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Stethoscope 2.0: How Everyday Devices Could Help Doctors Listen Differently
Get PDFTraditional diagnostic tools like the stethoscope have long helped clinicians detect signs of illness through direct contact and active listening. In an era of ubiquitous sensing, the diagnostic potential of devices already in common use, smartphones, hearing aids, earbuds, and voice assistants, deserves further attention. This paper proposes a framework for passive, edge-processed audio monitoring that could assist general practitioners and carers in early detection and condition monitoring, without compromising privacy or requiring new hardware. Use cases include sleep apnoea, cot death risk, respiratory irregularities, and changes in vocal or movement patterns linked to neurological conditions. The concept is offered freely as open prior art, to encourage ethical development and public benefit
Holnicote Estate combines management strategies to control local deer and grey squirrel populations
No full textRead how Holnicote Estate has combined different management strategies to optimise tree protection across 600 hectares of diverse woodland.Key factssite: Holnicote Estate, West Somersetsize: 5,059 hectares of which 600 hectares is woodlandestablishment method: planting and natural regenerationtype: lowland broadleaved woodland, coniferous woodland, mixed (established and recent) plantation, riparian woodland, ancient woodland, natural regeneration, wood pasture, parkland or orchard, coppicefunding: Landscape Recovery Scheme, Higher Tier Capital Grant, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tierkey objective: nature conservationTree protectionmain mammals causing damage or risk to trees: squirrel and deermain tree protection method: shooting, enhancing natural predation, sheep’s wool and lanolin-based productsduration of main tree protection methods: 3 to 5 year
Feasibility of Bifacial Photovoltaics in Transport Infrastructure
Get PDFAround the world, large-scale bifacial photovoltaics (BPV) modules are increasingly being used to generate clean electricity, given the cost of manufacturing is becoming comparable to conventional monofacial PV modules. BPV, when installed vertically, can still produce high levels of electricity by collecting radiation on the front as well as on the rear side. This paper assessed the renewable energy generation potential of vertical BPV plants along the central reservation of UK motorways. These installations maximize the utility of road space while minimizing land consumption. The feasibility of BPV systems for different segments of a motorway case study in the UK were modelled to calculate energy yield, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), payback period, and net present value. The LCOE of a medium to large-scale system was 10–11 p/kWh, 60% less than that of a small-scale system. The payback period for medium to large-scale systems was found to be 6 years, whereas for small systems, it was 10 years. The paper further discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with installing BPV panels on motorways with guidance on the types of locations which are likely to be most successful for future full-scale installations
Millimeter-Wave MIMO Array with Low Interactions Between its Antenna Elements for Fifth Generation Wireless Communication Networks
Get PDFThis paper presents a novel, compact eight-port circular MIMO antenna system designed for millimeter-wave (mmWave) 5G communication, offering a wide impedance bandwidth and high isolation. The proposed antenna array operates over a broad measured frequency range of 25–35 GHz, achieving a 10 GHz bandwidth through a unique integration of circular and rectangular slots in the ground plane. Fabricated on a low-loss Rogers RT5880 substrate (εr = 2.2, thickness = 0.8 mm, tanδ = 0.0009), the design demonstrates excellent performance without requiring additional decoupling structures. The antenna achieves high isolation greater than 28 dB and a peak gain of 9.65 dB at 26 GHz and 28 GHz, enabling effective operation in high-attenuation mmWave environments. Compared to prior art, the presented system supports more antenna elements within a compact footprint while maintaining low Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC < 0.05) and high diversity gain, making it ideal for enhanced MIMO performance. Comprehensive analysis of S-parameters, radiation patterns, surface currents, and efficiency validates its suitability for next-generation 5G mmWave applications. The combination of compact geometry, high port count, wideband coverage, and exceptional isolation constitutes the core novelty of this work
Fostering Empathy Through Play: The Impact of Far From Home on University Staff’s Understanding of International Students
Get PDFThis study investigates the potential of Far From Home, a non-digital board game, as an innovative tool for fostering empathy among university staff towards international students. International students face multifaceted challenges—linguistic barriers, cultural dissonance, and systemic inequities—yet traditional staff training often fails to cultivate the perspective-taking required for meaningful support. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analysed data from 82 participants across 10 game sessions, including surveys (n = 27), recorded gameplay observations, and semi-structured interviews (n = 6). Thematic analysis explored how role-playing as student avatars and collaborative problem-solving influenced staff empathy. The results demonstrated the game’s effectiveness in bridging cultural gaps, with participants reporting a heightened awareness of structural barriers and reduced stereotyping. Notably, the emergent findings suggested a “contrast commitment” effect, where witnessing biassed behaviours reinforced staff’s dedication to equitable practices. This study advocates for game-based training as a complement to existing programmes, with future research needed to assess longitudinal impacts. Potential applications include adapting the framework for other marginalised student groups and institutional contexts
Computation offloading in the edge-to-cloud compute continuum: a survey of federated architectural solutions
