ethicalabs/Research-Intent-Collab huggingface dataset:
Development of an AI-powered assistive technology-based learning model to improve learning accessibility for vocational students with disabilities

This study aims to develop an AI-Powered Assistive Technologies–based learning model to enhance learning accessibility for vocational students with disabilities. Using a Research and Development (R&amp;D) approach and adopting the ADDIE model up to the development stage, this research produced a prototype of an adaptive and inclusive learning model equipped with intelligent assistive features, including text-to-speech, speech-to-text, automatic captioning, visual adaptation, and AI-driven navigation support. The needs analysis revealed significant accessibility barriers in vocational learning environments, particularly the limited availability of adaptive materials and insufficient assistive technology integration for students with sensory, cognitive, and motor impairments. The design and development phases resulted in a multimodal, AI-assisted learning framework aligned with principles of inclusive pedagogy. Expert validation involving specialists in vocational content, assistive technology, inclusive pedagogy, and language yielded an overall feasibility rating of 96.5%, categorised as highly feasible. In addition, user response testing involving 20 vocational students with disabilities demonstrated a positive acceptance rate of 99.4%, indicating that the AI-powered assistive features effectively enhanced engagement, comprehension, and independent learning. The findings affirm that the proposed model offers strong potential to support inclusive vocational education by addressing accessibility gaps and improving the learning experiences of students with disabilities. Although the study has not yet progressed to the implementation phase, the developed prototype provides a robust foundation for further empirical testing and large-scale application. Continued refinement is recommended to strengthen the ethical, pedagogical, and technological dimensions of AI integration in accessible learning environments.
Cosmological parameters from cosmic microwave background measurements and the final 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey power spectrum

ISSN:0035-8711
Conspicuously absent: Womens role in conflict resolution and peace building in northern Uganda in the context of United Nations resolution 1325

The study, Conspicuously Absent: Women’s Role in Conflict Resolution and Peace Building in Northern Uganda in the Context of United Nations Resolution 1325. The research was carried out in war ravaged Acholi sub region covering the districts of Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum and Pader because they are located in the centre of Northern Uganda conflict between the Government and the rebels commonly known as the Lord’s Resistant Army (LRA). The main objective of the study was to locate women in conflict situations and assess their contribution. The study methodology is qualitative and builds upon a review of related literature, oral interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussions with men and women who participated in the study. The major research finding reveals that women played a big role in peace building and conflict resolution, but their involvement remained unrecognized. Worst still, the northern Uganda women appeared not linked with the growing number of women led initiatives internationally, nationally and sub-national levels. The lack of recognition of women’s roles makes women invisible actors in peace processes taking place in northern Uganda.  The study concludes that including women in the formal peace process, while not a goal in itself, is symbolic and significant step in the promotion of women’s justifiable participation in peace building and conflict transformation processes. The study makes recommendations to enhance women’s capacity to contribute to peace processes formally and informally.           Key words: Conflict mitigation, conflict resolution, gender, resolution 1325, peace-building, Lord’s Resistant Army (LRA), sub- region.
Modelling without queues: adapting discrete-event simulation for service operations

Discrete-event simulation (DES), which has largely grown out of modelling manufacturing systems, has increasingly been applied in the service sector. The approach, however, is not always appropriate for modelling service operations. In particular, it cannot help with detailed decisions about the layout of service operations in which the customers are present such as retail outlets and airports. An adapted DES approach is proposed for modelling such systems and the approach is demonstrated through a model of a coffee shop. A key innovation is that queues are not explicitly modelled. The benefit of the approach is that it simplifies the modelling of service systems in which the customers are present by reducing the number of components that need to be modelled. It can also aid decisions about the layout of a system. We ask whether the approach is in fact an agent-based simulation and identify ways in which the approach could be extended.
Challenges and opportunities for AI to help deliver fusion energy

There is great potential for the application of AI tools in fusion research, and substantial worldwide benefit if fusion power is realised. However, using AI comes with its own challenges, many of which can be mitigated if responsible and robust methodologies are built into existing approaches. To do that requires close, long-term collaborations between fusion domain experts and AI developers and awareness of the fact that not all problems in fusion research are best tackled with AI tools. In April 2025, experts from academia, industry, UKAEA and STFC discussed how AI can be used to advance R&D in fusion energy at the first edition of The Economist FusionFest event. This Perspective is an expanded and updated summary of the round table discussion, providing more context and examples.
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM): a systematic review of risk profiles, risk factors, and typologies of users

