Dundalk Institute of Technology

Lakes represent a vital source of freshwater, accounting for 87% of the Earth’s accessible surface freshwater resources and providing a range of ecosystem services, including water for human consumption. As climate change continues to unfold, understanding the potential evaporative water losses from lakes becomes crucial for effective water management strategies. Here we investigate the impacts of climate change on the evaporation rates of 23 European lakes and reservoirs of varying size during the warm season (July–September). To assess the evaporation trends, we employ a 12-member ensemble of model projections, utilizing three one-dimensional process-based lake models. These lake models were driven by bias-corrected climate simulations from four General Circulation Models (GCMs), considering both a historical (1970–2005) and future (2006–2099) period. Our findings reveal a consistent projection of increased warm-season evaporation across all lakes this century, though the magnitude varies depending on specific factors. By the end of this century (2070–2099), we estimate a 21%, 30% and 42% average increase in evaporation rates in the studied European lakes under RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) 2.6, 6.0 and 8.5, respectively. Moreover, future projections of the relationship between precipitation (P) and evaporation (E) in the studied lakes, suggest that P-E will decrease this century, likely leading to a deficit in the availability of surface water. The projected increases in evaporation rates underscore the significance of adapting strategic management approaches for European lakes to cope with the far-reaching consequences of climate change.

The peristaltic reflex has been a central concept in gastrointestinal motility; however, evidence was published recently suggesting that post‐stimulus responses that follow inhibitory neural responses provide the main propulsive force in colonic motility. This new concept was based on experiments on proximal colon where enteric inhibitory neural inputs are mainly nitrergic. However, the nature of inhibitory neural inputs changes from proximal to distal colon where purinergic inhibitory regulation dominates. In spite of the transition from nitrergic to purinergic regulation, post‐stimulus responses and propulsive contractions were both blocked by antagonists of a conductance (ANO1) exclusive to interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). How purinergic neurotransmission, transduced by PDGFRα⁺ cells, can influence ANO1 in ICC is unknown. We compared neural responses in proximal and distal colon. Post‐stimulus responses were blocked by inhibition of nitrergic neurotransmission in proximal colon, but P2Y1 receptor antagonists were more effective in distal colon. Ca²⁺ entry through voltage‐dependent channels (CaV3) enhances Ca²⁺ release in ICC. Thus, we reasoned that hyperpolarization caused by purinergic responses in PDGFRα⁺ cells, which are electrically coupled to ICC, might decrease inactivation of CaV3 channels and activate Ca²⁺ entry into ICC via anode‐break upon cessation of inhibitory responses. Post‐stimulus responses in distal colon were blocked by MRS2500 (P2Y1 receptor antagonist), apamin (SK channel antagonist) and NNC55‐0396 (CaV3 antagonist). These compounds also blocked propagating contractions in mid and distal colon. These data provide the first clear demonstration that integration of functions in the smooth muscle–ICC–PDGFRα⁺ cell (SIP) syncytium generates a major motility behaviour. image Key points Propagating propulsive contractions initiated by the enteric nervous system are a major motility behaviour in the colon. A major component of contractions, necessary for propulsive contractions, occurs at cessation of enteric inhibitory neurotransmission (post‐stimulus response) and is generated by interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which are electrically coupled to smooth muscle cells. The nature of enteric inhibitory neurotransmission shifts from proximal colon, where it is predominantly due to nitric oxide, to distal colon, where it is predominantly due to purine neurotransmitters. Different cells transduce nitric oxide and purines in the colon. ICC transduce nitric oxide, but another type of interstitial cell, PDGFRα⁺ cells, transduces input from purinergic neurons. However, the post‐stimulus responses in proximal and distal colon are still generated in ICC. This paper explores how integrated behaviours of ICC, PDGFRα⁺ cells and smooth muscle cells accomplish propulsive motility in the colon.

