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An Evaluation of Ireland’s Transport Planning Policies’ Alignment to the EU’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP) and Sustainable Urban Logistics Planning (SULP)
No full textthis policy study to assess Ireland’s transport planning framework and its alignment with Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans (SULPs). This research builds upon two previous studies that examined the state of sustainable transport policies in Ireland and the industry’s perception of these policies. A key challenge identified in prior research was the spatial planning of transport infrastructure, particularly regarding sustainable mobility and logistics planning in both urban and rural areas.Transport planning is vital for economic growth, environmental sustainability, and efficient mobility. However, Ireland's current transport planning process is fragmented, involving multiple governing bodies, complex appraisal procedures, and inconsistent policy implementation. The lack of a coherent national framework for SUMPs/SULPs has resulted in varied levels of adoption across different localities, leaving many regions underprepared for the upcoming EU-mandated deadlines. The revised Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) regulations require Member States to establish a national SUMP support programme by July 2025 and mandate that urban nodes within the TEN-T core and comprehensive networks implement SUMPs by 2027. These requirements emphasise the urgency for Ireland to enhance its transport planning strategies to meet EU compliance standards, avoid penalties, and secure long-term urban and economic resilience.This study examines Ireland’s planning guidelines, stakeholder involvement, and barriers to the future adoption of SUMPs/SULPs. Using a mixed-methods approach, including focus groups and structured surveys, the study evaluates stakeholder perceptions and identifies critical gaps in policy alignment, funding availability, and statutory backing. The PROMETHEE multi-criteria decision analysis tool was employed to systematically assess the level of SUMP/SULP integration across different Irish localities, revealing significant disparities in readiness and implementation, particularly in rural areas.Based on these findings, the report presents key policy recommendations to improve Ireland’s transport planning framework. These include establishing a statutory basis for SUMPs/SULPs, creating a national SUMP support framework, increasing funding and resource allocation, and prioritising data-driven planning and inter-agency coordination. By addressing these systemic gaps, Ireland can ensure compliance with EU regulations, enhance sustainable transport planning, and foster a more resilient, efficient, and environmentally sustainable transport system
Scoring Analysis of the Men’s 2013 World Championship Tour of Surfing
No full textThe study compared scores obtained by the 10 highest and lowest ranked athletes on the men’s 2013 World Championship Tour (WCT) of surfing. Significant differences (p<.001) were identified between the two groups’ average wave scores, average total scores and total heats competed. In addition, the average standard deviation (SD) of each surfer’s wave score was significantly different (p = .020) between the two groups. Significant moderate correlations were identified between athletes’ average placing and the SD of their wave scores (r = .596, p = .006), and total heat scores (r=.474, p=.035). Repeated measures ANOVA also revealed significant differences between heat scores obtained during the final and all previous rounds (p < .001-.041). In conclusion, higher ranked surfers achieved higher wave scores and heat totals, and were more consistent in scoring. On average, a 1.04 point increase per wave score would allow a bottom 10 ranked surfer to reach the top 10, a small but impactful gain
Midwives’ perceptions of the support they provide to new graduates and the role of the health service in Australia: A survey of midwives
Get PDFProblemEvidence suggests new midwifery graduates are leaving the profession prematurely during the initial graduate years due to workplace stress.BackgroundGraduate midwives are essential to provide a future midwifery workforce. Support for new graduates in the initial years of practice is essential in retaining them in the midwifery profession.AimThe aim of this study was to explore midwives’ perspectives of the support they provide new graduates within existing midwifery graduate programs, and their experiences and perceptions of the health service processes to support midwifery graduates.MethodsA cross-sectional study was undertaken with a purposive sample of Australian midwives. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse frequencies and percentages of responses. Spearman’s correlational analyses were used to determine associations between the variables. Responses to open-ended questions were analysed by content analysis.FindingsIn total, 167 midwives responded to the survey. Just over a third (34.1 %) of midwives felt they had sufficient resources to support a midwifery graduate. Half (50.9 %) of the midwives engaged in reflective practice with midwifery graduates. The majority (97 %) of midwives reported that they felt it was important for midwifery graduates to have a mentor.DiscussionA lack of protected time to provide mentoring opportunities and support new graduates to gain further experience and education was identified. These findings support the need for a formal mentorship program to be introduced.ConclusionThis study offers insights into the perspective of midwives dealing with the realities of striving to support midwifery graduates in their initial years of practice
Liquid Chromatographic and Capillary Electromigration Techniques for the Analysis of Azole Antifungals
No full textSince the introduction of azoles as antifungals in 1979, they gradually gained a spotlight in both medicinal and industrial fields. Other than being the leading antifungal medicinal drug agents, azoles have also been a major pesticide in agricultural industry. Because of that, numerous amounts of scientific studies have been conducted on azoles using different analytical techniques. Consequently, the requirement to have an in-depth interpretation on the techniques that can successfully be employed has risen. Addressing that, this study reviews analytical research on azole antifungals using liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electromigration techniques (CE). Sub-techniques within these groups are also considered. Studies performed with CE are reviewed from the year 2015, whereas LC works are reviewed from the year 2020 due to the large number of studies performed by this technique. Emphasis is also placed on chiral separations as these are particularly relevant for azoles as most of them are chiral, and their different enantiomers can exert very different effects on humans and the environment
‘The Stranger and the Snow’: Ghosts and Skiing in Algernon Blackwood's ‘The Glamour of the Snow’ (1911)
No full textConceiving all the world’s phenomena as ‘natural’, Blackwood constructed haunting entities using innovative unions of mind, spirit, force, and matter, locating them in mimetic storyworlds drawn from his own travels and experiences, including skiing and mountaineering. In ‘The Glamour of the Snow’, conflict between the modern world of Alpine ski tourism and the ancient powers of elemental winter produces a seductive, ghostly snow-being who lures the imaginatively-sensitive protagonist nearly to his death on a night-time ski trip in the high mountains of the Valais. This sport - which enabled skiers to experience the winter Alps in new ways - sprang from the same rapidly developing modernity putting mountain environments under pressure. Blackwood’s story uses the agencies of snow and skis to explore the possibilities of new understandings between the human world and the natural world, as well as the dangers inherent in the encounter
Characterisation and optimisation of an automated ultrafiltration system used for the concentration of waterborne viruses, bacteria and protozoa
Get PDFWaterborne pathogen detection is challenging, requiring effective target organisms enrichment to enable reliable and accurate monitoring of pathogens which could be present at low numbers. However, existing processes are manual, require operator expertise and are optimised for particular applications, e.g. a certain approach for viruses and another for bacteria etc. This study presents the design, development, and optimisation of an easy-to-use automated Rexeed™ dead-end filtration system tailored for concentrating multiple waterborne pathogens including viruses, bacteria and protozoa within a single unit. Knowing the variability in recovery rates across filtration technologies due to factors such as filter type, pre-treatment chemicals, backflush volumes, and flow rates, this system was engineered to optimise pathogen recovery and improve consistency in sample processing, generating a system that reduces manpower requirements and worked well across viruses, bacteria and protozoa.System parameters were investigated, including flow rates of filtration from 0 to 1200 mL/min, backflush volumes ranging from 0 to 500 mL, chemicals used for backflush water enhanced with surfactants and chemical dispersants. Additionally, pre-treatments with sodium polyphosphate (NaPP) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated using fluorescent beads as proxies for pathogens.Key results indicate that high flow rates (≥ 900 mL/min), backflush volume of 250 mL containing NaPP, Tween and antifoam achieved significantly higher recovery rates. Validation using fluorescent particle counting and turbidity measurements confirmed that this automated setup yields recovery rates in line with existing filtration methods. By enabling simultaneous concentration of diverse pathogens, this automated system offers a practical solution for comprehensive waterborne pathogen monitoring, demonstrating that one automated filtration unit can effectively concentrate multiple pathogens
