Athlone Institute of Technology

The transition from interbreeding populations to species continues to represent difficult terrain for phylogenetic investigations. Genotyping entire genomes holds promise for enhancing insights into the process of speciation and evolutionary relationships among recently speciated taxa. Northeast Pacific ribbon kelp was once recognized as four species before they were folded into Alaria marginata based on DNA barcodes, although several lineages continue to be recognized. We used whole genome sequencing to determine whether these lineages represente species. Whole genomes of 69 individuals from five genetically distinctive lineages in the Gulf of Alaska (United States) and Salish Sea (Canada) were analyzed, along with 63 genomes from three other species of Alaria . Our analysis of >3.4 million single nucleotide polymorphisms reaffirmed that organellar and nuclear phylogenetic signals are incongruent in Alaria , producing different topologies among five organellar and six nuclear A. marginata lineages. Lineages appeared to be reproductively isolated, as evidenced by strong clustering and lack of recent admixture across nuclear genomes. Genetic divergence between A. marginata lineages also exceeded intra‐lineage divergence, proxied by A . esculenta populations, but fell short of distances observed across other species of Alaria . Despite the genomic data supporting predictions of the biological and genetic species concepts, we encountered inherent limitations in declaring species status. While our work shifts taxonomic conversations toward a genome‐scale framework that provides a more comprehensive picture of divergence and connectivity, our work also highlights that philosophical challenges inherent to defining species persist and that integrative approaches continue to be necessary in the genomic era.

This study provides a comprehensive investigation of antimicrobial additives (ZnO/AgNPs and SiO2/AgNPs) on the properties of biodegradable ternary blends composed of poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and polycaprolactone (PCL) by examining the morphology, thermal stability, crystallinity index, and cell viability of these blends. Overall, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that AgNPs and SiO2 exhibited comparable sizes, whereas ZnO was significantly larger, which influences their release profiles and interactions with the blends. The addition of antimicrobials influences the rheology of the blends, acting as compatibilizers by reducing the intermolecular forces between biopolymers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed a matrix–core–shell structure, indicating enhanced interfacial interaction among the immiscible biopolymers, as predicted by their spreading coefficient. From thermal evaluations, PCL promotes overall thermal stability, where T5 (the temperature at which the sample loses 5% of its weight through thermal degradation) was more than 22% higher than T5 of blends, and the antimicrobials investigated tend to act as barriers to heat penetration, thereby influencing the degradation mechanism of the blends. Additionally, antimicrobials tend to increase material crystallinity, suggesting their nucleating effect. Both PLA and PCL have shown high viability for cell growth and proliferation. The 30/50/20 (PHB/PLA/PCL wt%) blends were conducive to cell adhesion and proliferation, achieving cell viability rates up to 85% irrespective of the antimicrobial concentration. SEM analysis also confirmed the presence of viable cells and attachment of organic cell structures over the surface of the produced materials. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of biodegradable ternary blends containing antimicrobial NPs, particularly for use in medical devices such as ureteral stents.

Background Cancer is one of the most common causes of mortality among disabled people, and population-based screening is an effective method to identify some cancers early; however, its uptake is lower among the disabled population. There is a lack of evidence regarding why they access less, and their need to access population-based screening programmes. Aim To synthesise evidence of the experience of accessing population-based screening programmes for disabled people. Method A qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) was carried out by searching electronic databases including Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus. Grey literature was also searched for. The search yielded 32 relevant publications. Results The findings are based on Levesque’s conceptual framework. Several factors affect the accessibility of screening services, including people’s perceptions, family support, affordability, literacy, and accessibility. Conclusion Screening services need to acknowledge the needs of disabled people and integrate reasonable accommodations to facilitate their needs.

