Access to Research at National University of Ireland, Galway
Research at National University of Ireland, GalwayNot a member yet
15712 research outputs found
Sort by
听·见·韵 Hearing Rhythm, Seeing Rhythm: How can traditional ‘rules of rhythm’ in Chinese aesthetics be applied across contemporary creative practices in acoustic-visual space.
No full textThroughout the history of China, from the early dynasties to contemporary times, in the traditional Chinese aesthetic system, aspects of the integration of poetry, painting and calligraphy have been grounded in varied but deeply connected ‘rules of rhythm’. These ‘rules of rhythm’ permeate in diverse yet identifiable and recognisable forms. The research in this project aims to both adopt and adapt these rhythmic rules or sonic patterns from traditional poetry and lyrics in an experimental form that reimagines a tradition of ‘lyric aesthetics’ in the context of the contemporary interplay between sound and imagery. In this sense, this investigation is at once one of ‘reclamation’ and extension. The fundamental ‘question’ of these experiments is whether it is possible to represent the sonic patterns themselves, that is, to present the rhythmic cadence of sound by visualising and ‘multisensoryising’ sound structures. The focus of the thesis is on the historical establishment of the methodological approach, which is then transformed/translated into possible combinations through the integration of sound and imagery. As a particular attribute of Chinese expression and a specific part of the fundamental structures of the ancient language that is still in use today, these ‘rules’ or forms are cultural traits that have endured through many centuries and challenges, and more importantly in this case, can be (re)iterated in dynamic, fluid, and revitalised contemporary artistic configurations that aim at seeing sound, writing sound, performing rhythm. At the same time, it explores the possibility of reclaiming pre-modern history and traditional culture through the contemporary expression of rhythmic rules, as well as the feasibility of using contemporary integrated sonic-visual or multimedia artistic expression as a ‘medium’ to reimagine contemporary Chinese artistic expression from a Chinese perspective
The patients’ perspective of bedside teaching in the post-Covid era
No full textBackground
Bedside teaching with real patients is vital to the education of medical students. With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, all student-patient interactions were suspended in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Research has previously focussed on the medical professional and medical student views concerning bedside teaching, with less of a focus on patient insights.
Aims
The purpose and aims of this study were to explore the patient’s perspectives of encountering medical students and contributing to their learning in the clinical setting, beyond the Covid restrictions.
Methods
Qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out with a cohort of Mayo University hospital inpatients, who had participated in a bedside teaching session. An interview guide was employed to facilitate consistent and analogous data. An interpretative phenomenological approach was used for data analysis yielding a number of themes.
Results
Participants recognised the value of their involvement in the clinical education of future doctors, in addition to the positive impacts of such contributions for their own future healthcare. Participants had no concerns about partaking in bedside teaching sessions relating to Covid infection.
Conclusions
This study assessed the opinions of hospital inpatients with regards to participating in clinical teaching sessions and found that they do not perceive their role as passive.peer-reviewe
Communities and the European Green Deal: opening ‘sites of struggle’ for a democratic energy transition
No full textOn the path to climate neutrality, the European Green Deal aims to address the economy and society inclusively, ‘leaving no one behind’ in the energy transition. Energy democracy highlights the role for diverse communities in this transition. This paper interrogates how inclusive the European Green Deal is through a content analysis of four policies. It finds a limited role envisioned for communities, focused on techno-economic communities of interest (including energy communities) contributing to EU initiatives. This largely ignores the multitude of diverse activities through which groups collectively engage in energy systems. A key contribution of this paper is to demonstrate that to achieve the goals of energy democracy, the European Green Deal must facilitate diverse, deliberative ways to ‘act all together’, with communities as important actors. Communities can act as a ‘site of struggle’ whose deeper engagement could lead to more democratic and richer outcomes for policy and research.This research was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No [101036640]. Social sciences & Humanities for Achieving a Responsible, Equitable and Desirable GREEN DEAL (SHARED GREEN DEAL) is a €5 m EU investment, coordinated by Anglia Ruskin University (UK).peer-reviewe
Shotgun metagenomics based exploration of Irish soil microbiome
No full textThe soil microbiome plays a crucial role in an array of important ecological processes, such as biogeochemical cycling, drought resilience, and the formation of soil structure. Metagenomics has revolutionised our understanding of diverse and predominantly unculturable microbial communities in soil, shedding light on their essential ecosystem functions. However, metagenomic techniques for soil microbiomes remain relatively new, and broader applications require considerable optimisation of pipelines.
