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Analytical study of pre-stall hydrofoil experimental data for a cyclorotor-based wave energy converter
No full textCyclorotor-based wave energy converters (WECs), that utilise lift forces generated on hydrofoils due to their interaction with the wave-induced circular motion of water particles, have received recent attention from various researchers and organisations. Cyclorotor WECs have a number of appealing characteristics, including the potential for fast unidirectional rotation, simple power take-off, and relatively low wave loads by adjusting pitch angles, increasing survivability and capacity factor.The published analytical assessments of cyclorotor performance have shown that a cyclorotor achieves maximum performance in terms of wave cancellation, or mechanical shaft power generation, when its hydrofoils operate in the vicinity of the stall angle of attack. Such performance assessments are based on ideal lift and drag coefficient values obtained for aerofoils in aerodynamic tubes. In this study, we question the equivalence between aerofoils and hydrofoils in waves, in terms of lift and drag coefficients. We analyse the open access data, corresponding to 2D experimental testing of a scale prototype LiftWEC cyclorotor conducted by Ecole Centrale Nantes (ECN), using an analytical control-oriented point-vortex model. The current study includes validation of the point vortex model against experimental results, derivation of the lift and drag coefficients for hydrofoils in waves, and analysis of their pre-stall behaviour
Industry readiness measurement for circular supply chain implementation: an Irish dairy industry perspective
No full textThe implementation of a circular supply chain (CSC) has potential to help the Irish dairy
industry mitigate their negative environmental impacts. However, the industry does not have
a clear understanding on their level of readiness to implement CSC in factors that ensure
success. While there have been few studies that have identified barriers and critical success
factors of CSC implementation, limited attention has been given to developing a comprehensive framework capable of measuring an industry’s readiness for CSC implementation,
especially in the dairy industry. This study provides novelty in the development and application of a novel hybrid approach based on best–worst method and fuzzy inference system
(BWM–FIS) to evaluate readiness for CSC implementation in the Irish dairy industry. By
identifying a comprehensive set of readiness measures and sub-measures and integrating
them into the assessment framework, we provide a valuable tool for industry stakeholders
to gauge their readiness level and make informed decisions regarding CSC implementation.
The applicability of the proposed approach is then demonstrated with an empirical study of
the Irish dairy industry. The data was collected from 34 supply chain and senior professionals
from all 13 main processing and manufacturing companies in the Irish dairy industry. The
empirical results for the Irish dairy industry suggests it has a moderate level of readiness on
the CSC readiness scale. This indicates that dairy manufacturers in Ireland are not yet in an
ideal state of readiness for CSC implementation
Characterising uncertainty and external disturbance sources in wave tank experiments for wave energy converter modelling
No full textUncertainty, whether inherent to the dynamical system under study or due to external factors, is intrinsic
to experimental wave tank tests of wave energy converter
(WEC) devices. In order to obtain a representative WEC
model from wave tank experiments, it is crucial to identify
and characterise nonlinearities, uncertainty, and external
disturbance affecting the experimental data, to understand
the level of data contamination at different operating conditions of the system, and to apply the proper methodologies
to compensate for those effects, where appropriate. To this
aim, the current study analyses wave tank data from an
experimental campaign on a 1/20 scale Wavestar prototype
device to identify a range of linear WEC models, using
force-input experiments at various levels, with a focus on
the identification and quantification of parameters that may
cause uncertainty in the WEC model. To this end, the
analysed phenomena are classified into electromechanical,
hydrodynamic, and structural (support) parts of the test
setup. Effective data pre-processing and post-processing
steps, to mitigate noise and disturbances, as well as
preserving the physical system behaviour, are applied
to identifying representative linear WEC models, which
serves as staring point for robust WEC controller synthesis.
