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Revitalizing Student Skills for Workforce Preparation
No full textDue to rapid technological advancements, evolving workplace structures, and a shift towards remote work, the nature of work is undergoing transformations influencing communication, work dynamics, and learning processes. Improving the skills of future workforces is now a necessity as the growth of work-skill misalignment and employability skills gaps becomes prevalent. Educational institutions must prepare students for the digital world by providing them with advanced knowledge and essential skills in modern technology. To positively shape the future workforce, effective solutions for skill revitalization should be explored.Revitalizing Student Skills for Workforce Preparation explores the intricacies of evolving and complex professional landscapes, including the challenges and opportunities of student skill development. The pivotal role of skill development in education is emphasized while delving into how effective skill education will shape the future workforce. This book covers topics such as digital technology, professional development, and emotional intelligence, and is a useful resource for educators, business professionals, and policymakers, academicians, researchers, and administrators
From whole bodies to single cells: A guide to transcriptomic approaches for ecology and evolutionary biology
Get PDFRNA sequencing (RNAseq) methodology has experienced a burst of technological developments in the last decade, which has opened up opportunities for studying the mechanisms of adaptation to environmental factors at both the organismal and cellular level. Selecting the most suitable experimental approach for specific research questions and model systems can, however, be a challenge and researchers in ecology and evolution are commonly faced with the choice of whether to study gene expression variation in whole bodies, specific tissues, and/or single cells. A wide range of sometimes polarised opinions exists over which approach is best. Here, we highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each of these approaches to provide a guide to help researchers make informed decisions and maximise the power of their study. Using illustrative examples of various ecological and evolutionary research questions, we guide the readers through the different RNAseq approaches and help them identify the most suitable design for their own projects
User Preferences-Based Proactive Content Caching with Characteristics Differentiation in HetNets
Get PDFWith the proliferation of mobile applications, the explosion of mobile data traffic imposes a significant burden on backhaul links with limited capacity in heterogeneous cellular networks (HetNets). To alleviate this challenge, content caching based on popularity at Small Base Stations (SBSs) has emerged as a promising solution. However, accurately predicting the file popularity profile for SBSs remains a key challenge due to variations in content characteristics and user preferences. Moreover, factors such as content size and the length of time slots (that is, the time duration of the update cycle for SBSs) critically impact the performance of caching schemes with limited storage capacity. In this paper, a realism-oriented intelligent caching (RETINA) is proposed to address the problem of content caching with unknown file popularity profiles, considering varying content sizes and time slots lengths. Our simulation results demonstrate that RETINA can significantly enhance the cache hit rate by 4%–12% compared to existing content caching schemes
Caught in the maze: Exploration of the ‘tourist trap’ phenomenon
Get PDFThis research note explores the intricate nature of tourist traps, going beyond the prevalent negative stigma attached to them. While the term tourist trap is casually used, only a limited number of scholars have investigated the intricacies of this phenomenon, and there is a scarcity of empirical research on this topic. Using a Reflective Collaborative Autoethnography (RCA) approach, this research note presents a reflective analysis of the authors’ experience with the phenomenon. Through this exploration, we uncover insights in both psychological and tangible dimensions, contributing to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of tourist traps. Expanding from the findings, this research note conceptualises the concept of a tourist trap from a dual-perspective framework that considers both supply and demand aspects. This framework goes beyond the traditional focus on product or service quality, providing a more nuanced discourse on the multifaceted nature of tourist traps
Forecasting throughput at a transshipment hub under trade dynamism and uncertainty in major production centers
Get PDFThe demand for port services is intricately tied to international trade between production centers and the global market. This paper introduces a unique econometric forecasting model tailored to predict container port throughput at a transshipment hub, leveraging the dynamic and uncertain nature of international trade flows, originating from three global production centers: China, the USA, and Germany. The paper examines how the trade flow dynamics of these centers impact a transshipment hub, especially in scenarios where the hub is strategically positioned along major shipping routes, serving as the sole container transshipment facility in a region. The validation of the model is conducted through empirical testing using time series analysis of trade flows from the above three major production centers to the South Asian port region. The Port of Colombo (PoC) is used as the regional hub port. The model incorporates external shocks to assess their influence on the demand for the services of the hub and its resilience to global disruptions. Findings indicate the substantial influence of China, with a notable impact on exports to the USA from South Asia and imports from Europe and Central Asia to China, establishing positive and long-term relationships with PoC. Furthermore, the paper offers insights into PoC’s resilience during crises such as the Red Sea incident, leveraging its strategic location. The findings not only contribute in developing PoC’s strategic position, but they also lay the groundwork for future studies on global trade patterns and the adaptability of transshipment hubs in the face of dynamic demand
Active Disturbance Rejection Control of Wrist Tremor Suppression System With Additional High-Order Repetitive Control Component
No full textIntention tremor is an involuntary and rhythmic muscle contraction that occurs during purposeful limb movements. Functional electrical stimulation based repetitive control (RC) has proven to be an effective approach to reject periodic tremor disturbance with a constant frequency. However, the performance in suppressing tremor slightly decreases with variations in tremor frequency and inevitable musculoskeletal model uncertainties. Therefore, improving the robustness of the repetitive controller remains a challenge. This article presents a composite control strategy that combines active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) with high-order RC (HORC) to address the above issues. The stability of the proposed closed-loop ADRC based high-order RC system is analyzed. Simulation results show that the proposed control strategy can not only suppress tremor disturbances of varying frequency, but also handle the model parameter uncertainty. Furthermore, comparison to experimental outcomes of unimpaired subjects and tremor patients also demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. The average tremor suppression performance achieved by the proposed ADRC-based HORC (ADRC–HORC) method is 87.76%, which represents an improvement of approximately 11% over the traditional RC method and 27% over the filter based method
