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Epidemiological analyses of African swine fever in the European Union (November 2018 to October 2019)
No full textThis report provides an update of the epidemiology of African swine fever (ASF) in the European Union during the period November 2018 to October 2019. In this period, ASF has been confirmed in Slovakia, whereas Czechia became officially ASF-free in March 2019, bringing the number of affected countries in the EU to nine. The report provides a narrative update of the situation in the different countries and an analysis of the temporal and spatial patterns of the disease. There has been no increase in the proportion of seropositive hunted wild boar in the affected areas. In hunted animals, the proportions of wild boar testing polymerase chain reaction-positive and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-positive has remained low (< 0.05). In addition to the obvious seasonal peak in summer in domestic pigs, seasonality of ASF in wild boar was statistically confirmed. A network analysis demonstrated that the median velocity of the natural propagation of the disease in wild boar populations was between 2.9 and 11.7 km/year. Human-mediated spread, both in pigs and wild boar, however, remains important. Several wild boar- and domestic pig-related risk factors for ASF occurrence in non-commercial farms in Romania were identified with a case–control study. This report also updates an extensive literature review on control measures to stop the spread of the disease in wild boar and on measures to separate wild boar populations. Several new studies have been identified in this reporting period, but these did not alter the conclusions of the previous reporting period. Field experience with the use of fences as part of the control strategy deployed in the Belgian focal outbreak of ASF in wild boar is described. So far, the measures have proven effective to keep ASF virus inside the affected area. This strategy included a combination of different measures, namely zoning, carcass removal, a complete feeding ban, specific hunting regulations and depopulation actions depending on the zone, a partial ban of people and logging, and setting up a network of concentric fences
Towards a process-structure model for Ti-6Al-4V during additive manufacturing
No full textThis paper presents the development of an integrated approach for microstructure prediction in laser beam powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V, primarily focused on the solidification morphology and solid-state phase transformation. A finite element (FE) model of the PBF-LB process is developed for prediction of thermal history and spatial distributions of temperature. Based on the relationships between FE predicted thermal history, thermal gradient and key manufacturing parameters such as laser power and scanning speed, an additive manufacturing (AM) process map for different solidification morphologies, including columnar-to-equiaxed transition, is developed. Phase transformation kinetics for the non-isothermal steps is adopted and implemented within a stand-alone code based on the FE predicted thermal histories of sample material points. The method is successfully validated by comparison with published experimental data and the developed process-structure model can be potentially used as a process design tool to efficiently produce tailored and optimized microstructures for specific applications.This publication has emanated from research supported in part by a research grant from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under grant number 16/RC/3872 and is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund and by I-Form industry partners. X Yang would also like to acknowledge helpful discussions with Frederico Kaschel and Prof. Denis Dowling, within the SFI I-Form Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing in Ireland
CHI Workshop on Dark Patterns in Design: What Can CHI Do About Dark Patterns? (DarkPatterns) - co-located with ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI)
No full textAnalysis of dark patterns in consent dialogues includes issues that several domains: HCI for the analysis of interaction mechanisms; psychology and ethics for understanding impact to the individual, technological understanding of their implementation, and finally connecting them to specific legal violations for enforceable actions. We propose creating a mapping between issues from different domains so as to enable researchers to communicate and collaborate towards legally enforceable complaints regarding violations of consent requirements. We discuss how this mapping provides benefits in terms of richer data collection and analysis, automation of documentation generation, and enabling any individual to address malpractices online
Musculoskeletal health in active ambulatory men with cerebral palsy and the impact of vitamin D
No full textPurpose: (1) To determine the contribution of diet, time spent outdoors, and habitual
