National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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Collaborative self-study as a means to understand practice: the role of critical friendship
No full textResource defence by the entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae
No full textEntomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) are insect parasites that depend on the limited resources available within the host for development and reproduction. They carry symbiotic bacteria that aid in killing the host and provide nutrition for the nematodes. Several generations of EPN are produced within a single host and when the resources are depleted stress-resistant, free-living infective juveniles (IJs) leave the insect cadaver in search of a new host. This thesis focuses on how EPN of the genera Heterorhabditis and Steinernema defend resources within the host cadaver from interspecific and intraspecific competitors, scavengers, and abiotic factors.
Steinernema males fight and kill male competitors in interspecific competition for females. In this thesis, it is shown that S. carpocapsae males that have mated are better killers than unmated males, independent of size or sexual development.
IJs of the two genera can co-occur geographically, but species from one genus will usually dominate over the other genus when found within the same host. This thesis demonstrates that this dominance is mainly due to failure of one genus to develop in a host infected by the other genus, and not due to a lack of attraction to infected hosts.
The insect cadaver is an attractive source of nutrition for scavengers. Heterorhabditis associates with the bioluminescent bacteria Photorhabdus. Here it is shown that the bioluminescence produced by Photorhabdus helps to deter scavengers from feeding on Heterorhabditis-infected cadavers.
The host cadaver protects EPN from abiotic stresses. It is demonstrated here that damage to the host’s cuticle, imitating scavenging, leads to desiccation of the cadaver, and reduces both the quantity and size of IJs that emerge from the host. This effect is more severe for Heterorhabditis than for Steinernema, presumably due to the slower development of Heterorhabditis within the host. Heterorhabditis are better than Steinernema at deterring scavengers from feeding on the cadaver, preventing damage from occurring.
This thesis demonstrates the various defensive mechanisms adapted by Steinernema and Heterorhabditis, highlighting their distinct phylogenies and the relative importance of their symbionts
‘What are the factors of over representation of Indigenous ethnic minorities in persons in their respected countries; focusing on the comparison of ethnic minorities in Ireland, New Zealand and Australia?’
No full textOver representation of ethnic minorities within criminal justice systems prisons; statistics have been researched by many academics, however ‘Indigenous Ethnic Minority’ research regarding imprisonment rates and states reactions to these rates has been less researched and invested in. This thesis aims to draw upon existing research and imperial evidence to comment on New Zealand and Ireland’s state's reaction to the over representation of their indigenous ethnic minorities within their respected countries prison.
Objectives of this research was to draw; 1. a background of each Indigenous ethnic minority whilst explaining the terms used throughout such as Ethnicity. 2. Comment on the theories and pillars believed to be leading causes of these divisions in society and lastly 3. Shine a light on Ireland’s lack of advancements regarding its protections of Irish Travellers compared to other states with similar indigenous minority community population such as New Zealand and comment on what needs to be improved upon to change this.
Using a comparative approach of existing research both peer reviewed and blank this thesis discovered that Ireland is vastly behind in its attempt to protect and advocate for the Irish Travelling community when it comes to their continual miss- treatment within the criminal justice system, although New Zealand is not a shining example of what other states should do it is however an example of the investment that needs to occur by states into their indigenous minority communities to begin this change. This thesis draws both comparisons and differences of the two communities and delves into the possible reasoning behind said community’s mistreatment within the criminal justice system using theories and economic factors
Unearthing the Transformative Power of Literacy Pedagogies: A Comparative Contextual Analysis of African and Irish Footsteps to Enhance Mozambican Adult Literacy Programmes.
No full textThis Master's thesis explores into the unique educational landscapes of Ireland and Mozambique through a comparative analysis of literacy programs in both nations to promote active citizenship. While Mozambique, in its developmental journey, stands in contrast to Ireland, both are ex-colonized countries with educational systems positioned in different historical contexts and levels of development. Despite these, a shared commitment to global educational objectives, as outlined in UNICEF's 17 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the goal of providing quality education for all, unites these two nations.
Through the lens of a Mozambican educator studying in Ireland, this study seeks to explore the transformative potential of adult literacy in enhancing critical thinking skills among citizens, enabling them to actively engage in addressing community challenges such as poverty and injustices. Drawing inspiration from historical insights and contemporary trends in adult education, the thesis highlights the pivotal role of literacy education in combating social inequalities and empowering communities towards social transformations beyond basic literacy skills.
Aligned with the philosophies of influential figures like Paulo Freire and pan-African pioneers like Julius Nyerere and Luis Cabral, the research also underscores the intricate connection between education, politics, and citizenship, emphasizing the need to address systemic issues impeding education and employment opportunities within Mozambican communities. By re-evaluating the concept of active citizenship and drawing from the wisdom of scholars like Marshal, Gaventa, and Gramsci, this study aims to spark a renaissance in community engagement and literacy education, urging individuals to play an active role in reshaping their societal features
What Can Language Models Tell Us About Human Cognition?
