Ireland’s Rural Environment: Research Highlights from Johnstown Castle

ReportThis booklet gives a flavour of the current research in Teagasc Johnstown Castle Research Centre and introduces you to the staff involved. It covers the areas of Nutrient Efficiency, Gaseous emissions, Agricultural Ecology, Soils and Water quality

An ontology-driven topic mapping approach to multi-level management of e-learning resources

An appropriate use of various pedagogical strategies is fundamental for the effective transfer of knowledge in a flourishing e-learning environment. The resultant information superfluity, however, needs to be tackled for developing sustainable e-learning. This necessitates an effective representation and intelligent access to learning resources. Topic maps address these problems of representation and retrieval of information in a distributed environment. The former aspect is particularly relevant where the subject domain is complex and the later aspect is important where the amount of resources is abundant but not easily accessible. Conversely, effective presentation of learning resources based on various pedagogical strategies along with global capturing and authentication of learning resources are an intrinsic part of effective management of learning resources. Towards fulfilling this objective, this paper proposes a multi-level ontology-driven topic mapping approach to facilitate an effective visualization, classification and global authoring of learning resources in e-learning

Information quality and diverse information systems situations

Information quality is a recurring problem that many organisations contend with. Despite investment in both technology, and the renement of information systems, the problem persists. Information systems deployment has; in recent years undergone radical change; the traditional deployment where the architecture, user and access device were known at the time of development, have been replaced by more diverse situations. These diverse situations include web interfaces, traditional client server and a mobile devices revolution. The aim of our research is to improve information quality assessment by catering for diverse information systems situations by the design and construction of a method. Several information quality frameworks have been developed to cater for these new and evolving information systems. The expansion of frameworks across a large number of domains presents problems with respect to: framework choice, appropriateness, validity and users perceptions of information quality. Through the application of gap analysis techniques, experiments and domain expertise the method has the potential to provide additional knowledge for information systems' stakeholders. Our method contributes to information quality as a eld of research by allowing for renement of the application of information quality frameworks for diverse information systems situations and also provides the basis for consolidation of information quality frameworks

Limitations of Weighted Sum Measures for Information Quality

In an age dominated by information, information quality (IQ) is one of the most important factors to consider for obtaining competitive advantages. The general approach to the study of IQ has relied heavily on management approaches, IQ frameworks and dimensions. There are many IQ measures proposed, however dimensions in most frameworks are analyzed and assessed independently. Approaches to aggregate values have been discussed, by which foremost research mostly suggests to estimate the overall quality of information by total all weighted dimension scores. In this paper, we review the suitability of this assessment approach. In our research we focus on IQ dependencies and trade-offs and we aim at demonstrating by means of an experiment that IQ dimensions are dependent. Based on our result of dependent IQ dimensions, we discuss implications for IQ improvement. Further research studies can build on our observations

Hockey Australia Survey Report 2022

Hockey Australia conducted their 2022 National membership survey. The SPRINTER group at the University of Sydney were engaged to analyse responses and help to inform strategic decisions within Hockey Australia that aim to achieve the organisations strategic directions; increase initiation and retention within the Hockey community. • In 2022, growth in Hockey Australia memberships was observed, from 93,923 members in 2021 to 95,798 members in 2022. • Hockey is successfully engaging new and re-engaging lapsed members, with 27,237 (28%) of their members new in 2022. • More than one in four hockey members (n=25,362; 27%) members who participated in 2021 but did not return for the 2022 hockey season. Retention was lowest for members aged 0-6 years and 18-25 years, females, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders, and members living in regional and remote areas. Continue recruiting new members, but also develop and implement evidence-based strategies to increase retention in members aged 18-25 years, females, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders, and members living in regional and remote areas. • Excellent survey response from members, providing confidence in the findings and these findings are likely to represent the broader Hockey community. However, response rates are lower than 2021 (Returning members ↓5.8%, new members ↓5.4%, and lost members ↓2.1%). Taking time to thank participants, feedback results and articulate how Hockey Australia have listened to the insights will promote long term engagement with the annual survey • Overall, members are satisfied with their hockey experience. Since 2020, returning member satisfaction has increased and remained high during 2021 and 2020. In 2022, 89% of returning members and 56% of lost members were satisfied with their hockey experience. • Fun was the overwhelming motivator for new, returning, and lost members. Prioritising having fun within the hockey community culture, for players and non-players, is essential to keep members engaged. • New members reported that improving skills was more important for them. Providing skill development opportunities should be prioritised among new members, 0–17-year olds, and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander members. • Maintaining opportunities for playing competitively is more important for returning members, males, and members living in major cities. • Providing opportunities to socialise at hockey is more important for older members (55+ years), Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander members, and members living in the most 3 disadvantaged areas. It is important to identify the target audience for specific hockey programs and strategically design programs that align with their motivations and meets their needs. • Top reasons for lost members not returning included other, medical, injury, age, cost, and no time. The membership survey should allow members to provide more details on these ‘other’ reasons. • For groups with the highest risk of being not returning, the top reason for 0-6 years was starting another sport, for 18-25 years was no time, for females was medical, specifically injury, and for members living in regional and remote areas was medical, specifically injury. Research recommends that children aged 0-12 should be encouraged to try multiple sports and avoid specialisation in one sport. Strategies to improve retention should be targeted towards members 12 years and above. Injury prevention and management information could be integrated into routine hockey communication. Members need a clear understanding of the factors that increase the risk of injury, and how to effectively manage injuries that do occur. • Top strategies to encourage more people to engage with hockey were reducing the cost for returning and lost members, and nothing for new members. • ‘Other’ strategies revolved around engaging young children in the school environment. Continue and increase promotion through schools – i.e., Hockey school roadshows and Sporting School programs. • Word of mouth is the most effective way to get new people to engage with hockey, with two thirds of new members hearing about hockey from friends and family. Create innovative approaches to encourage current members to invite friends and family to engage with hockey. For example, Hockey could encourage existing members to post about their hockey experiences on social media. • The quality of registration data has improved, and this is the first-year survey data analysis could be done for members with a disability and members who identified as Aboriginal. Continue the high-quality evaluation and making it ‘the hockey way’ is encouraged for future strategy and program developmen