Abstract                                        Introduction                     With the proliferation of the Internet, the production, distribution, sharing, and use of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is rising. Considered a global public health issue, the consumption of CSAM continues to go mostly undetected, which further calls for preventive measures.                                                           Objectives                     This systematic literature review aims to gather evidence regarding detected CSAM offenders’ characteristics and typologies.                                                           Methods                     In July 2024, a comprehensive search of the databases EBSCO host, Web of Science, and PubMed was conducted. Three independent reviewers assessed the literature focusing on the characteristics and typologies of CSAM offenders. Data collection, analysis, and reporting were performed according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Thirty-five articles were included in this review. Main findings were extracted based on CSAM offenders’ risk factors and typologies.                                                           Results                     Child sexual abuse material offenders are mostly white men, ranging widely in age, with high levels of education and employment. These offenders tend to be single and have non-biological children. Adverse childhood experiences, along with cognitive distortions, are common among these individuals, who also have poor mental health, mood problems, and substance abuse, which serves as motivation for them to engage in CSAM. These offenders have few or no convictions at the time of detection; however, there is a perceived sexual attraction to children, along with consumption of extreme material, facilitated by easy access to the Internet.                                                           Conclusion                     This study provided an in-depth analysis of the typologies of CSAM offenders, making it possible to identify characteristics that are commonly present and to draw up a potential profile based on psychosocial (eg, sociodemographic, environmental, and psychological characteristics, trauma history, mental health condition, disruptive cognitions, and pattern behaviors) risk factors. These factors support typologies of users, highlighting consumers and distributors of this type of sexually abusive content, along with a profile that reflects consumption and child sexual abuse practices. For detailed analyses, please refer to Supplementary Table S1 and Supplementary Material S3.
Decolonization and the Right of Self-Determination for the Pacific

Abstract                   Indigenous peoples are often alienated from their lands and culture. This has arguably resulted in Indigenous peoples figuring disproportionately in the social and economic statistics. The right of self-determination is often touted as a panacea to these statistics. The focus of this paper is to rethink the notion of self-determination and examine whether the process afforded by the United Nations Decolonization Committee can assist or whether the sway of State politics and State power impedes this right for Indigenous peoples.
Ai-Driven Devops Automation for Ci/Cd Pipeline Optimization

Modern CI/CD pipelines have become cognitively overloaded, policy-fragile, and operationally inefficient as software delivery scales across microservices, multi-cloud platforms, and regulated environments. While DevOps automation has improved deployment velocity, it remains largely rule-based, reactive, and incapable of reasoning over complex pipeline behavior, failure patterns, or governance constraints. This paper introduces a systemic, AI-driven DevOps automation framework designed to optimize CI/CD pipelines through continuous learning, risk-aware decision-making, and policy-aligned control. The core contribution is a closed-loop, intelligence-driven control plane that integrates telemetry inference, pipeline behavior modeling, and constrained decision automation to optimize build reliability, deployment throughput, and operational toil while preserving human oversight and enterprise governance. Unlike existing approaches that focus on isolated optimizations or tool-level enhancements, the proposed framework treats CI/CD as a distributed socio-technical system, addressing failure modes related to scale, drift, cognitive load, and compliance. We describe the architecture, lifecycle control flow, and governance mechanisms of the proposed system, and evaluate its impact using operational metrics such as mean time to detection (MTTD), mean time to recovery (MTTR), pipeline failure recurrence, and policy deviation rates. The results demonstrate that AI-driven DevOps automation, when designed as a governed control system rather than an autonomous executor, can materially improve reliability, safety, and delivery efficiency in enterprise CI/CD environments.
<i>BRCA</i>Genetic Testing and Receipt of Preventive Interventions Among Women Aged 18–64 Years with Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas — United States, 2009–2014

