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Replication Study: Investigating The Effects Of Maximal Anaerobic Fatigue On Dynamic Postural Control Using The Y-Balance Test, Ciara Byrne, Jennifer Murphy, Joe P. Warne Jan 2024

Replication Study: Investigating The Effects Of Maximal Anaerobic Fatigue On Dynamic Postural Control Using The Y-Balance Test, Ciara Byrne, Jennifer Murphy, Joe P. Warne

Articles

Objectives: The aim of this study was to replicate the study titled “Investigating the effects of maximal anaerobic fatigue on dynamic postural control using the Y-Balance Test” by Johnston et al. (2018) as part of a large replication project. This study aimed to determine the effects of maximal anaerobic fatigue on dynamic postural control using the Y-Balance Test, with a specific focus on anterior reach distance. Design: A single session intervention. Methods: Forty male and female university students (age: 22 ± 3 years, height: 171.88 ± 8.96 cm, mass: 76.20 ± 14.31 kg) partaking in competitive sport, completed a Y-Balance …


Diet Quality And Blood Pressure Among Pregnant Women With Overweight Or Obesity: A Secondary Analysis Of Two Randomized Controlled Trials, Sorcha Lynch, Sarah Louise Killeen, Eileen O'Brien, Kate Mullane, Emma Hokey, Grace Mealy, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe Jan 2024

Diet Quality And Blood Pressure Among Pregnant Women With Overweight Or Obesity: A Secondary Analysis Of Two Randomized Controlled Trials, Sorcha Lynch, Sarah Louise Killeen, Eileen O'Brien, Kate Mullane, Emma Hokey, Grace Mealy, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe

Articles

Introduction: Maternal obesity is a significant risk factor for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. High diet quality may protect against this, yet data regarding the relationship between diet quality and blood pressure among pregnant women with raised body mass index (BMI) is limited. Material and methods: This is a secondary analysis (n = 543) of women with BMI ≥25 kg/m2 from two randomized controlled trials; PEARS (Pregnancy Exercise and nutrition Research Study with smartphone application support) and ROLO (Randomized cOntrol trial of LOw glycemic index diet to prevent macrosomia in euglycemic women). Blood pressure was measured at 10–18 weeks and 28 …


Synthesis Of Cationic Liposome Nanoparticles Using A Thin Film Dispersed Hydration And Extrusion Method, Alessandro Cazzolla, Julie Rose Mae Mondala, Janith Wanigasekara, Joanna Carroll, Noah Daly, Brijesh Tiwari, Alan Casey, James F. Curtin Jan 2024

Synthesis Of Cationic Liposome Nanoparticles Using A Thin Film Dispersed Hydration And Extrusion Method, Alessandro Cazzolla, Julie Rose Mae Mondala, Janith Wanigasekara, Joanna Carroll, Noah Daly, Brijesh Tiwari, Alan Casey, James F. Curtin

Articles

Liposome nanoparticles can carry a wide range of therapeutic molecules including small molecules and nucleic acid-based therapeutics. Potential benefits include translocation across physiological barriers, reduced systemic toxicity, and enhanced pharmacokinetic parameters such as absorption, distribution, selective release and optimal elimination kinetics. Liposome nanoparticles can be generated with a wide range of natural and synthetic lipid-based molecules that confer desirable properties depending on the desired therapeutic application Nel et al (2023), Large (2021), Elkhoury (2020). This protocol article seeks to detail the procedures involved in the production of cationic liposomes using thin-film dispersed hydration method with an estimated uniform size of …


Review Of Detection Limits For Various Techniques For Bacterial Detection In Food Samples, Xinyi Zhao Nanolab Research Centre, Abhijnan Bhat, Christine O’Connor School Of Food Science And Environmental Health, James Curtin Faculty Of Engineering And Built Environment, Baljit Singh, Micra Biodiagnostics Technology Gateway And Health, Engineering & Materials Sciences (Hems) Research Hub, Furong Tian Nanolab Research Centre Jan 2024

