1522 research outputs found
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e-Agricultural Systems: Towards a Human-Centred Framework for e-Readiness and Technology Adoption
Get PDFRural communities particularly the farming sector are one of the most innovative in the world
but uptake of new information systems to support their daily lives remains slow. In spite of
decades of research into system development we still do not have a good understanding of IS
innovation adoption in agricultural communities. The motivation for the research came from
living in a rural area and observing the working lives of farmers. Initially the Department of
Agriculture conducted a study on the adoption of technology amongst rural people, as they
were concerned about the slow uptake. Findings from that study provided inspiration to
further research the phenomena.
The research followed an interpretivist approach to the problem domain interviewing
farm families within their own natural settings. Farm families were interviewed irrespective
of farm size, enterprise and level of income. Often these characteristics were presented as
barriers to technology adoption across farming research.
A new framework for information systems development was presented (RooT Model)
that could improve the adoption and continued usage of such systems by synthesising across
incompatible domains of knowledge to produce an appropriate human-centred solution for
rural communities. The primary contribution of the research is the RooT model – the Rural
Technology model that allows system designers and developers to analyse and interpret the
rural context with respect to technology design and development. This will open up a new
avenue of research for information systems development, informing policy in respect of ereadiness
of farmers and the wider rural community, both at a national and international level
Connected Cows: Utilizing Fog and Cloud Analytics toward Data-Driven Decisions for Smart Dairy Farming
Get PDFThe Internet of Things (IoT) is about connecting people, processes, data, and things, and is changing the way we monitor and interact with things. An active incorporation of information and communication technology coupled with sophisticated data analytics approaches has the potential to transform some of the oldest industries in the world, including dairy farming. It presents a great opportunity for verticals such as the dairy industry to increase productivity by getting actionable insights to improve farming practices, thereby increasing efficiency and yield. Dairy farms have all the constraints of a modern business -- they have a fixed production capacity, a herd to manage, expensive farm labor, and other varied farm-related processes to take care of. In this technology-driven era farmers look for assistance from smart solutions to increase profitability and to help manage their farms well. We present an end-to-end IoT application system with fog assistance and cloud support that analyzes data generated from wearables on cows' feet to detect anomalies in animal behavior that relate to illness such as lameness. The solution leverages behavioral analytics to generate early alerts toward the animals' well being, thus assisting the farmer in livestock monitoring. This in turn also helps in increasing productivity and milk yield by identifying potential diseases early on. The project specializes in detecting lameness in dairy cattle at an early stage, before visible signs appear to the farmer or an animal expert. Our trial results in a real-world smart dairy farm setup, consisting of a dairy herd of 150 cows in Ireland, demonstrate that the designed system delivers a lameness detection alert up to three days in advance of manual observation
The moderating role of online social influence in switching of personal current accounts
Get PDFThis research examines the moderating effect that online social influence has on customer switching behaviour in the switching of current bank accounts in the UK and Ireland. This quantitative study is set in the context of the challenges facing the retail banking sector post-financial crisis. The concept of online social influence, explored through online opinion leaders and eWOM in contemporary society wholly integrated with Web 2.0, is studied using the extant literature on social networks and social influence. Separately, analyses of 21 studies of bank consumers’ switching behaviour, a 2015 industry report and seminal work on customer switching identifies the common factors behind customers’ intention to engage in bank switching behaviour. The Theory of Planned Behaviour is selected as the theoretical foundation. The conceptual framework representing the hypotheses is developed from this review of the literature. Non-probability sampling is employed to secure participation of a critical mass of UK and Irish retail banking customers.
Data collection is carried out using a self-selected web-survey method which is based on a newly constructed, dedicated research website. Scales are built to measure the effect each variable has on the intention to switch. The survey is constructed following an analysis of 329 relevant construct measurement items from the literature. The results generate a final predictive bank switching model that confirms the moderating effect of online social influence on bank switching behaviour. The subsequent discussion also comments on the findings of the testing of alternative bank switching research models, one of which indicates a new direction to a relationship in the research model that was otherwise predicted by the literature. This study is one of the early pieces of research to assess the impact of online social influence on the predictive capability of the various elements of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and of the predictive capability of that theory on customer switching in the banking industry. It assists managers in retail banking to better understand the effect of online social influence in customer switching of current accounts. It also contributes to the growing literature of online social influence and customer switching behaviour.
