National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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Embedding a Culture of Interdisciplinary Open Research in Criminal Justice: A New Partnership for Ireland
No full textThis special edition of the Irish Probation Journal celebrates its excellent
track record of publishing open access criminal justice research and building links
among researchers, practitioners and policymakers on the island of Ireland. Both
probation services have expressed strong commitments to partnership working
and to using research and evidence to inform their practices and decision-making,
using the Journal to facilitate these discussions. With this in mind, it is important
to consider how we can build on this open, collaborative approach to research,
evidence-based policy and practice and publishing into the future.
This article represents the first output from a National Open Research Forum-funded project that aims to embed a culture of interdisciplinary open research in
the field of criminal justice. The setting for this project is Ireland. Its authors are
among the many research, criminal justice and community-sector professionals who
represent their organisations on the new Criminal justice Open Research Dialogue
(CORD) Partnership, launched as part of the funded project. The article was
developed collaboratively during the CORD Partnership’s first event in Maynooth
in January 2024, and then subsequently via an open authorship process through
which partners could become named authors. It contextualises the establishment of the CORD Partnership, outlining what we mean by a ‘culture of open research’
and situating our goals in Ireland’s research and criminal justice policy frameworks.
The piece then outlines the Partnership’s agreed purposes and principles and
provides some opening considerations as to the criminal justice sector’s open-research needs. It concludes by describing the CORD Partnership’s next steps.
The views expressed here represent those of the named authors only, not of their
organisations, nor of anyone who participates in the CORD Partnership but is not a
named author on the article.
This project has received funding from Ireland’s National Open Research Forum
(NORF) under the 2023 Open Research Fund. NORF is funded by the Higher
Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher
Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS
Hybrid Optimal Control for an Active Mechanical Motion Rectifier for Wave Energy Converters via Separation Principle
No full textThe wave energy field is characterised by its continuous growth and development in research and technology. Over recent decades, different application issues have hindered the worldwide implementation of wave energy devices, and only a few have reached the commercialisation stage. Some of these inherent challenges have driven the creation of innovative wave energy system designs. In particular, active mechanical motion rectification (AMMR) is a novel proposal to rectify the energy flux in wave energy devices. The objective of active rectification is twofold. On the one hand, it increases the overall system efficiency by achieving a higher average output velocity in the generator. On the other hand, the AMMR introduces a new variable in the control design: A switching law to connect and disconnect the generator from the wave capture structure. Thus, the control design possesses two degrees of freedom, significantly increasing the complexity of the energy-maximising power take-off control problem. In this paper, the problem of designing an optimal control philosophy for an AMMR-based wave capture system is addressed. The problem is solved by proving that, a separation principle applies, and that the optimal control solution over a fixed interval, is independent of the optimal switching sequence selection. To illustrate the utility of the analytical results, a numerical example for a flap-type wave energy converter, utilising an AMMR-based power take-off, is presented
On the accuracy of sequence methods for baroreflex sensitivity estimation
No full textIn the absence of a true gold standard for non-invasive baroreflex sensitivity estimation, it is difficult to quantify the accuracy of the variety of techniques used. A popular family of methods, usually entitled ‘sequence methods’ involves the extraction of (apparently) correlated sequences from blood pressure and RR-interval data and the subsequent fitting of a regression line to the data. This paper discusses the accuracy of sequence methods from a system identification perspective, using both data generated from a known mathematical model and spontaneous baroreflex data. It is shown that sequence methods can introduce significant bias in the baroreflex sensitivity estimate, even when great care is taken in sequence selection
Development and Characterisation of a Biosensor for the Simultaneous Measurement of Acetylcholine and Choline in the Mammalian Brain
No full textNervous system disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are believed to effect approximately one in every six people. With most considered incurable, current treatment options are limited to addressing symptoms of the disease rather than acting as a cure. This will likely remain the case until the brain is better understood. An improved knowledge will facilitate the identification of new drug targets and development of current diagnostic methods leading to an overall better quality of life for patients, many of whom lose their ability to move or to speak and, often, their life to their disease.
