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Sustainable Nanocellulose-PEO Composites Reinforced with Functional Nanofillers in High-Performance Dielectric Nanocomposites for Green Flexible Electronics
Get PDFThe growing demand for sustainable materials in green flexible electronics calls for alternatives to petroleum-derived polymers, which are non-biodegradable, resource-intensive, and environmentally harmful. This study presents the fabrication of bio-composite films using water hyacinth derived cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), blended with polyethylene oxide (PEO) and reinforced by functional nanofillers such as barium titanate (BTO), silver nanowires (SNP), and carbon nanotubes (CNT). The nanocomposite films (NCF) were produced by solution casting and systematically characterized for morphological, dielectric, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed well-dispersed CNF (-30 nm diameter) uniformly embedded within a CNF/PEO matrix and nanofillers (0.5-2%). Dielectric testing showed that BTO significantly enhanced permittivity (>200), making it promising for capacitor and antenna applications, although dielectric loss increased at higher nanofiller loadings. SNP-reinforced NCF exhibited moderate permittivity (50-90) but higher dielectric loss (0.15-0.32), supporting multifunctional applications requiring both dielectric and conductivity. CNT reinforced with NCF provided a balanced performance, with stable permittivity, relative low dielectric loss (< 0.015) and superior mechanical flexibility. Mechanical testing confirmed that BTO increased stiffness and tensile strength (1.5-2%), SNP enhanced strength but reduced ductility up to 1.5%, and CNT offered reinforcement at 1.5% with preserved elongation (up to 6%). FTIR spectra indicated strong interfacial interactions between nanofillers and CNF-PEO matrix. Thermal analysis revealed that CNT disrupted the crystalline structure of the matrix, lowering melting and crystallization temperatures, whereas BTO and SNP had negligible thermal effects. This study demonstrates a sustainable pathway to valorize an invasive species into a biodegradable, high-performance NCF for sustainable electronics, signifying a pathway toward flexible antenna, sensors, and energy storage materials
‘Reverse gaze’ in spiritual tourism: fact or myth?
Get PDFThe term ‘reverse gaze’ is used in tourism academia to describe the interaction between tourist photographers and local subjects, which challenges traditional power dynamics in tourism. However, further research is needed to explore this concept within the wider context of tourism. In this research note, I adopt an autoethnographic approach to provide a reflective analysis of the Ganga Aarti ritual in India. Specifically, I examine the nuances of the reverse gaze concept in the realm of spiritual tourism, contributing to a deeper understanding of its dynamics. Through exploring the interplay between tourists and locals during the Ganga Aarti ritual, this study sheds light on the transformative power of the reverse gaze and its implications for cultural immersion and spiritual experiences. The empirical findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge in tourism studies and provide opportunities for further exploration in this area
Knowledge, attitude and behaviour around concussion at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: part 2 – coaches, performance staff and players
Get PDFThe objective of this observational cross-sectional study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of coaches and performance staff (i.e. ‘coaching staff’), and players from the 32 teams qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 regarding assessment and management of concussion in football. Two online surveys were developed: 1) coaching staff, and 2) players. The results were analysed descriptively. Eighty-four coaching staff and 229 players completed the survey. Concussion knowledge: 39% of coaching staff and 33% of players were aware of concussion protocol(s). Knowledge: concussion symptom onset time was correctly reported by 18% of coaching staff and 11% of players. Knowledge about risks related to sustaining a concussion or returning to play too soon varied in both groups. Attitude: 26% of coaching staff and 31% of players reported being very confident or confident in recognizing a suspected concussion. Half of the players (52%) reported to always report symptoms of concussion if feeling any. One (1%) member of the coaching staff and 24 (10%) players reported feeling that a player can return to play with mild symptoms after a concussion. Behaviour: Most coaching staff reported they would have supportive behaviour if faced with a suspected concussion on the pitch. Among players, 64% stated that they would leave the assessment to their team’s medical staff, and 4% would encourage their teammates to keep playing. In conclusion, coaching staff and players showed limited knowledge about concussion. Most coaching staff reported attitudes and intended behaviour towards protecting players’ health; whilst players' responses varied
