Robotics for rehabilitation of hand movement in stroke survivors

This article aims to give an overall review of research status in hand rehabilitation robotic technology, evaluating a number of devices. The main scope is to explore the current state of art to help and support designers and clinicians make better choices among varied devices and components. The review also focuses on both mechanical design, usability and training paradigms since these parts are interconnected for an effective hand recovery. In order to study the rehabilitation robotic technology status, the devices have been divided in two categories: end-effector robots and exoskeleton devices. The end-effector robots are more flexible than exoskeleton devices in fitting the different size of hands, reducing the setup time and increasing the usability for new patients. They suffer from the control of distal joints and haptic aspects of object manipulation. In this way, exoskeleton devices may represent a new opportunity. Nevertheless their design is complex and a deep investigation of hand biomechanics and physical human–robot interaction is required. The main hand exoskeletons have been developed in the last decade and the results are promising demonstrated by the growth of the commercialized devices. Finally, a discussion on the complexity to define which design is better and more effective than the other one is summarized for future investigations

Value Creation in the Quadruple Helix: A Micro Level Conceptual Model of Principal Investigators as Value Creators

Conceptual models of the quadruple helix have largely taken a macro perspective. While these macro perspectives have motivated debates and studies, they fall short in understanding value creation activities at the micro level of the quadruple helix. The purpose of this paper is to address this deficit by focusing on the fundamental research question how value is collectively created, captured, and enhanced at the micro level of the quadruple helix. Drawing on theoretical considerations centred on simmelian ties, boundary work and value postures (motives, creation, destruction, and drivers), we develop a micro level conceptual model of principal investigators (PIs) as value creators in the quadruple helix. Scientists in the PI role engage in boundary spanning activities with other quadruple helix actors. This engagement builds strong simmelian ties with these actors and enables PIs to develop collective value motives by bridging diverse knowledge and creating common value motives. Our conceptual model extends our understanding of the quadruple helix at the micro level and highlights the importance of PIs having strong simmelian in order to realise collective and individual value motives. The paper concludes with some suggestions for future avenues of research on this important topic

Publicly funded principal investigators allocation of time for public sector entrepreneurship activities

In this paper we explore the allocation of time of publicly funded principal investigators (PIs) for public sector entrepreneurship activities. We examine their allocation of time in general to research activities and specifically at a project level in relation to the type of research, knowledge transfer activity, project impact, deliberate technology transfer strategy and boundary spanning activities using data from a full population survey of publicly funded PIs in Ireland in science, engineering and technology across national and European research programmes. We find that PIs who spend more time on general research related activities allocated a higher proportion of time to technology transfer activities and that PIs who spend more time on technology activities engaged more in end of project reports and collaborative research with industry. In relation to the importance placed on impact criteria, PIs who spend more time on research placed more importance on technology and market impacts than those spending less time on research related activities. Furthermore, PIs who spend more time on technology transfer placed greater value on technology transfer, market and economic impact. We find projects of PIs spending more time on research related activities had a greater impact on technology transfer and a greater market impact, according to the assessment of respondents, than the projects of PIs spending less time on research activities. Finally, with respect to boundary spanning activities we find PIs spending more time on research engaged more in direct consultation with industry end-users and direct consultation with their technology transfer office at the pre-proposal stage of their selected project and they had significantly larger than average amount of industry partners. We conclude our analysis by considering the implications for public sector entrepreneurship

