A systematic review of wheelchair and mobility scooter containment systems used internationally on public transit buses
- Unsworth, Carolyn, Timmer, Amanda
- Authors: Unsworth, Carolyn , Timmer, Amanda
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 20 (2023), p.
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- Description: Despite the daily need for people to travel on public transit buses using their wheeled mobility devices, relatively little information is available regarding the most efficacious, affordable, and independent approaches to assist passengers with keeping their mobility devices in the designated wheelchair access space. A systematic review was undertaken to summarize this literature, place it within a geographical and temporal context, appraise its quality, and establish common themes. Key academic and grey literature transportation databases and government websites searched from 1990 to May 2022 identified 33 documents, which were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) or the Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance (AACODS) tool. Overall, the documents included were of good quality. The literature retrieved focused on the development and testing of the active containment systems favored for use in North America with a contrastingly small examination of the effectiveness of passive or semi-passive containment systems. Almost no literature was retrieved in English from European researchers documenting the use or effectiveness of rearward-facing passive systems. While tip or slide events are relatively rare among mobility device users, the effective use of containment systems is vital to minimize these. Further research is required to support transport policy makers, operators, and bus drivers to identify and correctly implement optimal containment systems to promote safety for all passengers on public buses. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Unsworth, Carolyn , Timmer, Amanda
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 20 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Despite the daily need for people to travel on public transit buses using their wheeled mobility devices, relatively little information is available regarding the most efficacious, affordable, and independent approaches to assist passengers with keeping their mobility devices in the designated wheelchair access space. A systematic review was undertaken to summarize this literature, place it within a geographical and temporal context, appraise its quality, and establish common themes. Key academic and grey literature transportation databases and government websites searched from 1990 to May 2022 identified 33 documents, which were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) or the Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance (AACODS) tool. Overall, the documents included were of good quality. The literature retrieved focused on the development and testing of the active containment systems favored for use in North America with a contrastingly small examination of the effectiveness of passive or semi-passive containment systems. Almost no literature was retrieved in English from European researchers documenting the use or effectiveness of rearward-facing passive systems. While tip or slide events are relatively rare among mobility device users, the effective use of containment systems is vital to minimize these. Further research is required to support transport policy makers, operators, and bus drivers to identify and correctly implement optimal containment systems to promote safety for all passengers on public buses. © 2023 by the authors.
An exploration of trolling behaviours in Australian adolescents : an online survey
- Marrington, Jessica, March, Evita, Murray, Sarah, Jeffries, Carla, Machin, Tanya, March, Sonja
- Authors: Marrington, Jessica , March, Evita , Murray, Sarah , Jeffries, Carla , Machin, Tanya , March, Sonja
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 18, no. 4 April (2023), p.
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- Description: To understand why people “troll” (i.e., engage in disruptive online behaviour intended to provoke and distress for one’s own amusement), researchers have explored a range of individual differences. These studies have primarily been conducted in adult samples, despite adolescents being a particularly vulnerable group with regards to both being trolled and trolling others. In this study we aimed to (1) explore Australian adolescents’ experiences of trolling, and (2) replicate adult research that has constructed a psychological profile of the Internet troll by examining the utility of personality traits (psychopathy and sadism), self-esteem, empathy (cognitive and affective), and social rewards (negative social potency) to predict adolescents’ trolling behaviours. A sample of 157 Australian adolescents (40.8% male, 58% female, 0.6% non-binary) aged 13–18 years (M = 15.58, SD = 1.71) completed the Global Assessment of Internet Trolling-Revised, Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Youth Psychopathy Traits Inventory-Short Version, Social Rewards Questionnaire, Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, and a series of questions related to the experience of trolling. Results showed in the past year, 24.2% of Australian adolescents reported being trolled and 13.4% reported having trolled others. Gender, psychopathy, sadism, self-esteem, cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and “negative social potency” (i.e., enjoyment of antisocial rewards) combined, explained 30.7% of variance in adolescents’ trolling behaviours (p < .001). When accounting for shared variance, gender (male), high psychopathy, and high negative social potency were significant predictors of trolling, aligning with findings of adult samples. Contrary to adult samples, sadism was not a unique predictor of adolescents’ trolling. For adolescents, the variance in trolling explained by sadism was nonsignificant when controlling for negative social potency. These similarities, and differences, in predictors of trolling across adult and adolescent samples may play a critical role in the development of targeted interventions to prevent or manage trolling. © 2023 Marrington et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Authors: Marrington, Jessica , March, Evita , Murray, Sarah , Jeffries, Carla , Machin, Tanya , March, Sonja
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 18, no. 4 April (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: To understand why people “troll” (i.e., engage in disruptive online behaviour intended to provoke and distress for one’s own amusement), researchers have explored a range of individual differences. These studies have primarily been conducted in adult samples, despite adolescents being a particularly vulnerable group with regards to both being trolled and trolling others. In this study we aimed to (1) explore Australian adolescents’ experiences of trolling, and (2) replicate adult research that has constructed a psychological profile of the Internet troll by examining the utility of personality traits (psychopathy and sadism), self-esteem, empathy (cognitive and affective), and social rewards (negative social potency) to predict adolescents’ trolling behaviours. A sample of 157 Australian adolescents (40.8% male, 58% female, 0.6% non-binary) aged 13–18 years (M = 15.58, SD = 1.71) completed the Global Assessment of Internet Trolling-Revised, Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Youth Psychopathy Traits Inventory-Short Version, Social Rewards Questionnaire, Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, and a series of questions related to the experience of trolling. Results showed in the past year, 24.2% of Australian adolescents reported being trolled and 13.4% reported having trolled others. Gender, psychopathy, sadism, self-esteem, cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and “negative social potency” (i.e., enjoyment of antisocial rewards) combined, explained 30.7% of variance in adolescents’ trolling behaviours (p < .001). When accounting for shared variance, gender (male), high psychopathy, and high negative social potency were significant predictors of trolling, aligning with findings of adult samples. Contrary to adult samples, sadism was not a unique predictor of adolescents’ trolling. For adolescents, the variance in trolling explained by sadism was nonsignificant when controlling for negative social potency. These similarities, and differences, in predictors of trolling across adult and adolescent samples may play a critical role in the development of targeted interventions to prevent or manage trolling. © 2023 Marrington et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
COVID-19 : psychological distress, fear, and coping strategies among community members across the United Arab Emirates
- Al Dweik, Rania, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz, Ahamed, Fathima, Ramada, Heba, Al Sheble, Yousef, ElTaher, Sondos, Cross, Wendy, Elsori, Deena
- Authors: Al Dweik, Rania , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Ahamed, Fathima , Ramada, Heba , Al Sheble, Yousef , ElTaher, Sondos , Cross, Wendy , Elsori, Deena
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 18, no. 3 March (2023), p.
