Proceedings of Abstracts Engineering and Computer Science Research Conference 2019

© 2019 The Author(s). This is an open-access work 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. For further details please see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Note: Keynote: Fluorescence visualisation to evaluate effectiveness of personal protective equipment for infection control is © 2019 Crown copyright and so is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Under this licence users are permitted to copy, publish, distribute and transmit the Information; adapt the Information; exploit the Information commercially and non-commercially for example, by combining it with other Information, or by including it in your own product or application. Where you do any of the above you must acknowledge the source of the Information in your product or application by including or linking to any attribution statement specified by the Information Provider(s) and, where possible, provide a link to this licence: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/This book is the record of abstracts submitted and accepted for presentation at the Inaugural Engineering and Computer Science Research Conference held 17th April 2019 at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK. This conference is a local event aiming at bringing together the research students, staff and eminent external guests to celebrate Engineering and Computer Science Research at the University of Hertfordshire. The ECS Research Conference aims to showcase the broad landscape of research taking place in the School of Engineering and Computer Science. The 2019 conference was articulated around three topical cross-disciplinary themes: Make and Preserve the Future; Connect the People and Cities; and Protect and Care

Root Causes of Low Vaccination Coverage and Under-Immunisation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Root Causes of Low Vaccination Coverage and Under-Immunisation in Sub-Saharan Africa.Sub–Saharan Africa (SSA) alone accounts for 40% of all global deaths, a phenomenon attributed to lack of access to available lifesaving vaccines (Wiysonge, Uthman, Ndumbe, & Hussey, 2012). WHO estimates that in 2019 the African region accounted for approximately 43% of unimmunised and incomplete immunised infants in the world (i.e.: 8.5 million of the global 19.4 million). Relatedly, the region scores the lowest immunisation coverage, at 76% versus the global coverage of 86% (WHO, 2020a). This is despite several documented efforts by different stakeholders to improve coverage in the region (Mihigo, Okeibunor, Anya, Mkanda, & Zawaira, 2017). Many studies have been conducted on coverage and drivers for and bottlenecks against immunisation in SSA. (Wiysonge, Uthman, Ndumbe, & Hussey, 2012), (Wiysonge, Young, Kredo, McCaul, & Volmik, 2015), (Mihigo, Okeibunor, Anya, Mkanda, & Zawaira, 2017), (Madhi & Rees, 2018),(Bangura, et al., 2020), all of which have observed that there is varied performance among the constituent countries, and also within countries over time, denoting some implicitly common underlying correlates threading through areas of higher performance; and the same is seen with the poorer performing areas. This consensus study therefore seeks to categorise and make explicit these “root causes” and based on documented successes, to make recommendations to address the bottlenecks and harness the opportunities for reaching every child with all the recommended vaccines. The theory of change presentation style used in this report, categorising the root causes under four broad interlinked themes, can provide a common basis to rally like-minded partners around a thematic cause and thus develop multi-component, comprehensive strategies to bring about impactful change. This is in line with the call made by the World Health Organisation Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, which recommended that countries, regions and global immunisation partners commit to a comprehensive review of progress, impact, and implementation of the WHO Global Vaccine Action Plan to inform a post-2020 strategy taking into account lessons learned. This strategy will assist with attaining the relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC

Bio-surveillance Capability Requirements for the Global Health Security: Study on Epidemiological Differences of COVID-19 Cases