Many of these disorders have been linked to abnormal concentration changes in specific analytes in the neurochemical environment and some of these changes can be detected, and monitored, electrochemically via the implantation of specific microelectrodes. These devices detect, qualitatively and quantitatively, an analyte of interest as a current change, a consequence of its oxidation or reduction at the surface of the microelectrode. The overall aim of this work was to develop and characterise, in-vitro and in-vivo, an analytical microelectrochemical biosensor capable of detecting real-time changes in the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) and its precursor/metabolite choline (Ch). Dysregulations within the mammalian cholinergic system has been linked to many diseased states including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. The presented device makes use of two enzymes, acetylcholinesterase and choline oxidase, and indirectly monitors our analytes of interest (ACh and Ch) by detecting analyte derived enzymatically generated hydrogen peroxide at the surface of a platinum microelectrode. In-vivo, this biosensor is paired with a Ch specific biosensor allowing for a distinction between the two analytes and a better understanding of their individual functions within the cholinergic system. The presented bienzyme biosensor possesses a high sensitivity to both analytes with low oxygen dependence and good selectivity over potential endogenous interferents. ACh detection was shown to withstand fluctuations in expected parameters within the physiological environment (biocompatibility, pH, temperature) and possesses excellent stability, response time and limit of detections. Novel in-vivo experiments carried out in the striatum of freely-moving Wistar rats indicate a reliable ability to monitor distinct real-time changes in both ACh and Ch, as well as the real-time action of acetylcholinesterase and its inhibitors. Continued use of this combined device should facilitate an overall better understanding of the cholinergic system in both healthy and diseased states
Hidden in Plain Sight: Attending to Women’s Amateur Filmmaking Histories at the Irish Film Archive
No full textThis article aims to identify various ways in which women’s amateur filmmaking becomes obscured in both film archives and in the academic scholarship on film and filmmaking. Recognising that amateur film is marginalised and undervalued in relation to commercial and professional filmmaking, the article uses the case study of one Irish amateur filmmaker to identify the processes and practices that have resulted in her work being obscured and overlooked. The filmmaker, Sr Maureen MacMahon, was practicing amateur filmmaking from the 1960s to the 1970s and her work is held at the Irish Film Archive. Investigation of Sr Maureen’s filmmaking drew from a variety of sources including the films and film materials, film metadata recorded at the archive, newspaper archives, an archive held at Sr Maureen’s religious order and an interview with Sr Maureen. Analyses of these materials has resulted in three findings: firstly, the dispersal of materials and information pertaining to Sr Maureen across multiple sites posed challenges for our construction of a coherent narrative about her; secondly, Sr Maureen turned her hand to many creative and pedagogic activities beyond filmmaking, and, in her own estimation, she was an arts educator more than a filmmaker; and, finally, the films are not easily categorised as they are generically and stylistically diverse, making auteurist approaches difficult. Drawing from these findings we discuss the challenges that this creates for foregrounding women’s contributions to film
Factors Associated with PrEP Stigma Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (gbMSM): A Systematic Review
No full textGay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. While pre-exposure pro-phylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective at preventing HIV acquisition, uptake of PrEP among gbMSM is low, which may in part be due to stigma associated with PrEP use. This systematic review aimed to explore experiences of PrEP stigma and to identify factors associated with this. Four databases were searched for papers including terms relating to (i) gbMSM, (ii) PrEP, and (iii) stigma, with narrative synthesis used to analyze results. After screening, 70 studies were included in the final analysis. Experiences of PrEP stigma were found to be characterized by a number of stereotypes and came from a range of sources. Five categories of factors were associated with stigma: (i) healthcare- related factors, (ii) cultural and contextual factors, (iii) socio-demographic factors, (iv) peer-discussion, and (v) psychosocial factors. These findings suggest that stigma can be a common experience for gbMSM. However, some are more at risk than others. Interventions aimed at reducing PrEP stigma may be useful in increasing uptake
PatentsInHumans Project examining the potential impact of patents on access to health
No full textThe April edition of the Law Society Gazette in Ireland features as its cover story an article written by Professor Aisling McMahon (Principal Investigator, PatentsInHumans project) which examines the potential impacts that patents can have on access and delivery of health-related technologies, such as medicines, diagnostics, elements of vaccines etc. The article also outlines how such issues (amongst others) will be examined as part of the European Research Council funded PatentsInHumans project
Celebrating Thirty Years of the Sierra Leone Ireland Partnership.
No full textIn 2022, the Sierra Leone Ireland Partnership
(SLIP) marked its 30th year with the publication
of Leaves from the Cotton Tree: Celebrating
Thirty Years of the Sierra Leone Ireland Partnership
(funded by a grant from Irish Aid).
The book takes its name from the iconic cotton tree
where, in 1792, a group of former slaves, who had
come from Nova Scotia, established the beginning of
the settlement that became Freetown. Sadly, the tree,
which was a national landmark, suffered signifi cant
damage during a heavy rain storm in May 2023
Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment 2023. Volume 3: Being prepared for Ireland's Future Climate. Summary for Policymakers.
No full textThis is the first Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA) and is a major contribution to the
national dialogue and engagement on climate change. It tells us what is known about climate change and Ireland. It also provides key insights on gaps in our knowledge. The development of ICCA was modelled on the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the
Sixth Assessment Cycle, completed in 2023, with the use of and localisation of its information for Ireland.
Volume 3 covers the impacts we are likely to face and how we can prepare for these changes in an Irish context. It incorporates the latest projections from Ireland-specific climate modelling initiatives from ICHEC and Met Éireann, as well as impacts-modelling and social research into community resilience and wellbeing. The report covers a range of sectors, including biodiversity, critical infrastructure, health, and pays attention to the co-dependencies between them. It looks at a broad spectrum of research undertaken in Ireland on climate impacts, while also covering best practices in the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report and the international literature
Iron Is Critical for Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cell Metabolism and Effector Functions
No full textMucosal-Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells are a population of innate T cells that play a critical role in host protection against
bacterial and viral pathogens. Upon activation, MAIT cells can rapidly respond via both TCR-dependent and -independent
mechanisms, resulting in robust cytokine production. The metabolic and nutritional requirements for optimal MAIT cell effector
responses are still emerging. Iron is an important micronutrient and is essential for cellular fitness, in particular cellular
metabolism. Iron is also critical for many pathogenic microbes, including those that activate MAIT cells. However, iron has not
been investigated with respect to MAIT cell metabolic or functional responses. In this study, we show that human MAIT cells
require exogenous iron, transported via CD71 for optimal metabolic activity in MAIT cells, including their production of ATP.
We demonstrate that restricting iron availability by either chelating environmental iron or blocking CD71 on MAIT cells results
in impaired cytokine production and proliferation. These data collectively highlight the importance of a CD71-iron axis for
human MAIT cell metabolism and functionality, an axis that may have implications in conditions where iron availability is
limited