Academic Projects Research Articles

PEak: A Single Source of Truth for Hardware Design and Verification

Domain-specific languages for hardware can significantly enhance designer productivity, but sometimes at the cost of ease of verification. On the other hand, ISA specification languages are too static to be used during early stage design space exploration. We present PEak, an open-source hardware design and specification language, which aims to improve both design productivity and verification capability. PEak does this by providing a single source of truth for functional models, formal specifications, and RTL. PEak has been used in several academic projects, and PEak-generated RTL has been included in three fabricated hardware accelerators. In these projects, the formal capabilities of PEak were crucial for enabling both novel design space exploration techniques and automated compiler synthesis.

Characterizing the tool wear morphologies and life in milling A520-10%SiC under various lubrication and cutting conditions

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are lightweight and widely used materials constantly applied in various industries. Such material’s structural and functional properties change under the contributions of various reinforcing particles and base materials. Multiple technologies are used in the manufacturing and machining these materials, and numerous studies are oriented toward this domain through academic and industrial projects. One aspect that receives less attention is understanding the combined effects of cutting parameters, lubrication conditions, and reinforcing elements on the machinability of such materials. Amongst MMC, limited attention has been paid to A520 alloys reinforced with SiC particles. Therefore, this work investigated the tool wear size and morphology in milling A520-10%SiC under various lubrication and cutting conditions. It was observed that cutting conditions significantly affect the tool life and wear morphology when machining A520-10%SiC. The main wear modes observed were abrasion and adhesion, mainly presented as the built-up edge (BUE) and Built-up layer (BUL). The wet method reduced the formation of BUE and BUL by 95% and MQL by 60% compared to the dry method. It was also observed that better tool life was observed under wet mode than readings made under MQL and dry modes. The outcomes could generate a practical window for the optimum selection of cutting parameters when machining reinforced Al-MMCs, in principle, A520-10%SiC.

Pedagogical uses of AI tools: reflection on a case study

Academic writing is central to assessment in UK universities (Goodfellow, 2005). The emergence of easily accessible generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools took the sector by storm, with some voices raising critical concerns about academic integrity and the de-skilling of writing, while others pointed to the developmental and time-saving opportunities these tools can offer (OpenAI, 2023; UNESCO, 2023). This presentation reflected on the author’s experience of designing and delivering a workshop on ‘Introduction to proofreading techniques using AI tools’. The workshop was developed as part of a broader Academic Innovation Project designed to support the developmental and ethical use of GenAI tools by student writers at one institution in line with internal and emerging sector policies (such as Russell Group, 2023). The presentation outlined the workshop plan, including learning outcomes and sample activities, alongside highlighting some of the challenges experienced during the design process. It also offered critical insights into the delivery and impact on student learning, with reference to the author’s reflections as well as student engagement and feedback. A major challenge that can be transferable to other pedagogical uses of GenAI tools was the difficulty in navigating the thin line between, on the one hand, encouraging workshop participants to experiment with a range of tools in a safe learning space and, on the other hand, raising their awareness of the ethical implications and potential risks that over-reliance on such tools may pose to their learning, particularly the development of their academic writing.

Online learning experiences of female students living with albinism amidst a global pandemic: evidence from South Africa and Zimbabwe

Our paper explores the online learning experiences of two female students living with albinism in South Africa and Zimbabwe during the COVID-19 era. Using a two-case qualitative research design, we conducted in-depth face to face interviews with the purposefully selected sample. The intention was to bring to the fore, the unique online experiences of female students living with albinism. Data were thematically analyzed. Literature suggests that the unique health and physiological characteristics of students living with albinism tend to present unique but surmountable challenges. Our study established that the gender and physiology of the students tended to complicate or enhance their desire to benefit from online learning during the COVID-19 era. The findings make a case for academic inclusion in universities’ academic projects. Institutions May consider instituting pedagogically inclusive online learning mechanisms that are not only gender sensitive, but are in sync with, not only the COVID-19 realities, but similar calamities.

To the Сentenary of the Polonist Нistorian: Vladimir Alexandrovich Yakubsky

The article is devoted to the prominent Russian historian, specialist in the history of Poland Vladimir A. Yakubsky (1924–2013). In the context of the general characteristics of the scientist's creative heritage, a clear relationship between his social-economic research and observations on the general course of Polish history, including the most controversial issues, is shown. The contribution of V.A. Yakubsky, together with G.E. Lebedeva, to the creation of a collective portrait image of the Department of the History of the Middle Ages of Leningrad University, to the historiography of the history of Russian studies of Polish history is emphasized. It is particularly emphasized that the participation of V.A. Yakubsky's involvement in the implementation of major academic research projects was evidence of the inextricable scientific connections between Leniningrad-St. Petersburg Slavic studies and Moscow Slavic studies.