Genetic testing for breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) and breast cancer 2 (BRCA2) gene mutations can identify women at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer. These testing results can be used to select preventive interventions and guide treatment. Differences between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan populations in rates of BRCA testing and receipt of preventive interventions after testing have not previously been examined.2009-2014.Medical claims data from Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters databases were used to estimate rates of BRCA testing and receipt of preventive interventions after BRCA testing among women aged 18-64 years with employer-sponsored health insurance in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of the United States, both nationally and regionally.From 2009 to 2014, BRCA testing rates per 100,000 women aged 18-64 years with employer-sponsored health insurance increased 2.3 times (102.7 to 237.8) in metropolitan areas and 3.0 times (64.8 to 191.3) in nonmetropolitan areas. The relative difference in BRCA testing rates between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas decreased from 37% in 2009 (102.7 versus 64.8) to 20% in 2014 (237.8 versus 191.3). The relative difference in BRCA testing rates between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas decreased more over time in younger women than in older women and decreased in all regions except the West. Receipt of preventive services 90 days after BRCA testing in metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan areas throughout the period varied by service: the percentage of women who received a mastectomy was similar, the percentage of women who received magnetic resonance imaging of the breast was lower in nonmetropolitan areas (as low as 5.8% in 2014 to as high as 8.2% in 2011) than metropolitan areas (as low as 7.3% in 2014 to as high as 10.3% in 2011), and the percentage of women who received mammography was lower in nonmetropolitan areas in earlier years but was similar in later years.Possible explanations for the 47% decrease in the relative difference in BRCA testing rates over the study period include increased access to genetic services in nonmetropolitan areas and increased demand nationally as a result of publicity. The relative differences in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan BRCA testing rates were smaller among women at younger ages compared with older ages.Improved data sources and surveillance tools are needed to gather comprehensive data on BRCA testing in the United States, monitor adherence to evidence-based guidelines for BRCA testing, and assess receipt of preventive interventions for women with BRCA mutations. Programs can build on the recent decrease in geographic disparities in receipt of BRCA testing while simultaneously educating the public and health care providers about U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations and other clinical guidelines for BRCA testing and counseling.
Galaxy Formation and Dark Matter

The challenge of dark matter may be addressed in two ways; by studying the confrontation of structure formation with observation and by direct and indirect searches. In this review, I will focus on those aspects of dark matter that are relevant for understanding galaxy formation, and describe the outlook for detecting the most elusive component, non-baryonic dark matter. Galaxy formation theory is driven by phenomenology and by numerical simulations of dark matter clustering under gravity. Once the complications of star formation are incorporated, the theory becomes so complex that the brute force approach of numerical simulations needs to be supplemented by incorporation of such astrophysical processes as feedback by supernovae and by active galactic nuclei. I present a few semi-analytical perspectives that may shed some insight into the nature of galaxy formation.
Wire Rope Sling Failure Analysis: Technical Root Causes, Investigation Methodology Critique, and Lessons for Lifting Safety and Organizational Learning

Wire rope slings are critical in heavy lifting operations, yet their failure remains a persistent safety concern. This paper presents a case study of a catastrophic sling rupture that occurred during a heavy lifting trial, despite the lift being within its rated capacity. A multi-faceted failure analysis identified hidden corrosion fatigue at the sling’s ferrule and an unanticipated extreme overload condition as the primary technical root causes. Procedural and organizational factors—including inadequate risk assessment, deviation from critical lift protocols, and failure to act on prior lessons—also contributed to the incident. The contractor’s investigation is critically reviewed against best-practice Root Cause Analysis guidelines, highlighting both strengths and gaps in its methodology. Key lessons to improve lifting safety are discussed, such as implementing rigorous inspection and retirement criteria for aging slings and ensuring comprehensive lift planning. Overall, the case underscores the importance of robust investigation practices and effective organizational learning to prevent similar failures in the future.
Trace element and stable (C, O) and radiogenic (Sr) isotope geochemistry of stromatolitic carbonate rocks of the Mesoarchaean Pongola Supergroup: Implications for seawater composition

Abstract   The Mesoarchaean Pongola Supergroup hosts one of the oldest well-preserved stromatolitic carbonate successions. Major- and trace-element geochemistry along with C, O, and Sr isotopic analyses of three stratigraphic sections of stromatolitic carbonate rocks were undertaken in order to infer the depositional environment, and to unravel the chemical characteristics of contemporaneous seawater. The carbonate rocks consist mainly of dolomite and, to a lesser extent, ankerite. Their variable Sr concentrations of ~ 95 to 450 mg/kg are interpreted as resulting from early to late dolomitization of metastable carbonates (aragonite and/or high-Mg calcite), facies control and calcitization during meteoric diagenesis. δ18O values range from − 19.6 to − 12.0‰ VPDB and reflect recrystallization of carbonates caused by high water-rock interactions during diagenesis and metamorphism. A δ13C value of 2.5‰ VPDB was measured in carbonate samples least affected by alteration, and we suggest that it approximates the composition of dissolved inorganic carbon in coeval seawater. The samples display variable 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratios, from as low as 0.708 to 0.777. These ratios are considerably higher than those expected in Archaean open-ocean water masses buffered by hydrothermal interaction with the mantle. We interpret the highly radiogenic Sr isotopic ratios in some carbonate samples to reflect isotopic exchange with radiogenic Sr from siliciclastic/volcaniclastic components in the samples and fluids from clay-rich layers intercalated with the carbonates. The least radiogenic Sr isotopic ratio may approximate the mixed isotopic composition of seawater in the epicontinental basin and of riverine freshwater draining the Kaapvaal Craton. The dolomitic carbonate samples show shale-normalized rare earth element and yttrium distribution patterns that resemble those of modern ocean water with positive LaSN, GdSN and YSN anomalies, superchondritic Y/Ho ratios, a small negative CeSN anomaly and depleted light rare earth elements relative to the heavy rare earth elements. These anomalies are not as pronounced as expected for an open marine setting, which together with the Sr isotopic results support a more restricted setting with riverine input and fluctuations in marine ingressions. A convex-upward shale-normalized rare earth element and yttrium pattern is probably a result of several factors, including organic matter complexation, and element fractionation during estuarine mixing. The small negative CeSN anomaly may suggest small amounts of free oxygen in shallow waters due to local oxygenic microbial activity.
Epigenetics in alternative splicing : links between chromatin structure, transcription and non-coding RNA mediated regulation