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- Description: Background The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the psychosocial well-being of the United Arab Emirates [UAE] population like other communities internationally. Objectives We aimed to identify the factors associated with psychological distress, fear, and coping amongst community members across the UAE. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey across the UAE during November 2020. Adults aged
- Authors: Al Dweik, Rania , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Ahamed, Fathima , Ramada, Heba , Al Sheble, Yousef , ElTaher, Sondos , Cross, Wendy , Elsori, Deena
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 18, no. 3 March (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the psychosocial well-being of the United Arab Emirates [UAE] population like other communities internationally. Objectives We aimed to identify the factors associated with psychological distress, fear, and coping amongst community members across the UAE. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey across the UAE during November 2020. Adults aged
E-cigarette use among male smokers in Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia : a cross-sectional study
- Al Rajeh, Ahmed, Mahmud, Ilias, Al Imam, Mahmudul, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz, Al Shehri, Fariss, Alomayrin, Salman, Alfazae, Nawaf, Elmosaad, Yousif, Alasqah, Ibrahim
- Authors: Al Rajeh, Ahmed , Mahmud, Ilias , Al Imam, Mahmudul , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Al Shehri, Fariss , Alomayrin, Salman , Alfazae, Nawaf , Elmosaad, Yousif , Alasqah, Ibrahim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 1 (2023), p.
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- Description: E-cigarette use is increasing globally. Recent evidence suggests that e-cigarettes contain harmful substances that could cause adverse health outcomes. This study investigated the prevalence and associated factors of e-cigarette use among male current smokers in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult male current smokers in the Al-Ahsa province of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. We performed logistic regression analyses to investigate the factors associated with e-cigarette use among adult male current smokers. 325 current smokers participated in the study. A third of them (33.5%) were e-cigarette users. Almost all the study participants (97.0%) had heard about e-cigarettes. Participants who were occasional smokers (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.28; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.17–4.41) and had good knowledge perception of e-cigarettes (OR 3.49; 95% CI: 2.07–5.90) had higher odds of using e-cigarettes when compared to regular smokers of conventional cigarettes and current smokers with poor knowledge perception of e-cigarettes, respectively. In contrast, private employees (OR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07–0.85), and business owners (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01–0.63) had lower odds of using e-cigarettes compared to unemployed individuals. Compared with non-e-cigarette users, the rate of conventional cigarette smoking per day was significantly lower among e-cigarette users. Use of e-cigarette (OR: 3.57, 95% CI: 2.14–5.98), believing that e-cigarette quitting is hard (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.17–3.49) and trying to quit e-cigarettes (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.1–4.25) were found to be significant predictors of good knowledge perception of e-cigarettes among the current smokers. The use and knowledge perception of e-cigarettes were higher among occasional conventional male cigarette smokers than regular male smokers in Al-Ahsa province. The use of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids should be examined further in the Saudi Arabian setting. © 2022 by the authors.
- Authors: Al Rajeh, Ahmed , Mahmud, Ilias , Al Imam, Mahmudul , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Al Shehri, Fariss , Alomayrin, Salman , Alfazae, Nawaf , Elmosaad, Yousif , Alasqah, Ibrahim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
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- Description: E-cigarette use is increasing globally. Recent evidence suggests that e-cigarettes contain harmful substances that could cause adverse health outcomes. This study investigated the prevalence and associated factors of e-cigarette use among male current smokers in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult male current smokers in the Al-Ahsa province of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. We performed logistic regression analyses to investigate the factors associated with e-cigarette use among adult male current smokers. 325 current smokers participated in the study. A third of them (33.5%) were e-cigarette users. Almost all the study participants (97.0%) had heard about e-cigarettes. Participants who were occasional smokers (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.28; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.17–4.41) and had good knowledge perception of e-cigarettes (OR 3.49; 95% CI: 2.07–5.90) had higher odds of using e-cigarettes when compared to regular smokers of conventional cigarettes and current smokers with poor knowledge perception of e-cigarettes, respectively. In contrast, private employees (OR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07–0.85), and business owners (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01–0.63) had lower odds of using e-cigarettes compared to unemployed individuals. Compared with non-e-cigarette users, the rate of conventional cigarette smoking per day was significantly lower among e-cigarette users. Use of e-cigarette (OR: 3.57, 95% CI: 2.14–5.98), believing that e-cigarette quitting is hard (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.17–3.49) and trying to quit e-cigarettes (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.1–4.25) were found to be significant predictors of good knowledge perception of e-cigarettes among the current smokers. The use and knowledge perception of e-cigarettes were higher among occasional conventional male cigarette smokers than regular male smokers in Al-Ahsa province. The use of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids should be examined further in the Saudi Arabian setting. © 2022 by the authors.
Efficient future waste management : a learning-based approach with deep neural networks for smart system (LADS)
- Chauhan, Ritu, Shighra, Sahil, Madkhali, Hatim, Nguyen, Linh, Prasad, Mukesh
- Authors: Chauhan, Ritu , Shighra, Sahil , Madkhali, Hatim , Nguyen, Linh , Prasad, Mukesh
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 7 (2023), p.
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- Description: Waste segregation, management, transportation, and disposal must be carefully managed to reduce the danger to patients, the public, and risks to the environment’s health and safety. The previous method of monitoring trash in strategically placed garbage bins is a time-consuming and inefficient method that wastes time, human effort, and money, and is also incompatible with smart city needs. So, the goal is to reduce individual decision-making and increase the productivity of the waste categorization process. Using a convolutional neural network (CNN), the study sought to create an image classifier that recognizes items and classifies trash material. This paper provides an overview of trash monitoring methods, garbage disposal strategies, and the technology used in establishing a waste management system. Finally, an efficient system and waste disposal approach is provided that may be employed in the future to improve performance and cost effectiveness. One of the most significant barriers to efficient waste management can now be overcome with the aid of a deep learning technique. The proposed method outperformed the alternative AlexNet, VGG16, and ResNet34 methods. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Chauhan, Ritu , Shighra, Sahil , Madkhali, Hatim , Nguyen, Linh , Prasad, Mukesh
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 7 (2023), p.
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- Description: Waste segregation, management, transportation, and disposal must be carefully managed to reduce the danger to patients, the public, and risks to the environment’s health and safety. The previous method of monitoring trash in strategically placed garbage bins is a time-consuming and inefficient method that wastes time, human effort, and money, and is also incompatible with smart city needs. So, the goal is to reduce individual decision-making and increase the productivity of the waste categorization process. Using a convolutional neural network (CNN), the study sought to create an image classifier that recognizes items and classifies trash material. This paper provides an overview of trash monitoring methods, garbage disposal strategies, and the technology used in establishing a waste management system. Finally, an efficient system and waste disposal approach is provided that may be employed in the future to improve performance and cost effectiveness. One of the most significant barriers to efficient waste management can now be overcome with the aid of a deep learning technique. The proposed method outperformed the alternative AlexNet, VGG16, and ResNet34 methods. © 2023 by the authors.
Estimation of precipitation fraction in the soil water of the Hillslope Vineyard using stable isotopes of water
- Kovač, Zoran, Krevh, Vedran, Filipović, Lana, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Balaž, Borna-Ivan, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Kovač, Zoran , Krevh, Vedran , Filipović, Lana , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Balaž, Borna-Ivan , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 5 (2023), p.
