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Topology and FEA modeling and optimization of a patient-specific zygoma implant
No full textAdditive manufacturing has proven to be a very beneficial production technology in the medical and healthcare industries. While existing for over four decades, recent work has seen great improvements in the quality of products; particularly in medical devices such as implants. Improved customization reduced operating time and increased cost-effectiveness associated with Metal AM for these products offers a new value proposition. This paper investigates and evaluates modelling methods for the zygoma bone (human jawbone) and explores the most suitable
material and optimum design for this critical biomedical implant. This paper proposes an innovative and efficient pre-process methodology that includes modelling, design validation, topological optimization, and numerical analysis. The method includes the generation of the model using reverse engineering of CT scan data and a topology optimization technique which makes the implant lightweight without causing excessive stress concentration. Static structural Finite Element Analysis was conducted to test three different biocompatible materials (Ti6Al4V, stainless steel 316L and CoCr alloys) which are commonly available for metal additive manufacturing. The stresses and conditions in the analysis were that of the human mastication process and all the implant design were tested with the three material types. The Taguchi method was used to determine the optimum design which was found to result in the highest mass reduction of 25% with Ti6Al4V as the implant material
Exploring porcine gastric and intestinal fluids using microscopic and solubility estimates: Impact of placebo self-emulsifying drug delivery system administration to inform bio-predictive in vitro tools
No full textValidation and characterisation of in vitro and pre-clinical animal models to support bio-enabling formulation development is of paramount importance. In this work, post-mortem gastric and small intestinal fluids were collected in the fasted, fed state and at five sample-points post administration of a placebo Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System (SEDDS) in the fasted state to pigs. Cryo-TEM and Negative Stain-TEM were used for ultrastructure characterisation. Ex vivo solubility of fenofibrate was determined in the fasted-state, fed-state and post-SEDDS administration. Highest observed ex vivo drug solubility in intestinal fluids after SEDDS administration was used for optimising the biorelevant in vitro conditions to determine maximum solubility. Under microscopic evaluation, fasted, fed and SEDDS fluids resulted in different colloidal structures. Drug solubility appeared highest 1 hour post SEDDS administration, corresponding with presence of SEDDS lipid droplets. A 1:200 dispersion of SEDDS in biorelevant media matched the highest observed ex vivo solubility upon SEDDS administration. Overall, impacts of this study include increasing evidence for the pig preclinical model to mimic drug solubility in humans, observations that SEDDS administration may poorly mimic colloidal structures observed under fed state, while microscopic and solubility porcine assessments provided a framework for increasingly bio-predictive in vitro tools
Development of a data driven FDD approach for building water networks: Water distribution system performance assessment rules
No full textWhile fault detection and diagnosis is a popular tool in the process industry, its application in building water distribution systems is however still largely absent. In this study, a new set of Water Distribution System Performance Assessment Rules (WDSPARs) were developed to identify common faults in a building water distribution system. The WDSPARs comprise a three-phase process which can be applied using flow and pressure sensor signals obtained in real-time and/or via analysis of historic data in conjunction with knowledge of water distribution system layouts. The performance assessment rules originated from analysis of behaviour in water consumption at two non-residential pilot sites over a 6 month trial. Implementation of WDSPAR at the two pilot studies revealed a number of faults and cases of non-optimal performance which were diagnosed and costed accordingly. The WDSPAR approach is intuitive and can be easily integrated into existing building management systems using sensor data. This study serves as the first practical guide for the implementation of the WDSPAR approach for adoption by large non-residential building end-users. Using the WDSPARs, the case studies outlined in this paper demonstrate 62% savings in water consumption which resulted in energy and carbon emission savings of the order of 50 kW h and 29.9 kg.CO2 per day respectively.This paper has emanated from research conducted as a part of the Energy Systems Integration Partnership Programme (ESIPP) project with the financial support of Science Foundation Ireland under the SFI Strategic Partnership Programme Grant Number SFI/15/SPP/E3125. The authors also acknowledge the contribution of the NUI Galway Buildings Office and the Technical Support Staff at the School of Engineering, NUI Galway, Ireland.2022-09-1
Existing validated clinical prediction rules for predicting response to physiotherapy interventions for musculoskeletal conditions have limited clinical value: a systematic review
No full textObjective: To systematically review clinical prediction rules (CPRs) that have undergone validation testing for predicting response
to physiotherapy-related interventions for musculoskeletal conditions.
