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What is the current use, classification and role of robotics in occupational therapy research, practice and education? A protocol for a scoping review
No full textPurpose: This scoping review aims to comprehensively identify, map and synthesise the current evidence on the use of robotics in occupational therapy research, practice, and education. The review will scope the current literature and focus upon the use, classification, and role of healthcare robots to provide a baseline from which to inform future research priorities and practice guidelines. Methods: Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) scoping review framework will guide the review process and will be reported using the PRISMA-SCR (2018) guidelines. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, IEEE Xplore, OT Seeker, Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect will be searched from inception using predefined search terms related to 'occupational therapy' and 'robotics'. Grey literature will include handsearching of key occupational therapy, engineering and robotics journals. Peer-reviewed, English-language articles addressing robotics in occupational therapy practice, research, or education will be included. No restrictions will be placed upon year of publication, study design, or participant populations. Two independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts, and full-texts for inclusion. Data will be extracted using a piloted form and will be narratively synthesised. Results: Findings will be summarised using the proposed classification of healthcare robots by Huang (2022) to categorise the main characteristics of the robots. The role to which they are being used will be considered within a five-point checklist: improving precision and accuracy, increasing efficiency, enhancing patient engagement, improving safety, and personalising treatment plans. Conclusions: This scoping review will provide a broad landscape from which to understand the current evidence on the use, classification, and role of robotics in occupational therapy, identifying key opportunities and challenges to guide future research, education, and practice in this rapidly evolving field
International Academic Staff: The Roles of Languages, Cultures, and Personalities
No full textThis book focuses on the experiences of international academic staff in higher education, particularly examining the influences of issues such as languages, cultures, and personalities. The qualitative approach taken by the authors provides vignettes of varied international contexts, which are then compared and analysed to highlight important considerations for practice in different settings. By exploring the experiences of staff teaching within a language that is not their first language, and in a different cultural context, the authors contribute to a burgeoning area of research, and scholars working on Applied Linguistics, Higher Education, English as a Medium of Instruction and other aspects of Internationalisation are likely to find the book relevant and useful
Tuning the Structure–Property Relationships in Binary and Ternary Blends of PLA/PBAT/PHBH
Get PDFWhile the brittle polylactide (PLA) has a high durability among bioplastics, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH) with certain ductility exhibits facile compostability. The addition of polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) may also be used to improve the ductility and toughness of brittle bioplastics. Binary and ternary blends of PLA/PBAT/PHBH based on either PLA or PHBH as the matrix have been manufactured using a twin-screw extruder. The melt rheological, mechanical, and morphological properties of the processed samples were examined. Binary blends of PLA/PHBH show superior strength, with the PLA75/PHBH25 blend exhibiting a tensile strength of 35.2 ± 3.0 MPa, which may be attributed to miscible-like morphology. In contrast, blends of PLA with PBAT demonstrate low strength, with the PLA50/PBAT50 blend exhibits a tensile strength of 9.5 ± 2.0 MPa due to the presence of large droplets in the matrix. PBAT-containing blends exhibit lower impact strengths compared to PHBH-containing blends. For instance, a PLA75/PBAT25 blend displays an impact strength of 1.76 ± 0.1 kJ/m2, whereas the PHBH75/PBAT25 blend displays an impact strength of 2.61 ± 0.3 kJ/m2, which may be attributed to uniformly dispersed PBAT droplets
The Digital Economy and Entrepreneurial Dynamics: An Empirical Analysis of Urban Regions in China
Get PDFThe economic landscape in China has evolved to what is termed a “new normal”, marked by a strategic focus on the digital economy as a lever for regional entrepreneurship. This change is considered essential for fostering shared wealth and elevating the standard of economic progress, aimed at tackling inequality and advancing inclusive finance. This article undertakes an empirical analysis of the relationship between the digital economy and entrepreneurial activities, utilising panel data from 284 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2021. The findings highlight the significant influence of the digital economy in stimulating entrepreneurial activity. In particular, the digital economy is found to boost urban entrepreneurial endeavours by improving the quality of urban human capital. Further investigation reveals a varied impact of the digital economy on urban entrepreneurial activity, with the eastern region exhibiting a more marked effect in facilitating urban entrepreneurship