Latin American, Caribbean, and Colombian cultural studies trajectories: Cartographies of the relation between culture and power in the region

ABSTRACT This article presents a particular trajectory of Latin American and Caribbean intellectual practices as a contribution to the effort of pluralizing the various genealogies of Cultural Studies conversations, projects, and research and political agendas from a global perspective. It departs from what could be thought as a strategic port encompassing both the analytic of the complex, dynamic, and intertwined relation between culture and power and the recognition of intellectual practices as key elements not only for the diagnosis of the present conjuncture; but also for imagining and enabling other futures. From this vantage point, different intellectual traditions interpellated or not with the cultural studies label are described to historize the Cultural Studies project as one produced from the peripheries of the World System. The article argues that this was the pool of intellectual practices that inspired the institutionalization of Cultural Studies in Colombia in the 1990s. Finally, it describes some of the most pressing and relevant research agendas in the present while arguing that today Cultural Studies in the country is not only an academic project inside universities.

User Centered Design for a Collaborative Academic Project Repository

User Centered Design for a Collaborative Academic Project Repository

The Archaeology of Absence in Kamila Shamsie’s <i>A God in Every Stone</i>

Approximately 1.4 million Indians were recruited to the First World War. Despite their role in the war and the high number of deaths, most of the literature in English on the Great War has been narrowed down to British experience. However, in recent years their stories have been emerging through fiction, in academic research and educational projects resulting in a more complete picture of the war and who was involved. A British arts education group engaged students in a project designed to teach and share the stories of forgotten soldiers from World War I. Writing about the project in The Guardian in 2018 Kamila Shamsie claimed the aim was to teach school children about the war and the involvement of non-British recruits whose narratives had up till then been unknown. In academia, respected scholars such as Santanu Das or Claire Buck have undergone thorough research on the representation of Indian recruits through an analysis of literary texts and artefacts states that war memories of the Indian sepoy whose stories were left behind and forgotten on the battle ground. According to Das, the lack of stories by Indian recruits does not mean that history cannot be rectified since it is possible to recover the experience and memory of the recruits. Recently emerging literary representation of the Indian recruit provided historical insight into their experience shedding light on new perspectives of the War. The aim of this article is to analyse the representation of Indian recruits and their experience of World War I in Kamila Shamsie’s 2014 novel <i>A God in Every Stone.</i> I argue that through fiction, it is possible to construct a broader and more inclusive understanding of this historical event as well as to uncover deeper complexities and anxieties on the Indian colonial experience.

CONCEPTUAL ROLE OF METAPHOR AS A STYLISTIC DEVICE IN CONTEMPORARY KAZAKHSTANI PAINTING

The study focuses on the significance of metaphor as a fundamental stylistic device in contemporary Kazakhstani painting, exploring its ability to convey complex cultural and symbolic meanings. The aim of the study is to analyse how metaphor contributes to a deeper understanding of cultural identity and heritage, helping to enrich contemporary artistic expression in Kazakhstan. The methodology includes a comprehensive visual analysis of selected works by contemporary Kazakhstani artists. The study relies on interdisciplinary approaches, combining art history, cultural studies, and semiotics. It investigates how metaphors are used at different levels of artistic composition - from details to the overall structure of paintings, applying both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods.The analysis shows that metaphors in contemporary Kazakhstani painting serve as an important tool for expressing cultural identity, spiritual values and continuity of ethnic heritage. The study reveals the diversity of metaphorical expressions—from traditional folklore symbols to innovative visual interpretations—reflecting the dynamic interaction between cultural heritage and modernity. The discussion emphasizes the originality of the sources and the unique approach of Kazakhstani artists who use metaphor to create powerful visual narratives that resonate with local and global audiences. The study concludes that metaphor is indispensable in Kazakhstan’s visual arts, offering a rich symbolic language linking past and present. The findings emphasize the practical significance of metaphor in strengthening cultural identity and artistic expression, suggesting further exploration of its application in broader cultural and artistic contexts. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of metaphor in contemporary art, with implications for both the academic community and practical art projects.

