Research@THEA (Technological Higher Education Association)
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Fairy-Tales, Role Plays & Groupwork
Get PDFThis strategy is inspired by: Case Studies, Fish-Bowl Learning,
Role Plays, Using Visuals, Cooperative Learning and Group work, Group Presentations, A Guest Speaker and E-tivities.
Teaching & Learning Context
This strategy was in the context of our part-time, level 8, 10
ECTS flexible learning Certificate in Jungian Psychology
with Art Therapy. Of the 12 contact days, two are dedicated
to The Interpretation of Fairy-Tales, with a follow up zoom
90 minutes evening tutorial. The contact days consisted of
guest lecturers from 11:30am – 1pm, and from 2-4pm. The
Art Therapy session was from 9:30am-11:10am both days.
Due to the pandemic the contact days were relocated to
online. A silver lining to this was that I had the opportunity to
collaborate with my wife on the Art Therapy morning, and also
‘sat in’ on the guest lecturer sessions (as I had to be the tech
guy). Our class consisted of 15 mostly mature students with
careers in the arts or healing professions
Evaluation of the skill of length-based indicators to identify stock status and trends
Get PDFIn data-poor situations, length-based indicators (LBIs) and reference points based on life history parameters have been proposed to classify stocks according to conservation status and yield optimization. Given the variety of potential LBIs, life history traits, and fisheries, it is necessary to evaluate the robustness of length-based advice to ensure that despite uncertainty that management objectives will still be met. Therefore, a simulation procedure was employed where an Operating Model conditioned on life history parameters was used to generate pseudo data. Receiver operator characteristics and the true skill score were then used to screen LBIs based on their ability to identify overfishing and recovery. It was found that LBIs performed better for long-lived species with low individual growth rates, those aimed at ensuring the conservation of mature fish performed better than those aimed at the conservation of immature fish, are better at indicating trends than at quantifying exploitation level, and in general were robust to uncertainty about dynamic processes.ye
Reinforcement Learning in VANET Penetration Testing /
Get PDFThe recent popularity of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) corresponds with an
increase in the risk of cyber-attacks. These cyber-attacks have been instigated by both
researchers or white-coat hackers, and cyber-criminals. As Connected Vehicles move towards
full autonomy the impact of these cyber-attacks also grows. The current research details
challenges faced in cybersecurity testing of CAV, including access and the cost of
representative test setup. Other challenges faced are lack of experts in the field. Possible
solutions of how these challenges can be overcome are reviewed and discussed. From these
findings a software simulated Vehicular Ad Hoc NETwork (VANET) is established as a cost effective representative testbed. Penetration tests are then performed on this simulation,
demonstrating a cyber-attack in CAV. Studies have shown Artificial Intelligence (AI) to
improve runtime, increase efficiency and comprehensively cover all the typical test aspects,
in penetration testing in other industries. In this research a similar AI Reinforcement Learning
model, Q-Learning, is applied to the software simulation. The expectation from this
implementation is to see similar improvements in runtime and efficiency for the VANET
model. The results show this to be true and using AI in penetration testing for VANET to
improve efficiency in most cases. Each case is reviewed in detail before discussing possible
ways to improve the implementation and get a truer reflection of the real-world application.n
Study protocol for the investigation of the clinical effectiveness of a physical activity behaviour change intervention for individuals living with and beyond cancer
Get PDFMost individuals living with and beyond cancer are not sufficiently active to achieve the health benefits associated with regular physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to describe the study protocol for a two-arm non-randomised comparison trial conducted within a community-based setting, which aimed to investigate the clinical effectiveness of a cancer-specific PA behaviour change (BC) intervention, namely MedEx IMPACT (IMprove Physical Activity after Cancer Treatment), compared to a general exercise rehabilitation programme, among survivors of cancer. Individuals who had completed active-cancer treatment who were referred to a community-based exercise rehabilitation programme were invited to participate in the trial. Participants in the control group (CG) attended twice-weekly supervised exercise classes for 12 weeks. Classes were delivered as part of a chronic illness exercise rehabilitation programme. Participants in the MedEx IMPACT intervention group (IG) also attended the twice-weekly supervised exercise classes for 12 weeks and received cancer-specific materials, namely an independent PA programme, 4 PA information sessions and a 1:1 exercise consultation. The primary outcome was PA levels measured by 6-day accelerometry and self-report PA. Secondary outcomes included cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), quality of life (QoL) and sedentary behaviour. Outcomes were measured at baseline and months 3, 6 and 12. Few effective PA BC interventions for individuals living with and beyond cancer have been identified. The results of this study will have implications for the planning and provision of community-based exercise oncology rehabilitation programmes for individuals living with and beyond cancer.ye
A review of dystrophic lake and pool habitat in Europe: An Irish perspective
Get PDFFreshwater lakes and pools contained within peatlands are unique habitats that support rare and specialised species. Despite this, these ecosystems have been overlooked in conservation and management practices. One of these habitats, ‘3160 Natural dystrophic lakes and ponds’, is protected under the European Union (EU) Habitats Directive with a concerning proportion of these habitats having an “unfavourable-bad” or an “unfavourable-inadequate” conservation status across Europe. Our current understanding of the key physico-chemical and ecological features of this habitat is inadequate which is hindering the implementation of effective conservation measures. This review summarises the current knowledge of this protected lake habitat as defined under the EU Habitats Directive. With a focus on Ireland, we demonstrate how the current monitoring and assessment methods used to characterise and assess the structure and function and conservation status of this habitat, which relies largely on the use of macrophyte community composition and surrogate physico-chemical data collected under the EU Water Framework Directive, is ineffective. We propose the incorporation of further or alternative ecological metrics including, but not limited to, algae and macroinvertebrates which are needed to improve our understanding of the structure and function of this priority lake habitat. In addition, application of such data via ecological metrics would allow for the quantification of biodiversity and species rarity metrics which would aid in identifying sites of conservation importance.ye
Investigation of the first recent crayfish plague outbreak in Ireland and its subsequent spread in the Bruskey River and surrounding areas
Get PDFWhite-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) is a keystone species found in western European freshwater bodies, where it has suffered drastic declines due to pathogens, competition with nonindigenous crayfish species (NICS) and habitat deterioration. In Ireland, populations of (naturalised) A. pallipes have been considered healthy and abundant mainly because no diseases or NICS have been reported in the past decades. The present study investigated a sudden mass mortality event that occurred in the Erne catchment in 2015. Molecular analysis confirmed that the cause of the event was infection by the oomycete Aphanomyces astaci (the causative agent of the crayfish plague). While in 2015 the spread of the pathogen appeared to remain confined to the outbreak’s epicentre and nearby upstream waters, follow up surveys using conventional methods and environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches indicated that by a year later (2016), the pathogen was still present and had spread downstream beyond Lough Gowna. No NICS were detected during the surveys conducted. This crayfish plague outbreak is of grave concern to Irish whiteclawed crayfish and associated ecosystems.ye
Researching gambling: have we learned nothing from Big Tobacco's manipulation of science?
