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Investigating the impact of pre‑processing techniques and pre‑trained word embeddings in detecting Arabic health information on social media
No full textThis paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of data pre-processing and word
embedding techniques in the context of Arabic document classification in the domain
of health-related communication on social media. We evaluate 26 text pre-processings
applied to Arabic tweets within the process of training a classifier to identify healthrelated tweets. For this task we use the (traditional) machine learning classifiers KNN, SVM, Multinomial NB and Logistic Regression. Furthermore, we report experimental results with the deep learning architectures BLSTM and CNN for the same text classification problem. Since word embeddings are more typically used as the input layer in deep networks, in the deep learning experiments we evaluate several state-of-the-art pre-trained word embeddings with the same text pre-processing applied. To achieve these goals, we use two data sets: one for both training and testing, and another for testing the generality of our models only. Our results point to the conclusion that only four out of the 26 pre-processings improve the classification accuracy significantly. For the first data set of Arabic tweets, we found that Mazajak CBOW pre-trained word embeddings as the input to a BLSTM deep network led to the most accurate classifier with F1 score of 89.7%. For the second data set, Mazajak Skip-Gram pre-trained word embeddings as the input to BLSTM led to the most accurate model with F1 score of 75.2% and accuracy of 90.7% compared to F1 score of 90.8% achieved by Mazajak CBOW for the same architecture but with lower accuracy of 70.89%. Our results also show that the performance of the best of the traditional classifier we trained is comparable to the deep learning methods on the first dataset, but significantly worse on the second dataset
Physics-informed deep learning for modelling particle aggregation and breakage processes
No full textParticle aggregation and breakage phenomena are widely found in various industries such as chemical, agricultural and pharmaceutical processes. In this study, a physics-informed neural network is developed for solving both the forward and inverse problems of particle aggregation and breakage processes. In this method, the population balance equation is directly embedded in the loss function of a neural network so that the network can be trained efficiently and fulfil physical constraints. For the forward problems, solutions of population balance equations are obtained through the optimization of the neural network where the predictions well match the analytical solutions. In the inverse modelling, the data-driven discovery of model parameters of population balance equations is investigated. The sensitivity regarding the selection of different neural network structures is also investigated. The developed population balance equations embedded with neural network approach is promising for solving inverse problems of particle aggregation and breakage processes with noisy observation data
The effect of Pulsed Electric Field as a pre-treatment step in Ultrasound Assisted Extraction of phenolic compounds from fresh rosemary and thyme by-products, Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies
No full textEmerging extraction techniques, including pulsed electric field (PEF) and ultrasound (US), are attracting considerable interest in the recovery of bioactives. Though, limited work has focused on PEF application as pre-treatment for US assisted extraction to enhance the release of phenolics from herbs. Hence, the present study investigated the use of an optimized PEF pre-treatment to enhance the recovery of phenolics from fresh rosemary and thyme by-products in a subsequent US assisted extraction step. Total phenolic content (TPC), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were assessed as an index of extraction efficacy. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses to evaluate the influence of the methods on individual phenolic compounds and the formation of potential derivatives. The results indicated that in a number of cases PEF pre-treatment enhanced (p < 0.05) the recovery of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity compared to US individually.Teagas
Decoding the journey: an in-depth analysis of the frontline impacts of the introduction of the short course in coding: a case study of two Irish schools
No full textComputer Science Education (CSE) has risen in popularity around the world, with advances in both the
quantity and content of CSE programmes. These changes have been emulated in the Republic of Ireland
(ROI), where CSE, has been formally introduced at both lower and upper-second-level education. At
lower-second-level, the CSE course was titled Coding. This course established for the first time an
optional curricular component, which enabled students to receive certification within the area of CSE.
The course was first piloted in twenty-two schools in January of 2016 and has seen a steady uptake in
number since.
This study provides a unique insight into the lived experiences of teachers and students after the
introduction of Coding within their schools. Data was collected through semi-structured teacher
interviews with four teachers, student surveys with sixty students, classroom observations and school
document analysis. This study provides a snapshot of Coding within two schools; the fundamental
findings were:
Initially, a school culture of adaptability was a critical factor in the inclusion of Coding
within the school timetable.
Individual educators with a passion for CSE were the continued drivers of the program in
both schools.
For the majority of students, prior experiences of CSE were pivotal in their desire to
pursue further study in the area.
Finally, 95% of students enjoyed one or more aspects of the Coding short course.
The information and observations gathered within this dissertation will be of interest to all those who
seek to understand CSE enactment in a case-specific context within the ROI
Using an evidence-based and theory-based approach to occupational therapy intervention development to improve participation outcomes for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
No full textBackground
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a developmental disorder, which
affects motor proficiency skills. It causes occupational performance and
participation restriction across life areas.