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- Description: This paper presents research related to the estimation of the precipitation fraction in the soil water of a sloped vineyard at the SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) in Zagreb, Croatia. Numerous investigations have shown that exploration of hillslope soils can be very challenging due to the existence of heterogeneity and different soil properties, as well as due to anthropogenically induced processes, which can affect precipitation infiltration and soil water flow. Within this research, physicochemical soil properties, soil water content (SWC), and isotopic composition of soil water and precipitation (
- Authors: Kovač, Zoran , Krevh, Vedran , Filipović, Lana , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Balaž, Borna-Ivan , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 5 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper presents research related to the estimation of the precipitation fraction in the soil water of a sloped vineyard at the SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) in Zagreb, Croatia. Numerous investigations have shown that exploration of hillslope soils can be very challenging due to the existence of heterogeneity and different soil properties, as well as due to anthropogenically induced processes, which can affect precipitation infiltration and soil water flow. Within this research, physicochemical soil properties, soil water content (SWC), and isotopic composition of soil water and precipitation (
Exploring hospital inpatients’ awareness of their falls risk : a qualitative exploratory study
- Dabkowski, Elissa, Cooper, Simon, Duncan, Jhodie, Missen, Karen
- Authors: Dabkowski, Elissa , Cooper, Simon , Duncan, Jhodie , Missen, Karen
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 1 (2023), p.
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- Reviewed:
- Description: Patient falls in hospital may lead to physical, psychological, social and financial impacts. Understanding patients’ perceptions of their fall risk will help to direct fall prevention strategies and understand patient behaviours. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences that influence a patient’s understanding of their fall risk in regional Australian hospitals. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted in wards across three Australian hospitals. Participants were aged 40 years and over, able to communicate in English and were mobile prior to hospital admission. Participants were excluded from the study if they returned a Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE) score of less than 18 when assessed by the researcher. A total of 18 participants with an average age of 69.8 years (SD ± 12.7, range 41 to 84 years) from three regional Victorian hospitals were interviewed for this study. Data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis identifying three major themes; (1) Environment (extrinsic) (2) Individual (intrinsic), and (3) Outcomes, as well as eight minor themes. Participants recognised the hazardous nature of a hospital and their personal responsibilities in staying safe. Falls education needs to be consistently delivered, with the focus on empowering the patient to help them adjust to changes in their clinical condition, whether temporary or permanent. © 2022 by the authors.
- Authors: Dabkowski, Elissa , Cooper, Simon , Duncan, Jhodie , Missen, Karen
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Patient falls in hospital may lead to physical, psychological, social and financial impacts. Understanding patients’ perceptions of their fall risk will help to direct fall prevention strategies and understand patient behaviours. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences that influence a patient’s understanding of their fall risk in regional Australian hospitals. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted in wards across three Australian hospitals. Participants were aged 40 years and over, able to communicate in English and were mobile prior to hospital admission. Participants were excluded from the study if they returned a Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE) score of less than 18 when assessed by the researcher. A total of 18 participants with an average age of 69.8 years (SD ± 12.7, range 41 to 84 years) from three regional Victorian hospitals were interviewed for this study. Data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis identifying three major themes; (1) Environment (extrinsic) (2) Individual (intrinsic), and (3) Outcomes, as well as eight minor themes. Participants recognised the hazardous nature of a hospital and their personal responsibilities in staying safe. Falls education needs to be consistently delivered, with the focus on empowering the patient to help them adjust to changes in their clinical condition, whether temporary or permanent. © 2022 by the authors.
Identifying public healthcare priorities in virtual care for older adults : a participatory research study
- Pu, Dai, Palmer, Victoria, Greenstock, Louise, Pigott, Cathie, Peeters, Anna, Sanci, Lena, Callisaya, Michele, Browning, Colette, Chapman, Wendy, Haines, Terry
- Authors: Pu, Dai , Palmer, Victoria , Greenstock, Louise , Pigott, Cathie , Peeters, Anna , Sanci, Lena , Callisaya, Michele , Browning, Colette , Chapman, Wendy , Haines, Terry
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 5 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
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- Description: There has been increasing adoption and implementation of virtual healthcare in recent years, especially with COVID-19 impacting the world. As a result, virtual care initiatives may not undergo stringent quality control processes to ensure that they are appropriate to their context and meet sector needs. The two objectives of this study were to identify virtual care initiatives for older adults currently in use in Victoria and virtual care challenges that could be prioritised for further investigation and scale-up and to understand why certain virtual care initiatives and challenges are prioritised over others for investigation and scale-up. Methods: This project used an Emerging Design approach. A survey of public health services in the state of Victoria in Australia was first carried out, followed by the co-production of research and healthcare priorities with key stakeholders in the areas of primary care, hospital care, consumer representation, research, and government. The survey was used to gather existing virtual care initiatives for older adults and any associated challenges. Co-production processes consisted of individual ratings of initiatives and group-based discussions to identify priority virtual care initiatives and challenges to be addressed for future scale-up. Stakeholders nominated their top three virtual initiatives following discussions. Results: Telehealth was nominated as the highest priority initiative type for scaling up, with virtual emergency department models of care nominated as the highest priority within this category. Remote monitoring was voted as a top priority for further investigations. The top virtual care challenge was data sharing across services and settings, and the user-friendliness of virtual care platforms was nominated as the top priority for further investigation. Conclusions: Stakeholders prioritised public health virtual care initiatives that are easy to adopt and address needs that are perceived to be more immediate (acute more so than chronic care). Virtual care initiatives that incorporate more technology and integrated elements are valued, but more information is needed to inform their potential scale-up. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Pu, Dai , Palmer, Victoria , Greenstock, Louise , Pigott, Cathie , Peeters, Anna , Sanci, Lena , Callisaya, Michele , Browning, Colette , Chapman, Wendy , Haines, Terry
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 5 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: There has been increasing adoption and implementation of virtual healthcare in recent years, especially with COVID-19 impacting the world. As a result, virtual care initiatives may not undergo stringent quality control processes to ensure that they are appropriate to their context and meet sector needs. The two objectives of this study were to identify virtual care initiatives for older adults currently in use in Victoria and virtual care challenges that could be prioritised for further investigation and scale-up and to understand why certain virtual care initiatives and challenges are prioritised over others for investigation and scale-up. Methods: This project used an Emerging Design approach. A survey of public health services in the state of Victoria in Australia was first carried out, followed by the co-production of research and healthcare priorities with key stakeholders in the areas of primary care, hospital care, consumer representation, research, and government. The survey was used to gather existing virtual care initiatives for older adults and any associated challenges. Co-production processes consisted of individual ratings of initiatives and group-based discussions to identify priority virtual care initiatives and challenges to be addressed for future scale-up. Stakeholders nominated their top three virtual initiatives following discussions. Results: Telehealth was nominated as the highest priority initiative type for scaling up, with virtual emergency department models of care nominated as the highest priority within this category. Remote monitoring was voted as a top priority for further investigations. The top virtual care challenge was data sharing across services and settings, and the user-friendliness of virtual care platforms was nominated as the top priority for further investigation. Conclusions: Stakeholders prioritised public health virtual care initiatives that are easy to adopt and address needs that are perceived to be more immediate (acute more so than chronic care). Virtual care initiatives that incorporate more technology and integrated elements are valued, but more information is needed to inform their potential scale-up. © 2023 by the authors.