This thesis examines the Irish soil microbiome through metagenomic analysis of 131 soil samples. Taxonomy classification for soil metagenomics was first optimised by developing an in-silico mock community comprising all known soil-specific bacteria, archaea, and fungi. In-silico metagenomic datasets created using this mock community facilitated the identification of optimal taxonomy classification parameters, including tools, thresholds, and a custom database, which were then applied to map the Irish microbiomes comprehensively. Comparing these taxonomic profiles from shotgun and corresponding amplicon sequencing data, we found that both methods provide moderately similar results, including consistent identification of major phyla, similar patterns of community differentiation, and a similar relationship between nitrogen functions and phyla. Differences between the two methods mainly stemmed from differences in reference taxonomy, underscoring the need for a unified taxonomic framework to ensure reliability and comparability of metagenomic analyses. Next, 107 Metagenome-Assembled Genomes (MAGs) were recovered from 32 deeply sequenced subsamples, revealing antimicrobial resistance in unculturable yet abundant microbial fractions. Alongside elongation factor Tu, K+ transport activator, and arsenic resistance transporter, abundant genes conferring resistance to antibiotics like isoniazid, spectinomycin, and rifamycin, common antibiotics used in cattle, were identified, indicating potential bidirectional transfer of genes between soil and its surrounding environment. This study also recovered a novel Thaumarchaeota MAG that encodes an ammonia-oxidising gene, enhancing our understanding of ammonia-oxidising archaea in agricultural soils.
Overall, this thesis, advances knowledge in soil metagenomics as well as microbial diversity and potential functions in Irish soils and identifies novel genomic assemblies, crucial for updating soil-specific databases and managing microbial activity amid global environmental changes.This work was supported by the Teagasc Walsh Scholarship Programme (Ref: 2020019) and SFI together with the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine under grant number SFI/16/RC/3835 (VistaMilk)
Thinning and retreat of the temperate Connemara ice centre, Ireland, during Heinrich Stadial 1 constrained with cosmogenic 10Be dating
No full textWithin the North Atlantic region, climatic perturbations such as Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1) and the Younger Dryas stadial (YD) have traditionally been viewed as anomalous periods of extreme cooling linked to abrupt changes in the poleward oceanic transport of heat. While there is considerable geologic data to support strong cooling during stadial winters, recent work in mid- and high-latitude regions fringing the North Atlantic suggests that this thermal signal did not extend to stadial summers, contrary to previously inferred palaeoecological and ice core proxies. Some directly dated glacial records from Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia, for instance, document the large-scale retreat of terrestrial ice masses during both HS1 and the YD, coincident with meltwater pulses from the European continent and consequent weakening of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Similar patterns of stadial deglaciation have been reported from Greenland and north-east North America. Together, these datasets support the emerging model of stadials as periods of anomalous seasonality imposed on the strongly maritime North Atlantic climate. In this study, we present a geologic record of ice sheet behaviour from the Maumturk Mountains in western Ireland during the last glacial termination, constrained with cosmogenic 10Be surface-exposure dating. Coupled with glacio-geomorphologic and sedimentologic characterisation of moraine landforms, our record describes a temperate ice mass undergoing sustained active retreat during the first half of HS1, synchronous with increased European meltwater discharge into the North Atlantic.This work was supported by the University of Galway and co-funding provided by Science Foundation Ireland and Geological Survey Ireland (grant 21/FFP-P/10129).peer-reviewe
How do cognitive proximity and knowledge space position affect firms' innovation? Evidence from micro and small manufacturing firms in South Africa
