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Paul G. Leahy, Connor McGookin, Hannah E. Daly
No full textIn 2020, the Energy Engineering programme team at University College Cork undertook a redesign of the introductory first-year module in Energy Engineering. The aim was to introduce a more experientially-based learning experience and to allow first-year students greater opportunity to develop and demonstrate performance-based understanding. The key material change to the module was to incorporate design and group work in the first year of the programme. In the Wind Turbine Maker Challenge, groups of 4-5 students were tasked with designing and building a working wind turbine. Students were provided with kits comprising some basic elements of turbines including small generators and gearboxes and simple, flat blades. However, the focus of the exercise was on original design, particularly of the aerodynamic rotor components of the turbines. The participants had to source their own materials for the wind turbine rotors, and were encouraged to use recovered or recycled materials. Students were also asked to consider ethical aspects of wind energy generation. In developing this approach, the conceptualisation of teaching as setting up and facilitating students\u27 performance was to the forefront. The formal classroom instruction was limited to only the core knowledge required to enable students to begin to consider suitable materials, geometries for their turbine designs through hands-on experimentation. Survey feedback from students showed that they had strongly focussed on the environmental and sustainability aspects of the exercise. Students were asked what they thought the goal of the exercise was. Students’ reported understandings of the main goal varied widely, for example “Learning how wind turbines work” and “Working as a team towards a common goal”. However, all of the students’ reported goals were compatible with the module’s learning outcomes
Self-assembled Lanthanide luminescent Cyclen Complexes, from material to biological application
No full textThe Thesis is entitled Self-assembled Lanthanide Luminescent Cyclen Complexes, from
Material to Biological Application covers the formation of different Ln(III) cyclen based
complexes and self-assembly and their applications in several fields. This includes the use
of such complexes in solution and on solid surfaces (as thin films) in the monitoring of
enzymatic reactions in real-time. The work carried out in this PhD study is divided into five
chapters.
The main focus of Chapter 1 is to give an introduction into the field of the luminescent
sensing, with several examples of fluorescent sensors previously developed being featured
and discussed. The unique photophysical properties that the lanthanide metal ions offer are
then discussed, with several examples of lanthanide-based probes developed previously
from the literature being featured, as well as those developed in the Gunnlaugsson group
over the years are reviewed.
In Chapter 2 the design, synthesis and photophysical evaluation of a novel cyclen based
ligand is discussed. This ligand was designed with the view of developing a series of Ln(III)
complexes, possessing the amphiphilicity required to be deposited these onto a quartz slides.
These systems (both Eu(III) and Tb(III) based) form a self-assembly monolayer (SAM) on
the water-air interface, and were then used to form Langmuir Blodgett (LB) films. The ability
of these Ln(III) complexes, which were coordinatively unsaturated, to recognise and bind at
the metal ion centre, amino acids was investigated by observing the changes in the lanthanide
centred emission. The systems were indeed show to be able to discriminate between several
amino acids in solution. The key result demonstrating that the complexes were able to act
as probes for phosphorylated amino acids. The same investigation was performed for the
Ln(III) complexes deposited onto the quartz slide, confirming the ability of the LB-slides to
act as probes.
In Chapter 3 a novel approach to monitor kinase assay activities is described. Using the
Eu(III) complex developed in Chapter 2, an assay able to discriminate between ATP and
ADP was developed. As was introduced in Chapter 2, the same experiment that showed this
discrimination in solution, were also performed using SAM LB-films that had been
deposited onto a quartz slide, forming, to the best of our knowledge, the first examples of a
LB based assay for monitoring kinetic activities in real-time using such lanthanide
iv
complexes as SAMs. As before, this recognition process was monitored by observing the
changes in the photophysical properties of the lanthanide complexes.
Chapter 4 presents the wide field of applications of the Ln(III)-cyclen based complexes, by
extending the application of such systems towards forming self-assemblies with other
organic molecules in a host-guest manner. The main focus of the Chapter is to show the
development of a self-assembled system in which a tripodal ligand based on the benzene1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) motif, functionalised with terpyridine ligands, binds to the
Ln(III) ion involved in the complex with heptadentate cyclen ligand which contains a
strongly hydrophobic tail. The resulting aggregates were studied in solution through
spectroscopic means and their mophological features were studied by SEM after deposition
onto silica substrates, to inspect the photophysical and supramolecular properties of the
system.