Impact of traditional and embedded image denoising on CNN-based deep learning
- Kaur, Roopdeep, Karmakar, Gour, Imran, Muhammad
- Authors: Kaur, Roopdeep , Karmakar, Gour , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied sciences Vol. 13, no. 20 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In digital image processing, filtering noise is an important step for reconstructing a high-quality image for further processing such as object segmentation, object detection, and object recognition. Various image-denoising approaches, including median, Gaussian, and bilateral filters, are available in the literature. Since convolutional neural networks (CNN) are able to directly learn complex patterns and features from data, they have become a popular choice for image-denoising tasks. As a result of their ability to learn and adapt to various denoising scenarios, CNNs are powerful tools for image denoising. Some deep learning techniques such as CNN incorporate denoising strategies directly into the CNN model layers. A primary limitation of these methods is their necessity to resize images to a consistent size. This resizing can result in a loss of vital image details, which might compromise CNN’s effectiveness. Because of this issue, we utilize a traditional denoising method as a preliminary step for noise reduction before applying CNN. To our knowledge, a comparative performance study of CNN using traditional and embedded denoising against a baseline approach (without denoising) is yet to be performed. To analyze the impact of denoising on the CNN performance, in this paper, firstly, we filter the noise from the images using traditional means of denoising method before their use in the CNN model. Secondly, we embed a denoising layer in the CNN model. To validate the performance of image denoising, we performed extensive experiments for both traffic sign and object recognition datasets. To decide whether denoising will be adopted and to decide on the type of filter to be used, we also present an approach exploiting the peak-signal-to-noise-ratio (PSNRs) distribution of images. Both CNN accuracy and PSNRs distribution are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the denoising approaches. As expected, the results vary with the type of filter, impact, and dataset used in both traditional and embedded denoising approaches. However, traditional denoising shows better accuracy, while embedded denoising shows lower computational time for most of the cases. Overall, this comparative study gives insights into whether denoising will be adopted in various CNN-based image analyses, including autonomous driving, animal detection, and facial recognition.
- Authors: Kaur, Roopdeep , Karmakar, Gour , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied sciences Vol. 13, no. 20 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In digital image processing, filtering noise is an important step for reconstructing a high-quality image for further processing such as object segmentation, object detection, and object recognition. Various image-denoising approaches, including median, Gaussian, and bilateral filters, are available in the literature. Since convolutional neural networks (CNN) are able to directly learn complex patterns and features from data, they have become a popular choice for image-denoising tasks. As a result of their ability to learn and adapt to various denoising scenarios, CNNs are powerful tools for image denoising. Some deep learning techniques such as CNN incorporate denoising strategies directly into the CNN model layers. A primary limitation of these methods is their necessity to resize images to a consistent size. This resizing can result in a loss of vital image details, which might compromise CNN’s effectiveness. Because of this issue, we utilize a traditional denoising method as a preliminary step for noise reduction before applying CNN. To our knowledge, a comparative performance study of CNN using traditional and embedded denoising against a baseline approach (without denoising) is yet to be performed. To analyze the impact of denoising on the CNN performance, in this paper, firstly, we filter the noise from the images using traditional means of denoising method before their use in the CNN model. Secondly, we embed a denoising layer in the CNN model. To validate the performance of image denoising, we performed extensive experiments for both traffic sign and object recognition datasets. To decide whether denoising will be adopted and to decide on the type of filter to be used, we also present an approach exploiting the peak-signal-to-noise-ratio (PSNRs) distribution of images. Both CNN accuracy and PSNRs distribution are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the denoising approaches. As expected, the results vary with the type of filter, impact, and dataset used in both traditional and embedded denoising approaches. However, traditional denoising shows better accuracy, while embedded denoising shows lower computational time for most of the cases. Overall, this comparative study gives insights into whether denoising will be adopted in various CNN-based image analyses, including autonomous driving, animal detection, and facial recognition.
Improving soil stability with alum sludge : an ai-enabled approach for accurate prediction of california bearing ratio
- Baghbani, Abolfazl, Nguyen, Minh, Alnedawi, Ali, Milne, Nick, Baumgartl, Thomas, Abuel-Naga, Hossam
- Authors: Baghbani, Abolfazl , Nguyen, Minh , Alnedawi, Ali , Milne, Nick , Baumgartl, Thomas , Abuel-Naga, Hossam
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 8 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Alum sludge is a byproduct of water treatment plants, and its use as a soil stabilizer has gained increasing attention due to its economic and environmental benefits. Its application has been shown to improve the strength and stability of soil, making it suitable for various engineering applications. However, to go beyond just measuring the effects of alum sludge as a soil stabilizer, this study investigates the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) methods for predicting the California bearing ratio (CBR) of soils stabilized with alum sludge. Three AI methods, including two black box methods (artificial neural network and support vector machines) and one grey box method (genetic programming), were used to predict CBR, based on a database with nine input parameters. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of AI methods in predicting CBR with good accuracy (R2 values ranging from 0.94 to 0.99 and MAE values ranging from 0.30 to 0.51). Moreover, a novel approach, using genetic programming, produced an equation that accurately estimated CBR, incorporating seven inputs. The analysis of parameter sensitivity and importance, revealed that the number of hammer blows for compaction was the most important parameter, while the parameters for maximum dry density of soil and mixture were the least important. This study highlights the potential of AI methods as a useful tool for predicting the performance of alum sludge as a soil stabilizer. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Baghbani, Abolfazl , Nguyen, Minh , Alnedawi, Ali , Milne, Nick , Baumgartl, Thomas , Abuel-Naga, Hossam
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 8 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Alum sludge is a byproduct of water treatment plants, and its use as a soil stabilizer has gained increasing attention due to its economic and environmental benefits. Its application has been shown to improve the strength and stability of soil, making it suitable for various engineering applications. However, to go beyond just measuring the effects of alum sludge as a soil stabilizer, this study investigates the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) methods for predicting the California bearing ratio (CBR) of soils stabilized with alum sludge. Three AI methods, including two black box methods (artificial neural network and support vector machines) and one grey box method (genetic programming), were used to predict CBR, based on a database with nine input parameters. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of AI methods in predicting CBR with good accuracy (R2 values ranging from 0.94 to 0.99 and MAE values ranging from 0.30 to 0.51). Moreover, a novel approach, using genetic programming, produced an equation that accurately estimated CBR, incorporating seven inputs. The analysis of parameter sensitivity and importance, revealed that the number of hammer blows for compaction was the most important parameter, while the parameters for maximum dry density of soil and mixture were the least important. This study highlights the potential of AI methods as a useful tool for predicting the performance of alum sludge as a soil stabilizer. © 2023 by the authors.
Investigation of hillslope vineyard soil water dynamics using field measurements and numerical modeling
- Krevh, Vedran, Groh, Jannis, Weihermüller, Lutz, Filipović, Lana, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Kovač, Zoran, Magdić, Ivan, Lazarević, Boris, Baumgartl, Thomas, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Krevh, Vedran , Groh, Jannis , Weihermüller, Lutz , Filipović, Lana , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Kovač, Zoran , Magdić, Ivan , Lazarević, Boris , Baumgartl, Thomas , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 4 (2023), p.
