Research activities arising from the University of Kent

In this paper I describe research activities in the field of optical fiber sensing undertaken by me after leaving the Applied Optics Group at the University of Kent. The main topics covered are long period gratings, neural network based signal processing, plasmonic sensors, and polymer fiber gratings. I also give a summary of my two periods of research at the University of Kent, covering 1985–1988 and 1991–2001

Photonic gas sensors exploiting directly the optical properties of hybrid carbon nanotube localized surface plasmon structures

We investigate the modification of the optical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) resulting from a chemical reaction triggered by the presence of a specific compound (gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2)) and show this mechanism has important consequences for chemical sensing. CNTs have attracted significant research interest because they can be functionalized for a particular chemical, yielding a specific physical response which suggests many potential applications in the fields of nanotechnology and sensing. So far, however, utilizing their optical properties for this purpose has proven to be challenging. We demonstrate the use of localized surface plasmons generated on a nanostructured thin film, resembling a large array of nano-wires, to detect changes in the optical properties of the CNTs. Chemical selectivity is demonstrated using CO2 in gaseous form at room temperature. The demonstrated methodology results additionally in a new, electrically passive, optical sensing configuration that opens up the possibilities of using CNTs as sensors in hazardous/explosive environments

Formation of a ZnS Zn S,O bilayer buffer on CuInS2 thin film solar cell absorbers by chemical bath deposition

The application of Zn compounds as buffer layers was recently extended to wide gap CuInS2 CIS based thin film solar cells. Using a new chemical deposition route for the buffer preparation aiming at the deposition of a single layer, nominal ZnS buffer without the need for any toxic reactants such as, e.g. hydrazine, has helped to achieve a similar efficiency as respective CdS buffered reference devices. In order to shed light on the differences of other Zn compound buffers deposited in conventional chemical baths CBD compared to the buffer layers deposited by this alternative CBD process, the composition of the deposited buffers was investigated by x ray excited Auger electron and x ray photoelectron spectroscopy to potentially clarify their superiority in terms of device performance. We have found that in the early stages of this alternative CBD process a thin ZnS layer is formed on the CIS, whereas in the second half of the CBD the growth rate is greatly increased and Zn S,O with a ZnS ZnS ZnO ratio of approx. 80 is deposited. Thus, a ZnS Zn S,O bi layer buffer is deposited on the CIS thin film solar cell absorbers by the alternative chemical deposition route used in this investigation. No major changes of these findings after a postannealing of the buffer CIS sample series and re characterization could be identified

The Symptom Burden and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients in the Gaza Strip, Palestine: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, but there is an absence of evidence systematically assessing symptom burden and quality of life (QoL) using validated tools. Our objective was to assess associations between socio-demographic and disease-related characteristics, symptom burden and QoL in a sample of cancer patients accessing outpatient services in the Gaza Strip. Design A cross-sectional, descriptive survey using interviews and medical record review involving patients with cancer accessing oncology outpatient services at Al Rantisi Hospital and European Gaza Hospital (EGH) in the Gaza Strip was employed. Socio-demographic and disease-related data, the Lebanese version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS-Leb), and the Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) were collected. Multiple linear regression was used to judge the relative influence of determinants of QoL. Results Of 414 cancer patients approached, 385 patients consented to participation. The majority were women (64.7%) with a mean age of 52 years (SD = 16.7). Common cancer diagnoses were breast (32.2%), haematological (17.9%) and colorectal (9.1%). The median number of symptoms was 10 (IQR 1.5–18.5). Mean overall QoL was 70.5 (SD 19.9) with common physical and psychological symptoms identified. A higher burden of symptoms was associated with marital status, education and income. Limited access to both opioids and psychological support were reported. Conclusions A high symptom burden was identified in outpatients with cancer. Increasing provision and access to supportive care for physical and psychological symptoms should be prioritised alongside exploring routine assessment of symptom burden and QoL

The makewaves tsunami tests and their relevance to tsunami engineering and risk management