Service encounter behaviour (SEB) in higher education: a Malaysian perspective

Nowadays, marketing activities of HE institutions are increasingly important as they operate within their competitive and regulated environment. HE institutions have borrowed service industrial concepts to focus on the services they provide to students. They need to identify and implement tools to further understanding of the issues that impact on students' experiences. Apart from, focussing specifically on the learning experience in the sense of formal learning (where most of the past research has concentrated on), studies have also shown that support services are just as important in influencing students' learning experience. Hence, one of the support services, programme administration (PA) has become increasingly important due to the diversity of programmes offered and it contributes to the learning experience of students as well as indirectly impacting upon institutions' competitiveness. In order to enhance the learning experience of students and to manage the service encounter between students and programme leaders (PLs), it is argued that there must be an understanding of the service encounter behaviour (SEB) of the interacting parties and more importantly from a dyadic perspective since a service encounter is a two-way interpretive process. Thus, this research is set in the HE context, focussing particularly in PA, exploring the SEB (the situational definition and situational roles) of student-PL from a dyadic perspective (from student's and employee's perspective) to improve the management of service encounters as well as to enhance the learning experience of students. The conceptual framework is based on Czepiel et al. (1985) concept of a service encounter emphasising that it is purposeful where tasks need to be completed within a set of rules constrained by the nature of service and the behaviour bounded by roles assumed by the interacting parties. To manage a service encounter, the SEB of the interacting parties needs to be understood and from a dyadic perspective paying attention to roles represented by each participant. This research has borrowed literature from the social psychology discipline i.e. Mead (1934) SI perspective of role and McHugh's (1968) situational definition to further understanding of the dynamism of interactions to gain further understanding of the SEB (role expectations and role response of the interacting parties). Taking the social constructionist epistemology, this research seeks to understand the meanings student- PL construct when interacting and how these meaning have led to specific SEB. By adopting the interpretivists' paradigm embedded in symbolic interactionism, the researcher tries to interpret the underlying meaning of students'-PLs' SEB from a dyadic perspective. Qualitative case study methodology is employed using the critical incident technique (CIT) as a method to elicit student-PL experiences in service encounters, helping them to focus on specific situations when recounting their SEB. To make sense of these data, narrative analysis is used to interpret the constructions of students¬PLs in their interactions. The study has included 42 participants (26 students and 16 PLs) from 4 private colleges in Malaysia. It has yielded 63 service encounters categorised into 11 types of service encounter, covering most of the situations where a student would approach their PLs in a typical semester. The findings have indicated that defining a service encounter is significant and is functional in shaping the situational roles to be represented, thereby influencing the outcome of the situation. It has shown that even though service encounters can be similar, different situational roles can lead to different outcomes. These key findings are evidenced in a SEB guide, giving a bundle of possible situational roles in identified service encounters. These outcomes have implications for students, PLs and the management as well as future research.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The adoption of lean sigma in a UK longitudinal manufacturing case study

The power and influence of the individual techniques of Lean Production (L.P.) and Six Sigma (S.S.) are well recognised as successful manufacturing Continuous Improvement (C.I.) and Change Management (C.M.) methodologies. Both techniques are able to be successfully introduced and applied in the manufacturing companies of the UK with both techniques having a history of successful performance improvement. The hypothesis the research attempts to test is founded upon the limitations of the independent adoption of the techniques in contrast to the development of a more powerful Lean Sigma synergy, blending both techniques in a combined approach. The tools used individually limit the potential and pace of the manufacturing business development with both improvement systems having hard limits and constraining boundaries that the fundamentalist supporters are unable or unwilling to question. This research aims to prove that the cocktail of the techniques known as Lean Sigma (L.S.) can significantly improve the ability of the manufacturing business to accelerate the C.I. process whilst maintaining a more structured and disciplined roll out process that combines the creative waste reduction of L.P. and the statistical improvement and management techniques of S.S. Breaking down the constraints and hard limits of the individual techniques by harnessing the most powerful and influential elements of the two systems to produce a significantly more holistic C.I. programme that delivers the penetration and flexibility of Lean combined with the structure and rigour of Six Sigma. This research follows the migration from the C.I. methodology of Total Quality Management (T.Q.M.) to the acceptance of Lean Sigma in a UK manufacturing case study and is supported by three satellite UK longitudinal manufacturing case studies. The resultant case study analysis attempts to uncover evidence to defend the criticism that the two techniques are mutually exclusive and furthermore that they have a significant combined and complementary impact on the case study businesses that have accepted the dual attack strategy of Lean Sigma. By the process of becoming partial embedded in each of the case studies the researcher has experienced the longitudinal change process first hand and plotted the nuances in each of the studies, comparing and contrasting the differing approaches to the adoption of the methodologies and the roll out strategies. The findings of the research highlight the increased impact of the combined approach in areas as diverse as workforce commitment, floor space utilisation, machine up time, reduced labour requirements reduced tooling costs, component quality improvements, health and safety advances, process efficiency and cost reduction activity.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