Keywords: Social Influence, Online Social Influence, Opinion Leaders, eWOM, Product, Online Social Networks, Attitude and Behaviour, Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behaviour, Social Banking, Switching Behaviour, Bank Switching, social media, growth strategy, consumer switching behaviour, customer switching, web surve
A Molecular Communication Model of Exosome-mediated Brain Drug Delivery
Get PDFNovel implantable and externally controllable bio-nanomachines-based treatment strategies for Glioblastoma brain cancer have been proposed recently to bring hope to patients who suffer from this devastating cancer type. The main challenges in developing such strategies lie in both crossing the stringent Blood-Brain Barrier and maximizing the drug concentration at particular sites rich in Glioblastoma cells within safety guidelines. Aiming to provide a first step towards the realization of such a novel treatment method, here we propose analytical models to characterize and analyze an exosome-mediated brain drug delivery molecular communication system. We consider biophysical models and derive the closed-form transfer functions for a communication system that comprises of the engineered neural stem cells that release exosomes into the extracellular space in the brain and Glioblastoma-like cells that collect exosomes from the extracellular space in the brain. The presented numerical results show a dependency of the exosome propagation on various hindrance sources in the extracellular space and a limited operation performance at high frequencies that refer to the exosome concentration dynamics. The collection of exosomes by Glioblastoma-like cells show a dependency on high and stable exosome concentration in the extracellular space and low-frequency operation for a reasonable performance output
Integrating THz Wireless Communication Links in a Data Centre Network
Get PDFModern data centre networks are increasingly made
up of optical fibre connections and controlled by software defined
networking. Recent advances in THz wireless technologies have
paved the way for ultra-high bandwidth wireless communication,
reaching the point where these wireless links can begin to compete
with optical fibre links. This work investigates the feasibility of
integrating wireless THz links in a data centre network, reporting
on the performance that can be achieved at the physical layer,
proposing an architecture for the data link layer and illustrating,
through network emulation, how these wireless links could be used
to reduce congestion in a network
Beam Profile Investigation of an Optoelectronic Continuous-Wave Terahertz Emitter
Get PDFThe beam profile of an optoelectronic continuouswave
terahertz emitter is investigated in the frequency range up
to 200 GHz. The radiation pattern is measured by a calibrated
pyroelectric power detector. As these frequencies are promising
for terahertz communications, knowledge and predictability of
radiation pattern are required for link budged estimation
Capacity Analysis of a Peripheral Nerve Using Modulated Compound Action Potential Pulses
Get PDFArtificial neural stimulation of a peripheral nerve can create an in-body data communications channel. We propose the stimulation of a peripheral nerve using energy-harvesting arrays of nanodevices, embedded in biocompatible tissue patches. The resulting extracellular compound action potential (CAP) pulse can provide a data bit-stream for communicating with an embedded receiver. Our objective is to determine the maximum achievable transmission range of a CAP along a nerve and the maximum sustainable bit rate. We model the generation of a CAP and then compute the reduction in amplitude and the spreading of the pulse with propagation distance. The channel capacity is calculated for ON-OFF keying (OOK) and digital pulse interval modulation. We show that the transmission range depends on the number and diameters of the activated neurons contributing to the CAP amplitude and width. Our modulation analysis demonstrates the effects of attenuation, background noise, the neural refractory period, and pulse broadening on the achievable bit rate. We show how a maximum OOK bit rate of 200 bit/s can be sustained over transmission distances greater than 100 mm. The proposed approach provides a low bit rate, unidirectional asynchronous transmission system that could, for example, deliver simple instructions to an embedded drug-delivery system
Systemic Risk in Information Systems through a Socio-Technical Lens: A Case Study of Banking Failure in Ireland
Get PDFRisk management is either non-existent in systems development or done in parallel to other development activities. The financial collapse of 2008/2009 has driven changes in organisational governance and the regulatory environment. In Basel II, the risks from technology are treated on the same grounds, as other factors contributing to financial risk. Fragmented and narrow techno-centric risk frameworks must be replaced with techniques that recognise the socio-technical nature of the problem. New theories around systems risk is an important ask for the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) going forward. This study produces a human centred framework for risk which reflects recommendations from an Irish Parliamentary tribunal. This framework broadens the basis of risk assumptions, rationality, and knowledge reframing risk as a socio-technical issue. The framework synthesises important dimensions which can better inform systemic risk management and thinking from the perspective of systems engineering. This model can be formalised into a semantic web model. Future research will further formalise this model as a machine readable, semantic system using Protégé or another knowledge-based engineering model. The research makes a substantial contribution to our theoretical understanding of systems risk within organisations as well as a methodological contribution that can be used in practice in industry
Investigating the Novel Use of Seaweed Extracts as Biopesticides
Get PDFSeaweeds grow in relative abundance along the Irish coastline with about 40,000 tonnes of natural seaweed harvested in Ireland annually, estimated to be worth €18 million. In the last three decades, the discovery of metabolites with biological activities from macroalgae has increased significantly. The vast array of phytochemicals produced by seaweeds include those that exhibit antifungal and antibacterial properties. Such properties have been exploited by researchers in the search for novel antimicrobial compounds. However, there is also a significant requirement for the discovery of compounds active against phytopathogens arising from a multitude of concerns including; climate change, emergence of resistance against current treatments, controlling of invasive species and the negative effects associated with the use of synthetic pesticides. It is estimated that plant diseases can affect 30% of the crop harvest if not managed correctly and efficiently. These needs have driven the main objectives of the present study: (1) to screen seaweeds collected from the South-East coast of Ireland against fungal and bacterial plant pathogens, (2) to compare activity to commercially available plant protection products and (3) to isolate and identify the antimicrobial compounds from the most promising crude extracts.