Empowering virtual collaboration: harnessing AI for enhanced teamwork in higher education

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought about a significant change in higher education. It has led to the adoption of more digitally advanced and collaborative models. This paper examines the potential of AI in promoting dynamic virtual teamwork and improving the collective experience in the academic world. It discusses how AI tools can be integrated into various sectors of virtual teamwork, such as academic learning, group projects, communication, assessment, research collaboration, administrative efficiency, engagement strategies, and continuous feedback mechanisms. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of AI's role in these areas, showing how AI can personalize learning, facilitate complex group tasks, streamline communication, and provide real-time feedback. Ultimately, this will prepare students for the challenges of the professional world and enhance educational efficacy. The paper evaluates the significance of AI in each sector, offering insights into how higher education institutions can use these technologies to create an environment that fosters advanced virtual collaboration. The paper argues that strategic integration of AI is crucial in equipping students with the necessary skills and competencies for the evolving digital landscape of the 21st century.

Building access to linked data for program evaluation: lessons and opportunities from the evaluation of a pan-Canadian skills training initiative

In recent years, Canada’s statistical agency (Statistics Canada) has developed sophisticated linkage infrastructure through their Social Data Linkage Environment (SDLE), linking internal data sets held by Statistics Canada and external data held by researchers. While the SDLE presents an opportunity for better measurement of the effectiveness of policies and programs, to date it has not been used for this purpose outside of government, instead largely supporting academic research projects. This session presents a novel approach to program evaluation in the Canadian context, using the SDLE Statistics Canada administrative data alongside independently collected program data from multiple service providers to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of a portfolio of skills training programs. Our approach aims to both rigorously evaluate the long-term outcomes of participants in this portfolio of public skills training programs, and develop a replicable proof-of-concept for using linked data infrastructure in Canada to support program evaluations. Through this initiative, we identify the key design features needed to support this use case for linked data, including study design parameters, necessary datasets and linkage processes, and privacy and data governance policies. Finally, we identify opportunities for future replication of this approach in Canada, including strategies for expedited linkage and analysis of evaluation results that maintain privacy requirements. We find that using the SDLE infrastructure for program evaluation is both feasible and desirable, however barriers exist to replicating this approach, including sectoral capacity for collecting linkable data, and transposing linkage and confidentiality rules from an academic research to a program evaluation context.

Lived Experience Co-Production Within the Alleviate Pain Data Hub

ObjectiveTo build an effective Pain data hub that benefits the public, people with chronic pain, and researchers. Alleviate is the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform (APDP) Data Hub. The aim is to make pain data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) while raising awareness of chronic pain to improve the lives of people living with pain. ApproachAlleviate has two lived experience leads plus an Advisory Group (AG) of people with lived experience (PWLE) of chronic pain representing an online reference group of ~400 people. The leads have been involved throughout the project since inception and design, and chair regular project meetings to ensure all voices are heard equally. They lead the development of engagement materials, highlighting the importance of pain research to those with lived experience. This co-production ensures the project to stay focussed on what matters to those living with chronic pain. ResultsAlleviate has developed an inclusive environment for PWLE to be actively involved in decision-making and progression of the project. Together we have co-produced videos, static informational material, social media content and developed a new collaboration with an international pain charity to run a UK-wide pain survey. ConclusionsThis co-production model has allowed us to generate impactful outputs and opportunities, raising awareness of Alleviate and pain research. ImplicationsProviding an inclusive space in the heart of an academic project for PWLE has given additional focus for researchers and provided ownership to the public in activities that directly affect them.

Influence of Power Supply Reliability on Academic Performance and Project Completion Rates of Architectural Students at Caleb University, Lagos, Nigeria

This study investigates the influence of power supply reliability on academic performance and project completion rates among architecture students at Caleb University. The research adopts a quantitative approach, using a structured questionnaire to gather data from a representative sample of students across BSc, MSc, and PhD programs. Of the almost 700 population, 255 were sampled and the findings reveal that power interruptions are a frequent and significant issue, with 85% of students experiencing outages at least once a week and 60% reporting outages lasting between 1 to 3 hours. These disruptions have a pronounced negative impact on academic performance, with 78% of respondents indicating that power outages have adversely affected their grades. Furthermore, 82% of students reported delays in project completion due to power interruptions, with a substantial number having to redo portions of their work due to unsaved progress. The study highlights a strong correlation between the frequency of power outages and the decline in academic performance, as well as the delays in project completion. Additionally, the psychological impact of these outages, manifested in increased levels of stress and anxiety among 70% of respondents, further exacerbates the challenges faced by students. The research concludes that reliable power infrastructure is crucial for academic success, particularly in technology-intensive disciplines like architecture. Recommendations include improving power infrastructure, implementing energy management strategies, developing contingency plans, enhancing student support services, and fostering collaboration with power utility providers. By addressing these issues, educational institutions can create a more stable and conducive learning environment, thereby enhancing students' academic outcomes and overall well-being.

