An IC Intervention for Post-Conflict Northern Ireland Secondary schools

Without carefully planned, sustained resourcing of children and young people, post-conflict Northern Ireland (NI) may fail to flourish. In May, 2016, MI5 (the UK domestic security agency) increased the security threat level from moderate to substantial for NI related terrorism. For over two years we have been partnership building in post-conflict NI to produce a plan for developing an evidence-based integrative complexity resource for NI secondary schools. Integrative complexity interventions have been shown effective at increasing capacities in a range of contexts, on different conflicts and extremisms, with diverse population samples (evaluated using the cross-culturally validated integrative complexity measurement frame). Based on over forty years of research,[1] integrative complexity measures assess how we think about our social world, from rapid, inflexible, closed thinking toward more deliberate, flexible, open thinking about our own and opposed groups. The latter predicts more peaceful outcomes to conflict. This research plan has the most rigorous and systematic empirical design to date, to advance the theory and method of integrative complexity science in partnership with end-users for promoting capacities to live well with difference and disagreement. The findings will benefit NI and other post-conflict regions struggling to overcome legacies of violence. [1] Peter Suedfeld and Philip E. Tetlock, “Integrative complexity at forty: Steps toward resolving the scoring dilemma,” Political Psychology 35 (2014): 597-601

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Verkkotapaamisneuvottelun kehittäminen Yrityksessä X

Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kehittää Yritys X:n verkkotapaamisneuvottelua. Verkkotapaamisneuvottelut ovat yleistyneet viimeisten vuosien aikana ja tämän vuoksi toiminnan jatkuva kehittäminen on tärkeää. Tavoitteena oli kehittää toimintaa entistä asiakaslähtöisemmäksi. Tutkimuksessa pyrittiin hyvin konkreettisiin ja helposti käytäntöön vietäviin kehitysehdotuksiin. Tutkimuksen teoriaosuus käsittelee asiakaskokemusta, asiakastyytyväisyyttä sekä digitaalisuutta. Asiakaskokemuksen osalta teoria muodostuu asiakaskokemukseen vaikuttavista tekijöistä ja mistä asiakaskokemus sekä asiakastyytyväisyys syntyy. Digitaalinen teoriaosuus painottuu enemmän verkkotapaamiseen ja siihen mitä vaaditaan onnistuneeseen verkkotapaamiseen. Teoriassa pyritään myös löytämään sellaisia tekijöitä, mitä hyödyntäen verkkotapaamisneuvotteluista pystytään tekemään entistä asiakaslähtöisemmäksi. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin laadullista tutkimusmenetelmää. Tutkimuksen aineistonkeruumenetelmät koostuivat havainnointi- ja haastattelututkimuksista sekä benchmarkingista. Havainnointi toteutettiin eri ajankohtina kolmessa eri osassa. Haastattelut toteutettiin yhtä lailla eri ajankohtina ja yhteensä tässä tutkimuksessa tehtiin neljä asiantuntijahaastattelua. Haastateltavat työskentelivät eri tehtävissä, mutta jokainen haastateltava on päivittäin tekemisissä verkkotapaamisneuvotteluiden kanssa. Haastattelu- ja havainnointitukimuksessa oli tarkoituksena kerätä mahdollisimman laaja-alaista tietoa verkkotapaamisneuvottelun kehittämiseen. Tutkimuksesta pyrittiin saamaan mahdollisimman kattava sekä luotettava. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli tuoda mahdollisimman todenmukaisia kehitysehdotuksia ilman suuria rahallisia investointeja. Verkkotapaamisneuvottelun kehittäminen on jatkuvaa työtä, mutta tämä opinnäytetyö luo kehitykselle vahvan pohjan. Tutkimuksessa ei pyritä löytämään kehitysehdotuksia teknilliseen puoleen vaan verkkotapaamisneuvottelun asiakasviestintään ja palvelukokemukseen. Kehitysehdotuksista on hyötyä toimeksiantajalle sekä tutkijalle.The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis was to develop the online meeting at Company X. Online meetings have become more frequent in recent years and therefore the continuous development of business it is important. The purpose of the bachelor’s thesis was to develop the online meetings in a more customer-oriented direction. The development proposals offered in the conclusion of the report do not require large investments because many of these relate to customer communications. The theoretical part of the thesis report deals with customer experience, customer satisfaction and online meetings. The sections on customer experience and customer satisfaction explain what customer service is and why it is so important to the company. The sections on online meetings focus on the functioning of the online meeting. In this thesis project a qualitative research method was used, including interviews and observational research as data collection tools. A third research method was benchmarking. The observational research was carried out in three parts. This research included four interviews, with all interviewees working in various positions but still using online meetings on a daily basis. The aim of the research was to collect as much information as possible because the investigation was intended to be comprehensive and reliable. All information collected in the research was wide-ranging and useful. The purpose of the research was to create specific development proposals that could be implemented without large investments. The development of its online meetings is an ongoing process within the company and this bachelor’s thesis gives the company concrete development proposals. The research did not aim to develop the technology, but rather to develop customer communications and customer experience. The bank can use this study when they are palnning the development of their online meetings in the future

MRI - Fluorescence Microscope

Dr. Paula Furey, Assistant Professor of Biology, Dr. Andrea Kalis, Assistant Professor of Biology, Dr. Tami McDonald, Assistant Professor of Biology, and Dr. Kay Tweeten, Professor of Biology, are awarded $118,179 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the acquisition of a Leica DM6B fluorescence microscope. This microscope will expand the research capacity of biology faculty at the university and will engage students from the university’s College for Women in research training in the biological sciences. The fluorescence microscope will prepare women undergraduates of all backgrounds to succeed in graduate school and scientific careers by providing access to and training in modern microscopy, imaging techniques and image analysis. The expanded research capacity made possible by the microscope will also contribute to efforts in faculty diversification while aiding current faculty to conduct research, produce publication quality images and obtain grant funding. Access to this instrumentation will stimulate new collaborations among faculty within the University’s Biology Department, between biology faculty and those in broader STEM disciplines, and with existing research collaborators at other universities

The importance of native and exotic plant identity and dominance on decomposition patterns in mountain woodlands of central Argentina

Exotic species can have a strong influence on ecosystem processes, especially when exotic invaders differ from natives in key morpho-functional features. We explored whether exotic species, especially those forming monospecific patches in Chaco montane woodlands, differ from natives in leaf attributes and decomposability. We then evaluated how exotic monospecific patches in that region alter litter decomposability, by weighting leaf trait values and decomposability by species abundance in the communities. In general, native and exotic species from Córdoba Chaco montane woodlands did not differ in leaf attributes (specific leaf area, leaf toughness, and leaf water content), or decomposability. Because of similar trait values and decomposability, we expected to find no differences in litter decomposability between plots dominated by exotic species and those of Native woodland. However, individual species decomposability weighted by species abundance in the communities showed that litter from exotic monospecific plots had slower decomposition than native ones. This pattern was confirmed by the higher decomposability and higher quality of the naturally mixed litter collected from native plots, compared to those collected from exotic plots. Despite the general similarities between most native and exotic species inhabiting Chaco montane woodlands, the overwhelming dominance of some exotic invaders in monospecific stands (and the consequent weight of their attributes on the litter each woodland produces) might be driving differences in decomposition patterns between woodland types. Our results indicate that when estimating the impact of exotic species on ecosystem processes, we should include their relative abundance in the community, as well as the relevance of the traits influencing those processes. Otherwise, we may draw erroneous conclusions.Fil: Furey, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Tecco, Paula Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Giorgis, Melisa Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Grossi, Mariana Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnológico La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División de Plantas Vasculares; Argentin