National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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Being before God: Fabro’s Thomistic approach to Kierkegaard’s Theological Anthropology
No full textIn this article, I uncover a point of contact between Cornelio Fabro’s philosophical theology and Søren Kierkegaard’s theological anthropology. I survey how Fabro’s metaphysical account of the human person as a created ‘synthesis’ between the infinite and finite, also invites a soteriological account of the call of Christian discipleship. My wider argument is that Fabro unearthed a structural feature in Kierkegaard’s theological approach to free creation from nothing, human subjectivity, suffering, and freedom that mapped on to Fabro’s philosophical theology of participation. In doing so, Fabro recovered the missing metaphysical and soteriological elements of Kierkegaard’s theological emphasis on the task and goal of selfhood beyond the atheistic existentialist stereotypes of God-denial, acosmic individualism, and self-annihilation. Often construed as polar opposites, I claim that Thomistic philosophy and Kierkegaard’s existential approach can be juxtaposed fruitfully as sharing an important point of departure with free creation from nothing. In short, Fabro’s creative link between Kierkegaard and Thomas Aquinas affords a unique theological development in post-Kantian approaches to the topic of existential freedom
Managing access to health data for research and innovation in the EU: is a better regulatory approach possible?
No full textData, personal data, and health data are critical in developing new technologies and health interventions,
but accessing this data is fraught with ethical concerns. The European Union’s General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) and the proposed European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulation seek to provide
protection of personal data while enabling access to this data for health research. However, it is
questionable whether the current and proposed framework (including the exceptions and derogations
within these) adequately balance and protect the breadth of rights, including under Articles 8 and 14 of
the European Convention on Human Rights, and interests at stake. This chapter reflects on the competing
rights and interests of the differing stakeholders involved in the use of health data for health research
purposes. We argue that regulatory frameworks need to account for and engage with these competing
motivations and interests, and must also ensure that benefits arising are accessible to stakeholders in an
equitable manner. We set out some of these competing interests before considering the GDPR and
possible role of the EHDS for the governance of data in the health research context given these
considerations. We argue that privacy and re-identifiability are not the only concerns relevant here, and
make the case that both regulations fail to fully consider the wider social and ethical concerns in this space.
The chapter concludes by reflecting on the limits of both regulations, with proposals for reframing of the
system from one primarily focused on individual risk to a system that considers both the individual and
collective risks and benefits at stake
The Neural Correlates of Spatial Learning and Memory During Human Navigation.
No full textSpatial navigation is an essential skill for animals and humans alike. It helps us get to a desired place and remember how to get back there in the future. Despite the fact that this process in humans has been well researched, there is still little known about the neural activity underlying spatial navigation processes in humans. Therefore, we aimed to contribute to the current human navigation literature by exploring a number of cognitive factors known to be involved, namely learning and memory. This thesis aims to address gaps in the literature by exploring spatial learning as a dynamic and flexible behavioural process, as well as spatial memory retrieval following recent (24-hours) and remote (1 month) retention intervals. Furthermore, we examined age-related changes in these behavioural and neural underpinnings. Spatial navigation ability was assessed using a virtual water maze task: NavWell (Commins et al., 2020). We also examined brain oscillations, which are rhythmic patterns of neural activity proposed to reflect cognition. We investigated these rhythms at different frequencies using electroencephalography (EEG) in healthy younger and older adults whilst they navigated. Our results suggest that successful spatial learning coincides with the reduction of theta (4-8 Hz) and alpha (8-12 Hz) oscillations. Successful spatial memory retrieval promotes delta (2-4 Hz) and theta (5-7 Hz) increases. When navigation strategies are unsuccessful, these oscillations at frontal areas become enhanced. Recent and remote spatial memory retrieval requires recruitment of the same frequency bands, but greater oscillatory power. However, older adults show reduced power throughout all frequency bands compared to younger adults. They further demonstrated beta (15-29 Hz) and gamma (30-40 Hz) decreases during recent memory retrieval, with delta increases and theta decreases during remote retrieval. Our findings support theories of low-frequency oscillations possessing a mnemonic role, and further contribute to theoretical debates regarding memory consolidation and ageing from the unique perspective of human spatial cognition
The Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Nitroreductase Triggered Sensors and Theranostics
No full textPoorly developed vasculature results in low intracellular O2 regions within tumour tissues. Such areas of hypoxia are under intense reductive stress due to the lack of O2 and lead to the upregulation of oxidoreductase enzymes such as nitroreductases (NTRs). NTRs are a particularly valuable marker for reductive stress being capable of reducing nitroaromatics to corresponding amino derivatives, a feature that has been exploited in the design of hypoxia sensitive fluorescent imaging agents. To date, 1,8-naphthalimide fluorophores have attracted considerable attention owing to their exceptional fluorescence characteristics, making them ideal candidates for the design of NTR responsive fluorescent probes. Given their synthetic versatility, which allows for the consequential modulation of fluorescence, coupled with their inherent sensitivity and selectivity, 1,8-naphthalimide fluorophores are considered highly applicable for monitoring NTR activity in hypoxic environments.
