National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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The Beast from the East and drought of summer 2018: an example of compound event impacts upon Ireland's agricultural sector
No full textThe most noticeable and damaging manifestation of human-induced climate change is the increasing likelihood of certain extreme weather events. As defined in the IPCC sixth assessment report, compound extremes can lead to extreme impacts that are much larger than the sum of the impacts due to the occurrence of individual extremes alone. Of these compound weather events, events occurring in close succession have received the least attention to date. In this paper, we explore such a case study of successive events affecting the agricultural sector in Ireland arising from the winter storm of 2018, dubbed the ‘Beast from the East’, followed by the drought of summer 2018 which combined yielded a substantial reduction in agricultural productivity over 2018
Spatio-temporal characteristics of Heat stress over Nigeria using evaluated ERA5-HEAT reanalysis data
No full textNigeria’s growing population faces an increasing heat burden with potential health risks. The Universal Thermal
Comfort Index (UTCI) links outdoor conditions and human well-being but lacks comprehensive insitu data in
developing regions like Nigeria. ERA5-HEAT reanalysis offers a solution with gridded UTCI and MRT data, but
validation is crucial. Thus, this study evaluates the ERA5-HEAT UTCI against data from nine Nigerian weather
stations and analysed the spatio-temporal patterns of heat stress trends. Results showed that ERA5-HEAT
demonstrated reasonable statistical performance and captured the temporal characteristics and patterns of
UTCI across Nigeria’s climatic zones. Seasonal variations show heat stress levels from "slightly cold" to "moderate" at 0600 LST and "moderate" to "very strong" at 1500 LST. Geographical consistency exists within each
season over the decades, with a critical "very strong" heat stress period during March-May. Additionally, there
has been an increasing spatial expansion of areas experiencing higher heat stress levels across the country.
Latitudinally, stable patterns exist across decades at 0600 LST for each season. Seasons show distinct UTCI
values, and at 1500 LST, more variability and category transitions occur along latitudes. Furthermore, the results
indicate significant positive trends and occasional non-significant negative trends over the 40-year period.
Notably, during 0600 LST, the Guinea and Sahel regions exhibit relatively higher positive trends than the Sudan
region in all seasons, whereas at 1500 LST, high positive trends are prominent in DJF and MAM seasons, indicating increased heat stress during peak seasons. These positive deviations in UTCI are associated with adverse
effects on human health, including increased mortality rate
Data on the saturation behaviour of the 63-90 µm quartz from the Carpathian Basin
No full textThis dataset offers valuable insights into the luminescence saturation behaviour of 63–90 μm quartz grains sourced from the Carpathian Basin, as examined under controlled laboratory conditions. Its significance lies not only in shedding light on the luminescence properties specific to this region but also in facilitating comparative analyses with quartz samples from other geographic areas. Moreover, the dataset contributes novel findings to the ongoing investigations concerning the upper dating limit of quartz grains, which holds implications for refining luminescence dating methodologies. Grounded in the framework of several previous studies which underscore the challenges associated with utilizing quartz from certain regions for precise dose measurements,the dataset addresses the crucial aspect of setting upper dose limits for accurate luminescence dating. Consequently, the study conducts a series of tests to assess the proximity of natural sensitivity-corrected luminescence signals to laboratory saturation levels, particularly focusing on quartz samples from the Kisiljevo loess-palaeosol sequence. The dataset includes data from OSL saturation experiments conducted on sample 23019, along with associated calculations encompassing all 19 collected samples. This comprehensive serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners engaged in luminescence dating studies, offering detailed insights into saturation behaviours and dose-response characteristics of quartz grains from the Carpathian Basin. Beyond its immediate research implications, the dataset holds significant potential for reuse in various contexts. Researchers exploring luminescence properties of geological materials, particularly quartz grains, can leverage this dataset to compare saturation behaviours across different regions, thus enriching our understanding of luminescence dating methodologies on a broader scale. Additionally, the dataset could inform future studies on refining dose limits and calibration protocols, ultimately enhancing the accuracy and reliability of luminescence dating techniques. In summary, this dataset not only advances our understanding of luminescence saturation behaviours in quartz grains from the Carpathian Basin but also fosters collaborative research efforts aimed at refining luminescence dating methodologies and addressing broader questions in geochronology and palaeoenvironmental studies
Selection of reference data significantly influences biological maturity timing classification in national youth soccer players
No full textThis study investigated biological maturity timing (BMT) in 116 Irish U13 and 958 Swedish U15 male national soccer players using various growth reference datasets. BMT was expressed as a Z-score comparing each player's percentage of predicted adult height (%PAH) to age-specific means and standard deviations reported in the: Berkeley Growth Longitudinal (US), UK 1990 growth reference (UK), and Swedish 2000s growth reference (SWE) studies. Multinomial logistic regression was used to compare BMT classification (Early, On-time, Late) between datasets. One-sampled means t-tests were used to examine BMT-related maturity biases per cohort and reference dataset. For both Swedish U15 (p < 0.001) and Irish U13 (p = 0.003) players, BMT classification was significantly influenced by the selection of the growth reference dataset. Only 61% of players had the same BMT category across all reference datasets. Significant maturity biases existed in favour of early maturing Swedish players (mean = 96.5%PAH) in all datasets, although moderate using SWE (d = 0.7), large using UK (d = 1.02), and very large using US (d = 1.36) (all p < 0.001). Small significant maturity biases existed in favour of early maturing Irish players (mean = 87.1%PAH) using UK (p < 0.001, d = 0.48) and US (p < 0.001, d = 0.33), but not SWE. We conclude that maturity Z-scores must be interpreted with significant caution, given the large variations in BMT classification between reference datasets
Smoothness and covariance structure modelling in Bayesian machine learning models
No full textBayesian additive regression trees (BART) is a Bayesian tree-based model which can
provide high predictive accuracy in both classification and regression problems. Within
the Bayesian paradigm, regularisation is achieved by defining priors which ensure that
each tree contributes modestly to the overall ensemble, thereby enhancing generalisation.
Consequently, BART has proven to be very useful in a wide array of applications.
However, the standard BART model is limited in certain respects. This thesis introduces
some novel extensions to the BART framework to address certain key shortcomings. The
inherent lack of smoothness, which is intrinsic to the piecewise-constant nature of the
decision trees, is the motivation behind two of our proposals. The first involves the incorporation
of Gaussian processes while the second uses penalised splines in the terminal
nodes. Both of these novel approaches yield demonstrable improvements from the points
of view of predictive accuracy and uncertainty calibration in extensive simulations and
real-world applications.
Another drawback of the standard BART model is that it is designed for predicting
univariate outcomes. We introduce a third extension to embed BART in the seemingly
unrelated regression framework to deal with multiple outcomes and model the covariance
structure arising from their joint distribution. The method is applied in a causal setting
in order to determine the cost-effectiveness of a novel medical intervention.
