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Integrated Subject–Action–Object and Bayesian Models of Intelligent Word Semantic Similarity Measures
Get PDFSynonym similarity judgments based on semantic distance calculation play a vital role in supporting applications in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP). However, existing semantic computing methods excessively rely on low-efficiency human supervision or high-quality datasets, which limits their further application. For these reasons, this paper proposes an automatic and intelligent method for calculating semantic similarity that integrates Subject–Action–Object (SAO) and WordNet to combine knowledge-based semantic similarity and corpus-based semantic similarity. First, the SAO structure is extracted from the Wikipedia dataset, and the statistics of SAO similarity are obtained by calculating co-occurrences of words in SAO. Second, the semantic similarity parameters of words are obtained based on WordNet, and the semantic similarity parameters are adjusted by Laplace Smoothing (LS). Finally, the semantic similarity can be obtained by the Bayesian Model (BM), which combines the semantic similarity parameter and the SAO similarity statistics. The experimental results from well-known word similarity datasets show that the proposed method outperforms traditional methods and even Large Language Models (LLM) in terms of accuracy. The Pearson, Spearman, and Kendall indices were introduced to prove the superiority of the proposed algorithm between model scores and human judgements
Enhancing base-diesel fuel specification for optimized biodiesel blending in Malaysia
Get PDFThis research explores the enhancement of base-diesel fuel specifications to optimize biodiesel blending in Malaysia, aiming to support the nation’s transition toward sustainable energy practices. Biodiesel, specifically Palm Oil Methyl Ester (PME), is a renewable energy source blended with petroleum diesel to create fuel that meets regulatory and performance standards. The study focuses on revising the base-diesel properties to ensure compatibility with biodiesel blends while reducing costs, maintaining fuel quality, and addressing operational constraints. Key parameters such as density, viscosity, and cetane number were examined through laboratory testing and industry validation. Adjustments to the density of base-diesel to approximately 0.81 kg/L and viscosity to a minimum of 1.5 mm2/s (cSt) were proposed to facilitate seamless blending and improve combustion efficiency. Additionally, lowering the cetane number by one to two units below the standard minimum enhances the compatibility of base-diesel with PME blends while maintaining engine performance. The research confirms that these modifications align with regulatory requirements, including Euro V diesel standards, and improve fuel properties when blended with PME. Operational challenges such as infrastructure limitations, logistical bottlenecks, and price competitiveness were identified as critical barriers to widespread biodiesel adoption. The study highlights the importance of infrastructural upgrades, including enhanced tank segregation and streamlined distribution networks, to support the scalability of biodiesel blending. Sector-specific considerations, particularly for industries reliant on conventional diesel, underscore the need for tailored strategies and incentives to promote the transition to biodiesel. The proposed Petroleum Diesel “A-” grade offers a viable solution to enhance biodiesel blending practices in Malaysia. This formulation not only supports regulatory compliance and fuel efficiency but also contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While the findings provide a strong theoretical framework, further real-world validation is essential to ensure successful implementation and integration into Malaysia’s energy landscape
iMAgery Focused Therapy for PSychosis (iMAPS-2): An Assessor-blind Feasibility Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Get PDFBackground and HypothesisIntrusive mental images and negative schematic beliefs have been identified as maintenance and possible causal factors for some psychotic experiences, with limited focus in existing therapies in psychosis. Our primary aim was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of undertaking a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a novel, imagery focused psychological therapy for psychosis (iMAPS).Study DesignAn assessor-blind RCT (iMAPS-2). Participants who were help seeking; with hallucinations or delusions, who reported distressing intrusive mental imagery were eligible to take part. Participants were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive 12 sessions of iMAPS therapy plus standard care or treatment as usual (TAU). Assessments were undertaken at 0, 16 and 28 weeks. The primary feasibility outcomes were recruitment target, retention at 16 week follow up and number of therapy sessions attended.Study ResultsThe trial recruitment was 100% of target (45 participants). The study had a high rate of retention of 80% (36 participants) at 16-week primary endpoint, a high rate of adherence to the imagery focused therapy (77%) and positive qualitative feedback. There were two serious adverse events in the iMAPS therapy arm deemed unrelated to treatment and zero in the TAU group.ConclusionsThis is the largest trial to date of imagery focused therapy for psychosis, demonstrating it is safe. An adequately powered clinical and cost effectiveness trial is warranted to provide an estimate of the effects of the iMAPS therapy.Trial Registration ISRCTN81150786
The Impact of COVID-19 on Racialised Minority Populations: A Systematic Review of Experiences and Perspectives
Get PDFRacialised minority populations were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and saw the highest rate of COVID-19 infections and mortality. Low socioeconomic status, working as frontline workers, temporary employment, precarious immigration status and pre-existing medical conditions were factors that contributed to disadvantaged experiences. This systematic review looked at the impact of COVID-19 on racialised minority populations globally, recognising their experiences, perspectives and the effects on their physical and mental health. Eight electronic databases were searched (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Social Policy and Practice (SPP), Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), MedRxiv and Research Square) for English language qualitative studies. Reference lists of relevant literature reviews and reference lists of articles were hand-searched for additional potentially relevant articles. Duplicates were removed, and articles were screened for titles and abstracts, followed by full-text screening. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess the quality of the included studies (n = 70). Data were synthesised using thematic synthesis. Seven major and three minor themes were identified. The major themes related to (i) children and young people’s experiences of COVID-19; (ii) exacerbated pre-existing disparities relating to income, employment and housing security, health insurance and immigration status; (iii) lack of knowledge and information about COVID-19 and COVID-19 misinformation; (iv) racial history of medicine and treatment of racialised populations; (v) contemporary experiences of racism; (vi) impact on physical and mental health and wellbeing; (vii) concerns about safety at work. Minor themes related to (a) experiences of intercommunity mutual aid; (b) adherence to preventative guidance/COVID-19 restrictions; (c) the role of faith. Research needs to focus on developing and testing interventions that support transformation of social, cultural and economic systems towards equity of access to healthcare and healthcare knowledge. Research should be cognisant of interventions that have worked in shifting the equity dial in the past, implement these and use them to inform new approaches. Policy and practice should be mechanisms for enabling the implementation of interventions