Whiteness, Racial Trauma, and the University
No full textIn this book Harshad Keval offers an intensely personal testimony of racial trauma within the academy. Proposing the theoretical model of “white narcissistic structures” the author traces the paradox of academic institutions simultaneously embracing a progressive and neo-liberal “cos-play” while continuing to generate and maintain racial trauma
Politics without principle: potential borders and the ethics of anti-trafficking online
Get PDFAnti-trafficking has been spreading in a novel way, with moral certitude (where human trafficking is deemed uniquely wrong, and this wrongness is taken as a founding principle for anti-trafficking action) accompanied by little or no accountability. This moral certitude drives anti-trafficking networks to spread across borders, just as it is assumed that trafficking will. The paper critiques this certitude and spread of anti-trafficking by developing ideas around borders, potential, and ethics. Massumi (2007) analyses the move to a potential politics, which prioritises what "[c]ould have, would have" happened and acts against this potential as if it is a ground for certitude. After Massumi, this paper argues that online anti-trafficking practice relies on potential borders: borders between legal and illegal, and the borders between states, are increasingly blurred by action against what might potentially be trafficking. Following Campbell (1993: 3-4) we critique the claims to "moral certitude" and principle in anti-trafficking and argue for deeper ethical engagement with the needs of others. Against the spread of anti-trafficking through potential borders, we argue that exploitation should be challenged through an ethical response to those marginalised by capitalism today. Against the unprincipled politics of the anti-trafficking industry, we advance a politics without principle that foregrounds our ethical obligation to respond to others
A Multi-UAV Cooperative Task Scheduling in Dynamic Environments: Throughput Maximization
Get PDFUnmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been considered a promising technology for advancing terrestrial mobile computing in the dynamic environment. In this research field, throughput, the number of completed tasks and latency are critical evaluation indicators used to measure the efficiency of UAVs in existing studies. In this paper, we transform these metrics to a single optimization objective, i.e., throughput maximization. To maximize the throughput, we consider realizing this goal in two respects. The first is to adapt the formation of the UAVs to provide cooperative computing service in a dynamic environment, we integrate a policy-based gradient algorithm and the task factorization network as a new reinforcement learning algorithm to improve the cooperation of UAVs. The second is to optimize the association process between UAVs and users, where the heterogeneity of tasks is considered. This algorithm is modified from the Gale-Shapley stability concept to optimize the appropriate association between tasks and UAVs in a dynamic time-varying condition to get the near-optimal association with few iterations. The scheduling of dependent tasks and independent tasks jointly also has to be considered. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the improvement of cooperation performance and the practicability of the association process
The trouble with trauma: Interconnected forms of violence in the lives of repeatedly criminalised men
Get PDFFocus on the interconnection of interpersonal violence, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma and justice‐involvement has increased interest internationally among policymakers and practitioners working within criminal justice contexts for ‘trauma‐informed’ approaches and interventions which facilitate recovery. This article discusses limitations of employing these concepts to make sense of the lives of criminal‐justice involved people. Drawing on UK‐based research using interviews and collage‐workshops to gather autobiographical narratives of 16 repeatedly‐criminalised men, a case vignette is presented to show the institutional and structural contexts of interpersonal violence, and the critical role of the criminal justice system (CJS) in obscuring and perpetuating violence. This raises doubt about the CJS's capacity to respond to trauma. The contribution of this article is to integrate theoretical conceptualisations of violence and empirical findings to critique the possibility of trauma‐informed practice (TIP) within a criminal justice context
Police officer knowledge of and attitudes to opioid overdose and naloxone administration: an evaluation of police training in Scotland
