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A theory of change driven approach to evaluating a multi-agency stalking intervention programme
No full textPurpose: Multi-agency initiatives as a response to complex crimes, such as stalking, pose conceptual and operational challenges for practitioners and evaluators. This study addresses these challenges, by combining a theory of change driven approach with the realist-inspired EMMIE evaluation framework to present findings from a pilot multi agency stalking intervention partnership in England and Wales. Methods: The study uses a mixed methods approach based on analysis of police data and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders to present a process and effect evaluation of a complex social intervention. Results: Findings based on a small sample and limited follow up period show nonsignificant results in terms of reducing the harmful effects of stalking, but which are encouragingly in the right direction. The case study demonstrates the importance of a theory driven approach to multi-agency evaluation and identifies essential factors necessary for ensuring implementation success. Conclusions: A theory of change driven approach and an EMMIE-inspired evaluation can help identify whether interventions work, how they work, for whom they work, and under what conditions. It demonstrates the importance of data collection and provision for long term evaluation plans, especially for complex social interventions. The paper makes a significant methodological and empirical contribution to evaluation literature
The relevance of calf muscle metrics and plyometric outcomes for athletic sprint performance
No full textIntroduction
Sprinting is a key performance marker in sports and involves the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) of the lower limbs. The triceps surae or calf muscle complex is shown to be a key contributor to sprinting, but many calf function assessments used in athlete profiling do not fully consider the SSC. Similarly, lower-limb plyometric abilities are important for sprinting, but few studies explore how plyometrics in the horizontal and vertical axes relate to sprint performance. Therefore, we investigated the association between various calf metrics, single-leg plyometric outcomes, and sprint performances to determine which assessment metrics are the most relevant as athletic performance indicators.
Methods
Thirty active participants (14 male, 16 female) completed a test battery in two sessions that included 0-40 m maximum sprints; single-leg calf muscle isometric strength, power, and strength-endurance tests; and plyometrics in the vertical and horizontal axes. Sprint outcomes included maximal sprint acceleration (MSA, 0-10 m time), maximal sprint speed (MSS, 30-40 m time), and 0-40 m sprint time. Calf muscle metrics included single-leg seated and standing isometric strength (N), peak concentric power (W) from an eccentric-concentric task with an additional 30% body mass load, and total repetitions and positive work (J) from strength-endurance testing. Plyometric outcomes included vertical reactive strength index (RSI) and jump height (m) from a single-leg 30-cm drop jump, and two horizontal RSIs and total horizontal distance (m) from a forward triple hop for distance. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were computed to assess the strength of relationships between I sprints, calf, and plyometric measures. Significance was set to p ≤ 0.05. Only significant values are presented in the results.
Results
Calf power showed large correlations with MSA (r = -0.678) and MSS (r = -0.707), as did total work during strength-endurance testing (MSA: r = -0.588; MSS: r = -0.578). Standing isometric calf strength was largely correlated to MSS (r = -0.544) and MSA (r = -0.562); whereas seated correlations were moderate (MSS: r = -0.470; MSA: r = -0.459).
Horizontal total distance (r = -0.785 to -0.694) and horizontal RSIs showed large correlations with MSA, MSS, and 40 m sprint times. Vertical RSI exhibited moderate correlations with MSA, MSS, and 40 m sprint times (r = -0.422 to -0.386). Vertical drop-jump height was not significantly related to any sprint metrics. Plyometric outcomes within the same axes were largely interrelated, with only the vertical RSI exhibiting a moderate relationship to horizontal RSI2 (r = 0.366) and horizontal total distance (r = 0.407). The only large correlation between plyometric and calf metrics was between horizontal total distance and calf power (r = 0.628). Horizontal total distance moderately correlated with all other calf metrics (r = 0.487 to 0.381). Seated isometric strength moderately related to vertical plyometric outcomes (r = 0.411 to 0.447).