The aim of this project is to develop a Testbed for designing and training Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithms for cooperative and self-organizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The main purpose of the development of a scalable and distributed testbed based on Multi-agent RL algorithms is to enable UAVs to make decisions using real-time data and perform tasks autonomously. In this project, a novel testbed is developed that allows the integration of different Multi-agent RL algorithms with a flight simulator. This testbed supports UAVs that learn to fly and coordinate together in the simulated environment to accomplish the objective of target tracking. It employs novel techniques that enable faster learning and higher performance as compared to conventional Multi-agent RL methods. FlightGear is the flight simulator used in this project. This testbed can be used to train control models for a wide variety of use cases. As a proof of concept, a problem is formulated regarding target tracking of UAVs. The tracking aircraft follows the path of the target aircraft. Both tracking and target aircraft are controlled by different Multi-agent RL models and fly on a common flight simulator. This testbed can also scale up the number of tracking aircraft and can be distributed to several systems.

Seaweed (or Macroalgae) can potentially provide many industries, e.g., foods including food supplements and food additives, feed and feed additives, cosmetics, fertilisers, as well as biofuels. However, before macroalgae production in Europe can be scaled up successfully and sustainably, there are still a lot of obstacles and knowledge gaps that need to be filled as well as potential drawbacks or scale-dependent consequences that need to be considered. Each type of macroalgae-based goods is dealt differently by the regulatory committee of European Union. Priorities with new items include product safety and customer protection. The EU novel food regulation covers macroalgae products that have never been consumed as food, and organic macroalgae fall under a specific regulatory category. The heavy metals could be a barrier for macroalgae-based diets, feeds, and fertilisers. It is difficult to have food products based on macroalgae approved for health claims. The macroalgae industry is significantly impacted by aspects of the general regulatory environment, such as agricultural/aquacultural subsidies, maritime spatial planning and aquaculture licensing, public procurement requirements, tax schemes, and trade agreements, in addition to the restrictions on products.

Smooth muscle organs of the lower urinary tract comprise the bladder detrusor and urethral wall, which have a reciprocal contractile relationship during urine storage and micturition. As the bladder fills with urine, detrusor smooth muscle cells (DSMCs) remain relaxed to accommodate increases in intravesical pressure while urethral smooth muscle cells (USMCs) sustain tone to occlude the urethral orifice, preventing leakage. While neither organ displays coordinated regular contractions as occurs in small intestine, lymphatics or renal pelvis, they do exhibit patterns of rhythmicity at cellular and tissue levels. In rabbit and guinea‐pig urethra, electrical slow waves are recorded from USMCs. This activity is linked to cells expressing vimentin, c‐kit and Ca²⁺‐activated Cl⁻ channels, like interstitial cells of Cajal in the gastrointestinal tract. In mouse, USMCs are rhythmically active (firing propagating Ca²⁺ waves linked to contraction), and this cellular rhythmicity is asynchronous across tissues and summates to form tone. Experiments in mice have failed to demonstrate a voltage‐dependent mechanism for regulating this rhythmicity or contractions in vitro, suggesting that urethral tone results from an intrinsic ability of USMCs to ‘pace’ their own Ca²⁺ mobilization pathways required for contraction. DSMCs exhibit spontaneous transient contractions, increases in intracellular Ca²⁺ and action potentials. Consistent across numerous species, including humans, this activity relies on voltage‐dependent Ca²⁺ influx in DSMCs. While interstitial cells are present in the bladder, they do not ‘pace’ the organ in an excitatory manner. Instead, specialized cells (PDGFRα⁺ interstitial cells) may ‘negatively pace’ DSMCs to prevent bladder overexcitability. image

The European Commission recently adopted Commission Regulation (EU) Citation2021/382 requiring food businesses to establish and provide evidence of a food safety culture (FSC). FSC incorporates management systems, risk perceptions, leadership, communication, environment and commitment to ensure food safety. This review (n = 20) investigates food safety interventions in food businesses to identify effective strategies to improve food safety practices and FSC, and to provide recommendations for improving FSC. Results found that most interventions focused on knowledge training and that workplace practical demonstrations produced the best outcomes. Similar training topics were used evidencing the existence of common training needs. Frequent training over longer time periods was most successful for behavioral change, yet no sustained behavioral change was reported, indicating that single knowledge-based interventions are insufficient, reinforcing repeated experiential learning to be incorporated into training. We suggest that FSC training should focus on FSC more broadly, rather than solely on knowledge training, and that management leadership skills in particular are important to ensure sustained positive change. This study contributes to knowledge by providing a summative overview of food safety interventions and how components of these may be used to enhance FSC in food businesses.

