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An evaluation of the Green Prescription programme in Co. Donegal
Full text linkThere is a need for innovative, effective, and sustainable initiatives aimed at increasing the physical activity levels of the general population, particularly those who are least active (Hellénius 2011; DoHC, HSE 2009; Durstine et al. 2013). The purpose of this study was to evaluate an adapted model of exercise on prescription – called the Green Prescription Programme - that was piloted in a number of communities in Co. Donegal during 2011 / 2012. The Green Prescription Programme was delivered in partnership between local community groups, local health professionals and the Health Service Executive. The programme involved the referral of suitable patients from health professionals onto a supported community-based walking programme. Community participants could also self-refer onto the programme.\ud
This evaluation aimed to (a) determine the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the programme; (b) determine the impacts of programme participation on the participants; (c) to determine the impact of the programme on the referring health professionals and community groups involved; and also aimed to (d) make recommendations for the future development of the programme. A mixed-methods evaluation design was used. Quantitative data included pre- and post-programme measurements of participants’ (i) physical activity levels, (ii) mental wellbeing, (iii) blood pressure, (iv) resting heart rate, (v) waist circumference and (vi) body mass index. Qualitative data was derived from interviews and focus groups with programme participants and those involved in the implementation and delivery of the programme. Interviews were also conducted with a small selection of “key stakeholders and experts”.\ud
Key results suggested the programme was acceptable to all those involved and was generally feasible to implement, however some areas of the programme were in need of further development. Programme participants, health professionals and community group leaders self-reported many benefits of programme engagement. Determination of the quantitative impact of the programme was limited by the small number of participants completing post-programme measurements (n=19). However comparison of averaged pre-post-programme scores for these 19 participants showed a significant (p = 0.001) decrease in daily sitting time score from pre- (Mdn = 240 mins/day, IQR = 180) to post-programme (Mdn = 180 mins/day, IQR = 180); a significant (p = .020) increase in mental wellbeing scores from pre- (M = 52.5, SD = 9.7) to post-programme (M = 56.4, SD = 8), and a significant (p = .022) reduction in mean systolic blood pressure from pre- (M = 134.6, SD = 19.2) to post-programme (M = 126.1, SD = 18.1).\ud
In conclusion this evaluation suggests the Green Prescription programme has merit and is a potentially viable model for larger-scale rollout. However it is imperative that further outcome evaluation is conducted utilising an experimental evaluation design and a larger sample of participants to produce generalisable results
An investigation of geosynthetic reinforced piled embankments with particular reference to embankment extremities
No full textThe design of reinforced piled embankments is a complex soil-structure interaction problem involving embankment fill, geosynthetic reinforcement, a pile group and the soft underlying soil. In designing a reinforced piled embankment both vertical and horizontal equilibrium must be achieved. Lateral outward forces exist at the outer extremities of reinforced piled embankments and in order to achieve structural stability, this destabilizing force must be restrained to maintain equilibrium within the embankment and to limit excessive deformations.\ud
In this study, plane strain physical models of a reinforced piled embankment were investigated in a geotechnical centrifuge at up to 60 times Earth’s gravity (g). The centrifuge model facilitated the capturing of photographic images in-flight to allow the deformational response of the piled embankment to be assessed. Numerical analyses, using Plaxis 2D, replicated the centrifuge model testing to allow further assessment of the deformational response, the stress along the geosynthetic and stress in the embankment fill above the reinforcement. Direct comparison of the data from the physical and numerical models largely validated Plaxis 2D for use in the analysis of reinforced piled embankment.\ud
The analysis indicates that significant horizontal and vertical deformations occur in the reinforcement under the side slopes of reinforced piled embankments. Significant bending moments and pile head deflections were observed in the outer row of piles. Bending moments and deflections were present in all piles within the pile group. The analysis indicates that the pile group should extend for a greater distance towards the toe of the embankment than that currently recommended in BS 8006 (2010). The analysis indicated that an increase in the pile bending moment correlated to an increase of the horizontal and vertical deformation of the reinforcement and a decrease in the pile group efficacy. Significant axial tensions were recorded in the reinforcement and were seen to increase from near the crest of the embankment approximately linearly until dropping shapely to zero at the toe of the embankment
Antimicrobial properties of vertically aligned nano-tubular copper