Chapter 5 describes the synthesis, characterization and the potential of application of a new
cyclen based ligand complexed with Tb(III) and Gd(III) ions, that could be applied in several
research fields but the main focus is on the formation of Gd-49 and its potential application
as MRI contrast agent. The work in this chapter is quite preliminary and the complexes were
studied in solution using luminescent spectroscopic means and by SEM after deposition on
silica substrates. Studies in vitro was performed using a novel microscopic technique called
Two Photon Microscopy in order to investigate the ability of the complex to interact with
the cell wall and act as a probe. The future work from this chapter will focus on exploring
the properties of the Gd-system in NMRD measurements, which unfortunately could not be
done during this PhD studies
\u27Well-being paradox’ revisited: a cross-sectional study of quality of life in over 4000 adults with congenital heart disease
No full textObjective The present cross-sectional study investigated
quality of life (QOL) in a large cohort of German adults
with congenital heart disease (ACHDs) in association with
patient-related and clinical variables.
Design Cross-sectional survey.
Participants Between 2016 and 2019, a representative
sample of 4014 adults with various forms of congenital
heart defect (CHD) was retrospectively analysed. Inclusion
criteria were confirmed diagnosis of CHD; participant aged
18 years and older; and necessary physical, cognitive and
language capabilities to complete self-report questionnaires.
Primary and secondary outcome measures QOL was
assessed using the 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L).
Sociodemographic and medical information was obtained
by a self-devised questionnaire. Associations of QOL with
patient-reported clinical and sociodemographic variables
were quantified using multiple regression analysis and
multiple ordinal logit models.
Results Overall, ACHDs (41.8±17.2 years, 46.5% female)
reported a good QOL comparable to German population
norms. The most frequently reported complaints occurred in
the dimensions pain/discomfort (mean: 16.3, SD: p<0.001)
and anxiety/depression (mean: 14.3, p<0.001). QOL
differed significantly within ACHD subgroups, with patients
affected by pretricuspid shunt lesions indicating the most
significant impairments (p<0.001). Older age, female sex,
medication intake and the presence of comorbidities were
associated with significant reductions in QOL (p<0.001).
CHD severity was positively associated with QOL within the
dimensions of self-care (OR 0.148, 95%CI 0.04 to 0.58)
and mobility (OR 0.384, 95%CI 0.19 to 0.76).
Conclusion Current findings temper widely held
assumptions among clinicians and confirm that ACHDs
experience a generally good QOL. However, specific
subgroups may require additional support to cope with
disease-related challenges. The negative correlation of
QOL with age is especially alarming as the population of
ACHDs is expected to grow older in the future.
Trial registration number DRKS00017699; Results
Generation of hydrolysates from rice bran proteins using a combined ultrasonication-Alcalase hydrolysis treatment
No full textHydrolysis of rice bran protein (RBP) using a physical-enzymatic combined method (ultrasound-Alcalase) was
carried out. The RBP was extracted using an ultrasound-aided alkaline extraction method and then the extract
was hydrolysed. Furthermore, ultrasounication was used prior to Alcalase hydrolysis (pH 8.5, 10 min, 55 ◦C).
Two variables were considered to operate the ultrasonication: power (50, 100 and 150 w) and duration of the
treatment (10, 25 and 40 min). The results showed that the degree of hydrolysis (DH%) was increased with
increasing the power and the duration. The highest DH (27.35 ± 0.45%) was associated with the hydrolysates
obtained by ultrasonication (150 w, 40 min)-Alcalase combined treatment. The optimal condition for the
ultrasonication was found at 50 w-10 min, where the bioactive peptides (BAPs) had the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-
picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH•
) scavenging activity (86.55 ± 1.17%) and lipase inhibitory activity (57.57 ±
0.91%). The hydrolysates obtained at the optimized condition were studied in terms of physicochemical and
structural properties. The mass distribution of the materials was studied using the high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC) showing a lower molecular weight proteins and peptides for all generated hydrolysates
compared to non-hydrolysed samples. The results were in agreement with the results of DH analysis and sodium
dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Ultrasonication enhanced the effect of enzyme hydrolysis by
affecting the structure of the proteins. This was confirmed by the structural investigation using fourier-transform
infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry. Using ultrasound in different conditions prior
