NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Factors affecting e-government adoption in the UAE public sector organisations: the knowledge management perspective
No full textPurpose – This study aims to investigate factors that influence e-government adoption among public
sector departments with the view to determine how such factors may be used to better facilitate
e-government adoption across United Arab Emirates (UAE) public sectors. The use of e-government is
advocated for the central government in the UAE.
Design/methodology/approach – Using random sampling, a total of 172 participants from ten
departments and organisations in Dubai and Sharjah completed the online survey for this pilot study.
Findings – The authors found that performance expectancy and facilitating conditions have positive effects
on e-government adoption. Furthermore, this study revealed the factors that encourage more e-government
adoption between government organisations in the UAE. This study reveals three facilitating conditions may
encourage e-government adoption in UAE public sector organisations when short- and long-term
performances have positive effects on e-government usage.
Practical implications – This study provides middle managers clarity on factors that would influence
government-to-government (G2G) uptake in more government organisations across the country. For
uniformity and consistency, middle managers are now better informed as a result of this study to
determine how best to use the six factors to motivate subordinates for more effective G2G.
Originality/value – The scope and results of this study is a contribution to e-government studies
because it identifies the factors that positively influence G2G adoption. This scope exceeds the studies
by Chan et al. (2021) and Habib et al. (2020) which focuses on the use of e-government for citizens or the
public. This study focuses on the use of e-government within the government and between government
departments
Machine Learning for the Automatic Classification of Radio Spectra
No full textSKR is a non-thermal, auroral emission with peak emission occurring at 100-400 kHz. Its
properties have been extensively studied since Cassini’s arrival at Saturn until mission
end with its Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) experiment. Low Frequency Extensions
(LFEs) of SKR, which consist of global intensifications of SKR accompanied by
extensions of the main SKR band down to lower frequencies have been studied in particular.
LFEs result from internally-driven tail reconnection and from solar wind compressions
of the magnetosphere, which also trigger tail reconnection. They have been
previously identified with two approaches: through visual inspection and using an intensity
threshold for LFEs occurring in 2006 (Reed et al., 2018). In this work, we describe
the method used to develop a visual criterion for LFE selection, and use this method to
select a sample of LFEs detected by Cassini/RPWS by fitting their exact frequency-time
coordinates with polygons. We use this sample of LFEs as a training set for an imagebased
machine learning algorithm to classify all LFEs detected by Cassini/RPWS. The
inputs to the model are multi-channel images consisting of spectrogram images in flux
density and degree of circular polarisation. The outputs of the model are binary masks
showing the exact location of the LFE in frequency-time space. The median IoU (Intersection
Over Union) across the testing and training set were calculated to be 0.97 and 0.98
respectively. 4874 LFEs were detected using this method and the catalogue in the form of
frequency-time coordinates is available for use amongst the scientific community
An Evaluation of the Influence of Accountability Regimes on the Curriculum Policy-Practice Nexus at Higher Education in Ireland
No full textLiterature contends that external pressures, particularly neoliberal agendas have
strengthened the role of accountability in education policy internationally, through
relentless measurement and by the introduction of intense benchmarking, ranking
and testing regimes. Despite contestations about its effectiveness in achieving the
intended goals in education, literature criticising accountability deficits has mainly
focused on descriptive arguments.
This study provides conceptual and empirical means to investigate the impact of
accountability mechanisms applied to the curriculum policy implementation process
at various sites of enactment (supra, macro, meso, micro) at higher education in
Ireland from a socio-political perspective.
A pragma<c approach is adopted using a dual conceptual framework combining
Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and Foucauldian governmentality. An embedded single
case study design is used to study the varied perceptions of reality through semistructured
interviews of policy actors.
While the results determine the importance of higher education to be accountable to
the number of stakeholders it serves, a mix of controversial actors were identified,
s<pula<ng for the balance of foundation, pedagogy and professional practice that
require reconsideration. Critical voices came to light, taking the shape of a
campaigning propaganda classified under four categories; emerging pacern of
competitive ethos, commodification of knowledge, compromised professional
identities and conducted curriculum.