Payment channel networks (PCNs) are a viable solution to the issue of blockchain scalability by offering off-chain transactions between two untrusted peers, without committing each transaction to the blockchain. The payment channel cannot be used when its deposit is depleted, which hinders the payment completion, such as it is overly utilized in one direction. However, they cannot migrate the deposit from one channel to another to facilitate payment completion when a depletion in the channel deposit arises. This limitation arises from the basic design assumption of payment channels, i.e., each channel is independent from others. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes PaySwitch, inspired by the traditional network switch, to enable connecting multiple payment channels through one PaySwitch smart contract. PaySwitch is designed to enable any peer in the PaySwitch to dynamically reallocate the deposits in their payment channels while maintaining the independence of each other to ensure the trustworthiness of the channel. This paper presents the security definition of PaySwitch and formally proves its security using the UC-framework. To demonstrate the feasibility of PaySwitch, this paper applies it to several routing algorithms. The experimental results show that PaySwitch is capable of improving the transaction success rate and throughput compared with the traditional payment channel based approaches.

In recent years, pedagogy has become increasingly recognised as central to the development of effective coaching practice. This emphasis has prompted a substantial rise in research examining coaches’ practices, as it offers valuable insights into their underlying pedagogical approaches. This study assessed the current coaching practices of youth Gaelic games coaches using an online survey, examining their alignment with game-based approach (GBA) pedagogy and exploring differences between male and female Gaelic game teams. A total of 432 coaches participated, with 59% coaching male and 41% coaching female teams. During the early season, coaches dedicated more practice time to training form activities, transitioning to a balanced allocation between training and playing form activities as the season progressed. Most coaches utilised a linear session structure while also employing both coach- and player-centred strategies. Minimal disparities were observed in the coaching practices employed by coaches of male and female teams. While some alignment with GBA pedagogy was observed, coaches typically employed their own folk pedagogies, indicating an epistemological gap between coaches’ awareness and confidence in GBA pedagogy and its practical implementation. These findings highlight the need for enhanced coach education to better equip coaches in applying a GBA effectively.

Background Research shows a decline in physical activity (PA) in women during the menopause transition (MT). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore experiences of the MT in Irish women and how it impacts motivators, facilitators, and barriers to PA engagement. Methods Twelve Irish women (age: 49 ± 4 years) who were in the MT participated in individual, online, semi-structured interviews. During each interview participants were asked about their experience of the MT and its influence on PA engagement to identify motivators, facilitators and barriers. All interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim, resulting in ≈ 72,610 words for descriptive and thematic analysis. Results The MT had a notable influence on PA engagement in Irish women. The main motivators to engage in PA throughout the MT included managing menopause symptoms, optimising future health, the opportunity for social engagement and rewards, as well as relatable role models. Many women discussed that menopause fraternities focused on community and collective experience, adapting and modifying PA, and medical supports were key factors that facilitated engagement in PA throughout this life stage. There were a multitude of barriers that women in midlife faced before they could engage in PA, such as perceived reduced capability, symptoms associated with the MT, the busyness of life and competing demands, as well as a lack of supportive environments. Conclusion The motivators, facilitators, and barriers to PA engagement throughout the MT are unique. These factors are important considerations for stakeholders when facilitating women to either continue or (re)introduce PA during this life stage.

Involuntary admission or detention of persons is a controversial though widespread practice in modern mental health services. Accordingly, for decades now, there have been calls and initiatives to try to reduce the practice. Human rights-based mental health care has gained considerable momentum in recent decades and integral to that approach is the push for reduction or abolition of coercive practices within psychiatry. A key juncture in this movement has been the formulation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006, in particular, articles 12 and 14, which call respectively for equal recognition of persons with disabilities before the law, and for those persons not to be deprived of their liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. This chapter discusses the concept and practice of involuntary admission, and the views and experiences of some who have assisted with, or who have been subject to such admissions. It considers some of the authoritative stipulations of the CRPD and the feasibility of implementing them in legislation and practice. Concepts of advance directives and supported versus substitute decision-making are analysed. It looks at justifications offered for the continued use of involuntary admission and concludes with an examination of the better known initiatives to reduce involuntary detention rates.

