief, semi-structured interviews to explore their subjective responses to each condition. Results indicated that both the LEA and LEA-P diets induced a shift toward increased fat oxidation at rest, but not during exercise, compared to AEA. In contrast, Wingate performance declined only in the LEA-P trial compared to AEA, potentially due to its reduced carbohydrate content. Participants generally reported negative experiences during both calorie-restricted trials, including hunger, fatigue, weakness and frustration, with symptoms appearing more pronounced in males and during the LEA trial
Walking the talk? An ethical examination of the institutional logics of slow fashion firms.
No full textThe purpose of this study is to adopt an ethical perspective to examine the institutional logics of slow fashion firms and how they inform firm behaviour. We aim to understand whether firms that self-identify as slow fashion are 'walking the talk' and to discuss the potential ethical implications for the sustainable fashion movement of any misalignment between a slow fashion firm’s 'talk' and its 'walk'. We examined the Instagram accounts and websites of 5 firms that self-identified as slow fashion to capture their messaging and their practices. We used pattern inducing to analyse, categorise and interpret the qualitative data. In applying a deontological ethical perspective to our findings we suggest that, in some cases, unethical implications can arise when a slow fashion firm's 'talk' is misaligned with its 'walk'. This misalignment may have negative consequences for the legitimacy of the sustainable fashion movement. In integrating institutional theory with Kantian deontology, our exploratory study offers a novel perspective on slow fashion within the field of fashion marketing and sustainability studies
Multifunctional passive enhancement of solar desalination using natural materials in an inverted Pyramid Basin: thermal and 4E performance analysis.
Full text linkThis study introduces a novel solar still configuration that integrates multiple natural materials within a geometry-optimized inverted pyramid aluminium basin and presents the first systematic evaluation of their combined thermal behavior using a comprehensive 4E framework encompassing energy, exergy, economic, and environmental criteria. Although previous work has investigated individual natural materials, the synergistic influence of stones, a cotton wick, and luffa on heat transfer dynamics, evaporation behavior, and overall system efficiency has not been examined, particularly within an optimized basin geometry. The present design couples geometric solar intensification with material-driven thermal enhancement to create a low-cost and energy-efficient desalination system. Experimental findings showed that the integrated configuration delivered the highest performance among all tested cases: stones provided thermal storage to stabilize temperature, the wick promoted capillary-driven thin-film evaporation, and luffa facilitated uniform water distribution while reducing thermal losses due to its porous structure. The inverted pyramid geometry further improved solar energy concentration and reduced convective heat losses, strengthening thermal utilization. Under identical operating conditions, the optimal configuration achieved a maximum daily distilled yield of 4.18 kg/m2, corresponding to a 58.3% enhancement over the reference still. Thermal efficiency increased from 26.1%to 41.3% (58.2%improvement), and exergy efficiency rose from 2.03% to 2.92% (43.8% increase). The cost of desalinated water decreased from 0.020 to 0.014 USD per liter, a reduction of 30%, while annual CO₂ mitigation increased from 6.01 to 9.52 tons, indicating a 58.4%improvement. The 4E analysis further revealed a 29.1% reduction in embodied energy and a marked improvement in energy payback time. These results confirm the effectiveness of integrating multifunctional natural materials within an optimized basin as a practical and sustainable pathway for decentralized solar desalination
Yugoslav venation: skeletal traces of the past in the practice of the present.
No full textThis chapter critically examines practices that are engaged with the material and political cultures of the former Yugoslavia in its successor states and the remnants of that common space. Taking the standpoint that the haunting of the present by Yugoslav pasts began after the 1974 constitutional redraft and the growing economic crises in the last fifteen years of the former state, different forms of hauntology are presented through the means of case studies. Following Mark Fisher's assertion that haunting entails not just the spectral presence of unfulfilled visions of the future from the past in our present, but also our awareness of a more collective and just future society yet unrealized, it considers five different contemporary artistic practices and the variations of the hauntological that they offer. While Borko Lazeski's monumental National Liberation War fresco can be double-coded as a mourning for a lost work and a summation of achievements at the end of a career, Adela Jušić's powerful When I Die, You Can Do What You Want focuses on the embodiment of personal trauma and loss in conflict. Selma Selman's destructive performance in Rijeka connotes the "haunting" of post-Yugoslav societies by marginalized Roma communities, as a means of not only challenging that marginalization but turning its force against itself. The Montenegrin artist Irena Lagator Pejović offers a critical reflection on the parasitic relationship of neoliberal capitalism to the remains of socialism. Elena Chemerska's durational project on the Monument to Freedom, by her father Gligor Chemerski (1980/1981) in Kochani, North Macedonia, is not only an example of the persistence of a Yugoslav-informed contemporary art practice but also opens up the possibility of a collective discussion on what freedom may mean and how a different kind of society may be worked toward collectively
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