The overall findings are particularly pertinent to Irish higher education policy makers.
They are also of multinational interest as they are significant for the tensions between
envisioned and enacted practices. Furthermore, the dual conceptual framework
developed offer insights in informing curriculum policy-making and redesigning of
accountability systems for education
Reassessing long-standing meteorological records: an example using the national hottest day in Ireland
No full textThis analysis highlights the potential value in re-analysing early national meteorological records from around
the world. These were oftentimes measured via techniques
that preceded standardisation of instrumentation and methods of observation and thus could be subject to considerable
biases and uncertainties. This analysis uses the techniques
pioneered by WMO record assessment teams. The highest
currently recognised air temperature (33.3 ◦C) ever recorded
in the Republic of Ireland was logged at Kilkenny Castle in
1887. The original observational record however no longer
exists. Given that Ireland is now the only country in Europe
to have a national heat record that was set in the 19th century, a reassessment of the verity of this record is both timely
and valuable. The present analysis undertakes a fundamental reassessment of the plausibility of the 1887 temperature
record using methods similar to those used to assess various
weather extremes under WMO auspices over recent years.
Specifically, we undertake an inter-station reassessment using sparse available records and make recourse to the new
and improved 20CRv3 sparse-input reanalysis product. Neither surrounding available stations nor the reanalysis offer
substantive support for the Kilkenny record of 33.3 ◦C being correct. Moreover, recent data rescue efforts have uncovered several earlier extreme values, one of which exceeds
the Kilkenny value (33.5 ◦C on 16 July 1876 recorded at the
Phoenix Park). However, the sparsity of early observational
networks, a distinct lack of synoptic support from 20CRv3
for many of the extreme heat values, and the fact that these
measurements were obtained using non-standard exposures
lead us to conclude that there is grossly insufficient evidence
to support any of these 19th century extremes as robust national heat record candidates. Data from the early 20th century onwards benefit from a denser network of stations undertaking measurements in a more standardised manner, many
under the direct auspices of Met Éireann and its predecessors, adhering to WMO guidance and protocols. This enables
more robust cross-checking of records. We argue that the Met
Éireann-recognised 20th century heat record from Boora in
1976 is verified as the most plausible robust national temperature record based upon the synoptic situation and comparisons with nearby neighbouring stations. This measurement of 32.5 ◦C thus likely constitutes the highest reliably
recorded temperature measurement in the Republic of Ireland. Ultimately, the formal decision on any reassessment
and reassignment of the national record rests with the national meteorological service, Met Éireann
Generating actionable evidence from free-text feedback to improve maternity and acute hospital experiences: A computational text analytics & predictive modelling approach
No full textBackground
Patient experience surveys are a key source of evidence for supporting decision-making and quality improvement in healthcare services. These surveys contain two main types of questions: closed and open-ended, asking about patients’ care experiences. Apart from the knowledge obtained from analysing closed-ended questions, invaluable insights can be gleaned from free-text data. Advanced analytics techniques are increasingly used to harness free-text data, yet existing approaches do not offer the rigour required to support formal decision-making through free-text.
Methods
This study addresses the challenge of effectively and rigorously analysing patients’ free-text feedback to improve maternity and acute hospital services in Ireland. Aspects of healthcare services (i.e. themes) that could be improved were determined using computational text analytics and predictive modelling. Themes extracted from comments were prioritised based on volume, the intensity of negative affect expressed in the texts, and the estimated influence of the themes on overall patient satisfaction.
Results
Results demonstrate the viability of producing rigorous evidence for prioritising interventions to improve healthcare services based on free-text feedback. Specifically, consistency in advice and support in breastfeeding were among the most important issues for maternity services. For acute hospital services, meals quality and access, A&E waiting time, ward hygiene and communication at discharge were among the most important issues. Women also wanted more emphasis on prior birth experience and complications in future maternity care surveys.
