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Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in community-dwelling older adults with chronic kidney disease: the Irish longitudinal study on ageing
No full textBackground. Hypertension is highly prevalent in chronic kidney disease (CKD), posing a significant but modifiable risk for adverse clinical outcomes. This study explored the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in older Irish adults with CKD. Methods. Data were analysed from participants in Wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) who were aged 50 years and older. CKD was defined as eGFR <60 ml/min/1.72 m2, hypertension defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg and/or self-reported use of antihypertensive medication. Participant awareness and treatment of hypertension was based on self-report and SBP/DBP <140/90 mmHg. Multivariable logistic regression examined relationships with awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension expressed as adjusted odds ratios. Results. Prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in participants with CKD than without (81.9% vs 59.7%, P < .001). Among hypertensive individuals, 70.1% (95% CI: 65.8–74.1) were aware, 83.5% (95% CI 80.0–86.6) were on treatment, yet blood pressure control <140/90 mmHg and SBP <120 mmHg were achieved in only 49.3% (CI 44.0–54.7%) and 17.9% (CI 14.4–22.1), respectively. In multivariable analysis, advancing age 1.05 (CI 1.01–1.10), obesity 6.23 (CI 2.51–15.5), diabetes 5.78 (CI 1.55–21.5), and cardiovascular disease 9.89 (CI 3.27–29.9) were associated with higher odds of treatment, while cardiovascular disease 2.35 (CI 1.39–3.99) and combination antihypertensive therapy 1.76 (CI 1.03–3.01) were associated with blood pressure control. Conclusion. The prevalence of hypertension is substantial in older Irish adults with CKD; however, control is poor. Approximately, one-third of participants were unaware of their hypertensive status and approximately one-fifth were untreated.</p
Defining ‘religious body’ under Irish marriage law
No full textCensus 2022 shows an ever more diverse religious landscape in the Republic of Ireland. Recent marriage data published by the Central Statistics Office further speaks to the dramatic socio-religious shifts which have taken place in the jurisdiction, particularly over the past 20 years. Yet, although there has been a rapid proliferation of legislatively recognised religious bodies under Irish marriage law, specifically the Civil Registration Act 2004 (as amended), this development appears to have largely gone unnoticed, attracting little (if any) academic attention. This article therefore seeks to place the spotlight on how the definition of ‘religious body’ pursuant to the 2004 Act (as amended) has been interpreted by the Registrar General and highlights how the legislative machinery facilitating the legal recognition of such bodies is being utilised in practice as a result. It then considers the correctness of the Registrar General’s liberal understanding of the term ‘worship’ before turning to explore whether this interpretation is likely to have any broader implications for the understanding of ‘religion’ or ‘religious body’ in other legislative or constitutional contexts</p
Colloidally synthesized Cu3VS4 nanocrystals as a long cycling anode material for sodium-ion batteries
No full textWe report on the colloidal synthesis of Cu3VS4 nanocrystals as an earth abundant anode material for sodium-ion battery applications. The nanocrystals were structurally characterized prior to testing in half-cells, where they displayed excellent cycling stability up to 1000 cycles, demonstrating the potential of colloidally synthesised materials for sustainable battery applications.</p
Development of mechanistic in vitro–in vivo extrapolation to support bioequivalence assessment of long-acting injectables
No full textLong-acting injectable (LAI) formulations provide sustained drug release over an extended period ranging from weeks to several months to improve efficacy, safety, and compliance. Never?theless, many challenges arise in the development and regulatory assessment of LAI drug products due to a limited understanding of the tissue response to injected particles (e.g., inflammation) im?pacting in vivo performance. Mechanism-based in silico methods may support the understanding of LAI–physiology interactions. The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) to use a mechanistic modeling approach to delineate the in vivo performance of DepoSubQ Provera® and formulation variants in preclinical species; (2) to predict human exposure based on the knowledge gained from the animal model. The PBPK model evaluated different elements involved in LAI administration and showed that (1) the effective in vivo particle size is potentially larger than the measured in vitro particle size, which could be due to particle aggregation at the injection site, and (2) local inflamma?tion is a key process at the injection site that results in a transient increase in depot volume. This work highlights how a mechanistic modeling approach can identify critical physiological events and product attributes that may affect the in vivo performance of LAIs.</p