physical activity (PA) on vitamin D status in men with cerebral palsy (CP) compared to physical activity matched controls (TDC) without neurological impairment; (2) to determine the role of vitamin D on musculoskeletal health, morphology, and function in men with CP compared to TDC. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional comparison study where 24 active, ambulant men with CP aged 21.0 ± 1.4 years (Gross Motor Function Classification Score (I–II) and 24 healthy TDC aged 25.3 ± 3.1 years completed in vivo assessment of musculoskeletal health, including: vastus lateralis anatomical cross-sectional area (VL ACSA), isometric knee extension maximal voluntary contraction (KE iMVC), 10 m sprint, vertical jumps (VJ), and radius and tibia bone ultrasound (US) Tus and Zus scores. Assessments of vitamin D status through venous samples of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin
D (25(OH)D) and parathyroid hormone, dietary vitamin D intake from food diary, and total sun exposure via questionnaire were also taken. Results: Men with CP had 40.5% weaker KE iMVC, 23.7% smaller VL ACSA, 22.2% lower VJ, 14.6% lower KE iMVC/VL ACSA ratio, 22.4% lower KE iMVC/body mass (BM) ratio, and 25.1% lower KE iMVC/lean body mass (LBM) ratio (all p 0.05). The 25(OH)D was not different between groups, and 90.9% of men with CP and 91.7% of TDC had low 25(OH)D levels when compared to current UK recommendations. The 25(OH)D was positively
associated with KE iMVC/LBM ratio in men with CP (r = 0.500, p = 0.020) but not in TDC (r = 0.281, p = 0.104). Conclusion: Musculoskeletal outcomes in men with CP were lower than TDC, and despite there being no difference in levels of 25(OH)D between the groups, 25 (OH)D was associated with strength (KE iMVC/LBM) in the CP group but not TDC. The findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency can accentuate some of the condition-specific impairments to musculoskeletal outcomes
Using an open course pack to support interdisciplinary learning in sustainable energy engineering
No full textFor interdisciplinary engineering programs, it can be difficult to find textbooks that meet the needs of the course – open educational resources (OER) are well suited to bridge this interdisciplinarity challenge. As there was no suitable textbook identified for the course SEE 310: Integrated Energy Solutions in the Sustainable Energy Engineering program at Simon Fraser University, we developed an OER course pack, entirely Creative Commons licensed, that introduces students to energy systems modelling techniques and different types of models. To gain feedback on the effectiveness of the course pack we surveyed the students in SEE 310 and invited them to participate in a focus group to discuss the course pack and how it could be improved. We received positive feedback including that, in almost all cases, they would prefer it over a traditional textbook. Through building the OER course pack, we discovered plenty of commitment to OER development and well-maintained OER repositories, but that material for higher level interdisciplinary undergraduate engineering courses is still difficult to find. Given the suitability and positive feedback from developing OER for SEE 310, we feel that OER are well suited to answer the complexity and interdisciplinarity of sustainable energy engineering
Conceptualising domestic violence against women: Between gender-based universal human rights duty and gender-blind national responses
No full textDespite widespread international acknowledgement of domestic violence against women and a plethora of governmental commitments to eliminate it, the issue remains as prevalent today as it was at the beginning of the domestic violence revolution in the 1970s. This thesis examines one set of reasons for the ineffectiveness of existing human rights instruments in combating men’s domestic violence against women on the ground. It analyses whether the understanding of domestic violence within the human rights framework assists national legal responses in regulating to prevent domestic violence and protect victims. Feminist legal theory is employed to evaluate existing legal systems and to identify the most efficient empirically grounded and theoretically informed legal conceptualisation of domestic violence. This thesis reveals significant conceptual gaps in the legal conceptualisation of domestic violence between human rights standards on the one hand and the national legal systems examined – those of Ireland and Lithuania – on the other. Critical analysis reveals that, contrary to gender-based universal human rights approaches and despite recent legislative reforms, the legal concept of domestic violence is gender-blind. It fails to capture gender-based empirical realities on the ground, rendering national legal systems devoid of an empirically informed theoretical basis for addressing the problem. Despite the differences in the contextual backgrounds of the two case study countries, the legislation on domestic violence is underpinned by patriarchal beliefs in both. Bringing together these case studies sheds new light on the issue and on possible avenues to overcome gender blindness vis-à-vis domestic violence, a trend that is on the rise throughout Europe. Only through gender-based understanding of domestic violence against women can countries comply with existing international obligations, build bridges between law and empirical realities and ensure a comprehensive understanding and the effective elimination of gender-based domestic violence against women.2023-07-2
Examining the impact of an mHealth behavior change intervention with a brief in-person component for cancer survivors with overweight or obesity: randomized controlled trial