Study design and setting: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane Library were systematically searched to September 2020.
Search terms included musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, physiotherapy interventions and clinical prediction rules. Controlled studies
that validated a prescriptive CPR for physiotherapy treatment response in musculoskeletal conditions were included. Two independent
reviewers assessed eligibility. Original derivation studies of each CPR were identified. Risk of bias was assessed with the PROBAST
tool (derivation studies) and the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care group criteria (validation studies).
Results: Nine studies aimed to validate seven prescriptive CPRs for treatment response for MSK conditions including back pain,
neck pain, shoulder pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. Treatments included manipulation, traction and exercise. Seven studies failed
to demonstrate an association between CPR prediction and outcome. Methodological quality of derivation studies was poor and for
validation studies was good overall.
Conclusion: Results do not support the use of any CPRs identified to aid physiotherapy treatment selection
for common musculoskeletal conditions, due to methodological shortcomings in the derivation studies and lack of
association between CPR and outcome in validation studie
An investigation into how family support provided by Ireland’s Child and Family Agency is represented in Ireland’s print media
No full textThe aim of this thesis is to critically analyse how the media portray family support provided by the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) in Ireland. In phase one, a newspaper content analysis was conducted on a broad range of national and regional Irish Newspapers over four years which described communication about family support services provided by Ireland’s Child and Family Agency. This is a relatively unknown area of study since the establishment of Ireland’s new Agency. Results showed that although child protection was not used as a specific search term, news items on the Agency and family support were usually directed more towards child protection and children in care. This is important because how the media communicate and frame family support as part of the overall child welfare system is one of the main influences on public understanding and awareness of preventative family support and child welfare services. In phase two, findings from qualitative interviews with journalists and Agency workers found empathy for each other’s roles signifying there may be potential for collaboration to better understand each other’s responsibilities. More positive reporting on good practice in Governmental inspection and review reports is recommended to ensure families in need of support could see that positive procedures and structures are embedded within the Agency. Such reports are often used as sources by journalists who could in turn highlight more positive aspects of the child welfare system. The study also shows the Agency could benefit from proactively promoting their own good news stories consistently in order to change negative perceptions of the Agency. The research shows the importance of better understanding of family support and child protection so that families can access services in a timely way, seek help when they need it and get interventions early that are preventative as well as protective and legal as required.2022-04-2
Fatty liver infiltration on executive health screen
No full textAim
To describe the relationship between level of fatty infiltration in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
and known risk factors in a population with incidentally discovered findings.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study through chart audit of asymptomatic patients attending an executive
health screen. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were calculated between degree of fatty liver infiltration
and known risk factors of fatty liver disease.
Results
Thirty-six individuals were included. Participants tended to be male (n=27,75.0%) with high BMI (30.59±3.66
kg/m2
). Nearly half of patients (n=15, 41.7%) had a moderate degree of fatty infiltration. The degree of
infiltration was positively correlated with BMI, total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides and negatively
correlated with weekly alcohol consumption and presence of metabolic syndrome. None of these
relationships were statistically significant.