Conclusion
The calf power test was the most strongly associated calf metric to sprint performances, and horizontal total distance was the most strongly associated plyometric outcome to sprint performances. Both tests are easy to implement in practice and could be used as a maximal sprint acceleration and speed performance indicator. Future research should explore whether a causal relationship exists and explore the relevance of outcomes to high performance sports and rehabilitation
The effect of missing data on evolutionary analysis of sequence capture bycatch, with application to an agricultural pest
No full textSequence capture is a genomic technique that selectively enriches target sequences before high throughput next-generation sequencing, to generate specific sequences of interest. Off-target or ‘bycatch’ data are often discarded from capture experiments, but can be leveraged to address evolutionary questions under some circumstances. Here, we investigated the effects of missing data on a variety of evolutionary analyses using bycatch from an exon capture experiment on the global pest moth, Helicoverpa armigera. We added > 200 new samples from across Australia in the form of mitogenomes obtained as bycatch from targeted sequence capture, and combined these into an additional larger dataset to total > 1000 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences across the species’ global distribution. Using discriminant analysis of principal components and Bayesian coalescent analyses, we showed that mitogenomes assembled from bycatch with up to 75% missing data were able to return evolutionary inferences consistent with higher coverage datasets and the broader literature surrounding H. armigera. For example, low-coverage sequences broadly supported the delineation of two H. armigera subspecies and also provided new insights into the potential for geographic turnover among these subspecies. However, we also identified key effects of dataset coverage and composition on our results. Thus, low-coverage bycatch data can offer valuable information for population genetic and phylodynamic analyses, but caution is required to ensure the reduced information does not introduce confounding factors, such as sampling biases, that drive inference. We encourage more researchers to consider maximizing the potential of the targeted sequence approach by examining evolutionary questions with their off-target bycatch where possible—especially in cases where no previous mitochondrial data exists—but recommend stratifying data at different genome coverage thresholds to separate sampling effects from genuine genomic signals, and to understand their implications for evolutionary research
Mental healthcare needs and experiences of LGBT+ individuals in Malaysia: Utility, enablers, and barriers
No full textAccess to mental healthcare is undoubtedly of major importance for LGBT+ people worldwide, given the high prevalence of mental health difficulties due to minority stress exposures. This study drew mixed-method survey data from the community-based KAMI Survey (n = 696) to examine the enablers, barriers, and unmet needs experiences of LGBT+ individuals in accessing mental healthcare services in Malaysia. First, we present findings from a series of descriptive analyses for sociodemographic differences in unmet needs for mental healthcare, barriers, and satisfaction levels with different types of mental healthcare. Next, we conducted an inductive thematic analysis of open-text comments (n = 273), with relevance drawn to Andersen’s Behavioural Model of Healthcare. More than a quarter (29.5%) reported an unmet need for mental healthcare, and some groups (younger, asexual or queer, or participants living in non-major cities) reported higher unmet needs. More than three-fifths (60.5%) reported not knowing where to find culturally safe mental health professionals. The thematic analysis uncovered key contextual (e.g., mental health practitioners’ stance, stigma, collaborative client-care) and individual (e.g., positive expectation of mental health services and anticipated stigma) attributes that influence healthcare experiences. Participants also identified resources that facilitate healthcare utilisation, such as affordability, availability of suitable professionals, and geographical considerations. The implications of our findings for the mental healthcare practices in Malaysia were outlined
Leveraging plasticity in incremental decision trees
No full textCommonly used incremental decision trees for mining data streams include Hoeffding Trees (HT) and Extremely Fast Decision Trees (EFDT). EFDT exhibits faster learning than HT. However, due to its split revision procedure, EFDT suffers from sudden and unpredictable accuracy decreases caused by subtree pruning. To overcome this, we propose PLASTIC, an incremental decision tree that restructures the otherwise pruned subtree. This is possible due to decision tree plasticity: one can alter a tree’s structure without affecting its predictions. We conduct extensive evaluations comparing PLASTIC with state-of-the-art methods on synthetic and real-world data streams. Our results show that PLASTIC improves EFDT’s worst-case accuracy by up to 50% and outperforms the current state of the art on real-world data. We provide an open-source implementation of PLASTIC within the MOA framework for mining high-speed data streams
Mini-batching with fused training and testing for data streams processing on the Edge
