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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
41

Unaltered perception of suprathreshold contrast in early glaucoma despite sensitivity loss

Bham, H.A., Dewsbery, S.D., Denniss, Jonathan 2020 July 1917 (has links)
Yes / PURPOSE. Glaucoma raises contrast detection thresholds, but our natural visual environment is dominated by high contrast that may remain suprathreshold in early to moderate glaucoma. This study investigates the effect of glaucoma on the apparent contrast of visible stimuli. METHODS. Twenty participants with glaucoma with partial visual field defects (mean age, 72 ± 7 years) and 20 age-similar healthy controls (mean age, 70 ± 7 years) took part. Contrast detection thresholds for Gabor stimuli (SD, 0.75°) of four spatial frequencies (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 c/deg) were first measured at 10° eccentricity, both within and outside of visual field defects for participants with glaucoma. Subsequently, the contrast of a central Gabor was matched to that of a peripheral Gabor with contrast fixed at two times or four times the detection threshold. Data were analyzed by linear mixed modelling. RESULTS. Compared with controls, detection thresholds for participants with glaucoma were raised by 0.05 ± 0.025 (Michelson units, ± SE; P = 0.12) and by 0.141 ± 0.026 (P < 0.001) outside and within visual field defects, respectively. For reference stimuli at two times the detection contrast, matched contrast ratios (matched/reference contrast) were 0.16 ± 0.039 (P < 0.001) higher outside compared with within visual field defects in participants with glaucoma. Matched contrast ratios within visual field defects were similar to controls (mean 0.033 ± 0.066 lower; P = 0.87). For reference stimuli at four times the detection contrast, matched contrast ratios were similar across all three groups (P = 0.58). Spatial frequency had a minimal effect on matched contrast ratios. CONCLUSIONS. Despite decreased contrast sensitivity, people with glaucoma perceive the contrast of visible suprathreshold stimuli similarly to healthy controls. These results suggest possible compensation for sensitivity loss in the visual system. / Supported by a College of Optometrists PhD Scholarship. / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, June 2020
42

Predictive accuracy of enhanced versions of the on-admission National Early Warning Score in estimating the risk of COVID-19 for unplanned admission to hospital: a retrospective development and validation study

Faisal, Muhammad, Mohammed, A. Mohammed, Richardson, D., Steyerberg, E.W., Fiori, M., Beatson, K. 15 September 2021 (has links)
Yes / The novel coronavirus SARS-19 produces 'COVID-19' in patients with symptoms. COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital require early assessment and care including isolation. The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) and its updated version NEWS2 is a simple physiological scoring system used in hospitals, which may be useful in the early identification of COVID-19 patients. We investigate the performance of multiple enhanced NEWS2 models in predicting the risk of COVID-19. Our cohort included unplanned adult medical admissions discharged over 3 months (11 March 2020 to 13 June 2020 ) from two hospitals (YH for model development; SH for external model validation). We used logistic regression to build multiple prediction models for the risk of COVID-19 using the first electronically recorded NEWS2 within ± 24 hours of admission. Model M0' included NEWS2; model M1' included NEWS2 + age + sex, and model M2' extends model M1' with subcomponents of NEWS2 (including diastolic blood pressure + oxygen flow rate + oxygen scale). Model performance was evaluated according to discrimination (c statistic), calibration (graphically), and clinical usefulness at NEWS2 ≥ 5. The prevalence of COVID-19 was higher in SH (11.0 %=277/2520) than YH (8.7 %=343/3924) with a higher first NEWS2 scores ( SH 3.2 vs YH 2.8) but similar in-hospital mortality (SH 8.4 % vs YH 8.2 %). The c-statistics for predicting the risk of COVID-19 for models M0',M1',M2' in the development dataset were: M0': 0.71 (95 %CI 0.68-0.74); M1': 0.67 (95 %CI 0.64-0.70) and M2': 0.78 (95 %CI 0.75-0.80)). For the validation datasets the c-statistics were: M0' 0.65 (95 %CI 0.61-0.68); M1': 0.67 (95 %CI 0.64-0.70) and M2': 0.72 (95 %CI 0.69-0.75) ). The calibration slope was similar across all models but Model M2' had the highest sensitivity (M0' 44 % (95 %CI 38-50 %); M1' 53 % (95 %CI 47-59 %) and M2': 57 % (95 %CI 51-63 %)) and specificity (M0' 75 % (95 %CI 73-77 %); M1' 72 % (95 %CI 70-74 %) and M2': 76 % (95 %CI 74-78 %)) for the validation dataset at NEWS2 ≥ 5. Model M2' appears to be reasonably accurate for predicting the risk of COVID-19. It may be clinically useful as an early warning system at the time of admission especially to triage large numbers of unplanned hospital admissions. / The Health Foundation (Award No 7380) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (NIHR Yorkshire and Humber PSTRC) (Award No PSTRC-2016-006) / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Aug 2021.
43

