NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Assistive Technology Use and Provision During COVID-19: Results From a Rapid Global Survey
No full textBackground:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted all segments of society, but it has posed particular challenges for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, those with chronic illness and older people regarding their participation in daily life. These groups often benefit from assistive technology (AT) and so it is important to understand how use of AT may be affected by or may help to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.
Objective:
The objectives of this study were to explore the how AT use and provision have been affected during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how AT policies and systems may be made more resilient based on lessons learned during this global crisis.
Methods:
This study was a rapid, international online qualitative survey in the 6 United Nations (UN) languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese) facilitated by extant World Health Organization (WHO) and International Disability Alliance networks. Themes and subthems of the qualitative responses were identified using Braun and Clarke’s 6-phase analysis.
Results:
Four primary themes were identified in in the data: Disruption of Services, Insufficient Emergency Preparedness, Limitations in Existing Technology, and Inadequate Policies and Systems. Subthemes were identified within each theme, including subthemes related to developing resilience in AT systems, based on learning from the pandemic.
Conclusion:
COVID-19 has disrupted the delivery of AT services, primarily due to infection control measures resulting in lack of provider availability and diminished one-to-one services. This study identified a need for stronger user-centred development of funding policies and infrastructures that are more sustainable and resilient, best practices for remote service delivery, robust and accessible tools and systems, and increased capacity of clients, caregivers, and clinicians to respond to pandemic and other crisis situations
Marrying Past and Present Neuropsychology: Is the Future of the Process-Based Approach Technology-Based?
No full textA cognitive assessment strategy that is not limited to examining a set of summary test scores may be more helpful for early detection of emergent illness such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and may permit a better understanding of cognitive functions and dysfunctions in those with AD and other dementia disorders. A revisit of the work already undertaken by Kaplan and colleagues using the Boston Process-Approach provides a solid basis for identifying new opportunities to capture data on neurocognitive processes, test-taking strategies and response styles. Thus, this critical review will combine traditional process-based assessment strategies with support provided or offered by newer technologies that have the potential to add value to data collection and interpretation. There is now considerable interest in neuropsychological test administration using computer/digital technology, both in research and in clinical settings. To add value, any computerized version of an existing cognitive test should respect the administration procedure for which normative data were obtained, should be time-saving in terms of scoring and interpretation, and should, we argue, facilitate gathering information about the processes and strategies followed in test completion. This article will offer an overview of the steps needed when implementing computerization of neuropsychological tests using a Process-Based Approach (PBA) to these technology-based adaptations and will discuss further developments in this area by linking it to future technological developments that may be possible in the area of neuropsychological assessment. Additionally, an overview of neuropsychological tests that may benefit from computerization will be presented, together with suggestions on the specific processes, strategies and features that may be captured with the aid of such computerization. Finally, hypotheses on how virtual reality could be an asset for the future of the PBA to neuropsychological assessment will also be discussed
Shaping technologies for older adults with and without dementia: Reflections on ethics and preferences
No full textAs a result of several years of European funding, progressive introduction of assistive technologies in our society has provided many researchers and companies with opportunities to develop new information and communication technologies aimed at overcoming the digital divide of those at a greater risk of being left behind, as can be the case with healthy older people and those developing cognitive decline and dementia. Moreover, in recent years, when considering how information and communication technologies have been integrated into older people’s lives, and how technology has influenced these individuals, doubts remain regarding whether technologies really fulfil older users’ needs and wishes and whether technologies developed specifically for older users necessarily protect and consider main ethical values. In this article, we address the relevance of privacy, vulnerability and preservation of autonomy as key factors when involving older individuals as target users for information and communication technology research and development. We provide explanatory examples on ethical issues involved in the particular case of developing different types of information and communication technology for older people (from robotics to serious games), what previously performed research tells us about older adults’ preferences and wishes for information and communication technology and what steps should be taken into consideration in the near future
