NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Special Issue: The Future of Systematic Theology
No full textOn 8–9 June 2023, there was an international symposium exploring the theme ‘The Future of Systematic Theology’, which was hosted in Maynooth by St Patrick’s Pontifical University. A talented group of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant theologians were invited to present their latest research in Systematic Theology. Speakers were assigned to panels that explored respectively: (1) The Future of Theology in the University, (2) The Future of Theology and Metaphysics, (3) The Future of Theological Anthropology, and (4) The Future of Historical Theology. An international group of scholars presented papers that addressed a diverse range of topics, such as: challenges and pathways for academic theology, the enduring relevance of the writings of Simon Weil, Maurice Blondel, and William Desmond, the dogmatic principle of John Henry Newman, contemporary topics in theological anthropology, and the enduring relevance of Søren Kierkegaard’s theology. The editorial board of The Irish Theological Quarterly graciously has received representative contributions from each panel to provide readers with a sense of the academic quality and level of engagement of current debates
Evaluating the readiness for electric vehicle adoption among the urban population using geospatial techniques
No full textElectric mobility is critical to reducing emissions from transport and dependency on Internal Combustion Engine vehicles. This study attempts to model the suitability of the built environment for electric vehicle (EV) adoption in urban areas based on sociodemographics and access to driveways for installing charging infrastructure. A novel approach using geospatial techniques is adopted to detect driveways from multispectral remote sensing information. A region in Dublin, Ireland, has been chosen as the study area. The region is further categorised based on the feasibility of EV adoption using hierarchical cluster analysis. Initial results highlight the disparity in access to low-emission modes to those not dependent on cars. Results from zero-inflated count models at the neighbourhood level reiterate the impact of driveways and sociodemographic factors on EV adoption. The proposed methodology can help evaluate infrastructure availability for widespread EV transition and inform strategic planning. The driveway detection framework may be adapted to other regions while accounting for geographic characteristics
Research Ethics in Researching Digital Life
No full textThis chapter examines in relation to researching digital life:
• the central principles of research ethics;
• ethics frameworks and a situational and reflexive approach to research ethics;
• researching vulnerable communities and sensitive issues, and power relations in research;
• the ethics of using ‘found data’ produced by others; and
• ethical considerations in producing data using digital media
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
Race, Rescue, Rehome: Irish Greyhounds and the Multi-Species Family
No full textThis PhD research project examines the everyday practices, emotions, and senses in the circulation of working greyhounds from the racing industry to animal rescue organisations then onwards to pet homes as family members in Ireland. Greyhounds are not ‘good’ working dogs. In contrast to police dogs or hunting dogs, they have a short working life and work independently from a handler. Nor are they ‘good’ pets. Adult greyhounds need ‘petification’ training to adjust to household sounds, learn good manners, and become housetrained. These unique qualities of the greyhound confound their categorisation. Working life can be brutal for these dogs. As exposed in the media, Irish greyhounds are found shot, drowned, or beaten to death, some with their ears cut off to remove their identification tattoos (Swords 2012; Shouldice and Ryan 2019). Each year €500m is generated for the exchequer through the greyhound industry, yet budgetary considerations for the 6,000 racers retiring annually are minimal. Through fine-tuned ethnographic research I document how current and former greyhound trainers describe their lived experience as responsible members of the greyhound community. Irish animal welfare organisations are working to grant animals such as greyhounds the right to a home and retirement - a privilege usually reserved for humans. This thesis firstly explores the concerns and practices of volunteers specialising in greyhound welfare, foster and rehoming and the complex role they have in managing the industry’s wastage. Secondly, the thesis engages with the shifting debate in anthropology to define the ‘Irish family’. In Ireland, this is evident through social legislation in hard-fought referendums, for divorce in 1995, marriage equality in 2015 and abortion in 2018, to the degree that the New York Times (Hakim and Dalby 2015) referred to Ireland as the vanguard of social change. At the same time, family practices are changing and the number of Irish households keeping pets has increased to 61%. Nearly all those homes consider their pets as members of the family. The core focus of this research tracks the series of transformations a racing greyhound undergoes as it moves from revenue generator to retiree. As one node in a chain of actors, I follow its progress from working animal to pet and ethnographically document how relationships change in line with shifts in its social role. I question how the introduction of a greyhound-as-pet transforms the multisensory household, family routines and is generative of novel relationships. This research examines multiple points of the human and canine lifespans. Their respective stage-of-life can significantly impact their ability to adapt to these domestic transformations and reveals the complexity of how family is made. Taking an example of canines in Ireland, this thesis asks have anthropological studies of the Irish family missed a vital ingredient
Public actor roles in market experiments: Innovating digital health markets in New York and Ireland
No full textThis paper responds to calls for greater focus on public actors in market innovation, asking how public actors engage in market experiments to innovate public goods markets. We introduce the concept of market experiments, and particularly public actors’ roles in instigating and directing such experiments, to better understand how market innovation processes are put into motion to effect market change and solve specific problems. We focus on two market experiments that track government efforts to encourage the inclusion of digital health technologies in healthcare markets in Ireland and the U.S. between 2015 and 2017. In doing so we move beyond views of government as largely confined to a regulatory role in institutional change. Rather, we see government actively experimenting for possible future markets that can embrace rapid digitalization and meet societal needs. We outline four different government roles across different stages of market de-institutionalization and re-institutionalization: triggering, stabilizing, and prescribing market experiments and anointing market actors
