Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of A Prototype Desktop Virtual Reality Model Developed To Enhance Electrical Safety And Design In The Built Environment, Martin Barrett, Jonathan Blackledge

Articles

The use of Desktop Virtual Reality (VR) systems for enhancing electrical safety and engineering design is a novel prospect for both practicing and student electrical services engineers. This innovative approach, which can be readily accessed via the World Wide Web, constitutes a marked shift in conventional learning and design techniques to a more immersive, interactive and intuitive working and learning environment. This paper initially identifies the unique characteristics of desktop web based VR technologies and highlights the educational affordances offered by working in such an environment. Subsequently, using a prototype model titled ‘Virtual Electrical Services’, a case study is carried …

Non-Gaussian Anisotropic Diffusion Processing For Medical Imagining Using The Osirix Dicom Viewer, Jonathan Blackledge, Matthew Blackledge, Jane Courtney

Articles

Medical imaging is a fertile area for computer graphics, image processing and real time visualization. In this paper we present a method for reducing noise in CT (Computed Tomography) and MR (Magnetic Resonance) images that (in addition to other noise sources) is characteristic of the numerical procedures required to construct the images, namely, the (inverse) Radon Transform. In both cases, MR imaging in particular, an additional noise source is due to the process of diffusion thereby predicating use of the Anisotropic Diffusion method for noise suppression. This method is based on a diffusion model for noise generation where the Diffusivity …

Work-Family Conflict And The Pipeline To Power: Lessons From European Gender Quotas, Julie C. Suk

Articles

The article examines the persistent gender disparities at the top of the legal profession, attributing them to work-family conflict and the disproportionate impact of caregiving responsibilities on women. It explores European gender quotas as a potential solution, arguing that such measures address the legitimacy and effectiveness of institutions by ensuring gender parity in leadership positions. While acknowledging the challenges in implementing quotas in the U.S., the analysis suggests that European approaches offer valuable insights for addressing the "leaky pipeline" and advancing gender equality in the legal profession.

Support Of Non-Biological Children In Jewish Law, J. David Bleich

Articles

Adoption as a legal institution is unknown in Jewish law. Suppression of parental identity, as generally occurs in closed adoption, is banned “lest the earth become filled with licentiousness” (Leviticus 19:29). Rabbinic tradition interprets that verse as expressing concern regarding the possibility of a future incestuous marriage. Nevertheless, raising an orphan in one’s home is regarded as highly meritorious. However, binding obligations of support and maintenance can be undertaken only by means of contract. Such a contract in favor of a stepchild may be verbal if entered into at the time of marriage. Otherwise, a formal kinyan, i.e., one of …

Development And Validation Of A Novel Reporter Assay For Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Late Gene Expression, Beatrice Orru, Ciaran Cunniffe, Fergus Ryan, Stefan Schwartz

Articles

To facilitate the investigations of HPV-16 late gene expression HPV-16 reporter plasmids were generated using previously described sub-genomic HPV-16 plasmids, named pBEL and pBELM, that, similar to the full viral genome, produce primarily HPV-16 early mRNAs and very little, if any, late mRNAs in cervical cancer cells. The HPV-16 late L1 gene was replaced by the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene, or green fluorescent protein (GFP), preceded by the poliovirus internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Results show that the reporter genes mimic the expression of L1 from these plasmids. For example, overexpression of adenovirus E4orf4 protein (E4orf4), polypyrimidine tract binding …

Defects In Acute Rsponses To Tlr4 In Btk-Deficient Mice Result In Impaired Dendritic Cell-Induced Ifn-Γ Production By Natural Killer Cells, Joan Ní Gabhann, Shaun Spence, Claire Wynne, Siobhán Smith, Jennifer C. Byrne, Barbara Coffey, Kevin Stacey, Adrien Kissenpfennig, James A. Johnston, Caroline A. Jefferies

Articles

This study defines a critical role for Btk in regulating TLR4-induced crosstalk between antigen presenting cells (APCs) and natural killer (NK) cells. Reduced levels of IL-12, IL- 18 and IFN-γ were observed in Btk-deficient mice and ex vivo generated macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) following acute LPS administration, whilst enhanced IL-10 production was observed. In addition, upregulation of activation markers and antigen presentation molecules on APCs was also impaired in the absence of Btk. APCs, by virtue of their ability to produce IL-12 and IL-18, are strong inducers of NK-derived IFN-γ. Co-culture experiments demonstrate that Btk-deficient DCs were unable to …