Discussion
The current study investigates the relationship between level of fatty liver infiltration and known pathogenic
risk factors previously described in the literature. No relationship was found between level of fatty liver
infiltration and metabolic syndrome, BMI, lipid levels, or alcohol consumption in our population of
asymptomatic individuals. This study further highlights the need to better identification and management
of NAFLD to optimize risk factors and decrease risk of complications
Comparative study of sugar extraction procedures for HPLC analysis and proposal of an ethanolic extraction method for plant-based high-protein ingredients
No full textBackground: The increasing importance of plant‐based proteins in the food sector makes a reliable compositional analysis of plant‐based high‐protein ingredients a necessity. Specifically, the quantification of short‐chain carbohydrates is relevant for multiple areas, including food product development, food labelling and fundamental food chemistry and food technology research. Commonly used extraction procedures for subsequent high‐performance liquid chromatographic separation and quantification of short‐chain carbohydrates have been discussed controversially regarding a range of complications that can potentially lead to inaccurate sugar determination. The present study compares the sugar levels in wheat flour and wholemeal wheat flour determined with different aqueous and ethanolic extraction procedures. These procedures included measures to prevent enzyme activity and microbial growth, which represent two of the most relevant challenges in sugar extraction from food samples. Results: Differences in sugar levels (sum of sucrose/maltose, glucose and fructose) as high as 1.8% dry matter (wheat flour) were observed between the employed extraction procedures. Ethanolic extraction (80% ethanol in ultrapure water) with the use of the antimicrobial agent sodium azide but without Carrez clarification was identified as most promising for sugar determination in plant‐based high‐protein ingredients. Conclusion: A screening of high‐protein ingredients derived from cereals (wheat gluten), pseudocereals (quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat) and legumes (soy, pea, lupin, lentil, carob, chickpea, faba bean) concerning their levels of sucrose, maltose, glucose and fructose confirmed the applicability of the chosen extraction procedure. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry
The sleep and recovery practices of athletes
No full textBackground: Athletes maintain a balance between stress and recovery and adopt recovery modalities that manage fatigue and enhance recovery and performance. Optimal TST is subject to individual variance. However, 7–9 h sleep is recommended for adults, while elite athletes may require more quality sleep than non-athletes. Methods: A total of 338 (elite n = 115, 74 males and 41 females, aged 23.44 ± 4.91 years; and sub-elite n = 223, 129 males and 94 females aged 25.71 ± 6.27) athletes were recruited from a variety of team and individual sports to complete a battery of previously validated and reliable widely used questionnaires assessing sleep, recovery and nutritional practices. Results: Poor sleep was reported by both the elite and sub-elite athlete groups (i.e., global PSQI score ≥5—elite 64% [n = 74]; sub-elite 65% [n = 146]) and there was a significant difference in sport-specific recovery practices (3.22 ± 0.90 vs. 2.91 ± 0.90; p < 0.001). Relatively high levels of fatigue (2.52 ± 1.32), stress (1.7 ± 1.31) and pain (50%, n = 169) were reported in both groups. A range of supplements were used regularly by athletes in both groups; indeed, whey (elite n = 22 and sub-elite n = 48) was the most commonly used recovery supplement in both groups. Higher alcohol consumption was observed in the sub-elite athletes (12%, n = 26) and they tended to consume more units of alcohol
per drinking bout. Conclusion: There is a need for athletes to receive individualised support and education regarding their sleep and recovery practices
Guest Column: Mediating Creoles: Language Practices on a YouTube show
No full textThis paper explore language practices on an Eastern Maroon YouTube show in order to gain insights into new mediated practices and language change among younger people\u27s language use
A study of Tusla - Child and Family Agency’s actions and decision-making process following An Garda Síochána’s application of Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991
No full textThe research commission request arose after the publication of Audit of the exercise by An Garda Síochána of the provisions of Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991 prepared by Dr Geoffrey Shannon for the Garda Commissioner in 2017. The Shannon Report did not audit Tusla s actions after invoking Section 12, however, a number of the recommendations within the Shannon Report related to Tusla policies and procedures in relation to Section 12 and Section 13 of the Child Care Act 1991.
The main objectives of the research were:
To identify the pathways for children who have been subject to Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991 between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017
To explore the rationale and decision-making process of social workers in the aftermath of Section 12
To describe the characteristics of communications between Tusla and An Garda Síochána in relation to Section 12 notifications and follow-ups from the perspective of Tusla social work and Tusla management
To ascertain the role of the Out-of-Hours Service in Tusla s response to Section 12
To examine and determine the circumstances relating to children being removed more than once