The initial antifungal screen using the poisoned food technique, found the methanol extract of the green seaweed, Ulva lactuca exhibited the strongest antifungal activity against the destructive root rot fungus Heterobasidion annosum sensu stricto. Additionally, the poisoned food technique was reported to be the optimum test method for this particular extract and fungal strain. The efficacy of this active seaweed extract was compared to the chemical Plant Protection Product urea; the main chemical method currently in use for controlling this worldwide pathogen. The protectant activity of both the extracts and urea were evaluated on disks of Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce), a species sensitive to infection from H. annosum s.s. The data demonstrated that the extracts exhibited strong protectant activity at 20 mg/mL after 18 h and 24 h soaking periods. Highlighting a potential biopesticide product for use in forestry which is particularly relevant as result of the predicted pressures associated with climate change making trees more susceptible to disease and encouraging the introduction of invasive species.
Crude seaweed extracts were also tested against nine quarantine bacterial plant pathogens using the disk diffusion assay. The seaweeds were found to exhibit a broad spectrum of activity, with methanol found to be the optimum solvent for extracting antimicrobial compounds from the different seaweed species. Polysiphonia lanosa showed activity against the majority of the tested organisms; particularly the methanol extracts which proved the most potent with an inhibition zone of 15.83 ± 0.41 mm exhibited against Xanthomonas arboricola. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the most effective extract, the methanol extract of P. lanosa, was determined to be 6.25 mg/mL with the same concentration also found to exhibit antibiofilm activity (>80% inhibition) against Xanthomonas fragariae in a dose response manner. Unfortunately, the crude methanol extract of P. lanosa was found to be phytotoxic to the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana at and below its minimum inhibitory concentration (6.5 mg/mL). The crude extracts, therefore, contained a number of compounds that were toxic to A. thaliana in vivo and required isolation and purification of the bioactive(s) to allow for a more accurate phytotoxicity study. Investigation into conventional and non-conventional extraction techniques demonstrated that solvent extraction and Soxhlet extraction achieved similar yields of extracts with the same degree of activity compared to ultrasound-assisted extraction.
The structure of the antibacterial compound present in P. lanosa could not be identified completely due to the fact that this was a semi-pure fraction, but it was concluded to be a bromophenol through its distinctive constituents such as OH groups, aromatics and the presence of a halogenated compound believed to be a bromine. Antioxidant activity was also exhibited by the extract with phenolic compounds widely reported to be responsible for such activity. Further purification is required to identify the complete structure of the bromophenol bioactive(s). However, activity of the semi-pure fraction was significantly higher compared to its crude extract, demonstrating the increased concentration of the active compounds and the possible antagonistic effects of other compounds present in the P. lanosa extract.
In conclusion, this study demonstrated that seaweeds represent a promising source of pesticidal compounds that are active against a range of fungal and bacterial plant pathogens, with potential biopesticide applications. A growing interest in biopesticides signifies a shift in the reliance on synthetic pesticides to a lower impact alternative. This is the first report of seaweed extracts exhibiting activity against H. annosum s.s., and P. lanosa against the bacterial pathogen X. fragariae
The innovation dynamo: Determining channels that generate and facilitate Knowledge Spillover (KS) in Regional Innovation Systems
Get PDFThis research investigates the process of Knowledge Spillover (KS), i.e. the unintended transmission of knowledge (Fallah and I5 8brahim, 2004) that has the capacity to benefit all kinds of firms, in a given region, including those that are non-innovative or lack resources to invest in R&D. Therefore, propagating KS should be a priority for policy-making because of its potential to improve regional innovation performance. However, policy makers may not understand KS in this way, as according to the OECD (2018), KS can be a drawback for innovative firms because these firms do not want to share their knowledge with competitors and lose competitive advantage to them. Moreover, an extensive literature review identified that the process by which KS happens at the regional level has not been fully explained. What was found in the literature review were studies that explain KS through a single, or a group of channels of KS, but they do not explore the process of KS by using a representative set of channels that can reflect KS propagation at the regional level. Thus, the current research, through a mixed methods approach, seeks to explain the process of KS at the regional level. Fifteen channels of KS were identified and tested through a survey administered to 7,292 firms (with a response rate of 6.02%) in four regions: South East Ireland, North East Brazil, Bucharest-Ilfov Romania, and Castilla-La Mancha Spain. Following the quantitative analysis, 24 interviews were conducted with two categories of key informants: regional stakeholders and experts on KS and innovation (KSIexperts), to determine how KS happens. The findings enabled this researcher to conceive two frameworks to explain, at the regional level, (i) the process of KS and (ii) the propagation of KS. Thus the major contributions of this research are that it provides new insights and methodology to existing KS literature as well as providing frameworks that can be used by policy makers and implementers to enhance the innovation capacity and capability of regions