Thus, careful estimation of representative models and a
associated uncertainty region overcomes the limitations of
a single linear model by covering the complete operational
space of the device
Factors affecting teacher job satisfaction: a causal inference machine learning approach using data from TALIS 2018
No full textTeacher shortages and attrition are problems of international
concern. One of the most frequent reasons for teachers leaving
the profession is a lack of job satisfaction. Accordingly, in this
study we have adopted a causal inference machine learning
approach to identify practical interventions for improving overall
levels of job satisfaction. We apply our methodology to the
English subset of the data from TALIS 2018. Of the treatments we
investigate, participation in continual professional development
and induction activities are found to have the most positive
effect. The negative impact of part-time contracts is also
demonstrate
Struck by a cupid’s arrow: The conjuring bliss and sinister shades of employee workplace romance
No full textWorkplace romance (WR), a terminology used to describe romantic relations between individuals in an organization, represents a phenomenon that has attracted academic attention for decades. However, despite its lure,
the sensitive nature of WR has resulted in a limited quantity of empirical investigations, fragmented literary
results, and an elusive understanding of how organizations should approach workplace romances. This study
performs a systematic assessment of the WR research and uses an integrated approach to identify the antecedents, outcomes, and gaps in the literature to address in future WR research. Based on this conceptual backdrop, a
CUPID (considerate, uncharacteristic, pragmatic, informed, and diligence) framework is proposed that may
provide guidance for human resource managers grappling with WR
Studies on the novel effects of electron beam treated pollen on colony reproductive output in commercially-reared bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) for mass pollination applications
No full textCommercially-reared bumblebees provide an important pollinator service that helps support food production and
security. The deployment of an appropriate non-thermal disinfection technology for the bulk treatment of pollen
collected from honeybees for the feeding of commercial bumblebees is important in order to mitigate against
complex diseases and unwanted pathogen spillover to native bees. High level disinfection of pollen was achieved
using an electron (e)-beam dose of 100 kGy that corresponded to 78 % loss of cellular viability of bee pathogens
before feeding to bumblebees as measured by the novel in vitro use of flow cytometry (FCM). Novel findings
showed that e-beam treated-pollen that was fed to bumblebees produced fewer females, gynes and exhibited an
absence of males when compared to control bumblebee colonies that were fed untreated commercial pollen. A
similar trend emerged in bumblebee colony reproductive outputs when using membrane filtered washed pollen.
Proteomic analysis of bumblebees from individual colonies fed with treated-pollen revealed a differential
abundance of proteins associated with stress, immunity and metabolism when compared to the untreated pollen
control group. Microbiome analysis of the bumblebee gut content revealed differences in microbiota between
treated and untreated pollen in bumblebee colony studies. This novel study evaluated the impact of industrial ebeam treated-pollen on complex bee disease mitigation where physically treated-pollen fed to bumblebees was
shown to substantially affect colony reproductive outputs
Advancing Disability Rights in the EU
No full textThe 2023 Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union marks the fifth time Spain has taken
on this presidency since joining the former European Community (EC) in 1986. This presidential term
arrives at a key juncture for the European Union (EU) as it falls in the final stretch of the EU institutional
cycle before the European Parliament elections, scheduled in May 2024, which will see the appointment of
a new Commission. In such a critical period, Spain is challenged with completing negotiations on strategic
issues related to the digital and green transitions and a broad social agenda. Notably, at the beginning,
Spain announced that “promoting greater social and economic justice” was one of the four thematic areas
characterising its aspirations for its presidency. This area is quite wide-ranging, but includes specific
actions related to the protection of vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, and places strong
emphasis on the advancement of the European Disability Card (EDC) as a vital instrument to enhance free
movement of people with disabilities in the EU. Against this background, this article discusses the role of
the Spanish Presidency in advancing disability rights within the remit of its social agenda. It focuses on the
EDC as testbed for the Presidency. In fact, the Spanish support and vision will be key to bringing this
forward and preparing the ground for adoption of the EDC directive, before “passing the baton” to the
