NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
Not a member yet
18159 research outputs found
Sort by
The European Health Data Space as a Case Study
No full textIn May 2022, the European Commission proposed the launch of a health-specific data sharing framework called the European Health Data Space (EHDS), underpinned by legislation, for the use of electronic health data by patients and for research, innovation, policy-making, patient safety, statistics, or regulatory purposes. In this essay, I review some of its more contentious features based on the latest version of the legislative proposal. I suggest that the EHDS is a useful case study to illustrate the need for a translational bioethics approach that shines a critical analytical light on contentious aspects of large-scale research infrastructures
Inside Out: The Short Stories of Micheál Ó Conghaile
No full textIn “Trasnú” (Crossing), Gaeltacht poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh revels
in the creative tension inherent in the comingling of traditional Irishlanguage culture with late modernity. He describes contemporary
identity as a messy hybrid of ancient and tenacious tradition on the one
hand and a freeing but fickle globalized culture on the other: “tá muid
leath-réamhstairiúil / agus leath-postmodern intertextual” (we are half
prehistoric, half postmodern intertextual).1
Few authors exemplify
this dual identity better than the Gaeltacht novelist, short-story writer,
and playwright Micheál Ó Conghaile. Born in 1962, Ó Conghaile
is by no means an old man, yet the upbringing that he describes is
now totally unthinkable. While Ireland entered the “Lemass era” of
economic change—often considered to have catalyzed radical social
transformation over the following decades—Ó Conghaile spent his
youth in one of the most dramatically isolated, and consequently culturally stable, parts of the country. Now an acclaimed author with a
secure place in the Irish-language canon, Ó Conghaile—who went
on to found one of the language’s most important publishers, Cló
Iar-Chonnacht—grew up reading by candlelight. His hybrid identity
as a rural gay man, a native Irish-speaker, and an educated and welltraveled entrepreneur provides him with a unique and complicated
perspective that seems to accommodate both the authority of one on
the inside and the marginalization of one inherently different. Difference is accepted as a fact of life in his work, which ranges from realistic
testimony to the wildly experimental and obscene
Irish experiences in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars a quantitative analysis of Irish military service in the regular army 1808 to 1815
No full textThe French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars (1792-1815) resulted in the first truly mass
mobilisation of European manpower. The campaigns fought by the British Army during the
period 1808-15 were among the most strategically important of the wars for Great Britain and
resulted in the expansion of the regular army to a peak of 230,469 men by 1813.1 This placed
a significant strain on the British state’s manpower resources and resulted in the large-scale
recruitment of Irish men into the regular army, directly impacting many communities across
Ireland.
While research has been conducted into the mobilisation of British society to meet the
demands of ‘total’ war, research within an Irish context has been limited.2 Irish military
service during this period has been viewed primarily through the perspective of the Irish
militia and yeomanry, with service in the regular army generally considered within the
context of the ‘Irish’ regiments of the British Army. This narrow focus has resulted in an
under-appreciation of the extent of Irish manpower mobilised by the British state for the
defeat of Napoleonic France. Furthermore, it has marginalised or omitted important
participants in the historical narrative of the Irish military experience, namely Irish women
and children. And finally, it has unintentionally restricted research into the wider impacts on
the political, economic, and social relationship between Ireland and Great Britain. This
research will address these gaps in the historiography of Irish military service by examining
Irish experiences across all regiments of the regular army between 1808 and 1815.
The research methodology employed differs significantly from those of other studies
of Irish military service during this period as it is based on the quantifiable analysis of data
from the military records. Two databases were constructed using biographical details from
military service records of enlisted men and officers. A database of 1,913 Irish enlisted men
from 45 cavalry and infantry regiments provides unique insights into these men’s social
backgrounds and their experiences in the regular army. A second database of 9,378 regular
army officers facilitates comparative analysis of the experiences of Irish officers against their
English and Scottish colleagues. A third database of 217 regiments and battalions allows for
the analysis, by regiment and rank, of the country of birth of 141,527 English, Scottish and
Irish enlisted men who served in the regular army. Quantifiable analysis is also conducted on
the military records relating to the experiences of thousands of Irish women and children in all
regiments of the British Army during the period. This is a new departure for the historiography of early nineteenth century Irish society by placing Irish military experiences
during the Napoleonic wars within the broader Anglo/Irish political, social and economic
narrative of the period.
