Swarm electrification: A comprehensive literature review

In the global North, the need to decarbonize power generation is well documented and the challenges faced are endemic to the design of the electrical grids. With networks relying on centralized generation, it can be difficult to replace fossil-fuel power plants with renewable energy sources as generation may be intermittent causing grid instability when there is no ‘spinning reserve’ [1]. In parts of the global south, however, many under-electrified nations have high levels of solar irradiance. This, combined with falling prices for solar panels, is allowing for alternative paths to electrification from costly grid extensions and has resulted in grids built from the bottom up [2]. These grids can vary considerably in scale and capacity, dubbed micro-grids, nano-grids, and pico-grids. They can utilize AC, DC, or both and generally have either a centralized or distributed topology where each design has specific advantages and disadvantages [3]. Bangladesh has seen an unprecedented proliferation of small solar home systems. After performing a case study Groh et al. [4] discovered much of the generated electricity was not being utilized

What has Harry Potter done for me?:children's reflections on their 'Potter experience'

This article reports findings from a small-scale focus group study funded by the British Academy which examines children’s literacy practices in relation to the seven Harry Potter novels. Drawing on Marsh and Shavelson’s (1985) notion of Academic Self-concept, and Barton and Hamilton’s (1998) view of literacy as context-specific social practices, we examine what young British Potter ‘enthusiasts’ perceive as the influence of the novels on their subsequent reading behaviours and academic development. Specifically, we consider whether these children feel that Harry Potter has helped improve their reading, whether they think the books have changed their attitudes to reading, the role of the films, and whether there are any gender tendencies. We conclude that these Potter enthusiasts view the series as formative in terms of their literacy, but regarding gender, intra-group variation is far greater than inter-group variation

Doctoral supervisors’ and supervisees’ responses to co-supervision

With the increasing demand for doctoral education, co-supervision, understood as the formally agreed supervision of a research student by two or more academics in doctoral programmes, has become common practice in postgraduate circles in the UK. If supervision with one supervisor is complex due to personal, academic, ethical and sometimes cross-cultural issues, having two supervisors makes this process sufficiently challenging in practice to be specifically investigated in research, not least because of the additional communication issues. However, co-supervision is under-explored in the academic literature. In this article we look at the experience of co-supervision as reported by co-supervisors and those supervised by them in a UK university department within an arts and social sciences faculty, and aim to contribute to the literature on co-supervision by considering co-supervisors’ and their supervisees’ perspectives on co-supervision practices. Amid a general welcoming of the practice, with both parties seeing co-supervision entailing learning opportunities – for co-supervisors, learning from colleagues; for supervisees, learning from two experienced researchers – we report shared and specific concerns of these two groups. Time is a concern for both groups, but in different ways. Particularly interesting is the issue of harmony between the co-supervisors, including in feedback, the desirability of which will be perceived differently within any co-supervisor–supervisee relationship. The need for awareness-raising for co-supervisors as regards what their supervisees may feel but may not articulate may be greater for co-supervision than solo-supervision arrangements, given the additionally complex web of institutional and interpersonal relationships co-supervision entails

Issues of power in relation to gender and sexuality in the EFL classroom - An overview

Schools in general and classrooms in particular are among society’s primary socializing institutions (Freeman and McElhinny, 1996, p. 261; Adger, 2001). In particular, education, as an institution of Gramsci’s ‘civil society’ (Jones, 2006), can be considered a grassroots space where hegemonic gendered and sexual identities are constructed and regulated. This article looks at the context of the EFL classroom – a discursive space where learners are potentially (re-)constructed in relation to various (gender) roles in society as well as learning the practices, values and rules of a given society at large. In this paper we explore and discuss how the categories of gender and sexuality are represented, (re-)constructed and generally dealt with in this learning environment. We follow Foucault’s (1978, 1979) conceptualization of power as something which “weaves itself discursively through social organizations, meanings, relations and the construction of speakers’ subjectivities or identities” (Baxter, 2003, p. 8) and is enacted and contested in every interaction (see Mullany, 2007). We see power as being produced, reproduced, challenged and resisted in the EFL classroom in connection with the construction of gender and sexuality. The article discusses how views on what/who is ‘powerful’ in the context of the EFL classroom have changed over the years, from the early privileging of textbooks to the currently advocated central role of the teacher in addressing and promoting (or not) traditional and/or progressive discourses of gender and sexuality. Critical pedagogies and queer pedagogies are discussed as offering educators potent insights and tools to deal with heteronormativity and various forms of discrimination in the EFL classroom as well as helpful means for empowering all students by addressing their various identities. It is thus our contention that relationships between gender, sexuality and EFL education are in need of urgent (re)addressing as existing research is outdated, lacks methodological sophistication or is lacking in the Polish context

Do primate action plans work?

