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Greenway pedestrian and cycle bridges from repurposed wind turbine blades
No full textGreenways are long-distance walking and cycling routes, often developed along the routes of disused railways. Greenways therefore are a means of repurposing underused infrastructure to provide sustainable transport. They also offer benefits for leisure activities, rural development and tourism. The network of greenways in the Republic of Ireland is projected to grow to 240 km by 2022, and a further 800 km of long-distance pathways has been proposed. The Irish government announced â ¬64m in funding for greenway projects in 2020, with further commitments to sustainable transport spending in the 2020 Programme for Government. In Northern Ireland there is 1,000 km of abandoned former transport routes with the potential for development as greenways. Many of the proposed greenway routes will need extensive works. In many cases, bridges and overpasses are in poor condition and will require complete reconstruction. Alongside the repurposing of disused railways as sustainable transport routes, there is an opportunity to reuse another type of repurposed infrastructure to create functional and attractive new bridges on greenways: end-of-life decommissioned wind turbine blades. Wind turbine blades are made of durable, lightweight and strong fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials. They are difficult to recycle by conventional methods, but are ideally suited to repurposing. A US-Ireland-Northern Ireland initiative, the Re-Wind network, has created designs for several new artefacts from repurposed wind turbine blades, including a pedestrian bridge. In this paper we will show the advantages of the blade bridge design for deployment on greenways, show details of the testing and design of the worldâ s first repurposed greenway blade bridge, scheduled for installation on the Midleton-Youghal Greenway in Co. Cork in 2021, and outline the environmental and social advantages of using repurposed FRP blades in new infrastructure such as bridges. The paper also discusses the future expected flow of end-of-life blades from decommissioned wind turbines in Ireland and how this can be aligned with repurposing opportunities
A bio-economic simulation study on the association between key performance indicators and pluck lesions in Irish farrow-to-finish pig farms
No full textBackground
Pluck lesions are associated with decreased performance in grower-finisher pigs, but their economic impact needs to be further investigated. This study aimed to identify the main pluck lesions and the cut-off value for their prevalence, associated with changes in average daily gain (ADG) during the wean-to-finish period, to simulate their effects on economic performance of farrow-to-finish farms. Pigs (n = 162 ± 51.9 per farm) from 56 farrow-to-finish farms were inspected at slaughter and the prevalence of enzootic pneumonia-like lesions, pleurisy, lung scars, abscesses, pericarditis, and liver milk spots was estimated. For each farm, annual performance indicators were obtained. Regression trees analysis (RTA) was used to identify pluck lesions and to estimate cut-off values for their prevalence associated with changes in ADG. Different scenarios were simulated as per RTA results and economic and risk analyses were performed using the Teagasc Pig Production Model. Risk analysis was performed by Monte Carlo sampling using the Microsoft Excel add-in @Risk with 10,000 iterations.
Results
Pleurisy and lung scars were the main lesions associated with changes in ADG. Three scenarios were simulated based on RTA results: a 728 sow farrow-to-finish farm with prevalence of i) pleurisy < 25% and lung scars < 8% (LPLSC; ADG = 760 g); ii) pleurisy < 25% and lung scar ≥8% (LPHSC; ADG = 725 g) and iii) pleurisy ≥25% (HP; ADG = 671 g). The economic analysis showed increased feed and dead animals for disposal costs, and lower sales in the HP and LPHSC scenarios than in the LPLSC scenario; thereby reducing gross margin and net profit. Results from the risk analysis showed lower probability of reaching any given level of profit in the HP scenario compared with the LPHSC and LPLSC scenarios.