Menopause, as signified by 12 months of amenorrhea, marks the end of female fertility ⁽¹⁾ . The perimenopausal stage preceding this event, is frequently symptomatic, with previous research suggesting that a higher body mass index (BMI) may be associated with more severe menopausal symptoms ⁽²⁾ . Changes to body composition have also previously been linked to the decline in hormones that accompany this midlife transition ⁽³⁾ . This cross-sectional, observational study aimed to shed light on this underexplored area in Ireland. Approval was granted by the Technological University of the Shannon Research Ethics Committee. A convenience sample of perimenopausal women (>40 years old) were recruited via social media and workplaces. Participants self-reported their symptom severity using the previously validated Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) ⁽⁴⁾ . Psychological, somatic, and urogenital symptom categories were rated from 0 (no symptoms) to 4 (very severe symptoms), with a potential maximum score of 44. An overall score and a sub-score for each of the 3 symptom categories was generated. Participants self-identified their perimenopausal stage (early or late) based on descriptions of the STRAW+10 criterion ⁽⁵⁾ . A range of anthropometric measurements were taken including height, weight, waist circumference (WC) and body fat (BF) percentage (using TANITA MC-580 tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance scales). Following descriptive analysis, Spearman’s correlation coefficient was utilised to test the relationship between MRS and anthropometric measurements. Participants (N = 112) had a mean age of 48.05 ± 3.48 years, a mean WC of 95.2 ± 16.9cm, a mean BF percentage of 34.9 ± 7.3. Prevalence of healthy, overweight, and obesity BMI amongst participants was 29%, 36% and 36% respectively, with a mean of 29.0 ± 6.6kg/m ² amongst the sample. Overall mean MRS symptom score was 15.3 ± 6.9. There was a positive correlation between participant’s overall symptom rating and, their BF percentage (r = 0.30, P = 0.001), WC (r = 0.30, P = 0.002), and BMI (r = 0.31, P = 0.001). This relationship was also observed in the symptom sub-score categories. Somatic sub-score positively correlated with BF percentage (r = 0.24, P = 0.010), WC (r = 0.31, P<0.001) and BMI (r = 0.31, P<0.001). Urogenital sub-score was similarly positively correlated to all 3 anthropometric measurements, BF percentage (r = 0.24, P = .010), WC (r = 0.24, P = 0.011), and BMI (r = 0.23, P = 0.014). Psychological sub-score was correlated positively with BF percentage (r = 0.23, P = 0.015) and BMI (r = 0.21, P = 0.026), but not WC. The findings from this study suggest that a higher BF percentage, WC and BMI may be associated with a more symptomatic perimenopausal stage. Further studies are warranted to further explore this, and how to target interventions.

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), responsible for approximately 12.8% of global deaths ⁽¹⁾ . Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is effective in detecting, confirming, and monitoring hypertension ⁽²⁾ . In comparison to seated clinic blood pressure (CBP), ABPM assesses overall blood pressure (BP) variability across 24 hours, identifying specific additional components such as nocturnal hypertension and altered daytime to night-time BP profiles (i.e. non-dipping pattern of BP). Furthermore, a non-dipping BP profile is an independent risk factor for CVD ⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾ . This study aimed to measure the prevalence of non-dipping in apparently healthy males and females aged >50 years. After approval by TUS Research Ethics Committee, 100 participants not on antihypertensive medication were recruited from various workplace locations in Athlone, Ireland. ABPM was measured using a Welch Allyn 7100 ABPM and CBP was measured using an Omron M3 BP monitor. CBP was measured on the day immediately after the ABPM was performed (same arm for both measurements). Standard protocols for ABPM were employed using the NICE Guidelines ⁽⁵⁾ . Awake and asleep BP levels were computed as the mean of all readings during each period. Night time was determined according to patient reported sleep period. Nocturnal hypertension was defined as an asleep SBP/DBP ≥120/70 mmHg and non-dipping was defined as a decline in SBP from wakefulness to sleep of <10%. Of 92 participants recruited, 85 completed both ABPM and CBP measurements of which n = 30 male. Participants were stratified into BP categories according to the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) reference ranges for CBP [6] . BP category was defined according to seated CBP and by the highest level of BP, whether systolic or diastolic [6] . Hypertensive BP groups (grades 1 and 2) were merged into one group and renamed as “hypertensive” Thirty-seven participants had normal CBP (43.5%), 24 had high normal CBP (28.2%), and 24 were classified as hypertensive (28.2%) of which 16 (43.2%), 2 (8.3%) and 9 (37.5%) were non-dippers, respectively. Data analysis shows a significantly higher proportion of non-dippers than dippers in the normal CBP group (Chi square, p = 0.024) when compared to the higher CBP groups. There is a high prevalence of non-dipping amongst adults with normal CBP. Therefore, CBP and ABPM classify adults differently with regard to BP status. Our results show the importance of using a combination of both CBP and ABPM to comprehensively determine BP status in adults over 50 years.