No full textEdge Computing (EC) has emerged as a solution to reduce energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions from digital technologies. EC supports low latency, mobility, and location awareness for delay-sensitive applications by bridging the gap between cloud computing services and end-users. Machine learning (ML) methods have been applied in EC for data classification and information processing. Ensemble learners have often proven to yield high predictive performance on data stream classification problems. Mini-batching is a technique proposed for improving cache reuse in multi-core architectures of bagging ensembles for the classification of online data streams, which benefits application speedup and reduces energy consumption. However, the original mini-batching presents limited benefits in terms of cache reuse and it hinders the accuracy of the ensembles (i.e., their capacity to detect behavior changes in data streams). In this paper, we improve mini-batching by fusing continuous training and test loops for the classification of data streams. We evaluated the new strategy by comparing its performance and energy efficiency with the original mini-batching for data stream classification using six ensemble algorithms and four benchmark datasets. We also compare mini-batching strategies with two hardware-based strategies supported by commodity multi-core processors commonly used in EC. Results show that mini-batching strategies can significantly reduce energy consumption in 95% of the experiments. Mini-batching improved energy efficiency by 96% on average and 169% in the best case. Likewise, our new mini-batching strategy improved energy efficiency by 136% on average and 456% in the best case. These strategies also support better control of the balance between performance, energy efficiency, and accuracy
Financing green innovation startups: a systematic literature review on early-stage SME funding
No full textThis paper investigates the critical issue of financing early-stage green startups, examining the types of investors and finance models available, the challenges these startups face, and how the green finance ecosystem can better support early-stage investment. Utilizing a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the current landscape. Our findings reveal a significant paucity of data and a bias towards well-established North American and European ecosystems, while highlighting an emerging diversity in private finance sources post-Global financial crisis (GFC), including grants, equity, and crowdfunding. Despite this, there remains a heavy reliance on public funding and a lack of evidence regarding its impact. The inherent characteristics of cleantech–high capital expenditure, long investment horizons, and disruptive nature–necessitate innovative public financing instruments and policies to reduce risk and attract private investment. Our theoretical contribution highlights the necessity for interdisciplinary research and policy collaboration to develop a holistic entrepreneurial finance (entfin) ecosystem. This approach should integrate quantitative economic and qualitative behavioural finance research to address information asymmetries and improve the green economy policy mix. Such a framework will support public-private co-financing, enhance stakeholder engagement, and provide evidence for policy decisions, facilitating more rapid commercialization of cleantech innovations for environmental sustainability
Disentangling the impacts of anxiety, stress and depression on immunity
No full textWhile immunity and psychological distress are strongly associated, studies seldom consider how different types of distress relate to immune functioning. The literature tends to emphasis the impact of stress on immunity. The present study estimated the unique contributions of stress, depression and anxiety on immune function in culturally diverse samples of adults from Italy, New Zealand and India. The participants were Italian (n = 1061), New Zealand (n = 1037), and Indian (n = 384) volunteers. Stepwise multiple linear regression and dominance analysis were used to analyse differences in immunity uniquely explained by anxiety, depression, and stress, with immune functioning defined by physical symptoms. While samples from the three countries differed significantly, anxiety consistently explained the greatest proportion of differences in immunity. After accounting for the effect of anxiety, stress and depression explained only small portion of variation in immune functioning, differing between countries. The association of anxiety with immune functioning was consistent across three different countries and the unique impact was further confirmed by the results of dominance analysis. These findings suggest a clear link between anxiety and immunity, when disentangling between distress types. This challenges the prevailing stress- disease model and calls for further research into the impact of anxiety on immunity. If future research supports a causal link where anxiety precedes immunity deficiency, interventions to reduce anxiety may improve immune functioning and health outcomes in the general population
The application of a topical carnosine gel and its effects on intermittent high-intensity exercise performance in Olympic-level rugby sevens players
No full textRecently, the topical application of a carnosine gel has been investigated as a possible ergogenic aid and may be beneficial for improving high-intensity exercise performance in team sport athletes. However, there is currently no research on the effects of a topical carnosine gel on performance in rugby sevens players. This thesis aims to: (1) review the current literature regarding carnosine, its importance for high-intensity exercise, the supplements used to increase carnosine concentrations, and the topical application of a carnosine gel (Chapter One); (2) investigate the application of a topical carnosine gel and its effects on intermittent high- intensity exercise performance in Olympic-level rugby sevens players (Chapter Two); and (3) summarise the finding of the thesis, discuss the strength and weaknesses and recommend future research directions (Chapter Three).