Single-kernel ionomic profiles are highly heritable indicators of genetic and environmental influences on elemental accumulation in maize grain (Zea mays)

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Caffeine and sprint cycling performance: effects of torque factor and sprint duration

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of torque factor and sprint duration on the effects of caffeine on sprint cycling performance. Methods: Using a counterbalanced, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 13 men completed nine trials. In Trial 1, participants completed a series of 6 s sprints at increasing torque factors, to determine the torque factor, for each individual, which elicited the highest (TOPTIMAL) peak power output (PPO). The remaining trials involved all combinations of torque factor (0.8 N∙m∙kg-1 versus TOPTIMAL), sprint duration (10 s versus 30 s), and supplementation (caffeine [5mg∙kg-1] versus placebo). Results: There was a significant effect of torque factor on PPO, with higher values at TOPTIMAL (mean difference: 168 W; 95% likely range: 142 – 195 W). There was also a significant effect of sprint duration on PPO, with higher values in 10 s sprints (mean difference: 52 W; 95% likely range: 18 – 86 W). However, there was no effect of supplementation on PPO (p = 0.056). Nevertheless, there was a significant torque factor × sprint duration × supplement interaction (p = 0.036), with post hoc tests revealing that caffeine produced a higher PPO (mean difference: 76 W; 95% likely range: 19 – 133 W) when the sprint duration was 10 s and the torque factor was TOPTIMAL. Conclusions: The results of this study show that when torque factor and sprint duration are optimized, to allow participants to express their highest PPO, there is a clear effect of caffeine on sprinting performance

Her Sport Her Way Grant Program Evaluation - 2023 Report

This is the second evaluation report from the SPRINTER evaluation of the Her Sport Her Way Grant Program (2019-2023). This evaluation report aims to explore the capabilities and capacities of state sporting organisations (SSOs) in creating gender-inclusive environments, and identify strategies that are currently utilised by SSOs to increase the participation of women and girls in the sporting sector. The report presents interim findings of the grant projects that have been awarded and outcomes achieved by completed grant projects during the period July 2021 and April 2023. The NSW Office of Sport engaged the SPRINTER group in a policy-research partnership to conduct the evaluation of the Her Sport Her Way grant program using a mixed-methods approach, involving surveys, semi-structured interviews and case studies of funded projects

Active Kids Evaluation Report (2018-2020)

This report presents evaluation findings from the independent evaluation of the New South Wales (NSW) Government’s Active Kids program. Data are presented from the first 3 years of the Active Kids program delivery (2018, 2019, and 2020). Active Kids, the first universal voucher program of its kind, is an innovative approach to promoting participation in organised sport and physical activity outside-of-school among all school-enrolled children in NSW, Australia. Evaluation of the program was designed to help us understand the extent to which a universal voucher program can reach and engage children in organised sport and physical activity. The evaluation affords a unique opportunity to learn more about influencing the physical activity participation behaviours of children in NSW, the factors that affect participation and to understand health and well-being outcomes associated with participation. These population-level program evaluation data have not previously been collected throughout the sport sector. This evaluation also makes an important contribution to the evidence base on how, to effectively design, implement and evaluate complex, at-scale programs, underpinned by evidence, and reported in a way that is readily accessible and appropriate for policy makers and practitioners. The SPRINTER1 Group is a specialist academic research group within the Charles Perkins Centre and the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. In 2016, the Prevention Research Collaboration established a policy-focused partnership with the NSW Government Office of Sport, entitled SPRINTER. SPRINTER led the pragmatic evaluation design of the Active Kids program in close collaboration with the Office of Sport. Through this collaboration, SPRINTER influenced routine data capture within the registration process for the Active Kids program led by the NSW Government - Service NSW and Office of Sport. The evaluation of Active Kids is registered with the Australian and New Zealand clinical trials registry: ACTRN12618001148268. The evaluation protocol was designed using the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist. A complete outline of the evaluation protocol can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp301220062. This evaluation received ethics approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Sydney (Project number: 2017/947)