Using a smartphone on the move: do visual constraints explain why we slow walking speed?

Rubio Barañano, Alejandro, Faisal, Muhammad, Barrett, Brendan T., Buckley, John 15 November 2021 (has links)
Yes / Viewing one’s smartphone whilst walking commonly leads to a slowing of walking. Slowing walking-speed may occur because of safety concerns or because of visual constraints. We determine how walking-induced phone motion affects the ability to read on-screen information. Phone-reading performance (PRP) was assessed whilst participants walked on a treadmill at various speeds. The fastest speed was repeated, wearing an elbow-brace (Braced) or with the phone mounted stationary (Fixed). An audible cue (‘text-alert’), indicated participants had 2 seconds to lift/view the phone and read aloud a series of digits. PRP was the number of digits read correctly. Each condition was repeated 5 times. 3D-motion analyses determined phone-motion relative to the head, from which the variability in acceleration in viewing distance, and in the gaze angles in the up-down and right-left directions were assessed. A main-effect of condition indicated PRP decreased with walking speed; particularly so for the Braced and Fixed conditions (p=0.022). Walking condition also affected the phone’s relative motion (p / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Oct 2021.
44

Working Towards Improved Facilitation of Research Capacity Development at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Using Action Research (AR) Methodology

Sotshangane, Nkosinathi Owen January 2015 (has links)
This study was originally undertaken to change and improve the way I do my practice at Walter Sisulu University as a Research Associate whose responsibility is to facilitate research capacity development and research excellence within the University, amongst academics and postgraduate students. The success of the Research Resource Centre that I manage depends on the way I promote research culture and research productivity amongst academics and postgraduate students. According to Leedy and Ormrod (2013, p. 2), research is a systematic process that is used to collect, analyse, and interpret data in order to increase my understanding of the phenomenon about interest and concern about a given/identified phenomenon. In this case my own practice changed and improved for the better. The main objective of this study, therefore, was to examine the reasons behind the decline in research productivity in terms of research output and how this could be reversed through action research study intervention in order to enhance research productivity at Walter Sisulu University (WSU). The Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET) allocation of research output units for WSU indicated that there was a decline in research output from 2005 to 2010. The extent to which my practice improvement could contribute towards changing or improving research productivity was a question which this study addressed through a quantitative, qualitative and self-reflective action research cyclic inquiry. I organized sample strategies of this study as follows: For quantitative data, I used 120 lecturers as my respondents through questionnaires (females = 47 and males = 73) who were randomly selected; For qualitative data, I used 24 lecturers as respondents who were randomly selected with whom I conducted interviews; and For self-reflective action research cyclic inquiry I used 7 Transformative Education/al Studies (TES) project group members as my focus group. My research findings concluded that the heavy teaching workload at WSU was problematic and lecturers/academics could not devote time to do research. My recommendation is that research should be made compulsory so that academics become aware that at least one or two published articles are required from them, for the benefit of annual university research productivity. Some research participants also recommended that the Research Resource Centre must include programs that focus directly on active participation in research in order to increase the capacity of individual researchers so as to build a critical mass of competent researchers, perhaps by even including incentives as a reward for doing research. According to Koshy (2010), action research is a specific method of conducting research by professionals and practitioners with the ultimate aim of improving practice. My new knowledge, therefore, in respect of how a concerned Research Associate, from a Historically Disadvantaged Institution (HDI), provided the impetus to create a collaborative practice in a higher education institution which was forced to merge with two former technikons (which lacked understanding of what a university means by research productivity and research output). I consequently developed the Nkosinathi Sotshangane’s cyclic practice improvement model through self-reflective action research, from which I believed other research practitioners could learn by doing something similar in their own context.
45