Bi-Lateral Changes To Hippocampal Cholesterol Levels During Epileptogenesis And In Chronic Epilepsy Following Focal-Onset Status Epilepticus In Mice, Steve Meaney, Maura Heverin, Tobias Engel, Eva Jimenez-Mateosa, Reza Al-Aaudia, David Henshall

Articles

Brain cholesterol homeostasis has been shown to be disrupted in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases. Investigations in animal models of seizure-induced brain injury suggest that brain cholesterol levels are altered by prolonged seizures (status epilepticus) and are a feature of the pathophysiology of temporal lobe epilepsy. The present study measured hippocampal sterol levels in a model of unilateral hippocampal injury triggered by focal-onset status epilepticus, and in chronically epileptic mice. Status epilepticus was induced by intra-amygdala microinjection of kainic acid and ipsilateral and contralateral hippocampus analyzed. No significant changes were found for ipsilateral or contralateral hippocampal levels …

Gymnasium-Based Unsupervised Exercise Maintains Benefits In Oxygen Uptake Kinetics Obtained Following Supervised Training In Type 2 Diabetes, Oscar Mac Ananey, D O'Shea, S Warmington, S Green, M Egana

Articles

Abstract

Supervised exercise (SE) in patients with type 2 diabetes improves oxygen uptake kinetics at the onset of exercise. Maintenance of these improvements, however, has not been examined when supervision is removed. We explored if potential improvements in oxygen uptake kinetics following a 12-week SE that combined aerobic and resistance training were maintained after a subsequent 12-week unsupervised exercise (UE). The involvement of cardiac output (CO) in these improvements was also tested. Nineteen volunteers with type 2 diabetes were recruited. Oxygen uptake kinetics and CO (inert gas rebreathing) responses to constant-load cycling at 50% ventilatory threshold (V(T)), 80% V(T), and …

Point Of Care Diagnostics: Status And Future, Vladimir Gubala, Leanne Harris, Antonio J. Ricco, Ming X. Tan, David Williams

Articles

The most commonly used test for monitoring heparin therapy is the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). The response of available aPTT reagents to heparin varies significantly. The aim of this study was to highlight the differences between aPTT reagents stored in a dried format to select the most suitable formulations to be used for the development of point-of-care diagnostic devices used for monitoring of unfractionated heparin dose response.

METHODS:

Ten reagents were analysed in terms of their performance in liquid and in dried form after storage for 24 h and 14 days. Performance was assessed by measurement of the clotting …

Effects Of Four Commercially Available Fxa Proteins On The Fluorogenic Anti-Fxa Assay When Monitoring Unfractionated Heparin, Vanessa Castro-Lopez, Brian Murray, Leanne F. Harris, James S. O'Donnell, Anthony J. Killard

Articles

Four commercially available Factor Xa (FXa) reagents were evaluated in a fluorogenic anti-FXa assay. The four reagents - of which three were of human origin and the fourth was bovine - were compared in terms of the resulting assay dynamic ranges, lag times, CV and R2 values, sum of squares as well as their sensitivity to unfractionated heparin (UFH) within the therapeutic range of 0-1.2 U mL-1. Based on a balance of performance characteristics, an optimum reagent was selected which had the best combination of all parameters. The best performing serine endopeptidase in the fluorogenic anti-FXa assay was found to …

The Impact Of Macular Pigment Augmentation On Visual Performance Using Different Carotenoid Formulations., James Loughman, J M. Nolan, Alan Howard, E Connolly, K Meagher, S Beatty

Articles

To investigate changes in macular pigment optical
density (MPOD) and visual performance following supplementation
with different macular carotenoid formulations.

Should Any Workplace Be Exempt From Smoke-Free Law: The Irish Experience, M. Mccaffrey, Patrick J. Goodman, A. Gavigan, C. Kenny, C. Hogg, L. Byrne, J. Mcloughlin, Luke Clancy

Articles

Background.