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.

Background Evidence suggests that the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (CCSM) cells of several species, including humans, express purinergic P2X receptors, but it is not known if the corpus cavernosum has an excitatory purinergic innervation. Aim In this study we aimed to determine if the mouse CCSM has a functional purinergic innervation. Methods Mouse CCSM myocytes were enzymatically isolated and studied using the perforated patch configuration of the patch clamp technique. Isometric tension was measured in whole cavernosum tissue subjected to electrical field stimulation (EFS) to evoke nerve-mediated responses. Outcomes The mouse CCSM myocytes expressed P2X1 receptors, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) evoked inward currents in these cells. In addition, P2X1-mediated contractions were recorded in whole tissue in response to EFS. Results In cells held under a voltage clamp at −60 mV, ATP (1 μm) evoked large inward currents (mean approximately 900 pA). This current rapidly declined but was repeatable at 8-minute intervals. α,β-methylene ATP (10 μM), an agonist of P2X1 and P2X3 receptors, caused a similar current that also rapidly declined. Desensitization to α,β-methylene ATP negated the effect of ATP, but the ATP effect was restored 8 minutes after washout of α,β-methylene ATP. The effect of ATP was reversibly blocked by NF449 (1 μm), a selective antagonist of P2X1 receptors. In isometric tension experiments electrical field stimulation (EFS) at 0.5-8 Hz evoked frequency-dependent contractions in the presence of l-nitro arginine (l-NO-Arg) (100 μm). When phentolamine (3 μm) and atropine (1 μm) were applied, there remained a nonadrenergic, noncholinergic component of the response to EFS, consisting mainly of a transient contraction. This was significantly reduced by NF449 (1 μm). Finally, in immunocytochemistry experiments, isolated CCSM myocytes stained positively when exposed to an antibody raised against P2X1 receptors. Clinical Implications Previous studies have shown that P2X1 receptors in CCSM are upregulated in diabetes. These findings, taken together with the functional evidence presented here, indicate that P2X1 receptors may provide an alternative therapeutic target for treatment of erectile dysfunction in patients with diabetes, which is known to be relatively resistant to treatment with phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors. Strengths and Limitations Strengths of this study are the use of a combination of functional experiments (patch clamp) and immunocytochemical analyses to show expression of P2X1 receptors on CCSM myocytes while also performing functional experiments to show that stimulation these receptors results in contraction of CCSM. A limitation of this study was the use of animal rather than human tissue. Conclusion This investigation provides evidence that mouse corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells express P2X1 receptors and that these receptors are involved in mediating part of the contractile response to nerve stimulation evoked by EFS.

The fourth agricultural revolution has popularized the usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in farms, which has been shown to improve productivity [1], reduce labor, and help mitigate unforeseen circumstances through predictive modeling [2]. This practice is referred to as smart farming and has seen several successful applications worldwide in recent years [3]. Smart farming projects are conducted over a long period of time and can have a noteworthy impact [4], [5], [6], [7], [8]. Some major concerns regarding the new smart farming technologies are data and privacy concerns [9], lack of reliable infrastructure and equipment [10], laws and regulations in a particular location, training, and skill acquisition [11], and apprehension associated with the adoption of new technology. Farmers need to be provided with proper training and support to help them adopt new sustainable practices [12], [13]. It is also important to monitor the sentiments of farmers and the public toward innovations in the field of smart farming to allow for easier adaptation to changes and enhance future projects. Sentiment analysis can highlight the aspects of smart farming, which are positively and negatively perceived by the public, which can uncover areas for improvement. Insights derived through sentiment analysis can be invaluable for various shareholders, as it can signal market demand for smart farming tools.