Aim
The overarching aim of this doctoral thesis was to use an evidence and theory-based
approach to the development of occupational therapy intervention to improve
participation outcomes for children with DCD. The development phase of the
Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for the development of complex
interventions development guided the research objectives, which were to identify
the efficacy of interventions that improve participation outcomes for children with
DCD, to conceptualise children and young people’s experiences of living with DCD,
and to explore current occupational therapy practice with children with DCD.
Methods
A mixed-methods approach was used. Firstly, a systematic review of the literature
was undertaken to identify and synthesise the evidence for effective interventions
that improve participation outcomes for children with DCD. Next, a methodology
study detailing the protocol for a systematic review and meta-ethnography to
synthesise and conceptualise the child and young person’s experience of living with
DCD was developed. Following the development of this protocol, a qualitative
evidence synthesis using a meta-ethnographic approach to synthesise and
conceptualise the child and young person’s experience of living with DCD was
conducted. Finally, a qualitative descriptive study involving an online qualitative
vignette survey was undertaken to determine current occupational therapy practice
for children with DCD.
Results
Findings from the systematic review showed that little is known about effective
interventions to improve participation outcomes for children with DCD. The
qualitative synthesis revealed that children and young people with DCD felt left out
and marginalised. They also experienced many difficulties in daily activities and
utilise a broad range of strategies and supports to navigate everyday life. Examining
occupational therapy practice revealed that therapists work collaboratively with
children with DCD and their families, and typically use occupation-focused, and
multicomponent interventions to address occupational performance difficulties.
Conclusions
Findings generated from this research and pre-existing theory were subsequently
employed to develop guiding principles for future occupational therapy intervention
research and practice for children with DCD. Some of the guiding principles include
the need to objectively and subjectively measure participation outcomes, evaluate
current occupational therapy practice to determine if it influences participation
outcomes in family/home-based occupations, future occupational therapy
intervention research for children with DCD should address and prioritise social
occupations and targeting friendships and measuring friendship as a participation
outcome
The use of an isometric squat test as a measure of lower body maximal strength
No full textA number of different tests can be utilised for the measurement of lower
body maximal strength. The isometric squat (ISq) is a highly controlled and
externally valid test of lower body maximal strength. This research aimed to
add to the knowledge base of the overall usefulness of the ISq as a measure
of lower body maximal strength. The first experimental study established
the reliability of the test at a 120°, 90° and 65° knee angle position; the latter
placed subjects in a previously unexplored deep squat position. All positions
demonstrated acceptable reliability (≤ 10 % CV, ≥ 0.8 ICC) for maximal
(peak isometric force) but not explosive (rate of force development)
strength. The characteristics of the ISq suggest it is appropriate to use
regardless of an individual’s maximal strength level. This hypothesis was
tested by comparing the reliability of the ISq across a heterogeneous
sample, covering the entire strength spectrum from untrained individuals to
highly trained strength athletes. Similar reliability was evident across the
entire sample, with no relationship between ISq strength and reliability. In
order to determine the sensitivity of the ISq to measure changes in strength
as an outcome, maximal strength changes in response to 6 weeks of
ecologically valid strength training were assessed in a group of moderately
trained males. The ISq was sensitive to detect changes in maximal strength.
Use of a dual force plate ISq apparatus allows for separate individual
analysis of the lower limbs; facilitating the monitoring of inter-limb
asymmetries. The use of the ISq to detect bilateral vs. unilateral training
induced changes in inter-limb asymmetry was assessed in moderately
trained males. Both forms of training were effective at reducing inter-limb
asymmetries. This thesis documents the overall utility and versatility of the
ISq in the context of lower body maximal strength measurement
Atmospheric ammonia and nitrogen deposition on Irish Natura 2000 sites: Implications for Irish agriculture
No full textWith growing global demand for food, the agriculture sector worldwide is under pressure to intensify and expand, risking acceleration of existing negative biodiversity impacts. Agriculture is the dominant source of ammonia (NH3) emissions, which can impact biodiversity directly through dry deposition as NH3 and by wet deposition following conversion to ammonium (NH4) in the atmosphere. Nitrogen deposition is one of the leading causes of global decline in biodiversity alongside changing land use and climate. Natura 2000 sites which are intended to protect important habitats and species across Europe, require strict levels of protection to ensure designated features achieve favourable conservation status. Many of these sites are nitrogen-limited, and/or contain sensitive species such as lichens or mosses. This project carried out ambient NH3 monitoring on selected Irish Natura 2000 sites, in order to establish potential impacts from agricultural NH3. Monitoring on twelve Natura 2000 sites observed concentrations ranging from 0.47 to 4.59 μg NH3 m−3, from which dry deposition was calculated to be 1.22–11.92 kg N ha−1 yr−1. European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) was used to quantify wet deposited NH4 and nitrogen oxides (NOx), in addition to dry deposited NOx on monitored sites. Estimated total nitrogen deposition ranged between 5.93 and 17.78 kg N ha−1 yr−1. On average across all monitored sites, deposition was comprised of 50.4%, 31.7%, 7.5%, and 10.3% dry NH3, wet NH4, dry NOx and wet NOx respectively. Implications for Irish agriculture are discussed in the light of both this monitoring and the European Commission Dutch Nitrogen Case (C 293/17 & C 294/17), highlighting a number of recommendations to aid compliance with the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC)