to enzymatic hydrolysis influenced in the biological properties of the BAPs generated from RBP
COVID-19 prevention and control measures in workplace settings: a rapid review and meta-analysis
No full textWorkplaces can be high-risk environments for SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks and subsequent community transmission. Identifying, understanding, and implementing effective workplace SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention and control (IPC) measures is critical to protect workers, their families, and communities. A rapid review and meta-analysis were conducted to synthesize evidence assessing the effectiveness of COVID-19 IPC measures implemented in global workplace settings through April 2021. Medline, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies that quantitatively assessed the effectiveness of workplace COVID-19 IPC measures. The included studies comprised varying empirical designs and occupational settings. Measures of interest included surveillance measures, outbreak investigations, environmental adjustments, personal protective equipment (PPE), changes in work arrangements, and worker education. Sixty-one studies from healthcare, nursing home, meatpacking, manufacturing, and office settings were included, accounting for ~280,000 employees based in Europe, Asia, and North America. Meta-analyses showed that combined IPC measures resulted in lower employee COVID-19 positivity rates (0.2% positivity; 95% CI 0–0.4%) than single measures such as asymptomatic PCR testing (1.7%; 95% CI 0.9–2.9%) and universal masking (24%; 95% CI 3.4–55.5%). Modelling studies showed that combinations of (i) timely and widespread contact tracing and case isolation, (ii) facilitating smaller worker cohorts, and (iii) effective use of PPE can reduce workplace transmission. Comprehensive COVID-19 IPC measures incorporating swift contact tracing and case isolation, PPE, and facility zoning can effectively prevent workplace outbreaks. Masking alone should not be considered sufficient protection from SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in the workplace.Science Foundation Irelan
Community Finding in Large Social Networks Through Problem Decomposition
No full textThe identification of cohesive communities is a key process in social network analysis. However, the algorithms that are effective for finding communities do not scale well to very large problems, as their time complexity is worse than linear in the number of edges in the graph. This is an important issue for those interested in applying social network analysis techniques to very large networks, such as networks of mobile phone subscribers. In this respect the contributions of this report are two-fold. First we demonstrate these scaling issues using a prominent community-finding algorithm as a case study. We then show that a twostage process, whereby the network is first decomposed into manageable subnetworks using a multilevel graph partitioning procedure, is effective in finding communities in networks with more than 106 nodes.Enterprise IrelandScience Foundation Irelan
Evaluation of an e-Learning teaching innovation to assist clinical radiation therapy educators in the provision of student feedback
No full textBackground: Clinical placement is an integral part of the Radiation Therapy undergraduate programme. Feedback and formative assessment during clinical placement are regarded as key to developing clinical skills and competencies. Students regularly report dissatisfaction with the feedback process while clinical educators report heavy clinical workloads and a lack of guidance on feedback mechanisms as barriers to providing meaningful student feedback.
Methods: An eLearning teaching intervention was developed to support radiation therapists in the provision of student feedback in the clinic. Thematic analysis was used to report attitudes to feedback and feedback practices collected in a pre and a post intervention evaluation.
Results: 30 radiation therapists completed the module and pre and post intervention evaluations. Prior to taking the module just over half of respondents stated that they offered regular and on-going feedback throughout the student\u27s placement. Positive attitudes to feedback were reported. Following completion of the eLearning tool respondents reported a higher level of confidence in the provision of student feedback and almost 70% said the module had changed how they would approach the feedback process by using feedback models in the future.
Discussion: Good and timely feedback is essential and allows a student opportunity to improve prior to the end of the placement. It also teaches students how to self-assess and self-reflect - skills that they can use in continuous professional development after they graduate. Radiation therapists appreciate the structure that using a model in the feedback process offers.
