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Enhancement of PVDF electroactive phase content: effect of plasticizer as an additive.
No full textPolyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a functional polymer with highly desirable electrical and piezoelectric properties. Optimising its piezoelectric performance requires modifications to its morphology, composition, and electrical characteristics. Plasticisers are commonly known to improve flexibility in polymer materials and are used to facilitate ion transportation in electrolytes, increasing the conductivity. However, inclusion of plasticiser to enhance piezoelectric behaviour, primarily by adding flexibility, facilitating better dipole orientation and consequently inducing higher piezoelectricity, was little explored. This study investigates the effect of the addition of ethylene carbonate (EC) as a plasticiser on the piezoelectric performance of PVDF. The PVDF/EC films using spin-coating method were fabricated with different concentrations of EC loading (from 1 wt.% to 9 wt.%). The morphology of the prepared samples were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and polarised microscopy studies. The crystalline structure and phase changes were analysed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman Spectroscopy. The thermal behaviour of the samples were analysed through Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The electrical permittivity under different DC frequencies were investigated using an LCR meter. First of its kind, the incorporation of EC plasticiser demonstrates an enhancement of the β-phase due to inter-molecular bonding between the carbonyl group from EC and the hydrogen atom from PVDF, which is crucial for improved dielectric properties. The experiment proves the ability of EC to modify the crystalline structure of PVDF with only polymorphism, which is possible with 2 wt.% of EC in PVDF at 120 °C of annealing temperature. These findings establish the potential of plasticiser integration as a cost-effective methodology for applications in sensors and energy storage devices
KD-LSRED: knowledge distillation for lightweight symbol recognition in engineering diagrams.
No full textEngineering diagrams (EDs) provide a rich source of information and play a critical role across various industries. However, the inherent complexity of EDs complicates automatic analysis and processing. These diagrams often contain 100 to 200 visually similar symbols, leading to challenges such as inter-class similarity, overlapping symbols, and substantial background noise. Although recent deep learning-based architectures have shown promising performance in recognising these symbols, these models are heavy and computationally expensive, restricting their use for deployment on resource-constrained devices. Thus, we propose a lightweight knowledge distillation framework for EDs. The framework integrates feature-based and output-level distillation, enabling a lightweight student model to learn from a more complex teacher model. Feature-based distillation is enhanced through Channel-Wise Distillation (CWD) loss, improving spatial and contextual representation, and reducing computational complexity. The output-level distillation employs Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence to closely align the student model predictions with the teacher’s probability distributions. Extensive experiments on private and public datasets demonstrate that our approach achieves a 6.9% improvement in mean average precision (mAP), reduces model size by 74.5% and decreases computational cost by 82.7%. The proposed method offers significant potential for real-time industrial applications on edge devices and sets the foundation for further advancements in ED analysis
Entrepreneurial resilience in the digital era: the role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and passion.
No full textAlthough digitalization has garnered a growing body of research, our understanding of when and how the adoption of digital technologies leads to more resilient entrepreneurial outcomes is limited. We draw on social cognitive theory to develop a moderated mediation model in which digital technologies indirectly promote entrepreneurial resilience through self-efficacy. We further propose that entrepreneurial passion serves as a key boundary condition that influences the strength of this indirect effect. Using data obtained from 300 SME owners/managers in the UK, the results suggest that entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediates the digitalization-resilience nexus, while entrepreneurial passion moderates this mediated relationship. We contribute to the entrepreneurship literature by highlighting that digitalization alone is insufficient to help entrepreneurs sustain their ventures in challenging conditions. Our results have significant implications for both practitioners and policymakers
Harris Tweed Hebrides: producing, promoting, and protecting Harris Tweed in the 21st century.
Full text linkThis paper on Harris Tweed today discusses projects with Scottish textile manufacturer Harris Tweed Hebrides (HTH) that focused on reducing the seasonality of their all-wool product, exploring new markets, and digital and sustainable innovations within their communication, design, and production processes. The partnership project was between HTH and Robert Gordon University where they collaborated on a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) and funded research project, to address the needs of the industry in producing, promoting, and protecting Harris Tweed in the 21st century. Reflecting on the projects, the authors detail the new practices instigated within the context of the changes that have taken place in the Harris Tweed industry since Judith Ennew's chapter 'Harris Tweed: construction, retention and representation of a cottage industry' in Esther Goody's (ed.) From Craft to Industry (1982) book. While a timespan of over forty years has passed, elements of Ennew’s media constructed Hebridean Myth continue to play a role in the communication and marketing of Harris Tweed, however digital and immersive interventions provide opportunity for modernisation of both the brand’s processes and consumer perceptions about Harris Tweed
Continual face forgery detection based on relation-aware spatial-frequency interaction aggregation and contrastive learning.