forthcoming Belgian Presidency
Transcriptional profiling of a fungal granuloma reveals a low metabolic activity of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeasts and an actively regulated host immune response
No full textGranulomas are important immunological structures in the host defense against the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, the main etiologic agent of Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a granulomatous systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America. We have performed transcriptional and proteomic studies of yeasts present in the pulmonary granulomas of PCM aiming to identify relevant genes and proteins that act under stressing conditions. C57BL/6 mice were infected with 1x106 yeasts and after 8- and 12-weeks of infection, granulomatous lesions were obtained for extraction of fungal and murine RNAs and fungal proteins. Dual transcriptional profiling was done comparing lung cells and P. brasiliensis yeasts from granulomas with uninfected lung cells and the original yeast suspension used in the infection, respectively. Mouse transcripts indicated a lung malfunction, with low expression of genes related to muscle contraction and organization. In addition, an increased expression of transcripts related to the activity of neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, lymphocytes as well as an elevated expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-17 transcripts were observed. The increased expression of transcripts for CTLA-4, PD-1 and arginase-1, provided evidence of immune regulatory mechanisms within the granulomatous lesions. Also, our results indicate iron as a key element for the granuloma to function, where a high number of transcripts related to fungal siderophores for iron uptake was observed, a mechanism of fungal virulence not previously described in granulomas. Furthermore, transcriptomics and proteomics analyzes indicated a low fungal activity within the granuloma, as demonstrated by the decreased expression of genes and proteins related to energy metabolism and cell cycle
The Concept of the Integral and Catholic Social Teaching
No full textThis dissertation explores the concept of ‘integral’ in the context of Catholic Social
Teaching and its crucial methodological role in developing this rich doctrinal tradition. It
examines the concept’s historical evolution and philosophical underpinnings, drawing from
the influence of Jacques Maritain’s Integral Humanism (1936). The research investigates the
implicit and explicit use of the term ‘the integral’ in Catholic Social Teaching’s pre-Vatican II
and Vatican II eras. Subsequent chapters analyse the concept’s significance in the social
teachings of Pope Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, highlighting its role in
promoting a holistic vision of development that encompasses the spiritual, material, and
ecological dimensions. The significance of this research lies in shedding light on the capacity
of Catholic Social Teaching to develop in meeting new social challenges while remaining
consistent with its precedent. To this end, the concept, it is argued, plays a designative,
hermeneutical, phenomenological, and normative role. In light of the concept’s ambiguity and
complexity, seven connotations of the term are identified: transcendental anthropology,
epistemological coherence, historical continuity, social cooperation, mutually constitutive and
comprehensive interconnectedness, wholeness, and authenticity
A Bayesian time series model for reconstructing hydroclimate from multiple proxies
No full textWe propose a Bayesian model which produces probabilistic reconstructions of
hydroclimatic variability in Queensland Australia. The model provides a standardized approach to hydroclimate reconstruction using multiple palaeoclimate
proxy records derived from natural archives such as speleothems, ice cores and
tree rings. The method combines time-series modeling with inverse prediction
to quantify the relationships between a given hydroclimate index and relevant
proxies over an instrumental period and subsequently reconstruct the hydroclimate back through time. We present case studies for Brisbane and Fitzroy
catchments focusing on two hydroclimate indices, the Rainfall Index (RFI) and
the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The probabilistic nature of the reconstructions allows us to estimate the probability that a
hydroclimate index in any reconstruction year was lower (higher) than the minimum (maximum) value observed over the instrumental period. In Brisbane, the
RFI is unlikely (probabilities < 5%) to have exhibited extremes beyond the minimum/maximum values observed between 1889 and 2019. However, in Fitzroy
there are several years during the reconstruction period where the RFI is likely
(>50% probability) to have exhibited behavior beyond the minimum/maximum
of what has been observed, during the instrumental period. For SPEI, the probability of observing such extremes prior to the beginning of the instrumental
period in 1889 doesn’t exceed 30% in any reconstruction year in Brisbane, but
exceeds 50% in multiple years in Fitzroy