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Voice Assisted Technology as a tool for speech problems in Parkinson's Disease and related conditions: a scoping review:English
Get PDFBackground: People with neurological conditions like Parkinson’s Disease may have speech and voice difficulties impacting volume, speech clarity and intelligibility. Voice assisted technology, (like Alexa™) poorly recognises speech difficulties and prompts people to change their speech to enable interaction. Aims: This study aims to identify literature regarding the utilization of voice assisted technology to address speech and voice difficulties associated with neurological conditions. We explore: (1) voice assisted technology recognition of speech difficulties or dysarthric speech, and (2) the impact of using voice assisted technology on intelligibility, clarity, or volume for people with dysarthria or speech difficulties. Methods and Procedures: A review of available literature was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) scoping review framework in 2023. Five electronic databases were systematically searched, yielding 840 results, before screening and data extraction. Outcomes were narratively reviewed. Findings are reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Outcomes and Results: Five papers were reviewed to include dysarthria, stammering and reduced intelligibility. Results indicate limited evidence regarding the role of voice assisted technology for assessment in speech and language therapy (SLT). Voice assisted technology holds promise as a SLT management tool to improve volume, clarity and intelligibility of speech, with implications for participation and wellbeing. Conclusions and Implications: This review provides tentative conclusions that voice assisted technology may improve volume, intelligibility and clarity of speech for people with dysarthria or speech difficulties. This technology has potential as a SLT tool to aid self-management and maintenance. Relevance to conference This research indicates that cross disciplinary partnerships are vital to advance how voice assisted technology, like Alexa and Google Home, can be used therapeutically in speech and language therapy. Combining the knowledge of computer science and allied health, may contribute to more timely management of dysarthrophonia in Parkinson’s Disease, which is known to worsen over time. This may facilitate home based healthcare, which is both personalised and accessible, and mitigates long waitiling lists in Northern Ireland. <br/
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the UK: findings from the British Thoracic Society UK Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Registry
Get PDFObjectives Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD) and the most common idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. The UK IPF Registry was established in 2013 to collect data pertaining to clinical features, therapeutic approaches and outcomes. From February 2023, the Registry expanded to include any ILD with evidence of fibrosis.Design The UK IPF Registry is a national, multicentre observational registry, including both prospective and retrospective data of patients with IPF in secondary or tertiary care. Cases eligible for inclusion were those with a diagnosis of IPF, presenting at participating centres from January 2013.Results Between January 2013 and February 2023, 5052 IPF cases were registered from 64 participating centres. There was a male preponderance (77.8%) with mean±SD age of 74±8.1 years, 66% were ex-smokers and 76% had at least one comorbidity. Over a third (36.7%) experienced symptoms for more than 24 months prior to their first clinic visit. The majority of cases were discussed at a multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting and the most common radiological patterns at presentation were probable (54.6%) and definite (42.7%) usual interstitial pneumonia. There was a reduction in surgical lung biopsies from 14% in 2013 to 5.5% in 2022. Antifibrotic therapy prescription rose from 36.0% in 2013 to 55.9% in 2023. The use of nintedanib (approved by National Institute of Clinical Excellence in January 2016) rose from 6.7% in 2013 to 31.5% in 2022 and pirfenidone (approved in April 2013) was initially used in around a third of cases before dropping to between 16.8% and 24.9% after nintedanib was approved.Conclusion These data reflect clinical practice across the UK and it is intended the data will have a role in informing the future of IPF care and providing a model for benchmarking, ultimately increasing knowledge and improving clinical care for this devastating disease
Synthetic Data Generation for Autonomic Computing
Get PDFThis paper discusses an approach that integrates data generation capabilities into the Autonomic Computing MAPE-K (Monitor Analyse Plan Execute and Knowledge Loop) to mitigate problems with data scarcity in autonomous space missions. The purpose of this work is to enhance the decision-making abilities of an Autonomic Manager by providing it with the ability to use simulation and data generation. A Conditional Tabular Generative Adversarial Network (CTGAN) is used to generate new synthetic datasets. Synthetic datasets are then evaluated to assess their utility. The evaluation results show that synthetic data can closely resemble the original data. However, this paper does not address the challenges of equipping a swarm with the necessary hardware, focusing instead on the feasibility of the proposed data generation pipeline