In 2004, the Irish Government introduced national legislation banning smoking in workplaces; with exemptions for “a place of residence”. This paper summarises three Irish studies of exempted premises; prisons, psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes. Methods. PM2.5 and nicotine were measured in nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals, in addition to ultrafine particles in the hospitals. In the prisons, officers (n = 30) completed exhaled breath Carbon Monoxide (CO) measurements. Questionnaires determined officers’ opinion on introducing smoking prohibitions in prisons. Nursing home smoking policies were examined and questionnaires completed by staff regarding workplace secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. Findings. Ultrafine particle concentrations …

Impaired Cleanance And Enhanced Pulmonary Inflammatory/Fibrotic Response To Carbon Nanotubes In Myeloperoxidase-Deficient Mice, Anna A. Shvedova, Alexandr A. Kapralov, Wei Hong Feng, Elena R. Kisin, Ashley R. Murray, Robert R. Mercer, Claudette M. St. Croix, Megan A. Lang, Simon C. Watkins, Nagarjun V. Konduru, Brett L. Allen, Jennifer Conroy, Gregg P. Kotchey, Bashir M. Mohamed, Aidan Meade, Yuri Volkov, Alexander Star, Bengt Fadeel, Valerian E. Kagan

Articles

Advancement of biomedical applications of carbonaceous nanomaterials is hampered by their biopersistence and pro-inflammatory action in vivo. Here, we used myeloperoxidase knockout B6.129X1-MPO (MPO k/o) mice and showed that oxidation and clearance of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) from the lungs of these animals after pharyngeal aspiration was markedly less effective whereas the inflammatory response was more robust than in wild-type C57Bl/6 mice. Our results provide direct evidence for the participation of MPO – one of the key-orchestrators of inflammatory response – in the in vivo pulmonary oxidative biodegradation of SWCNT and suggest new ways to control the biopersistence …

The Effects Of Fatty Desposits On The Accuracy Of The Fibroscan Liver Transient Elastography Ultrasound System, S. Cournane, Jacinta Browne, Andrew Fagan

Articles

A new generation of ultrasound transient elastography (TE) systems have emerged which exploit the well-known correlation between the liver’s pathological and mechanical properties through measurements of the Young’s elastic modulus; however, little work has been carried out to examine the effect that fatty deposits may have on the TE measurement accuracy. An investigation was carried out on the effects on the measurement accuracy of a transient elastography ultrasound system, the Fibroscan®, caused by overlaying fat layers of varying thickness on healthy liver-mimicking phantoms, simulating in vivo conditions for obese patients. Furthermore, a steatosis effect similar to that in non-alcoholic fatty …

Occupational Noise Exposure Of Nightclub Bar Employees In Ireland, Gary Henehan, Aoife Kelly, Sara Boyd, Gordon Chambers

Articles

Due to the transposition of the EU Directive 2003/10/EC into Irish Law, the entertainment sector was obligated to comply with the requirements of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, Chapter 1 Part 5: Control of Noise at Work since February 2008. Compliance with the Noise Regulations was examined in 9 nightclubs in Ireland. The typical daily noise exposure of 19 bar employees was measured using 2 logging dosimeters and a Type 1 fixed position sound level meter. Physical site inspections identified nightclub noise control measures. Interviews and questionnaires were used to assess the managers and …

Trust In The Information Society, Brian O'Neill

Articles

Trust is an important feature for all users of the Internet who rely on the safety and security of network technologies and systems for their daily lives. Trust, or the lack of it, has also been identified by the European Commission’s Digital Agenda as a major barrier to further development of the information society in Europe. One of the areas in which concerns have been raised is in relation to children’s safety online. As a result, substantial efforts have been made by policymakers and by the industry to build greater trust and confidence in online digital safety. This paper examines …

Education Is Positively Associated With Macular Pigment: The Irish Longitudinal Study On Ageing (Tilda), John Nolan, Joanne Feeney, Rose Anne Kenny, Hilary Cronin, Claire O'Regan, George Savva, James Loughman, Ciaran Finucane, Eithne Connolly, Katie Meagher, Stephen Beatty

Articles

The three carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, are found at the macula and referred to as macular pigment (MP). This study was undertaken to investigate determinants of MP in a large randomly selected sample from the Republic of Ireland (as part of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing [TILDA]).

METHODS:

MP optical density (MPOD) was measured using customized heterochromatic flicker photometry in 4373 participants. Sociodemographic and self reported health data was obtained using computer assisted personal interview (CAPI).