Review Of Detection Limits For Various Techniques For Bacterial Detection In Food Samples, Xinyi Zhao Nanolab Research Centre, Abhijnan Bhat, Christine O’Connor School Of Food Science And Environmental Health, James Curtin Faculty Of Engineering And Built Environment, Baljit Singh, Micra Biodiagnostics Technology Gateway And Health, Engineering & Materials Sciences (Hems) Research Hub, Furong Tian Nanolab Research Centre

Articles

Foodborne illnesses can be infectious and dangerous, and most of them are caused by bacteria. Some common food-related bacteria species exist widely in nature and pose a serious threat to both humans and animals; they can cause poisoning, diseases, disabilities and even death. Rapid, reliable and cost-effective methods for bacterial detection are of paramount importance in food safety and environmental monitoring. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIA) and electrochemical methods have been widely used in food safety and environmental monitoring. In this paper, the recent developments (2013–2023) covering PCR, LFIA and electrochemical methods for various bacterial species …


Investigating Abandonment Errors In Cruise/Passenger Ships : Researching The Reasons Leading To Life-Losses During An Evacuation, A. Andreadakis, D. Dalaklis, N. Nikitakos Jan 2024

Investigating Abandonment Errors In Cruise/Passenger Ships : Researching The Reasons Leading To Life-Losses During An Evacuation, A. Andreadakis, D. Dalaklis, N. Nikitakos

Articles

No abstract provided.


Stakeholders’ Perceptions On The Introduction Of Additive Manufacturing (Am) In The Maritime Spare Parts Supply Chain, E. Kostidi, N. Nikitakos, T. Lilas, D. Dalaklis Jan 2024

Stakeholders’ Perceptions On The Introduction Of Additive Manufacturing (Am) In The Maritime Spare Parts Supply Chain, E. Kostidi, N. Nikitakos, T. Lilas, D. Dalaklis

Articles

No abstract provided.


Discussing The Influence Of The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict In The High North, A. Bal, D. Dalaklis, I. Bartusevičienė, E. Başar Jan 2024

Discussing The Influence Of The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict In The High North, A. Bal, D. Dalaklis, I. Bartusevičienė, E. Başar

Articles

No abstract provided.


The Current Status Of Maritime Security In The Gulf Of Guinea, L. Mohammed, D. Dalaklis Jan 2024

The Current Status Of Maritime Security In The Gulf Of Guinea, L. Mohammed, D. Dalaklis

Articles

No abstract provided.


Regulating Driving Automation Safety, Matthew Wansley Jan 2024

Regulating Driving Automation Safety, Matthew Wansley

Articles

Over forty thousand people die in motor vehicle crashes in the United States each year, and over two million are injured. The careful deployment of driving automation systems could prevent many of these deaths and injuries, but only if it is accompanied by effective regulation. Conventional vehicle safety standards are inadequate because they can only test how technology performs in a controlled environment. To assess the safety of a driving automation system, regulators must observe how it performs in a range of unpredictable, real world edge cases. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is trying to adapt by experimenting …


Sails Symposium Launch On International Law Scholarship: What We Write, Where We Publish, And Why It Matters, Kathleen Claussen, Melissa J. Durkee, Rebecca Ingber, Steven Arrigg Koh Jan 2024

Sails Symposium Launch On International Law Scholarship: What We Write, Where We Publish, And Why It Matters, Kathleen Claussen, Melissa J. Durkee, Rebecca Ingber, Steven Arrigg Koh

Articles

No abstract provided.