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- Description: Soil heterogeneities can impact hillslope hydropedological processes (e.g., portioning between infiltration and runoff), creating a need for in-depth knowledge of processes governing water dynamics and redistribution. The presented study was conducted at the SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) (hillslope vineyard) in 2021. A combination of field investigation (soil sampling and monitoring campaign) and numerical modeling with hydrological simulator HYDRUS-1D was used to explore the water dynamics in conjunction with data from a sensor network (soil water content (SWC) and soil-water potential (SWP) sensors), along the hillslope (hilltop, backslope, and footslope). Soil hydraulic properties (SHP) were estimated based on (i) pedotransfer functions (PTFs), (ii) undisturbed soil cores, and (iii) sensor network data, and tested in HYDRUS. Additionally, a model ensemble mean from HYDRUS simulations was calculated with PTFs. The highest agreement of simulated with observed SWC for 40 cm soil depth was found with the combination of laboratory and field data, with the lowest average MAE, RMSE and MAPE (0.02, 0.02, and 5.34%, respectively), and highest average R2 (0.93), while at 80 cm soil depth, PTF model ensemble performed better (MAE = 0.03, RMSE = 0.03, MAPE = 7.55%, R2 = 0.81) than other datasets. Field observations indicated that heterogeneity and spatial variability regarding soil parameters were present at the site. Over the hillslope, SWC acted in a heterogeneous manner, which was most pronounced during soil rewetting. Model results suggested that the incorporation of field data expands model performance and that the PTF model ensemble is a feasible option in the absence of laboratory data. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Krevh, Vedran , Groh, Jannis , Weihermüller, Lutz , Filipović, Lana , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Kovač, Zoran , Magdić, Ivan , Lazarević, Boris , Baumgartl, Thomas , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 4 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Soil heterogeneities can impact hillslope hydropedological processes (e.g., portioning between infiltration and runoff), creating a need for in-depth knowledge of processes governing water dynamics and redistribution. The presented study was conducted at the SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) (hillslope vineyard) in 2021. A combination of field investigation (soil sampling and monitoring campaign) and numerical modeling with hydrological simulator HYDRUS-1D was used to explore the water dynamics in conjunction with data from a sensor network (soil water content (SWC) and soil-water potential (SWP) sensors), along the hillslope (hilltop, backslope, and footslope). Soil hydraulic properties (SHP) were estimated based on (i) pedotransfer functions (PTFs), (ii) undisturbed soil cores, and (iii) sensor network data, and tested in HYDRUS. Additionally, a model ensemble mean from HYDRUS simulations was calculated with PTFs. The highest agreement of simulated with observed SWC for 40 cm soil depth was found with the combination of laboratory and field data, with the lowest average MAE, RMSE and MAPE (0.02, 0.02, and 5.34%, respectively), and highest average R2 (0.93), while at 80 cm soil depth, PTF model ensemble performed better (MAE = 0.03, RMSE = 0.03, MAPE = 7.55%, R2 = 0.81) than other datasets. Field observations indicated that heterogeneity and spatial variability regarding soil parameters were present at the site. Over the hillslope, SWC acted in a heterogeneous manner, which was most pronounced during soil rewetting. Model results suggested that the incorporation of field data expands model performance and that the PTF model ensemble is a feasible option in the absence of laboratory data. © 2023 by the authors.
Leached copper correlation with dissolved organic carbon in sloped vineyard soil
- Filipovi, Lana, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Chen, Rui, Krevh, Vedran, Gerke, Horst, Baumgartl, Thomas, Kovač, Zoran, Ondrašek, Gabrijel, Ružičić, Stanko, He, Hailong, Dusek, Jaromir, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Filipovi, Lana , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Chen, Rui , Krevh, Vedran , Gerke, Horst , Baumgartl, Thomas , Kovač, Zoran , Ondrašek, Gabrijel , Ružičić, Stanko , He, Hailong , Dusek, Jaromir , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 4 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The solubility and mobility of copper (Cu) in soil is strongly influenced by the presence of dissolved organic carbon (DOC); however, the interactions between Cu and DOC are complex and not yet fully understood. In this study, Cu and DOC concentrations were measured monthly for two years in leachates from self-constructed lysimeters installed at inter- and intra-row vineyard hilltop, backslope, and footslope areas at the SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory, Croatia. The aim was to quantify Cu and DOC leaching from the hilltop towards the backslope and the footslope. The assumed strong relationship between Cu and DOC in the leachates was statistically analyzed and explained using chemical equilibrium software. Leachates were analyzed for pH, EC, DOC, Cu, and major ion concentrations. The highest Cu concentrations found in leachates from the intra-row footslope suggested Cu downhill transport. Although not strong, a significant positive correlation between Cu and DOC in footslope leachates confirmed the relevance of Cu complexation by DOC. Speciation confirmed that more than 99.9% of total Cu in leachates was found as a Cu-DOC complex. Data implied the role of soil water flow pathways in explaining Cu downhill transport. Critical timing for applying Cu fungicides at sloped vineyards was highlighted. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Filipovi, Lana , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Chen, Rui , Krevh, Vedran , Gerke, Horst , Baumgartl, Thomas , Kovač, Zoran , Ondrašek, Gabrijel , Ružičić, Stanko , He, Hailong , Dusek, Jaromir , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 4 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The solubility and mobility of copper (Cu) in soil is strongly influenced by the presence of dissolved organic carbon (DOC); however, the interactions between Cu and DOC are complex and not yet fully understood. In this study, Cu and DOC concentrations were measured monthly for two years in leachates from self-constructed lysimeters installed at inter- and intra-row vineyard hilltop, backslope, and footslope areas at the SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory, Croatia. The aim was to quantify Cu and DOC leaching from the hilltop towards the backslope and the footslope. The assumed strong relationship between Cu and DOC in the leachates was statistically analyzed and explained using chemical equilibrium software. Leachates were analyzed for pH, EC, DOC, Cu, and major ion concentrations. The highest Cu concentrations found in leachates from the intra-row footslope suggested Cu downhill transport. Although not strong, a significant positive correlation between Cu and DOC in footslope leachates confirmed the relevance of Cu complexation by DOC. Speciation confirmed that more than 99.9% of total Cu in leachates was found as a Cu-DOC complex. Data implied the role of soil water flow pathways in explaining Cu downhill transport. Critical timing for applying Cu fungicides at sloped vineyards was highlighted. © 2023 by the authors.
MICFuzzy : a maximal information content based fuzzy approach for reconstructing genetic networks
- Gamage, Hasini, Chetty, Madhu, Lim, Suryani, Hallinan, Jennifer
- Authors: Gamage, Hasini , Chetty, Madhu , Lim, Suryani , Hallinan, Jennifer
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 18, no. 7 July (2023), p.
