National University of Ireland, Maynooth
MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive LibraryNot a member yet
18981 research outputs found
Sort by
From beginning to mature: investigating the development of teacher community through Lesson Study
Get PDFThis research investigates the potential of Lesson Study to develop teachers’
professional community. Situated in two case study schools, Doone and Crannog
(both pseudonyms), where mathematics teachers participated in multiple, successive
cycles of Lesson Study over the course of one academic year, the research details
the development of teacher community through teachers’ conversations and
reflections. Data was generated through audio recordings of teachers’ Lesson Study
meetings and individual interviews with participating teachers. Analysis is based on
a framework of professional teacher community which describes discrete phases
of development from beginning to mature. Findings from the research suggest
that groups of teachers may begin their Lesson Study work at different stages of
evolution of teacher community and that Lesson Study has the potential to strength
and develop such community over successive cycles. The research demonstrates
that teachers’ participation in Lesson Study can provide them with opportunities to
recognize and express communal responsibility for individual growth of colleagues,
a key feature in the formation of teacher community. The research also highlights
the importance of navigating fault lines or differences in ideas and opinions during
the Lesson Study work. Findings may offer guidance to facilitators of Lesson Study
on elements of teachers’ collaborative work which may benefit from additional
focus, such as productively engaging with conflict within a group. This research
contributes to the literature on Lesson Study in outlining how this model of
professional development may provide a powerful structure within which teacher
community can be developed
Service user perspectives on recovery: the construction of unfulfilled promises in mental health service delivery in Ireland
Get PDFPurpose
The concept of personal recovery is now a key pillar of service delivery. It aims to support individuals to flourish and establish a new identity following an acute episode or diagnosis. This view of recovery is unique to each person on that journey. However, there has been a significant focus on measuring these experiences. This paper aims to explore the influence of social constructionism on the concept of recovery within an Irish context, seeking to understand the influence of language, discourse and power on service users’ experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative, interpretivist methodology was adopted for this case study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 service users. Thematic analysis was chosen as the method of analysis.
Findings
Personalising recovery did not always lead to the removal of biological symptoms, but with the appropriate supports, individual’s recovery journey was greatly enhanced. On the contrary, personal recovery places overwhelmingly responsibility on the individual to succeed, largely driven by neoliberal discourse. This focus on individualism and the pressure to succeed was further experienced when people sought to re-integrate into society and participate in normalised social order. Ultimately, for many service users, they viewed personal recovery as an unfulfilled promise.
Research limitations/implications
It is not a representative sample of service users within an Irish context.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore influence of social constructionism on the concept of personal recovery within a mental health service context
‘We are always planning trips to Poland’: the influence of transnational family life on the family language policy of Polish-speaking families in Ireland
Get PDFIn the context of heightened global transnational movements and the proximate geographical positioning of Poland and Ireland, this study investigates the impact of the transnational nature of Polish families’ migration experiences in The Republic of Ireland on their family language policy. This research endeavours to address a gap in the literature surrounding the influence of transnationalism on family language policy within Polish-speaking migrant families in Ireland. Grounded in Curdt-Christiansen's [Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. 2018. “Family Language Policy.” In Oxford Handbook of Language Policy and Planning, edited by J. W. Tollefson and M. Pérez-Milans. New York: Oxford University Press.] interdisciplinary model of family language policy, this investigation draws on an ethnographic inquiry into three Polish-speaking families in Ireland. The study focuses on families with first- and second-generation migrant children. Data were gathered through a combination of semi-structured interviews and children's reflective language diaries. The results depict the transnational nature of family life, with recurrent travel between Ireland and Poland evident across all three families. To sustain connections with Poland, parents implemented specific language management strategies. The study underscored the participants’ recognition of the interdependence between the use of the Polish language and the continuation of connections with Poland, as well as the capacity to uphold family life across Ireland and Poland