Conclusions
Advances in computational text modelling enable the extraction of concrete and actionable insights from the analysis of free-text data. This approach also allows decision-makers to prioritise emergent themes and inform actions that will positively impact overall patient satisfaction
Some notes on the necessity of autonomous educational practice and two concerns
No full textThis article suggests a sophistical autonomous practice in response to Platonian Aristotelian
philosophy’s domination over education. It shows the dangers of empty education in which education is reduced to schooling the perfect citizen in the image of a perfect state. An example is
given in which schooling in empty education is reduced to a tool for authoritarian capitalism
inscribed in the formation of the State to increase profit while undermining a democratic society.
Instead, this article claims that education was introduced by the Sophists as verification of equality
and will show how education works counter to anti-educational and anti-democratic tendencies of
Platonian/Aristotelian discourses on education and schooling. The article identifies and develops a
practice of ignorance of inequality as such inequality is inscribed in machine schooling and offers a
sophistical practice instead. The article concludes by highlighting an autonomous tradition of
educational practice making practice, as evident once Platonian and Aristotelian philosophy is
refuted as saying anything meaningful about education
'Do you mind me askin, but how did you get in here?’ A collaborative inquiry exploring class and education in Ireland, from the perspectives and experiences of working class women who have attended higher education.
No full textThis research is a Collaborative/Co-operative Inquiry (CI) with a group of working class
women who have attended Higher Education (HE), in which we explore class and
education in Ireland. The challenges of inequality, within our stories, particularly in
educational structures, are at the heart of this research. It is also practitioner research
where I am exploring and critiquing systems in HE that continue to ‘other’ students and
my role as a lecturer within these systems.
The importance of voice and story in articulating classed experiences from an insider
perspective is important in challenging taken for granted, and individualistic, perspectives
of class and choice (Skeggs, 1997; Reay, 2017; Crew, 2020). Pierre Bourdieu’s key
concepts of class, are used to explore our experiences and our positions in the social
structures, including how they impact our trajectories.
Our research group worked collaboratively to explore our stories and to co-construct
knowledge based in our classed experiences. The process, underpinned by care and
empathy, highlights the expertise in our group on class, access and education. The impact
of inequality in wider society, particularly education, on our experiences and trajectories
was at the centre of our inquiry.
The research highlights the middle class framing of the educational system and how
having the right habitus, and cultural capital provides a distinct advantage, with working
class students feeling ‘other’ in the system. This impacts our lack of belonging in
education at all levels and how moving to HE can change class awareness. Feeling, and
being different from the middle class students was linked to deficit perspectives of class
which places blame on individuals for their lack of success in HE. Feeling caught
between worlds, started in HE and has continued into employment. The role of family,
and habitus also impacted our trajectories, when we went to HE and changed relationships
and positioning related to succeeding in HE.
This research contributes to the small body of research on the lived experiences of class
and education in Ireland. It highlights the complexity of classed experiences and
challenges narrow classifications and deficit models of class and affirms the inclusion of
voice and story in challenging taken for granted perspectives
Antimicrobial resistance persistence and dissemination in environmental and animal microbiomes through plasmid transfer.