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- Description: In systems biology, the accurate reconstruction of Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) is crucial since these networks can facilitate the solving of complex biological problems. Amongst the plethora of methods available for GRN reconstruction, information theory and fuzzy concepts-based methods have abiding popularity. However, most of these methods are not only complex, incurring a high computational burden, but they may also produce a high number of false positives, leading to inaccurate inferred networks. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid fuzzy GRN inference model called MICFuzzy which involves the aggregation of the effects of Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC). This model has an information theory-based pre-processing stage, the output of which is applied as an input to the novel fuzzy model. In this preprocessing stage, the MIC component filters relevant genes for each target gene to significantly reduce the computational burden of the fuzzy model when selecting the regulatory genes from these filtered gene lists. The novel fuzzy model uses the regulatory effect of the identified activator-repressor gene pairs to determine target gene expression levels. This approach facilitates accurate network inference by generating a high number of true regulatory interactions while significantly reducing false regulatory predictions. The performance of MICFuzzy was evaluated using DREAM3 and DREAM4 challenge data, and the SOS real gene expression dataset. MICFuzzy outperformed the other state-of-the-art methods in terms of F-score, Matthews Correlation Coefficient, Structural Accuracy, and SS_mean, and outperformed most of them in terms of efficiency. MICFuzzy also had improved efficiency compared with the classical fuzzy model since the design of MICFuzzy leads to a reduction in combinatorial computation. Copyright: © 2023 Nakulugamuwa Gamage et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Authors: Gamage, Hasini , Chetty, Madhu , Lim, Suryani , Hallinan, Jennifer
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 18, no. 7 July (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In systems biology, the accurate reconstruction of Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) is crucial since these networks can facilitate the solving of complex biological problems. Amongst the plethora of methods available for GRN reconstruction, information theory and fuzzy concepts-based methods have abiding popularity. However, most of these methods are not only complex, incurring a high computational burden, but they may also produce a high number of false positives, leading to inaccurate inferred networks. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid fuzzy GRN inference model called MICFuzzy which involves the aggregation of the effects of Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC). This model has an information theory-based pre-processing stage, the output of which is applied as an input to the novel fuzzy model. In this preprocessing stage, the MIC component filters relevant genes for each target gene to significantly reduce the computational burden of the fuzzy model when selecting the regulatory genes from these filtered gene lists. The novel fuzzy model uses the regulatory effect of the identified activator-repressor gene pairs to determine target gene expression levels. This approach facilitates accurate network inference by generating a high number of true regulatory interactions while significantly reducing false regulatory predictions. The performance of MICFuzzy was evaluated using DREAM3 and DREAM4 challenge data, and the SOS real gene expression dataset. MICFuzzy outperformed the other state-of-the-art methods in terms of F-score, Matthews Correlation Coefficient, Structural Accuracy, and SS_mean, and outperformed most of them in terms of efficiency. MICFuzzy also had improved efficiency compared with the classical fuzzy model since the design of MICFuzzy leads to a reduction in combinatorial computation. Copyright: © 2023 Nakulugamuwa Gamage et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Modeling the effects of particle shape on damping ratio of dry sand by simple shear testing and artificial intelligence
- Baghbani, Abolfazl, Costa, Susanga, Faradonbeh, Roohoollah, Soltani, Amin, Baghbani, Hasan
- Authors: Baghbani, Abolfazl , Costa, Susanga , Faradonbeh, Roohoollah , Soltani, Amin , Baghbani, Hasan
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 7 (2023), p.
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- Description: This study investigates the effects of sand particle shape, in terms of roundness, sphericity and regularity, on the damping ratio of a dry sand material. Twelve different cyclic simple shear testing scenarios were considered and applied using vertical stresses of 50, 150 and 250 kPa and cyclic stress ratios (CSR) of 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 in both constant- and controlled-stress modes. Each testing scenario involved five tests, using the same sand that was reconstructed from its previous cyclic test. On completion of the cyclic tests, corresponding hysteresis loops were established to determine the damping ratio. The results indicated that the minimum and maximum damping ratios for this sand material were 6.9 and 25.5, respectively. It was observed that the shape of the sand particles changed during cyclic loading, becoming progressively more rounded and spherical with an increasing number of loading cycles, thereby resulting in an increase in the damping ratio. The second part of this investigation involved the development of artificial intelligence models, namely an artificial neural network (ANN) and a support vector machine (SVM), to predict the effects of sand particle shape on the damping ratio. The proposed ANN and SVM models were found to be effective in predicting the damping ratio as a function of the particle shape descriptors (i.e., roundness, sphericity and regularity), vertical stress, CSR and number of loading cycles. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the importance of the input variables; the vertical stress and regularity were, respectively, ranked as first and second in terms of importance, while the CSR was found to be the least important parameter. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Baghbani, Abolfazl , Costa, Susanga , Faradonbeh, Roohoollah , Soltani, Amin , Baghbani, Hasan
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 7 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study investigates the effects of sand particle shape, in terms of roundness, sphericity and regularity, on the damping ratio of a dry sand material. Twelve different cyclic simple shear testing scenarios were considered and applied using vertical stresses of 50, 150 and 250 kPa and cyclic stress ratios (CSR) of 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 in both constant- and controlled-stress modes. Each testing scenario involved five tests, using the same sand that was reconstructed from its previous cyclic test. On completion of the cyclic tests, corresponding hysteresis loops were established to determine the damping ratio. The results indicated that the minimum and maximum damping ratios for this sand material were 6.9 and 25.5, respectively. It was observed that the shape of the sand particles changed during cyclic loading, becoming progressively more rounded and spherical with an increasing number of loading cycles, thereby resulting in an increase in the damping ratio. The second part of this investigation involved the development of artificial intelligence models, namely an artificial neural network (ANN) and a support vector machine (SVM), to predict the effects of sand particle shape on the damping ratio. The proposed ANN and SVM models were found to be effective in predicting the damping ratio as a function of the particle shape descriptors (i.e., roundness, sphericity and regularity), vertical stress, CSR and number of loading cycles. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the importance of the input variables; the vertical stress and regularity were, respectively, ranked as first and second in terms of importance, while the CSR was found to be the least important parameter. © 2023 by the authors.
Order of intermittent rock fractured surfaces
- Aligholi, Saeed, Khandelwal, Manoj
- Authors: Aligholi, Saeed , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 1 (2023), p.
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- Description: According to chaos theory, some underlying patterns can disclose the order of disordered systems. Here, it has been discussed that intermittency of rough rock fractured surfaces is an orderable disorder at intermediate length scales. However, this kind of disorder is more complicated than simple fractal or even multi-scaling behaviours. It is planned to deal with some multifractal spectra that systematically change as a function of the analysed domain. Accordingly, some parameters are introduced that can perfectly take into account such systematic behaviour and quantify the intermittency of the studied surfaces. This framework can be used to quantify and model the roughness of fractured surfaces as a prerequisite factor for the analysis of fluid flow in rock media as well as the shear strength of rock joints. Ultimately, the presented framework can be used for analysing the intermittency of time series and developing new models for predicting, for instance, seismic or flood events in a short time with higher accuracy. © 2022 by the authors.
- Authors: Aligholi, Saeed , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: According to chaos theory, some underlying patterns can disclose the order of disordered systems. Here, it has been discussed that intermittency of rough rock fractured surfaces is an orderable disorder at intermediate length scales. However, this kind of disorder is more complicated than simple fractal or even multi-scaling behaviours. It is planned to deal with some multifractal spectra that systematically change as a function of the analysed domain. Accordingly, some parameters are introduced that can perfectly take into account such systematic behaviour and quantify the intermittency of the studied surfaces. This framework can be used to quantify and model the roughness of fractured surfaces as a prerequisite factor for the analysis of fluid flow in rock media as well as the shear strength of rock joints. Ultimately, the presented framework can be used for analysing the intermittency of time series and developing new models for predicting, for instance, seismic or flood events in a short time with higher accuracy. © 2022 by the authors.