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a video-based educational intervention on perinatal mental health related stigma reduction strategies for healthcare professionals: A single group pre-test-post-test pilot study
No full textBackground: Healthcare professionals have a role to play in reducing perinatal mental health related stigma. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of a video-based educational intervention developed to provide guidance to healthcare professionals on perinatal mental health related stigma reduction strategies. Design: A single group pre-test-post-test pilot study with no control group. Setting(s): A university affiliated maternity hospital in Ireland Participants: A convenience sample of registered midwives, nurses and doctors (n = 60) recruited from October 2020-January 2021. Intervention: A twenty-minute video-based educational intervention. Methods: Respondents (n = 60) completed a pre-test (time point one) and post-test (time point-two) questionnaire, and a three-month follow-up post-test questionnaire (time point-three) (n = 39). The questionnaire included the Mental Illness Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale, Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale, Reynolds Empathy Scale and open-ended questions. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was selected to evaluate the pre-test post-test scores. Results: The difference in mean Mental Illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes-4 scores were statistically significant between time points one and three (z = 3.27, df=36, P = 0.0007) suggesting more positive attitudes towards people with mental health conditions after the intervention. The mean total score for the Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale increased from 18.7 (SD 1.87) at time point one to 19.2 (SD 1.60) at time point two (z= -3.368, df=59, P = 0.0004) suggesting an increase in positive intended behaviours towards those with mental health issues immediately following the intervention. These findings were also corroborated by responses to open-ended survey questions. Conclusions: Further research with a larger sample of healthcare professionals evaluated over a longer period would provide further evidence for the sustainability of the intervention. Tweetable Abstract: : A video-based intervention can increase healthcare professionals’ knowledge of perinatal #mentalhealth related stigma reduction strategies @Journal. Link to article</p
Black fatherhood in contemporary African American novels
No full textThis thesis examines popular genre conventions to illuminate Black men’s position as fathers in relation to a contemporary and historical situation with racial laws and cultural stereotypes that created an exceptional situation for Black men’s paternity, whether in the past or the present. It also identifies how contemporary Black authors, through these genres, challenge the racial stereotypes about Black fatherhood found in policies, public discourses, and the political arenas. It also examines how this contemporary representation constructs a new cultural identity for Black fatherhood. I argue that contemporary African American novels challenge Black fathers’ marginalisation in the American cultural imagination by using popular genres to represent them in diverse manners, like being involved and nurturing, and explaining the reasons behind their inability, shortcomings, and absence in relation to contemporary and historical racial contexts. This analysis is established by closely reading rhetorical strategies related to four popular genres: crime fiction, satire, Gothic, and domestic fiction, in four African American contemporary novels: Before I Forget (2009) by Leonard Pitts Jr., The Sellout (2015) by Paul Beatty, Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017) by Jesmyn Ward and An American Marriage (2018) by Tayari Jones. This analysis shows that genre does not have a fixed formula but an adaptable art that is constantly changing. Black novelists’ creative intervention in popular genres refreshes these genres and contributes to their longevity. This analysis also complicates Obama’s neoliberal dichotomy that brands Black fathers as either responsible and irresponsible, masculine and childish, by illustrating how the Black father characters engage with their children and express their fatherhood in distinctive and creative ways. It undermines the idea of “good” versus “bad” fatherhood to rescue the Black race from loss, as seen in Obama’s rhetoric. Black fathers’ figures are far more complex because they relate to historical and cultural contexts and dynamics.</p
