Learning number notations – Comparison of a sign-value and place-value system

Although numbers are universal, there are great differences between languages and cultures in terms of how they are represented. Numerical notation can influence number processing. Two well-known types of notational systems are sign-value, such as the Roman numeral system, and place-value systems, such as the Indo-Arabic numeral system. What is involved in learning each system? Here we report a study that investigated adults’ abilities to implicitly learn an artificially created sign-value or place-value system. We asked if they could perform symbolic comparison and ordering tasks using the novel symbol system. We found adults could learn the ordinal meaning of symbols within either system and were able to extend the system to symbols not encountered during training. There was a relative advantage of the sign-value system over the place-value system for expressions encountered during the training, but also for expressions that had not previously been encountered. These results shed light on how easily the structure of place-value and sign-value systems can be learned.</p

A life in dignity for all? UK social security support, income adequacy and minimum living standards under austerity, 2008–2023

Since 2008, the UK has seen substantial political, economic and social change. Following the global financial crash, there was a shift in the role of the state in providing a ‘social minimum’ – or a properly constituted safety net – for all. Austerity and cuts in public spending contributed to increasing conditionality within social security, and a programme of restrictive welfare reforms undermined support for those on low or no income, delivered in part through the UK welfare state. This article uses the lens of decent minimum living standards to examine the impact of austerity on social security support, income adequacy and minimum living standards in the UK from 2008 to 2023. Minimum Income Standard (MIS) research in the UK provides the basis for this analysis. MIS sets out what the public agree is needed for a minimum socially acceptable standard of living, that meets essential needs and enables social participation. MIS provides an annually updated benchmark, rooted in public consensus, against which the adequacy of benefits and wages can be assessed and tracked over time. The article provides an overview of MIS, before setting out how illustrative households have fared over this period. We chart the impact of austerity on the adequacy of social security and minimum wages, relative to MIS. We end by reflecting on the question of what sort of social security system the UK needs to ensure that all can live in dignity at all stages of life.</p

Transitions to safely managed FSM services in Bangladesh

This record contains an extended abstract and MP4 presentation. Presented at the 43rd WEDC International Conference</p

The market value of football players: A new methodology

The market value of football players: A new methodology</p

Climate resilience: Scientific protocol for restoration of ecological function of environmentally degraded river basins

This record contains an extended abstract. Presented at the 43rd WEDC International Conference</p

Artificial Intelligence in offsite and modular construction research

The capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in managing complex problems are increasing in construction. Particularly for offsite and modular construction (OMC). However, the knowledge landscape of AI applications in OMC remains fragmented, hindering the understanding of current developments and critical areas for advancing AI-in-OMC. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive overview of AI applications in OMC using a mixed-method review approach to identify key application areas of AI-in-OMC and under-researched areas. The findings reveal that the convolutional neural network (CNN) is the most prominent AI technique adopted, followed by artificial neural network (ANN). Prominent issues regarding AI-in-OMC include productivity and site safety. Further, the findings reveal patterns of different AI techniques solving similar research problems at each stage of OMC. Research areas to improve AI-in-OMC include AI-circular economy outcomes, sound and 23 image data integration and transfer learning.</p

A comparative feminist analysis of Chinese and Disney animated features 1970-present

A comparative feminist analysis of Chinese and Disney animated features 1970-present</p

Data for Study 1 for "Misconceptions of the order of operations and associativity use"

Manuscript reports two studies involving the creation of a new tool to assess order of operations knowledge, and the application of that tool in an experimental study to investigate whether order of operations understanding related to associativity use. </p

Opticurve: an optimized informer-curvelet framework for enhanced hyperspectral image segmentation and classification

Hyperspectral image (HSI) classification is crucial for applications in climate action, land use analysis, disaster risk reduction, and informed decision-making, given the complex spatial and spectral variations inherent in HSI data. Traditional methods struggle with accurately capturing these variations, necessitating more advanced techniques. This work introduces an Optimized Linformer-Curvelet (OptiCurve) Framework that integrates CNN-based feature extraction, Curvelet Transform for spatial detail capture, and Linformer for efficient feature representation. By combining these techniques, the model enhances HSI segmentation and classification, supporting improved outcomes in critical areas like environmental monitoring and disaster response. The framework is validated on four standard HSI datasets-Indian Pines, Pavia University, Kennedy Space Center, and Houston University-showing significant performance improvements over existing methods.</p

WEDC Technical Brief No. 15: Slow sand filter design

Slow sand filtration is a simple and effective technique for purifying surface water. It will remove practically all the turbidity from water, together with virtually all harmful eggs, protozoa, bacteria and viruses without the addition of chemicals and may frequently be constructed largely with local materials.</p