No full textWith the proliferation of face forgery images on the internet, there is an increasing interest in designing effective methods for fake image detection. Most existing methods exhibit poor generalization performance, which makes it difficult to adapt to emerging forgery techniques. To address this challenge, we propose a novel continual face forgery detection (CFFD) framework that integrates multi-view knowledge distillation and a hybrid sampling replay mechanism to improve the generalization of the model for evolving forgery techniques. Within the framework, we also present a relation-aware spatial-frequency interaction aggregation network (RSIA-Net). This network utilizes the designed relation-aware spatial-frequency interaction aggregation (RSIA) modules to adaptively reweight the spatial and frequency domain enhancement features based on relevance-guided information and perform interaction aggregation. This hierarchical relevance-guided refinement mechanism helps the model extract more fine-grained representations. Furthermore, we propose a hierarchical spatial-frequency contrastive learning mechanism (HSCL), facilitating the dual-domain information fusion and learning an embedding space with enhanced intra-class consistency and inter-class diversity by modeling intra-domain and cross-domain feature correlations on multi-level features in the spatial and frequency domains. Extensive experiments on four public datasets demonstrate that the proposed method has superior performance compared to the most advanced techniques in detecting different types of face forgeries
I didn't leave inceldom; inceldom left me: examining male ex-incel navigations of complex masculinities identity rebuilding following rejection of incel-culture.
Full text linkThis study explores experiences of ex-incels - men who have withdrawn from incel communities - through eleven qualitative interviews analysed using R.W. Connell's hegemonic masculinity (HM) framework. Findings reveal some ex-incels adopt flexible masculinities, while others struggle with prescriptive norms perpetuated by the anti-feminist "manosphere". Findings spotlight identity reconstructions, where men both reject and remain influenced by rigid archetypes, performing hybrid masculinities. This study deepens understanding of incel ideology, its impact on identity, and interplay between inceldom and masculinities via contributing to hybrid masculinities theorising. Insights presents applications for gender theory and inform further research on HM's influence within unique cultural contexts
From early explorers to restricted practitioners: a qualitative analysis of coaches' development, context, and practices within U.K. mixed martial arts.
Full text linkDespite its growing popularity and participation rates, mixed martial arts (MMA) coaching has not been the subject of much critical scholarly analysis. Accordingly, knowledge of this activity is limited, and inadequate, as a means of understanding this MMA context, and supporting those coaches who practice in it. To begin to address this gap, we report an initial exploration based upon three interviews with four experienced U.K.-based MMA coaches (12 interviews in total). Via a reflexive thematic analysis we generated four themes: (1) MMA coaches developed their practice via experiential and peer learning; (2) MMA coaches have dual aims of producing competitive athletes while appealing to paying, recreational participants; (3) private event promoters dictate competition dates, meaning preparation time may be suboptimal; and (4) MMA coaches rely on "coach's eye" and subjective feedback to enact practices in relation to training load, fatigue, and skill development. Coupled with theoretical sensemaking, this novel exploration reveals MMA practices that are grounded in "folk pedagogies," and shaped by economic imperatives and powerful actors. These findings provide an original and significant analysis of an increasingly prevalent coaching. This approach supplements existing quantitative training studies, thus enabling a pragmatic understanding of the U.K. MMA coaching, while also providing direction for future in-depth studies
Financial challenges of students and early-career professionals working in the healthcare sector: a scoping review.