How university-based principal investigators shape a hybrid role identity

This paper examines the role identity of university based principal investigators (PIs), as well as the learning mechanisms that underpin this position. PIs have become the focus of increasing research attention which has argued that they, along with universities and funding bodies, form an increasingly crucial tripartite in public research environments. Although the PI position is well recognised among scientific peers and research institutions, a role identity is still emerging and remains ill-defined. This issue requires research attention as having a clear role identity is fundamental to performing a role effectively. Our analysis draws on interviews with 41 health science PIs in New Zealand to develop a PI role identity learning framework. We find that the PI role identity is made up of four roles – science networker, research contractor, project manager, and entrepreneur - that are mutually reinforcing throughout the research process, and which together form a hybrid science-business role identity. Furthermore, we identify two learning mechanisms – learning through experience and violation – and show how these are formative for role identity when transitioning to an ill-defined position. Based on our findings we discuss a number of practical implications for PIs, universities and funding bodies

Modelling ion motion in perovskite films

There are two main methods for modelling the electronic properties of perovskite devices. Drift-diffusion modelling [1,2,3] works by solving differential equations, while equivalent circuit modelling [4,5] works by treating different parts of the device as electrical components. This work focuses on drift-diffusion modelling.Most drift-diffusion models of perovskite use finite-difference methods [1,3], which solve the differential equations at equally-spaced grid points. These models have achieved a valuable qualitative description of the influence of ion motion on the electrical characteristics of perovskite solar cells. However, in order to relate the model predictions to microscopic material properties, a more quantitative model is required.We use a hybrid model [2] where an asymptotic approximation is used to model the accumulation of ionic charge at the interfaces between materials. The charge accumulation, which is a function of time, is then input into a second model, in which the electron and hole concentrations across the film are expressed as a sum of Chebyshev polynomials using the MATLAB add-on module Chebfun. [6]In this work, the ability of different drift-diffusion modelling methods to reproduce experimental current-voltage measurements quantitatively is compared. References[1] S. van Reenen, M. Kemerink and H. J. Snaith, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. (2015), Vol. 6, 1511-1515[2] G. Richardson et al, Energy Environ. Sci. (2016), Vol 9, 1476-1485[3] P. Calado et al., arXiv (2016), https://arxiv.org/abs/1606.00818 [4] A. Pockett et al., J. Phys. Chem. C. (2015), Vol. 119, 3456-3465[5] L. Cojocaru et al., Chem. Lett. (2015), Vol. 44, 1750-1752[6] T. A. Driscoll, N. Hale and L. N. Trefethen, Chebfun Guide (2015)<br/

Computational Notebooks as Co-Design Tools:Engaging Young Adults Living with Diabetes, Family Carers, and Clinicians with Machine Learning Models

Engaging end user groups with machine learning (ML) models can help align the design of predictive systems with people's needs and expectations. We present a co-design study investigating the benefits and challenges of using computational notebooks to inform ML models with end user groups. We used a computational notebook to engage young adults, carers, and clinicians with an example ML model that predicted health risk in diabetes care. Through co-design workshops and retrospective interviews, we found that participants particularly valued using the interactive data visualisations of the computational notebook to scaffold multidisciplinary learning, anticipate benefits and harms of the example ML model, and create fictional feature importance plots to highlight care needs. Participants also reported challenges, from running code cells to managing information asymmetries and power imbalances. We discuss the potential of leveraging computational notebooks as interactive co-design tools to meet end user needs early in ML model lifecycles