1522 research outputs found
Sort by
Distributed Learning and Data Processing for Smart Farming
Get PDFSmart farming (SF) is a sustainable farm management concept used for the intensification of food production to meet the growing demand. With the progress of the Internet of Things, advanced systems have been widely proposed for monitoring and processing data to generate insights that help producers to optimize farm management processes. Centralizing data to a remote Cloud is the conventional data processing method, though the extended latency in getting insights back to the application and intermittent Internet connectivity limit its adoption particularly in time-sensitive applications. Alternatively, distributed data analytics methods have been introduced to enable processing data in proximity to the sources and then combine insights accordingly for making timely and accurate decisions cooperatively. However, most of the SF systems currently in use operate in isolation due mainly to the lack of analytic techniques that can effectively incorporate them for processing data. Consequently, their full potential as well as the data collected by them is significantly under-utilized. This PhD research focuses on the development of distributed data processing and learning methods to enable cooperative data analytics. Initially, this research explores how large scale complex data can be simplified for conducting effective analysis and then proposes a Compressed Learning (CL) approach and a novel metric, known as animal importance (AIm), to extract meaningful information to perform learning effectively. To illustrate the potential of the CL approach in processing large-scale data in the SF domain, this study presents an application of CL in analyzing large-scale Mid-Infrared (MIR) milk quality data. Also, as an application of the AIm metric in the smart dairy farming domain, the research discuses how effectively AIm could be used for alerting the prevalence of sick and estrus cows in a herd based on the variability in behavioral dynamics. Second, this PhD research develops a hybrid model to mitigate drawbacks that limit using conventional machine learning models and proposes the Federated Learning (FL) method to train distributed data sources cooperatively. The FL-based system is analyzed to determine its applicability for assessing milk quality by incorporating MIR milk quality data collected at distributed farms. This is then followed by considering the fact the limitations of the FL-based approach when it comes to making the data analytics more trustable and transparent to every participant in the distributed network, by integrating a Block Chain-enabled fully decentralized distributed learning framework. In particular, this framework integrates the Internet of Nano Things (IoNT) that has previously not taken into account any Block Chain-enabled system. The proposed framework is then used for monitoring the level of chemicals (e.g., fertilizers) on farmlands. Finally, this PhD research discusses optimum utilization of available resources in cooperative distributed data analytics by offloading computations to neighboring devices. Computation offloading enhances the timeliness and learning accuracy in cooperative data analytics as well as enabling the efficient use of limited energy resources found in sensor devices, and this includes solar energy harvesting devices
Empowerment in Epilepsy Services: A ‘Soft Systems’ study referenced to Critical Social Theory and a Specialist Epilepsy Service in Ireland
Get PDFEmpowerment is an integral component of holistic practice and service design in health care, particularly as it relates to the improvement of quality of life for people with chronic illnesses. However, the literature suggests that empowerment is a neglected and poorly understood concept by service users and providers. This study explores the concept and dimensions of empowerment within an Irish epilepsy service using a ‘Soft Systems’ methodology (Checkland 1981) referenced to Critical Social Theory (CST). The study adopted a three phase mixed methods design to promote data analytical triangulation. The first phase involved a survey of people with epilepsy on their views of their service needs in relation to design and delivery. The second phase involved in depth interviews with people with epilepsy and service providers with reference to service user and clinician empowerment. This analysis was further informed by a non- participatory observation of services within one Irish epilepsy specialist service in Ireland. The final phase involved a focus group with people with epilepsy and service providers to identify desirable and feasible changes needed to facilitate empowerment within Irish epilepsy services. A situational analysis and conceptual model of empowerment within one Irish epilepsy specialist service is presented. Findings suggest that considerable improvements in terms of epilepsy services and care provision, communication, education, resources, empowerment strategies and supports are needed. The conceptual model of the service is compared to its service operation and wider inferences for the development and operationalization of epilepsy policy and practice within Irish epilepsy services is presented. Overall, the findings of this study contribute to the understanding and the literature relating to CST, empowerment and epilepsy health care
In Vivo Channel Characterization for Dengue Virus Infection
Get PDFDengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, poses a global threat owing
to the unavailability of any specific therapeutics. Since prevention is
only restricted to vector control, a clear understanding of Dengue
Virus (DENV) transmission within an infected host is essential. The
dynamics of DENV transmission addressed in light of molecular
communication paradigm is promising in providing crucial information
accounting for disease control that can lead to development
of novel approaches to clear the virus infection. In this work, we
model the DENV transmission inside the body from the point of a
mosquito bite to the targeted organs as a communication system.