The human MIF polymorphism CATT7 enhances pro‐inflammatory macrophage polarization in a clinically relevant model of allergic airway inflammation
Get PDFHigh level expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been associated with severe asthma. The role of MIF and its functional promotor polymorphism in innate immune training is currently unknown. Using novel humanized CATT7 MIF mice, this study is the first to investigate the effect of MIF on bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) memory after house dust mite (HDM) challenge. CATT7 BMDMs demonstrated a significant primed increase in M1 markers following HDM and LPS stimulation, compared to naive mice. This M1 signature was found to be MIF-dependent, as administration of a small molecule MIF inhibitor, SCD-19, blocked the induction of this pro-inflammatory M1-like phenotype in BMDMs from CATT7 mice challenged with HDM. Training naive BMDMs in vitro with HDM for 24 h followed by a rest period and subsequent stimulation with LPS led to significantly increased production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα in BMDMs from CATT7 mice but not WT mice. Addition of the pan methyltransferase inhibitor MTA before HDM training significantly abrogated this effect in BMDMs from CATT7 mice, suggesting that HDM-induced training is associated with epigenetic remodelling. These findings suggest that trained immunity induced by HDM is under genetic control, playing an important role in asthma patients with the high MIF genotypes (CATT6/7/8)
Charting the UK's path to net zero emissions by 2050: Challenges, strategies, and future directions
Get PDFThe authors explore the various obstacles and possible approaches that the UK may take
to fulfil its goal of having net‐zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The paper thoroughly examines several aspects of this project, such as the modernisation of infrastructure, the energy transition, the economic effects, the obstacles to research and
development, changes in behaviour, and the frameworks for policy and regulation. With a
44% decrease from 1990 levels by 2021, it showcases the UK's noteworthy achievement
in lowering emissions and its ambitious initiatives, such as the £12 billion Ten Point Plan,
to accelerate this development. The difficulties of switching from reliance on fossil fuels
to renewable energy sources, their implications for the economy, and the necessity of
green technology innovation are all covered in the article. It also discusses the behavioural
sides of this shift, highlighting the need to change one's lifestyle and engage the public. To
address these issues, the importance of international cooperation and policymaking is
emphasised. Insights into potential remedies are provided by the article, which includes
energy efficiency initiatives, investments in renewable energy, assistance for clean technology R&D, green funding options, public awareness campaigns, international cooperation, and regulatory frameworks. Every one of these alternatives is examined for
possible effects and obstacles. The article concludes that reaching net zero in the UK is a
complex but necessary objective that calls for a concerted strategy that strikes a balance
between social and economic concerns and environmental sustainability
Lawful, but not Really: The Dual Character of the Concept of Law
Get PDFDisagreement on law’s relationship to morality has long been driven by disagreement about our ordinary concept. Until recently, however, there had been no systematic investigation of lay intuitions. In this paper, we advance this nascent effort. Across two studies (N = 697), our findings reveal that most people consider law to be more than a matter of political circumstance alone. Contrary to the expectations of most contemporary philosophers, morality (both substantive and procedural) emerges as a key influence on judgments of legal validity: many people say that conduct prohibited by immoral statutes is not truly illegal, and that immoral conduct which was never explicitly prohibited is truly illegal. This suggests that people often treat law as a dual character concept that, like the concepts of scientist or of artist, features autonomous concrete and abstract dimensions
Supramolecular tools to combat antimicrobial resistance
Get PDFSince its advent in the 1960s, through the pioneering work of Lehn, Cram, and Pederson
– the field of supramolecular Chemistry has burgeoned and seen an array of applications
across the chemical and materials sciences. From Metal-organic frameworks which
exhibit notable chemical separation behaviours, to molecular receptors, and the
compounds which form Organic Light Emitting Diodes used by millions daily, there are
countless examples of the continuous advancements from the field. One such recent
interdisciplinary area gaining traction in recent years, is the application of supramolecular
chemistry concepts, and molecular design to the field of medicinal chemistry. For
example, there have been a plethora of reports of anion transporters, molecules which can
form association complexes with negatively charged ions and transport them across
membranes. These anion transporters have shown utility in the development of
therapeutics for Cystic Fibrosis, as anticancer therapeutics, and more recently as
antimicrobial agents.