Wind Turbine Condition Monitoring Based On Three Fitted Performance Curves, Shuo Zhang, Emma Robinson, Malabika Basu Jan 2024

Wind Turbine Condition Monitoring Based On Three Fitted Performance Curves, Shuo Zhang, Emma Robinson, Malabika Basu

Articles

Based on SCADA data, this study aims at fitting three performance curves (PCs), power curve, pitch angle curve, and rotor speed curve, to accurately describe the normal behaviour of a wind turbine (WT) for performance monitoring and identification of anomalous signals. The fitting accuracy can be undesirably affected by erroneous SCADA data. Hence, outliers generated from raw SCADA data should be removed to mitigate the prediction inaccuracy, so various outlier detection (OD) approaches are compared in terms of area under the curve (AUC) and mean average precision (mAP). Among them, a novel unsupervised SVM-KNN model, integrated by support vector machine …


The Next Generation, Jeremiah Chin Jan 2024

The Next Generation, Jeremiah Chin

Articles

What would the law look like if we let children remake it? Laws govern, classify, and circumscribe children who inherit the law and its consequences. Discourses of power invoke children as rhetorical strategies to gain political favor or obviate a position—yet children are uncritically excluded from participating in the systems that control them. Children are subjected to the laws and objects of legislation, but denied the rights, autonomy, or authority to participate in the making of law and policy. Even the conceptualization of the constitutional rights of children is treated as an assumption, ill-defined and under theorized by traditional legal …


Monitoring The Curing, Degradation And Moisture Ingress Into Alkyl 2-Cyanoacrylate Adhesives Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Kevin Raheem, John Cassidy, Bernard Ryan, Anthony Betts Jan 2024

Monitoring The Curing, Degradation And Moisture Ingress Into Alkyl 2-Cyanoacrylate Adhesives Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Kevin Raheem, John Cassidy, Bernard Ryan, Anthony Betts

Articles

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was employed in an attempt to gain insight into the mechanisms of ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate (ECA) curing (polymerisation) and bonding on aluminium alloy 2024 metal. EIS can detect ionic movement, adsorption processes, charge transfer and storage occurring at an adhesive/substrate interface and/or in a bulk bond line during curing. Low-frequency capacitance measurements demonstrated sensitivity to surface polymerisation reactions and were modelled using an equivalent circuit model with two time constants in series. At a frequency of 1 kHz, changes in the dielectric polymer could be readily followed with time, confirmed by employing a crown ether to accelerate …


Choline Chloride – Oxalic Acid Dihydrate Deep Eutectic Solvent Pretreatment Of Barley Straw For Production Of Cellulose Nanofibers, Dileswar Pradhan, Swarna Jaiswal, Brijesh K. Tiwari, Amit K. Jaiswal Jan 2024

Choline Chloride – Oxalic Acid Dihydrate Deep Eutectic Solvent Pretreatment Of Barley Straw For Production Of Cellulose Nanofibers, Dileswar Pradhan, Swarna Jaiswal, Brijesh K. Tiwari, Amit K. Jaiswal

Articles

This study investigates the production of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from Barley straw using ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvent (US-DES) treatment for biomass fractionation and subsequent high-intensity ultrasonication (HIUS) for nano-fibrillation. Two deep eutectic solvents (DES), synthesized from choline chloride (ChCl) and oxalic acid dihydrate (OAD) at 1:1 and 2:1 M ratio, achieved solubilisation of over 80 % of lignin and hemicellulose under optimal conditions. The purification of these DES-treated materials resulted in cellulose with a purity >88 %. CNFs, characterized by a size of <100 nm, a polydispersity index under 0.5, and a zeta potential lower than −30 mV, were successfully isolated through a combination of wet grinding and HIUS treatment. SEM and XRD results showed the formation of a network of interconnected fibres with a Type I cellulose structure. This research highlights Barley straw's potential as a sustainable source of high-value CNF from agricultural waste.