Quantification of intra- vs. inter-row leaching of major plant nutrients in sloping vineyard soils
- Filipović, Lana, Krevh, Vedran, Chen, Rui, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Kovač, Zoran, Mustać, Ivan, Bogunović, Igor, He, Hailong, Baumgartl, Thomas, Gerke, Horst, Toor, Gurpal, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Filipović, Lana , Krevh, Vedran , Chen, Rui , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Kovač, Zoran , Mustać, Ivan , Bogunović, Igor , He, Hailong , Baumgartl, Thomas , Gerke, Horst , Toor, Gurpal , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 4 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Nutrient leaching from agricultural soils presents an economic loss for farmers and can degrade the quality of the surrounding environment. Thus, leachates from 18 in situ wick lysimeters, installed at 40 cm soil depth at the vineyard hilltop, backslope, and footslope intra- and inter-row area (SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory, Croatia) were collected monthly over two years and analyzed for major plant nutrient ions. Our objectives were to quantify nutrient losses via leaching from the hilltop towards the backslope and to the footslope, and to compare leaching from vine plant rows (intra-row) with grassed areas between vine rows (inter-row). We found that the concentrations of nitrate, orthophosphate, and potassium were significantly higher in leachates collected at the footslope as compared to the hilltop and backslope only at intra- and not at inter-row positions, while ammonium was independent of the slope and row positions. The vineyard intra-row is identified as the probable spatial origin of nutrient leaching along the slope, thus confirming spatially different contributions of overall hillslope to major plant nutrients leaching. The experimental field scheme used in this study, which separately analyses vineyard intra- and inter-row, was confirmed to be an adequate approach for optimizing vineyard management practices. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Filipović, Lana , Krevh, Vedran , Chen, Rui , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Kovač, Zoran , Mustać, Ivan , Bogunović, Igor , He, Hailong , Baumgartl, Thomas , Gerke, Horst , Toor, Gurpal , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 4 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Nutrient leaching from agricultural soils presents an economic loss for farmers and can degrade the quality of the surrounding environment. Thus, leachates from 18 in situ wick lysimeters, installed at 40 cm soil depth at the vineyard hilltop, backslope, and footslope intra- and inter-row area (SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory, Croatia) were collected monthly over two years and analyzed for major plant nutrient ions. Our objectives were to quantify nutrient losses via leaching from the hilltop towards the backslope and to the footslope, and to compare leaching from vine plant rows (intra-row) with grassed areas between vine rows (inter-row). We found that the concentrations of nitrate, orthophosphate, and potassium were significantly higher in leachates collected at the footslope as compared to the hilltop and backslope only at intra- and not at inter-row positions, while ammonium was independent of the slope and row positions. The vineyard intra-row is identified as the probable spatial origin of nutrient leaching along the slope, thus confirming spatially different contributions of overall hillslope to major plant nutrients leaching. The experimental field scheme used in this study, which separately analyses vineyard intra- and inter-row, was confirmed to be an adequate approach for optimizing vineyard management practices. © 2023 by the authors.
Radial and oblique impact testing of alpine helmets onto snow surfaces
- Patton, Declan, Mohammadi, Reza, Halldin, Peter, Kleiven, Svein, McIntosh, Andrew
- Authors: Patton, Declan , Mohammadi, Reza , Halldin, Peter , Kleiven, Svein , McIntosh, Andrew
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 6 (2023), p.
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- Description: Recent studies have found that alpine helmets reduce the risk of focal injuries associated with radial impacts, which is likely due to current alpine helmet standards requiring helmets to be drop-tested on flat anvils with only linear acceleration pass criteria. There is a need to evaluate the performance of alpine helmets in more realistic impacts. The current study developed a method to assess the performance of alpine helmets for radial and oblique impacts on snow surfaces in a laboratory setting. Snow samples were collected from a groomed area of a ski slope. Radial impacts were performed as drop tests onto a stationary snow sample. Oblique impacts were performed as drop tests onto a snow sample moving horizontally. For radial impacts, snow sample collection time was found to significantly (p = 0.005) influence mean peak linear headform acceleration with an increase in ambient temperature softening the snow samples. For oblique tests, the recreational alpine sports helmet with a rotation-damping system (RDS) significantly (p = 0.002) reduced mean peak angular acceleration compared to the same helmets with no RDS by approximately 44%. The ski racing helmet also significantly (p = 0.006) reduced mean peak angular acceleration compared to the recreational alpine sports helmet with no RDS by approximately 33%, which was attributed to the smooth outer shell of the ski racing helmet. The current study helps to bridge the knowledge gap between real helmet impacts on alpine snow slopes and laboratory helmet impacts on rigid surfaces. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Patton, Declan , Mohammadi, Reza , Halldin, Peter , Kleiven, Svein , McIntosh, Andrew
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 6 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Recent studies have found that alpine helmets reduce the risk of focal injuries associated with radial impacts, which is likely due to current alpine helmet standards requiring helmets to be drop-tested on flat anvils with only linear acceleration pass criteria. There is a need to evaluate the performance of alpine helmets in more realistic impacts. The current study developed a method to assess the performance of alpine helmets for radial and oblique impacts on snow surfaces in a laboratory setting. Snow samples were collected from a groomed area of a ski slope. Radial impacts were performed as drop tests onto a stationary snow sample. Oblique impacts were performed as drop tests onto a snow sample moving horizontally. For radial impacts, snow sample collection time was found to significantly (p = 0.005) influence mean peak linear headform acceleration with an increase in ambient temperature softening the snow samples. For oblique tests, the recreational alpine sports helmet with a rotation-damping system (RDS) significantly (p = 0.002) reduced mean peak angular acceleration compared to the same helmets with no RDS by approximately 44%. The ski racing helmet also significantly (p = 0.006) reduced mean peak angular acceleration compared to the recreational alpine sports helmet with no RDS by approximately 33%, which was attributed to the smooth outer shell of the ski racing helmet. The current study helps to bridge the knowledge gap between real helmet impacts on alpine snow slopes and laboratory helmet impacts on rigid surfaces. © 2023 by the authors.