Federated learning‐driven dual blockchain for data sharing and reputation management in Internet of medical things
No full textIn the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), the vulnerability of federated learning (FL) to single points of failure, low-quality nodes, and poisoning attacks necessitates innovative solutions. This article introduces a FL-driven dual-blockchain approach to address these challenges and improve data sharing and reputation management. Our approach comprises two blockchains: the Model Quality Blockchain (MQchain) and the Reputation Incentive Blockchain (RIchain). MQchain utilizes an enhanced Proof of Quality (PoQ) consensus algorithm to exclude low-quality nodes from participating in aggregation, effectively mitigating single points of failure and poisoning attacks by leveraging node reputation and quality thresholds. In parallel, RIchain incorporates a reputation evaluation, incentive mechanism, and index query mechanism, allowing for rapid and comprehensive node evaluation, thus identifying high-reputation nodes for MQchain. Security analysis confirms the theoretical soundness of the proposed method. Experimental evaluation using real medical datasets, specifically MedMNIST, demonstrates the remarkable resilience of our approach against attacks compared to three alternative methods
Electrical Tree Image De-Noising using Threshold Wavelet Transform and Wiener Filter
Get PDFElectrical treeing occurred in solid dielectric materials, especially in electrical application with high voltage. The occurrence of electrical tree happens when high electric fields applied, causing tiny channels or paths to form. The main issue during the data collection process is the changes of lighting, making it difficult to study the tree's propagation length, fractal dimension, and growth rate due to corrupted images. This research aims to analyse electrical tree structure images in XLPE material using a CCD camera and develop image de-noising techniques to suppress noise on the electrical tree image. The performance was then analysed using the Otsu thresholding algorithm for accurate segmentation. The methodology was divided into four phases: sample preparation, experimental setup, image pre-processing in MATLAB, and testing four de-noising filters: Wiener, median, NLM, and Gaussian. The Wiener filter with higher PSNR, SNR, and RMSE was selected and using superimposed method, both threshold wavelet transforms and wiener was combined to eliminate the noise. Finally, the proposed method of superimposed was tested with the Otsu thresholding method to evaluate accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the combination filter. Based on the analysis of PSNR, SNR, and RMSE, the performance of the threshold wavelet and Wiener filter (TWWF) de-noising technique improves the image quality of the electrical tree structure. Thus, for the Otsu thresholding segmentation algorithm analysis, it also had the highest values in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity
Survival and recovery of three shark species in North-East Atlantic recreational fisheries
Get PDFUnderstanding how sharks respond to catch and release (C&R) recreational fisheries is an important requirement for effective management. Post-release survival and recovery in recreational fisheries can be species- and setting-dependent. Nevertheless, no study on sharks has been conducted in European recreational fisheries, despite their popularity as target. This study presents the first example of biologging to assess C&R effects on blue sharks (Prionace glauca), porbeagle sharks (Lamna nasus) and tope sharks (Galeorhinus galeus) in the UK. Pop-up satellite archival tags (n = 23 blue shark, 20 porbeagle shark, 26 tope shark) revealed high (94.7–96.2%) survival rates in all three species, with one case of mortality in each. Mortalities could not be definitively attributed to any one aspect of the capture event, as the three animals that died were free of external wounds, and energetic upon release. However, two dead individuals (a porbeagle and a tope shark) were deep hooked and released with hooks in place, which may have caused internal injuries undetectable to observers. Depth time-series data from recovered tags (n = 16) were used to infer when sharks had recovered from angling through changepoint analysis of four movement metrics. Most individuals appeared to recover by 24 hours post-release. Prior to this, abnormal behaviour varied between- and within-species, though typically involved depth-holding either mid-water or near the seafloor, and lower vertical speed. These data offer insights into the behaviour of electronically tagged sharks immediately post-release. The results suggest that when C&R fishing is conducted in accordance with current best-practice guidelines, post-release survival of the three studied shark species can be high
Methods and tools for the safety assessment Part of the European Commission’s safe and sustainable by design framework when applied to advanced materials
Get PDFThe Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework by the EC-JRC (European Commission – Joint Research Centre) provides a structured approach to integrate safety and sustainability considerations from the earliest stages of chemical and material innovation. However, applying SSbD principles to advanced materials poses specific challenges due to their complex and diverse physicochemical properties. This work analyzes and maps hazard, exposure, fate and risk assessment methods and tools applicable to Steps 1, 2 and 3 of the EC-JRC SSbD framework, categorizing them across its three tiers to address different stages of product development. The analysis highlights the challenges of adapting conventional testing and modelling approaches to advanced materials, particularly for hazard assessment, and considers the relevance and limitations of tools originally developed for exposure and risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials when applied to broader advanced materials categories. An assessment of operational status, access conditions, and tool formats provides practical insights for researchers and industry stakeholders. The study identifies key methodological gaps and offers recommendations to improve and expand the current tool landscape. By providing a structured mapping of available resources and challenges, this work supports the effective implementation of SSbD principles, promoting the safe and sustainable development of advanced materials
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