Mental Workload As A Predictor Of Atco's Performance: Lessons Learnt From Atm Task-Related Experiments, Enrique Muñoz-De-Escalona, Maria Chiara Leva, José Juan Cañas Jan 2024

Mental Workload As A Predictor Of Atco's Performance: Lessons Learnt From Atm Task-Related Experiments, Enrique Muñoz-De-Escalona, Maria Chiara Leva, José Juan Cañas

Articles

Air Traffic Controllers' (ATCos) mental workload is likely to remain the specific greatest functional limitation on the capacity of the Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. Developing computational models to monitor mental workload and task complexity is essential for enabling ATCOs and ATM systems to adapt to varying task demands. Most methodologies have computed task complexity based on basic parameters such as air-traffic density; however, literature research has shown that it also depends on many other factors. In this paper, we present a study in which we explored the possibility of predicting task complexity and performance through mental workload measurements of …


Exploring The Optimal Mechanical Properties Of Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Structures For Biomedical Applications: A Numerical Analysis, Babak Ziaie, Xavier Velay, Waqas Saleem Jan 2024

Exploring The Optimal Mechanical Properties Of Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Structures For Biomedical Applications: A Numerical Analysis, Babak Ziaie, Xavier Velay, Waqas Saleem

Articles

No abstract provided.


Assessing The Corrosive Effects Of Unmelted Particles In Additively Manufactured Ti6al4v: A Study In Simulated Body Fluid, Surinder Pal, Xavier Velay, Waqas Saleem Jan 2024

Assessing The Corrosive Effects Of Unmelted Particles In Additively Manufactured Ti6al4v: A Study In Simulated Body Fluid, Surinder Pal, Xavier Velay, Waqas Saleem

Articles

This study investigates the corrosion behavior of Grade 23 Ti6Al4V alloys produced through laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) when exposed to simulated body fluid at room temperature, focusing on the role of unmelted particles. This research aims to understand how these microstructural features, resulting from the additive manufacturing process, influence the corrosion resistance of the alloys. It was observed that unmelted particles serve as critical sites for initiating localized corrosion, including pitting, which significantly compromises the material's overall durability. Electrochemical testing and detailed surface analysis revealed that these particles, alongside other defects such as voids, exacerbate the susceptibility to corrosion …


High-Precision Digital Light Processing (Dlp) Printing Of Microstructures For Microfluidics Applications Based On A Machine Learning Approach, Xinhui Wang, Jinghang Liu, Ruihai Dong, Michael D. Gilchrist, Nan Zhang Jan 2024

High-Precision Digital Light Processing (Dlp) Printing Of Microstructures For Microfluidics Applications Based On A Machine Learning Approach, Xinhui Wang, Jinghang Liu, Ruihai Dong, Michael D. Gilchrist, Nan Zhang

Articles

Digital light processing (DLP) is renowned for its precision, but the challenge lies in the identification of optimal print parameters to minimise print errors and enhance overall print accuracy. This study introduces a groundbreaking approach by integrating 'Random Forest' (RF) models with DLP printing to construct a predictive model for printing errors to achieve unparalleled precision. We conducted experiments using common commercial resins to print, resulting in a comprehensive dataset of 690 experimental datasets. Consequently, we validated this approach by fabricating Y-type microfluidic structures with a minimum feature size printing of 2 µm and herringbone mixer structures with feature sizes …


Experimental Investigation Of Dual Jet Flow Past A Heated Surface: Effect Of Reynolds Number, P. J. Murphy, S. Alimohammadi, S. M. O'Shaughnessy Jan 2024

Experimental Investigation Of Dual Jet Flow Past A Heated Surface: Effect Of Reynolds Number, P. J. Murphy, S. Alimohammadi, S. M. O'Shaughnessy

Articles

A dual jet flow comprises a wall jet, discharged immediately parallel to a solid boundary, flowing alongside a parallel jet whose exit is offset from the solid boundary by some distance. Despite the widespread industrial application of dual jet flows, experimental analysis of their flow and heat transfer characteristics is severely underrepresented in the published literature. As a result, the heat transfer capabilities and driving flow mechanisms associated with dual jet flows are not yet fully understood, meaning they cannot be optimised towards specific applications. The present study is thus concerned with characterising the transfer of heat to a dual …