Soil–water dynamics investigation at agricultural hillslope with high-precision weighing lysimeters and soil–water collection systems
- Krevh, Vedran, Groh, Jannis, Filipović, Lana, Gerke, Horst, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Thompson, Sally, Sraka, Mario, Bogunović, Igor, Kovač, Zoran, Robinson, Nathan, Baumgartl, Thomas, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Krevh, Vedran , Groh, Jannis , Filipović, Lana , Gerke, Horst , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Thompson, Sally , Sraka, Mario , Bogunović, Igor , Kovač, Zoran , Robinson, Nathan , Baumgartl, Thomas , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 13 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
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- Description: A quantitative understanding of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and soil–water dynamics in a hillslope agroecosystem is vital for sustainable water resource management and soil conservation; however, the complexity of processes and conditions involving lateral subsurface flow (LSF) can be a limiting factor in the full comprehension of hillslope soil–water dynamics. The research was carried out at SUPREHILL CZO located on a hillslope agroecosystem (vineyard) over a period of two years (2021–2022) by combining soil characterization and field hydrological measurements, including weighing lysimeters, sensor measurements, and LSF collection system measurements. Lysimeters were placed on the hilltop and the footslope, both having a dynamic controlled bottom boundary, which corresponded to field pressure head measurements, to mimic field soil–water dynamics. Water balance components between the two positions on the slope were compared with the goal of identifying differences that might reveal hydrologically driven differences due to LSF paths across the hillslope. The usually considered limitations of these lysimeters, or the borders preventing LSF through the domain, acted as an aid within this installation setup, as the lack of LSF was compensated for through the pumping system at the footslope. The findings from lysimeters were compared with LSF collection system measurements. Weighing lysimeter data indicated that LSF controlled ETa rates. The results suggest that the onset of LSF contributes to the spatial crop productivity distribution in hillslopes. The present approach may be useful for investigating the impact of LSF on water balance components for similar hillslope sites and crops or other soil surface covers. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Krevh, Vedran , Groh, Jannis , Filipović, Lana , Gerke, Horst , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Thompson, Sally , Sraka, Mario , Bogunović, Igor , Kovač, Zoran , Robinson, Nathan , Baumgartl, Thomas , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 13 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: A quantitative understanding of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and soil–water dynamics in a hillslope agroecosystem is vital for sustainable water resource management and soil conservation; however, the complexity of processes and conditions involving lateral subsurface flow (LSF) can be a limiting factor in the full comprehension of hillslope soil–water dynamics. The research was carried out at SUPREHILL CZO located on a hillslope agroecosystem (vineyard) over a period of two years (2021–2022) by combining soil characterization and field hydrological measurements, including weighing lysimeters, sensor measurements, and LSF collection system measurements. Lysimeters were placed on the hilltop and the footslope, both having a dynamic controlled bottom boundary, which corresponded to field pressure head measurements, to mimic field soil–water dynamics. Water balance components between the two positions on the slope were compared with the goal of identifying differences that might reveal hydrologically driven differences due to LSF paths across the hillslope. The usually considered limitations of these lysimeters, or the borders preventing LSF through the domain, acted as an aid within this installation setup, as the lack of LSF was compensated for through the pumping system at the footslope. The findings from lysimeters were compared with LSF collection system measurements. Weighing lysimeter data indicated that LSF controlled ETa rates. The results suggest that the onset of LSF contributes to the spatial crop productivity distribution in hillslopes. The present approach may be useful for investigating the impact of LSF on water balance components for similar hillslope sites and crops or other soil surface covers. © 2023 by the authors.
Sustainability of a rainfed wheat production system in relation to water and nitrogen dynamics in the soil in the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
- Phogat, Vinod, Šimůnek, Jirka, Petrie, Paul, Pitt, Tim, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Phogat, Vinod , Šimůnek, Jirka , Petrie, Paul , Pitt, Tim , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 18 (2023), p.
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- Description: Rainfed wheat production systems are usually characterized by low-fertility soils and frequent droughts, creating an unfavorable environment for sustainable crop production. In this study, we used a processed-based biophysical numerical model to evaluate the water balance and nitrogen (N) dynamics in soils under rainfed wheat cultivation at low (219 mm, Pygery) and medium rainfall (392 mm, Yeelanna) sites in south Australia over the two seasons. Estimated evapotranspiration components and N partitioning data were used to calibrate and validate the model and to compute wheat’s water and N use efficiency. There was a large disparity in the estimated water balance components at the two sites. Plant water uptake accounted for 40–50% of rainfall, more at the low rainfall site. In contrast, leaching losses of up to 25% of seasonal rainfall at the medium rainfall site (Yeelanna) indicate a significant amount of water evading the root zone. The model-predicted N partitioning revealed that ammonia–nitrogen (NH4–N) contributed little to plant N nutrition, and its concentration in the soil remained below 2 ppm throughout the crop season except immediately after the NH4–N-based fertilizer application. Nitrate–nitrogen (NO3–N) contributed to most N uptake during both seasons at both locations. The N losses from the soil at the medium rainfall site (3.5–20.5 kg ha
- Authors: Phogat, Vinod , Šimůnek, Jirka , Petrie, Paul , Pitt, Tim , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 18 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Rainfed wheat production systems are usually characterized by low-fertility soils and frequent droughts, creating an unfavorable environment for sustainable crop production. In this study, we used a processed-based biophysical numerical model to evaluate the water balance and nitrogen (N) dynamics in soils under rainfed wheat cultivation at low (219 mm, Pygery) and medium rainfall (392 mm, Yeelanna) sites in south Australia over the two seasons. Estimated evapotranspiration components and N partitioning data were used to calibrate and validate the model and to compute wheat’s water and N use efficiency. There was a large disparity in the estimated water balance components at the two sites. Plant water uptake accounted for 40–50% of rainfall, more at the low rainfall site. In contrast, leaching losses of up to 25% of seasonal rainfall at the medium rainfall site (Yeelanna) indicate a significant amount of water evading the root zone. The model-predicted N partitioning revealed that ammonia–nitrogen (NH4–N) contributed little to plant N nutrition, and its concentration in the soil remained below 2 ppm throughout the crop season except immediately after the NH4–N-based fertilizer application. Nitrate–nitrogen (NO3–N) contributed to most N uptake during both seasons at both locations. The N losses from the soil at the medium rainfall site (3.5–20.5 kg ha
The effectiveness of online mental health first aid training in community rugby : a mixed-methods approach
- Russell, Suzanna, Kelly, Vincent, Polman, Remco, Warren-James, Matthew
- Authors: Russell, Suzanna , Kelly, Vincent , Polman, Remco , Warren-James, Matthew
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 7 (2023), p.
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- Reviewed:
- Description: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training exists to improve supportive behaviours towards peers, increase mental health literacy, and reduce stigma. Community sport clubs have potential to successfully deliver mental health programs. This study investigated the effectiveness of online MHFA training undertaken by members of the rugby community and evaluated the feasibility and usefulness of the online delivery mode and users’ engagement with it. A mixed-methods approach was used to provide depth of understanding through qualitative analysis, combined with quantitative outcomes. Online surveys examining participants’ knowledge and perceptions were administered pre- and post-MHFA training. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) across all assessed domains were observed post- compared to pre-MHFA training. A large effect size was identified in relation to advice giving and sign and symptom identification. A moderate effect size pre- to post-improvement was identified for users’ perceptions of therapy’s effectiveness, the ability of people with severe mental health conditions to recover, and benefit of a healthcare professional. Participants endorsed the MHFA program to improve mental health literacy, advance non-technical skills, and improve confidence. MHFA training can increase the awareness and knowledge of mental health issues in key individuals in community sport clubs and enable them to aid people with mental health concerns. Online MHFA training is associated with improved mental health literacy and may be a suitable and economically sustainable model for community sport. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Russell, Suzanna , Kelly, Vincent , Polman, Remco , Warren-James, Matthew
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 7 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training exists to improve supportive behaviours towards peers, increase mental health literacy, and reduce stigma. Community sport clubs have potential to successfully deliver mental health programs. This study investigated the effectiveness of online MHFA training undertaken by members of the rugby community and evaluated the feasibility and usefulness of the online delivery mode and users’ engagement with it. A mixed-methods approach was used to provide depth of understanding through qualitative analysis, combined with quantitative outcomes. Online surveys examining participants’ knowledge and perceptions were administered pre- and post-MHFA training. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) across all assessed domains were observed post- compared to pre-MHFA training. A large effect size was identified in relation to advice giving and sign and symptom identification. A moderate effect size pre- to post-improvement was identified for users’ perceptions of therapy’s effectiveness, the ability of people with severe mental health conditions to recover, and benefit of a healthcare professional. Participants endorsed the MHFA program to improve mental health literacy, advance non-technical skills, and improve confidence. MHFA training can increase the awareness and knowledge of mental health issues in key individuals in community sport clubs and enable them to aid people with mental health concerns. Online MHFA training is associated with improved mental health literacy and may be a suitable and economically sustainable model for community sport. © 2023 by the authors.