Conclusion
Under the conditions of this study, higher prevalence of pleurisy and lung scars were associated with decreased ADG during the grower-finisher period and with lower economic return in the simulated farms. These results highlight the economic benefits and importance of preventing and/or controlling respiratory disease
A guided scratch visual execution environment to introduce programming concepts to CS1 students
No full textFirst-year computer science (CS1) university students traditionally have difficulties understanding how to program. This paper describes research introducing CS1 students to programming concepts using a Scratch programming language guided visual execution environment (VEE). The concepts addressed are those from an introductory programming course (sequences, variables, operators, conditionals, loops, and events and parallelism). The VEE guides novice students through programming concepts, explaining and guiding interactive exercises executed in Scratch by using metaphors and serious games. The objective of this study is, firstly, to investigate if a cohort of 124 CS1 students, from three distinct groups, studying at the same university, are able to improve their programming skills guided by the VEE. Secondly, is the improvement different for various programming concepts? All the CS1 students were taught the module by the same tutor in four 2-h sessions (8 h), and a qualitative research approach was adopted. The results show students significantly improved their programming knowledge, and this improvement is significant for all the programming concepts, although greater for certain concepts such as operators, conditionals, and loops than others. It also shows that students lacked initial knowledge of events and parallelism, though most had used Scratch during their high school years. The sequence concept was the most popular concept known to them. A collateral finding in this study is how the students’ previous knowledge and learning gaps affected grades they required to access and begin study at the university level.This research was funded by in part by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under Grant TIN2015-66731-C2-1-R, in part by the Rey Juan Carlos University under Grant 30VCPIGI15, in part by the Madrid Regional Government, through the project e-Madrid-CM, under Grant P2018/TCS-4307, and in part by the Structural Funds (FSE and FEDER)
Analysing Indian Ocean’s Kandisa: a dialogue with decolonisation
No full textThis article provides justification for the minority scholar trained in ‘elite’ music analysis (my term) to apply voice-leading analysis to rock band Indian Ocean’s fusion number Kandisa. In so doing, I find a meaningful new way to address decolonisation debates in music. Born and schooled in India, and now based in Ireland, I first reflect on recent tensions around music theory’s white racial frame as argued by Philip A. Ewell in his 2020 article \u27Music Theory and the White Racial Frame\u27, for Music Theory Online. I ask what this means for a minority scholar whose non-luxury training in Western art music (henceforth WAM) and its theory has – curiously – placed me on the fringes of music academe. A close reading of Kandisa is presented next, as an engagement with musical minutiae via a language that I argue is far more accessible and meaningful (to me, my fellow Indian friends and colleagues, and the band members themselves) than any ‘Indian’ music terminology. Recognising the potential for this viewpoint to cause a stir amongst ethnomusicologists who have had the double good fortune to train in WAM as well as its Indian counterparts, I recontextualise Kandisa through the lens of decolonisation literature which includes Audra Lorde, Tuck and Yang, and Sunaina Kale, to name just a few
An empirical study into Ishikawa\u27s basic tools of QC in European organisations
No full textThe purpose of this European study is to investigate the statement of Dr Ishikawa that "95% of problems in processes can be solved using the 7 Quality Control (QC) tools". An online survey instrument was developed, disseminated, and responded to by 228 senior quality professionals from across Europe. The main finding of this study is that just 15% of participants perceived that the seven tools of QC could solve above 90% of quality problems, and 40% had utilised the incorrect tools when problem-solving. Pareto analysis was the most widely used tool across European organisations, while the least used tools are Scatter diagrams and Stratification. The 7 QC¿s tools were widely utilised in Production or Manufacturing areas but least applied in IT, Administration and Finance functions. The common benefits from using the seven basic tools of QC in all sectors include: providing structure to problem-solving efforts, aids problem solving and helps in problem definition, measurement, and analysis. This work presents a list of critical success factors (CSF¿s) required for the proper application of the 7 QC tools, including having management support, having a continuous improvement (CI) program and having a systematic and disciplined approach to problem-solving. This study is the first European research focused on investigating Dr Ishikawa\u27s statement: "95% of problems in processes can be solved using the 7 Quality Control tools". The findings further facilitate an important first step towards understanding the applicability, benefits, and CSFs to utilising these tools in organisations across functions, sectors and globally
« Il y a ce à quoi nous sommes reliés, nous tous, confinés mais interdépendants, responsables, solidaires et fiers de l’être »
No full textLike any unforeseen, brutal, vital event, the coronavirus crisis is causing its share of regressions: an epidemic of hoaxes, conspiracy theories and gossip of all kinds and, of course, a relentless search for culprits – from the Chinese to globalization, from neo-liberalism to climate change, from health authorities lacking in foresight to the Machiavellian government. These are so many tactics probably intended to recover a semblance of control over what escapes us.Check for published version during checkdate report - A
How research institutions can foster innovation
No full textCarrying out research—if done right—inherently means being innovative. We use ‘innovation’ in a broad sense, that is, as the creation of
something new: an idea, a concept, way of looking at things, method or
approach. We specifically do not use the term solely—as it often is—
as the development of new technologies with practical applications,
which can be marketed for commercial purposes. Naturally, in this
sense, being innovative is intimately linked to being creative or imaginative. No-one wants to discover what others have already found. Innovation, by definition, requires novelty. Novelty is an important source
of scientific breakthroughs and has great technological impact.[1] Such
breakthroughs often come about when scientists combine disciplines,
ideas, approaches, or tools in novel and unexpected ways. While clearly
only very few scientific breakthroughs result in Nobel Prizes, we can all
increase our impact by taking a more innovative approach. Importantly,
research institutions stand to benefit from fostering innovation within
their walls. A reputation for truly ground-breaking work attracts better
scientists, students and more funding—all key success factors.