Background: Just eleven months after the first reported COVID-19 infection, the global tally has surpassed 60 million cases with a global death toll standing at 1.4 million. Even though with the launch of the Global Health Security Agenda in 2014, only 67 countries came under the umbrella of this agenda and trying to exchange as well as integrate various strengths to fight against massive threats of multiple infectious diseases. The current Covid-19 pandemic basically exposed the paucity of capacities and capabilities of nations’ Bio-surveillance System, even the so-called developed ones. Method: Cross-sectional study was carried out within the time period of the 16th September - 30th November 2020, taking into account the secondary data of COVID-19 patients up to 22nd April 2020, in South Korea, Australia, & England as sample population. After the extensive analysis of the data-driven from the authorized websites of the three countries - the Incidence Rate (%) and Case Fatality Rate (%) according to age and sex groups were compared along with Crude Incidence Rate, Crude Mortality Rate, Age & Sex-Specific Incidence Rate, Age & Sex-Specific Mortality Rate, Age & Sex Adjusted Incidence rate, Age & Sex Adjusted Mortality rate, by plotting into charts and graphs. Results: In the case of all three countries, Incidence Rates are increasing with the increase in age of the population. Except for the female of South Korea, the incidence of COVID-19 in both the other two countries were high in case of the male population. the mortality rate of male patients was higher than female patients in all age groups in all three countries. In the case of England, the Incidence Rate (%) and Case Fatality Rate (%) according to age and sex groups along with Crude Incidence Rate, Crude Mortality Rate, Age & Sex-Specific Incidence Rate, Age & Sex-Specific Mortality Rate, Age & Sex Adjusted Incidence rate, Age & Sex Adjusted Mortality Rate all are 30 to more than 100 times higher than Australia and South Korea. Australia shows the lowest in COVID-19 infection and death rates among the countries in all aspects. Conclusion: This study shows the gaps of currently available bio-surveillance methods leading to an uncontrolled and unprecedented surge of the ongoing COVID-19 contagion and fatality world wide, driving mankind into an uncertain future. Ameliorating the currently available bio-hazard and disease surveillance system by filling those gaps up along with the help of continuous need-based research and innovations, imply tremendous importance to overcome the current situation and to predict upcoming “Disease-X” threats.open석

Impact of COVID-19 on the Italian Mental Health System: A Narrative Review

: Italy has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, consequently producing a heavy burden on the Italian National Health Service. From February 2020 until the end of the same year, the Italian Mental Health System (MHS), comprising an extensive network of community services, was subjected to a significant decrease in standards of care followed at the beginning of 2021 by a slow return to usual levels of activity. Data reported in the present article highlight how the Italian MHS - as was the case in the majority of countries-was largely unprepared for this emergency, suggesting an impelling need to develop appropriate supplementary national plans with the aim of preventing similar situations from developing in the future. The upheaval caused by the pandemic has highlighted the need to reinforce, both at a local and national level, the organization and standards of care of the Italian MHS in order to protect and support the mental health of patients with severe mental disorders, health workers, and the general population, thus preventing a potential "pandemic" of mental disorders

Methodologic issues in low back pain research in primary care

Study Design. Narrative review and discussion of the selected literature. Objectives. To discuss some important methodologic challenges in low back pain research in primary care. Summary of Background Data. Many methodologic problems must be confronted when conducting low back pain research. Some of these problems are back pain specific or specific to the primary care setting. Methods. Methodologic problems related to four research issues will be discussed: study designs, definition of low back pain, determinants of low back pain, and outcome assessment. Results. Two fundamentally different study designs are frequently used in low back pain research, namely observational studies and experimental studies. The definition of low back pain is typically restricted to a highly variable self-reported symptom, the sensation of pain in the back. There clearly is a need for an evidence-based classification system for low back pain. Because a tenable theoretical framework is lacking, it is difficult to know which determinants of low back pain should be quantified. Low back pain studies focus usually on health-related quality-of-life outcome parameters. The identification of the minimum clinically relevant changes for the most important outcome instruments needs further consideration. Conclusions. In years to come, low back pain researchers are challenged to overcome some of these (and other) problems to enhance the quality of low back pain research in primary care

Tropical beef cattle growth performance and meat quality in response to backgrounding on Desmanthus spp. pastures

Felista Mwangi investigated the effect of supplementing tropical beef cattle with desmanthus on performance and meat quality. She found that desmanthus can maintain animal weight gain and plasma metabolite profile without negatively affecting carcass traits and meat quality. Additionally, she identified genetic markers in lipogenic genes for carcass and meat quality improvement. Beef cattle producers are using the results of her study

Whose Heritage?