Get PDFComputation offloading involves transferring computation to resourceful nodes to overcome resource limitations, particularly within the emerging federated edge-to-cloud computing infrastructures. The growth of IoT applications has hugely increased the need for effective and decentralised offloading strategies considering the highly dynamic and dispersed edge-to-cloud compute continuum. Recently, researchers have used various implementation techniques—ranging from rule-based systems, heuristic, and machine learning-based intelligence—to investigate issues related to offloading, including edge computing, fog computing, and edge-to-cloud compute continuum. Although several review papers are available that provide a comprehensive analysis of existing research works on computation offloading, most surveys have largely overlooked the specific challenges and characteristics of federated and distributed edge-to-cloud execution models. In contrast, this paper aims to compile and synthesise computation offloading research with a specific focus on the federated edge-to-cloud ecosystem and distributed execution solutions. We first propose a detailed taxonomy focused on the decentralisation aspect and federated coordination. This taxonomy is then used as a unified framework to critically review the existing research landscape. Finally, we identify and discuss the key challenges that require further attention, providing insights to guide future developments in distributed, federated offloading systems
The Critical Role of Processing Sequence on the Mechanical Properties of Reactively Compatibilized PLA/PBAT Blends: Effect of Manufacturing Method
Get PDFIn this study, polylactic acid (PLA)/polybutylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate (PBAT)/Joncryl blends are prepared via film extrusion, compression molding, and injection molding to investigate the effects of processing sequence and compatibilization on interfacial interactions and final properties. Joncryl is added at 0.5 and 1 wt.% to assess its impact on phase adhesion, crystallinity, and mechanical performance. Results reveal that the two‐step blending process, where Joncryl is first reacted with either PLA or PBAT, results in more uniform dispersion and enhanced interfacial interactions compared to the single‐step method. Notably, the (70/30) PLA/PBAT blend incorporating 1 wt.% Joncryl via two‐step blending shows tensile strength improvements of ≈6% and 15%, and elongation increases of ≈491% and 335.5% for (PLA+1J)/PBAT and (PBAT+1J)/PLA, respectively. For injection‐molded samples, 0.5 wt.% Joncryl added through two‐step blending improves elongation and impact strength by ≈75% and 140% in (PBAT+0.5J)/PLA. Film‐extruded samples exhibit higher tensile strength than compression‐molded ones due to better phase dispersion, orientation, and interfacial bonding enabled by slit‐die extrusion and stretching. In contrast, compression molding lacks orientation effects, resulting in lower mechanical strength. These findings highlight the critical role of blending sequence and processing method in tailoring biodegradable PLA/PBAT blends for improved performance in packaging and related applications
Ambient Air Pollution and Chronic kidney disease risk in Deltan communities: A Policy Brief, 2023
Get PDFChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a persistent, devastating, yet neglected, non-communicable disease in developing and emerging countries. National, regional, and international agencies’ communications and reports on non-communicable diseases intentionally or non-intentionally do not feature CKD. The traditional risk factors for CKD, such as hypertension and diabetes, which have received relatively ample attention, do not sufficiently explain the high burden of CKD in these countries.Ambient air pollution is an emerging significant environmental risk factor for CKD; however, epidemiological data and evidence are lacking for susceptible populations in developing countries. The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is a petrochemical hub known for environmental degradation, including air pollution, and thus, serves as a good case study for investigating the association between air pollution and CKD. This brief is based on the results of a mixed-methods study conducted in four communities situated near an oil and gas refinery in Warri, Nigeria.Air pollutant concentrations measured in partnership with citizen scientists showed that all except one air pollutant (ozone) exceeded the WHO acceptable limits in all four communities.The overall prevalence of CKD was high (12.3%) but even higher (18%) in a socially deprived semi-urban community closest to the oil refinery. Hypertension, diabetes, other behavioral risk factors, and exposures associated with CKD were prevalent among the inhabitants of the four communities. However, public environmental health information and education are lacking.A multifaceted approach is required to mitigate air pollution and the associated health risks in the state. Public inclusion is strongly recommended for the planning and implementation of future interventions. Kidney disease prevention and treatment should be emphasized in health policies and insurance schemes
Experiences of early assessment to teach functional programming
Get PDFThis paper reports on the experiences of using an early assessment intervention, specifically employing a Use-Modify-Create scaffold, to teach first-year undergraduate functional programming. The particular intervention that was trialled was the use of an early assessment instrument, in which students had to use code given to them, or slightly modify it, to achieve certain goals. The intended outcome was that the students would thus engage earlier with the functional language, enabling them to be better prepared for the second piece of assessment, where they create code to solve given problems. This intervention showed promise: the difference between a student’s score on the Create assignment improved by an average of 9% in the year after the intervention was implemented, a small effect
A Hybrid Semantics and Syntax-Based Graph Convolutional Network for Aspect-Level Sentiment Classification
No full textAspect-level sentiment classification seeks to ascertain the sentiment polarities of individual aspects within a sentence. Most existing research in this field focuses on individually assessing the importance of contexts on individual aspects, disregarding the negative impact of imbalanced relations between aspects due to their mutual influence. This paper presents a hybrid semantics and syntax-based graph convolutional network (SS-GCN) for aspect-level sentiment classification. This model addresses the imbalanced limitation by creating aspects-based balance relations between the strengths and weaknesses of different aspects through an auxiliary task. Furthermore, the multi-head self-attention mechanism utilizes position-enhanced encoding to identify the most relevant aspects of the current word. Extensive experiments demonstrate that SS-GCN outperforms other baselines in terms of classification performance. Compared to state-of-the-art methods, SS-GCN significantly improves 0.39–1.66% in accuracy and 0.43–1.92% in Macro-F1 on the SemEval 14-15 and MAMS datasets
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