Gene Expression Of Kynurenine Pathway Enzymes In Depression And Following Electroconvulsive Therapy, Karen M. Ryan, Myles Corrigan, Therese M. Murphy, Declan M. Mcloughlin, Andrew Harkin Jan 2024

Gene Expression Of Kynurenine Pathway Enzymes In Depression And Following Electroconvulsive Therapy, Karen M. Ryan, Myles Corrigan, Therese M. Murphy, Declan M. Mcloughlin, Andrew Harkin

Articles

Objective: This study aimed to investigate changes in mRNA expression of the kynurenine pathway (KP) enzymes tryptophan 2, 3-dioxygenase (TDO), indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 and 2 (IDO1, IDO2), kynurenine aminotransferase 1 and 2 (KAT1, KAT2), kynurenine monooxygenase (KMO) and kynureninase (KYNU) in medicated patients with depression (n = 74) compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 55) and in patients with depression after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Associations with mood score (24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, HAM-D24), plasma KP metabolites and selected glucocorticoid and inflammatory immune markers known to regulate KP enzyme expression were also explored. Methods: HAM-D24 was …


Prenatal Intention To Human Milk Feed In The Native Hawaiian Population: Predictors Of Any Human Milk Feeding From Birth To Six Months Postpartum, Méabh Murray, Jessie Kai, Amanda Dentinger, Leah Kaplan, Meliza Roman, Eileen O'Brien, John Kearney, Bliss Kaneshiro, Fengqing Zhu, Marie K. Fialkowski Jan 2024

Prenatal Intention To Human Milk Feed In The Native Hawaiian Population: Predictors Of Any Human Milk Feeding From Birth To Six Months Postpartum, Méabh Murray, Jessie Kai, Amanda Dentinger, Leah Kaplan, Meliza Roman, Eileen O'Brien, John Kearney, Bliss Kaneshiro, Fengqing Zhu, Marie K. Fialkowski

Articles

Background: Rates of non-communicable diseases are disproportionately high among Native Hawaiian (NH) people, and the proportion of NH infants being fed human milk (HM) is the lowest among all ethnicities within the state of Hawaiʻi. The aim of this study was to explore biological, socio-economic, and psychosocial determinants of the initiation and duration of human milk feeding (HMF) among a study of NH mothers and infants. Methods: A sample of 85 NH mother-infant dyads who were participating in a larger prospective study were involved in this research. Recruitment for the parent was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment started …


Associations Of Childhood Physical Activity And Screen Time With Cardiometabolic Health In Preteens Who Were Born To Mothers With Previous Macrosomic Delivery: Findings From The Rolo Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study, Sophie Callanan, Sarah Louise Killeen, Anna Delahunt, Eileen C. O'Brien, Aisling A. Geraghty, Rosemary Cushion, Amy Gainfort, Rachel K. Crowley, Patrick J. Twomey, Ciara M. Mcdonnell, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe Jan 2024

Associations Of Childhood Physical Activity And Screen Time With Cardiometabolic Health In Preteens Who Were Born To Mothers With Previous Macrosomic Delivery: Findings From The Rolo Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study, Sophie Callanan, Sarah Louise Killeen, Anna Delahunt, Eileen C. O'Brien, Aisling A. Geraghty, Rosemary Cushion, Amy Gainfort, Rachel K. Crowley, Patrick J. Twomey, Ciara M. Mcdonnell, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe

Articles

Background: Macrosomia (birthweight ≥4 kg) may alter the associations of physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) throughout childhood with later cardiometabolic risk. Objective: To investigate associations of PA and ST over a 4–6-year follow-up period with cardiometabolic outcomes in preteens (9–11-year-olds) who were born to mothers with previous macrosomic delivery. Methods: This is an analysis of 402 preteens from the ROLO study, who were born to mothers that previously delivered an infant with macrosomia. Parental-reported measures of PA and ST were obtained in early childhood at 5-years of age. Preteen self-reported PA, parental-reported ST, anthropometry, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, blood …