Mental Health Measurement in a Post Covid-19 World: Psychometric Properties and Invariance of the DASS-21 in Athletes and Non-athletes
No full textPsychological science faces a call to action researching the implications of the corona virus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Rapid reviews have reported that maintaining rigorous research standards is a priority for the field, such as ensuring reliable and valid measurement, when investigating people’s experience of Covid-19 (O’Connor et al., 2020). However, no research to date has validated a measure mental health symptomology for an athlete population. The current research addresses this gap by examining the internal consistency, factor structure, invariance, and convergent validity of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995) in two athlete samples. Participants completed the DASS-21 and sport-specific measures of mental health such as the Profile of Mood States – Depression subscale (POMS-D), Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2), Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), and Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ). In sample one (n = 894), results of exploratory structural equation modeling indicated that a three-factor model provided good fit to the data, but a bifactor model provided better fit. Factor loadings indicated minimal misspecification and higher loadings on the general-factor. Invariance testing suggested equivalence across gender, athletic expertise, sport type, and injury status. Further, latent mean differences analyses indicated that females and injured athletes scored higher than male and non-injured athletes on all DASS-21 factors reporting higher mental health symptomology, those with more expertise scored higher on the general-factor and depression and those with less expertise scored higher on anxiety and stress, and no differences between team and individual athletes. In sample two (n = 589), the bifactor structure was replicated. Results largely supported the scales convergent validity with depression predicting POMS-D scores, whereas all three subscales predicted the SAS-2, ABQ, and APSQ scores. Internal consistency was acceptable in both samples. The current work provides initial support for use of the DASS-21 as an operationalisation of mental health symptomology in athletes. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed
The Effects of Workplace Nature-Based Interventions on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Employees: A Systematic Review
No full textMental health in the workplace is a societal challenge with serious economical and human
costs. Most prevalent mental disorders in the workforce (e.g., depression), however, are
preventable. There is widespread agreement about the favorable effects of nature
exposure and consequently, nature-based interventions (NBI) in the workplace have
been proposed as a cost-effective approach to promote good health among employees.
The objective of the present study was to systematically review scientific evidence on the
effectiveness of NBI to promote mental health and well-being among actual employees in
actual workplace settings. The review was conducted and presented in accordance with
the PRISMA guidelines. The literature search was performed on five databases (PubMed,
Embase, CENTRAL, CINHAL, and PsycINFO), hand-searching of field-specific journals,
and the reference lists of retrieved papers over the past 5 years up to November (13th,
2018). Studies were eligible for inclusion if they (i) were randomized or nonrandomized
controlled trials; (ii) comprised samples of actual employees; (iii) implemented a
workplace-based intervention with exposure to nature; (iv) included comparison
conditions that displayed a clear contrast to NBIs; and (v) investigated the quantitative
effects on mental health or well-being. No restrictions on type of employees or workplace,
publication period, or language of the publication were set. Risk of bias was assessed
using the Cochrane’s RoB2 tool. Narrative synthesis was performed due to large
heterogeneity in outcome variables. Of the 510 articles identified, 10 NBIs (nine papers)
met the eligibility criteria. The outcomes were grouped in five categories: (i) mental health
indices, (ii) cognitive ability, (iii) recovery and restoration, (iv) work and life satisfaction, and
(v) psychophysiological indicators. Narrative synthesis indicates consistently positive
effects on mental health indices and cognitive ability, while mixed results were found for
the other outcome categories. Caution must be given when interpreting the current
evidence in this emerging research field because of the diversity of NBIs and the overall high risk of bias in the individual studies. Although in this field often researchers have to
balance scientific rigor and ecological validity, there is a need for large, well-designed and
rigorously conducted trials grounded in contemporary theories
Adverse and benevolent childhood experiences in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD): implications for trauma-focused therapies
No full textBackground: There is very little work on the role of positive or benevolent childhood experiences and how such events might offer protection from the insidious effects of adverse experiences in childhood or later in life.
