University of Lincoln

About: University of Lincoln is a education organization based out in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 2341 authors who have published 7025 publications receiving 124797 citations.

A Haptic Shared-Control Architecture for Guided Multi-Target Robotic Grasping

Abstract: Although robotic telemanipulation has always been a key technology for the nuclear industry, little advancement has been seen over the last decades. Despite complex remote handling requirements, simple mechanically linked master–slave manipulators still dominate the field. Nonetheless, there is a pressing need for more effective robotic solutions able to significantly speed up the decommissioning of legacy radioactive waste. This paper describes a novel haptic shared-control approach for assisting a human operator in the sort and segregation of different objects in a cluttered and unknown environment. A three-dimensional scan of the scene is used to generate a set of potential grasp candidates on the objects at hand. These grasp candidates are then used to generate guiding haptic cues, which assist the operator in approaching and grasping the objects. The haptic feedback is designed to be smooth and continuous as the user switches from a grasp candidate to the next one, or from one object to another one, avoiding any discontinuity or abrupt changes. To validate our approach, we carried out two human–subject studies, enrolling 15 participants. We registered an average improvement of 20.8%, 20.1%, and 32.5% in terms of completion time, linear trajectory, and perceived effectiveness, respectively, between the proposed approach and standard teleoperation.

Acquiring a Pet Dog Significantly Reduces Stress of Primary Carers for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Prospective Case Control Study

Abstract: This study describes the impact of pet dogs on stress of primary carers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Stress levels of 38 primary carers acquiring a dog and 24 controls not acquiring a dog were sampled at: Pre-intervention (17 weeks before acquiring a dog), post-intervention (3–10 weeks after acquisition) and follow-up (25–40 weeks after acquisition), using the Parenting Stress Index. Analysis revealed significant improvements in the intervention compared to the control group for Total Stress, Parental Distress and Difficult Child. A significant number of parents in the intervention group moved from clinically high to normal levels of Parental Distress. The results highlight the potential of pet dogs to reduce stress in primary carers of children with an ASD.

Bologna Process, More or Less: Nursing Education in the European Economic Area: A Discussion Paper

Abstract: The Bologna Declaration and the subsequent processes is the single most important reform of higher education taking place in Europe in the last 30 years. Signed in 1999, it includes 46 European Union countries and aimed to create, a more coherent, compatible, comparable and competitive European Higher Education Area. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Bologna Declaration achievements in nursing education at 2010 within eight countries that first signed the Declaration on 1999. Researchers primarily identified national laws, policy statements, guidelines and grey literature; then, a literature review on Bologna Declaration implementation in nursing was conducted on the Medline and CINAHL databases. Critical analyses of these documents were performed by expert nurse educators. Structural, organizational, functional and cultural obstacles are hindering full Bologna Process implementation in nursing education within European Economic Area. A call for action is offered in order to achieve a functionally unified system within nursing.

Modelling of supply chain disruption analytics using an integrated approach: An emerging economy example

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to identify, analyze, and to assess supply chain disruption factors and drivers Based on an empirical analysis, four disruption factor categories including natural, human-made, system accidents, and financials with a total of sixteen disruption drivers are identified and examined in a real-world industrial setting This research utilizes an integrated approach comprising both the Delphi method and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) To test this integrated method, one of the well-known examples in industrial contexts of developing countries, the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh is considered To evaluate this industrial example, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to ensure the robustness and viability of the framework in practical settings This study not only expands the literature scope of supply chain disruption risk assessment but through its application in any context or industry will reduce the impact of such disruptions and enhance the overall supply chain resilience Consequently, these enhanced capabilities arm managers the ability to formulate relevant mitigation strategies that are robust and computationally efficient These strategies will allow managers to take calculated decisions proactively Finally, the results reveal that political and regulatory instability, cyclones, labor strikes, flooding, heavy rain, and factory fires are the top six disruption drivers causing disruptions to the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh