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A self-powered piezo-bioelectric device regulates tendon repair-associated signaling pathways through modulation of mechanosensitive ion channels
No full textTendon disease constitutes an unmet clinical need and remains a critical
challenge in the field of orthopaedic surgery. Innovative solutions are required
to overcome the limitations of current tendon grafting approaches, and
bioelectronic therapies show promise in treating musculoskeletal diseases,
accelerating functional recovery through the activation of tissue regeneration specific signaling pathways. Self-powered bioelectronic devices, particularly
piezoelectric materials, represent a paradigm shift in biomedicine, negating
the need for battery or external powering and complementing existing mecha notherapy to accelerate the repair processes. Here, the dynamic response
of tendon cells to a piezoelectric collagen-analogue scaffold comprised of
aligned nanoscale fibers made of the ferroelectric material poly(vinylidene
fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) is shown. It is demonstrated that motion powered electromechanical stimulation of tendon tissue through piezo bioelectric device results in ion channel modulation in vitro and regulates
specific tissue regeneration signaling pathways. Finally, the potential of the
piezo-bioelectronic device in modulating the progression of tendinopathy associated processes in vivo, using a rat Achilles acute injury model is
shown. This study indicates that electromechanical stimulation regulates
mechanosensitive ion channel sensitivity and promotes tendon-specific over
non-tenogenic tissue repair processes
An experimental comparison of knowledge transfer algorithms in deep neural networks
No full textNeural knowledge transfer methods aim to constrain the hidden representation of one neural network to be similar, or have similar properties, to another by applying specially designed loss functions between the two networks hidden layers. In this way the intangible knowledge encoded by the network\u27s weights is transferred without having to replicate exact weight structures or alter the knowledge representation from its natural highly distributed form. Motivated by the need to enable greater transparency in evaluating such methods by bridging the gap between different experimental setups in the existing literature, the need to cast a wider net in comparing each method to a greater number of its peers and a desire to explore novel combinations of existing methods we conduct an experimental comparison of eight contemporary neural knowledge transfer algorithms and further explore the performance of some combinations. We conduct our experiments on an image classification task and measure relative performance gains over non-knowledge enhanced baseline neural networks in terms of classification accuracy. We observed (i) some interesting contradictions between our results and those reported in original papers, (ii) a general lack of correlation between any given methods standalone performance vs performance when used in combination with knowledge distillation, (iii) a general trend of older simpler methods outperforming newer ones and (iv) Contrastive Representation Distillation (CRD) achieving best performance
Semi-supervised learning of cardiac MRI using image registration
No full textIn this work, we propose a method to aid the 2-D segmentation of short-axis cardiac MRI. In particular, the deformation fields obtained during the registration are used to propagate the labels to all time frames, resulting in a weakly supervised segmentation approach that benefits from the features in unlabelled volumes along with the annotated data. Experimental results over the M&Ms datasets show that the addition of the synthetically obtained labels to the original dataset yields promising results in the performance and improves the capability of the network to generalise to scanners from different vendors
Barley protein properties, extraction and applications, with a focus on brewers’ spent grain protein
No full textBarley is the most commonly used grain in the brewing industry for the production of beer-type beverages. This review will explore the extraction and application of proteins from barley, particularly those from brewers’ spent grain, as well as describing the variety of proteins present. As brewers’ spent grain is the most voluminous by-product of the brewing industry, the valorisation and utilisation of spent grain protein is of great interest in terms of sustainability, although at present, BSG is mainly sold cheaply for use in animal feed formulations. There is an ongoing global effort to minimise processing waste and increase up-cycling of processing side-streams. However, sustainability in the brewing industry is complex, with an innate need for a large volume of resources such as water and energy. In addition to this, large volumes of a by-product are produced at nearly every step of the process. The extraction and characterisation of proteins from BSG is of great interest due to the high protein quality and the potential for a wide variety of applications, including foods for human consumption such as bread, biscuits and snack-type products
