Viability of artificial neural networks in mobile healthcare

This thesis describes the design process of an artificially intelligent algorithm capable of differentiating between two discrete electrocardiogram readings (a signal depicting the electrical activity of the heart at a given point in time). The paper culminates in a reduced form implementation of one such algorithm utilising the neural computing paradigm. Algorithms implemented under the neural computing paradigm mimic the as currently perceived operation of the brain cells known as neurons. By creating a network of nodes (neurons) and altering the connections between them, an algorithm can display rudimentary forms of what may be classified as intelligence by displaying an ability to recognise patterns in data and adapt to better recall those patterns. The theoretical section of this paper discusses first those concepts of electrocardiography that directly relate to the research in this paper. The remainder of the theoretical section is dedicated to neural computing. By reading this paper, a reader not previously familiar with the subject should understand the various factions of the artificial intelligence com- munity and both the operation and purpose of neural computing and what role it may potentially play in future mobile healthcare developments

The role of business model innovation in transitioning ULEVs to market

Abstract This thesis explores whether ‘business model innovation’ could hold the key to advancing the ultra-low and zero carbon vehicle industry in the United Kingdom. This thesis presents a critical comparison of two case studies drawn from qualitative research conducted with a broad cross-section of UK vehicle manufacturers (VMs) that are interested in introducing zero carbon vehicles to the marketplace. The two cases, looking at large established producers of vehicles with trans-national presence (herein termed TNC/MNC VMs) and smaller producers (herein termed SME VMs). The two cases consist of a number of grouped embedded cases focusing on the activities of vehicle producers that are in the process of introducing Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) to the UK marketplace. These cases are constructed and informed by both primary research, semi-structured interviews conducted with representatives of these VMs, secondary analysis of interviews conducted with VM representatives and industry commentators and documentary analysis of contemporary sources and industry commentary. The thesis is framed within a broader academic debate regarding the nature of achieving socio-technical transitions. Within this frame of reference, particular attention is paid to the role of large incumbents vs. new start-up insurgents in bringing innovative technologies to the marketplace; innovative technologies being seen as a key component of a transition to a more sustainable world. In comparing the business models of large, well-established vehicle manufacturers, with smaller, newer, SME providers the ontology of Business Models developed by Osterwalder & Pigneur (2002) is used to interrogate, analyse and make comparisons between the business models of a range of companies that are very dissimilar in nature. Context is crucial to understanding the detail of case studies; as such, the thesis is also informed by the perspectives, gained through interviews, of a number of industry commentators, representatives of government organisations and automotive trade bodies. ~ xxviii ~ This thesis set out to explore a number of research themes and the contributions to knowledge that this thesis has made are: Establishing a theoretical linkage between Geels (2006) multi-level perspective of transitions literature and Osterwalder & Pigneur’s (2002) business model ontology. By bringing these two powerful tools together, it is proposed that a complimentary analysis of the business model on the micro level, embedded within an overall socio-technical transition at the macro level can be made. Furthermore, through an empirical analysis of business models in the car industry, a range of business model components, new directions for business models and “complementary” ancillary business models that support the introduction of ULEVs has been identified. Disappointingly, whilst some observation are made about the early stages of transitions, the slow uptake of ULEVs in the marketplace has shown that the incumbent regime is still reistant to transition – and no concrete transition mechanisms can be identified. There are however a collection of observations about the early stages of socio-technical transitions. The thesis also contributes to the ongoing debate about the tensions between incumbent and insurgent business contributing to the ongoing characterisation of the competitive forces that exist between them. Another important contribution to the business models literature, is a discussion of the role of product, process and business model design. Very recent work by Meertens, Starreveld, Iacob, & Nieuwenhuis (2013) has also explored this issue, however, this work takes a different perspective informed by the empirical data within the case studies

The supply chain for electric car batteries is changing the world's geopolitics

The rising demand for electric vehicles is changing the geopolitical landscape, as the world pivots away from fossil fuels towards the materials critical to the EV supply chain. As manufacturers and countries race to secure the supply of raw materials for EV batteries, new opportunities and geopolitical risks are emerging. Benjamin Jones, Viet Nguyen-Tien, Robert Elliott and Gavin Harper write about the implications of the race for battery-critical resources

Physical Impact of Waterjet-Based Sediment Remediation on Benthic Organisms

Adding Activated Carbon to Sediments Has Been Shown to Be an Effective Means of Reducing the Bioavailability of Certain Contaminants. the Current State of the Practice is to Mechanically Mix Activated Carbon to a Target Concentration of 3 Percent at Depths of Approximately 30 Cm using a Rotovator or Similar Construction Equipment. Waterjets Have Been Used to Cut Hard Material using a Mixture of Water and an Abrasive. If Activated Carbon is Substituted for the Abrasive, Waterjets Have the Potential to Use Surface Injection as a Replacement for Mechanical Mixing during Sediment Remediation. a Perceived Benefit of Waterjet-Based Sediment Remediation is that There May Be a Reduced Potential for Benthic Organism Mortality Related to Amendment Delivery. a Set of Waterjet Parameters Were Identified that Have the Potential to Achieve Amendment Placement Goals, and a Series of Waterjet Tests Were Conducted to Evaluate the Potential Impact on the Benthic Community. the Tests Included Mortality Testing using a Swimming Macroinvertebrate and a Burrowing Invertebrate, Benthic Artifacts Such as Shells, and Craft Foam as a Surrogate for Living Organisms. the Results Indicated that the Immediate Survivability Was Typically Greater Than 50 Percent, and that Empirical Relationships between Two Variables (Waterjet Nozzle Diameter and the Water Column Height between the Nozzle and the Target) and the Depth of Cut in the Foam Could Be Established. Data Are Not Available in the Literature for Direct Comparison of Organism Survivability Immediately after Mechanical Mixing, But the Results of This Study Provide Motivation for the Further Evaluation of Waterjets on the Basis of the Low Observed Mortality Rates. Future Waterjet Work May Address Field-Scale Characterization of Mixing Effectiveness, Resuspension Potential, Technical Feasibility, and Cost. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Green growth and electric vehicles: the role of recycling