The incorporation of penalised splines is designed to introduce smoothness to BART’s
predictions. Concurrently, the extension to model multivariate outcomes within a seemingly
unrelated regression framework enhances BART by structuring the covariance
among responses. The synthesis of Gaussian processes with BART exemplifies this
dual enhancement, simultaneously facilitating smooth predictive surfaces and capturing
structured dependency, although the latter is within the feature space
A micro-credential approach for life-long learning in the urban renewable energy sector
No full textThe present paper describes the development of a novel framework for the creation of specialised Micro-Credentials supporting the training and re-training of students and professionals on the integration of renewable energy and sustainable fuels in urban settings. The framework is built upon a set of stackable micro-credentials, co-designed with the stakeholders input and it uses advanced natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to assess the impact on the job market at regional level. The use of Micro-Credentials are considered to be the optimal methodology for enhancing the knowledge of specific topics especially for life-long learning for professionals. A co-design approach of such an innovative educational framework with relevant stakeholders fosters a tailored educational path for green upskilling. Finally, the framework is validated processing and analysing a large dataset of job descriptions, extracting the skills required by the market, organising the skills in categories and clusters. All this process lead to the creation of a basket of 74 Micro-Credentials oriented to students and professional with both a technical and non-technical backgrounds
The Windsor Framework – guarantees, gaps and governance
No full textThis special issue of the Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly aims to uncover and examine the many layers of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, as reformed by the Windsor Framework, focusing specifically on governance, fundamental rights and movement of people. It is the product of a workshop held in June 2023 at Maynooth University to mark the launch of the Maynooth Centre for European Law.1 While significant literature existed on some core aspects of the original Protocol, gaps remained and the ongoing political and legal developments necessitated a renewed analysis. This was exemplified by the Windsor Framework, which was adopted only three months before the workshop was held, and the restoration of Northern Ireland’s Executive in February 2024 while the articles herein were being finalised
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework
No full textThis article analyses the ways in and extent to which the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFR) continues to operate in Northern Ireland after Brexit. It shows that, primarily through article 2 of the Windsor Framework and article 4 of the Withdrawal Agreement, the CFR retains considerable force in Northern Ireland, even though it has been removed from the statute books in the rest of the United Kingdom (UK). This retention is legally significant as the CFR gives rise to stronger individual remedies and protects a broader range of fundamental rights than any other instrument in UK law, including the Human Rights Act 1998. The article contributes to litigation and human rights policy in Northern Ireland a) by explaining the added value of the CFR for individuals and b) by setting out the legal tests that must be met for the CFR’s application, under both EU law and Brexit legislation
Echoes of Exploitation: Gender Dynamics and Unravelling the Complex Re-integration Landscape of Sex-trafficking Among Women from The Permeable Borders of Central and Eastern Europe
No full textThis thesis explores the gender dynamics influencing the re-integration of female victims of sex-trafficking (VOST) in Central and East European (CEE) states. It examines how these dynamics hinder the return of VOST to their communities and shape their post-trafficking experiences and recovery. Through a qualitative analysis of case studies across CEE, the research identifies mental health, stigma, victim-blaming, patriarchy and gender-based violence (GBV), family structures and community values, and gendered labour markets as key barriers to re-integration. These findings provide insight into how deeply entrenched gender norms and cultural expectations exacerbate recovery challenges. The thesis argues that interpersonal, familial, societal, and socio-economic struggles further marginalise women, sometimes leading to re-trafficking. It concludes that these complex, gender-specific dynamics necessitate a nuanced, gender-sensitive approach to re-integration, calling for the establishment of tailored support networks and systems
On the value of Fano resonance in wave energy converters
No full textThe article evaluates the potential of the Fano resonance operational principle in wave energy converters (WECs), using a 2-body loosely moored self-referenced WEC as an illustrative example. By leveraging Fano resonance, the point absorber buoy can remain relatively stationary with low loading on mooring lines, serving as an efficient wave energy transmitter while concurrently achieving resonance within the internal power take-off (PTO) system. This arrangement reduces the motion of the point absorber hull, thereby decreasing loads on the WEC structure, mooring lines, and anchors. As a result, operational and structural costs are minimised, further reducing the levelised costs of generated energy. Additionally, by ensuring minimal fluctuations in the WEC, confidence in using traditional linear mathematical models is increased, as commonly employed for WEC performance assessment and control design. The article presents a resonance study and introduces newly derived solutions in the frequency domain for the proposed operational concept. It analytically demonstrates the viability of employing the Fano resonance operational strategy for WECs, suggesting that this strategy has the potential to compete with traditional methods of wave energy transformation. Furthermore, the insights gained from the study contribute to identifying optimal parameters for a PTO system, as well as optimising the design of the heaving buoy