Based on the physiological processes involved in the transmission
of DENV through the layers of skin and vascular systems, we identify
and propose a channel model. By considering the dynamics of
virus transmission through the channel, we analyze and calculate
different channel phenomena, such as path loss and channel noise,
and obtain an analytical expression for the capacity of the proposed
channel model. The uncertainty in signal transmission is modeled
and evaluated owing to the innate and adaptive immune response
in the channel. We performed in-silico experiments for validation
and provided numerical analysis for the channel characteristics. Our
analysis revealed that the attenuation offered in the cutaneous channel
does not result in significant signal loss. We also observed that
the variations in the channel capacity is not substantially affected
by the injection probabilities of the virus
The design of communities in Waterford: does the ‘place’ promote health and wellbeing
Get PDFThe design of communities in Waterford: does the ‘place’ promote health and wellbeing The original purpose of streets in Waterford City, as elsewhere, was to allow trade, commerce, and social gatherings. The arrival of the motor car and ubiquitous car ownership has had a big negative impact on the social gathering function of streets. Throughout the 80’s 90’s, the city and its residential neighbourhoods were choked with cars. In recent years the Viking Quarter public realm works prioritised people and social gatherings over cars, and the built environment of the inner city is now restored to facilitate its original purpose: social gathering, trade & commerce (as opposed to traffic trade and commerce!). Pre-WW2 housing in Waterford city was terraced, tenement housing along small, narrow streets. This allowed high levels of social interaction and supports, though this could be suffocating. Kids played out on the street, front doors were left open, and adults chatted regularly with neighbours. etc. There was little or no room for car parking and car access. There was huge expansion outwards from the city centre after WW2, and many of the inner-city tenements were demolished. The first phase of the new suburban developments used similar designs to the inner-city neighbourhoods, with mostly terraced housing, but with front and rear gardens (see Connolly Pl and Cork Rd Estate). Later expansion, in the 60’s and 70’s was predominant of semi-detached housing, again with front and rear gardens (see Lismore Pk and Lisduggan). These later developments were largely local authority led and upheld the principles of good neighbourhood design: proximity, connectivity, and a mix of services. This design has mitigated some of the worst impacts of ubiquitous car ownership here, as people of all ages are facilitated to walk and cycle to easily accessible services, located in the middle of the housing, and a strong sense of community prevails. The newer, later 20th century and early 21st century suburban developments however, tell a very different story. The suburbs of Waterford out along the Dunmore, Ballygunner, Williamstown and old Tramore rds built in the 90’s and 2000’s, were developer led, build for car ownership, and built in isolation from each other, as a series of parallel cul-de-sac designs. There is no proximity, connectivity, or a centralised mix of services. Car ownership is necessary to access almost all services. These areas/neighbourhood roads are now very congested with moving or parked cars. This poses a significant barrier to normal neighbourhood social interaction. There is a lack of safe outdoor play space for children; footpaths are full of parked cars and street space is considered car space not play space, as it once was. Housing sprawled out into the countryside and the services did not follow. Distributor roads became the norm, which are hostile to pedestrians and cyclists and encourage speeding. Research has long recognized that the noise, fumes and danger posed by moving traffic is a hazard to young and old and is also off-putting to everyone else – see Appelyard & Lintell (1972) regarding the impact of traffic on neighbour-hood social interaction. Despite this, planning regulations did not consider the social role of roads and streets until the publication of DMURS (the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets) in 2011. And despite this design guidance being mandatory since then the mind-set of planning for cars, or ‘carchitecture’ has prevailed It is clear that in Waterford City suburbs, mobility, social connectivity and housing have not been planned together! The essence of sprawl is a disconnected environment; a driving environment with houses. Unfortunately this means residents cannot live there without a car. This has become an impediment to building much needed, higher density developments. Planning permission was recently refused for a develop of apartments, on the Williamstown, with car parking, on the basis that it would add 5-600 more cars to an area with limited public transport, no cycle lanes, lack of accessible shops; no community/recreational facilities, that already suffers with peak hours traffic congestion, and where local schools are at capacity. In conclusion, we have prioritised cars over people in suburbs & that is to our detriment
Reconfigurable Adaptive Wireless Sensor Node
Get PDFThis thesis describes the design and development of a new wireless sensor node technology
called the Reconfigurable Adaptive Wireless Sensor (RAWS) Node. The RAWS node technology
has the ability to adaptively support different analogue sensors by reconfiguring its hardware
resources in an autonomic, flexible and scalable way.