Levelised Cost of Energy assessment for offshore wind farms - an examination of different methodologies, input variables and uncertainty
No full textLevelised Cost of Energy (LCoE) is the most common metric used in renewable energy assessments. However, this can be a very complex calculation with numerous methodologies depending on the perspective taken. Inputs including costs, energy production are generally forecasts and predictions based on publicly available information; therefore they are key areas of uncertainty. Elements of the calculation are site or region specific such as the tax rate or inclusion of grid connection costs. The business case and financial assumptions applied will be very project specific e.g. the discount rate applied. These numerous variables and uncertainties must be fully understood in order to effectively apply the metric or review and compare LCoEs. Therefore, this paper provides a comprehensive set of LCoE methodologies that provide a reference basis for researchers. A case study demonstrates the application of these methods and the variation in results illustrates the importance of correctly selecting the discount rate and cash flow based on the perspective and motivation of the user. Sensitivity studies further investigates the potential impact of key variables and areas of uncertainty on results. Analysis indicates that the energy production and discount rate applied will have the most significant impact on LCoE, followed by CAPEX costs. While the key areas of uncertainties cannot necessarily be solved, this paper promotes consistency in the application and understanding of the metric, which can help overcome its limitations
Public attitudes towards privacy in COVID-19 times in the Republic of Ireland: a pilot study
No full textThis research focuses on designing methods aimed at assessing Irish public attitudes regarding privacy in COVID-19 times and their influence on the adoption of COVID-19 spread control technology such as the COVID tracker app. The success of such technologies is dependent on their adoption rate and privacy concerns may be a factor delaying or preventing thus adoption. An online questionnaire was built to collect: demographic data, participant\u27s general privacy profile using the Privacy Segmentation Index (PSI) which classifies individuals into 3 groups (privacy fundamentalists, pragmatists, and unconcerned), and the attitudes toward privacy in COVID-19 times. The questionnaire was shared via websites and social networks. The data was collected between 27/08/2020 to 27/9/2020. We received and analysed 258 responses. The initial pilot study found that almost 73% of the respondents were pragmatists or unconcerned about privacy when it came to sharing their private data. Comparable results were obtained with other privacy studies that have employed PSI. The pilot indicates a huge increase, from 12% pre-pandemic to 61% during the pandemic, of people willing to share their data. The questionnaire developed following this study is further used in a national survey on privacy in COVID-19 times
Editorial introduction to EurASEAA14 Volumes 1 and 2
No full textThe Fourteenth International Conference of the European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists (EurASEAA14) was held in Dublin from September 18-21, 2012, hosted by University College Dublin School of Archaeology. The conference took place at Dublin Castle Conference Centre and the Chester Beatty Library, in the heart of the capital, bringing together archaeologists, art historians, ethnographers and philologists who share a common interest in the past of Southeast Asia. The aim of EurASEAA is to facilitate communication between different disciplines, to present current work in the field, and to stimulate future research. This international initiative aims to foster international scholarly cooperation in the field of Southeast Asian archaeology, art history and philology.Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social SciencesWenner-Gren Foundatio
Tribology of malt-based beverages: development and application of method
No full textSoft tribology, i.e. the measurement of friction as a function of speed between two compliant surfaces, has found applications in food science and there is a growing body of theoretical and practical knowledge of fundamental mechanisms of lubrication as well as increasingly strong correlations between tribology and sensory data. Soft tribology is generally conducted using either commercially or in-house built tribometers however, the recent decade has seen a rise in the use of rheometers with tribology attachments. Based on current literature, knowledge gaps and potential avenues for future research have been identified. These include investigations on hydrophobicity of surfaces, surface wear (running-in), cleaning procedure of the attachment and tribopairs, speed (range and method of increase/decrease) and measuring system configuration.