Female athletes are increasingly participating in sport during pregnancy and returning postpartum. However, similar to the Sex Data Gap in sport and exercise research ⁽¹⁾ , there is limited evidence to support athletes during this life stage ⁽²⁾ especially as it relates to nutrition. Therefore, as optimal nutrition is essential for long-term maternal and child health, the aim of this study was to investigate specific wants, needs and behaviours in relation to nutrition during pregnancy and postpartum return to sport in athletes. King’s College London provided ethical approval (Ref: LRU/DP-23/24-41676) and the study was pre-registered ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/NCSZK ). An exploratory cross-sectional online survey is being conducted and dissemination is occurring during April and May 2024. Primary variables are assessed using researcher developed and validated measures and included pregnancy and postpartum nutritional support needs, supplement use, athlete level, performance changes and sociodemographic characteristics. Residents of the UK or ROI, ≥ 18 years old, trained and/or competed as an athlete prior to and/or during pregnancy within the last eight years are eligible. All data was summarised using IBM SPSS Statistics. Due to the exploratory nature of the survey, preliminary descriptive evidence is shown and comparisons between groups (e.g. athlete level, region, number of pregnancies) will be presented. 35 eligible athletes (UK: 24 (68.6%); ROI: 11 (31.4%)) from 14 team and individual sports have completed the survey. Average age of participants was 34.2 ± 3.2 and 32 (91.4%) had ≥1 child. 9 participants (25.7%) were currently pregnant, and 7 (20%) had retired due to pregnancy. Only 9 participants (25.7%) received any nutrition advice during pregnancy, and, of the postpartum participants, one participant (3.8%) received nutrition advice during the postpartum period. During pregnancy, participants reported wanting to receive advice from NHS Midwives, Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (37.7%) and fellow athletes who’ve previously experienced pregnancy (21%). Whereas postpartum advice was preferable from NHS Midwives, Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (37.1%), sports-specific nutritionist/dietitian (37.1%) and general nutritionist/dietitian (37.1%). During pregnancy, 28 participants (80%) reported wanting athletespecific nutrition advice related training needs during pregnancy and 19 participants (54.3%) reported wanting more information about pregnancy-specific supplement intake (e.g. folic acid). Postpartum, 22 participants (62.9%) reported wanting athlete-specific nutrition advice related training needs during postpartum and returning to sport and 20 participants (57.1%) reported wanting more information about breast or mixed feeding. The top listed challenges to returning to sport postpartum were childcare provisions (94.3%), infant feeding practices (85.7%) and sleep (82.9%). The preliminary findings revealed that pregnant/postpartum athletes want further advice in areas such as nutrition advice specific to being an athlete and training during pregnancy and postpartum, pregnancy supplement intake, and infant feeding practices. These areas require further investigation so pregnant and postpartum athlete needs can be better met.

This column showcases a series of video interviews shooted at ACM Multimedia 2022. Social media editors in chief (i.e., Silvia Rossi and Conor Keighrey) of the records interviewed the authors behind some of the most intriguing and compelling demos and artistic interactive artworks. Silvia and Conor have started this initiative and will continue, when possible, at conferences supported by SIGMM.