Whilst the anticancer properties of anion transporters have been explored extensively,
and mechanistically characterised, there has been little effort made to further refine the
antimicrobial capacity of agents such as these. Furthermore, while several reports of
antimicrobial anionophores have been made – very little mechanistic underpinning has
been carried out. This Thesis, titled “Supramolecular tools to combat antimicrobial
resistance” aims to establish several classes of anionophores, and chemical tools to further
delve into the mechanistic subtleties of medicinally relevant supramolecular motifs.
Chapter 1 of this thesis provides a historical perspective on the supramolecular chemistry
of anion transport, paying particular attention to the medicinal relevance of anion
transporting motifs. In addition, there is a discussion of concepts employed by medicinal
chemists when designing antibiotics, aided through a discussion of historically relevant
examples, and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Following this, some of the
chemical biology techniques utilised throughout the course of this work are introduced
and discussed from a technical viewpoint.
Chapter 2 discusses the synthesis, supramolecular profiling, and mechanistic
underpinning of a series of four potent “squindole” antimicrobials. These compounds,
which can effectively bind, and transport Cl- across Large Unilamellar Vesicles (LUV’s),
exhibit potent antimicrobial activity, which was discerned to be as a result of a disruption
of chloride homeostasis.
Chapter 3 follows on from the previous chapter, where we aimed to synthesise
sophisticated bioconjugates of the most active lead compound, from chapter 2. Aided by
the use of “click” chemistry, we made significant progress towards the development of
natural product derived ion-pair receptors, for investigation as antimicrobials. Whilst we
could not arrive at a set of synthetic conditions which afforded target compounds, we
have made significant progress in this regard, and developed a series of biorthogonal
anion receptor motifs. In addition, through conjugation of lead compounds to
siderophores, we were able to expand the spectrum of activity to encompass Gramnegative
pathogens.
Chapter 4 takes a traditional “lead-refinement” approach to the development of
heterocyclic antimicrobial anionophores. Through scaffold hopping approaches, from
lead compounds of Chapter 2, we afforded three distinct heterocyclic subfamilies, each
of which exhibits antimicrobial effect against MRSA – to varying degrees. Using
conventional supramolecular approaches, in addition to cutting edge Chemical Biology
techniques, we studied, and verified an analogous mechanism of action to previous leads,
which is aided by the propensity for covalent modification of thiols in solution, which
may rationalise the observed antimicrobial effect.
Chapter 5 introduces a series of 13 structurally simplistic anion receptors, which show
varying anion binding propensities, but potent anion transport in-cellulo. This anion
transport behaviour manifests in potent antimicrobial activity against a range of
pathogens (both Gram-positive, and -negative), which we discerned to be linked to both
anion transport, and a disruption of membrane integrity. In addition, we successfully
synthesised a “caged anionophore” and carried out preliminary dissection of the spatiotemporal
control of anion transport in-cellulo.
Chapter 6 consists of a thesis summary which details the main findings for this project,
and potential future directions for each chapter. Chapter 7 includes the general
experimental procedures, synthetic methodology and compound characterisation, and
biological procedures for the work detailed in previous chapters. This is complimented
and followed by literature references and an appendix which is comprised of
spectroscopic and ancillary data which validates the work discussed in this thesis
On the accuracy of sequence methods for baroreflex sensitivity estimation
Get PDFIn the absence of a true gold standard for non-invasive baroreflex sensitivity estimation, it is difficult to quantify the accuracy of the variety of techniques used. A popular family of methods, usually entitled ‘sequence methods’ involves the extraction of (apparently) correlated sequences from blood pressure and RR-interval data and the subsequent fitting of a regression line to the data. This paper discusses the accuracy of sequence methods from a system identification perspective, using both data generated from a known mathematical model and spontaneous baroreflex data. It is shown that sequence methods can introduce significant bias in the baroreflex sensitivity estimate, even when great care is taken in sequence selection
On the Ratio of Reactive to Active Power in Wave Energy Converter Control
Get PDFOptimal control of wave energy converters (WECs), while converting wave energy into a usable
form, such as electricity, may inject (reactive) power into the system at various points in the wave cycle.