A INTEGRAÇÃO DE AGRICULTORES, PESQUISADORES E EXTENSIONISTAS NA PRODUÇÃO DE CONHECIMENTOS: O CASO DA REDE LEITE / THE INTEGRATION AMONG FARMERS, RESEARCHERS AND EXTENSIONISTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE: THE CASE OF THE NETWORKINGOF MILK

Costa, Pedro Urubatan Neto da 29 August 2014 (has links)
Over recent years, reflections regarding the inadequacy of many technologies recommended by the agricultural research and disseminated by extensionists to family farmers have grown. In the beginning of 2000‟s, Rio Grande do Sul northwest, a group of extensionists and researches evaluated that the practical result of this way of working was below farmers‟ demands, and the problem could have been related to the unfamiliarity with the context of technical problems, with repercussions in the formulation of occasionally inappropriate propositions. As an alternative, since 2003, the construction of an integration process among farmers, extensionists and researchers has begun to be elaborated, aiming at qualifying the interpretation of reality and seeking more sustainable productive systems. In this perspective, in 2008, the Networking Program of Research-Development of Production Systems on Dairy Activity in Northwest Rio Grande do Sul (Network of Milk) was consolidated, an articulation involving approximately 140 extensionists, thirty researchers and a network of sixty farmers, reaching 5 thousand farmers‟ families. The Research-Development methodology and other contributions on participative process of construction and knowledge are the benchmarks of the program. On this master thesis, the operation of the Network of Milk is described and the nature and characteristics of the generated knowledge are analyzed, on field extensionists‟ viewpoint who deal directly with the beneficiary families. As a general result, it was identified that the Network of Milk, through its reflections and actions,provided a shift in attitude in the relationship between extensionists and farmers as a main innovation. The attitudes of dialogue and constant reflections about farmers‟ practices result in new techniques to specific conditions of their systems. The insertion of new themes, such as social, environmental and economical aspects, in the analysis of technical context is considered a breakthrough. To extensionists, the agricultural research in the context of the Network of Milk presents itself as a new paradigm, in which the researcher descends to the level of production units in order to assist in the interpretation of this reality. / Nos últimos anos, são crescentes as reflexões que vêm sendo feitas a respeito da inadequação de muitas das tecnologias preconizadas pela pesquisa agropecuária e difundidas pelos extensionistas aos agricultores familiares. No início dos anos 2000, na região noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, um grupo de extensionistas e pesquisadores avaliou que o resultado prático dessa forma de atuação estava aquém das demandas dos agricultores, e o problema poderia estar relacionado ao desconhecimento do contexto dos problemas técnicos, com repercussão na formulação de proposições por vezes inapropriadas. Como alternativa, desde 2003, começou a ser pensada a construção de um processo de integração entre agricultores, extensionistas e pesquisadores, visando qualificar a interpretação da realidade e buscar sistemas produtivos mais sustentáveis. Nessa perspectiva, em 2008, consolida-se o Programa em Rede de Pesquisa-Desenvolvimento em Sistemas de Produção com Atividade Leiteira no Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul (Rede Leite), uma articulação envolvendo aproximadamente 140 extensionistas, 30 pesquisadores e uma rede de 60 agricultores, com alcance de 5 mil famílias de agricultores. A metodologia da Pesquisa-Desenvolvimento e outros aportes sobre os processos participativos de construção de conhecimentos são os referenciais do programa. Nesta dissertação, descreve-se o funcionamento da Rede Leite e analisam-se a natureza e as características dos conhecimentos gerados, na ótica dos extensionistas de campo que operam diretamente com as famílias beneficiárias. Como resultado geral, identificou-se que a Rede Leite, através de suas reflexões e ações, proporcionou como principal inovação a mudança de postura no relacionamento desses extensionistas com os agricultores. A postura de diálogo e reflexão constantes sobre as práticas dos agricultores resulta em novas técnicas para as condições específicas de seus sistemas. A inserção de novos temas, como aspectos sociais, ambientais e econômicos, na análise do contexto técnico é considerada um avanço. Para os extensionistas, a pesquisa agropecuária no contexto da Rede Leite se apresenta com um novo paradigma, no qual o pesquisador desce ao nível das unidades de produção para ajudar na interpretação dessa realidade.
46