A Food-Exchange Model For Achieving The Recommended Dietary Intakes For Saturated Fat In Irish Children: Analysis From The Cross-Sectional National Children's Food Survey Ii, Aileen O'Connor, Maria Buffini, Anne P. Nugent, Laura Kehoe, Albert Flynn, Janette Walton, John Kearney, Breige Mcnulty Jan 2024

A Food-Exchange Model For Achieving The Recommended Dietary Intakes For Saturated Fat In Irish Children: Analysis From The Cross-Sectional National Children's Food Survey Ii, Aileen O'Connor, Maria Buffini, Anne P. Nugent, Laura Kehoe, Albert Flynn, Janette Walton, John Kearney, Breige Mcnulty

Articles

Objective: To identify the main foods determining saturated fatty acid (SFA) intakes and model the impact of food exchanges to improve compliance with dietary fat recommendations in Irish children. Design: Estimated food and nutrient intakes were obtained from a cross-sectional study, the National Children's Food Survey II. Participants were categorised into low, medium, and high SFA consumers, and the contribution of food categories to SFA intakes were compared. A food-exchange model was developed, whereby a selected range of high SFA foods were exchanged with lower SFA or unsaturated fat alternatives. Setting: Participants were randomly selected from primary schools throughout the …


Stability Of Child Appetitive Traits And Association With Diet Quality At 5 Years And 9–11 Years Old: Findings From The Rolo Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study, Anna Delahunt, Sarah Louise Killeen, Eileen C. O'Brien, Aisling A. Geraghty, Sharleen L. O'Reilly, Ciara M. Mcdonnell, Rosemary Cushion, John Mehegan, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe Jan 2024

Stability Of Child Appetitive Traits And Association With Diet Quality At 5 Years And 9–11 Years Old: Findings From The Rolo Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study, Anna Delahunt, Sarah Louise Killeen, Eileen C. O'Brien, Aisling A. Geraghty, Sharleen L. O'Reilly, Ciara M. Mcdonnell, Rosemary Cushion, John Mehegan, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe

Articles

Background: We explored change in child appetitive traits from 5 to 9–11 years old and examined associations between appetitive traits at both timepoints and child diet quality. Methods: This is secondary analyses of the ROLO longitudinal birth cohort study, including mother-child dyads from the 5 and 9–11-year old follow-up. The Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire measured child appetitive traits, with 167 children having matched data for both timepoints. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) measured diet quality. Linear mixed models and multiple linear regression were completed. Results: Mean (SD) score for ‘Emotional Overeating' (1.63 (0.51) vs. 1.99 (0.57), p = <0.001) and ‘Enjoyment of Food' (3.79 (0.72) vs. 3.98 (0.66), p = <0.001) increased from 5 to 9–11 years. Mean score for ‘Desire to Drink' (2.63 (0.94) vs. 2.45 (0.85), p = 0.01), ‘Satiety Responsiveness (3.07 (0.66) vs. 2.71 (0.66), p = <0.001), ‘Slowness Eating' (3.02 (0.77) vs. 2.64 (0.78), p = <0.001), and ‘Food Fussiness' (3.00 (1.04) vs. 2.81 (0.96), p = 0.001) decreased. At 5-years-old, ‘Food Responsiveness' and ‘Enjoyment of Food' were positively associated with HEI and ‘Desire to Drink', ‘Satiety Responsiveness' and ‘Food Fussiness' were negatively associated with HEI. At 9–11-years, ‘Enjoyment of Food' was positively and ‘Desire to Drink' and ‘Food ‘Fussiness' were negatively associated with HEI. Conclusions: Food approach appetitive traits increased over time, whereas food avoidant appetitive traits tended to decrease. At both time points ‘Food Fussiness' and ‘Desire to Drink” were inversely associated with HEI. Further research on how appetitive traits track over childhood and how this relates to dietary quality and weight is warranted.