Analysis of the databases demonstrates that Irish manpower was critical to enabling
the British state to prosecute the war in a sustained manner in terms of the numbers of officers
and enlisted men serving across all regiments of the regular army. Arising from the scale of
Irish recruitment, military service in the regular army impacted Irish society in more ways
than previously understood. Men from every parish, town and city in Ireland enlisted in the
regular army. Irish women and children accompanied their menfolk and were a significant
presence across all regiments of the regular army. This research also addresses important
aspects of Irish military service such as religion, welfare, education, discipline and the
relationship with military authority, promotion, and transnational experiences. Addressing the
topic of Irish military service in a more comprehensive manner utilising empirical based
analysis is the focus of this research. It is intended that this will facilitate new perspectives of
the relationship between the British Army and the British state with Irish society during this
period and in the following decades
Ireland’s gypsum and brick field: a study of the social and industrial development of a mining community, 1800-2010
No full textThe mining community, together with the gypsum and brick clay deposits, occupies a
small district in the north-east of the Republic of Ireland. The field extends for 12km
southwards from Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, to east of Kingscourt, Co. Cavan, reaching
the Kilmainhamwood area of north Meath. The manufacturing headquarters of each industry
is in the latter region, but Kingscourt is regarded as the ‘capital’.
The study investigates and relates the nexus of the community and its industries over
time; it explains the continuum of developments resulting from this relationship; and
acknowledges the local, national, and international events as they contribute to the context and
history of the industries. Herein lies the challenge of the thesis.
The significance of the study revolves on its primary achievement of providing the first
social account of the workings of these important minerals, while recognising their unique and
valuable contribution to the Irish construction industry and to export markets. The cast of
significant, entrepreneurial characters reveals the attraction of industrial enterprise - many of
whom emerge from the obscurity of the archives.
The methodology is governed by the nature of the primary sources and the trajectory
which they afford the work. Accordingly, the origins, chronology and progression of this
narrative, qualitative account, rests on the sequential grants of mineral leases and associated
literature. From 1800-1903, these leases were moulded by the Shirley family, the landlords
who owned and controlled the minerals. Their archival material was invaluable in providing a
social insight on industrial development and nineteenth century tenant society.
Following the milestone legislation of Wyndham’s land act in 1903, the leases were
mainly negotiated by mining companies with the Irish department of industry and commerce.
Launch days were major events for the thesis. They furnished the social, political, and
economic milieu, thus placing the industries in their contemporary surroundings.
Many sub-themes are also featured such as, rail transport; the role of turf; fertilizer; and
environmental concerns. They augment and embellish the central dynamic of the work. The
introduction of plasterboard manufacture in 1947 proved a revolutionary development in terms
of output, earnings and employment.
On the conclusion of the study (2010), both industries have become members of
conglomerate enterprises. The many benefits bestowed upon the community from the fountain
of employment are described. But social stability, which allows the local heritage to prosper, is
the paramount value
On Loss-Aware Optimal Control of Wave Energy Converters With Electrical Power Take-Offs
No full textIncorporating the non-ideal power take-off (PTO) efficiency of wave energy converters (WECs) into energy-maximizing
control is crucial for achieving optimal electrical power generation.
The majority of previous loss-aware controllers are based on a
simplified power-coefficient (PC) model or only consider the copper
loss, which remain insufficient to describe a real electrical PTO. In
this article, a high-fidelity loss model, encompassing different loss
components of the PTO (a generator and a power converter), is
developed, and a number of loss-aware model predictive control
(MPC) options are derived and compared in a realistic case study.
The results highlight the importance of using an appropriate loss
model, rather than a PC model, both for power evaluation and
for control, and it is shown that a quadratic loss model employed
in MPC is effective in approximating the true loss function, so
that near-optimal power production can be achieved with fast
computation
Selection of patient-reported outcome measures in pulmonary arterial hypertension clinical trials: a systematic review, meta-analysis and health-related quality of life framework
No full textHealth-related quality of life (HRQoL) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is valued
as an outcome measure by patients, clinicians and regulators. The selection of patient-reported outcome
measures (PROMs) for measurement of HRQoL in PAH clinical trials lacks systematic evaluation of their
suitability, accuracy and reliability.
Methods We report a systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42024484021) following Preferred Reporting
Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines of PROMs selected in PAH clinical
trials. PROM measurement properties were then evaluated according to the 10-step COnsensus-based Standards
for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist and graded by recommendation for
use. Finally, HRQoL was modelled into a conceptual framework using patient interviews and surveys.
Results Screening of 896 records identified 90 randomised controlled trials. 43 trials selected PROMs, of
which 20 were sufficiently validated to detect meaningful change. Of these, eight trials were adequately
powered, using either EuroQol-five dimensions-five levels (EQ-5D-5L), Short-Form-36 (SF-36) or the
Living with Pulmonary Hypertension Questionnaire (LPHQ). The COSMIN evaluation recommended
EmPHasis-10 and the LPHQ for use (grade A); whereas, SF-36 and EQ-5D-5L require further study
(grade B). A conceptual framework of HRQoL was developed from literature comprising 8045 patients.
This framework can be used to visualise the different HRQoL concepts measured by different PROMs.