Challenging times for Early Career Social Workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods study
Get PDFThe social work profession’s future lies largely in the hands of early career professionals (those working two years or less post-qualification). Their intentions to remain in the profession and their wellbeing affect their performance and system functioning. While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic changed social work practice, its impact on early career social workers needs specific exploration. Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted during six phases of the pandemic across the UK. We compared quantitative and qualitative findings by analyzing data from 205 early career social workers compared to 3,391 with longer experience. Wellbeing and work-related quality of life scores fluctuated. Compared to experienced social workers (those working more than two years), early career social workers had lower wellbeing but significantly higher job satisfaction in Phase 2 (Dec–Jan 2020/1). Four themes emerged from analysis of qualitative data from the early career group: unanticipated changes in service demands; uncertainties of policies/practices; feelings of limited support amid increasing pressures, and greater case complexity. Unexpected working conditions and increasing service demands without wider team support appeared to particularly affect those recently qualified. Further research is warranted on whether there are lasting impacts of the pandemic on this cohort of social workers, both negative and positive, to inform support safe staffing measures and pandemic preparedness
Nationwide Trends in Screen Time and Associated Risk Factors by Family Structures Among Adolescents, 2008-2022: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study
Get PDFBackground: Although understanding long-term trends in adolescent screen time and the influence of family structure is essential, there is a lack of research addressing these issues comprehensively. Objective: This study aimed to conduct comprehensive investigations into adolescent screen time before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on family structures. Methods: This study used nationwide, large-scale data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey from South Korea. We aimed to indicate the changes in adolescent screen time over 15 years from 2008 to 2022. Weighted linear regression was used to analyze annual trends in screen time before and during the pandemic, and stratified analyses were conducted to examine associated risk factors across different family structures. Results: This study used data from a total of 836,972 individuals (n=403,456, 48.2% women), with an age range of 12-18 years. The analysis revealed an overall increase in screen time prepandemic (β=8.06, 95% CI 7.74-8.39), with a notable increase observed at the onset of the pandemic (β=162.06, 95% CI 159.49-164.64). Among diverse family structures, the orphanage group showed the most substantial increase in screen time during the pandemic (βdiff=221.90, 95% CI 159.62-284.17). Risk factors associated with screen time during the pandemic varied by family structure. Notably, the nuclear family group presented distinct screen time–related risk factors, including grade, region of residence, physical activity frequency, sadness and despair, and the highest education level of parents. Conclusions: There has been a notable increase in average screen time among adolescents since the onset of the pandemic, with the orphanage group exhibiting a pronounced trend. The risk factors associated with screen time during the pandemic varied for each family structure. Findings from this study suggest that the implementation of individualized measures tailored to each family structure should be adopted to effectively address the increased issue of adolescent screen time since the pandemic
Plasmonic Geometry-Induced Viscoelastic Biocomplex Formation with Optical Concealment, Liquid Slips, and Soundscapes in Bioassays
Get PDFPlasmonic nanoparticles (NPs), typically made up of gold or silver, are widely used in point-of-care bio- and chemical sensing due to their role in enhancing detection sensitivity. Key NP properties influencing sensing performance include the material type, NP size, and geometry. While much research has focused on material and size optimization, less attention has been given to understand NP geometry effects and interactions with biomolecules involved in the bioassay. In this context, we investigate the interfacial propertiesof the biocomplex formed by spherical-shaped gold nanoparticles(AuNPs) and gold nanostars (AuNSts) during a sandwich assay using localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). The chosen model to study the biocomplex specifically detects interleukin-6 (IL-6). Our results show that AuNSts, with their anisotropic shape and higher surface area, form antibody−antigen complexes more effectively than AuNPs. AuNSts also create a softer, more hydrated layer due to their complex geometry, which leads to larger liquid slips. Lastly, we showed that AuNSts avoid optical concealment at high IL-6concentrations, unlike AuNPs, making them more reliable for detecting a wider range of concentrations. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing NP geometry for improved bio/chemical sensor performance
The impact of travelling fires on structural integrity in large compartments – Findings from test 1
