Exploring the data divide through a social practice lens : A qualitative study of UK cattle farmers

Appropriate management decisions are key for sustainable and profitable beef and dairy farming. Data-driven technologies aim to provide information which can improve farmers’ decision-making practices. However, data-driven technologies have resulted in the emergence of a “data divide”, in which there is a gap between the generation and use of data. Our study aims to further understand the data divide by drawing on social practice theory to recognise the emergence, linkages, and reproduction of youngstock data practices on cattle farms in the UK. Eight focus groups with fifteen beef and nineteen dairy farmers were completed. The topics of discussion included data use, technology use, disease management in youngstock, and future goals for their farm. The transcribed data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with a social practice lens. Social practice theory uses practices as the unit of analysis, rather than focusing on individual behaviours. Practices are formed of three elements: meaning (e.g., beliefs), materials (e.g., objects), and competencies (e.g., skills) and are connected in time and space. We conceptualised the data divide as a disconnection of data collection practices and data use and interpretation practices. Consequently, we were able to generate five themes that represent these breaks in connection.Our findings suggest that a data divide exists because of meanings that de-stabilise practices, tensions in farmers’ competencies to perform practices, spatial and temporal disconnects, and lack of forms of feedback on data practices. The data preparation practice, where farmers had to merge different data sources or type up handwritten data, had negative meanings attached to it and was therefore sometimes not performed. Farmers tended to associate data and technology practices with larger dairy farms, which could restrict beef and small-scale dairy farms from performing these practices. Some farmers suggested that they lacked the skills to use technologies and struggled to transform their data into meaningful outputs. Data preparation and data use and interpretation practices were often tied to an office space because of the required infrastructure, but farmers preferred to spend time outdoors and with their animals. There appeared to be no normalisation of what data should be collected or what data should be analysed, which made it difficult for farmers to benchmark their progress. Some farmers did not have access to discussion groups or veterinarians who were interested in data and therefore could not get feedback on their data practices.These results suggest that the data divide exists because of three types of disconnect: a disconnect between elements within a practice because of tensions in competencies or negative meanings to perform a practice; a disconnect between practices because of temporal or spatial differences; and a break in the reproduction of practices because of lack of feedback on their practices. Data use on farms can be improved through transformation of practices by ensuring farmers have input in the design of technologies so that they align with their values and competencies

Appropriate dairy calf feeding from birth to weaning: “it’s an investment for the future”

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Dairy calves must be fed appropriately to meet their nutritional needs, supporting optimal growth and development to achieve the recommended target age at first calving (AFC) of 24 months. Traditional restricted milk feeding practices suppress growth, contribute to negative welfare states and may result in malnutrition and immunosuppression. Despite more recent recommendations to increase milk allowances for pre-weaned calves, restricted feeding remains a common practice. This study explored the rationales behind the calf feeding protocols used by dairy farmers in England. Forty qualitative interviews (26 farmers, 14 advisors) were conducted between May 2016 and June 2017, transcribed in full, then coded into themes. Results indicate that a variety of calf feeding regimes are used on farms, largely determined by farmers’ attitudes regarding ease of management and the wellbeing of calves. Advisors were concerned about widespread underfeeding of calves, which may be partially due to insufficiently clear recommendations for calf milk replacer (CMR) feeding rates. There was also evidence of uncertainty regarding best practices for weaning calves. Collaboration between academic research and industry is essential to establish a consensus on calf feeding standards which support physiological function, facilitate weaning, support growth targets and ensure calf health and welfare is protected

Thickness dependant characterization of chemically exfoliated TiS2 nanosheets

Monolayer TiS2 is the lightest member of the transition metal dichalcogenides family with promising application in energy storage and conversion systems. Use of TiS2 has been limited by the lack of rapid characterisation of layer number via Raman spectroscopy and its easy oxidation in wet environment. Here, we demonstrate layer number dependent Raman modes for TiS2. 1T-TiS2 presents two characteristics Raman active modes, A1g (out-of-plane) and Eg (in-plane). We identified a characteristic peak frequency shift of the Eg mode with the layer number and an unexplored Raman mode at 372 cm-1 whose intensity changes relative to the A1g mode with the thickness of TiS2 sheets. These two characteristic features of the Raman spectra allow the determination of layer numbers between 1 and 5 in exfoliated TiS2. Further, we develop a method to produce oxidation-resistant inks of micron sized mono- and few-layered TiS2 nanosheets at concentrations up to 1 mg/mL .These TiS2 inks can be deposited to form thin films with controllable thickness and nanosheet density over cm2 areas. This opens up pathways for a wider utilization of exofliated TiS2 towards a range of applications