Context : Ladies Gaelic Football (LGF) is the fastest growing female sport in Europe and camogie is among the most popular female team sports in Ireland. Intercounty is considered the elite level, with high physical and technical demands that inevitably involve a risk of injury. At the elite level, an injury incidence as high or higher as professional sports such as rugby and soccer has been reported. Inadequate injury surveillance (IS) can be a barrier to effective injury prevention. This study aimed to (i) explore perspectives on IS and (ii) examine perceived barriers and facilitators to injury reporting of elite LGF and camogie players. Design : Qualitative descriptive study. Methods : Six focus groups were conducted with elite LGF (n = 11) and camogie (n = 10) players representing a range of divisions and intercounty panels. Participants outlined their understanding of IS and described IS practices within their teams. Participants completed a written task, noting and discussing perceived barriers and facilitators to injury reporting. Focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results : Participants’ report of current IS practices for their team echoed closely their interpretation of IS, as the reporting of injury to health care professionals (HCPs) and broader team personnel. Injury reporting was influenced by factors related to the player, the organization, and the environment including player mindset, access to HCPs and club culture. Conclusion : Enhanced and consistent access to appropriate HCPs is deemed key to monitoring and managing injuries. HCPs are central to fostering a culture of openness and trust, critical to facilitate the timely reporting and management of injuries in elite LGF and camogie. The influence of HCPs is powerful in players’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to reporting and future work should capture their thoughts.

A growth monitoring study (0–7 day of age) was conducted involving 87, one-day old Ross 308 male broilers to evaluate organ weights, bone parameters and ileal transcriptomic profile of broiler chicks as influenced by day 7 bodyweight (BW) grouping. The chicks were raised in a deep-litter house under common controlled environmental conditions and commercial starter diet. Chicks were grouped on day 7 into two distinct BW, super performer (SP) and under performer (UP) with bodyweights >260, and <200 g respectively. Results revealed that the SP chicks had significantly higher bone ash, sodium (Na), phosphorus (P) and rubidium (Rb) concentrations compared to the UP chicks on D7. In contrast, the UP chicks had significantly higher tibial cadmium (Cd), caesium (Cs) and lead (Pb) compared to the SP group; the UP chicks also had proportionally heavier relative gizzard weight than the SP chicks. The ileal transcriptomic data revealed differentially expressed genes (DEG) between the two groups of chicks, with 150 upregulated and 83 down-regulated genes with a fold change of ≥1.25 or ≤ 1.25 in the SP chicks relative to the UP chicks. Furthermore, functional annotation and pathway analysis revealed that some of these DEG were involved in various pathways including calcium signalling, Wnt signalling, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis. This study revealed that chicks of the same breed and of uniform environmental and diet management exhibited differences in digestive organ weights, tibial bone characteristics and ileal gene expression that may be related to BW.

High caliber master athletes provide a valuable model for studying inherent physiological aging and performance capacity, without the confounding factor of physical inactivity. Despite the remarkable achievements of female master athletes, their participation rates remain significantly lower than those of their male counterparts, particularly at more advanced ages. This review examines the biological sex gap in sports participation among master athletes and the subsequent disparity in empirical research, thereafter exploring possible contributing factors. It highlights the importance of studying female master athletes to better understand the aging process and offers recommendations to address current evidence gaps. The need for more comprehensive mechanistic data on highly trained older women, novel cataloguing and analysis of real‐world datasets, case studies/series, and longitudinal research are also emphasized. Although analyzing the records of female master athletes as a surrogate to determine age‐related physiological and performance changes is a common approach, the process may be hindered by the considerably lower participation rates of women. Therefore, an important step toward bridging these gaps is the longitudinal, integrative study of female athletes engaged in lifelong exercise. Such analyses would improve our understanding of senescence in women and may inform interventions targeting the promotion of physical function in older adults.