This thesis entitled ‘The Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Nitroreductase Triggered Sensors and Theranostics’ is divided into 6 chapters and begins with Chapter 1, an introductory chapter which provides a literature review regarding the background and current research in the field of cancer, hypoxia, fluorescent sensors, and NTR based 1,8-naphthalimide fluorescent sensors. This chapter also outlines the aims and the objectives of the research carried out within this thesis.
Chapter 2 details the synthesis and luminescence response of 3 novel Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes, a moiety not yet exploited for NTR sensing. It was proposed that the MLCT emission of these compounds could be quenched by nitroaromatic moieties allowing for an OFF-ON luminescence response in the presence of NTR. These complexes exhibited luminescence Turn-ON responses towards NTR, with one compound in particular displaying a significant OFF-ON response coupled with sensitivity and selectivity towards NTR. This compound was further investigated with regards to its DNA binding ability as well as its potential as an imaging agent for NTR in cellulo.
Chapter 3 introduces four novel self immolative dendrimers designed to elicit a blue to green ratiometric fluorescent response in the presence of NTR. The synthesis of these dendrimers through the use of carbamate bond formation allows for the modulation of either fluorophore or prodrug. The fluorescent response of each probe was evaluated first by using a reducing agent and then by NTR under physiological conditions. One compound in particular established remarkable change in fluorescence as well as
exceptional selectivity towards NTR, showcasing the utility of such a design as a self immolative theranostic approach for NTR sensing.
Chapter 4 presents two novel fluorescence sensors for NTR described as quaternarised phenanthroline-naphthalimide conjugates. By quaternarization of the phenanthroline moiety, a compound with water solubility and potential DNA binding ability is achieved through its cationic nature, without the requirement of a heavy metal. Both compounds were observed to be responsive towards NTR with one of the compounds displaying both exceptional sensitivity towards varying concentrations of NTR and selectivity towards NTR in comparison to other biologically relevant species.
Chapter 5 consists of a thesis summary that outlines the key findings and future work for each chapter. Subsequently, Chapter 6 includes the general experimental procedures as well as the synthesis and characterisation of all compounds. Literature references are also provided, followed by the Appendix which consists of the spectroscopic data that validates the work described in the main text
Geography’s relevance debates and new forms of scholar policy activism
No full textIn the context of class and culture wars over the social purpose of the university, it is time to revisit a pivotal question: to whom is the discipline of geography accountable and for what? In the spirit of looking back to look forward, we wonder to what extent and in what ways historiographies of geography that critically interrogate geographers' statements on the discipline's social mission might help and guide us at this hour? Specifically, we work to extract added value from the so-called relevance debates which animated anglophone geography in the 1970s. Characterising the present historical conjuncture as a Gramscian moment of interregnum when the ‘old is dying and the new cannot be born’, we tender the provocation that it is the responsibility of geographers to advance the cause of a ‘progressive populism’. To prosecute this public mission, it will be necessary to recentre the discipline around the figure of the geographer as scholar policy activist, immersed in and a progenitor of a vigilant, contestatory democracy. We conclude that whilst the relevance debates failed to theorise, codify, professionalise and valorise such an academic identity, these debates did bequeath logics and legacies that can fast track this work now
PatentsInHumans Team publish Report of First International PatentsInHumans Workshop
No full textThe PatentsInHumans team are delighted to publish the Report of the First International PatentsInHumans Workshop today.
The workshop which was held on the 29th and 30th of April 2024 was organised as part of the European Research Council funded PatentsInHumans project. The workshop took place at Renehan Hall, Maynooth University.
Over the course of two days, the workshop brought together twenty-two leading national and international speakers drawn from a range of academic disciplines including law, business, health, social sciences, and practitioner fields, including experts working in legal, ethics, technology-transfer and healthcare.