The UK's National Wealth Fund: Lessons from Norway
No full textThis piece considers the UK's new National Wealth Fund. The purpose of the UK fund is to invest in infrastructure, renewable energy, and green technologies using public as well as private investment. It is argued that the fund's effectiveness would be strengthened if it was legally obliged to prioritise environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in its investment calculus. As it stands, the ESG imperative of the fund is an ambition. However, if this ambition were made a legal requirement as it is in Norway where a similar fund exists, then it would arguably gain greater legitimacy in the eyes of investors. It is recommended that ESG assessments for the purposes of the fund should be delegated to an independent body of experts as Norway has done in respect of its fund. This would arguably reduce the risk of ESG decision-making in relation to the fund being influenced by shifting political priorities at a time when ESG has become a political football
Proteomic profiling of the mdx-4cv mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
No full textDuchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive neuromuscular disorder of early childhood. Genetic abnormalities in the DMD gene result in a lack of the crucial cytolinker protein named dystrophin. In skeletal muscles, the full-length dystrophin isoform Dp427-M is expressed in the membrane cytoskeleton. Without this membrane stabilising protein, cellular damage occurs, resulting in muscle weakness, severe myonecrosis, chronic inflammation and reactive myofibrosis. Mass spectrometry allows for accurate identification of proteins present in a tissue or biofluid sample. The proteome of a dystrophin-deficient muscle can be compared to that of a healthy control. If a protein shows significant changes in its abundance in dystrophinopathy, then it may be considered a novel biomarker candidate for this disease. This thesis has focused on the description of mass spectrometry-based proteomics with special reference to dystrophic skeletal muscle and biofluids from an established murine animal model. The proteomic profiling was mostly concerned with the chemically induced mdx-4cv mutant mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Studies have included (i) the detailed description of sample preparation for proteomics and mass spectrometry for bottom-up proteomics, (ii) sample preparation and protein determination for top-down proteomics, (iii) the proteomic identification of markers of membrane repair, regeneration and fibrosis in the aged and dystrophic mdx-4cv mouse diaphragm, (iv) the mass spectrometric profiling of extraocular muscle and proteomic adaptations in the mdx-4cv mouse, and (v) the identification of biofluid marker proteins of muscular dystrophy in the urine proteome from the mdx-4cv mouse. The newly identified proteomic biomarker candidates can now be evaluated for their suitability as indicators of disease initiation and progression. Future studies could potentially establish new protein markers for improved diagnostic and prognostic methods, as well as therapeutic monitoring
“It Never Gets Easier”: Understanding the Adaptation and Shattered Realities of First-Time Prison Entrants and Their Loved Ones
No full textThe abstract is included in the text
“Can Ireland keep us safe?” – a view from the Latin American community.
No full textThis study, distinguished by its unique approach of considering the central cultural values, migration reasons, and prior experiences of a particular community in Ireland, aims to fill an existing gap in the perception of risk and the security attitude. By examining these factors, the study promises to shed new light on the complex relationship between cultural values, migration, and perceptions of policing, making it a compelling and intriguing research for the academic community.
Groups of immigrants, including the Latin American community, bring with them a rich tapestry of cultural values and prior experiences that significantly shape their perceptions of policing. As Arisukwu (2012) argues, the experience in the country of residence is as significant as that of those from their hometown, which remains deeply ingrained. Immigrants often view and interpret their present insights using their home countries as a point of reference (Menjívar & Bejarano, 2004), a perspective crucial to understanding their unique and significant perceptions of policing.
In this sense, over the past two decades, most Latin American countries have been struggling to create or reform their police forces while simultaneously confronting intense increases in violent crime. Reformers have gravitated toward community-oriented policing practices, which aim to rely on preventive tactics rather than repressive ones and build close ties between police members and the public. Still, unfortunately, these reforms occurred against a backdrop of rising problems and insecurity (Malone & Dammert, 2021).
As a result, citizens across the region have identified insecurity as a top priority and rank insecurity as the most pressing nationwide issue in some countries. This high level of violence and antisocial behaviour have made it extremely difficult for many nations to abandon repressive policing practices, and the political system came around by reacting against what it was called ‘soft on crime’, which aftermath could eventually benefit the interests of criminals over the rights of people. What matters most to people in Latin America is the effectiveness of police in achieving goals such as arrest, detention, and forfeiture. Similarly, some argued that the policing paradigm should prioritise increasing control as the principal mechanism to consolidate police legitimacy (Hough, 2013).
Ultimately, this research not only aims to understand the Latin American community's perception of policing in Ireland but also intends to explore the origins and justifications of this position deeply. In doing so, it raises important questions about these people's feelings about Garda´s role, their stance concerning firearms, police discretion of search and arrest, deprotection perception, and emotional background