A smart archive box for museum artifact monitoring using battery-less temperature and humidity sensing
No full textFor the first time, this paper reports a smart museum archive box that features a fully integrated wireless powered temperature and humidity sensor. The smart archive box has been specifically developed for microclimate environmental monitoring of stored museum artifacts in cultural heritage applications. The developed sensor does not require a battery and is wirelessly powered using Near Field Communications (NFC). The proposed solution enables a convenient means for wireless sensing with the operator by simply placing a standard smartphone in close proximity to the cardboard archive box. Wireless sensing capability has the advantage of enabling long-term environmental monitoring of the contents of the archive box without having to move and open the box for reading or battery replacement. This contributes to a sustainable preventive conservation strategy and avoids the risk of exposing the contents to the external environment, which may result in degradation of the stored artifacts. In this work, a low-cost and fully integrated NFC sensor has been successfully developed and demonstrated. The developed sensor is capable of wirelessly measuring temperature and relative humidity with a mean error of 0.37 °C and ±0.35%, respectively. The design has also been optimized for low power operation with a measured peak DC power consumption of 900 μW while yielding a 4.5 cm wireless communication range. The power consumption of the NFC sensor is one of the lowest found in the literature. To the author’s knowledge, the NFC sensor proposed in this paper is the first reporting of a smart archive box that is wirelessly powered and uniquely integrated within a cardboard archive box
Fertility of frozen sex-sorted sperm at 4 × 106 sperm per dose in lactating dairy cows in seasonal-calving pasture-based herds
No full textThe objective was to evaluate the reproductive performance of frozen sex-sorted sperm at 4 × 106 sperm per dose (SexedULTRA 4M, Sexing Technologies, Navasota, TX) relative to frozen conventional sperm in seasonal-calving pasture-based dairy cows. Semen from Holstein-Friesian (n = 8) and Jersey (n = 2) bulls was used. Four of the Holstein bulls used were resident at or near a sex-sorting laboratory (Cogent, UK, or ST Benelux, the Netherlands). The remaining 6 bulls were located at studs in Ireland. For these 6 bulls, ejaculates were collected, diluted with transport medium, and couriered to Cogent in parcel shippers. Transit time from ejaculation to arrival at the sorting laboratory was 6 to 7 h. For all bulls, ejaculates were split and processed to provide frozen conventional sperm (CONV) at 15 × 106 sperm per straw and frozen sex-sorted (SS) sperm at 4 × 106 sperm per straw and used to inseminate lactating dairy cows after spontaneous estrus. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed by ultrasound scanning (n = 7,246 records available for analysis). Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine effects on pregnancy per AI (P/AI) at first artificial insemination, with sperm treatment (CONV vs. SS), bull (n = 10), and treatment × bull interaction as the fixed effects, and herd (n = 142) as a random effect. Overall, P/AI was greater for cows inseminated with CONV than for those inseminated with SS (59.9% vs. 45.5%; 76.0% relative to CONV). This study was not designed to compare resident bulls vs. shipped ejaculates, but the magnitude of the difference between P/AI achieved by CONV and SS was apparently less for resident bulls (60.3% vs. 50.2%) than for shipped ejaculates (58.6% vs. 40.7%). We discovered a treatment × bull interaction for shipped ejaculates (P/AI ranged from 45 to 86% relative to CONV) but not for the resident bulls (P/AI ranged from 81 to 87% relative to CONV). Relative P/AI of SS compared with CONV was greater in cows with high or average fertility potential (76.1% and 78.3%, respectively) than in cows with low fertility potential (58.1%). In 33.1% of the enrolled herds, the P/AI achieved with SS was 90% or more of the P/AI achieved with CONV; this was mainly explained by herds in which SS performed exceptionally well but CONV performed poorly. In conclusion, SS had lower overall P/AI compared with CONV; however, P/AI achieved with SS was dependent on the bull, fertility potential of the cow, and herd. Strategies to improve the P/AI with SS in seasonal-calving pasture-based lactating dairy cows require further research
Association of Habitual Dietary Fiber Intake and Fecal Microbiome Gene Abundance with Gastrointestinal Symptoms in an Irritable Bowel Syndrome Cohort
No full textObjectives: Dietary fibre supplementation is recognised as important for functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID). The exact
role of the microbiome in this relationship remains unclear. We
explored differences in dietary fibre intake, GI symptoms and the fecal
microbiome in those with FGID