No full textThe following PhD thesis examines the crucial role of Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) and grasslands in the spread and maintenance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) via a One Health context. Through an in-depth investigation of two urban WWTPs in Ireland, the research sheds light on the prevalence and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance among faecal coliforms. Results revealed that more than 90% of isolated faecal coliforms exhibited resistance to common antibiotics like amoxicillin and ampicillin, with a significant proportion being multidrug-resistant. Notably, the study discovered a substantial presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing isolates, indicating a high potential for horizontal gene transfer, which could contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Complementing this research, the study provides a novel exploration of the global scale of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) plasmids. These plasmids isolated from chicken caecum, containing combinations of known AMR genes, metal resistance genes, virulence factors, and replicon types, were detected across 63 countries in diverse environments and species, including humans, animals, and the environment. This compelling evidence underscores the urgent need for expanded global surveillance and sequencing of AMR plasmids to better understand and combat the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Furthermore, the research delves into the often-overlooked role of grasslands within the environmental-animal nexus of AMR. Contrary to common focus areas such as soil or vegetables, our data suggests grasslands hold a more diverse and abundant reservoir of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). These findings have critical implications for human and animal health, particularly in the context of grazing food animals.
Lastly, through the characterisation of 173 plasmids isolated from the two Irish WWTPs, the research unveils a globally interconnected evolutionary history and an extensive prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) plasmids. The results further confirm the significant role WWTPs play in the distribution and persistence of AMR, highlighting the importance of these environments in the development of strategic AMR control and the necessity for a comprehensive, globally-linked surveillance system
New ideas, enduring cultural barriers? An analysis of recommendations from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Restorative Justice in England and Wales
No full textRecent years have seen a variety of national and local efforts to implement restorative justice in England and Wales. Yet, despite its appearance in multiple statutes, several national action plans, its strong endorsement in the Victims’ Code of Practice, and its inclusion in the funding remit of elected Police and Crime Commissioners, restorative justice still does not occupy a mainstream position in criminal justice in England and Wales. This article explores the report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Restorative Justice, formed in 2021 to advocate for the expansion of restorative justice. We analyse the report’s recommendations thematically, focusing on service oversight, the removal of procedural barriers, and the need for dedicated resources – in light of international research and policies. While any jurisdiction implementing restorative justice could learn much from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Restorative Justice’s proposals, criminal justice cultures remain a barrier to mainstreaming restorative justice in England and Wales
A Critical Analysis of The Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Plea and a Proposal for Reform
No full text“It has long been accepted that the defence of insanity, in Anglo American law, is unsatisfactory
and in need of reform” (Hathaway, 2009, pg. 310). Since its emergence, the Not Guilty by
Reason of Insanity defence has been proven to be most problematic and contentious. The
premise of this research is to critically analyse this defence and discuss alternative approaches,
primarily the Guilty but Mentally Ill verdict. In order to do so, this paper will discuss the
limitations and problems affiliated with the insanity defence such as, misuse and abuse,
inconsistency, and reliability. Many argue that the defence is remarkably outdated as it first
originated in 1843. The discussed limitations illustrate the requirement for amendment of the
insanity defence. The most recognised alternative approach is the GBMI verdict which was
introduced following ample public vexation with the insanity defence. GBMI has not been
adopted worldwide and is a relatively new statute. An important note regarding the GBMI
verdict is that it is not intended to abolish the insanity defence, merely to evolve and improve
the defence. It has been discerned that the GBMI has an abundant number of advantages, be
that as it may, it still requires further research and work.
This paper also acknowledges the possibility of the abolition of the insanity plea. In order to
evaluate the benefits and downfalls of the elimination of the insanity defence, the Idaho case
study is deliberated. The benefits and disadvantages of abolishing the defence will be discussed
and analysed. On account of such, it will be concluded that eliminating a form of the insanity
defence from the criminal justice system is not a viable option.
Following the research conducted, it has been discovered that the United States has conducted
the most reform and amendment on the insanity defence as it is the only jurisdiction to adopt
the guilty but mentally ill approach and some States have even opted to abolish the not guilty
by reason of insanity defence. The majority of cases in this paper are from instances in the
United States. Ireland and the United Kingdom have very few examples of cases on the topic
as they both predominantly follow the standard not guilty by reason of insanity ruling. Further
findings of this paper demonstrate that the Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Defence is in fact
outdated and in need of reform, however the solution is not a simple fix, there is not one sole
solution to reforming and improving the insanity defence