But how can institutions promote innovative research? Various initiatives have been implemented to encourage researchers to collaborate across disciplines and embrace the ‘Third Mission’ of universities to promote relationships between public sector research and
business.[2,3 ] However, dedicated institutional strategies aimed at fostering innovation at the level of their research units are still comparatively rare. Here, we try to briefly outline what, in our experience, academic research institutions can do to help their scientists become more
innovative, followed by a brief example of a programme that implements these practices and approaches
Influence of farm type (organic, conventional and intensive) on toxic metal accumulation in calves in NW Spain
No full textThe aim of the present study was to determine how accumulation of toxic metals by beef-cattle in NW Spain varies between farms that have markedly different practices (including intensive, conventional and organic management) and to determine possible key factors affecting toxic metal assimilation by cattle. Soil, feed (forage and concentrate) and animal tissues (liver and kidney from 120 calves) were collected from nine farms across NW Spain and were analysed for metals by ICP-MS. Toxic metal concentrations in beef calves were generally low but did vary significantly between farms. There were no consistent patterns of difference in tissue metal concentrations between farms from different regions or between farms with different management practices. Variations in arsenic, cadmium and mercury concentrations in calf tissues were not significantly explained by soil or diet metal concentrations but were significantly and inversely related to the proportion of concentrate in the ration. Higher levels of metal residues in tissues were associated with consumption of low amounts of concentrate and relatively high levels of grazing. Higher toxic metal intake due to grazing is likely to be largely a result of soil ingestion.Xunta de GaliciaEdit PDF: remove cover pag
Removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from aqueous solution using acid-modified poultry litter-derived hydrochar: adsorption, regeneration and reuse
No full textBACKGROUND: Chromium (Cr) is widely used in industrial processes and is considered a major source of pollution when released to the environment. Of particular concern, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is amongst the most toxic heavy metals affecting human health and living organisms when fugitive emissions contaminate aqueous environments. Consequently, its
removal and recovery are priorities for environmental remediation in the context of the circular economy. In this study, modified hydrochar (MHC) was generated by hydrothermal carbonisation of acid-treated (H2SO4) poultry litter (PL) and investigated for its ability to adsorb Cr(VI) from aqueous solution in batch studies. Recovery of Cr(VI) and the regeneration potential of MHC were also evaluated. RESULTS: Results indicated that Cr(VI) adsorption was strongly pH dependent, demonstrating an inverse relationship between solution pH and Cr(VI) uptake. A maximum adsorption capacity of 26.2 mg g−1 was achieved in 90 min at pH 2. Under optimal conditions, adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the adsorption isotherm fitted most closely
with the Langmuir model. Thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption process of Cr(VI) onto the MHC was exothermic and spontaneous. Regeneration studies demonstrated that the MHC can be re-used up to four times without significant loss
of capacity to adsorb Cr(VI). CONCLUSIONS: Modified PL hydrochar offers potential as a low-cost, environmentally friendly solution for Cr(VI) adsorption in wastewater treatment applications. The ability of Cr(VI) to desorb from MHC demonstrates strong potential for Cr(VI) recovery and regeneration of the adsorbent
Estimating the conditional probability of developing human papilloma virus related oropharyngeal cancer by combining machine learning and inverse bayesian modelling
No full textThe epidemic increase in the incidence of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas (OPSCCs) in several countries worldwide represents a significant public health concern. Although gender neutral HPV vaccination programmes are expected to cause a reduction in the incidence rates of OPSCCs, these effects will not be evident in the foreseeable future. Secondary prevention strategies are currently not feasible due to an incomplete understanding of the natural history of oral HPV infections in OPSCCs. The key parameters that govern natural history models remain largely ill-defined for HPV related OPSCCs and cannot be easily inferred from experimental data. Mathematical models have been used to estimate some of these ill-defined parameters in cervical cancer, another HPV related cancer leading to successful implementation of cancer prevention strategies. We outline a “double-Bayesian” mathematical modelling approach, whereby, a Bayesian machine learning model first estimates the probability of an individual having an oral HPV infection, given OPSCC and other covariate informatio