Analýza strategického řízení vědy, výzkumu a inovací / Analysis of the strategic management of science, research and innovation

Požárek, Jakub January 2021 (has links)
(English) The R&D management system was examined in terms of legislation, managing authorities, types of support, support providers, budget and strategic documents in this thesis. In the area of strategic documents, persistent shortcomings were revealed and manifested in non-specific interconnections or overlaps. At the same time, a qualitative shift in the quality of the documents was identified. Furthermore, it was examined whether the strategic measures for the development in the field of molecular biology were fulfilled in more detail. The research was carried out on data related to targeted support, which were obtained from the R&D Information System. Two periods in the years 1995-2014 were analyzed. The structure of the second period from 2005 to 2014 was related to the structure of the first period from 1995 to 2004, which served as a reference. In relation to strategic measures, research has shown that resources have been optimized, capacities have been strengthened and infrastructure has been massively developed. Keywords research, development, innovation, targeted support, R&D policy, molecular biology
47

Eight-Element Dual-Polarized MIMO Slot Antenna System for 5G Smartphone Applications

Ojaroudi Parchin, Naser, Al-Yasir, Yasir I.A., Ali, Ammar H., Elfergani, Issa T., Noras, James M., Rodriguez, Jonathan, Abd-Alhameed, Raed 02 January 2019 (has links)
Yes / In this paper, we propose an eight-port/four-resonator slot antenna array with a dual-polarized function for multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) 5G mobile terminals. The design is composed of four dual-polarized square-ring slot radiators fed by pairs of microstrip-line structures. The radiation elements are designed to operate at 3.6 GHz and are located on the corners of the smartphone PCB. The squarering slot radiators provide good dual-polarization characteristic with similar performances in terms of fundamental radiation characteristics. In order to improve the isolation and also reduce the mutual coupling characteristic between the adjunct microstrip-line feeding ports of the dual-polarized radiators, a pair of circular-ring/open-ended parasitic structures is embedded across each square-ring slot radiator. The −10-dB impedance bandwidth of each antenna-element is 3.4–3.8 GHz. However, for −6-dB impedance bandwidth, this value is 600 MHz (3.3–3.9 GHz). The proposed MIMO antenna offers good S-parameters, high-gain radiation patterns, and sufficient total efficiencies, even though it is arranged on a high-loss FR-4 dielectric. The SAR function and the radiation characteristics of the proposed design in the vicinity of user-hand/userhead are studied. A prototype of the proposed smartphone antenna is fabricated, and good measurements are provided. The antenna provides good features with a potential application for use in the 5G mobile terminals. / This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016 SECRET-722424. / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, January 2019.
48

A meta-methodology to enhance pluralist qualitative research: One man’s use of socio-sexual media and midlife adjustment to HIV

Madill, A., Flowers, P., Frost, N., Locke, Abigail 05 July 2018 (has links)
Yes / Our aim is to offer and illustrates a novel meta-methodology to enhance the rigour of method selection and understanding of results in pluralist qualitative research (PQR). To do so, we make innovative use of Braun and Clarke’s (2006) articulation of four discrete dimensions characterising different forms of thematic analysis. We provide secondary analyses of an interview from the Social Media, Men who have Sex with Men and Sexual Health project using critical discursive psychology, dialogical analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis, and psychosocial narrative analysis. All four methods identified aspects of three central foci: Compartmentalisation, Detachment, and Jouissance. We discuss how our proposed meta-methodology provides a rationale for the selection of methods in a PQR, offer evidence that it can anticipate the relative similarity in focus of the methods employed, and argue that our meta-methodology reveals the possibility of identifying an ‘axial’ or ‘hub’ method’ of a PQR which might be particularly fruitful in exploring commonalities and differences in results. Finally, we examine the synergies and challenges of combining pairs of the methods we used. / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner.
49