Though somewhat counter-intuitive, this action usually results in improved overall energy conversion. However, recent experimental results show that, on occasion, reactive power peaks can be significantly in excess of
active power levels, leaving device developers with difficult decision in how to rate the power take-off of the
system i.e. whether to cater for these high reactive power peaks, or limit power flow to rated (active) levels.
The origins of these excessive power peaks are currently poorly understood, creating significant uncertainty
in how to deal with them. In this paper, we show that, using both theoretical results and an illustrative
simulation case study, under matched controller conditions (impedance-matching optimal condition), for
both monochromatic and panchromatic sea-states, that the maximum peak reactive/active power ratio never
exceeds unity. However, under mismatched WEC/controller conditions, this peak power ratio can exceed
unity, bringing unrealistic demands on the power take-off (PTO) rating. The paper examines the various
origins of system/controller mismatch, including modelling error, controller synthesis inaccuracies, and
non-ideal PTO behaviour, highlighting the consequences of such errors on reactive power flow levels. This
important result points to the need for accurate WEC modeling, while also showing the folly of catering for
excessive reactive power peaks
The Irish National Teacher: Origins, Identity and Contribution 1831-1871
Get PDFThe Irish national education system is long recognised as fruitful ground for historians of education. Established in 1831 by the pre-Independence administration, some forty years before similar systems emerged in other English-speaking domains, the national system realised exponential growth over a short period to become an embedded feature of the Irish educational landscape. Central to this narrative, but largely omitted from historiographical studies to date, are the school teachers who staffed the system. Colloquially known as national teachers (NTs), these individuals were tasked with the delivery of the new national education system. The lacuna around early national teacher identity foregrounded the central research question of this work which sought to establish ‘Who was the Irish national teacher in the early decades of the nineteenth century’? In essence, the purpose of the research was to examine who these teachers were, where they came from and how they came to inhabit a specific national teacher identity. In order to examine this early national teacher identity it became apparent that an understanding of identity as a phenomenon and the theory of identity was required. Readings of contemporary identity theory such as those outlined by Schwartz, and Adams and Marshall, amongst others, led the researcher to recognise that there were modern elements which could be applied retrospectively to historical data, such as establishing a shared point of origin, social status and class, and religious affiliation. These core aspects of identity became the central elements of examining Irish national teacher identity in the historical context, in this study.
Drawing on archival material, largely grounded in official correspondence between the Inspectorate and the CNEI, data relevant to the Irish national teachers’ identity are examined while those current theoretical understandings of identity noted above informed and guided this historical analysis of Irish national teacher identity between 1831 and 1871. Ultimately, the thesis draws firm conclusions around the identity of the early Irish national teacher. First, it is clear that the majority of those employed as national teachers originated amongst the poorer classes of Irish society while, second, the social class and status of the national teachers for the greater part of the time period under review remained in an ambiguous state. Third, in respect of religious beliefs, it is clear that the majority of those who were employed as national teachers were affiliated to the Catholic Church. Each of these elements of national teacher are discussed and analysed within the thesis to assess their contribution to the emerging identity of the Irish national teacher in the early decades of the nineteenth century.
Finally, the import of this work cannot be understated. This is the first comprehensive research undertaken on the identity of the early Irish national teacher. This is tempered by the unique methodological approach employed, which utilises contemporary identity theories in tandem with document analysis to further understanding and knowledge of early Irish national teacher identity. Neither can the implications or resonance for the composition of the twenty-first century Irish primary teaching population be ignored. This positions this research as both timely and useful in assessing and analysing intake within Initial teacher education (ITE) programmes in Ireland at the present time