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In the context of an expanding, export-dependent agri-food sector, indicators of sustainable development and intensification are necessary to measure, assess and verify the comparative advantage afforded by Ireland’s natural pastoral-based food production systems. Such indicators are also necessary to ensure that we produce more food with less adverse impacts on the Irish environment, climate and society. This article outlines the development of farm-level indicators that refect the multifaceted nature of sustainability, which is encompassed in economic, environmental and social indicators. The role of innovation in farm sustainability was also examined. A comparison of indicators across Irish farm systems showed that dairy farms, followed by tillage farms, tended to be the most economically and socially sustainable farm systems. In relation to greenhouse gas emissions in particular, the top-performing dairy farms, in an economic sense, also tended to be the best-performing farms from an environmental sustainability perspective. This trend was also evident in relation to the adoption of innovative practices on farm, which was found to be strongly correlated with economic performance.

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MicroIC enables display attributes unattainable from polycrystalline thin‐film transistors, and the complimentary metal‐oxide semiconductor (CMOS) microICs support a wide range of applications beyond driving pixels. Integrating sensors within displays can add value to products, reduce costs and improve performance versus conventional solutions. As evidenced by touch and display integration in mobile displays via TDDI ICs, in‐cell sensing can reduce cost and improve performance to levels that are not available with all display types. Capacitive touch, optical touch, 3D scanning, and proximity sensing can also benefit from the inherent coordination between sensors and display. We present multiple sensing architectures and demonstrations of integration within microLED displays and describe CMOS microIC circuits for touch sensing applications. With diverse heterogenous semiconductor technology tightly woven into displays, the potential for intuitive gesture controls, adaptive interfaces, and enhanced sensory feedback paves the way for more natural and effortless interactions between humans and machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of threading dislocation density on Ni/n-GaN Schottky barrier diode characteristics is investigated using forward biased current-voltage-temperature (I-V-T) and internal photoemission (IPE) measurements. Nominally, identical metal-organic chemical vapor deposition grown GaN layers were grown on two types of GaN templates on sapphire substrates to controllably vary threading dislocation density (TDD) from 3x10(7) to 7x10(8) cm(-2). I-V-T measurements revealed thermionic emission to be the dominant transport mechanism with ideality factors near 1.01 at room temperature for both sample types. The Schottky barrier heights showed a similar invariance with TDD, with measured values of 1.12-1.13 eV obtained from fitting the I-V-T results to a thermionic emission-diffusion model. The I-V-T results were verified by IPE measurements made on the same diodes, confirming that the Ni/n-GaN barrier heights do not show a measurable TDD dependence for the TDD range measured here. In apparent contrast to this result is that the measured forward bias I-V characteristics indicate a shift in the observed forward bias turn-on voltage such that at the higher TDD value investigated here, a larger turn-on voltage (lower current) is observed. This difference is attributed to localized current blocking by high potential barrier regions surrounding threading dislocations that intersect the Ni/GaN interface. A simple model is presented that reconciles both the observed voltage shift and variations in the extracted Richardson constant as a function of threading dislocation density. With this model, an average local barrier surrounding dislocation of similar to 0.2 V is obtained, which diverts current flow across the forward biased Schottky interface to nondislocated regions. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused massive disruptions globally, with food insecurity a primary concern amongst vulnerable communities. As one of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups in Israeli society asylum seekers and undocumented populations were amongst the first to be affected by the pandemic and the economic crisis that followed. The objective of the study was to evaluate the severity and causes of food insecurity among asylum seekers and other undocumented communities because of COVID-19. Methods A multi method approach was used. The quantitative component included an online questionnaire regarding access to food, aid and choices, and the 6 item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) The qualitative component included 4 focus groups and thematic analysis. The study was conducted in November 2020, by the Ministry of Health's Nutrition Division and the Tel Aviv Municipality's foreign community assistance and information center (Mesila). The convenience sample was drawn from the low-income neighborhood population of South Tel Aviv. Logistic regression, multivariate analysis and content analysis, were performed. Results Four hundred eighty-five people completed the quantitative survey, with average age 33.2 ± 5.4 years and 349 (72.0%) experienced food insecurity. In the multivariate analysis, being older (p = 0.04, Odds Ratio OR 1.1, Confidence Interval CI 1.05–1.15) and being single (unmarried) (p = 0.03, OR 2.1, CI 1.2, 3.5) predicted food insecurity. Qualitative findings identified three main themes: children preferring Israeli/ Western foods to traditional foods; financial stresses were compounded; a preference for receiving assistance with purchasing food (vouchers), rather than food handouts. Conclusion In conclusion, vulnerable populations (asylum seekers and other undocumented communities) were severely affected and are in danger of food insecurity. Culturally relevant and contextualized solutions are needed to address the acute hunger within the community. These include establishment of a cross-ministerial forum, a social grocery store, increased liaison with food rescue bodies, complete nutritional support for children in educational settings and increased guidance regarding food choices and budgeting.

Abstract Background During the past two decades, there have been many changes in automotive and medical technologies, road infrastructure, trauma systems, and demographic changes which may have influenced injury outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine injury trends among traffic casualties, specifically private car occupants, hospitalized in Level I Trauma Centers (TC). Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed based on data from the Israel National Trauma Registry. The data included occupants of private cars hospitalized in all six Level I TC due to a traffic collision related injury between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2019. Demographic, injury and hospitalization characteristics and in-hospital mortality were analyzed. Chi-squared (X 2 ) test, multivariable logistic regression models and Spearman’s rank correlation were used to analyze injury data and trends. Results During the study period, 21,173 private car occupants (14,078 drivers, 4,527 front passengers, and 2,568 rear passengers) were hospitalized due to a traffic crash. The percentage of females hospitalized due to a car crash increased from 37.7% in 1998 to 53.7% in 2019. Over a twofold increase in hospitalizations among older adult drivers (ages 65+) was observed, from 6.5% in 1998 to 15.7% in 2018 and 12.6% in 2019. While no increase was observed for severe traumatic brain injury, a statistically significant increase in severe abdominal and thoracic injuries was observed among the non-Jewish population along with a constant decrease in in-hospital mortality. Conclusions This study provides interesting findings regarding injury and demographic trends among car occupants during the past two decades. Mortality among private car occupant casualties decreased during the study period, however an increase in serious abdominal and thoracic injuries was identified. The results should be used to design and implement policies and interventions for reducing injury and disability among car occupants.

Abstract Background Errors in medication administration by qualified nursing staff in hospitals are a significant risk factor for patient safety. In recent decades, electronic medical records (EMR) systems have been implemented in hospitals, and it has been claimed that they contribute to reducing such errors. However, systematic research on the subject in Israel is scarce. This study examines the position of the qualified nursing staff regarding the impact of electronic medical records systems on factors related to patient safety, including errors in medication administration, workload, and availability of medical information. Methods This cross-sectional study examines three main variables: Medication errors, workload, and medical information availability, comparing two periods– before and after EMR implementation based on self-reports. A final sample of 591 Israeli nurses was recruited using online private social media groups to complete an online structured questionnaire. The questionnaires included items assessing workload (using the Expanding Nursing Stress Scale), medical information availability (the Carrington-Gephart Unintended Consequences of Electronic Health Record Questionnaire), and medical errors (the Medical Error Checklists). Items were assessed twice, once for the period before the introduction of electronic records and once after. In addition, participants answered open-ended questions that were qualitatively analyzed. Results Nurses perceive the EMR as reducing the extent of errors in drug administration (mean difference = -0.92 ± 0.90SD, p