Analysis of Hybrid Hydrogen Systems: Final Report

This project examined biomass pathways for hydrogen production and how they can be hybridized to support renewable electricity generation. The project considered many potential hybrid systems before narrowing the focus to two. The systems were studied in detail for process feasibility and economic performance. The best-performing system was estimated to produce hydrogen at a cost ($1.67/kg) within range of the Department of Energy target for central biomass-derived hydrogen production, while also providing value-added energy services to the electric grid

Incomplete equilibrium in long-range interacting systems

We use a Hamiltonian dynamics to discuss the statistical mechanics of long-lasting quasi-stationary states particularly relevant for long-range interacting systems. Despite the presence of an anomalous single-particle velocity distribution, we find that the Central Limit Theorem implies the Boltzmann expression in Gibbs' $\Gamma$-space. We identify the nonequilibrium sub-manifold of $\Gamma$-space characterizing the anomalous behavior and show that by restricting the Boltzmann-Gibbs approach to this sub-manifold we obtain the statistical mechanics of the quasi-stationary states.Comment: Title changed, throughout revision of the tex

Charting the elements of pedagogic frailty

Background: The concept of pedagogic frailty has been proposed as a unifying concept that may help to integrate institutional efforts to enhance teaching improvement within universities by helping to maintain a simultaneous focus on four key areas that are thought to impede development. Purpose: The variation in internal structure of the four dimensions of pedagogic frailty and the links that have been proposed to connect them are explored here through the analysis of interviews with academics working in a variety of disciplinary areas. Methods: The application of concept map-mediated interviews allows us to view the variable connections within and between these dimensions and the personal ways they are conceptualised by academics working across the heterogeneous university context. Results: The data show that academics conceptualise the discourse of teaching in various ways that have implications for the links that may be developed to integrate the elements within the model. Conclusions: Whilst the form and content of the maps representing dimensions of the pedagogic frailty model exhibit considerable variation, it is suggested that factors such as academic resilience and the explicit use of integrative concepts within disciplines may help to overcome some of the vulnerabilities that accompany pedagogic frailty. The data also raises questions about the links between factors that tend to be under individual control and those that tend towards institutional control

Breathlessness, anxiety, depression and function - the BAD-F study: a cross-sectional, population prevalence study in adults.

© 2019 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Context: Breathlessness is associated with depression, but its relationship to anxiety or impaired function is less clear. Objectives: This study evaluated associations between chronic breathlessness and anxiety, depression, and functional status in the general population. Methods: This cross-sectional study of consenting adults (18 years and older) used an online survey. Quota sampling (n = 3000) was used reflecting the 2016 national census for sex, age, and place of residence. Other data included Four-Item Patient Health Questionnaire for depression and anxiety, the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Breathlessness Scale, and the Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Scale. Multinomial logistic regression assessed predictors. Results: About 2977 respondents had all relevant scores (female 51.2%; median age 45.0 [range 18–92]). Prevalence of breathlessness (mMRC ≥2) was 2.4%, anxiety 6.0%, depression 2.7%, coexisting anxiety/depression 6.1%, and poorer functional status (Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Scale ≤60) 1.6%. In multinomial regression, depression, anxiety, and coexisting anxiety/depression were predicted by younger age, longer duration of breathlessness, and poorer functional status. The highest proportions of people with breathlessness were found in the coexisting anxiety/depression group (10.6%) and depression only group (8.8%). Poorest function was in the coexisting anxiety/depression group with 11.6%. The relationship between poorer functional status and coexisting anxiety/depression was significant (odds ratio 0.90; 95% CI 0.89, 0.92). Adjusted odds ratio for breathlessness and depression only was 3.0 (95% CI 1.2, 7.8). Conclusion: Clinically important breathlessness (mMRC ≥2) was associated with depression, anxiety, and coexisting anxiety/depression. Poorer function that is associated with psychological morbidity in the general population requires further research

Damage profiles of ultrashallow B implants in Si and the Kinchin-Pease relationship

Damage distributions resulting from 0.1-2 keV B+ implantation at room temperature into Si(100) to doses ranging from 1×1014 to 2×1016 cm-2 have been determined using high-depth-resolution medium-energy-ion scattering in the double alignment mode. For all B+ doses and energies investigated a 3-4 nm deep, near-surface damage peak was observed while for energies at and above 1 keV, a second damage peak developed beyond the mean projected B+ ion range of 5.3 nm. This dual damage peak structure is due to dynamic annealing processes. For the near-surface peak it is observed that, at the lowest implant energies and doses used, for which recombination processes are suppressed due to the proximity of the surface capturing interstitials, the value of the damage production yield for low-mass B+ ions is equal or greater than the modified Kinchin-Pease model predictions [G. H. Kinchin and R. S. Pease, Rep. Prog. Phys. 18, 1 (1955); G. H. Kinchin and R. S. Pease, J. Nucl. Energy 1, 200 (1955); P. Sigmund, Appl. Phys. Lett. 14, 114 (1969)]