No full textThe global gambling industry was estimated to be worth US876 Billion by 2026 (1). However, behind such headline grabbing statistics lies the reality of the extremely negative impacts gambling can have on physical, psychological and social functioning (2,3).Although estimates vary as to the level of gambling addiction in populations, evidence suggest thatbetween0.5–3.0%of the population areproblem gamblers,with upto four times as many people reporting subclinical problems(4). An issue of
particular concern is the significant growth
of the online gambling industry during the
COVID-19 pandemic (5).ye
The osteoinduction of C2C12 myoblast cell-line treated with growth factor-incorporated biocomposites
No full textBone regeneration scaffold serves as an alternative treatment to critical bone defects,
substituting the traditional gold standard autologous bone grafting. A number of
biomaterials and osteogenic growth factors are of the scientists’ interest in developing
this bone scaffolds, to satisfy the required characteristics including having the
osteoconductive and osteoinductive features.
FDA-approved treatments are known as Medtronic InfuseTM rhBMP-2 and Stryker
OsigraftTM rhBMP-7, where both are osteogenic proteins. However, Infuse
TM was
shown to induce ectopic bone growth, while OsigraftTM was unable to prove its
effectiveness in treating non-unions, thus being discontinued from the market.
This research is interested in comparing the use of an alternative active
pharmaceutical ingredients (API) to have a comparable osteogenic performance to
the protein, since it is advantageous in terms of greater conformational control, giving
higher stability over cellular interaction
Care-Centred Pedagogy Through Active Learning And Innovative Assessment
No full textThe discourse of ‘care centred pedagogy’ has gained
significant momentum in recent decades. Authors such as
Lynch (2010 & 2015) and Noddings (2013) have highlighted
the dangers of ‘care-less’ education environments
associated with increasingly marketized, neo-liberal agendas
(preoccupied primarily with measurable outputs, numbers
and performativity metrics). There has therefore been a
counter movement that increasingly values care centred
pedagogies and climates of care. Care centred pedagogies
and their positive impact on student motivation, and inclusion
have subsequently been well documented by authors such
as: Motta and Bennett (2018), Palahicky et.al. (2019) and Bali
(2021).
TUS-MMW is therefore committed to a care-centred
pedagogy, which places ‘human relationality’ at the core of
our teaching and learning. 'Pedagogies of care, including
transition pedagogies' is a key pillar in our new TUS-MMW
Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy (2022). It is
a commitment to a socially just, inclusive, and enriching
learning experience for all our students. It is about an
authentic educator presence, where our pedagogical practice
reflects the importance of the social and the relational. A
care-centred philosophy enables and nurtures “climates
of care” (Noddings, 1984) where our learners, teachers and
support staff feel valued, respected and connected as part
of a learning community of equality, trust and fairness (O’
Connell and Ryan 2022). We are committed to creating a
‘community of practice’ as colleagues who attend regularly
to the underlying purpose of our programmes and critically
discuss pedagogical issues, in a supportive collegial environment
EJNI Briefing Paper November
No full textThis briefing note relates to the proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU. The EU Commission’s proposal seeks to strengthen emissions reduction of the buildings sector as part of the Fit for 55 work package and the RenoWave Strategy, which implement the commitments in the European Green Deal. The objective is to achieve a zero-emission and fully decarbonised building stock by 2050, introducing EU–wide minimum energy performance standards for buildings and Energy Performance Certificates among other measures. This is a crucial climate mitigation measure as buildings account for 40% of EU energy consumption and 36% of GHG emissions, but has taken on further significance in light of the war in Ukraine and the Winter Energy Crisis.
A proposal was put forward for inclusion of access to justice rights in the revised Directive, designed to implement Aarhus Convention rights. This is in line with the stated policy of the EU Commission of doing just that, as well as the explicit requirement of the Aarhus Convention to introduce legislative provision for the Convention’s rights. This note highlights that Aarhus rights clearly do belong in a directive grounded in the Energy Title, and goes on to answer questions on the implications of an access to justice amendment. The text of the proposed amendment is appende