No full textLanguage models are a rapidly developing field of artificial intelligence with enormous potential to improve our understanding of human cognition. However, many popular language models are cognitively implausible on multiple fronts. For language models to offer plausible insights into human cognitive processing, they should implement a transparent and cognitively plausible learning mechanism, train on a quantity of text that is achievable in a human’s lifetime of language exposure, and not assume to represent all of word meaning. When care is taken to create plausible language models within these constraints, they can be a powerful tool in uncovering the nature and scope of how language shapes semantic knowledge. The distributional relationships between words, which humans represent in memory as linguistic distributional knowledge, allow people to represent and process semantic information flexibly, robustly, and efficiently
Exploring the Motivations for and Modes of Academic Engagement among Irish Academic Researchers: A Qualitative Investigation
No full textGovernment and research funding bodies have increasingly emphasized the societal impact of research prompting the need for increased engagement between academic researchers and non-academic external partners. There are numerous benefits that this academic engagement brings to the collaborating partners. Such benefits include facilitating advancement in research, providing researchers access to resources, and the provision of opportunities for post-graduate student mentoring by industry partitioners. Increased levels of academic engagement also offer researchers opportunities to generate new scientific research ideas and questions, exploit new research opportunities, or even test research theories and findings that are aimed towards solving practical problems outside the academic domain. Academic engagement with external non-academic partners, while beneficial, also incurs costs and typically remains at the discretion of the individual researcher. The increasing demand for additional engagement with non-academic partners may increase pressure on academics as such interactions add to their research and teaching responsibilities. This thesis investigates why and how academics engage with non-academic collaborators, applying self-determination theory to explore their motivations and modes of interaction. Using snowball sampling technique, the study conducted nineteen qualitative interviews with academic researchers from diverse fields—social sciences, physical sciences, life sciences, engineering, medicine, and humanities—across several public universities in Ireland. The selection of interviewees was based on careful representation of both male and female researchers who are at different stages of their career, in different disciplines, and either currently are, or have been, actively engaged with non-academic external partners. The findings indicate that motivations and modes of engagement between academic researchers and non-academic partners are shaped by a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, intertwined with personal, organizational, and policy-related institutional elements. The thesis argues for tailored strategies that consider these diverse motivations and contextual dynamics to enhance interactions within Ireland’s innovation ecosystem. Although this study has limitations, it outlines areas for further research and offers significant theoretical, managerial, and policy implications by enhancing understanding of academic researchers’ engagement behaviours
Mesenchymal stromal cells dampen trained immunity in house dust mite-primed macrophages expressing human macrophage migration inhibitory factor polymorphism
No full textBackground: Trained immunity results in long-term immunological memory, provoking a faster and greater
immune response when innate immune cells encounter a secondary, often heterologous, stimulus. We have
previously shown that house dust mite (HDM)-induced innate training is amplified in mice expressing the
human macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) CATT7 functional polymorphism.
Aim: This study investigated the ability of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to modulate MIF-driven trained
immunity both in vitro and in vivo.
Methods: Compared with wild-type mice, in vivo HDM-primed bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs)
from CATT7 mice expressed significantly higher levels of M1-associated genes following lipopolysaccharide stimulation ex vivo. Co-cultures of CATT7 BMDMs with MSCs suppressed this HDM-primed effect, with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) being significantly decreased in a cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2)-dependent manner.
Interestingly, interleukin 6 (IL-6) was suppressed by MSCs independently of COX-2. In an in vitro training assay,
MSCs significantly abrogated the enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by HDM-trained CATT7
BMDMs when co-cultured at the time of HDM stimulus on day 0, displaying their therapeutic efficacy in modulating an overzealous human MIF-dependent immune response. Utilizing an in vivo model of HDM-induced
trained immunity, MSCs administered systemically on day 10 and day 11 suppressed this trained phenomenon
by significantly reducing TNF-a and reducing IL-6 and C-C motif chemokine ligand 17 (CCL17) production.
Conclusions: This novel study elucidates how MSCs can attenuate an MIF-driven, HDM-trained response in
CATT7 mice in a model of allergic airway inflammatio
Riding the wave: a prospective exploration of the temporal impact of perceived challenges on the development of relatively early high performing national-level youth soccer players
No full textResearch investigating the challenges experienced by high-performing athletes throughout development has predominantly used retrospective designs. Consequently, there is limited empirical and prospective data to inform the temporal dimensions of these experiences and their perceived impact on development. Therefore, this investigation sought to prospectively explore the temporal impact of perceived challenges on the development of six national-level youth footballers during their entrance into, and first season in, a selective national talent development environment. Participants engaged in monthly semi-structured interviews over a season, with data analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Findings demonstrated that each player’s experience in the national system was characterised by exposure to significant biopsychosocial challenges. The dynamics of these challenges were highly individualised, with variations in the temporal nature, emotional disturbance, and the psycho-behavioural skills deployed to navigate such challenges. Within the national system, the perceived judgement and the ongoing selection and deselection processes were a pervasive feature of each player’s experience, presenting significant challenge across the season. Yet, the temporal impact of this challenge varied among players. In practice, we advocate for talent systems to adopt a personalised approach to managing challenges faced by athletes and to recognise the individualised nature of the temporal impact of such challenges
Sharing our Stories. From Meru to Maynooth: Isaiah Gitonga tells his story…
No full textIsaiah Gitonga from Kenya is currently studying in
Ireland. His background is in nursing and mental health;
his thesis focuses on “the role of connected health in
supporting the psychological well-being and overall
quality of life for people living with and beyond cancer”
Foreword: Small places, large struggles, huge stakes: why this book matters
No full textIn the mid-1990s, a tiny Indigenous people in a remote part of the great Niger Delta became
the vanguard of the global struggle against fossil fuels and ecological destruction. Perhaps
60% of the then estimated half-million Ogoni took part in the 1993 Ogoni Day: resisting
Shell’s presence in the Delta, the devastation caused to a fishing and farming community by
the poisoning of the air and the water, and the combination of exploitation and oppression
that resulted. In 1995, the military dictatorship responded with the execution of nine Ogoni
activists, most famously the writer, broadcaster and politician Ken Saro-Wiwa, and a
campaign of state terror that killed perhaps 2,000 Ogoni along with the destruction of
villages, widespread rapes and other atrocities. Today, nearly three decades on, courts around
the world are still handling lawsuits against Shell for its roles in the ecological and political
violence