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 & Higher education. The organization has 2341 authors who have published 7025 publications receiving 124797 citations.

Proton radiography and tomography with application to proton therapy

Abstract: Proton radiography and tomography have long promised benefit for proton therapy. Their first suggestion was in the early 1960s and the first published proton radiographs and CT images appeared in the late 1960s and 1970s, respectively. More than just providing anatomical images, proton transmission imaging provides the potential for the more accurate estimation of stopping-power ratio inside a patient and hence improved treatment planning and verification. With the recent explosion in growth of clinical proton therapy facilities, the time is perhaps ripe for the imaging modality to come to the fore. Yet many technical challenges remain to be solved before proton CT scanners become commonplace in the clinic. Research and development in this field is currently more active than at any time with several prototype designs emerging. This review introduces the principles of proton radiography and tomography, their historical developments, the raft of modern prototype systems and the primary design issues.

Knowledge Management in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Mapping the Literature and Scoping Future Avenues

Abstract: Due to increased competitive pressure, modern organizations tend to rely on knowledge and its exploitation to sustain a long-term advantage. This calls for a precise understanding of knowledge management (KM) processes and, specifically, how knowledge is created, shared/transferred, acquired, stored/retrieved, and applied throughout an organizational system. However, since the beginning of the new millennium, such KM processes have been deeply affected and molded by the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, also called Industry 4.0, which involves the interconnectedness of machines and their ability to learn and share data autonomously. For this reason, the present article investigates the intellectual structure and trends of KM in Industry 4.0. Bibliometric analysis and a systematic literature review are conducted on a total of 90 relevant articles. The results reveal six clusters of keywords, subsequently explored via a systematic literature review to identify potential stream of this emergent field and future research avenues capable of producing meaningful advances in managerial knowledge of Industry 4.0 and its consequences.

Ecotourism: A Consumption Perspective

Abstract: Over the last quarter century, both the supply of and demand for ecotourism have grown significantly. At the same time, ecotourism has, as a particular form of tourism development, become increasingly recognised and legitimised as a means of achieving sustainable development in destination areas. Underpinning this widespread support for ecotourism is the assumption that tourists themselves are demanding more responsible, environmentally-appropriate forms of tourism yet, as this paper argues, there is little evidence to suggest that the growth in ecotourism has been demand led. Emphasising the key role of responsible behaviour on the part of tourists in the achievement of ecotourism, the paper highlights the characteristics of the ecotourist as compared to that of the mass tourist. These are then challenged by an exploration of the motivation, values and consumption practices of tourists which suggests that there is little distinction between the two. It concludes, therefore, that the ecotourist label has ...

The STRANDS Project: Long-Term Autonomy in Everyday Environments

Abstract: Thanks to the efforts of the robotics and autonomous systems community, robots are becoming ever more capable. There is also an increasing demand from end-users for autonomous service robots that can operate in real environments for extended periods. In the STRANDS project we are tackling this demand head-on by integrating state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and robotics research into mobile service robots, and deploying these systems for long-term installations in security and care environments. Over four deployments, our robots have been operational for a combined duration of 104 days autonomously performing end-user defined tasks, covering 116km in the process. In this article we describe the approach we have used to enable long-term autonomous operation in everyday environments, and how our robots are able to use their long run times to improve their own performance.