RESULTS

Mean (SD) MPOD for the study group was 0.203 (0.156) with a range of 0 to 1.01. MPOD was higher for …

Macular Carotenoid Supplementation In Subjects With Atypical Spatial Profiles Of Macular Pigment, John Nolan, Mukunda Akkali, James Loughman, Alan Howard, Stephen Beatty

Articles

This study was designed to investigate the impact of macular carotenoid supplementation on the spatial profile of macular pigment (MP) in subjects where the profile does not exhibit the typical central peak (i.e. peaked MP at foveal epicentre). Thirty one healthy subjects with such atypical MP spatial profiles were assigned to one of three intervention groups: Group 1: (n = 10), 20 mg/day lutein (L), 2 mg/day zeaxanthin (Z); Group 2: (n = 10), 10 mg/day meso-zeaxanthin (MZ), 10 mg/day L, 2 mg/day Z; Group 3: (n = 10), 17 mg/day MZ, 3 mg/day L, 2 mg/day Z. Subjects were …

Restaurant Selection In Dublin, Frank Cullen

Articles

The primary objective of this research was to investigate the selection process used by consumers when choosing a restaurant to dine. This study examined literature on consumer behaviour, restaurant selection, and decision-making, underpinning the contention that service quality is linked to the consumer’s selection of a restaurant. It supports the utility theories that consumers buy bundles of attributes that simultaneously combined represent a certain level of service quality at a certain price. The findings of the research displayed a preference by Dublin consumers for Italian and Chinese styled restaurants and identified quality of the food, type of food, cleanliness of …

Optimization Of Lactic Acid Fermentation Of York Cabbage For The Development Of Potential Probiotic Products, Amit Jaiswal, Shilpi Gupta, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

In the present study, York cabbage was used as the sole substrate for the lactic acid (LA) fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum. York cabbage was blanched at 95°C for 12min to inactivate surface microflora prior to fermentation. To achieve an optimal fermentation condition which would result in higher release of phytochemicals and antioxidant (AO) capacity in the broth, Box-Behnken design integrating a desirability approach was used. A second-order polynomial equation was developed indicating the effect of solute/liquid ratio, agitation rate and fermentation time on desired parameters. The optimized factors were used for fermenting York cabbage to obtain maximum bacterial growth, …

Brewer’S Spent Grain As A Functional Ingredient For Breadsticks, Anastasia Ktenioudaki, Valérie Chaurin, Sofia Reis, Eimear Gallagher

Articles

Brewer’s spent grain (BSG) was evaluated for its potential as a functional baking ingredient. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the microstructure of BSG and wheat flours. Baked snacks (breadsticks) were prepared using 15%, 25% and 35% BSG and evaluated for their baking quality and fibre and protein content (over a period of 3 months). The addition of BSG altered the baking characteristics of the breadsticks by affecting their structure and texture. The snacks appeared to lack in cellular structure and crispiness. However, they had quite a stable shelf-life, as changes in texture, moisture and aw progressed at …

Effect Of Different Rehydration Temperatures On The Moisture And Phytochemical Constituents Of Dried Edible Irish Brown Seaweed., Sabrina Cox, Shilpi Gupta, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

The effect of temperature (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 °C) on the rehydration kinetics and phytochemical constituents of dried edible Irish brown seaweed, Himanthalia elongata, were studied. The moisture content of fresh and dried seaweed was 4.07 and 0.07 g water/g dry basis, representing a 98.1% reduction in water content. All rehydration moisture curves had a clear exponential tendency, and it was observed that the rehydration time decreased when temperature was increased. Although restoration of the product to its original moisture content was achieved, rehydration resulted in losses in phytochemical content. Moisture equilibrium was achieved fastest at 100 °C …

The Impact Of Delactosed Whey Permeat Treatment On Shelf-Life And Antioxidant Contents Of Strawberries, Catherine Barry-Ryan, Lubna Ahmed, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Daniel. Rico

Articles

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of delactosed whey permeate (DWP) 27 treatment on antioxidant and physico-chemical properties of strawberries. Fresh strawberries 28 treated with 3 % DWP were analyzed for different quality, nutritional and microbiological 29 markers during 10 days of storage at 5 °C. The results showed that DWP treatment 30 significantly reduced incidences of decay (70 %) and numbers of total aerobic counts (~1.4 31 Log10 CFU/g) and yeast and moulds (~1.8 Log10 CFU/g). DWP treatment also inhibited the 32 loss of firmness (15 %) and maintained significantly (p