Objectives: We set out to test, using latent variable modelling, whether adverse and benevolent childhood experiences could be best described as a single continuum or two correlated constructs. We also modelled the relationship between adverse and benevolent childhood experiences and ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD (CPTSD) symptoms and explored if these associations were indirect via psychological trauma.
Methods: Data were collected from a trauma-exposed sample (N = 275) attending a specialist trauma care centre in the UK. Participants completed measures of childhood adverse and benevolent experiences, traumatic exposure, and PTSD and CPTSD symptoms.
Results: Findings suggested that adverse childhood experiences operate only indirectly on PTSD and CPTSD symptoms through lifetime trauma exposure, and with a stronger effect for PTSD. Benevolent childhood experiences directly predicted only CPTSD symptoms.
Conclusions: Benevolent and traumatic experiences seem to form unique associations with PTSD and CPTSD symptoms. Future research is needed to explore how benevolent experiences can be integrated within existing psychological interventions to maximise recovery from traumatic stress
On the 3-D Placement of Airborne Base Stations Using Tethered UAVs
No full textOne of the main challenges slowing the deployment of airborne base stations (BSs) using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is the limited on-board energy and flight time. One potential solution to such problem, is to provide the UAV with power supply through a tether that connects the UAV to the ground. In this paper, we study the optimal placement of tethered UAVs (TUAVs) to minimize the average path-loss between the TUAV and a receiver located on the ground. Given that the tether has a maximum length, and the launching point of the TUAV (the starting point of the tether) is placed on a rooftop, the TUAV is only allowed to hover within a specific hovering region. Beside the maximum tether length, this hovering region also depends on the heights of the buildings surrounding the rooftop, which requires the inclination angle of the tether not to be below a given minimum value, in order to avoid tangling and ensure safety. We first formulate the optimization problem for such setup and provide some useful insights on its solution. Next, we derive upper and lower bounds for the optimal values of the tether length and inclination angle. We also propose a suboptimal closed-form solution for the tether length and its inclination angle that is based on maximizing the line-of-sight probability. Finally, we derive the probability distribution of the minimum inclination angle of the tether length. We show that its mean value varies depending on the environment from 10° in suburban environments to 31° in high rise urban environments. Our numerical results show that the derived upper and lower bounds on the optimal values of the tether length and inclination angle lead to tight suboptimal values of the average path-loss that are only 0 - 3 dBs above the minimum value
Performance Evaluation of UAV-Enabled Cellular Networks With Battery-Limited Drones
No full textUnmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used as flying base stations (BSs) to offload Macro-BSs in hotspots. However, due to the limited battery on-board, UAVs can typically stay in operation for less than 1.5 hours. Afterward, the UAV has to fly back to a dedicated charging station that recharges/replaces the UAV’s battery. In this letter, we study the performance of a UAV-enabled cellular network while capturing the influence of the spatial distribution of the charging stations. In particular, we use tools from stochastic geometry to derive the coverage probability of a UAV-enabled cellular network as a function of the battery size, the density of the charging stations, and the time required for recharging/replacing the battery
Thinking beyond the island: Buddhism, Ireland and method in the study of religions
No full textAn “Irish Buddhist” was often presented in old newspapers as an oxymoron, but our
research (with Alicia Turner, Yoshinaga Shin’ichi and others) on the unexpectedly
long history of Buddhism and Ireland has unearthed some fascinating dimensions in
the broader study of religions and Ireland. Stepping beyond traditional discourses,
we have found Irish Buddhists involved in Asian religious change, migrants bringing
new religions to Ireland and people in Ireland rejecting the Catholic/Protestant
binary. We have also found the first (1889) Buddhist mission to Europe (London) and
a forgotten early 1900s Irish Buddhist challenge to colonial missionary Christianity in
South & Southeast Asia. Our research has driven us to explore new methods – in
particular using digital humanities to reconstruct forgotten figures and fostering
developing scholarly networks to study translocal lives. This chapter situates our own
discoveries among expanding new research initiatives on Ireland and religions, and
highlights the significance of these research projects for the academic study of
religions throughout the island of Ireland and beyond