Get PDFIn the context of escalating drug-related deaths, during 2021 Police Scotland implemented a pilot project incorporating naloxone training to test the carriage and administration of naloxone by officers. The current paper presents data from the evaluation of this pilot exploring knowledge of, and attitudes to, opioid overdose and naloxone administration. Police officers completed a three-stage survey which included modified Opioid Overdose Knowledge Scale (OOKS) and Opioid Overdose Attitudes Scales (OOAS). In total, 167 police officers completed the survey before taking part in the training; 144 completed a post-training survey; and 88 completed a follow-up survey. Training improved officers’ knowledge and attitudes about drug overdose and naloxone administration. The OOKS mean total score improved from 35.8 pre-training to 37.6 at follow-up (‘small-medium’ effect size; Cohen’s d=0.42). The OOAS mean total score improved from 87.8 pre-training to 100.7 at follow-up (‘large’ effect size; Cohen’s d=1.05). Training was also reported to facilitate the acceptability of naloxone administration as part of a police officer’s role. However, over a third of officers questioned the relevance of the training to their role. There was evidence that some officers held stigmatising attitudes towards people who use drugs (PWUD). Future training should address officers’ knowledge of problem drug use and stigmatising attitudes towards PWUD, and train and support officers to respond to the emergent public health role of policing. The findings of this evaluation informed the decision of the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to mandate that all Police Scotland Officers routinely carry naloxone from August 2022
Smarter Facility Layout Design: Leveraging Worker Localisation Data to Minimise Travel Time and Alleviate Congestion
Get PDFThis paper introduces a novel methodology leveraging worker localisation data from ultrawide-band sensors to formulate alternative facility layouts aimed at minimising travel time and congestion in labour-intensive manufacturing systems. The system preprocesses sensor data to discern flow patterns between existing stations within the production facility, such as machine tools, workbenches, and stores. This information about the movement of people and materials informs the generation of optimised layouts through scenario-based optimisation. We explored two methods to devise these new layouts: a mixed-integer linear programming method and a simulated annealing metaheuristic, the latter being specifically developed to find high-quality solutions to the quadratic layout design formulation. Both methods employ biobjective formulations, focusing on the minimisation of travel time and the reduction of congestion risk on the manufacturing floor, an aspect often neglected in prior studies. Our methodology, applied to a real-world manual assembly line case study, demonstrated the potential to reduce travel time by a minimum of 32% and alleviate congestion while maintaining significant safety distances between facilities. This was achieved by automatically identifying design features that position high-traffic facilities closely and align them to eliminate movement overlaps
Human Communication Elements of the Continuity of Midwife Carer Newsletter: A Descriptive Case Report
Get PDFBackground: The Continuity of Midwife Care (CMC) model is an evidence-based care model that positively influences the health and well-being of women, their families, and midwives. Although effective communication strategies have not been determined, online resources are known to reach a wider audience and make CMC research more visible. The All-you-need-to-know-about-continuity-of-carer newsletter, distributed by the authors, is a strategy to communicate valuable and credible CMC content from knowledge producers to users. Purpose: To explore the newsletter's functional elements and the connection between it as a communication strategy and the individuals interacting with it and to present a case demonstration of a newsletter example. Methods: A descriptive case report with a theory-driven approach using 10 elements of human communication theories. Conclusions: The following elements of human communication contribute to understanding the functioning of the newsletter: Grounded Theoretical Theory, the Practical-Action Theory and goal-oriented communication (communication theory), the Syntactic Theory of Visual Communication and the rhetorical tradition of communication (tradition of communication), Elaboration Likelihood and the socio-cultural model of communication (communicator), implied compliance-gaining, parole, semiosis, narrative paradigm and rhetoric logic (message), social organisation communication, co-cultural communication and invitational rhetoric (conversation), the orientation and exploratory affective exchange stages of social exchange (relationship), Structuration Theory (group), the Theory of Bureaucracy (organisation), the Cultivation Theory (media), and the Diffusion of Innovation and Ethnography of Communication (culture and society). Implications: The newsletter succeeds in managing CMC information and reaching an interested audience. Further evaluation is required to explore if or how the newsletter affects information use
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