Full text linkThe global healthcare workforce is facing a substantial shortage and an uneven distribution of qualified professionals, which restricts access to essential healthcare services. This shortage could be mitigated through more effective support of healthcare workers in training. Therefore, an overview of existing economic barriers for this demographic is necessary. To review the existing literature on financial challenges of students and early-career professionals in the healthcare sector. Following the PRISMA-ScR-guidelines, publications published between January 2008 and February 2024 were identified using PubMed and Scopus. 17,268 articles were screened by reviewing their titles and abstracts followed by a detailed review of full texts with cross-validation. Themes were identified, clustered, and analyzed. This scoping review included 167 articles focusing on the themes debt (36.5%, n=61) and loans (10.2 %, n=17) and their influence on career pathways, the role of employment for career satisfaction, summarizing findings concerning salary (29.9%, n=50), finances (25.1%, n=42), funding (10.8%, n=18), and savings (10.2%, n=17), and obstacles toward a sustainable lifestyle, which included results considering career choice (34.1%, n=57), migration (7.2%, n=12), gender disparity (6.0%, n=10) and working conditions (2.4 %, n=4). Efforts to close the healthcare workforce gap require greater investment in training, compensation, and support of junior healthcare workers. Students and early-career professionals need particular attention to build a sustainable, resilient, and reliable healthcare workforce
Maximising economic recovery and key lessons from North Sea and selective mature provinces experiences.
Full text linkMaximizing economic recovery in hydrocarbon extraction is essential for optimizing resource utilization and advancing sustainable energy security. This study explores key lessons from the North Sea oil and gas industry as well as selective international experiences, focusing on strategic frameworks and best practices that have driven highest levels of economic recovery of reserves. The North Sea and other international experience provides invaluable insights into the adoption of modern technologies, including Artificial Intelligence ('AI'), effective regulatory frameworks, and operational efficiencies applicable to other hydrocarbon-rich regions. The study highlights advanced extraction methods that have significantly enhanced oil recovery, alongside regulatory environments that balance economic incentives with environmental sustainability. It also examines the fundamental role of industry stakeholders including regulatory bodies, oil companies, and host communities in fostering continuous investment, innovation, and knowledge sharing to maximising economic recovery. By analyzing the case studies and expert perspectives, the study offers actionable recommendations for policymakers and industry professionals to optimize economic recovery. It emphasizes the importance of adapting strategies to local circumstances while leveraging on global best practices to achieve sustainable and profitable hydrocarbon extraction. This study contributes to an inclusive discourse on resource management with practical guidance for enhancing economic recovery in evolving global energy landscape
Evidence synthesis methodology for questions relating to barriers and enablers in health care: a scoping review.
No full textThe objective of this scoping review was to map the range of methodologies and methods used to undertake evidence synthesis aimed at determining barriers and/or enablers in health care and to inform further research relevant to synthesis methodology in this area. Questions related to identifying and exploring barriers and/or enablers within healthcare are becoming increasingly popular. Currently, there are multiple approaches to synthesizing this evidence and it is unclear if a more consistent approach is warranted. Evidence synthesis on barriers and/or enablers (facilitators) that included interest holders at different levels of the health system were considered. Evidence synthesis projects had to include primary research studies and were published from 2010 to 2021. Literature reviews, narrative reviews and umbrella reviews were excluded as were reviews published in languages other than English. This scoping review followed JBI methodology and was based on a published a priori protocol and reported in line with PRISMA-ScR. A three-step search strategy using a combination of key terms and index headings was undertaken in October 2021 via the following databases/resources: PubMed (NLM), Embase (Elsevier), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), PsycINFO (Ovid), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, JBI Evidence Synthesis, and EPPI-Centre Systematic Reviews. An extensive piloting process for screening and selection, and data extraction was undertaken due to the large number of reviewers involved. All records were screened independently by two reviewers and any disagreements were resolved through either a third reviewer or discussion with a panel of reviewers. Extraction was undertaken using a customized form and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data is presented via tables, figures, word clouds and infographics and supplemented with a narrative synthesis. Following completion of the search, 22308 records were screened and 782 review were included in the scoping review. Systematic reviews were the most frequently used methodology [68%] to synthesize barrier and/or enabler question/s. Reviews commonly included diverse types of evidence and involved an assessment of methodological quality [70%]. Findings related to barriers and/or enablers were usually grouped and organized into categories, often by thematic methods [33%] or a narrative approach [21%]. Incongruencies related to nomenclature, missing information and methods used were evident across the large data set. A variety of methodological approaches are being followed to undertake reviews focused on barriers and/or enablers in health care. The current state of the literature indicates most authors answer these questions via the conduct of a systematic review and include diverse types of evidence. Further work is needed to determine whether authors are unclear when deciding on methodology and whether guidance is required
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