Pruned tea biomass plays a significant role in functional food production: A review on characterization and comprehensive utilization of abandon-plucked fresh tea leaves
No full textTea is the second largest nonalcoholic beverage in the world due to its characteristic flavor and well-known functional properties in vitro and in vivo. Global tea production reaches 6.397 million tons in 2022 and continues to rise. Fresh tea leaves are mainly harvested in spring, whereas thousands of tons are discarded in summer and autumn. Herein, pruned tea biomass refers to abandon-plucked leaves being pruned in the non-plucking period, especially in summer and autumn. At present, no relevant concluding remarks have been made on this undervalued biomass. This review summarizes the seasonal differences of intrinsic metabolites and pays special attention to the most critical bioactive and flavor compounds, including polyphenols, theanine, and caffeine. Additionally, meaningful and profound methods to transform abandon-plucked fresh tea leaves into high-value products are reviewed. In summer and autumn, tea plants accumulate much more phenols than in spring, especially epigallocatechin gallate (galloyl catechin), anthocyanins (catechin derivatives), and proanthocyanidins (polymerized catechins). Vigorous carbon metabolism induced by high light intensity and temperature in summer and autumn also accumulates carbohydrates, such as soluble sugars and cellulose. The characteristics of abandon-plucked tea leaves make them not ideal raw materials for tea, but suitable for novel tea products like beverages and food ingredients using traditional or hybrid technologies such as enzymatic transformation, microbial fermentation, formula screening, and extraction, with the abundant polyphenols in summer and autumn tea serving as prominent flavor and bioactive contributors.</p
CS Impact: Exploring Students' Experiences of Leaving Certificate Computer Science
No full textThis research study explored 5th and 6th year students' experiences of studying the Leaving Certificate Computer Science subject in second-level schools across Ireland. The study adopted a qualitative methodology to gain insights into the students' experiences.</p
Consumption of ultra-processed foods in the Brazilian amazon during COVID-19
No full textAbstract: Background: A COVID-19 pandemic erupted, causing a global viral pneumonia outbreak, marking the most significant public health crisis of the 21st century. These changes profoundly impacted population health and well-being, leading to shifts in dietary habits. This study aimed to evaluate the consumption of ultra-processed foods in the Brazilian Amazon before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a secondary data analysis study derived from the Surveillance System of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel, 2019–2021) of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. All statistical analyses were performed using the Stata 17 statistical program in the survey module (svy). Results: We found an increased frequency in the subgroups of consumption of ultra-processed foods in the capital of the Brazilian Amazon region between the years 2019 and 2021. In the cities of Boa Vista and Macapá, there was a significant increase in the consumption of snacks, salty snacks, cookies, and meat products. Boa Vista and Macapá showed an increase in the percentage difference in the consumption ≥5 of ultra-processed subgroups, being 30.4% (p = 0.014) and 53.7% (p = 0.014), respectively. Conclusions: The study indicated an increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods in the Brazilian Amazon region during and after social distancing.</p
Code developed for the journal paper: "From Virtual to actual assisted tape placement − Application of the frenet frame to robotic steering trajectories", published in Composites part A.
No full textA novel computational tool is presented that integrates the design and manufacturing of variable-angle tow composites for automated tape placement, facilitating the creation of tow-steered trajectories for cut-outs. Steering movements of the robot are planned and executed within a MATLAB virtual environment via short pathshs and linear commands. Leveraging piecewise-continuous clothoid splines and the Frenet frame, the tool furnishes crucial details on trajectory vectors, steering angles, and curvatures. Via four integrated modules, the user can define input parameters such as the robot’s actuators and structural geometry, allowing for the subsequent visualisation of the steered trajectories as well as the generation of the manufacturing code. Finally, to assess the potential and limitations of this methodology, the file containing all details is integrated into the Kuka KR L240-2 robot model to continuously steer a carbon fibre/PEEK tape around an elliptical cut-out in a composite panel using laser-assisted tape placement, representative of an access hole in an aircraft wing.</p