No full textCognitive proximity between firms, and their position in relation to other firms in a knowledge space, can influence firms' innovation performance. While some studies have begun analysing this in developing countries, there is a dearth of evidence in Africa, and more generally for small and especially micro enterprises as well as for informal enterprises. To fill this gap, we utilise rich new survey data covering 711 micro and small manufacturing firms in Johannesburg, South Africa. We develop and apply a novel multidimensional measure of cognitive proximity, using information on the skills most needed in firms' activities, firms' proximity in an industrial space, and the types of external co-operation in which they engage. We find that cognitive proximity is positively associated with innovation outcomes. Although this relationship is increasing for most of the sample, there is evidence of an inverted-U relationship for firms located at higher percentiles, suggesting that too much proximity may lead to a cognitive lock-in. Firms' knowledge space position is also associated with differential innovation outcomes. In extensions of the model, we find interesting differences in how both cognitive proximity and knowledge space positions are associated with the degree of innovation novelty and also vary according to whether the firm is formal or informal.This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa under Grant No. 98627 and 110691.peer-reviewe
Ethanol metabolism in anaerobic digestion systems for better renewable energy recovery from waste feedstocks
No full textEthanol plays a key role in advancing the sustainable technology of anaerobic digestion. A comprehensive understanding of ethanol metabolism is essential for optimizing the enhanced recovery of renewable energy from waste feedstocks via anaerobic digestion. This review aims to summarize key findings on ethanol metabolism, focusing on metabolic pathways, kinetics and ecological applications, as well as functional microorganisms and their enrichment strategies. Three ethanol metabolic pathways are discussed: (i) the conventional pathway yielding acetate and hydrogen, (ii) the direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) pathway, and (iii) the propionate-producing pathway. A comprehensive summary of the kinetics involved in ethanol degradation, microbial growth, and inhibition can enhance reactor design and facilitate the application of the r/K selection theory to enrich functional microorganisms. Operational parameters informed by the r/K selection theory can be used to enrich functional ethanol-oxidizing bacteria, such as Geobacter, thereby influencing ethanol metabolic pathways. These insights offer valuable guidance for further exploration of ethanol degradation toward desired products in the anaerobic treatment of waste feedstocks. Future research should aim to develop a unified ecological framework to explain the coexistence of multiple ethanol metabolic pathways, potentially through concepts such as division of labour or overflow metabolism. Additionally, integrating extracellular electron transfer into thermodynamic models may yield new insights into ethanol metabolism. Finally, DIET-based anaerobic digestion technologies utilizing ethanol should be explored for the degradation of complex substrates.This research was supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SEAI Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2021, Grant number 21/RDD/600. Bang Du thanks the scholarship from the College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, and Guangxue Wu thanks the support from the Galway University Foundation.peer-reviewe
Viability and suitability of rat pup organotypic spinal cord slice cultures in a transection injury model
No full textBackground
Ex vivo organotypic spinal cord slice culture (OSC) models are advantageous for spinal cord injury (SCI) research. They retain in vivo cellular interactions but involve fewer ethical concerns and are easier to manipulate than in vivo models. Due to improved viability OSCs derived from early postnatal animals are preferred. A transection injury OSC model derived from postnatal day (P) 4 rats has been validated, however as rodent spinal cord development changes significantly in early postnatal weeks, older postnatal day animals may be more appropriate for OSC models.
New method
This study compared the viability of OSCs derived from P11 rats with the established P4 transection model.
Results
No significant differences in cell viability were found between P4 and P11 control slices, or between control and injured slices within each age group. P11 OSCs also demonstrated strong viable cell ingrowth into a transection injury gap post-injury, comparable to P4 OSCs, and increased their volume fraction of immunostaining for the glial scar markers GFAP and CSPGs along transection gap edges. Sex was not found to affect any of these parameters.
Comparison with existing methods
Our findings demonstrate that P11 OSCs maintain viability and cellular ingrowth post transection injury comparable to that of the well-established P4 derived OSCs. P11 OSCs were also found to exhibit a glial scarring response post transection injury.