Bad Bridget—An unexplored aspect of the Irish migration story

AbstractThis paper examines how museums can address and raise awareness of histories of incarceration through a case study—the Bad Bridget exhibition, which opened at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, Northern Ireland, in April 2022. Originating as an academic research project (2015–2019) led by Dr Leanne McCormick (Ulster University) and Dr Elaine Farrell (Queen's University Belfast), it tells the stories of women who left Ireland for North America between 1838 and 1918 and ended up in trouble with the authorities for one reason or another. A unique mix of sights, sounds, and smells, further enhanced by first‐person narration, is used within the exhibition to encourage visitors to emotionally engage with the experiences of these women. For much of the nineteenth century, Irish‐born migrants were the biggest group in American prisons, and there were disproportionate numbers of Irish girls and women in the justice system, court, and prison (Farrell & McCormick, ‘Bad Bridgets’: The criminal and deviant Irish women convicted in America. Irish Times, 2019). Bad Bridget has provided us with a platform to reveal this previously unexplored aspect of the Irish migration story at the museum, contrary to the “American Dream.”

The IMS Library: from IN-Stock to Virtual.

A chemical library is a key element in the early stages of pharmaceutical research. Its design encompasses various factors, such as diversity, size, ease of synthesis, aimed at increasing the likelihood of success in drug discovery. This article explores the collaborative efforts of computational and synthetic chemists in tailoring chemical libraries for cost-effective and resource-efficient use, particularly in the context of academic research projects. It proposes chemoinformatics methodologies that address two pivotal questions: first, crafting a diverse panel of under 1000 compounds from an existing pool through synthetic efforts, leveraging the expertise of organic chemists; and second, expanding pharmacophoric diversity within this panel by creating a highly accessible virtual chemical library. Chemoinformatics tools were developed to analyse initial panel of about 10,000 compounds into two tailored libraries: eIMS and vIMS. The eIMS Library comprises 578 diverse in-stock compounds ready for screening. Its virtual counterpart, vIMS, features novel compounds guided by chemists, ensuring synthetic accessibility. vIMS offers a broader array of binding motifs and improved drug-like characteristics achieved through the addition of diverse functional groups to eIMS scaffolds followed by filtering of reactive or unusual structures. The uniqueness of vIMS is emphasized through a comparison with commercial suppliers' virtual chemical space.

The impact of a curriculum-based research training program on medical students’ research productivity and future research interests: a longitudinal study

BackgroundIncorporating scientific research into undergraduate medical education is necessary for the quality of future health care. However, providing rigorous research training to a large number of medical students at one institution remains one of the major challenges. The authors studied the impact of a curriculum-based Research Training Program (RTP) for all undergraduate students at Zhejiang University School of Medicine (ZUSM) on research productivity and future research interests.MethodsMedical students (n = 2,213) from ZUSM who completed the course of RTP between 2013 and 2020 were studied. The authors measured the academic performance, research publications, and research projects of students across years, and evaluated potential factors that contribute to student research productivity and increased interest in future research.ResultsAcross the years, there was an increase in the number of student publications, a greater proportion of students with publications, and a greater proportion of projects involving three or more students (P < .01 for all). The academic performance of the course was associated with increased publications (P = .014), whereas overall satisfaction of the course (OR 2.07, 95% CI [1.39, 3.10], P < .001), Skill Composite Score (SCS) (OR 1.70, 95% CI [1.16, 2.50], P = .007), and male gender (OR 1.50, 95% CI [1.06, 2.12], P = .022) were associated with increased future research interests.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the curriculum-based RTP improved students’ research productivity, and that overall program satisfaction and self-assessed performance were associated with increased students’ intent to participate in future research.