Prevalence Of Food Insecurity Among Caregivers Of Young Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Ireland, Elizabeth J. O'Sullivan, Caoimhe Daly, Aileen Kennedy Jan 2024

Prevalence Of Food Insecurity Among Caregivers Of Young Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Ireland, Elizabeth J. O'Sullivan, Caoimhe Daly, Aileen Kennedy

Articles

Our objectives were to explore the prevalence of food insecurity in primary caregivers of young children in Ireland and to compare two tools for measuring food insecurity during the COVID-19 crisis. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among caregivers of children aged <2 years in Ireland in May/June 2020. Relevant survey questions were closed-ended using two established tools for measuring food poverty/insecurity; the Irish Food Poverty Indicator and the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the prevalence of food poverty/insecurity. To explore agreement in the classification of food insecurity by the Food Poverty Indicator and the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, Cohen's κ was used. Analyses are based on 716 participants; most had a 3rd-level education and were married or in a partnership. Per the food poverty index, Ireland's national measure of food poverty, 3.9% (n = 28) of our sample were experiencing food poverty. This rose to 10.5% (n = 75) experiencing food insecurity when using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, which also measures worry/anxiety around access to food. There was low agreement between the tools, with 11.3% of the sample classified as food secure by one tool and food insecure by the other. Our current measure of food poverty in Ireland may not be sufficient to describe the food-access struggles or worry/anxiety about food access, experienced by the population, particularly during an emergency like COVID-19.


Multicomponent Perinatal Breastfeeding Support In Women With Bmi >25: The Latch On Multi-Centre Randomised Trial, Sharleen L. O'Reilly, Catherine Mcnestry, Denise Mcguinness, Sarah Louise Killeen, John Mehegan, Barbara Coughlan, Eileen C. O'Brien, Denise O'Brien, Marcelina Szafranska, Mary Brosnan, Lucille Sheehy, Rosie Murtagh, Lorraine O'Hagan, Marie Corbett, Michelle Walsh, Regina Keogh, Paula Power, Marie Woodcock, Mary Phelan, Amy Carroll, Stephanie Murray, Charmaine Scallan, Elizabeth Dunn, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe Jan 2024

Multicomponent Perinatal Breastfeeding Support In Women With Bmi >25: The Latch On Multi-Centre Randomised Trial, Sharleen L. O'Reilly, Catherine Mcnestry, Denise Mcguinness, Sarah Louise Killeen, John Mehegan, Barbara Coughlan, Eileen C. O'Brien, Denise O'Brien, Marcelina Szafranska, Mary Brosnan, Lucille Sheehy, Rosie Murtagh, Lorraine O'Hagan, Marie Corbett, Michelle Walsh, Regina Keogh, Paula Power, Marie Woodcock, Mary Phelan, Amy Carroll, Stephanie Murray, Charmaine Scallan, Elizabeth Dunn, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe

Articles

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of a multicomponent breastfeeding support intervention on breastfeeding prevalence at 3 months among women with a body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m2. Design: Multicentre multicomponent randomised controlled trial. Setting: Four maternity centres in Ireland. Population: A total of 225 primiparous women and their nominated support partners. Participants were aged 18 years and over, with BMI ≥25 kg/m2, carrying a singleton pregnancy and without contraindication for breastfeeding. Methods: The intervention included an antenatal group breastfeeding education session for participants and their support partners, followed by a planned postnatal breastfeeding assessment and telephone support for up to …


What Makes A City ‘Breastfeeding-Friendly'?: A Scoping Review Of Indicators Of A Breastfeeding-Friendly City, May Loong Tan, Izz Amirah Mohd Shukri, Jacqueline J. Ho, Elizabeth J. O'Sullivan, Amal Omer-Salim, Fionnuala M Mcauliffe Jan 2024