The research employs programmable mixed-signal hardware as the enabling technology and
utilises the hardware reconfigurability as the foundation for implementing the research concepts.
A sensor identification scheme has been developed which enables the RAWS node to identify a
large number of sensors and acquire the key parameters and attributes of the connected sensor.
The research has also developed three adaptive reconfiguration techniques which combine the
sensor parameter and attribute information with the dynamic reconfigurability to autonomically
adapt the mixed-signal hardware in real-time to different analogue sensors. These features are
realised while keeping the power consumption of the system at a low level
Supporting sustainable school practice within a partnership model
Get PDFFollowing the UN Earth Summit in 1992, Eco-Schools was established with the aim of engaging pupils in the environmental management of their schools. Participation in Eco Schools involves the implementation of an environmental management system (EMS). Education for sustainable development (ESD) was also an outcome theme of the Earth Summit and EMS have the potential to engage pupils in effective ESD through active engagement with their environment. However, there are many challenges to both EMS and ESD implementation in schools including lack of time and lack of resources and funding. EMS were originally designed for industry and have proven to be an effective tool in this sector. Here, many of the challenges faced by schools are not encountered as there are specialists appointed to implementing and overseeing these systems. Therefore, there is a wealth of tacit knowledge in this sector in the design and implementation of EMS.
The purpose of this study was to explore how schools can be supported in EMS implementation, for both the management of the school and as a tool for ESD. To utilise the existing expertise in industry, a model was created that extends communities of practice (CoP) theory. Within this Extended CoPs model, expertise from researchers at Waterford
Institute of Technology, facilities personnel at Bausch + Lomb and teachers at a local
primary school was utilised to support and enhance EMS implementation at the school. The research was set within the pragmatic paradigm and to maximise participation from all social actors, a transdisciplinary approach was applied. The methodology consisted of mixed-methods, with an embedded case study used to explore the feasibility of the model.
The findings of this research demonstrate the ways in which knowledge was transferred from the facilities team to the school. This knowledge was brokered by the researcher across two boundary types. At the semantic boundary, knowledge was translated so that the perspective of the facilities team could be understood by the teachers. At the pragmatic boundary, the knowledge was transformed for new applications at the school site. The findings show that when the participating teachers were supported in their practice, but had full control over the direction of the EMS, they created meaningful learning experiences for their pupils. The teachers reported increased participation in the EMS by both themselves and their pupils. Their ESD knowledge increased and a number of the teachers reported a personal shift towards more sustainable lifestyles.
Using the empirical findings from the case study, the Extended CoPs model was reconceptualised as a Transdisciplinary CoP for ESD. This contributes to the field of CoPs theory and the case study contributes to knowledge in EMS and ESD. When given the opportunity to develop their EMS with the support of the researcher and facilities team, the teachers took on the role of education expert. They consciously sought to identify all teaching and learning opportunities that the EMS had to offer and used the building and grounds to support this learning
Deriving policies from connection codes to ensure ongoing voltage stability
Get PDFThe management of distribution and transmission networks is becoming increasingly complex due to the proliferation of renewables-based distributed energy resources (DER). Existing control systems for DER are based on static specifications from interdependent network connection documents. Such systems are inflexible and their maintenance requires concerted effort between grid stakeholders.