John Oates authored the first primate conservation Action Plan in 1986, which assessed the status of and proposed conservation actions for all mainland African primate species. A revised version of the continent-wide plan was published in 1996, but since then, action plans have generally evolved into prioritizing actions for specific species, often within defined landscapes. We will review and evaluate the content and success of conservation action plans for the nine currently recognized taxa of chimpanzees and gorillas in Africa. Since 2003, six detailed action plans and one population viability analysis have been published, covering priority actions and landscapes for seven of the nine great ape taxa in Africa. Two further action plans (for gorillas and chimpanzees in Eastern DRC and for bonobos) are in the final stages of review and may also be included in the analysis. Assessments for western chimpanzees, Cross River gorillas, western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees have been peer reviewed, and we will consider their recommendations and the challenges of quantitatively evaluating the success of primate conservation action plans

Comparison of ALitretinoin with PUVA as the first-line treatment in patients with severe chronic HAnd eczema (ALPHA):study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Introduction Hand eczema (HE) is one of the most common skin disorders and an important cause for morbidity and occupational disability. The 1-year prevalence of HE is estimated to be up to 10% and it is estimated that 5%–7% of those develop severe chronic HE. However, current clinical evidence is not compelling enough to guide clinical practice. In a survey among 194 UK dermatologists the most frequent first choice approaches were psoralen combined with ultraviolet A (UVA) treatment (PUVA), oral steroids and alitretinoin (AL). When asked which strategy was most efficient for long-term outcome 20% of clinicians indicated they did not know; 43% of clinicians reported AL and 30% reported PUVA. Methods and analysis ALPHA is a multicentre, open, prospective, two-arm parallel group, randomised controlled trial comparing PUVA and AL with a planned sample size re-estimation. Between 500 and 780 participants will be randomised on a 1:1 basis. The physician’s global assessment (PGA) will direct treatment after randomisation, non-responders will be treated according to usual clinical practice; providing valuable pilot data on second line therapeutic approaches to inform future trials. Assessments will be conducted up to 52 weeks post randomisation. The primary outcome measure is the Hand Eczema Severity Index at 12 weeks. Secondary outcome measures include modified Total Lesion Symptom Score, PGA, time to relapse, patient reported outcome measures and DNA extraction and assessment of genetic variants. A substudy on molecular inflammatory mediators will provide information on subgroup specific treatment responses. Photographs will be taken and HE severity assessed by a central review panel

The DRESS trial: a feasibility randomized controlled trial of a neuropsychological approach to dressing therapy for stroke inpatients

Objective: To investigate two approaches to treating patients with persistent dressing problems and cognitive difficulties following stroke. Design: Pilot randomized controlled trial. Setting: Inpatient stroke rehabilitation service. Subjects: Seventy consecutive stroke patients with persistent dressing problems and accompanying cognitive difficulties at two weeks after their stroke. Interventions: Patients were randomly allocated to six weeks of either a systematic neuropsychological approach, based on analysis of dressing problems and further cognitive testing, or to the control group who received conventional (functional) dressing practice. Both groups received treatment three times a week in accordance with two separately prepared manuals. Main measures: Nottingham Stroke Dressing Assessment (NSDA), Line Cancellation, 10-hole peg transfer test, Object Decision, Gesture Imitation. Patients were assessed at six weeks after randomization by an independent assessor masked to group allocation. Results: Both neuropsychological and functional groups improved performance on the NSDA over the treatment period (31% and 22%, respectively) but there was no significant difference between groups at six weeks. However, the neuropsychological group showed a significantly greater improvement on a line cancellation test of visual neglect (t(62) = 2.1, P < 0.05) and a planned subanalysis for those with right hemisphere damage showed a trend towards better dressing outcome (P = 0.07, one-tailed). Conclusions: Results demonstrate the potential benefits of a systematic neuropsychological approach to dressing therapy, particularly for patients with right hemisphere damage. This study suggests the need for a phase III study evaluating the efficacy of a systematic neuropsychological approach in treating dressing difficulties, targeting patients with right hemisphere stroke and visuospatial impairments