Physical Activity Interventions Framed by the Health Action Process Approach for Adults with Long-Term Conditions: A Scoping Review
Get PDFBackgroundInterventions that use the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model show promise for increasing PA frequency, duration, and intensity. However, there is limited understanding of how HAPA model variables have been operationalized for PA interventions in chronic disease to promote behavior change and sustained PA or whether the phase or continuous form of the HAPA model was used. The aim of this scoping review is to describe how the HAPA model variables for PA interventions were operationalized and provide details of implementation.MethodWe searched five databases to identify studies published between January 1992 and March 2024. We aimed to describe (1) the characteristics of interventions including setting, delivery mode, duration, and content; (2) which HAPA variables were operationalized and the strategies used; and (3) the physical activity measures and outcome effects.ResultsThe search identified 23 interventions in 30 papers (12 protocols, 3 quasi-experimental studies, and 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs)). Seven of the 15 RCTs reported significant positive effects of the HAPA model on PA behavior outcomes. Interventions operationalized between three and nine HAPA constructs showed significant variability in how the HAPA model is used in intervention research. PA measures varied from self-report to validated objective instruments.ConclusionWe found a lack of clarity in decisions about which HAPA constructs were included in interventions. The wide variability in operationalized HAPA constructs made it challenging to compare interventions. Researchers should provide more detail about intervention design and implementation procedures to enhance transparency
Towards a Unified Framework for Software-Hardware Integration in Evolutionary Robotics
Get PDFThe discrepancy between simulated and hardware experiments, the reality gap, is a challenge in evolutionary robotics. While strategies have been proposed to address this gap in fixed-body robots, they are not viable when dealing with populations and generations where the body is in constant change. The continual evolution of body designs necessitates the manufacturing of new robotic structures, a process that can be time-consuming if carried out manually. Moreover, the increased manufacturing time not only prolongs hardware experimental durations but also disrupts the synergy between hardware and simulated experiments. Failure to effectively manage these challenges could impede the implementation of evolutionary robotics in real-life environments. The Autonomous Robot Evolution project presents a framework to tackle these challenges through a case study. This paper describes the main three contributions of this work: Firstly, it analyses the different reality gap experienced by each different robot or the heterogenous reality gap. Secondly, it emphasizes the importance of automation in robot manufacturing. And thirdly, it highlights the necessity of a framework to orchestrate the synergy between simulated and hardware experiments. In the long term, integrating these contributions into evolutionary robotics is envisioned to enable the continuous production of robots in real-world environments
Res-BiLSTMs model based on multi-task attention for real-time measurement of the free calcium oxide content
No full textThe content of free calcium oxide (f-CaO) is the primary economic index to evaluate the quality of cement. A residual bidirectional long short-term memory network model (Res-BiLSTMs) based on a multi-task attention mechanism was proposed for the characteristics of cement clinker production, used for online monitoring f-CaO content. The model utilizes the Bi-LSTM as the foundational component and combines the residual network to construct the Res-BiLSTMs coding structure, which aims to summarize the multi-level characteristic information of the input sequence. Additionally, a multi-task attention mechanism is introduced, combining the attention mechanism with semi-supervision to extract control coupling and data coupling among devices and variables. The results demonstrate that the addition of the multi-task attention mechanism led to a reduction in model errors by 0.0175 and 0.022, respectively, and an improvement in the degree of fit by 14.61%. The effectiveness of the multi-task attention mechanism for quality monitoring is confirmed. Compared to traditional LSTM, this model exhibited a reduction in errors by 0.0469 and 0.019, respectively, an increase in the correlation coefficient by 45.37%, and outperformed all other models in the comparison. The model's measurement performance under limited labeled samples is also validated