Full text linkIn this work, the antimicrobial properties of vertically aligned nano-tubular Cu arrays (NT-Cu) fabricated via a template-based electrodeposition approach were investigated. The NT-Cu display good bactericidal activity against S.aureus and bacteriostatic properties against E.coli, S.sonnei, S.enterica and C.albicans. In contrast, Cu-foil electrodeposited from the same solution shows low biological activity against the same microorganisms. The antimicrobial activity of NT-Cu depends on both the type of microorganism and exposure time. After 6 hours of exposure, over 99.99% (log red = 4.43) of S.aureus population was inactivated, whereas, for E.coli, S.sonnei, S.enterica and C.albicans it was 97.8, 94.2, 89.9, and 90.3%, respectively
A sustainability and eco-innovation framework for manufacturing SMEs
Full text linkSince the industrial revolution, manufacturing has been a major contributor to environmental damage, through pollution, the depletion of resources and the consumption of energy and the related burning of fossil fuels (IPCC, 2007). There is strong evidence that the situation will worsen, and there is a global call for urgent action to mitigate the accelerating damage (Füssel, et al., 2012; (IPCC, 2014). Sustainable economic development needs to consider the impact of Small and Medium\ud
Enterprises (SMEs), which make up 99% of businesses in Europe (European Commission, 2008;\ud
Audretsch, et al., 2009). SMEs cumulatively cause 64% of total industrial pollution in Europe, and contribute approximately 60-70% of the total industrial waste (Constantinos, et al., 2010).\ud
While large companies are showing improvements in environmental performance, the same is not true of SMEs. Only 24% of SMEs in Europe are currently acting to reduce their environmental impact\ud
(Constantinos, et al., 2010). SME owner-mangers do not have the time or resources to learn and apply sustainability principles, and are often not aware that their business operations have a negative impact. There are supports available, but many are not adequately designed for the majority of SMEs.\ud
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There is limited research in the area of SMEs and sustainability, and previous studies have not sufficiently considered the role of owner-managers. This research was carried out as part of a\ud
European FP7 project called FutureSME; involving a 26 partner consortium, 13 of which were manufacturing SMEs. This allowed access to SME owner-managers over four years. They contributed to the development, piloting and testing of SME-suitable tools and methodologies to improve sustainability maturity levels in manufacturing SMEs. In this study, ‘Sustainability Maturity’ is defined as ‘the capability of an SME owner-manager to manage the environmental sustainability of a business, including sustainability practices, knowledge of how the business impacts the environment, and awareness of how sustainability can be of business benefit’.\ud
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A Sustainability and Eco-Innovation Framework (SEco Framework) to support manufacturing SMEs was developed. It integrated existing methods, together with new ones, and aligned with an overall goal to guide and support SME owner-managers to incrementally improve the sustainability of their businesses. The Framework is a four-step process of (1) diagnosis, (2) identification of sustainability or eco-innovation opportunity projects, (3) selection and implementation of projects identified and\ud
(4) a review with the SME owner-manager. The process is supported by a comprehensive toolkit that can be easily applied in any small business. The study showed that the SEco Framework improved the sustainability maturity in SMEs, when it was tested in two small, Irish manufacturing companies.\ud
The findings of the research identified that an initial SEco Pilot Framework, which was an online selfled methodology, did not engage SMEs, despite being designed for and approved by end-users. It led to the conclusion that the majority of SMEs need the assistance of an external advisor to help them get started, and guide them through a step-by-step process. One particular tool, the Sustainability Report, played a key role in the company’s acceptance of the SEco Framework.\ud
The two key research contributions include new insights into SMEs and a novel Sustainability and\ud
Eco-Innovation Framework for SMEs to enable change and advancement in sustainability maturity in manufacturing SMEs
The supervised as the supervisor
Full text linkPurpose – The relationship between doctoral students and their supervisors impacts on degree completion rates; faculty research performance; and postgraduate satisfaction with their alma mater. This paper explores the impact of the supervisor on doctoral students/graduates who are also supervisors themselves.\ud
Design/methodology/approach – Forty supervisors who are doctoral students/graduates were approached to participate in the study, and 32 agreed. For each participant, data was collected to explore their development as a supervisor.\ud
Findings – Supervisors seek guidance from textbooks, workshops, peers, colleagues and\ud
their doctoral supervisor to develop as a supervisor. Their supervision style emerges as a\ud
reaction to both positive and negative experiences of supervision. A recurring theme in the data is that if there is something missing in the supervision experience, the student will emphasise this element in their approach to supervision.\ud
Practical implications – The changing nature of doctoral provision is changing the role of the\ud
supervisor. This paper explores the relationship between a student and their supervisor. The\ud
outcome is that insights are provided into how the experience of doctoral supervision is reflected in the supervisory practices of the supervised.\ud
Originality/value – The impact of the supervisor on the doctoral student’s/graduate’s subsequent approach to supervision can be mapped against previous research. Additional research is needed to identify the different styles of supervision practised, and how each style is valued within the academic community