MAKEWAVES is an international multi-partner collaborative project bringing together nine academic institutions and two commercial consultancies. The objective of the collaboration is to develop experimental data and associated numerical modelling on tsunami inundation and interaction with boulders, buildings, natural and engineered barriers, towards the development of new internationally accepted guidance for structural codes and standards. Using a pneumatic tsunami simulator (TS) developed jointly by HR Wallingford and UCL the team conducted experiments between November 2022 and April 2023 within a highly instrumented 100m long flume. The TS is capable of simulating realistic trough and crest-led tsunami waves at 1:50, including traces from the The TS is capable of generating very long trough and crest-led waves, and can reproduce at 1:50 scale waves from real life events such as the Mercator trace from the 2004 Indian Ocean event and the and 2011 Tohoku tsunamis. The TS capability has been further extended to include bore-waves. The characteristics of the waves are controlled by adjusting the flow rate and total volume of water drawn in and discharged by the TS. The experimental campaign is was subdivided into discrete research areas, each aimed at furthering knowledge on how different tsunami wave characteristics affect their interaction with manmade and natural structures environments. These include tests aimed at understanding: (1) how roughness representative of coastal forests and mangroves affects tsunami inundation characteristics, (2) how tsunami interact with boulders (3) the effectiveness of offshore breakwaters as tsunami barriers (4) how structural loads and foundation scour are affected by building permeability. This paper presents an overview of the tests conducted and some of the important early observations made that are relevant to future engineering standards and to tsunami disaster management

A systematic review of musculoskeletal disorders among school teachers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) represent one of the most common and most expensive occupational health problems in both developed and developing countries. School teachers represent an occupational group among which there appears to be a high prevalence of MSD. Given that causes of MSD have been described as multi-factorial and prevalence rates vary between body sites and location of study, the objective of this systematic review was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for MSD among teaching staff.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study involved an extensive search of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases in 2011. All studies which reported on the prevalence and/or risk factors for MSD in the teaching profession were initially selected for inclusion. Reference lists of articles identified in the original search were then examined for additional publications. Of the 80 articles initially located, a final group of 33 met the inclusion criteria and were examined in detail.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This review suggests that the prevalence of self-reported MSD among school teachers ranges between 39% and 95%. The most prevalent body sites appear to be the back, neck and upper limbs. Nursery school teachers appear to be more likely to report suffering from low back pain. Factors such as gender, age, length of employment and awkward posture have been associated with higher MSD prevalence rates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Overall, this study suggests that school teachers are at a high risk of MSD. Further research, preferably longitudinal, is required to more thoroughly investigate the issue of MSD among teachers, with a greater emphasis on the possible wider use of ergonomic principles. This would represent a major step forward in the prevention of MSD among teachers, especially if easy to implement control measures could be recommended.</p

Self-help groups challenge health care systems in the US and UK

Purpose: This research considers how self-help groups (SHGs) and self- help organizations (SHOs) contribute to consumerist trends in two different societies: United States and United Kingdom. How do the health care systems and the voluntary sectors affect the kinds of social changes that SHGs/SHOs make? Methodology/approach: A review of research on the role of SHGs/SHOs in contributing to national health social movements in the UK and US was made. Case studies of the UK and the US compare the characteristics of their health care systems and their voluntary sector. Research reviews of two community level self-help groups in each country describe the kinds of social changes they made. Findings: The research review verified that SHGs/SHOs contribute to national level health social movements for patient consumerism. The case studies showed that community level SHGs/SHOs successfully made the same social changes but on a smaller scale as the national movements, and the health care system affects the kinds of community changes made. Research limitations: A limited number of SHGs/SHOs within only two societies were studied. Additional SHGs/SHOs within a variety of societies need to be studied. Originality/value of chapter Community SHGs/SHOs are often trivialized by social scientists as just inward-oriented support groups, but this chapter shows that local groups contribute to patient consumerism and social changes but in ways that depend on the kind of health care system and societal context

Inheriting library cards to Babel and Alexandria: Contemporary metaphors for the digital library

Librarians have been consciously adopting metaphors to describe library concepts since the nineteenth century, helping us to structure our understanding of new technologies. We have drawn extensively on these figurative frameworks to explore issues surrounding the digital library, yet very little has been written to date which interrogates how these metaphors have developed over the years. Previous studies have explored library metaphors, using either textual analysis or ethnographic methods to investigate their usage. However, this is to our knowledge the first study to use bibliographic data, corpus analysis, qualitative sentiment weighting and close reading to study particular metaphors in detail. It draws on a corpus of over 450 articles to study the use of the metaphors of the Library of Alexandria and Babel, concluding that both have been extremely useful as framing metaphors for the digital library. However, their longstanding use has seen them become stretched as metaphors, meaning that the field’s figurative framework now fails to represent the changing technologies which underpin contemporary digital libraries