Get PDFLarge-scale compartment travelling fire tests were carried out at FireSERT, Ulster University, by the authors to study their behaviour and their impact on the surrounding structure. This article provides detailed temperature data recorded during Test 1 (fuel controlled with open boundary conditions) and explores how the positioning of the travelling fires affect the temperatures of both the compartment gas and the surrounding structural elements. The parts of the compartment and the steel structure discussed in this article are all within the fuel bed and parallel to the direction of the travelling fire along the centre of the test compartment. It is found that the travelling fires yield complex and non-uniform temperatures within the compartment and their positioning has a significant impact on the recorded temperatures. It was observed that the differences in the recorded gas temperatures for areas near and further from the travelling fire band can be around 900 °C (especially at lower levels) at certain instants during the test. The same differences for columns and beams are around 600 °C and 300 °C respectively at some instants during the tests. Unlike the current assumptions for small compartments, the gas temperatures recorded along the length of large compartments are highly transient during travelling fires. Similar observations were made for the recorded temperatures in the steel beams and columns. Temperatures in the upper parts of the columns rise uniformly at earlier stages of the fire test while the lower parts experience high sharp temperatures when the travelling fire band engulfs the columns. In case of beams, the increase and decrease in temperatures is steady, however, the temperatures recorded in the bottom flange are higher than those recorded in the top flange. The findings of this research reflect the learnings from accidental fires which are different to the conventional approaches used in the fire design. These findings will improve our understanding of the fire dynamics related to travelling fires, their impact on building safety and will provide better direction for future research on travelling fires
Barnardos trauma-informed approach for children and parents living with parental drug use:An evaluation of Lorien and Ballyogan services (South Dublin). Executive Summary
Get PDFStructural response of a column under eccentric loading in a travelling fire scenario with open ventilation conditions
Get PDFColumns are crucial structural elements designed to carry axial loads. When these loads are applied off the column's central axis, it results in eccentric loading, introducing both axial stress and bending moments in the column. This complexity becomes even more pronounced under transient heating conditions, such as those encountered during travelling fire. In consideration of this, the present study undertakes nonlinear analyses to explore the structural response of columns under eccentric loading and exposed to a travelling compartment fire with open ventilation conditions. The structural response is evaluated considering the effects of eccentricity ratios along the strong and weak axis of the column section for different load ratios. The analysis reveals that critical buckling temperature is higher in travelling fire scenarios compared to standard fire condition. However, when load ratios exceed 0.4, travelling fire become more critical, leading to reduced critical buckling temperature. Furthermore, the vulnerability of columns to fail under eccentric loading is influenced by the degree of eccentricity, load ratio, and the axis of loading. The columns along the strong axis being more prone to global buckling and those along the weak axis exhibiting localized failure. The study shows that failure modes differ between standard and travelling fire scenarios. In standard fire, failure occurs at mid-height, while in travelling fire case, it concentrates in the lower section of a column. Based on the analysis results, an analytical approach is proposed to estimate critical temperature while considering eccentricity and load ratios
Resolving Nanoslip, Solvation Inertia, and Charge Dynamics at Vibrating Solid–Liquid Interface
Get PDFWhen a liquid contacts a charged solid surface, counterions in the liquid accumulate near the interface—a process traditionally described by models such as Helmholtz, Stern, and Debye‐Hückel. However, these frameworks overlook the complex interplay between inertia and surface charge, and they simplify ions as mere point charges. This study employs vibrating solid surfaces to decouple and investigate the effects of inertia, ion‐slipping, and electrostatic interactions at the molecular scale. This approach reveals “inertial layer” in the initial liquid strata, which plays a critical role in governing interface dynamics. Within this layer, a tunable Helmholtz zone is identified, where mechanical stiffness and electrostatic forces adjust in response to ion concentration. Beyond this lies a Debye screening region characterized by repulsive forces and electrostatic decoupling from the double‐layer capacitor model. Using phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) as a model electrolyte, it is demonstrated that low ionic strength enhances interfacial stability, while high concentrations increase electrostatic repulsion, influencing nanoscale mechanical behavior. These insights refine the understanding of interfacial phenomena and hold significant implications for biosensing, catalysis, and energy storage technologies