Conclusions
OSCs from P11 animals maintain viability comparable to P4 OSCs while also exhibiting a scarring response. This study concludes that P11 OSCs are a valid alternate to P4 OSC transection SCI model.This research was funded by the Irish Research Council (GOIPG/2019/2636) and the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science at the University of Galway. The authors acknowledge the facilities and scientific and technical assistance of the Anatomy Imaging and Microscopy Facility at the University of Galway.peer-reviewe
Investigation of spatially varying relationships between cadmium accumulation and potential controlling factors in the topsoil of island of Ireland based on spatial machine learning approaches
No full textBackground
Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soils is a pressing environmental issue due to its toxicity and persistence. Given the diverse geological formations and intensive agricultural activities in Ireland, understanding the distribution and sources of soil Cd is particularly important.
Methods
This study used multiple GIS-based and spatial machine learning (SML) techniques to investigate the spatial distribution and controlling factors of Cd in 16,783 topsoil samples across the island of Ireland. Three analytical methods were applied: hot spot analysis to detect clusters of high and low Cd concentrations, Geographically Weighted Pearson Correlation Coefficients (GWPCC) to explore how Cd relationships with other soil properties vary across space, and Random Forest (RF) to rank the contributing factors in Cd accumulation.
Results
Hot spot analysis revealed strong spatial overlap between Cd concentrations and key geochemical variables including CIA, Fe, P, pH, SOC, and Zn. GWPCC further highlighted their spatially varying relationships, with significantly strong positive correlations between Cd and pH, Zn, and P in the central midlands. The local correlation coefficients obtained from the GWPCC ranged from negative to the highest values of 0.80, 0.92 and 0.86, respectively, which were significantly higher than the results of traditional Pearson correlation coefficients. These patterns were associated with impure limestones, Zn mineralization, and phosphate fertilizer inputs. Furthermore, the RF model ranked Zn (39.4 %) and P (17.6 %) as the most influential factors, with their importance increasing in limestone-dominated areas (50.9 % and 27.4 %), which emphasized the external contributions from local Zn mineralization and phosphate fertilizers in addition to natural accumulation.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating SML techniques with geochemical analysis for identifying Cd sources in the topsoil of Ireland, highlighting the roles of lithology and agricultural activities in Cd accumulation. The results provided valuable insights for contamination management and environmental policy development in Ireland and elsewhere.This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42307288; 42407288), and Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2022A1515110718; 2022A1515110930).peer-reviewe
First crystal structure of an aspartame cocrystal
No full textAspartame crystallizes as very long, thin needles. The crystallization behavior of extreme needle formers not only causes problems in industrial processing and handling but is also of interest in fundamental research. Cocrystallization is a popular approach to expand the solid-state landscape of a compound and often leads to improved physicochemical properties such as stability, dissolution behavior, particle size, and morphology. No crystal structure of an aspartame cocrystal has been reported in the literature up to now. In this work, a comprehensive screening study for aspartame cocrystals was performed. Cocrystals with fumaric acid and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid were detected by powder X-ray diffraction analysis. Growing X-ray suitable cocrystals, however, proved extremely difficult, as both cocrystals, like aspartame, crystallized as very fine needles. Nevertheless, in the case of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, crystals of sufficient quality for single-crystal X-ray analysis could be grown, and the first crystal structure of an aspartame cocrystal is reported. In the cocrystal aspartame·4-hydroxybenzoic acid dihydrate (1), the coformer forms the OH···–OOC synthon with aspartame. The aspartame zwitterions in 1 are connected through charge-assisted NH3+···–OOC hydrogen bonds into a spiral along a 21 screw axis, the same structural feature that drives the needle growth of aspartame and that seems to be the reason why the isolation of X-ray-quality cocrystals of aspartame is so challenging.This publication has emanated from research supported in part by a research grant from Science Foundation Ireland under Grant number 12/RC/2275-P2. N.F. thanks the Irish Research Council for a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship (Project ID GOIPG/2023/4906). M.A. acknowledges the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) for providing facilities for this research. For the purpose of Open Access, the authors have applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.peer-reviewe