No full textBackground: Cancer survivorship in Ireland is increasing in both frequency and longevity. However, a significant proportion of cancer survivors do not reach the recommended physical activity levels and have overweight. This has implications for both physical and psychological health, including an increased risk of subsequent and secondary cancers. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions demonstrate potential for positive health behavior change, but there is little evidence for the efficacy of mobile technology in improving health outcomes in cancer survivors with overweight or obesity. Objective: This study aims to investigate whether a personalized mHealth behavior change intervention improves physical and psychological health outcomes in cancer survivors with overweight or obesity
COVID-19 vaccine acceptability and its determinants in Mozambique: an online survey
No full textA high worldwide SARS-CoV-2 vaccine coverage must be attained to stop the COVID-19
pandemic. In this study, we assessed the level of willingness of Mozambicans to be vaccinated against
COVID-19. Data were collected between 11 and 20 March 2021, through a self-administered online
survey. Of the 1878 respondents, 30.1% were healthcare workers, 58.3% were aged between 18 and
35 years, 60% were male, and 38.5% were single. Up to 43% had been tested for COVID-19 and 29%
had tested positive. Overall vaccine acceptability was 71.4% (86.6% among healthcare workers, 64.8%
among other respondents; p < 0.001). Reasons for vaccine hesitancy included: fear of vaccine side
effects (29.6%) and the belief that the vaccine is not effective (52%). The acceptability of the SARS CoV-2 vaccine increased with increasing vaccine efficacy. Using logistic regression, determinants for
acceptability of the vaccine were: older age, a past COVID-19 test, a concern of becoming (re)infected
by COVID-19, having a chronic disease, and considering vaccination important for personal and
community health. In conclusion, vaccine acceptability in Mozambique was relatively high among
healthcare workers but significantly lower in the rest of the population. This suggests that there is a
need to educate the general population about SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and its importance
Social and technical readiness for a telehealth assessment service for adults with complex wheelchair and seating needs: a national survey of stakeholders
No full textWheelchairs can significantly improve quality of life for those who need them, yet access to physiotherapists or occupational
therapists specialising in wheelchair and seating assessment can be difficult, especially for Mäori. This paper reports on a national
online survey that was undertaken as phase 1 of a mixed methods study of key stakeholders of the perceived social and technical
requirements of a telehealth wheelchair assessment service for people with complex mobility needs. Key stakeholders included
wheelchair users and their families, specialist and non-specialist assessors, technicians, and service managers. Responses (n =
114) indicated perceived shortcomings with current in-person assessment. Telehealth assessment was anticipated to improve
service quality, particularly the timeliness of services (52/92, 57%) and prioritisation of the urgency of assessment (71/92, 77%).
Preferences were for use of existing software rather than bespoke systems. Training in conducting assessment via telehealth was
considered essential by most assessors (29/41, 71%). Internet connectivity was in place for most wheelchair users (43/47, 92%)
but was inadequate for 29% (14/49) of assessors (pre-COVID-19). Mäori wheelchair users largely had infrastructure in place for
telehealth assessment (10/11, 91%) and held positive expectations of it. Telehealth wheelchair and seating assessment is anticipated
to improve the quality of care for wheelchair users with complex needs. Upgraded technical capability of public health services and
robust training in conducting assessment via telehealth will be critical to successful uptake of this service. Specific needs for Mäori
wheelchair users warrant further investigation
Reminding Short-Term Memory Sufferers to Complete Routine Tasks
No full textWith the general increase of life span that our advances in health care have afforded us, more people are suffering from short term memory loss than ever before. Short term memory sufferers often forget what they were doing in the middle of a task and can find themselves in dangerous situations, such as leaving the stove on and leaving the house. They could benefit from an RFID based reminder system that would determine what they were doing based on what objects they touch. To use the system, the user wears an RFID glove which has a reader in the palm. The RFID glove reads the tags on the nearby objects. Along with the RFID glove we are developing an application that enables the user to interact with a reminder application. The application alerts the user of important activities they may have forgotten they started and when an activity is interrupted. It also keeps a record of the list of activities they have performed and objects they have touched through out the day.Science Foundation IrelandOnline Dublin Computer Science Summer Schoo