High-Mobility and High-Optical Quality Atomically Thin WS 2

The rise of atomically thin materials has the potential to enable a paradigm shift in modern technologies by introducing multi-functional materials in the semiconductor industry. To date the growth of high quality atomically thin semiconductors (e.g. WS2) is one of the most pressing challenges to unleash the potential of these materials and the growth of mono- or bi-layers with high crystal quality is yet to see its full realization. Here, we show that the novel use of molecular precursors in the controlled synthesis of mono- and bi-layer WS2 leads to superior material quality compared to the widely used direct sulfidization of WO3-based precursors. Record high room temperature charge carrier mobility up to 52 cm2/Vs and ultra-sharp photoluminescence linewidth of just 36 meV over submillimeter areas demonstrate that the quality of this material supersedes also that of naturally occurring materials. By exploiting surface diffusion kinetics of W and S species adsorbed onto a substrate, a deterministic layer thickness control has also been achieved promoting the design of scalable synthesis routes

Non-allergic rhinitis: a case report and review

Rhinitis is characterized by rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal congestion, nasal itch and/or postnasal drip. Often the first step in arriving at a diagnosis is to exclude or diagnose sensitivity to inhalant allergens. Non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) comprises multiple distinct conditions that may even co-exist with allergic rhinitis (AR). They may differ in their presentation and treatment. As well, the pathogenesis of NAR is not clearly elucidated and likely varied. There are many conditions that can have similar presentations to NAR or AR, including nasal polyps, anatomical/mechanical factors, autoimmune diseases, metabolic conditions, genetic conditions and immunodeficiency. Here we present a case of a rare condition initially diagnosed and treated as typical allergic rhinitis vs. vasomotor rhinitis, but found to be something much more serious. This case illustrates the importance of maintaining an appropriate differential diagnosis for a complaint routinely seen as mundane. The case presentation is followed by a review of the potential causes and pathogenesis of NAR

EAACI position paper on occupational rhinitis

The present document is the result of a consensus reached by a panel of experts from European and non-European countries on Occupational Rhinitis (OR), a disease of emerging relevance which has received little attention in comparison to occupational asthma. The document covers the main items of OR including epidemiology, diagnosis, management, socio-economic impact, preventive strategies and medicolegal issues. An operational definition and classification of OR tailored on that of occupational asthma, as well as a diagnostic algorithm based on steps allowing for different levels of diagnostic evidence are proposed. The needs for future research are pointed out. Key messages are issued for each item

Direct solution-phase synthesis of 1T’ WSe2 nanosheets

Crystal phase control in layered transition metal dichalcogenides is central for exploiting their different electronic properties. Access to metastable crystal phases is limited as their direct synthesis is challenging, restricting the spectrum of reachable materials. Here, we demonstrate the solution phase synthesis of the metastable distorted octahedrally coordinated structure (1T’ phase) of WSe2 nanosheets. We design a kinetically-controlled regime of colloidal synthesis to enable the formation of the metastable phase. 1T’ WSe2 branched few-layered nanosheets are produced in high yield and in a reproducible and controlled manner. The 1T’ phase is fully convertible into the semiconducting 2H phase upon thermal annealing at 400 °C. The 1T’ WSe2 nanosheets demonstrate a metallic nature exhibited by an enhanced electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction as compared to the 2H WSe2 nanosheets and comparable to other 1T’ phases. This synthesis design can potentially be extended to different materials providing direct access of metastable phases

Impact of Polarity on Anisotropic Diffusion of Conjugated Organic Molecules on the 10 1 over bar 0 Zinc Oxide Surface

We study the influence of polarity on the binding and diffusion of single conjugated organic molecules on the inorganic (101̅0) zinc oxide surface by means of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations at room temperature and above. In particular, we consider the effects of partial fluorination of the para-sexiphenyl (p-6P) molecule with chemical modifications of one head group (p-6P2F) or both (symmetric) head and tail (p-6P4F). Quantum-mechanical and classical simulations both result in consistent and highly distinct dipole moments and densities of the fluorinated molecules, which interestingly lead to a weaker adhesion to the surface than for p-6P. The diffusion for all molecules is found to be normal and Arrhenius-like for long times. Intriguingly, close to room temperature, the polar molecules diffuse 1–2 orders of magnitude slower compared to the p-6P reference in the apolar x-direction of the electrostatically heterogeneous surface, whereas in the polar y-direction, they diffuse 1–2 orders of magnitude faster. We demonstrate that this rather unexpected behavior is governed by a subtle electrostatic anisotropic mismatch between the polar molecules and the chemically specific surface, as well as by increased entropic contributions coming from orientational and internal degrees of freedom