Programa de doctorat en Biomedicina
Antecedents and outcomes of human resource information system (HRIS) use

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test some antecedents and outcomes of human resource information system (HRIS) use in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachA research model based on a questionnaire gleaned from the literature was used to collect data through a purposive sampling technique, whereby only those companies in Penang, Malaysia which are using HRIS were targeted. The data collected were analyzed using structural equation modelling technique with the use of partial least squares approach.FindingsResults show that four out of the five antecedents are significant predictors of extent of use and that extent of use is significantly related to all five outcome variables. This paper provides further evidence on the appropriateness of using Roger's innovation attributes to measure different dimensions of attitude towards extent of HRIS use and Remenyi's and Zuboff's IT framework to measure the outcomes from the extent of HRIS use.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, this study cannot be generalized to all other individuals as the respondents are confined to HR professional employees in local services companies and multinational companies. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized to individuals working in other industries. Second, the study's is carried out using a particular type of technological innovation, which is the HRIS system in this case. As such, the research needs to be replicated to examine the robustness of the findings across a wider range of technologies solution and samples.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that information technology (IT) appears to serve as an empowering function for HR professionals, providing a medium in which HR professionals can provide increased value in their work. The paper will help organizations in the implementation or deployment of new information technology products, systems or processes. Organization can now ensure a smoother implementation plan by addressing the attributes of the innovation that will most likely concern its employees.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the existing literature of HRIS antecedents and outcomes in a developing country setting. Although there has been some research on the same issue, the number is very small in comparison to the literature appearing from the developed countries.
An Integrated PMBOK ISO 9001 DMAIC Framework for Lean Six Sigma Driven Project Quality Management

This quantitative study examined an integrated PMBOK–ISO 9001–DMAIC framework for Lean Six Sigma–driven project quality management to explain variations in project quality performance. Data were collected from 214 completed and near-completion projects across construction, manufacturing, engineering services, and information systems sectors. Descriptive analysis showed that project quality governance capability recorded a mean score of 3.87 (SD = 0.61), while quality management system maturity demonstrated the highest mean of 3.92 (SD = 0.58), indicating well-established governance and system controls across the sampled projects. Data-driven quality improvement capability achieved a mean of 3.78 (SD = 0.65), and process efficiency orientation recorded a mean of 3.69 (SD = 0.63), reflecting moderate to strong application of DMAIC and Lean practices. Project quality performance outcomes indicated high acceptance compliance with a mean of 3.96 (SD = 0.57), while defect density and rework frequency exhibited lower means of 3.34 (SD = 0.72) and 3.29 (SD = 0.75), respectively, suggesting observable variability in execution quality. Reliability analysis confirmed strong internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.87 for process efficiency orientation to 0.93 for data-driven quality improvement capability. Multiple regression analysis revealed that project quality governance capability (β = 0.31, p &lt; 0.001) and quality management system maturity (β = 0.34, p &lt; 0.001) significantly influenced project quality performance, jointly explaining 47% of the variance. Mediation analysis demonstrated that data-driven quality improvement capability exerted a strong positive effect on project quality performance (β = 0.39, p &lt; 0.001), while moderation analysis showed that process efficiency orientation significantly strengthened this relationship (interaction β = 0.17, p &lt; 0.001), increasing explanatory power to 58%. These findings empirically confirmed that project quality performance, reflected through defects, rework, acceptance compliance, process stability, and cost of quality indicators, was most effectively explained through an integrated governance, system control, analytical improvement, and efficiency-oriented framework.