The purpose of this study is to explore content creator preferences in broadcast media, with a specific focus on the impact of integrating 3D graphics to enhance viewer engagement. In this study, we investigated the integration of 3D technology in broadcasting. We examined the preferences of content creators and assessed the impact of 3D photo-real human representations on perceived production quality and viewer engagement. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and real-time broadcast analysis to gain insights into this technology’s potential benefits and challenges in broadcasting. Our findings indicate that incorporating 3D photo-real human representations into broadcasting significantly improves production quality and viewer engagement, especially in real-time broadcasts. We also observed that 3D humans offer greater depth and presence, although challenges in fidelity and orientation highlight areas for technological advancement. Additionally, our study revealed the complementary nature of 2D and 3D visuals in broadcasting, with each modality serving distinct purposes-2D for clarity and information conveyance and 3D for immersive experiences. This research suggests a paradigm shift in broadcast content creation, where integrating 3D technologies, such as 3D photo-real human representations, can lead to more dynamic, engaging, and visually appealing content across various platforms. The study’s findings provide explicit guidelines for content creation, catering to diverse viewer preferences and evolving consumption patterns. This research contributes to the broader understanding of how technological advancements in extended reality can effectively enhance the media landscape.

Background Female coaches across all sports and levels are underrepresented on a global scale, existing as peripheral figures on the coaching landscape. This is evident in an Irish context, with a recent report suggesting that just 18.7% of coaches in Gaelic games are female. The reasons for lower levels of female involvement in coaching have been widely documented, and include females feeling undervalued or under-appreciated, lacking confidence, and experiencing a lack of respect, gender stigmatism, and unconscious bias, within unsupportive organisational cultures. The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of structural and cultural factors on female coaches’ lived experiences of coaching in Gaelic games. Methods Following ethical approval, 8 online semi-structured focus groups with 38 female coaches from 5 cohorts; generic, inactive, fulltime paid, coach developers, and cross code coaches were conducted. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Following transcription, codes and quotes relevant to the main research questions in the study were collated and assessed with reference to the Ecological Intersectional Model. Discussion Through an iterative process of analysis and interpretation, four key themes, and 13 sub themes were constructed, shaped, and reshaped by the research team. These reflected personal factors, coaching contexts, organisational supports and societal influences that impacted on the lived experiences of female coaches in Gaelic games. These included many barriers and challenges experienced personally and within the organisational culture of Gaelic games that inhibit female involvement and full engagement across the coaching pathway. Leaders within Gaelic games should consider mentorship and networking; development of holistic coaching environments; and greater flexibility in coach education to increase and retain representation of females in coaching.

This study explores the use of vat polymerization stereolithography (SLA) for fabricating mold tooling, subsequently utilized in injection molding (IM) and overmolding of tensile specimens and directly compared to those produced using metal molds. The results first find the manufacturing time for an SLA‐fabricated mold is remarkably short, approximately 6 h, presenting a substantial improvement over traditional methods. Mechanical testing revealed that the tensile specimens from the SLA‐fabricated molds exhibited the highest tensile strength among all overmolding batches. This performance was consistent with the tensile bars produced using metal molds, demonstrating the viability of SLA‐fabricated molds for overmolding applications and highlighting the potential of FDM to customize the properties of final products. However, variations in mold types impacted the dimensional tolerance and tensile strength of the final specimens. Metal mold‐fabricated tensile bars exhibited superior dimensional accuracy and maximum tensile strength (50.6–61.7 MPa) compared to those produced with SLA‐fabricated molds (46.9–55.9 MPa). These differences are attributed to the rougher surface finish inherent to the layer‐by‐layer construction of SLA and the internal stresses and defects resulting from lower thermal conductivity and uneven cooling. In conclusion, this study underscores the promising future applications of SLA‐fabricated molds in overmolding, offering reduced manufacturing costs and enhanced design freedom. The findings support the potential of SLA to revolutionize mold fabrication, thereby extending its utility and optimizing the production of polymer components with customized properties. Highlights SLA molds compared to metal molds for direct injection molding and overmolding. FFF preforms with varied geometries were overmolded to finalize the specimens. Joint configurations in overmolding improved tensile performance. Overmolding showed better dimensional accuracy than FFF specimens. SLA mold preparation significantly reduced manufacturing costs.