Conclusion To improve patient-centred research, greater consistency in PROM selection is required. Three
of 90 randomised controlled trials have selected COSMIN-recommended PROMs. Whilst the PROMs
evaluated require development across the 10 areas of psychometric property measurement, EmPHasis-10
and the LPHQ can be recommended for use. The ratified conceptual framework can further support PROM
selection by identifying the HRQoL concepts they are likely to capture
Power system stability in the Era of energy Transition: Importance, Opportunities, Challenges, and future directions
No full textUtilities are struggling to fulfil increased energy demand from domestic and industrial expansion. Conventional
energy sources are insufficient to satisfy this burgeoning global energy demand, and the substantial emissions of
pollutants associated with these sources are concerns. The energy transition is becoming more inevitable than
ever for mitigating this situation. However, this transition threatens the power system stability by introducing
intermittent and low inertia energy resources to the grid. In terms of the energy transition, there is abundant
research about design purposes, but those considering the power system stability are still inadequate. The significance, opportunities, challenges, and future directions of the energy transition related to power system stability are covered thoroughly in this article. The IEEE 14-bus system is selected as a case study for renewable
energy sources (RES) integration as it includes various voltage levels (132, 33, and 0.4) kV. Various scenarios of
RES integration, fault, sudden change of generation and load are simulated using DIgSILENT /MATLAB software.
The case study clarifies how power system stability is affected by the energy transition and how the energy
storage system improves stability. It also discusses the future direction as a baseline for scholars and industries to
accelerate the smooth energy transitio
PSO‐based optimal placement of electric vehicle charging stations in a distribution network in smart grid environment incorporating backward forward sweep method
No full textThe transition from conventional fossil‐fuel vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) is critical for mitigating environmental pollution. The placement of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) significantly impacts the utility operator and electrical network. Inappropriately placed EVCS lead to challenges such as increased load, unbalanced generation, power losses, and reduced voltage stability. Incorporating distributed generation (DG) helps mitigate these issues by maximizing EV usage. This study focuses on optimizing EVCS and DG placement in radial distribution networks. The methodology employs a backward and forward sweep method for load flow analysis and utilizes the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to determine optimal EVCS and DG locations and sizes. This approach, validated on the IEEE‐33 bus system, outperforms existing methods. Results indicate a 2.5 times greater power loss reduction compared to simulated annealing (SA), 1.6 times better than artificial bee colony, and parity with genetic algorithm (GA). Overall, the PSO algorithm demonstrates superior optimization effectiveness and computational efficiency, showcasing 1–2.5 times better performance than other methodologies. Employing this approach yields significantly improved results, making it a promising technique for optimizing EVCS and DG placement in distribution networks
Topics in Model Evaluation and Comparison
No full textStatistical modelling of data in real-world scenarios often require models that can
accommodate variability and dependence in a plethora of different ways. Within
the generalized linear modelling framework, various extended models are available
to address these commonly found problems. In this context, goodness-of-fit
assessment is pivotal for ensuring reliable inferential results. This includes, but
is not limited to, graphical tools, which can be helpful when deciding whether a
data sample can be a plausible realisation of a fitted model. In this thesis, we focussed
on the development of diagnostic measures and the comparison of different
modelling approaches, when applied to diverse types of data.
Initially, we present an overview of diagnostic analyses stemming from generalized
linear models, whilst illustrating different tools using two case studies from experiments
in ecology and agriculture. Then, we extend the graphical model selection
method known as half-normal plots with a simulated envelope. The simulated
envelope is such that, under a well-fitted model, the majority of points should
fall within its bounds. Nonetheless, closely related models tend to produce very
similar graphs. We propose a new distance-based framework that acts as an added
quantitative summary to the half-normal plot with a simulated envelope. This new
measure can effectively determine the most appropriate model when closely related
models are included. An extensive simulation study was carried out taking into
account many different scenarios. The results showed that the distance framework
exhibits robust performance in finding the true model and is comparable to BIC;
in some instances, it even displays superior efficacy.
Finally, we present a comparative analysis of different modelling frameworks applied
to interval-censored longitudinal data, which is bounded in the interval (0, 1).
We considered three approaches, where the first and second involved mixed and
marginal models using a transformation of the interval-censored response, and
the third incorporated the interval-censored nature in the likelihood. We found
that the accounting for the interval-censored nature of the data improved model
goodness-of-fit. However, the conclusions drawn from all three approaches were
qualitatively similar
Becoming Édouard Louis and the Transmedial Social Novel
No full textThis article considers Édouard Louis’s extensive literary œuvre from En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule (2014) to his latest novel, Monique s’évade (2024), in conjunction with his interactions in the public sphere. It first explores how the space of the novel becomes as much a space of exploration of the various processes of domination that shaped his and his family’s lives as it is a space of self-reinvention. In particular, it is Louis’s transformation practice that guides this article. Indeed, this article looks at the ways in which Louis engages in processes of branding, be it the act of making a product or the act of marking something or someone, in turn building one coherent cultural figure commited to social justice and making audible and visible vulnerable lived experiences. Not only an écrivain engagé, Louis has also become a theatre performer and a political activist who deploys and controls his narrative in literature and beyond