Plain Language Summary Ecosystem metabolism is an important metric for understanding how an ecosystem uses and transforms energy and materials. In aquatic ecosystems, ecosystem metabolism is most often calculated by measuring oxygen. Oxygen is produced by aquatic plants and algae through photosynthesis, and oxygen is consumed by bacteria and other organisms through aerobic respiration. Oxygen production and consumption (metabolism) indicate how organic matter is flowing through the ecosystem, and whether an aquatic system is predominantly respiring (indicating it is a carbon source), or photosynthesizing (indicating it is a carbon sink). Metabolism rates in freshwater lakes scale with surface area and depth, but there are few metabolism rates calculated from oxygen measurements in shallow waterbodies. Ponds, wetlands, and shallow lakes are the most abundant freshwater systems on Earth and may function differently from larger lakes. In this study, we show that shallow systems are incredibly productive, with some of the highest rates of metabolism among aquatic ecosystems, and that depth is one of the most important factors affecting metabolism rates.

Urethral smooth muscle cells (USMC) contract to occlude the internal urethral sphincter during bladder filling. Interstitial cells also exist in urethral smooth muscles and are hypothesized to influence USMC behaviours and neural responses. These cells are similar to Kit+ interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which are gastrointestinal pacemakers and neuroeffectors. Isolated urethral ICC-like cells (ICC-LC) exhibit spontaneous intracellular Ca2+ signalling behaviours that suggest these cells may serve as pacemakers or neuromodulators similar to ICC in the gut, although observation and direct stimulation of ICC-LC within intact urethral tissues is lacking. We used mice with cell-specific expression of the Ca2+ indicator, GCaMP6f, driven off the endogenous promoter for Kit (Kit-GCaMP6f mice) to identify ICC-LC in situ within urethra muscles and to characterize spontaneous and nerve-evoked Ca2+ signalling. ICC-LC generated Ca2+ waves spontaneously that propagated on average 40.1 ± 0.7 μm, with varying amplitudes, durations, and spatial spread. These events originated from multiple firing sites in cells and the activity between sites was not coordinated. ICC-LC in urethra formed clusters but not interconnected networks. No evidence for entrainment of Ca2+ signalling between ICC-LC was obtained. Ca2+ events in ICC-LC were unaffected by nifedipine but were abolished by cyclopiazonic acid and decreased by an antagonist of Orai Ca2+ channels (GSK-7975A). Phenylephrine increased Ca2+ event frequency but a nitric oxide donor (DEA-NONOate) had no effect. Electrical field stimulation (EFS, 10 Hz) of intrinsic nerves, which evoked contractions of urethral rings and increased Ca2+ event firing in USMC, failed to evoke responses in ICC-LC. Our data suggest that urethral ICC-LC are spontaneously active but are not regulated by autonomic neurons.

Once upon a time, in a land quite far from here, but not terribly unlike our own, there lived four young women. Though their lives were very different, they had one thing in common: all were musically gifted, and all wished to employ those gifts as musicians in the King’s court, the highest and most respected position for a musician in that country.

In this work, Preyssler‐type POM (NH4)14[NaP5W30O110].44H2O (NH4P5W30), has been synthesised and its electrochemical behaviour in solution was examined at the surface of glassy carbon (GC) and gold electrodes. Furthermore, multilayer assemblies of NH4P5W30 POM were constructed onto the surfaces of GCE, gold electrode, and gold quartz electrode via the electrostatic Layer‐by‐Layer (LBL) technique employing polyethyleneimine as the cationic layer and POM as an anionic layer. Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance measurements (EQCM) were used to monitor the LBL assembly as the NH4P5W30 POM layer was being built. These techniques revealed significant differences in film growth. The multilayer film exhibited well‐defined redox couples associated with POM's tungsten‐oxo framework and showed surface‐confined behaviour up to 100 mVs⁻¹ on both the GC and gold electrodes. The pH dependency and stability of the film were investigated. EIS demonstrated that when the POM layer was the outer layer, the layers were less conductive, and resistance increased as the number of layers increased. In addition, the charge transfer resistance values (Rct) for the layers were calculated. The solvation of ions into the film associated with POM redox activity was studied employing an in‐situ EQCM.