Good Work Monitor Spotlight: Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
No full textIFOW’s series of Spotlight Reports have been developed to take our national-level research and offer in-depth analyses at a regional level. Our Good Work Monitor aggregates data across six dimensions on ‘good work’ from all 203 local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. Catalysed by this work, and with focused data analysis provided by IFOW’s Good Work Monitor team, this Spotlight report has been produced by expert partners based in Cornwall to offer a deep dive into the particular regional opportunities and challenges for the development of good work across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Understanding Malaria Treatment Adherence in Rwanda: Implications for Artemisinin Resistance
No full textTowards a cyberbullying detection approach: fine-tuned contrastive self-supervised learning for data augmentation
Get PDFCyberbullying on social media platforms is pervasive and challenging to detect due to linguistic subtleties and the need for extensive data annotation. We introduce a Deep Contrastive Self-Supervised Learning (DCSSL) model that integrates a Natural Language Inference (NLI) dataset, a fine-tuned sentence encoder, and data augmentation to enhance the understanding of cyberbullying's nuanced semantics and offensiveness. The DCSSL model effectively captures contextual dependencies and the varied semantic implications inherent in cyberbullying instances, addressing the limitations of manual data annotation processes when compared against established models such as BERT and Bi-LSTM. Our proposed model registers a significant improvement, achieving a macro average F1 score of 0.9231 on cyberbullying datasets, highlighting its applicability in environments where manual annotation is impractical or unavailable
Financial Exclusion, Soft Segregation and Moral Constraints as Drivers of Entrepreneurial Activities in Scottish Muslim Immigrants
Get PDFThis study examines financial structures adopted by Muslim immigrant entrepreneurs in Scotland and the challenges they face accessing state‐driven financial support. It explores the effectiveness of different financing models, emphasising how religious values and moral concerns shape financial decisions. The study suggests that formal, top‐down state support often clashes with strong religious sentiments, prompting entrepreneurs to seek morally aligned, informal financing alternatives. Focusing on Scotland, particularly cities like Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, the research highlights the financial integration challenges faced by Muslim immigrants, underscoring their entrepreneurial innovations rooted in religious obligations. The paper analyses financial services available to these entrepreneurs, including the Scottish Growth Scheme, and identifies gaps and opportunities within Scotland's financial landscape. Through in‐depth interviews with 26 Muslim immigrant entrepreneurs, the findings reveal a dependence on informal financing sources and a reluctance to engage with conventional banks due to religious prohibitions. This study ultimately provides insight into how financial exclusion, coupled with moral and religious constraints, drives innovation and alternative financial practices amongst Scotland's Muslim immigrant entrepreneurs
An Enhanced and Robust Data Publishing Scheme for Private and Useful 1:M Microdata
Get PDFA data publishing deal conducted with anonymous microdata can preserve the privacy of people. However, anonymizing data with multiple records of an individual (1:M dataset) is still a challenging problem. After anonymizing the 1:M microdata, the vertical correlation can be exploited to launch privacy attacks. In this paper, a novel privacy preserving model lc, ls-ANGEL is proposed. To validate the new model, two privacy attacks are presented, namely, a Vertical correlation attack (Vc0) and a Vulnerable sensitive attribute attack (Vsa) on 1:M datasets, which breach the privacy of individuals. Furthermore, the proposed model is examined through High-Level Petri Nets (HLPNs). Our experiments on three real-world datasets;“INFORMS”,“YOUTUBE”, and “IMDb” demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art models. Our practices and lessons learned in this work can direct future concrete steps towards Multiple Sensitive Attributes, where we can expand the proposed model to dynamic dataset
Capacity and incapacity: an appropriate border for non-consensual interventions?
Get PDFThose who support decision-making capacity as a criterion for non-consensual interventions for persons with mental disabilities (mental illness, learning disability, neurodivergence, acquired brain injury and dementia) argue that it creates parity between physical and mental health approaches to care, support and treatment. It is also argued that such an approach aligns with European Court of Human Rights direction relating to restrictions of a person with a mental disability’s rights under Articles 5 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Indeed, the presence or absence of decision-making capacity has been adopted as a criterion for non-consensual intervention under mental capacity legislation across all UK jurisdictions. Decision-making capacity has also been adopted as a criterion for psychiatric treatment interventions under the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 and the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.More recently, however, the use of decision-making capacity as a determining factor for intervention has been challenged on human rights, particularly following the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and on practical support grounds. This was considered by the Scottish Mental Health Law Review (2019-2022) which recommended an alternative, arguably more human rights compliant and support effective, Autonomous Decision-Making test. This article will consider the use of mental capacity as an appropriate border for non-consensual interventions under mental health and capacity law. In doing so, it will consider the wider arguments for and against such use, how this was addressed by the Scottish Mental Health Law Review and what lessons may be learned from this exercise
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