In Chapter One, the literature on carnosine, its importance for high-intensity exercise, the supplements used to increase carnosine concentrations and the novel topical application of carnosine was reviewed. Carnosine has been reported to increase high-intensity exercise performance by enhancing intramuscular buffering capacity, regulating myosin ATPase, and increasing calcium sensitivity within the muscle. Nutritional supplements containing carnosine or β-alanine have been shown to increase intramuscular carnosine concentrations. However, these supplements often require a loading period of at least two weeks and often fail to substantially elevate plasma carnosine levels. Recently the topical application of a carnosine gel has been investigated as a possible ergogenic aid and may provide a more efficient method for increasing carnosine concentrations and improving high-intensity exercise performance in team sports, such as rugby sevens.
In Chapter Two, eight Olympic-level rugby sevens players completed two performance tests in which they received both treatments, 10 mL of a topical carnosine gel (CAR) or an ultrasound placebo gel (PLA). The performance test was completed on a cycle ergometer and consisted of a warm-up, 12 intermittent sprints with a 2-minute half-time break. Each sprint effort consisted of 24 seconds cycling at 3 W/kg, 6 s at maximal intensity, and a 30 s rest. For peak power output the two-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant time effect (p = 2.16 x 10^-9) and condition effect (p = 1.44 x 10^-7). The carnosine condition experienced an increase in peak power output for sprint 2 (+101.3 ± 81.0 Watts (W); p = 0.048; Cohen’s d = 0.99; large effect size), sprint 4 (+102.6 ± 82.1 W; p = 0.043; Cohen’s d = 0.74; moderate effect size) and sprint 7 (+ 156.0 ± 106.2 W; p = 0.025; Cohen’s d = 0.98; large effect size) compared to the placebo. Of note, all other sprints except for Sprint 12 were substantially greater in the CAR condition (d = 0.49 to 0.91). For mean power output, the two-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant time effect (p = 5.98 x 10^-19), but no condition effect (p = 0.211). Although non- significant, there was still a substantial increase for mean power in the CAR condition in Sprints 10 (51.3 ± 48.2 W; p= 0.079; Cohen’s d= 0.57; moderate effect size) and 11 (44.7 ± 37.0 W; p= 0.069; Cohen’s d= 0.39; small effect size) compared to the placebo. These results suggest that the positive effects observed in this study are not limited to the typical intracellular buffering mechanism proposed for carnosine.
In Chapter Three, the findings from Chapter Two were summarised and the conclusions of the thesis were presented. Overall, this thesis provides evidence for the efficacy of a topical carnosine gel for improving performance during repeated bouts of intermittent high-intensity exercise, especially in highly trained Olympic-level rugby sevens players. Further research should be conducted to investigate the possible mechanisms of action associated with the topical application of a carnosine gel in human athletes