558 research outputs found
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Emotional Wellbeing of Older Adults within Aware Homes – Detection and Intervention
No full textSupporting positive emotional wellbeing is a critical challenge in an ageing population. Aware homes have significant potential to enhance the lives of older adults, extending the period of healthy ageing, through monitoring their health and wellbeing, detecting decline and applying interventions to arrest this decline. Our research aims to create a new method of preventative care based on early prediction of changes in emotional state and, based on this early detection, use novel "human-in-the-loop" intervention methods specific to the needs of the individual to improve the quality of life of the older person before severe
problems arise. This paper discusses our research involving older adults who live in aware homes. We discuss our approach in detecting changes in emotional wellbeing, combining behavioural data from embedded sensors in the home with self-report data from the residents. We also discuss the challenges involved in interventions to support emotional wellbeing
Comparison of health measures to movement data in aware homes
No full textDetecting wellness in older adults with just ambient sensors is a challenging and difficult task, one that can only be address with large volumes of detailed annotated data and a diverse participant base. Presented here are early results comparing movement data to baseline depression and mobility data from a purpose built 16 unit ambient assisted living development in Ireland. With the goal of ultimately detecting health changes in an older population with ambient sensors, results here show that whereas there is some correlations between health measures and sensor data as well as some observable patterns, but more work needs to be done
Standalone Software as an Active Medical Device
No full textWith the release of the latest European Medical Device Directive (MDD) standalone software can now be classified as an active medical device. Consequently the methods used to ensure device safety and reliability needs to be reviewed. IEC 62304 is the current software development lifecycle framework followed by medical device software developers but important processes are beyond the scope of IEC 62304. These processes are covered by additional standards. However since the MDD became mandatory these additional standards are not comprehensive enough to ensure the reliability of an active medical device consisting of only software. By employing software process improvement techniques this software can be developed and validated to ensure it performs the required task in a safe and reliable way
Contribution of K v 2.1 channels to the delayed rectifier current in freshly dispersed smooth muscle cells from rabbit urethra
No full textWe have characterized the native voltage-dependent K + (K v ) current in rabbit urethral smooth muscle cells (RUSMC) and compared its pharmacological and biophysical properties with K v 2.1 and K v 2.2 channels cloned from the rabbit urethra and stably expressed in HEK 293 cells (HEK Kv2.1 and HEK Kv2.2 ). RUSMC were perfused with Hanks' solution at 37°C and studied using the patch clamp technique with K + -rich pipette solutions. Cells were bathed in 100 nM penitrem A (Pen A) to block large conductance Ca 2+ -activated K + (BK) currents and depolarized to +40 mV for 500 ms to evoke K v currents. These were unaffected by margatoxin, κ-dendrotoxin or α-dendrotoxin (100 nM, n=3-5), but were blocked by stromatoxin-1 (ScTx, IC 50 ~130 nM), consistent with the idea that the currents were carried through K v 2 channels. RNA was detected for K v 2.1 K v 2.2 and the silent subunit K v 9.3 in urethral smooth muscle. Immunocytochemistry showed membrane staining for both K v 2 subtypes and K v 9.3 in isolated RUSMC. HEK Kv2.1 and HEK Kv2.2 currents were blocked in a concentration dependent manner by ScTx with estimated IC 50 values of ~150 nM (K v 2.1, n=5) and 70 nM (K v 2.2, n=6). The mean V 1/2 of inactivation of the USMC K v current was – 56±3 mV (n=9). This was similar to the HEK Kv2.1 current (–55 ± 3 mV, n=13) but significantly different from the HEK Kv2.2 currents (-30 ± 3 mV, n=11). Action potentials (AP) evoked from RUSMC studied under current clamp mode were unaffected by ScTx. However when ScTx was applied in the presence of Pen A, the AP duration was significantly prolonged. Similarly, ScTx increased the amplitude of spontaneous contractions threefold, but only after Pen A application.
These data suggest that K v 2.1 channels contribute significantly to the K v current in RUSMC
In Search of Hidden Chambers at Newgrange Passage Tomb
No full textKevin Barton, Roman Pašteka, Palo Zahorec, Juraj Papčo and Conor Brady describe the first use of microgravity on a passage tomb in Irelan
The importance of Irish agricultural exports for aiding economic recovery
No full textThe Irish economy has been in recession since contraction began in the economy in 2007. GDP per capita fell from €41,828 in 2006 to €35,801 in 2010. The current deficit for the Irish economy is -€1031m and unemployment has risen from 4.4% in 2006 to 14.7% in 2011 (CSO 2011). This dissertation will argue that the only way Ireland will experience economic recovery will be through exports. Irish exports were worth approximately €l61 billion to the Irish economy last year, (IEA, 2011) and this is predicted to grow even further. Additionally this dissertation will investigate the importance of indigenous exports with regards to aiding the economic recovery of Ireland; the study will examine in particular the beef and dairy export sectors and highlight the important role that these sectors will play in moving Ireland out of recession. Teagasc (2011) stated that food exports grew last year by eleven percent and were valued at almost €8 billion. The government's target now is to grow this figure to €12 billion by 2020. The principle objective of this study was to prove that agri exports in particular beef and dairy are the way forward for Ireland. The findings were constructed as a result of seven interviews. There were three dairy companies, three government organisations and one beef company interviewed. From conducting these interviews, it has been recognised that agri exports in particular beef and dairy will be the way forward for Ireland in order to get out of recession, this was most evident considering that none of the companies experienced any effect from the downturn in the economy, rather they experienced growth. The results highlighted that there will be a high level of growth over the next ten years in both the dairy and beef sectors
How Can Software SMEs Become Medical Device Software SMEs
No full textThe amount of software content within medical devices has grown considerably over recent years and will continue to do so as the level of complexity of medical devices increase. This is driven by the fact that software is introduced to produce sophisticated medical devices that would not be possible using only hardware. This therefore presents opportunities for software development SMEs to become medical device software development organisations. However, some obstacles need to be addressed and overcome in order to make the transition from being a generic software development organisation to becoming a medical device software development organisation. This paper describes these obstacles and how research that is currently being performed within the Regulated Software Research Group in
Dundalk Institute of Technology may be used to assist with this transition
Proposing an ISO/IEC 15504-2 Compliant Method for Process Capability/Maturity Models Customization
No full textThe customization of software process capability/maturity models (SPCMMs) to specific domains/sectors or development methodologies represents one of the most discussed and applied trends in ICT organizations. Nonetheless, little research appears to have been performed on how theoretically sound and widely accepted SPCMMs should be developed to high quality. The aim of this paper is therefore to elicit the state-of-the-art regarding the processes adopted to develop such models and to propose a systematic approach to support the customization of SPCMMs. Such an approach is developed based on ISO/IEEE standard development processes integrating Knowledge Engineering techniques and experiences about how such models are currently developed in practice. Initial feedback from an expert panel indicates the usefulness and adequacy of the proposed method
Excavation of an Enclosure Site at Rossnaree, (Brú na Bóinne) Co. Meath. 10E0242
No full textThis report details the second season of archaeological excavation at the Rossnaree Neolithic lithic scatter and early medieval enclosure site. The site under investigation was first discovered as a dense scatter of lithic (chipped stone) material on the surface of a tilled field close to the River Boyne, NGR 299200 273150, at the point where the famous ‘Bend of the Boyne’ begins. This was subsequently investigated using various geophysical techniques at which time it became apparent that there was a substantial multivallate enclosure at the site. This enclosure was reported to the Archaeological Survey of Ireland and an RMP number was subsequently issued (ME019-080---)