Goliath is not the enemy: Fiddler crab species of similar size are stronger competitors than their larger adversaries in the climate change context
No full textMany intertidal species are expanding their distribution limits towards the poles as a consequence of increased temperature due to climate change. At the same time, some intertidal habitats have been reduced due to rising sea levels. Fiddler crabs inhabit mangroves, and different species occupy well-established zones. Due to the restricted mangrove areas and consequent latitudinal expansion of the species, the distribution and density of fiddler crabs may be subject to change. The overlap forces several species to cohabit in a smaller territorial space. Fiddler crab species can vary in size, which could decisively affect territorial competition. Using Leptuca urguayensis as a reference, we tested how competing species of different sizes (larger size: L. thayeri and Minuca burgersi; similar size: L. cumulanta and L. leptodactyla) might interact in future climate change scenarios. First, we showed that within the territory of L. uruguayensis, the species L. cumulanta and L. thayeri occurred mainly in the lower mesolittoral zone, while L. leptodactyla and M. burgersi predominated in the upper mesolittoral zone. In a laboratory experiment, we evaluated whether the density and size of the heterospecific competitors could alter the agonistic behavior of Leptuca uruguayensis. Our results indicated that increasing the density can increase the agonistic behavior of L. uruguayensis with a greater intensity against species of a similar size. In a second field experiment, we demonstrated that the presence of a burrow enhances the intensity of agonistic interactions between L. uruguayensis and species of similar size. Therefore, in a scenario of territorial expansion of fiddler crabs due to climate change, it is expected that similarly sized species represent a greater competitive threat to populations of L. uruguayensis
We need to talk about Lynne: Modular structure as a reflection of the traumatized psyche in We Need to Talk about Kevin
No full textConventional linear three-act structure has become the dominant form in anglophone screen industries and creates a particular meaning and viewing experience. Modular structure, a feature of the puzzle film, uses radical non-linearity and complex plot articulations to create a very different viewing experience, and while some films use this approach to create a distanced, analytical effect, and still others seem designed to present a challenge to the viewer in the manner of a mind game, some narratives, such as Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, have been able to leverage this breaking down of linear temporality to expressionist effect, representing the workings of a traumatized mind. This article examines the techniques which Ramsay and co-writer Rory Kinnear used to create that expressionistic effect, focusing on the use of three distinct timelines from different points in the protagonist’s life reordered around a traumatic event and the use of sensory fragments of the trauma in transitions and foreshadowing
Explainable AI for cybersecurity automation, intelligence and trustworthiness in digital twin: Methods, taxonomy, challenges and prospects
Get PDFDigital twins (DTs) are an emerging digitalization technology with a huge impact on today’s innovations in both industry and research. DTs can significantly enhance our society and quality of life through the virtualization of a real-world physical system, providing greater insights about their operations and assets, as well as enhancing their resilience through real-time monitoring and proactive maintenance. DTs also pose significant security risks, as intellectual property is encoded and more accessible, as well as their continued synchronization to their physical counterparts. The rapid proliferation and dynamism of cyber threats in today’s digital environments motivate the development of automated and intelligent cyber solutions. Today’s industrial transformation relies heavily on artificial intelligence (AI), including machine learning (ML) and data-driven technologies that allow machines to perform tasks such as self-monitoring, investigation, diagnosis, future prediction, and decision-making intelligently. However, to effectively employ AI-based models in the context of cybersecurity, human-understandable explanations, and their trustworthiness, are significant factors when making decisions in real-world scenarios. This article provides an extensive study of explainable AI (XAI) based cybersecurity modeling through a taxonomy of AI and XAI methods that can assist security analysts and professionals in comprehending system functions, identifying potential threats and anomalies, and ultimately addressing them in DT environments in an intelligent manner. We discuss how these methods can play a key role in solving contemporary cybersecurity issues in various real-world applications. We conclude this paper by identifying crucial challenges and avenues for further research, as well as directions on how professionals and researchers might approach and model future-generation cybersecurity in this emerging field
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