The speakers and workshop discussions focused on examining the potential bioethical issues posed by patent grant and use (including licensing and enforcement) of patents over a range of technologies related to the human body, including vaccines, medicines, medical devices etc. It also considered the range of avenues that could be used to engage with these bioethical issues both inside and outside patent law in Europe, and the potential opportunities and challenges for how we engage with such bioethical issues in Europe. Such issues are central to the scholarly focus of the PatentsInHumans project, and the findings of the project in such contexts, have the potential for important societal impacts, including around delivering effective contemporary health innovation and health delivery systems. The event was attended by approximately forty people.
The report which was authored by Professor Aisling McMahon and Sinéad Masterson provides a brief overview of papers presented, and of some of the key aspects of discussions during the workshop
Restorative circles for police-community dialogue: a facilitation script from the UBUNTU Project in Dublin, Ireland
No full textFew have used restorative practices to structure police-community engagement.
Fewer, still, have published their script after doing so, enabling others to use or
learn from it. This paper presents and explains a script that the authors devised
and used to facilitate a two-day dialogue process between six Gardaí (Irish police
officers) and six young Black adults in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland.
Drawing on literature from the fields of restorative practices and dialogue, the
paper recounts the four stages of the process delivered. It started by 1) establishing relationships, common intentions and norms, before the participants
shared and explored their experiences and perceptions of 2) Blanchardstown and
belonging, 3) policing, and 4) the future.
The article explains the context in which the project and dialogue process took
place, before providing an annotated script to outline the questions asked and
activities undertaken, and explain their rationale. The dialogue process was co-designed by the project lead (Marder), project researcher (Kurz) and young Black
adults and police who received restorative practices training, including one person
from each who, with Marder, co-facilitated the dialogue (Ibeanu, O’Neill)
A model invalidation procedure for wave energy converters with experimental assessment and implications for control
No full textModel invalidation is the process of testing assumptions of a dynamical model by comparing simulated responses with experimental data, considering any discrepancies as evidence that the model may be invalid. In this study, a model invalidation methodology is presented, to obtain robust control oriented models for wave energy converters (WECs). In particular, this methodology can deal separately with dynamical uncertainty and external noise in experimental data sets. To this end, considering linear system theory, this study proposes a methodology for building input–output data sets for WEC systems, via a two-stage approach. Model invalidation results are analysed statistically, and the practical implications of considering dynamical uncertainty in WEC system models are discussed in terms of control performance, specifically absorbed energy. As indicated by the analysis and results presented in this study, failure to include dynamic uncertainty in the analysis can lead to performance overestimation. The importance of a good dynamical description for accurate estimation of experimental control performance is highlighted. Finally, this study emphasises the need for closed-loop controllers for WEC systems that can simultaneously maximise energy and guarantee robust stability, an area currently lacking within the WEC literature
Experimental assessment of combined sliding mode & moment-based control (SM2C) for arrays of wave energy conversion systems
No full textMotivated by the lack of comprehensive experimental implementation and assessment of the potential benefit that can be achieved with energy-maximising optimal control solutions for arrays of wave energy converters (WECs), we present, in this paper, the development, design, experimental implementation, and performance appraisal, of optimal moment-based control for arrays of WEC systems. Both centralised and decentralised controllers are evaluated. Four different WEC array layout configurations are considered, with up to three 1:20 scale prototypes of the Wavestar WEC system operating simultaneously within the basin, subject to a variety of sea state conditions. In particular, the proposed controller, termed sliding-mode-moment-based controller SM
C, is composed of a receding-horizon moment-based reference generation process, and a subsequent proportional–integral–derivative-like continuous sliding mode tracking controller. This composite control structure is implemented and assessed experimentally, providing a detailed analysis of key performance metrics. We show that the proposed SM
C strategy is able to maximise energy absorption for all the considered WEC array layouts, with up to 2.8 times energy improvement when compared to the benchmark controller case. The findings of this experimental study show tangible proof of the performance enhancement that can be achieved in real arrays of WEC systems with the use of appropriate control technology, demonstrating not only the feasibility of the proposed SM
C strategy in itself, but the key role that control systems have to play in the pathway towards effective exploitation of the yet largely untapped wave energy resource
Managing and responding to shifting paradigms in the health research landscape
No full textLearnings from the Health Research Charities Ireland & Health Research Board Joint Funding Scheme