Conclusion: This eLearning teaching intervention was received favourably by radiation therapists who are key to creating a culture of feedback in the clinical environment that will facilitate students in becoming competent healthcare professionals
A methodology for validating diversity in synthetic time series generation
No full textIn order for researchers to deliver robust evaluations of time series models, it often requires high volumes of data to ensure the appropriate level of rigor in testing. However, for many researchers, the lack of time series presents a barrier to a deeper evaluation. While researchers have developed and used synthetic datasets, the development of this data requires a methodological approach to testing the entire dataset against a set of metrics which capture the diversity of the dataset. Unless researchers are confident that their test datasets display a broad set of time series characteristics, it may favor one type of predictive model over another. This can have the effect of undermining the evaluation of new predictive methods. In this paper, we present a new approach to generating and evaluating a high number of time series data. The construction algorithm and validation framework are described in detail, together with an analysis of the level of diversity present in the synthetic dataset
Longitudinal study of the effect of rubber slat mats on locomotory ability, body, limb and claw lesions, and dirtiness of group housed sows
No full textThis study evaluated the influence of
floor type on sow welfare with particular focus on
lameness, claw lesions (CL), and injuries. The study
used 164 gilts housed in groups of 8 from AI to 110 d of
pregnancy in pens with concrete (n = 84) slatted floor
left uncovered or covered by 10-mm rubber slat mats
(n = 80) through 2 parities. Lameness (0 = normal to 5 =
severe), limb (0 = normal to 6 = severe) and body (0 =
normal to 5 = severe) lesions, and manure on the body
(MOB; score 0 to 2) were recorded at AI, 24 to 72 h
postmixing, between 50 and 70 d of pregnancy, and 2 wk
before farrowing. Claw lesions (score 0 = normal to 3 =
severe) were recorded at AI and between 50 and 70 d of
pregnancy. The dirtiness and wetness of the floors was
scored weekly (score 0 = clean to 4 = >75% of the pen
soiled/wet). Data from the first and second parities were
analyzed separately. Sows were categorized as nonlame
(score ≤ 1) or lame (score ≥ 2). Median (Me) scores
were calculated for CL and body and limb lesions and
were classified as less than or equal to the median or
greater than the median lesion scores. Sows on rubber
slat mats had a reduced risk of lameness during both
parities (P < 0.01) compared with sows on concrete.
They also had an increased risk of scores greater than
the median for toe overgrowth (Me = 2 and Me = 3 in the
first and second parity, respectively) and heel sole crack
(HSC; Me = 3) during both parities (P < 0.01) and for
cracks in the wall (CW; Me = 4) and white line damage
(WL; Me = 4; P < 0.01) in the first and second parity,
respectively. There was a reduced risk of lameness in
sows with scores greater than the median for HSC (P =
0.05) in the first parity and WL (Me = 3; P < 0.01) and
CW (Me = 3; P < 0.05) in the second parity. Wounds
(Me = 3) and severe lesions (Me = 0) on the limbs with
scores greater than the median were associated with an
increased risk of lameness (P < 0.01) in the first and
second parity, respectively. Sows on rubber slat mats
had a reduced risk of scores greater than the median
for swellings (Me = 4) and wounds (P < 0.01) during
both parities. Pens with rubber slat mats were dirtier
than uncovered pens (P < 0.01); however, there was
no association between MOB and flooring type. There
was also no association between body lesion score and
flooring type. In this study, CL were not associated with
an increased risk of lameness. Therefore, even though
rubber slat mats were associated with an increased risk
of CL, they improved the welfare of group housed sows
by reducing the risk of lameness and limb lesions
The impact of intervention dose form on oral language outcomes for children with developmental language disorder
No full textPurpose: The aim of this study was to extract key learning from intervention studies in which qualitative aspects of dosage, dose form, have been examined for children with developmental language disorder (DLD)—in vocabulary, morphosyntax, and phonology domains. This research paper emerged from a pair of systematic reviews, aiming to synthesize available evidence regarding qualitative and quantitative aspects of dosage. While quantitative aspects had been experimentally manipulated, the available evidence for dose form (tasks or activities within which teaching episodes are delivered) was less definitive. Despite this, the review uncovered insights of value to DLD research. Method: A preregistered systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42017076663) adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was completed. Included papers were quasi-experimental, randomized controlled trial, or cohort analytic studies, published in any language between January 2006 and May 2019; oral language interventions with vocabulary, morphosyntax, or phonology outcomes; and participants with DLD (M = 3–18 years). The intention was to include papers in which dose form was experimentally manipulated or statistically analyzed, while quantitative dosage aspects were controlled, such that definitive conclusions about optimal dose form could be drawn and gaps in the evidence identified. Results: Two hundred and twenty-four papers met the above inclusion criteria; 27 focused on dose form. No study controlled for all quantitative aspects of dosage such that we could effectively address our original research questions. Despite this, key points of learning emerged with implications for future research. Conclusions: There is tentative evidence of advantages for explicit over implicit instruction and of the benefits of variability in input, elicited production, and gestural and other visual supports. With careful design of dose form, there is potential to design more efficient interventions. Speech-language pathology research would benefit from an agreed taxonomy of dose form components and standardized reporting of intervention studies, to enable cross-study comparisons and a systematic accrual of knowledge to identify optimal dose form for clinical application