This edited collection challenges and re-imagines what is ‘heritage’ in Britain as a globalised, vernacular, cosmopolitan ‘post-nation’. It takes its inspiration from the foundational work of public intellectual Stuart Hall (1932-2014). Hall was instrumental in calling out embedded elitist conceptions of ‘The Heritage’ of Britain. The book’s authors challenge us to reconsider what is valued about Britain’s past, its culture and its citizens. Populist discourses around the world, including Brexit and ‘culture war’ declarations in the UK, demonstrate how heritage and ideas of the past are mobilised in racist politics. The multidisciplinary chapters of this book offer critical inspections of these politics, and dig deeply into the problems of theory, policy and practice in today’s academia, society and heritage sector. The volume challenges the lack of action since Hall rebuked ‘The Heritage’ twenty years ago. The authors featured here are predominantly Black Britons, academics and practitioners engaged in culture and heritage, spurred by the killing of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement to contest racist practices and structures that support them. The primary audience will be academics, but it will also attract culture sector practitioners and heritage institutions. However, the book is particularly aimed at scholars and community members who identify as Black, who are centrally concerned with questions of identity and race in British society. Its Open Access status will facilitate access to the book by all groups in society

Biodiversity, Culture, and Ecology of Trichoptera from Phum Duang tributaries, Surat Thani Province, Southern Thailand

Doctor of Philosophy (Aquaculture and Fishery Resources (International Program)), 2022Khao Sok, Khlong Phanom, Kaengkrung National parks, and Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary are among the protected areas in Surat Thani Province. They are located on the western side of Surat Thani city. This area is part of the lowlands of the Lower Phuket Mountain range, an extension of the Tenasserim Hills of the Indo-Malayan Mountain system, and serves as the main source of water supply to the streams of Khlong Sok, Khlong Phanom, Khlong Saeng, and Khlong Yang. These tributaries drain most of the eastern side of the Phuket Mountain range, they converged to form Phum Duang before joining the Tapi river which empties into the Thai gulf. To investigate the occurrence, distribution, and abundance of Trichoptera fauna, and to observe the life cycle and their ecological roles in this area, a survey was carried out in MarchDecember 2019. The survey was conducted along Khlong Sok, Khlong Phanom, Khlong Saeng, and Khlong Yan tributaries. The result showed that eighteen families (18), fifty-one (51) genera, and two hundred and one (201) instant species were found. Families Leptoceridae, Hydropsychidae, Philopotamidae, and Ecnomidae were the most diverse and abundant and constituted more than sixty percent (60%) of the total population of the insects observed. During the research, a new species of Agapetus kaengkrungensis belonging to the Family Glossosomatidae was described and added knowledge to science. Three new records were also found Polymorphanisus scutellatus BANKS 1939* Cheumatopsyche opposita BANKS 1931* Cheumatopsyche contexta ULMER 1951*. The relationship of water quality parameters recorded during the survey was analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation method, the result showed that some species displayed both positive and negative responses to some water environmental variables. The life cycle of the Macrostemum floridum of the Hydropsychidae family, one of the common and dominant species in the survey was studied. The larval collection was from February to July 2021, a total of one hundred and twenty-five (125) larvae were collected. Identification and morphological description of the final instar were made. The larva has five distinct instar developmental stages (I-V). A graphical representation of the five instars was also produced to further describe the progressive distribution of the larvae from the first to the final instars. The study included their importance as sources of food for fish as well as their ecological roles in processing organic matter and energy translocation. Further observations extended to the food and feeding habits of M. floridum larvae which revealed that its major food resources consumed were blue-green algae, green algae, and diatoms

Whose Heritage?

This edited collection challenges and re-imagines what is ‘heritage’ in Britain as a globalised, vernacular, cosmopolitan ‘post-nation’. It takes its inspiration from the foundational work of public intellectual Stuart Hall (1932-2014). Hall was instrumental in calling out embedded elitist conceptions of ‘The Heritage’ of Britain. The book’s authors challenge us to reconsider what is valued about Britain’s past, its culture and its citizens. Populist discourses around the world, including Brexit and ‘culture war’ declarations in the UK, demonstrate how heritage and ideas of the past are mobilised in racist politics. The multidisciplinary chapters of this book offer critical inspections of these politics, and dig deeply into the problems of theory, policy and practice in today’s academia, society and heritage sector. The volume challenges the lack of action since Hall rebuked ‘The Heritage’ twenty years ago. The authors featured here are predominantly Black Britons, academics and practitioners engaged in culture and heritage, spurred by the killing of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement to contest racist practices and structures that support them. The primary audience will be academics, but it will also attract culture sector practitioners and heritage institutions. However, the book is particularly aimed at scholars and community members who identify as Black, who are centrally concerned with questions of identity and race in British society. Its Open Access status will facilitate access to the book by all groups in society