What Makes A City ‘Breastfeeding-Friendly'?: A Scoping Review Of Indicators Of A Breastfeeding-Friendly City, May Loong Tan, Izz Amirah Mohd Shukri, Jacqueline J. Ho, Elizabeth J. O'Sullivan, Amal Omer-Salim, Fionnuala M Mcauliffe

Articles

A breastfeeding-friendly city is one where there is an enabling environment to support breastfeeding throughout the first 2 years or more of a child's life. Indicators of a breastfeeding-friendly city have yet to be identified. What are the indicators or criteria used to define breastfeeding friendliness in a geographic area such as a city and the settings within, which we have classified as community, healthcare and workplace? Three major databases and grey literature were searched. Records were screened to identify publications describing criteria such as indicators or descriptions of a breastfeeding-friendly setting, defined as ‘criteria-sets'. These criteria-sets were then categorized …


Outcomes Of The Leap Feasibility Trial—A Low-Threshold, Exercise Programme With Protein Supplementation To Target Frailty And Poor Physical Functioning In People Experiencing Homelessness And Addiction Issues, Fiona Kennedy, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Roman Romero-Ortuno, Suzanne L. Doyle, Julie Broderick Jan 2024

Outcomes Of The Leap Feasibility Trial—A Low-Threshold, Exercise Programme With Protein Supplementation To Target Frailty And Poor Physical Functioning In People Experiencing Homelessness And Addiction Issues, Fiona Kennedy, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Roman Romero-Ortuno, Suzanne L. Doyle, Julie Broderick

Articles

Background People experiencing homelessness are more likely to experience poor health with physical functioning deficits and frailty commonly reported. It is not well known how strategies to target physical functioning deficits and frailty work in practice in this group. The primary aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of an exercise intervention with protein supplementation to target physical functioning and frailty in people experiencing homelessness evaluated by recruitment and retention rates, adherence to the exercise sessions and protein supplement, adverse effects, programme feedback and characteristics of non-returners, sporadic and frequent attenders. The secondary aim was to evaluate changes …


Optical Response Of Pdms Surface Diffraction Gratings Under Exposure To Volatile Organic Compounds, Aleksandra Hernik, Faolan Radford Mcgovern, Izabela Naydenova Jan 2024

Optical Response Of Pdms Surface Diffraction Gratings Under Exposure To Volatile Organic Compounds, Aleksandra Hernik, Faolan Radford Mcgovern, Izabela Naydenova

Articles

Monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air is significantly gaining importance due to their adverse effects on human health. Among the diverse detection methods is optical sensing, which employs materials sensitive to the presence of gases in the environment. In this work, we investigate polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), one of the materials utilized for gas sensing, in a novel transducer: a surface relief diffraction grating. Upon adsorption of the volatile analyte, the PDMS grating swells, and its refractive index changes; both effects lead to increased diffraction efficiency in the first diffraction order. Hence, the possibility of VOC detection emerges from the …


Optically Accessible Gas Exposure Apparatus For Testing And Characterization Of Holographic Gas Sensors, Graceson Antony, Rinto Eyyalil Joseph, Saji George, Dervil Cody, Izabela Naydenova Jan 2024

Optically Accessible Gas Exposure Apparatus For Testing And Characterization Of Holographic Gas Sensors, Graceson Antony, Rinto Eyyalil Joseph, Saji George, Dervil Cody, Izabela Naydenova

Articles

Holographic gas sensors are of great interest due to their widespread applicability and potential for high sensitivity, fast response, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and compact and lightweight nature. For effective design and development of holographic gas sensors, it is essential to have a reliable and safe gas exposure system allowing for optical access for testing purposes. Here, the design and operation of a custom gas exposure apparatus for the performance evaluation of holographic grating-based gas sensors within a research laboratory setting is presented. The apparatus enables the real-time measurement of analyte-induced changes in key holographic grating parameters: grating diffraction efficiency …