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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
An investigation of anticoccidial veterinary drugs as emerging organic contaminants in groundwater
No full textIntensification of the food production system to meet increased global demand for food has led to veterinary pharmaceuticals becoming a critical component in animal husbandry. Anticoccidials are a group of veterinary products used to control coccidiosis in food-producing animals, with primary prophylactic use in poultry production. Excretion in manure and subsequent land-spreading provides a potential pathway to groundwater. Information on the fate and occurrence of these compounds in groundwater is scant, therefore these substances are potential emerging organic contaminants of concern. A study was carried out to investigate the occurrence of anticoccidial compounds in groundwater throughout the Republic of Ireland. Twenty-six anticoccidials (6 ionophores and 20 synthetic anticoccidials) were analysed at 109 sites (63 boreholes and 46 springs) during November and December 2018. Sites were categorised and selected based on the following source and pathway factors: (a) the presence/absence of poultry activity (b) predominant aquifer category and (c) predominant groundwater vulnerability, within the zone of contribution (ZOC) for each site. Seven anticoccidials, including four ionophores (lasalocid, monensin, narasin and salinomycin) and three synthetic anticoccidials (amprolium, diclazuril and nicarbazin), were detected at 24% of sites at concentrations ranging from 1 to 386 ng L−1. Monensin and amprolium were the two most frequently detected compounds, detected at 15% and 7% of sites, respectively. Multivariate statistical analysis has shown that source factors are the most significant drivers of the occurrence of anticoccidials, with no definitive relationships between occurrence and pathway factors. The study found that the detection of anticoccidial compounds is 6.5 times more likely when poultry activity is present within the ZOC of a sampling point, compared to the absence of poultry activity. This work presents the first detections of these contaminants in Irish groundwater and it contributes to broadening our understanding of the environmental occurrence and fate of anticoccidial veterinary products.Science Foundation Irelan
Migrants’ involvement in health policy, service development and research in the WHO european region: A narrative review of policy and practice
No full textObjectives: The involvement of individuals and communities in health decision-making
is enshrined in WHO policies. However, migrant groups are under-represented in health decision-making processes. Our aim was to explore migrants’ involvement in health policy, service development and research in the WHO European Region to identify levers for inclusive and meaningful practice
The dark side of school culture
No full textThe extant literature evidences the link between incivility and workplace culture. Both
have a symbiotic relationship whereby a change in one influences the other. When workplace cultures
develop dysfunctional values and beliefs, negative traditions, and caustic ways of interacting, they
have become “toxic cultures.” This study examined Irish post-primary school teachers’ experiences of
incivility and toxic culture in the workplace through in-depth interviews with forty-two participants.
Results show that toxic work culture had a negative impact on both the personal and professional lives
of the participants. We conclude that antecedents in toxic school culture are linked to epistemological
assumptions, group dynamics, and deficiencies in leadership, and we suggest that they act as causes
and/or facilitators of workplace bullying
Women in the International Film Industry: Policy, Practice and Power, edited by Susan Liddy
No full textNegotiating Dissidence: The Pioneering Women of Arab Documentary, by Stefanie Van De Peer
No full text
Case studies in professional-oriented education: engaging with sustainability and complexity
No full textCase studies have been used in management teaching for nearly a century, and have deeper roots in the teaching of other professions, including law and medicine. Cases have considerable value as a teaching method but there has been increasing criticism of the limitations of many of the case studies currently available. There are challenges that are particularly relevant to today’s professional students who are often working at the complex interface between technical and social issues. First, many cases have a clear disciplinary label and do not embrace multi-disciplinarity. Second, most cases are focused on organising and analysing issues and arrive at a decision, usually placing primacy on the outcomes for a single company, and do not capture the complexity created by social and environmental considerations. This is problematic when it comes to considering how to address issues associated with sustainability and resilience in the built environment. This paper reports on a revised, piloted case study model that addresses the shortcomings of existing typical cases, focusing on exploring problems rather than making specific decisions. The pilot case, on engineering decisions in disaster recovery, was based on insights developed through a research project. Similar to other case teaching, the lecturer becomes a facilitator to help participants through the case, rather than specifically teach material. This proved to be a successful way of exploring a complex problem space where there is no right answer, only lessons that can be drawn from the tensions presented. Drawing on this experience, this paper outlines what this means for the roles of teachers and post-graduate training in advancing professional-oriented education in engineering and the built environment