The UK needs an electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling industry. This could strengthen the British EV supply chain and support the future development of UK-based gigafactories (large-scale battery factories) and electric vehicle production. Viet Nguyen-Tien, Robert Elliott, Gavin Harper, and Laura Lander discuss how a new clean tech industry can contribute to net-zero targets

Optimising the geospatial configuration of a future lithium ion battery recycling industry in the transition to electric vehicles and a circular economy

Rapid electrification of the transport system will generate substantial volumes of Lithium-ion-battery (LiB) waste as batteries reach their end-of-life. Much attention focuses on the recycling processes, neglecting a broader systemic view that considers the concentration of the costs and impacts associated with logistics and transportation. This paper provides an economic, environmental and geospatial analysis of a future LiB recycling industry in the UK. Hitherto, state-of-the-art assessment methods have evaluated life cycle impacts and costs but have not considered the geographical layer of the problem. This paper develops a GSC derived supply chain model for the UK electric vehicle and end-of-life vehicle battery industry. Considering both pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical recycling technologies, the optimisation process takes into account anticipated EV volumes, and, based on anticipated near-term technological evolution of LiBs, the evolution of the mix of battery cathodes in production, and presents a number of scenarios to show where LiB recycling facilities should ideally be geographically located. An economic and environmental assessment based on a customised EverBatt model is provided

Semi-direct allorecognition

Adaptive CD8 T-cell immunity is the principal arm of the cellular alloimmune response, but its development requires help. This can be provided by CD4 T cells that recognize alloantigen "indirectly," as self-restricted allopeptide, but this process remains unexplained, because the target epitopes for CD4 and CD8 T-cell recognition are "unlinked" on different cells (recipient and donor antigen presenting cells (APCs), respectively). Here, we test the hypothesis that the presentation of intact and processed MHC class I alloantigen by recipient dendritic cells (DCs) (the "semidirect" pathway) allows linked help to be delivered by indirect-pathway CD4 T cells for generating destructive cytotoxic CD8 T-cell alloresponses. We show that CD8 T-cell-mediated rejection of murine heart allografts that lack hematopoietic APCs requires host secondary lymphoid tissue (SLT). SLT is necessary because within it, recipient dendritic cells can acquire MHC from graft parenchymal cells and simultaneously present it as intact protein to alloreactive CD8 T cells and as processed peptide alloantigen for recognition by indirect-pathway CD4 T cells. This enables delivery of essential help for generating cytotoxic CD8 T-cell responses that cause rapid allograft rejection. In demonstrating the functional relevance of the semidirect pathway to transplant rejection, our findings provide a solution to a long-standing conundrum as to why SLT is required for CD8 T-cell allorecognition of graft parenchymal cells and suggest a mechanism by which indirect-pathway CD4 T cells provide help for generating effector cytotoxic CD8 T-cell alloresponses at late time points after transplantation.This work was supported by a British Heart Foundation project grant, the National Institute of Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the National Institute of Health Research Blood and Transplant Research Unit. SH was supported by an Academy of Medical Sciences / Wellcome Trust starter grant and the European Society for Organ Transplantation Junior Basic Science Research Grant. JA and IH were supported by Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Training Fellowships and Raymond and Beverly Sackler Scholarships.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from PNAS via http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.151353311

Beyond the EVent horizon: battery waste, recycling, and sustainability in the United Kingdom electric vehicle transition

Industrial advances and academic enquiry into the transition towards electrified mobility has been arguably preoccupied with the earlier phases of technological development, while less consideration has been given to the end-of-life phase. One example of this is the current technical and economic difficulties surrounding Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) recycling; and specifically, their high voltage lithium-ion batteries. In this study of the automotive sector, we adopt a longer-term perspective to better understand the overall transition towards “zero-emissions” road transport by empirically and theoretically contributing to the strategic management of lithium-ion powered, vehicle electrification. Through the careful exploration of BEV end-of-life, this paper forecasts a dynamic end-of-life stockpile of lithium-ion batteries, using the UK as a case study. By establishing the ‘dynamic stockpile’ as the central problématique, this paper then describes various technical challenges, business model implications and policy debates around reuse, recycling and disposal that countries will have to contend with as first generation BEVs begin to enter technological obsolescence. While innovation and technological progress are desirable, industry, governments and society must remain aware – and prepared – for the significant economic and environmental costs and opportunities associated with not only the diffusion, but also the waste generated by new technologies