The effect of strategy game types on inhibition

Leong, A.Y.C., Yong, Min Hooi, Lin, M.-H. 12 January 2022 (has links)
Yes / Past studies have shown evidence of transfer of learning in action video games, less so in other types e.g. strategy games. Further, the transfer of learning from games to inhibitory control has yet to be examined from the perspectives of time constraint and logic contradiction. We examined the effect of strategy games (puzzle, turn-based strategy ‘TBS’, real-time strategy ‘RTS’) on inhibition (response inhibition and distractor inhibition) and cerebral hemispheric activation over four weeks. We predicted that compared to RTS, puzzle and TBS games would (1) improve response and distractor inhibition, and (2) increase cerebral hemispheric activation demonstrating increased inhibitory control. A total of 67 non-habitual video game players (Mage = 21.63 years old, SD = 2.12) played one of three games; puzzle (n = 19), TBS (n = 24) or RTS (n = 24) for four weeks on their smartphones. Participants completed three inhibition tasks, working memory (WM), and had their tympanic membrane temperature (TMT) taken from each ear before and after playing the games. Results showed that only the puzzle game group showed an improved response inhibition while controlling for WM. There were no significant changes in the distractor inhibition tasks. We also found that there was an increase in left TMT while playing RTS, suggesting the presence of increased impulsivity in RTS. Our findings suggest that puzzle games involving logical contradiction could improve response inhibition, showing potential as a tool for inhibition training. / Newton Fund Institutional Links grant ID: 331745333, under Newton-Ungku Omar Fund partnership. The grant is funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) and delivered by the British Council / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Dec 2021.
50

Development and Evaluation of Pediatric Versions of the Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale (VFS-Peds) for Children with Hearing Loss

Hornsby, B.W.Y., Camarata, S., Cho, S.-J., Davis, H., McGarrigle, Ronan, Bess, F.H. 16 March 2022 (has links)
Yes / Growing evidence suggests that fatigue associated with listening difficulties is particularly problematic for children with hearing loss (CHL). However, sensitive, reliable, and valid measures of listening-related fatigue do not exist. To address this gap, this paper describes the development, psychometric evaluation, and preliminary validation of a suite of scales designed to assess listening-related fatigue in CHL- the pediatric Vanderbilt Fatigue Scales (VFS-Peds). Test development employed best practices, including operationalizing the construct of listening-related fatigue from the perspective of target respondents (i.e., children, their parents, and teachers). Test items were developed based on input from these groups. Dimensionality was evaluated using exploratory factor analyses. Item response theory (IRT) and differential item functioning (DIF) analyses were used to identify high-quality items which were further evaluated and refined to create the final versions of the VFS-Peds. The VFS-Peds is appropriate for use with children aged 6-17 years and consists of a child self-report scale (VFS-C), parent proxy- (VFS-P), and teacher proxy-report (VFS-T) scales. Exploratory factor analyses of child self-report and teacher proxy data suggested listening-related fatigue was unidimensional in nature. In contrast, parent data suggested a multidimensional construct, comprised of mental (cognitive, social, and emotional) and physical domains. IRT analyses suggested items were of good quality, with high information and good discriminability. DIF analyses revealed the scales provided a stable measure of fatigue regardless of the child’s gender, age, or hearing status. Test information was acceptable over a wide range of fatigue severities and all scales yielded acceptable reliability and validity. This paper describes the development, psychometric evaluation, and validation of the VFS-Peds. Results suggest the VFS-Peds provide a sensitive, reliable, and valid measure of listening-related fatigue in children that may be appropriate for clinical use. Such scales could be used to identify those children most affected by listening-related fatigue; and given their apparent sensitivity, the scales may also be useful for examining the effectiveness of potential interventions targeting listening-related fatigue in children. / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Mar 2022.

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