Extending The Shelf-Life Of Tomato Using By-Product From Cheese Indistry., Lubna Ahmed, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Daniel Rico, Catherine Barry-Ryan

Articles

The effects of three whey permeates were investigated as potential natural washing treatment for fresh-cut tomato and compared with chlorine (120 ppm). Whey permeate treated samples resulted in equivalent or better than chlorine for all these attributes. Whey permeates were equally effective as chlorine to control the micro-organisms of fresh-cut tomato during storage. The microbial counts at day 10 were significantly reduced (~1.0 log CFU/g) in all the treated samples compared to the control (water treated) samples. Moreover whey permeate treated fresh-cut tomatoes showed lower water activity (2 %) and POD activities (21%) than chlorinated samples after 10 days of …

Assessment Of Morphological Variation In Irish Brassica Oleracea Species, Mohamed El-Esawi, Paula Bourke, Kieran Germaine, Renee Malone

Articles

This study aimed at assessing the morphological variation in 25 accessions of an Irish collection of Brassica oleracea using 44 morphological traits. The morphological traits showed a pronounced variation among accessions. Vegetative preflowering and maturity traits revealed higher variation than seedling traits. Of the 44 morphological descriptors used, 28 were significantly different and proved useful in examining diversity and differentiating among accessions studied. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed variation among accessions, where 87.24% of the total variation in the morphological data was separated on the first five components, indicating a high degree of correlation among traits studied. Cluster analysis grouped …

Tendering Procedures In Ppp: A Literature Review, Nunzia Carbonara, Louis Gunnigan, Roberta Pellegrino, Fabio Sciancalepore

Articles

Purpose – This paper aims at providing an overview about literature on tendering process in PPP, with particular regard to transportation PPP case.

Design/methodology/approach – The approach is based on the analysis of the pertinent publications on the theme.

Findings – Three main interest areas can be found in the literature: tendering procedures, evaluation methods and evaluation criteria. Social implications – Contract authorities have several tools in order to pre-qualify and select bidders and negotiate with them: they can choose the instruments which best fit to their market

Originality/value – The paper provides a complete overview on PPP tendering procedures …

Avoiding The Mistakes Of The Past, Tom Dunne

Articles

Tom Dunne explores the long term drivers of dysfunction in Ireland's housing markets and what a more sustainable housing system would look like.

Co-Operatives As Social Innovation – How Older Models Of Social Enterprise Are More Relevant Than Ever, Gerard Doyle

Articles

Ireland faces a number of socio-economic issues, including, an over-reliance on fossil fuels, inequality, unsustainable approaches to urban regeneration and unbalanced regional development. This chapter will demonstrate how social enterprise can lead to the implementation of socially innovative responses to addressing these issues.

Analysis Of Human Skin Tissue By Raman Microspectroscopy: Dealing With The Background, Franck Bonnier, Syed Mehmood Ali, Peter Knief, Helen Lambkin, Kathleen Flynn, Vincent Mcdonagh, Claragh Healy, Thomas Lee, Fiona Lyng, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Raman microspectroscopy is widely used for molecular characterisation of tissue samples. Nevertheless, when working in vitro on tissue sections, the presence of a broad background to the spectra remains problematic and its removal requires advanced methods for pre-processing of the data. To date, research efforts have been primarily devoted to development of techniques of statistical analysis to extract the relevant information contained in the spectra. However, few attempts have been made to understand the origin of the background and to improve the protocols used for the collection of Raman spectra that could lead to the reduction or elimination of the …

Convergence And Multidisciplinarity In Nanotechnology: Laboratories As Technological Hubs, Nicolas Battard

Articles

This article argues that research groups dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology are considered as technological hubs where scientists with multiple backgrounds converge in order to conduct research at the nanoscale (a billionth of a metre). Scientific production is therefore challenged as multiple ways of thinking, practices and knowledge participate in the creation of new outcomes. Through an exploratory and inductive study, I show that these technological hubs develop a specialisation based on internal competencies and stock of knowledge. The specialisation enables laboratories to position themselves as an expert among other laboratories as well as making them more visible in order …