Wide Linearity Range and Rapid‐Response Tactile Sensor Inspired by Parallel Structures
Get PDFThe synergistic enhancement of both linear range and response speed is crucial for simplifying the signal processing/conversion of tactile sensors and improving real-time perception. However, traditional tactile sensors face challenges in quantitatively controlling force-electrical response and viscoelastic hysteresis, limiting their linear sensing range and response speed. Inspired by parallel structures, Composite Parallel Tactile Sensors (CPTS-W and CPTS-S) is proposed, employing parallel elastomers to regulate deformation precisely. These sensors exhibit a wide sensing range up to 450 kPa, with three linear response regions: 0–50 kPa (sensitivity of 0.0080 kPa−¹), 50–98 kPa (sensitivity of 0.0022 kPa−¹), and 98–423 kPa (sensitivity of 0.0012 kPa−¹), significantly reduce dynamic recovery hysteresis of conductive composites, and enhance rapid response capability (48 ms response time and 39 ms recovery time). With excellent dynamic response characteristics across a wide linear sensing range, the results demonstrate broad applicability in areas such as physiological signal monitoring, complex object shape recognition, and multi-axis torque decoupling perception in robotics
Laying the foundations to safely reuse timber in Europe
No full textThis paper explores opportunities for policies and standards to maximise timber reuse and recycling in structural buildings. We make recommendations on different regulations and standards, which can either support or create unwanted barriers to achieving this goal
Investigation of charge contribution in Cu2O/Graphene/PEDOT: PSS electrode based 3D-Shaped electrochemical capacitors and development of structural energy storage
Get PDFActive electrode materials shaped in 3D structures play a crucial role in advancing structural energy storage technologies. We fabricated a 3D-shaped flexible electrochemical capacitor (3D-FEC) utilizing Cu2O/Graphene/PEDOT: PSS/Polyurethane foam, enhancing its suitability for structural energy storage. We examined the charge contribution of 2 and 3-electrode configurations during the reaction of these electrodes with NaCl to enhance the energy storage capability. The results showed similar outcomes between both electrode configurations, demonstrating a total charge contribution of 3.4 mC cm−3 at the scan rate of 5 mV s−1 comprising 91.52 % diffusive charge and 8.47 % capacitive charge. We observed a significantly higher diffusive charge contribution at lower scan rates compared to the capacitive charge contribution. The specific capacitance of the 3D-FEC measured from galvanostatic charging discharge analysis is 1.09 F cm−3 (1.17 F g−1) at 0.25 mA cm−2 with energy and power densities calculated at 0.25 mA cm−2 was 94.15 μW h cm−3 (0.102 Wh kg−1) and 0.985 mW cm−3 (1.06 W kg−1) respectively. The influence of external forces in the range of 0.4 N–1.3 N on the top of 3D-FEC leads to negligible variation in performance and it shows its potential application in structural devices. To implement a structural capacitor, several 3D-FECs were affixed to a cloth and combined with a solar cell, forming an energy mat
Enhancing Polylactic Acid Properties by Blending With Recycled Polycarbonate: The Effect of a Bio‐Based Compatibilizer on Properties
No full textThis study explores enhancing polylactic acid (PLA) by blending it with recycled polycarbonate (r-PC) to improve its brittleness and thermal limitations. Recycled r-PC, obtained from compact discs, was mixed with PLA in varying ratios (100:0 to 0:100), using epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) and a chain extender (CE) as bio-based compatibilizers. Scanning electron microscopy revealed smoother fracture surfaces with ESO, indicating improved compatibility. Mechanical testing showed significant toughness enhancement, with the 30PLA70r-PC blend reaching 8725 kJ/m3—nearly ten times that of pure PLA. ESO raised tensile strength from 47.39 MPa to 52.57 MPa, while CE increased elongation at break to 32.14%. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated reduced PLA crystallinity, dropping from 68.17% to 10.32% with increasing r-PC. A new thermal transition at 225°C in ESO-rich blends suggested enhanced molecular interactions. X-ray diffraction showed a shift toward an amorphous structure at higher r-PC contents. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis revealed improved thermal stability, with glass transition temperature rising from 61°C (PLA) to 141°C in r-PC-rich blends. These findings demonstrate that combining biodegradable PLA with r-PC and ESO produces high-performance, sustainable composites suitable for circular economy applications
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