Challenges and Barriers to Commercialization of Health Sciences Research Results: A Qualitative Study

Background: In today's world, due to intense competition and the rapid pace of production, exploiting knowledge and converting it into economic returns has become a critical management issue for academics and capital owners. Commercialization activities can impact the educational and research programs of universities, potentially leading to resistance against them. Objectives: The current study was conducted to identify the challenges of the commercialization process in health science research. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted between June and December 2022 in Tehran province, Iran. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 22 key individuals, including university management and technology experts, as well as CEOs and experts from knowledge-based companies, selected through purposive sampling. The interview guide was designed based on four in-depth interviews, theoretical foundations, and comparative study findings. The obtained data were analyzed using the conventional content analysis method in MAXQDA 10 software. Results: The challenges of the commercialization process for health sciences research results were categorized into six main themes and 16 sub-themes. The main themes identified in this study were rules and regulations, societal culture, university management and infrastructure, human resources, financial systems, and organizational cooperation with industry. Conclusions: Policymakers, especially senior health managers, can create a suitable platform for the optimal use of resources and the expansion of targeted relationships between universities and industries by incorporating economic insight into academic services. By compiling relevant laws and guidelines, optimizing resource management, achieving financial independence for universities, and increasing the productivity of health research, the high costs associated with the commercialization of academic research projects can be reduced.

The Human Glycome Atlas Project for cataloging all glycan-related omics data in human.

The Human Glycome Atlas (HGA) Project was launched in April 2023, spearheaded by three Japanese institutes: the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, the National Institutes of Natural Sciences, and Soka University. This was the first time that a field in the life sciences was adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for a Large-scale Academic Frontiers Promotion Project. This project aims to construct a knowledgebase of human glycans and glycoproteins as a standard for the human glycome. A high-throughput pipeline for comprehensively analyzing 20,000 blood samples in its first five years is planned, at which time an access-controlled version of a human glycomics knowledgebase, called TOHSA, will be released. By the end of the final tenth year, TOHSA will provide a central resource linking human glycan data with other omics data including disease-related information.

Revealing biases in insect observations: A comparative analysis between academic and citizen science data.

Citizen Science is a powerful tool for biodiversity research, as it facilitates data recording at large scales that would otherwise be impossible to cover by standard academic research. Despite its benefits, the accuracy of citizen science data remains a subject of concern among scientists, with varying results reported so far. Neither citizen science data nor academic records are immune to biases, which can significantly impact the quality and reliability of observations. Here, using insects in the Iberian Peninsula as a case study, we compare data collected by participatory platforms to those obtained through academic research projects, and assess their taxonomic, spatial, temporal, and environmental biases. Results show a prominent taxonomic bias in both academic and citizen science data, with certain insect orders receiving more attention than others. These taxonomic biases are conserved between different participatory platforms, as well as between groups of users with different levels of contribution performance. The biases captured by leading contributors in participatory platforms mirrored those of sporadic users and academic data. Citizen science data had higher spatial coverage and less spatial clustering than academic data, showing also clearer trends in temporal seasonality. Environmental coverage over time was more stable in citizen science than in academic records. User behaviour, preference, taxonomical expertise, data collection methodologies and external factors may contribute to these biases. This study shows the multifaceted nature of biases present in academic records and citizen science platforms. The insights gained from this analysis emphasize the need for careful consideration of these biases when making use of biodiversity data from different sources. Combining academic and citizen science data enhances our understanding of biodiversity, as their integration offers a more comprehensive perspective than relying solely on either dataset alone, especially since biases in these two types of data are not always the same.

Merger of internet of things and machine learning: The internet of everything sector projects, benefits, and future roles

The convergence of the Internet of Things and Machine Learning shapes key developments in information technologies, such as the Internet of Everything environment. The Internet of Things' Machine-to-Machine connectivity advances, real-time Big Data storage, and data-driven Machine Learning synergize the scope of Internet of Everything innovations. As the Internet of Things and Machine Learning merger continues, the Internet of Everything reshapes the world sector map by providing unprecedented possibilities and efficiencies. The propelled Internet of Everything is ushering in a new era of transformative projects in various sectors such as Healthcare and Life Science, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, and Construction. The high-tech transformative projects offer many applications in process optimization, cost reduction, increased productivity, and efficiency. Our work examines the prominent joint Internet of Things and Machine Learning initiatives, projects and works to encourage new initiatives and multidisciplinary work worldwide. We also discuss the benefits of transformative projects in different sectors in detail and put forward a forecast for their future roles. Our study is supported by solid academic literature and project examples.