In this paper we present a new supplementary control approach to increase the agility of the electricity grid. The ICT system that underlies smart grids has the potential to offer, by analogy with ICT based network management, a control plane overlay for the modern smart grid. Policy-based Network Management (PBNM) is widely deployed in managed telecoms networks. We outline how PBNM can augment the management of power and energy networks and report on our initial work to validate the approach. To configure the PBNM system, we have used text mining to derive connection parameters at the LV level. In our simulations, PBNM was used in collaboration with a Volt-VAr optimisation (VVO) to tune the connection settings at each DER to manage the voltage across all the buses. We argue that the full benefits will be realised when stakeholders focus on agreeing relatively stable high-level connection policies, the policies being refined dynamically, and algorithms such as VVO that set connection parameters so they are consistent with those high-level policies. Thus faults, power quality issues and regulatory infringement can be identified sooner, and power flow can be optimised
The workplace: a suitable setting for behaviour change? A mixed-method approach evaluating a workplace physical activity and active travel intervention and the implementation of workplace travel plans in Ireland
Get PDFIntroduction:
Levels of physical activity and active travel are low in Ireland. The strong tendency to use the car (driving culture) in Ireland places a considerable burden on public health. Increasing active travel may increase overall physical activity levels in adults. The workplace is an appropriate setting to target to change behavior. The primary purpose of this research was to evaluate the success of a workplace physical activity intervention and examine the important factors to implementing workplace travel plans in Ireland.
Methods:
Study 1 evaluates a 12-month physical activity and active travel intervention in a large workplace across Kilkenny City, using a mixed-methods approach. Seasonally matched repeat cross-sectional surveys (paper or online) were collected in five workplace sites at baseline (June 2017) and follow-up (June 2018). Manual counts were recorded in all five sites at baseline and follow-up to supplement the surveys. Manual counts were conducted at peak travel times to work (7:30am-9:30am and 4:30pm-6:30pm, respectively). A process evaluation was carried out in May 2019 with two key personnel in the delivery of the intervention to help understand the implementation process of the delivered intervention with two key personnel. A qualitative analysis was carried out for Study 2 with interviewees across Ireland with employees in both public and private sectors. Semi-structured interviews were carried out from April 2017 to February 2018.
Results:
In Study 1, a total of 217 respondents (baseline) and 220 respondents (follow-up) completed the self-report survey across all five workplace sites. At baseline, 56% (n=121) of respondents were meeting the National Physical Activity Guidelines. Following the intervention, there was a significant increase in physical activity behavior with 69.4% (n=152) of respondents meeting the guidelines (p<0.05). Over 90% of respondents travelled to work by car at both time points. Males has a significantly higher intention to cycle to work compared to females (p<0.05). Males were also more likely to automatically use the car travelling to work (p<0.05). Understanding behavior change, the role of the committee and meeting the intervention objectives were some of the main factors which impacted on the implementation. In Study 2, the driving culture in Ireland was widely acknowledged. The need for parking management strategies when implementing workplace travel plans was a highly emotive topic. Moving forward, workplaces need to take a more pragmatic and practical approach to promote sustainable travel.
Discussion:
Although there were significant improvements seen at follow-up, the low-dose intervention has many implications. A further understanding of the strategies required to implement successful workplace physical activity interventions in Ireland is needed. In order to implement successful workplace travel plans and improve the research in Ireland, the need to understand the workplace environment, identifying key drivers of the plan and the importance of employee engagement are all crucial factors
A Logic Gate Model based on Neuronal Molecular Communication Engineering
Get PDFThe field of Neuroengineering aims to investigate ways to proposed synthetic and controllable Boolean computing inside the brain using neuronal cells based on the existing neuronal computation abilities of the Brain. In this work, we propose the design of AND and OR logic gates using a multicellular Boolean logic operation by engineering the molecular communications of neurons and we evaluate their performance when passing data along as isolated units. The results show higher accuracy values of gate operation for mid-level inter-spike intervals when stimulated with spike trains revealing the role of the frequency of firing and how this impacts on neuronal logic gatin