In the current research, frictional parameters of 10 beers (5 alcoholic and their non-alcoholic counterpart) were measured using an Anton Paar MCR301 rheometer with a tribology attachment (BC12.7, Anton Paar, Graz, Austria), and a range of variables was extracted and subjected to dimension reduction analysis (Principal Component Analysis, clustering, and correlation analysis). Sensory data consisting of a numeric mouthfeel rating and written reviews from an online beer-rating website (www.ratebeer.com) were compiled, transformed, and correlated with the tribology data. Based on Frictional parameters of the beers, clear differences were observed between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers, as well as those beers with high or low mouthfeel rating. Text-mining and clustering of the written reviews led to the development of 7 overall sensory descriptors; "watery", "smooth", "thick", "bitter", "foam", "astringent", and "sour", related to mouthfeel. Frictional parameters related to the static (speed range ~10-8-10-5 m/s), boundary (speed range ~10¬-5-5*10-5 m/s) and beginning of the mixed regime (speed range ~5*10-5-10-4 m/s) were correlated with "watery", "smooth", and "thick", while "bitter", "foam", "astringent", and "sour" were represented later in the mixed regime (speed range ~10-4-10-3 m/s). These results are significant in two ways; firstly, they indicate the usefulness of online beer reviews as a means to gather reliable sensory data, and secondly, they demonstrate tribology as a tool to instrumentally define and determine important mouthfeel parameters of beer. Further research is needed to fully validate this methodology; results from the online database should be compared to the outcome of a consumer panel under controlled settings, and a wider range of beers of different styles should be tested to fully understand the correlations between sensory phenomena and frictional parameters
Self-reported feedback in ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation: a literature review
No full textPurpose: Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can provide an option for the delivery of
intensive aphasia rehabilitation but the users’ views (i.e., People with Aphasia) must be considered to
ensure satisfaction, motivation and adherence with this mode of rehabilitation. The aim of this literature
review is to provide a critical overview of studies where feedback was elicited from participants about
their experiences with ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation.
Methods: A systematic search using six electronic databases was conducted in July 2015 and updated in
May 2019. Studies of synchronous telerehabilitation and interventions targeting compensatory strategies
were excluded from the review. Studies retrieved were screened for eligibility and information was
extracted on the characteristics of each study, methods of data collection and study outcomes.
Results: Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria including studies with quantitative, qualitative and
mixed-methods research designs. The studies employed a variety of data collection methods, examining
a number of ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation activities and the findings investigated aspects of feasibility, usability and acceptance of this mode of rehabilitation.
Conclusions: The findings indicate ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation is considered an acceptable mode
of rehabilitation by people with aphasia who reported generally positive feedback, though variation
among personal perspectives and experience is noted. There is currently no consensus measure of selfreported feedback in ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation.
IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation may provide an acceptable mode of rehabilitation for people
with aphasia.
Exploring self-reported feedback from people with aphasia engaging in ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation will provide insights into their experiences of this mode of rehabilitation.
This information may help to guide clinicians when collaboratively planning and monitoring ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation.
Currently there is no consensus measure of self-reported feedback for people with aphasia engaging
in ICT-delivered aphasia rehabilitation.ACCEPTEDpeer-reviewe
The discursive construction of HIV stigma in Irish print media
No full textAs interlocutors in national level discourse with the power to influence public opinion and inform policy, the news media are an important data source in understanding the
constitutive roles played by culture and discourse in shaping health experiences and outcomes. This paper reports on a critical discourse analysis of news media coverage of HIV in the Republic of Ireland between 2006 and 2016. This period is significant because of the considerable increase in new HIV diagnoses that occurred in Ireland
after the 2008 recession. Analysis of articles (n=103) demonstrated a pattern of dividing practices whereby people living with or affected by HIV were frequently positioned as somatically and morally deficient via discourses of risk and responsibility. Little focus was given over to examination of the structural drivers of HIV, occluding the social context of the epidemic. The findings suggest that media discourses on HIV have the potential to other people living with HIV and generate stigma by invoking a dynamic of blame and shame frequently implicated in the stigma process