Lower workforce participation is associated with more severe persisting breathlessness

Background: Not being able to work has negative health, social and financial consequences. Persisting breathlessness is prevalent in working-aged people. Is it associated with lower workforce participation? This study, using the South Australian Health Omnibus, aimed to explore associations between paid workforce participation and persisting breathlessness intensity, and economic impacts on income in people of working age. Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted face-to-face interviews with a random sample of adults in South Australia (n = 8916). Questions included key demographic data, workforce participation and the presence and intensity of persisting breathlessness. Data from working-aged respondents (20–65years of age) were standardised to the census for regression analyses. Work was coded to paid full- or part-time work or ‘other’. Persisting breathlessness (more than three of the last six months) used the modified Medical Research Council breathlessness scale (aggregated to 0, 1, 2–4). Opportunity cost valuations compared annual income foregone by persisting breathlessness severity. Results: Of people interviewed, 6,608 were working-aged (49.9% male; 67.5% had post-secondary qualifications; 70.9% were in paid full- or part-time work; and 1.7% had mMRC score 2–4). Workforce participation dropped in working aged people with increasing breathlessness: mMRC 0, 70.6%; mMRC 1, 51.7%; mMRC 2–4, 20.3%. In the regression model, people with the most severe breathlessness were much less likely to work (OR 0.14; 95% CI 0.09, 0.22). Annual income foregone by people with persisting breathlessness was AU$10.7 billion (AU$9.1b for full-time and AU$1.6b for part-time work; range AU$5.9b, AU$49.7b). Conclusion: Worsening persisting breathlessness is associated with lower workforce participation with direct financial consequences, greatest for older males

Care burden, loneliness, and social isolation in caregivers of people with physical and brain health conditions in English-speaking regions: Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Public health restrictions due to the COVID-19 (SARS CoV-2) pandemic have disproportionately affected informal caregivers of people living with long term health conditions. We aimed to explore levels of care burden, loneliness, and social isolation among caregivers of people with enduring physical and brain health conditions in English-speaking regions worldwide, by investigating outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional anonymous online survey data from 2287 English-speaking caregivers of people with long term health conditions from four English-speaking regions (UK, Ireland, USA, New Zealand) included measures of care burden, loneliness, and social isolation, reported before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyses were descriptive, followed by an ordinal regression model for predictors of burden. RESULTS: Compared to pre-pandemic levels, all caregivers experienced a significant increase in burden, loneliness, and isolation. Caregivers of people with both brain health and physical conditions were the most burdened and had the highest levels of loneliness and isolation compared to caregivers of people with either a brain health or physical condition only. The increase in care burden among caregivers of people with brain health challenges was associated with caregiver's gender, moderate and severe emotional loneliness, magnitude and frequency of isolation during the pandemic, and care circumstances (cohabitation with the care recipient, restrictions on the ability to provide care). CONCLUSIONS: Health and social care interventions should target caregivers' care circumstances and psychological outcomes, particularly in women, accounting for the significant additional burden of care, loneliness, and isolation resulting from pandemic-related restrictions

A Practical Guide for Maintaining High Activity Levels in Physical Education

This article present nine strategies that have been used successfully to improve activity levels in PE classes. These strategies comprise small-sided games, school warm-ups, rule adaptations, quick transitions, rewards, resources, teacher challenges, teaching by invitation and technology

Structured feedback on students’ concept maps: the proverbial path to learning?

Good conceptual knowledge is an essential requirement for health professions students, in that they are required to apply concepts learned in the classroom to a variety of different contexts. However, the use of traditional methods of assessment limits the educator’s ability to correct students’ conceptual knowledge prior to altering the educational context. Concept mapping (CM) is an educational tool for evaluating conceptual knowledge, but little is known about its use in facilitating the development of richer knowledge frameworks. In addition, structured feedback has the potential to develop good conceptual knowledge. The purpose of this study was to use Kinchin’s criteria to assess the impact of structured feedback on the graphical complexity of CM’s by observing the development of richer knowledge frameworks. Fifty-eight physiotherapy students created CM’s targeting the integration of two knowledge domains within a case-based teaching paradigm. Each student received one round of structured feedback that addressed correction, reinforcement, forensic diagnosis, benchmarking, and longitudinal development on their CM’s prior to the final submission. The concept maps were categorized according to Kinchin’s criteria as either Spoke, Chain or Net representations, and then evaluated against defined traits of meaningful learning. The inter-rater reliability of categorizing CM’s was good. Pre-feedback CM’s were predominantly Chain structures (57%), with Net structures appearing least often. There was a significant reduction of the basic Spoke- structured CMs (P = 0.002) and a significant increase of Net-structured maps (P < 0.001) at the final evaluation (post-feedback). Changes in structural complexity of CMs appeared to be indicative of broader knowledge frameworks as assessed against the meaningful learning traits. Feedback on CM’s seemed to have contributed towards improving conceptual knowledge and correcting naive conceptions of related knowledge. Educators in medical education could therefore consider using CM’s to target individual student development