Solar photocatalysis for water disinfection: materials and reactor design
Full text linkAs of 2010, access to clean drinking water is a human right according to UN regulations. Nevertheless, the number of people living in areas without safe drinking water is predicted to increase by three billion by the end of this decade. Several recent cases of E. coli and Cryptosporidium contamination in drinking water are also reported in a number of advanced countries. Therefore ensuring the potability of drinking water is urgent, but highly challenging to both the developing and developed world in the future. A combination of solar disinfection and photocatalysis technology offers real possibilities for removing lethal pathogenic microroganisms from drinking water. The time taken for the conventional SODIS process can be greatly reduced by semiconductor (e.g. TiO2, ZnO, nano-heterojunctions) based photocatalysis. This review addresses the fundamental reaction mechanism, advances in materials synthesis and selection and recent developments in the reactor design for solar energy driven photocatalysis using titanium dioxide. The major advantage of using photo-reactors is that they enhance disinfection by increasing photon flux into the photocatalyst. Other major factors affecting such efficiency of solar-based photocatalysis such as the illuminated volume/total volume ratio, catalyst load and flow rate, are discussed in detail. The significance of using immobilised catalysts over the catalyst powder in slurries is also highlighted. It is noted that, despite encouraging early field studies, the commercialisation and mass production of solar photocatalysis systems remains highly challenging. Recommendations for future directions for addressing issues such as mass transfer, requirement of a standard test method, photo-reactors design and visible light absorption by TiO2 coatings are also discussed
Approximate k-mer matching using fuzzy hash maps
No full textWe present a fuzzy technique for approximate k-mer matching that combines the speed of hashing with the\ud
sensitivity of dynamic programming. Our approach exploits the collision detection mechanism used by hash maps, unifying the\ud
two phases of “seed and extend” into a single operation that executes in close to O(1) average time
Exploration of the links between baleen whales and forage fish in the Celtic Sea: assessing spatial distribution and energy content
No full textForage fish are small pelagic fish that are energy pathways from low to high trophic levels and their high stock biomass makes them a profitable target for large scale fisheries. An ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management (EBFM) is necessary if the objective is to maintain a functional ecosystem by avoiding disruption in the food-chain while ensuring profitable resource exploitation. The general objective of this study is to develop the base for such a fishery approach, linking forage fishes, (mainly herring, Clupea harengus, which is a key forage fish species), and baleen whales (fin, minke and humpback whale; Balenoptera physalus, Balenop-tera acutorostrata, Megaptera novaengliae ) in the Celtic Sea ecosystem. The spatial distribution of the annual Celtic Sea herring stock was analysed from acoustic survey data using geostatistics. Herring was randomly distributed in patches, influenced by coastal spawning grounds without correlation with temperature and salinity. Observed spatial distribution of baleen whales was fund to be influenced by the distribution of herring and sprat (Sprattus sprattus ) suggesting that baleen whales actively targeted these two species. To establish the transfer of energy between prey and predators, energy content of herring, sprat and mackerel (Scromber scombrus ) were first measured with bomb-calorimetry. Measures exhibited a high variation pattern caused by maturation status. A significant drop in energy content of fish after spawning is assumed to be an important factor for the quantification of the predation pressure on fish stocks. A simplified individual dynamic energy budget was combined with a model of whale behaviour, in order to quantify their predation on herring. Such modelling allows for testing of different scenarios regarding ecosystem functioning and can help understanding ecosystem links between predator and prey specie
The role of the supply chain in the elimination and reduction of construction rework and defects: an action research approach
Full text linkSince 2007, Ireland has suffered a circa 80% reduction in construction output. This has resulted in bankruptcy, unemployment and bad debt. Contractors have attached greater emphasis to production efficiency and cost reduction as a means of survival. An action research (AR) strategy was used to improve processes adopted by a small/medium enterprise (SME) contractor for the control of defects in its supply chain. It is conservatively estimated that rework, typically, accounts for circa 5% of total project costs. Rework is wasteful and presents an obvious target for improvement. The research reported here concerns the (first) diagnosing stage of the AR cycle only, involving: observation of fieldwork, analysis of contract documents, and semi-structured interviews with supply chain members. The results indicate potential for supply chain participants to identify root causes of defects and propose solutions, having regard to best practice to avoid reoccurrence. A lack of collaborative forums to contribute to production improvement was identified. Additionally the processes used to collect, manage and disseminate data were unstructured and uncoordinated, indicating scope for developing more efficient methods. The findings indicate a good understanding of the potential benefits for supply chain collaboration but suggest that the tools and knowledge to collaborate are currently lacking in the SME secto